Texas Rising Stars Honors Ward, Smith & Hill Attorney Brett F. Miller

Miller is recognized for his work with plaintiffs in civil litigation

LONGVIEW, Texas – Ward, Smith & Hill trial attorney Brett F. Miller has earned selection to the 2022 edition of Texas Rising Stars for his expertise in civil litigation. The listing highlights the best young attorneys in the state.

Mr. Miller’s expertise involves business and employment disputes as well as cases involving non-competes and trade secrets. He leads the firm’s family law practice, representing individuals in divorce proceedings, child custody disputes and complex property issues. This marks his fifth year to earn Rising Stars honors.

“This recognition reflects the team effort of our law firm,” said Mr. Miller. “I’m honored that my legal peers recognize the arduous work we do for our clients.”

Only 2.5 percent of eligible attorneys are chosen for the annual Texas Rising Stars listing, which is designed to recognize attorneys who are 40 or younger or who have been practicing for 10 years or less. Selections are first made through peer nominations followed by a meticulous blue-ribbon review.

Texas Monthly and the Texas Rising Stars issue of Super Lawyers magazine will highlight the 2022 honorees. For more information on Texas Rising Stars, visit www.superlawyers.com.

Longview, Texas-based Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC, has tried more than 350 cases to verdict, earning a national reputation in high-stakes claims involving complex commercial litigation, intellectual property law, oil and gas matters, bad faith insurance claims, and serious personal injury claims. The firm frequently assists lawyers nationwide in complex cases before Texas juries. To learn more about the firm, visit http://www.wsfirm.com.

April 12, 2022

Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C. is pleased to announce that David Wasserman has joined the firm as an associate in its Employment & Labor practice group.

David advises clients in matters related to employment and labor law and defends employers in both state and federal courts against allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and breach of contract. As a child of two deaf parents, one of whom experienced workplace disability discrimination, David has dedicated his work to counseling employers on workplace issues and compliance training. He also serves on the Executive Board of Directors at DEAF, Inc.

Before joining Greensfelder, David served as a plaintiff-side employment lawyer at a nationally recognized St. Louis law firm. During law school, he was President of the Employment Law Association, Managing Editor of the ABA Journal of Labor & Employment Law, and an extern at the Missouri Commission on Human Rights. David was the recipient of the Judge Robert G. Dowd Sr. Appellate Advocacy Award and an employment law certificate from the William C. Wefel Center for Employment Law.

David earned his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law and his B.A., summa cum laude, in political science from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri.

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has announced that Anne D. Harman, a partner at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP in Wheeling, West Virginia, has accepted an invitation to join the IADC, the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests.

“As the legal world continues to expand and grow globally, IADC provides its members with practice resources, unique educational opportunities and the camaraderie of defense-oriented peers,” Ms. Harman said.

Ms. Harman has more than three decades of legal experience, focusing her practice on the representation of business and companies in toxic tort civil litigation, regularly involving asbestos and benzene defense work in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. She represents a range of large and small companies, often connected to the steel, power and chemical industries.

Ms. Harman is a member of DRI, the Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia, and the American Inns of Court, the William Blackstone Inn. She has been named a West Virginia “Super Lawyer” for Product Liability Defense.

Ms. Harman received her J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law and her Bachelor of Business Administration from Marshall University.

About the International Association of Defense Counsel
The IADC is the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests. Founded in 1920, the IADC has members who hail from six continents, 51 countries and territories, and all 50 U.S. states. The core purposes of the IADC are to enhance the development of skills, promote professionalism, and facilitate camaraderie among its members and their clients, as well as the broader civil justice community. For more information, visit www.iadclaw.org.

Additions Continue National Expansion of the Firm’s Leading Real Estate Group

Blank Rome LLP is pleased to welcome Kathryn C. Appling and Jamie Garelick as of counsel in the firm’s nationally recognized Real Estate practice. Kathryn joins the firm from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, and is based in Blank Rome’s New York office. Jamie joins the firm from Glaser Weil Fink Howard Avchen & Shapiro LLP, and is based in Blank Rome’s Los Angeles office.

Kathryn and Jamie are the latest additions to Blank Rome’s growing Real Estate group, which recently welcomed leading partners Saul Breskal, Christy Reuter, Sonia Kaur Bain, and J.J. Broderick, of counsel Kerri Alessi, and associates Kaitlyn West, Christina Preminger, and Matthew Crawford across the firm’s Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia offices.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kathryn and Jamie to our growing team, further strengthening our national footprint and enhancing our suite of client service offerings and capabilities,” stated Samantha Wallack, Partner and Co-Chair of the Real Estate group. “Their strong real estate backgrounds and corporate finance and transactions experience will be a tremendous asset to not only our real estate team, but also our firm’s leading corporate, finance, and private equity groups.”

Kathryn represents private equity funds, developers, financial technology companies, sovereign wealth funds, financial institutions, and investors in structuring and negotiating complex joint ventures, acquisitions and dispositions, financings, and restructurings involving a wide variety of assets, including property portfolios. She also has experience advising New York-based nonprofits and governmental agencies in connection with the acquisition and disposition of real estate assets, including development rights.

Admitted to practice in New York, Kathryn received her J.D., cum laude, from Harvard University, and her B.S.F.S., cum laude, from Georgetown University.

