“Tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine are exacerbating a shakeout in the aluminum sector, which has been hammered by rising power prices over the past year,” reports Joe Wallace in Fox Business.

“The price of aluminum has increased by 24% over the past six months to more than $3,100 a metric ton, approaching a decade high. The prospect of a Russian invasion of Ukraine has made matters worse. Russia is one of the world’s biggest aluminum producers and traders fear disruptions to its exports if conflict breaks out”

Read the article.

Brown Rudnick LLP, a leading international law firm, is pleased to announce that it has elected six new partners, effective Feb. 1.

The newly promoted partners are Shari Dwoskin and Tia Chatterjee Wallach in Boston; Ruth Arkley and Ian Weinstein in London; E. Patrick Gilman in Washington, D.C.; and Arjun Sivakumar in Orange County.

“We are delighted to welcome this exceptional group of lawyers to the Brown Rudnick partnership,” said Bill Baldiga, chairman and CEO of Brown Rudnick. “Each of them embodies the Firm’s core values of hard work, dedication, and collaboration, as well as a deep commitment to excellence. We look forward to their continued success at Brown Rudnick.”

New Partners

Ruth Arkley, Intellectual Property (London)

Ruth practices in intellectual property, technology, and commercial law, with a focus on innovative technologies and data protection. She advises clients on transactions and contentious matters across a range of industries, including life sciences, technology, retail, luxury brands, and the creative services.

Shari Dwoskin, Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring (Boston)

Shari’s practice includes representing bondholders, unsecured creditors’ committees, tort victims, equity interest holders, and debtors in Chapter 11 restructurings, litigation arising from related disputes, and out-of-court wind-downs. She also regularly consults with the Firm’s Corporate and Intellectual Property groups on bankruptcy-related provisions of intellectual property licenses, and with the Real Estate group on landlords’ rights in tenant bankruptcies. Shari serves as co-chair of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation’s New England network.

E. Patrick Gilman, White Collar Defense, Investigations & Compliance (Washington, D.C.)

Patrick is a former federal prosecutor in the United States Army and a seasoned trial lawyer with extensive experience before both federal and state trial and appellate courts. Patrick represents corporate and individual clients on all aspects of complex civil and criminal matters, corporate governance, and compliance, including internal investigations, cybersecurity and privacy, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Anti-Bribery, Anti-Corruption Diligence Investigations, Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions programs, development and implementing corporate compliance programs, and representing companies and CEOs before both the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission.

Arjun Sivakumar, Litigation & Arbitration (Orange County)

Arjun focuses his practice on complex business litigation in state and federal courts and arbitration. He takes a lead role in commercial disputes from start to finish, and has appeared as first-chair litigation counsel in key trial court proceedings and before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Arjun serves as co-chair of the Firm’s Diverse Attorneys Working Network and serves on the Leadership Development and Diversity Committees for the Orange County Bar Association.

Tia Chatterjee Wallach, Finance (Boston)

Tia represents a variety of financial institutions, borrowers, and agents in a broad range of corporate finance and restructuring transactions. Her focus includes documenting and structuring multilender cash flow and asset-based loans, acquisition financings, bond offerings, and asset securitizations, across a variety of industries. She also has experience in debtor-in-possession financings and creditors’ rights issues in and out of bankruptcy court.

Ian Weinstein, White Collar Defense, Investigations & Compliance (London)

Ian represents individuals and corporations in contentious financial services regulatory proceedings. He has acted on several of the most high profile and significant enforcement proceedings. Ian also frequently advises clients on how best to engage with regulators to avoid enforcement action being taken. He has helped a number of clients to prevent intense supervisory attention from turning into something more problematic.

Duane Morris LLP is pleased to announce that it has promoted to the firm partnership 10 associates and special counsel in six of the firm’s offices.