Jamie focuses her practice on commercial real estate and corporate transactions, notably representing property owners, tenants, landlords, investors, and borrowers in connection with leases, acquisitions, and dispositions, as well as the development and financing of commercial, industrial, and retail properties. She also counsels privately owned businesses, providing advice and strategic consultation to her clients in connection with business formation and organization, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, asset purchases and sales, and other business and operational matters.

Admitted to practice in California and New York, Jamie received her J.D. from Columbia Law School and her A.B., cum laude, from Princeton University.

About Blank Rome

Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 14 offices and more than 600 attorneys and principals who provide comprehensive legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. Our professionals have built a reputation for their leading knowledge and experience across a spectrum of industries and are recognized for their commitment to pro bono work in their communities. Since our inception in 1946, Blank Rome’s culture has been dedicated to providing top-level service to all of our clients and has been rooted in the strength of our diversity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, please visit blankrome.com.

###

Turner Padget is pleased to announce the additions of Charles S. Gwynne, Jr., of counsel, to the firm’s Columbia office, Christopher D. Scalzo, of counsel, to the firm’s Greenville office and Adrian R. Peguese, associate, to the firm’s Florence office. Gwynne and Peguese join the Litigation practice group and will support the Personal Injury Defense team by handling personal injury cases on a daily basis through pre-suit investigation and negotiation, discovery, mediation, arbitration, trial and appeal. Scalzo joins the Litigation practice group and will support the White Collar Crime team by representing matters involving nonviolent offenses at the corporate level. He will work to combine the firm’s strengths in areas of accounting, banking and taxation, etc. for successful white collar crime defense.

Charles S. Gwynne, Jr.
Gwynne defends insurance carriers and individuals throughout all aspects of litigation, including case investigation, written discovery, depositions, motion practice and attending trials. He works to provide clients with efficient and effective representation, as well as excellent service. Prior to joining Turner Padget, Gwynne’s civil litigation experience included representing mortgage lenders and loan servicers in South Carolina in residential real estate foreclosures, handling construction defect and products liability insurance defense claims, and commercial collections cases. He also previously served as an assistant disciplinary counsel with the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. In that role, he was responsible for prosecuting licensees for violations of state practice acts, and handling appeals and petitions for injunctive relief filed with the Administrative Law Court.

Gwynne earned his undergraduate degree from Ithaca College and his law degree from Suffolk University Law School.

Adrian R. Peguese
Peguese focuses her practice on defending clients in automobile accident and premise liability. She has experience representing indigent defendants in magistrate and general sessions court from post-arrest until disposition, investigating alleged crimes or offenses by meeting with witnesses, deposing police officers and reviewing reports and statements, and analyzing facts, evidence and the strength of the case, determining the client’s wishes and conducting meetings with prosecutors to resolve issues. Prior to joining Turner Padget, Peguese served with the Sixteenth Circuit Public Defender’s Office as an assistant public defender representing individuals in automobile accident cases in South Carolina. She is also a member of the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division and is active in various committees, including the Protecting Our Youth committee and serves as co-chair for the Diversity Committee.

Peguese earned her undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina and her law degree from the University of South Carolina Law School.

Christopher D. Scalzo
Scalzo has been a trial and appellate lawyer for almost 20 years. He has served as lead counsel in over 100 trials at all levels of court in South Carolina, including at the magistrate, municipal, family, circuit courts and the South Carolina Supreme Court. Scalzo is the former Chief Public Defender in South Carolina’s 10th and 13th Judicial Circuits, where he represented clients in criminal matters ranging from traffic violations to capital murder. Prior to joining Turner Padget, he served as chief executive of two different organizations and understands the financial and business concerns of his clients. Scalzo has experience defending matters involving violations of the S.C. Wiretap Act and challenges to the constitutionality of statutes, defending 2,000+ clients accused of crimes in trials, and negotiating resolutions and dismissals for alleged criminal charges ranging from traffic tickets to capital murder.

Scalzo earned his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and his law degree from Rutgers University School of Law.

Turner Padget exceeds expectations by taking your interests, your business and our relationships personally. Our depth of knowledge, technical strength and diverse experience makes us sharp, talented business thinkers able to see our clients’ needs holistically and get to the core of the problem quickly. As one of South Carolina’s largest law firms, Turner Padget has expanded into neighboring states with offices located in Augusta, Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Greenville and Myrtle Beach, along with strategic alliances in Florida and North Carolina. http://www.turnerpadget.com/

###

LITTLER’S SOAR PROGRAM TAKES OFF

(April 11, 2022) – Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, is proud to introduce the rebrand of its Littler SOAR Program (previously named the Investment for Success program). The program, led by Shareholders Michelle Gomez (Denver) and Joon Hwang (Tysons Corner), pairs newly hired associates with a shareholder mentor to help them successfully integrate into the firm.

“Research has shown that the first few months at a law firm can be crucial in determining a new attorney’s success. In response, Littler’s SOAR program ensures that we are effectively onboarding, mentoring and training our newly-hired talent,” said Paul Bateman, Littler’s Chief Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Officer. “SOAR is designed to connect established attorney mentors with new, diverse attorney mentees to help them find their footing, so that they are set up to excel and achieve their goals at Littler.”

Initially launched in 2017 as a follow-up to Littler’s award-winning Career Advocacy Program, SOAR mentors share career advice, suggest ways to boost opportunities at the firm, identify core competencies and provide tips for managing workload. Additionally, they offer guidance on developing subject matter knowledge and involvement in practice groups, firm committees and affinity groups. Mentors also help their mentees navigate the wealth of resources at Littler.

“As co-chairs, we are continuously developing initiatives to ensure that SOAR participants get the most out of the program,” added Gomez and Hwang in a joint statement. “As part of our efforts, we renamed the program to more accurately depict its goals, which is to help our new associates launch and excel in their respective careers at Littler.”

Last fall, SOAR held a virtual graduation ceremony honoring 15 associates, who completed 18 months in the program. SOAR graduates attribute their participation in the program to their successful practices. For example:

In the words of associate Jason Byrd (New York), “Through my participation in the SOAR program, I was able to hone my skills as an attorney. A major benefit of the program was having a mentor who served as a neutral party. He helped me navigate the firm’s resources and improve the management of my daily practice. I’m extremely grateful for the guidance of my mentor and my time here at Littler.”

Littler also has a number of other programs designed to retain and promote a diverse workforce, including the previously mentioned Career Advocacy Program and Breaking Through, among other meaningful initiatives. The firm continues to set the standard for inclusion, equity and diversity in the industry as it earns recognition for its policies, practices and programs. For a comprehensive overview of Littler’s ongoing programming and initiatives, check out the firm’s 2021 Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Annual Report.

About Littler

With more than 1,600 labor and employment attorneys in offices around the world, Littler provides workplace solutions that are local, everywhere. Our diverse global team and proprietary technology foster a culture that celebrates original thinking, delivering groundbreaking innovation that prepares employers for what’s happening today, and what’s likely to happen tomorrow. For more information, visit www.littler.com.

###

Farrell Fritz is pleased to welcome Michael L. Webb to its Uniondale office as real estate counsel.

Michael is a Dix Hills, NY, resident. Prior to joining Farrell Fritz, he was counsel at Nixon Peabody LLP in Jericho. Michael earned his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law and his B.A., cum laude, from Queens College. He is admitted in New York.

Rebecca Blake Chaikin Joins Jackson Walker’s Bankruptcy, Restructuring, & Recovery Practice in Houston

HOUSTON – Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the addition of Rebecca Blake Chaikin as a partner in the Houston office’s Bankruptcy, Restructuring, & Recovery practice.

“Rebecca is an outstanding bankruptcy lawyer who brings extensive and valuable experience to our team,” said Practice Chair Bruce J. Ruzinsky. “We have had the pleasure of working with her in the past on Chapter 11 cases for Denbury Resources, Jones Energy, and JCPenney. Rebecca is not only very experienced, she also possesses a collaborative and good-humored demeanor, and she utilizes a practical and creative approach to cases, that blends really well with the team.”

Rebecca offers extensive experience representing debtors and creditors in connection with corporate restructuring, bankruptcy, and financial distress. She also has experience with international and cross-border insolvency and out-of-court restructurings throughout Texas, Delaware, New York, and Virginia bankruptcy courts. In recognition of her practice, she has been named a “One to Watch” in the area of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law by The Best Lawyers in America since 2021.

“I am excited to join Jackson Walker’s first-rate bankruptcy and restructuring practice,” Rebecca said. “Having collaborated closely with the team on several Chapter 11 cases over the past three years, I am confident we will work well together and that I will contribute to the incredible service they already provide to companies in distress.”

She received her J.D. from New York University School of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Brandeis University.

Meet JW

Founded more than 130 years ago, Jackson Walker has played a vital role in the growth and development of Texas business. With more than 400 attorneys across seven Texas-based offices, the Firm represents Fortune 500 companies, multinational corporations, major financial institutions, insurance companies, and a wide range of public companies and private businesses around the globe. To explore the Firm’s experience handling complex corporate Chapter 11 cases, out-of-court workouts, and litigation proceedings, visit the Bankruptcy, Restructuring, & Recovery practice page.

Womble Bond Dickinson announced today that Damian C. Georgino has joined the firm’s Corporate and Securities Group as a partner in the Charlotte, N.C. office. Damian advises U.S. and international corporations, including Fortune 50 companies, financial institutions, private equity funds, and other investors in complex transactions involving water and wastewater, energy, industrial/manufacturing, infrastructure, technology, and natural resource projects.

In his more than 25 years of experience, Damian has advised clients on transactional – including investments, financings and structures, risk management, and compliance – and operational matters across a variety of industries. He has extensive experience in buy-and-build and hyper-growth strategies, structures, financings, including project finance, and operations primarily focused on the water, wastewater, energy, technology, investments) and environmental industries. Damian has also successfully led numerous infrastructure transactions, including water and wastewater privatization, affirmage, and P3/PPP projects, in the U.S. and internationally.

“Damian is an exceptional deal lawyer with extensive experience in complex domestic and international transactions,” said Jamie Francis, who leads the firm’s Corporate and Securities practice. “He is highly respected for his M&A work, and his focus on all things water, wastewater, energy and infrastructure adds new depth to our global practice and, with respect to his work in the water/energy nexus, our Energy and Natural Resources practice.”

The firm’s Corporate and Securities Group has added two dozen attorneys in the last 12 months, which has also seen the expansion of the Energy and Financial Services sectors and the Global Business and International Trade practice.