These newly named partners are:

Corporate Practice Group: Jennifer A. Migliori, Miami; Justin A. Santarosa, Los Angeles

Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group: Adam C. Keating, Atlanta

Intellectual Property Practice Group: Alice E. Snedeker, Atlanta

Private Client Services Practice Group: Erin E. McQuiggan, Philadelphia

Real Estate Practice Group: Kenneth Tze, San Francisco

Trial Practice Group: Lindsay Ann Brown, Cherry Hill; Harry M. Byrne, Philadelphia; Richard
D. Shane, Miami; Andrew R. Sperl, Philadelphia

“This group of outstanding lawyers have made significant contributions to the success of our clients and to the success of Duane Morris,” said Duane Morris Chairman and CEO Matthew A. Taylor. “As we continue in our growth mode, we will increasingly look to them for leadership and input that will advance Duane Morris as a global firm.”

Lindsay Ann Brown handles complex, high-profile litigation for clients involved in environmental and commercial disputes. As an experienced environmental practitioner, Brown handles everything from environmental contamination cases and toxic tort claims to advising clients with respect to agency investigations, regulatory compliance, management of environmental liabilities, remediation of contaminated sites and the purchase and sale of property with environmental liabilities. Brown is the firm’s go-to attorney for matters involving per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (known as PFAS). She also has significant experience handling commercial litigation matters, including defending class action claims, complex contractual disputes and high-stakes injunction claims.

Brown is a graduate of the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 2009), where she was senior editor of the Drexel Law Review, and the University of Pennsylvania (B.S., cum laude, 2002).

Harry M. Byrne practices in the areas of complex commercial, products liability and mass tort litigation, predominantly in the life sciences and transportation sectors. His products liability work focuses on the defense of pharmaceutical and medical products companies nationally, in both consolidated proceedings and single plaintiff actions. Byrne also represents Class I railroads in the defense of toxic tort claims, as well as in the defense of third-party traumatic injury claims. He also has experience in commercial and business tort disputes, with an emphasis on noncompete, trade secrets and unfair competition litigation.

Byrne is a graduate of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2011) where he was an articles editor for the Villanova Law Review, and the Pennsylvania State University (B.A., 2008). Prior to entering private practice, he served as law clerk to the Honorable Susan Peikes Gantman of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. He currently serves on the firm’s Recruitment and Retention Committee.

Adam Keating practices in the areas of employment law and management labor relations. He represents businesses in all types of employment litigation and administrative matters, including the defense of employment discrimination claims, wrongful discharge cases, wage-and-hour litigation, employment contract matters and restrictive covenant litigation. Keating also counsels businesses on a variety of employment matters including: hiring and onboarding; managing risks in employee discipline and terminations; wage-and-hour compliance; leaves of absences; COVID-19 health and safety plans and policies; employee investigations; reductions in the workforce; and OSHA citations. In addition, he represents management in representation and unfair labor practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board and handles collective bargaining negotiations as well as grievances and arbitrations under collective bargaining agreements. Keating also negotiates and drafts executive employment agreements for both employers and senior executives. He prepares employee handbooks and policies that are tailored to the employer’s industry, geographical footprint and workforce.

Keating is a graduate of Emory University School of Law (J.D., 2011) and Binghamton University (B.A., cum laude, 2007).

Erin E. McQuiggan advises private clients on trusts and estates law focusing on sophisticated estate planning, probate and taxation matters. Her practice includes estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax planning, pre-transaction tax planning, closely held business planning (limited liability companies, limited partnerships and business succession planning), charitable planning and multigenerational wealth transfer planning. McQuiggan also counsels individual and corporate fiduciaries with respect to complex estate and trust administration. Her practice includes the preparation of wills, revocable trusts, sophisticated irrevocable trusts ‒ such as spousal lifetime access trusts, asset protection trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, life insurance trusts and dynasty trusts ‒ as well as the preparation of gift, estate and inheritance tax returns.