“Womble’s commitment to client service combined with its collaborative culture and full-service, transatlantic platform is an excellent fit for my practice,” said Damian. “I look forward to working with my new colleagues to serve the needs of clients at all stages of complexity and growth.”

Damian joins Womble from Norton Rose Fulbright’s New York office. He is active within his professional and legal community, serving on the Board of Directors for American Energy Partners Inc., several advisory boards including the Corporate Advisory Board for the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, and the Transactional Law Program Advisory Board at the Emory University School of Law.

Damian graduated from Dickinson College with a B.A. in Economics and a B.S. in Political Science. He received both his J.D. and M.B.A. from Emory University, where he served in the Moot Court Society and graduated with High Honors.

Venable LLP is pleased to announce that on April 4, 2022, the firm’s client ecobee was the beneficiary of a ruling of Administrative Law Judge Cameron Elliot (of the U.S. International Trade Commission [ITC]) in an investigation brought by EcoFactor, Inc. against ecobee. ecobee is a leader in sustainable smart home solutions, and it pioneered the smart thermostat space in 2007.

The complaint, filed on Feb. 25, 2021, accused ecobee and others of importing Wi-Fi-enabled smart thermostats that infringed four patents. After an investigation that lasted 13 months, ALJ Elliot published an initial determination in favor of ecobee, finding that there was no violation of Section 337 of the Trade Act. In particular, ALJ Elliot concluded that ecobee did not infringe the asserted patents, that the asserted patents were invalid on multiple grounds, and that EcoFactor failed to satisfy the domestic industry requirement.

The Venable trial team was led by partner Timothy Carroll.

“We are pleased to deliver this latest victory for ecobee. This is an important and high-stakes investigation,” said Mr. Carroll, a partner in Venable’s Patent Litigation Group. Mr. Carroll added that “this is the second time ecobee has been awarded a victory in the ITC against EcoFactor. We are thrilled that ecobee has prevailed through every stage of this and the prior investigation commenced by EcoFactor.”

The Venable team representing ecobee and led by Mr. Carroll includes Venable attorneys Manny Caixeiro, Megan Woodworth, Steve Lubezny, Catherine Taylor, Dan Apgar, Leslie Lee, and others. EcoFactor was represented in this and a prior unsuccessful investigation by Russ, August & Kabat.

ecobee Inc. was founded in 2007 with a mission to improve everyday life while creating a more sustainable world. Today, ecobee continues to innovate with smart home solutions that solve everyday problems with comfort, security, and conservation in mind. With its products, including the SmartThermostat and SmartCamera, both equipped with voice control, ecobee continues to encourage consumers to imagine what home could be.

Venable LLP is an American Lawyer Global 100 law firm headquartered in Washington, DC that serves as primary counsel to a worldwide clientele of large and mid-sized organizations, nonprofits, high-net-worth entrepreneurs, and other individuals. With more than 850 professionals across the country, including in California, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Washington, DC, the firm strategically advances its clients’ objectives in the United States and around the globe. Venable advises clients on a broad range of business and regulatory law, legislative affairs, complex litigation, and the full range of intellectual property disciplines. For more information, please visit https://www.venable.com/.

Buchalter is pleased to announce the additions of four attorneys in Salt Lake City – Shareholder Jason Croft joins as Global Chair of the Patent Procurement and Strategy Practice group and R. Chad Pugh joins as a Shareholder and member of the Litigation Practice group. Melanie Marcheschi joins as a member of the Real Estate Practice, and Jake Barney is a member of the Litigation Practice group. The Firm’s Salt Lake City office has seen tremendous growth since its opening in November of 2021 having expanded to more than 20 attorneys in six months.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jason, Chad, Melanie, and Jake to the Firm,” said Adam Bass, President and Chief Executive Officer of Buchalter. “With Jason’s impressive technical patent and intellectual property practice, Chad and Jake’s wealth of litigation experience, and Melanie’s significant real estate practice, they are exactly the right fit as we continue to solidify Buchalter’s presence in Utah.”

Croft actively manages patent-related matters for some of the world’s most innovative public and private companies. He is equally adept at patent procurement and IP portfolio strategy, as he is at managing IP transactions, conducting IP due diligence, and leading post-grant proceedings. Croft’s technical expertise spans a broad array of cutting-edge disciplines, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, virtual and augmented reality, neural networks, 4G and 5G wireless standards, autonomous vehicles, robotics, computer architecture, software, cryptography, biometrics, integrated circuits, and semiconductor manufacturing.

“I am delighted to join Buchalter and add my experience and expertise to the exceptional intellectual property capabilities Buchalter offers its clients,” said Croft. “With the strong foundation the Firm provides, I look forward to continuing to expand our world-class Intellectual Property practice group.”

Pugh represents clients in commercial litigation matters, with an emphasis in consumer financial services, securities, and real property matters. He has broad experience representing lenders in mortgage-related litigation arising under federal and state consumer-protection laws, including the Truth in Lending Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and unfair trade practices statutes. His commercial litigation experience in other substantive areas includes securities litigation, labor and employment, white-collar defense, and bankruptcy litigation.

“I am so pleased to be adding my practice to Buchalter’s prominent litigation practice and to the growing Salt Lake City office,” said Pugh. “This is a truly an exciting time to join the Firm, and with the geographic footprint Buchalter offers, I am confident this move was the right decision.”

Marcheschi’s expertise includes commercial acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, and title, survey, and environmental due diligence in connection with such transactions. She represents buyers, sellers, property owners, tenants, and developers.

Barney has successfully represented clients in litigation at both the trial and appellate court levels. His practice includes professional liability, commercial contracts, real estate matters, trade secrets, construction, shareholder/member disputes, and other complex business matters. His broad experience enables him to provide valuable insight in a wide variety of commercial and general civil litigation matters.

Just two months ago, Buchalter announced the additions of six lawyers in Salt Lake City – Shareholders Douglas Farr, Lance Lehnhof, and Blake Cooper along with Blake Tengberg, Karl Israelsen, and Trevor Fugate.

“Jason, Chad, Melanie, and Jake are welcome additions to our growing presence in Salt Lake City,” added Jed Burton, Managing Office Shareholder in Salt Lake. “When joining Buchalter late last year, we could not have foreseen practicing with such an accomplished and impressive group of attorneys.”
“Salt Lake City is a significant market for both our clients and the Firm,” added Bass. “Looking ahead, we are optimistic about our future and continued growth in the Utah region.”

Already encumbered with a mandate to do more with less, corporate legal departments (CLDs) are seeing major spikes in demand for legal services stemming from a growing dependency on in-house attorneys to support everyday operations and increased legal obligations. More frequently, in-house attorneys are becoming much more involved with sales, marketing, finance, operations, HR, risk and compliance and other business functions much earlier in the process than before. And according to the 2022 ACC Chief Legal Officer Survey, 60% anticipate an increase in work volume just due to privacy and regulatory enforcement.

Not only are the requests for legal support increasing and expanding, the requests themselves are coming at them from a multitude of vectors—internally, via phone (or Zoom), email, instant message, texts, group meetings, or casual watercooler conversations; and from external stakeholders like law firms, vendors, partners, suppliers and more.

Compounding this is the impact from COVID-19, which generated increased risk factors for businesses, slowed down court processes, and disrupted the workforce. Pandemic-related litigation is expected to increase at a strong pace throughout 2022. Litigators can expect a steady stream of business interruption and breach of contract suits across industries, plus an uptick in insurance claims for physical damages, employment disputes, bankruptcy, and real estate litigation.

All of this puts enormous strain on CLDs in terms of capacity, managing workloads and costs, and balancing the legal and business needs of the organization. Unfortunately, CLDs have to manage all of this while continuing to stay ahead of any issues or crises and proactively mitigate risk, and managing these inbound requests can be a full-time job without advanced technology.

Managing Increased Demand for Legal Services

Faced with increased demand and resource constraints, CLDs need tools that help them work more efficiently and effectively and give them big-picture insights that help them better manage demand, allocate resources, control costs and plan for future needs. It all starts with data—ideally captured when the legal request is made, collected until the matter or task is resolved, and organized and analyzed for auditing and reporting purposes. In fact, a recent industry survey notes that Workload/Resource Bandwidth is the #1 challenge facing CLDs, and that Legal Service Request/Intake technologies are second only to A.I. in terms of planned implementations over the next two years.

Many CLDs currently use Microsoft Excel, Outlook, or other project management software for matter intake, some have already started using an advanced workflow management system such as CounselLink (and are seeing the results), but the majority currently still do not have any kind of comprehensive platform to manage and optimize the flow of legal work into and around the department, facilitate collaboration, analyze performance and outcomes, and generate insights.

Without this central source of data and analytics, CLDs have no means of communicating to executive management how many inquiries they are receiving, the sources and types of requests stakeholders are submitting, how much time is needed to address them, how much it is going to cost, and who is going to do the work—which makes it impossible to make staffing recommendations and justify budget requirements.

Leveraging Technology to Close the Resources Gap

Technologies that automate tasks and incorporate tracking mechanisms help CLDs better manage their caseloads while making well-reasoned resource decisions. With an advanced work management platform, CLDs can address a host of questions and decisions with confidence: What’s the most efficient and cost-effective way to successfully handle this request? Should this matter be staffed using in-house resources or an outside law firm? Does our internal team have the capacity and/or expertise? If not, which outside law firm should we hire?

Although work management solutions may or may not reduce internal headcount or overhead costs, the technology can help CLDs make smarter decisions for resource planning. When the department has visibility into the origination, volume, and types of in-bound requests, leadership knows exactly what types and amounts of internal legal resources are required—for instance, how many contract reviewers should be hired vs. how many litigators—which helps optimize the quantity and distribution of skillsets within CLDs.

Similarly, data-driven insights on outside counsel performance can help CLDs make better decisions on which firms to hire and how large their legal team needs to be, quantify the value a firm delivered in the past and benchmark results against other firms—all of which can contribute to lower outside legal spend.

Incidentally, many law firms are also deploying advanced technologies to make themselves more knowledgeable, efficient, transparent, and collaborative. As such, these firms would likely appreciate a work management platform that helps them interface more closely with their clients and better manage their workflows.

Realizing the Benefits of Advanced Work Management Systems

Selecting the right advanced work management solution creates transparency around how your department works while exposing issues that were previously unseen.