McQuiggan is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School (J.D., 2007) and the Pennsylvania State University (B.A., 2004). She is currently attending Temple University Beasley School of Law and will obtain an LLM in taxation and a certificate in estate planning in May 2022. McQuiggan is a current participant of the Mid-Atlantic Fellows Institute of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Prior to entering private practice, she served as law clerk to the Honorable Joseph D. O’Keefe, Administrative Judge of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Orphans’ Court Division.

Jennifer A. Migliori practices in the area of domestic and international taxation and business transaction planning. She assists multijurisdictional clients with tax-minimization strategies and has experience developing and implementing tax-efficient investment structures. Migliori’s practice includes entity and trust formation. Migliori has experience representing investors, fund managers, family offices, financial institutions and advisers. She has developed a focus on the various international information sharing arrangements and regularly advises clients and their advisers on issues arising under tax treaties, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, exchange of information agreements and the Common Reporting Standard. In addition, she frequently assists clients with expatriation and pre-immigration tax planning and tax controversy matters, including audit representation and voluntary disclosures.

Migliori is a graduate of New York University School of Law (LL.M., 2014), the University of Virginia School of Law (J.D., 2013), where she was editor-in-chief of the Virginia Tax Review, and the University of Miami Herbert Business School (B.B.A., magna cum laude, 2006). She is a graduate of the Florida Fellows Institute of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Justin A. Santarosa practices in the area of corporate law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions and securities law. He advises public and private companies throughout their life cycle on a variety of corporate matters and capital market transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, regulatory compliance, IPOs, follow-on equity offerings as well as general corporate matters. Santarosa advises clients in a variety of industry sectors, including cannabis, consumer products, energy, financial services, life sciences and transportation.

Santarosa is a graduate of the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law (J.D., 2010) and Colorado State University (B.A., 2006).

Richard D. Shane represents individuals and businesses in complex commercial litigation, with a focus on real estate and construction-related disputes. He also has experience in appellate matters. Shane is a member of the Commercial, Securities and Antitrust Litigation Section of the firm’s Trial Practice Group and the Construction and Engineering Industry Group. He has represented clients in complex commercial litigation disputes in both state and federal courts. Shane served as a member of the firmwide Associates Committee from 2016 to 2020.

Shane is a graduate of the University of Florida Levin College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2009), where he was notes and comments editor of the Florida Law Review, and the University of Florida (B.S., B.A., cum laude, 2006). While at the University of Florida, he was a student ambassador with the Florida Cicerones and a member of Florida Blue Key. Prior to joining Duane Morris, Shane served as law clerk to the Honorable Edwin G. Torres of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. During law school, he served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Leslie B. Rothenberg of Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal.

Alice E. Snedeker practices in the area of intellectual property law and counseling, with a focus on patent litigation in district courts and the International Trade Commission. She represents several well-known technology companies in complex patent litigation involving technologies such as fiber optics communications, 802.11 wireless LAN technologies, wireless chipsets, video imaging and conferencing, cable television technology, telecommunications and computer hardware and software applications, and consumer technology accessories. Snedeker provides technical and legal analysis, works with experts and witnesses, takes and defends depositions, prepares and argues motions, manages discovery and prepares pretrial documents. She also represents clients in complex commercial litigation, including matters related to trade secrets, defamation, restrictive covenants, products liability, breach of contract, fraud and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Snedeker regularly provides pro bono assistance to veterans and immigration- and community-based organizations with a variety of legal services, such as drafting life planning documents and petitions, assistance with landlord-tenant disputes, assistance with petitions for asylum and challenges to state regulations limiting women’s rights.

Snedeker is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 2009), where she was senior managing editor and on the editorial board of the Georgia Law Review, and the Georgia Institute of Technology (B.S., highest honors, 2005). Prior to entering private practice, she served as law clerk to the Honorable Timothy C. Batten, Sr., of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

Andrew R. Sperl focuses his practice on appellate advocacy and legal issues analysis at the trial court level. He regularly handles appeals in state and federal court and has argued cases before the New Jersey Appellate Division, Pennsylvania Commonwealth and Superior Courts, and the Second, Third and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals. Sperl also frequently works with trial counsel to develop and preserve legal issues before and during trial. In addition to his appellate practice, Sperl also represents clients in commercial disputes involving trade secret misappropriation, supply and distributorship agreements and other issues.

Sperl is a graduate of New York University School of Law (J.D., 2011), where he was staff editor for the Annual Survey of American Law, and Columbia University (B.A., 2006).

Kenneth Tze advises clients on real estate transactions and finance matters for commercial, office, mixed-use, residential, retail and industrial developments and projects. He focuses on purchase, sale, leasing, finance and exchange of investment properties and represents clients in matters related to disposition and acquisition of real property and commercial, office and retail leasing. Tze also advises lenders and loan servicers in commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) and handles and conducts complex loan modifications, amendments and assumptions, and provides oversight counsel assistance to loan servicers. He further provides counsel on commercial loan enforcement and workouts involving distressed real estate assets. Tze works regularly and has extensive experience with title companies, appraisers, environmental consultants and other industry professionals to provide his clients with full and comprehensive services.

Tze is a graduate of the University of California Hastings College of the Law (J.D., 2000) and the University of California, Davis (B.A., 1995).

About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP provides innovative solutions to today’s multifaceted legal and business challenges through the collegial and collaborative culture of its more than 800 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally. The firm represents a broad array of clients, spanning all major practices and industries. Duane Morris has been recognized by BTI Consulting as both a client service leader and a highly recommended law firm.

“The California Court of Appeal has opened a new front in the legal war over religious exemptions. In Bixler v. Church of Scientology, the court ruled in favor of former members of the church who allege that they were raped by a church agent before leaving the faith. It held that they aren’t,” reports Michael J. Broyde in The Wall Street Journal.

“A condition of church membership, in which they agreed that any claims against the church have to be submitted to Scientology arbitration tribunals. Scientology’s written arbitration agreements are not enforceable against members who have left the faith, with respect to claims for subsequent non-religious, tortious acts, the judges wrote,”

Read the article.

“King Soopers workers approved a new contract Monday night that includes wage increases, better health care and more stringent safety protocols at 78 stores around the Denver metro, according to United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7. Under the agreement, which came together after months of,” reports Matt Bloom in CPR News.

“A 10-day strike, some workers will get raises up to $5.99 an hour, the union said. It protects pension benefits and requires the company to pay a higher share of workers’ healthcare costs. Union members voted on the contract in-person Monday night. A copy of the contract was not shared publicly by the union or King Soopers. In a statement,”

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“Pro Football Focus actually projects Mike Williams to get a bit less than this but their projections are pretty interesting and should hold a grain of salt. PFF has Williams getting a four-year, $68 million contract and while they are in the right ballpark, Williams’ agent really should be pushing for his client to,” reports Jason Reed in Bolt Beat.

“That is the contract comparison that we used for this projection. Golladay got a four-year, $72 million contract with $40 million guaranteed from the New York Giants. The Giants did probably overpay Golladay and it showed with his injuries but Williams should still get slightly more than that. Williams’ stock is higher now than Golladay’s was,”

Read the article.

“General Mills veteran Richard Allendorf will retire as the company’s senior vice president, general counsel and secretary in August this year. He joined Minneapolis-based General Mills in 1998,” reports Tom Spiggle in Corporate Security.

“Allendorf began his career at General Mills supporting the company’s US retail business and consumer food sales. In 2012 he was appointed vice president and deputy general counsel for international matters with responsibility for developing legal strategies and managing legal matters for General Mills’ international business.”

Read the article.

“This year may not have been as momentous as 2020 in regards to drastic changes in how we work. But 2021 still had its fair share of drama and legal developments in the employment context,” reports Tom Spiggle in Forbes.