Data-driven recommendations and decisions lead to better organization-wide outcomes. Further, the transparency achieved through advanced work management systems positively impacts collaboration, enabling contributors to communicate and track the work that they’re doing individually and collectively.

When selecting an advanced legal work management solution, CLDs should look for comprehensive data-capture capabilities, analytics tools that provide insights into staffing optimization and return on investment, rich collaboration and workflow management tools to track and manage progress, and robust reporting capabilities that can be used to communicate resource planning and budget requirements to executive stakeholders. As a result of having such functionality built in, CounselLink, a leading advanced work management solution for corporate legal departments, is able to provide its users with an average cost savings of 8-10%.

Developing a long-term legal technology strategy to help manage legal requests and analyze performance and outcomes will help CLDs weather the increasing workloads and changing legal environment in 2022 and beyond.

Kris Hawk is a Senior Product Manager at LexisNexis where he is responsible for the product planning and execution throughout the product development lifecycle. Kris has over 10 years of experience in the legal technology industry focusing on software solutions for law firm productivity, eDiscovery, and Enterprise Legal Management.

Expert witnesses testify in the vast majority of trials. Research conducted over three decades involving jurors in actual trials with expert testimony produces highly consistent results about what makes an expert witness persuasive to jurors.

In the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, jurors from actual trials were surveyed and interviewed post-trial. What are the most important factors identified that make an expert witness persuasive to jurors?

Read the article

A.Y. Strauss, a leading boutique law firm focused on commercial transactions and litigation in the areas of real estate, franchise law, construction contracting, bankruptcy, and labor & employment, is pleased to announce that Marisa Rauchway has joined as a partner and chair of the firm’s Franchise Group.

“We are pleased to welcome Marisa to lead our franchise team, enhancing the capabilities we are able to provide to our clients,” said Aaron Y. Strauss, firm managing partner. “Marisa’s franchise experience paired with her work as a corporate attorney and litigator further adds to the level of service we provide.”

Marisa assists prospective franchisees, emerging concept franchisors, and current single and multi-unit franchise operators as they navigate legal issues both in and out of court. Her national franchise practice includes working with potential and existing franchisees throughout their relationships with franchisors. Marisa counsels clients through the purchase process, FDD/franchise agreement/area development agreement review and negotiation, lease negotiations, multi-unit and area development expansion, as well as sales and transfers. She also provides counsel to franchisors at each stage of the franchise development life cycle and regularly advises clients on the extent to which their business relationships may be a “hidden franchise” governed by the New Jersey Franchise Practices Act.

“I am thrilled to be joining a dynamic, extremely talented group of lawyers who collectively have the ideal skill set to serve the needs of the franchise and business communities. The firm’s leadership and focus on putting client relationships first are exactly in line with how I have practiced law my whole career, and I look forward to continuing to serve the needs of our clients together,” said Marisa.

Marisa earned her J.D. from Boston University Law School and her B.A. from Princeton University. She holds a Certified Franchise Executive™ designation from the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives and served as co-chair of the New York/New Jersey Chapter of the Women’s Franchise Network, part of the International Franchise Association, from 2016 to 2021.

About A.Y. Strauss
A.Y. Strauss provides legal counsel for commercial transactions and litigation in the areas of commercial real estate, construction contracting, bankruptcy, franchise law, and labor & employment. With the intellectual depth of a large firm and the personalized touch of a boutique, the firm’s lawyers represent emerging businesses, institutional clients, and high net worth individuals, in domestic and international matters. The dynamic culture and collaborative working environment at the firm provides a healthy work-life balance for its team members, with a focus on giving back to the communities the firm serves. A.Y. Strauss has offices in Roseland, NJ and New York, NY. For more information, visit https://www.aystrauss.com/.

Wilmington, DE – April 11, 2022 – Cohen Seglias is pleased to announce that William R. Firth, III has joined the firm as a partner in the Wilmington, Delaware office. He is a member of the Commercial Litigation and Business Transactions Groups.

“Bill is a highly-regarded attorney in the state of Delaware with exceptional experience that will enhance the capabilities of our team as they continue to provide outstanding service,” said managing Partner George Pallas. “Our growth in Delaware with William’s arrival and the recent promotions of Brionna Denby and Evan Rassman to senior counsel allows us to better help our clients achieve their business goals.”

Bill counsels individuals, executives, investors and companies on legal issues arising in their businesses, litigating disputes in Delaware involving contractual agreements, corporate governance and financial wrongdoing. He serves as a valued business partner to his clients, guiding them through shareholder and partnership disputes, contract disputes, and business tort claims and helping to resolve their issues quickly and efficiently. Additionally, Bill has experience helping clients navigate commercial bankruptcy proceedings, bankruptcy adversary litigation and out-of-court commercial loan workouts.

A graduate of Villanova University School of Law, Bill is a former U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee law clerk for United States Senator Arlen Specter. He also earned his B.A. from Villanova University and his M.P.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Cohen Seglias’ Commercial Litigation Group handles business disputes for clients across a variety of industries and litigates matters in state and federal courts. Attorneys provide counsel on matters ranging from breach of contract and business torts to real estate disputes and mechanics’ lien claims, serving as aggressive and conscientious advocates for clients. The team works with clients through all phases of litigation, utilizing an in-house eDiscovery team to efficiently manage the process and keep clients informed every step of the way.