“Let’s take a quick look at some of the more notable stories in terms of impact on the average worker. Many of these stories will have a common theme. For Example, Employers restricting an employee’s political and/or speech rights at work, Some workers seeing possible advances in the workplace due to the coronavirus.”

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“One by one, Biglaw firms are rushing in to match Milbank’s new salary scale, and the latest firm to do so is Boies Schiller Flexner. The firm is still hangin’ tough in 2022, and the firm has come to play with the members of the Biglaw elite who have anted up to pay their associates the big bucks,” reports Staci Zaretsky in Above The Law.

“In an email to associates (available on the next page), the BSF confirmed their commitment to staying on top of market compensation. That means associates will be making between $215,000 and $385,000, depending on class year, as base pay for associates in good standing. Here’s Boies Schiller’s new scale”

Read the article.

“Pfizer Inc wants to intervene in a Texas federal lawsuit seeking information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration used in licensing the company’s COVID-19 vaccine, a litigation move that plaintiffs who are suing for the data say is premature,” reports Mike Scarcella in Reuters.

“Pfizer’s lawyers at DLA Piper told U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman on Jan. 21 it wanted a role in the proceedings to help the FDA avoid “inappropriately” disclosing trade secret and confidential commercial information.”

Read the article.

Womble Bond Dickinson announced today that prominent environmental attorney Daniella D. Landers has joined as a partner in the firm’s Houston office.

Landers focuses her practice on a broad range of environmental compliance, transactional, and litigation matters. She counsels energy companies, manufacturers, industrial facilities, financial institutions, real estate interests, and other businesses on complex environmental and related land use issues.

“Daniella is a formidable environmental lawyer with experience across nearly every area of environmental litigation and regulation,” said Houston Office Managing Partner Jeff Whittle. “Her extensive ties within the energy, petrochemical, and manufacturing industries in Texas will be a tremendous asset in Houston and across the broader Gulf region.”

Landers frequently counsels clients on corrective actions, brownfields redevelopment, environmental closures, and groundwater remediation. She helps clients navigate environmental crises and develop legal response strategies tailored to each specific situation.

“My practice is synergistic with several areas of strategic growth for the firm, including the Energy Sector and Global Business Team,” said Landers. “Womble understands the value and importance of aligning legal services with their clients’ businesses, and my clients will benefit greatly from this cross-practice collaboration.”

Landers is the latest in a series of notable additions to the firm’s Houston office, including global business partner Wilka V. Toppins and veteran IP attorneys Samuel G. Campbell and Eric A. Stephenson.

Landers is a frequent speaker and writer on environmental, energy, and litigation issues and has been featured in Law360 and National Public Radio. She joins Womble from the Houston office of Reed Smith.

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

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce the arrival of B. Shane Clanton as counsel to the firm’s Banking and Financial Services Practice Group in Birmingham.

Mr. Clanton previously served as general counsel for BBVA USA, as the chief legal officer for BBVA’s domestic operations, as chief executive officer for BBVA USA, and as senior deputy general counsel for PNC Bank. With more than 22 years serving as the leading legal officer for major U.S. banks, Mr. Clanton has vast experience providing strategic legal advice related to regulatory compliance issues, corporate governance matters and high-risk complex and class action litigation.

“Shane’s leadership of a legal team for a major financial services company gives him unique insight into the challenges facing our clients in this industry,” said Bradley Birmingham Office Managing Partner Dawn Helms Sharff. “We are pleased to welcome him to the firm and look forward to his valuable insight and perspective that will greatly benefit our clients.”

A graduate of the Emory University School of Law, Mr. Clanton earned his bachelor’s degree from Milligan College. He is an active member of the Alabama State Bar and the State Bar of Georgia. Mr. Clanton previously served on the Board of Directors of the Consumer Bankers Association and on the Board of Trustees for the Institute of International Bankers, as well as on the Boards of Directors of BBVA USA Bancshares, Inc., BBVA USA, and multiple fintech companies.