The firm’s Business Transactions Group offers a broad range of services to support the business and transactional needs of clients across industries including real estate, professional services, health care, financial services, energy, engineering, and construction. Attorneys counsel businesses at every stage of their progression, from emerging businesses to mature corporations. In addition to providing day-to-day business advice, the team creates the commercial contracts and documentation necessary for conducting business, from all formation and company governance documents to agreements relating to the purchasing, sale and financing of goods and real estate.

About Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman PC
Founded in 1988, Cohen Seglias is a law firm with 80 lawyers in offices across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Washington, DC, and in Kentucky. The firm provides client service on a national basis in areas including construction, government contracting, labor & employment, commercial litigation, business transactions, real estate, financial services, insurance coverage & risk management, energy & utilities, government law & regulatory affairs, real estate, research misconduct, Title IX, student defense, wealth preservation, white collar defense & internal investigations. For more information please visit www.cohenseglias.com.

Friedlander Misler PLLC is pleased to announce the elevation of attorney Jennifer W. Jette to member and the addition of new associates Li Ann Butterfield Watson, Vania M. Smith and Rishele Y. Ellison.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer to our firm’s partnership as a member of Friedlander Misler,” said David M. Astrove, a principal and managing member of Friedlander Misler. “Jen is a highly skilled attorney who is dedicated to the success of her clients’ deals across a broad range of industries.”

Previously an associate, Jette joined Friedlander Misler in 2014. A member of the firm’s Real Estate and Commercial Transactions practice groups, she focuses on representing borrowers in a variety of commercial real estate transactions, and counsels clients on acquisitions, dispositions, financings, and leasing matters. Jette received her J.D., with honors, from Emory University School of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania.

“It is gratifying to be named as a member, and I appreciate the camaraderie and mentorship that Friedlander Misler has provided to me,” Jette said. “Client service is of utmost importance, and I have enjoyed developing meaningful relationships with clients and becoming someone whom they can trust and rely upon for counsel.”

Astrove added, “As we provide counsel to national and global companies, as well as businesses in the mid-Atlantic region, our law firm continues growing, and I am very pleased to welcome Li Ann, Vania and Rishele as new associates who are certain to be great additions to our team.”

Butterfield Watson and Smith join the firm’s Real Estate and Commercial Transactions practice groups.

Previously, Butterfield Watson practiced in Stamford, Connecticut, representing clients in residential and commercial real estate transactions, trusts and estates, and corporate formation. She received her J.D. from Boston College Law School and her B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross.

Smith previously worked in commercial real estate asset management in the D.C. area for over 20 years for companies including Cushman & Wakefield, Lincoln Property Company, and Vornado Realty Trust. She received her J.D. from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. She also earned her M.P.A. and a B.A. from The George Washington University.

Ellison joins the firm’s Workers’ Compensation practice group, and also represents clients in a variety of trademark matters. Prior to joining the firm, she served as a judicial law clerk to Judge Karen H. Mason of the Circuit Court of Prince George’s County, Maryland. Ellison received her J.D. from Howard University School of Law and her B.S. from Bowie State University.

About Friedlander Misler PLLC
For more than 50 years, Friedlander Misler PLLC has remained committed to providing high quality legal services while minimizing cost exposure to clients nationally and in the D.C. metropolitan area, as well as across Virginia and Maryland. The firm represents clients ranging from global conglomerates to regional businesses and small start-ups in matters involving commercial real estate, commercial leasing and finance, commercial and general liability litigation, labor and employment litigation, and corporate and business law. For more information, visit https://www.dclawfirm.com.

Stroock today welcomed Alesha Dominique in Los Angeles as head of the Trademark group and partner in the Intellectual Property practice.

Alesha’s appointment further expands Stroock’s IP capabilities and represents the firm’s fourth lateral partner hire this year. Last month, Stroock welcomed David Barr as co-chair of the Patent Litigation group, as well as tax partner Gary Silber. Stroock also welcomed Tom Firestone as co-chair of the White Collar & Internal Investigations group in February.

“Alesha’s demonstrated success handling high-profile and significant trademark matters, as well as other IP litigation matters, greatly bolsters our ability to continue protecting clients’ rights across various IP disciplines,” said Alan Klinger, Stroock’s Co-Managing Partner.

Her significant litigation experience, which includes serving as a first-chair litigator, also spans patent, copyright, false advertising and unfair competition matters before federal courts across the country, including the U.S. International Trade Commission and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Alesha’s experience ranges from representing a major international luxury goods manufacturer in a contributory trademark infringement suit against a leading online marketplace to representing global technology companies in an ITC patent infringement investigation involving Power-over-Ethernet products. She previously served as chair of the Trademark Prosecution group at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, LLP where she also managed global trademark portfolios and advised clients on the selection, use, registration, enforcement, and licensing of trademarks and represented clients before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).

“Beyond being a strong litigator, Alesha is a leader who will be critical to the growth of the trademark group and larger IP practice,” said Jeff Keitelman, Stroock’s Co-Managing Partner. “We’re thrilled to welcome another top attorney to the firm as we continue to expand strength across key areas.”

“Stroock provides an exciting opportunity for me to expand my practice and further build out the trademark team so we can meet the growing needs of protecting clients’ assets,” said Alesha.

Alesha earned her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School and her B.S. from Howard University.

The National Board of Trial Advocacy has announced that Michael K. Hurst, partner in the Dallas firm of Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann LLP, has achieved board certification in the national organization. The NBTA follows an objective set of standards based on an attorney’s experience and expertise in trial law in granting certification, a distinction reached by less than three percent of practicing lawyers in the U.S.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce the arrival of Gregory A. Dodge as a member of the firm’s Corporate group, based in the Charlotte office. He previously was an attorney with McGuireWoods.

“Greg is a very talented and highly regarded corporate attorney, particularly in the area of private investment fund formation, and we are thrilled to add him to Moore & Van Allen’s team,” said Joseph (“Joe”) A. Fernandez, MVA’s co-head of Corporate. “Greg’s diverse experience will be a great asset to our clients.”

Greg focuses his practice on private investment fund formation matters, including structuring and fundraising, for clients including U.S. and non-U.S. sponsors. In addition, his practice involves advising sponsors on regulatory and compliance, structuring, and day-today operational issues. He also advises institutional investors concerning investments in private funds, co-investments, and secondary transactions.

Previously, Greg practiced at two international law firms and served as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at a life sciences private investment manager with more than $2.5 billion in assets under management.

Greg received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and his Bachelor of Science from Wake Forest University.

MVA’s Corporate Governance & Shareholder Relations team includes transactional lawyers and litigators who advise public and private companies, senior management, boards of directors, and board committees on a full range of corporate governance and compliance matters. The attorneys help create and restructure entities and provide complete assistance for governance needed to support successful transactions. The group advises and litigates matters involving the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, the Securities Act of 1933, the corporate governance rules of the NYSE and NASDAQ, and other applicable state and federal laws.

About Moore & Van Allen
Moore & Van Allen PLLC (www.mvalaw.com), founded in 1945, has nearly 400 attorneys and professionals serving clients in over 75 areas of focus. The attorneys at Moore & Van Allen provide sophisticated legal services within nationally recognized Litigation, Corporate, Financial Services, Intellectual Property, Bankruptcy, and Commercial Real Estate law practices for international banks and financial services companies, domestic and global manufacturers, retailers, individuals, and healthcare and technology organizations. The firm is ranked in the prestigious “Am Law Global 200” list, and U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers have recognized Moore & Van Allen in their 2022 “Best Law Firms” rankings, both regionally and nationally.

Womble Bond Dickinson announced today that B. Shawan Gillians has joined the Charleston, S.C., Office as Of Counsel in the Firm’s Capital Markets Practice Group.

Shawan joins the Firm from Santee Cooper, South Carolina’s largest public power provider, where she most recently served as the Director of Legal Services and Corporate Secretary. During her more than ten years as in-house counsel, she gained significant experience with transactions in the Financial Services and Energy Sectors, as well as with labor and employment matters.

At Santee Cooper, Shawan also served as Associate General Counsel (2015-2018), and was the primary internal point of contact for legal matters in the financial services group while being simultaneously responsible for full-time responsibilities as Treasurer (2017-2020). Before moving in-house, Shawan was an Associate at Buist Moore Smythe McGee (now Womble Bond Dickinson).

“Shawan’s extensive transactional and C-Suite management experience will provide added bench strength and credibility to our deals teams at the senior level,” said Merrick Benn, Leader of the Firm’s Capital Markets Practice Group. “Her arrival demonstrates the Firm’s strategic and ongoing commitment to growing our capabilities in the expanding Financial Services and Energy Sectors in a meaningful way.”

Cordes Ford, Managing Partner of the Charleston Office, adds: “Shawan is a well-known and highly-regarded leader in South Carolina, and we could not be more pleased that she has decided to return to Womble.”

Shawan is active within the Charleston community, serving on several non-profit boards, including the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy, and Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina. A graduate of the College of William and Mary School of Law and The Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, Shawan earned her undergraduate degree from Wofford College where she now serves on the college’s Board of Trustees.

The Firm’s Charleston Office has welcomed five new attorneys in the last six weeks, additions that expand and strengthen several key practices and sectors, including Energy, Healthcare, and Trust and Estates. Attorneys in the Charleston Office have experience in a range of service areas, including Business Litigation, Construction, Capital Markets, Corporate & Securities, Economic Development, Healthcare, Trusts & Estates, Product Liability, and Real Estate.

###

About Womble Bond Dickinson
Womble Bond Dickinson is a transatlantic law firm with more than 1,100 lawyers based in 26 U.K. and U.S. office locations serving clients across every business sector. The firm provides core legal services including Commercial; Corporate; Employment and Pensions; Dispute Resolution and Litigation; Finance: Banking, Restructuring, Insolvency; I.P., Technology and Data; Private Wealth; Projects, Construction and Infrastructure; Real Estate; and Regulatory Law.

“Womble Bond Dickinson,” the “law firm” or the “firm” refers to the network of member firms of Womble Bond Dickinson (International) Limited, consisting of Womble Bond Dickinson (U.K.) LLP and Womble Bond Dickinson (U.S.) LLP. Each of Womble Bond Dickinson (U.K.) LLP and Womble Bond Dickinson (U.S.) LLP is a separate legal entity operating as an independent law firm. Womble Bond Dickinson (International) Limited does not practice law. Please see www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/legal-notice for further details.