About Bradley
Bradley combines skilled legal counsel with exceptional client service and unwavering integrity to assist a diverse range of corporate and individual clients in achieving their business goals. With offices in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and the District of Columbia, the firm’s almost 600 lawyers represent regional, national and international clients in various industries, including banking and financial services, construction, energy, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, real estate, and technology, among many others.

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP is pleased to announce that former Greenville City Attorney Mike Pitts has joined Parker Poe’s Greenville office as counsel. He will focus his practice on municipal law, land use, and public policy.

Mike served as the chief legal officer for Greenville, which had a total annual budget of more than $219 million and approximately 1,000 employees. Mike also served as the county attorney for Anderson County, South Carolina while in private practice prior to joining the city. He has experience across all facets of legal representation impacting local governments and the private entities with which they interact, including developers. He also has extensive experience in employment and commercial litigation. He was in private practice for 18 years before entering public service.

Mike serves on the leadership council of the South Carolina Bar’s Government Law Section and is the former president of the South Carolina Municipal Attorneys Association. He is a graduate of Leadership Greenville and is deeply committed to the Greenville community. He has chaired the board of trustees for Buncombe Street United Methodist Church, where he was also a member of the Child Development Center’s board and a youth basketball coach. He is a former board member of the Friends of the Greenville Zoo and a former co-president of Greenville Senior High School Booster Club.

Mike earned his law degree from the University of South Carolina, where he was a member of the South Carolina Law Review, and his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

About Parker Poe
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has more than 250 lawyers in eight offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. The firm provides legal counsel to many of the largest companies and local governments in the Southeast.

Parker Poe is a member of two leading international legal networks: TerraLex and the Employment Law Alliance. TerraLex and the ELA have chosen Parker Poe to help guide clients through the challenges of global business.

The Centre for Information Policy Leadership, a global privacy and security think tank founded in 2001 by leading companies and Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, announced today that the UK government has selected CIPL President Bojana Bellamy and Vivienne Artz OBE, Data Strategy and Privacy Policy external advisor to CIPL, as members of its new International Data Transfer Expert Council.

“In the modern digital age, enabling free and trusted global data flows is critical for every country, economy and society. I couldn’t be happier that the UK Government has set up the International Data Transfers Expert Council. It will help highlight the issues faced daily by businesses and governments and provide a diverse and much needed forum for crafting constructive solutions, policies and best practices for responsible use and sharing of data across national borders,” Bellamy said.
Bellamy and Artz join a diverse group of data professionals combining the world’s leading academics and digital industry figures in launching the 20-member council to advise the UK government in its mission of unlocking the benefits of free and secure cross-border data flows following the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union.

The members of the government-appointed council were selected from civil society, academia and industry from around the world. Their experiences cover a range of areas including patient healthcare, scientific research, artificial intelligence and finance. The group will meet quarterly to tackle issues such as future data adequacy partnerships, the development of new data-transfer tools, and how governments can work together to promote greater trust in sharing personal data for law enforcement and national security purposes.
International data transfers underpin our everyday life and are the foundations for our most-used tech, from GPS navigation and smart devices to online banking. They are also instrumental to digital healthcare, having driven the development of treatment and vaccines during the pandemic. Removing barriers to data flows will mean these services can be provided more reliably, cheaply and securely.
About CIPL
The Centre for Information Policy Leadership is a global think tank that encourages responsible information governance. Through collaboration with industry leaders, civil society, consumer organizations and government representatives, it explores innovative and pragmatic approaches to global policy issues, seeking to build privacy and data protection in practice while balancing economic and societal needs and interests. More details about the Centre can be found at www.informationpolicycentre.com.

About Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
With over 900 lawyers in the United States, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP serves clients across a broad range of complex transactional, litigation and regulatory matters. We are known for our strength in the energy, financial services, real estate, and retail and consumer products industries, as well as our considerable experience in more than 100 distinct areas of practice, including privacy and cybersecurity, intellectual property, environmental, and mergers and acquisitions. Our full-service litigation practice is one of the largest in the country, with depth in key litigation markets such as Texas, California, Florida and the Mid-Atlantic.
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Eversheds Sutherland is pleased to announce that it has implemented a billable credit policy for DEI-related work, further strengthening the firm’s commitment to meet and exceed firm and industry DEI goals and to support those at the firm performing the important work of building and maintaining our inclusive culture. As of January 1, 2022, the firm provides up to 50 hours of billable credit per year for qualifying DEI work for all US-based attorneys.

Among other things, activities eligible for billable credit include:

• Participating in client diversity programs or joint firm-client initiatives and trainings; representing the firm at client-facing diversity and sponsorship events
• Carrying out responsibilities of affinity group leadership, diversity committee membership, and/or women’s initiative board membership
• Participating in formal firm diversity mentorship programs as a facilitator
• Participating in a program with a firm DEI partner organization
• Representing the firm at law school DEI events and job fairs, participating in DEI campus relations initiatives, panels and events, and mentoring underrepresented law students

“We are proud to incentivize and reward the time attorneys spend on activities that are essential to building an inclusive culture and equitable workplace,” said Mark D. Wasserman, Co-CEO of Eversheds Sutherland. “Recognizing individual contributions to DEI efforts through billable hour credit ensures that these efforts are integrated into our firm culture and supports our commitment to creating a more inclusive, equitable and diverse firm.”

“This new policy makes it clear that we place immense value on the many contributions our attorneys make in furtherance of our DEI goals,” said Darwin Conner, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Eversheds Sutherland. “It also ensures that those who dedicate time to these efforts, who are often from underrepresented groups, receive the appropriate credit for their work.”

About Eversheds Sutherland
As a global top 10 law practice, Eversheds Sutherland provides legal services to a global client base ranging from small and mid-sized businesses to the largest multinationals, acting for 70 of the Fortune 100, 61 of the FTSE 100 and 128 of the Fortune 200.
With more than 3,000 lawyers, Eversheds Sutherland operates in 74 offices in 35 jurisdictions across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. In addition, a network of more than 200 related law firms, including formalized alliances in Latin America, Asia Pacific and Africa, provide support around the globe.
Eversheds Sutherland provides the full range of legal services, including corporate and M&A; dispute resolution and litigation; energy and infrastructure; finance; human capital and labor law; intellectual property; real estate and construction; and tax.
Eversheds Sutherland is a global legal practice and comprises two separate legal entities: Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP (headquartered in the UK) and Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP (headquartered in the US), and their respective controlled, managed, affiliated and member firms. The use of the name Eversheds Sutherland is for description purposes only and does not imply that the member firms or their controlled, managed or affiliated entities are in a partnership or are part of a global LLP. For more information, visit eversheds-sutherland.com.

Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Barak Bassman has joined the firm’s Philadelphia office as a partner in the Corporate Litigation group. At Blank Rome, Barak will notably advise healthcare and other clients in both general trial and dispute resolution as well as antitrust litigation and counseling. Barak joins Blank Rome from Troutman Pepper where he was a partner in the firm’s business litigation practice.

Barak represents healthcare and other clients in payment disputes, managed care contract negotiations, terminations, and antitrust issues, among other dispute resolution matters, as well as provides counseling advice on healthcare and insurance regulatory matters. Some of his notable experience includes advising hospital systems, physician practice groups, ancillary providers, and behavioral health providers in the negotiation of participating provider and risk-sharing agreements with Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and commercial payors, in addition to representing third-party payors in claims asserted by providers under ERISA and commercial health insurance policies. His clients include healthcare providers, life sciences companies, and third-party payors, among many others in varied industries, including some of the country’s leading hospital systems, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and healthcare analytics companies.

“Barak’s significant experience serving as lead litigation counsel across the country in the healthcare industry as well as in antitrust matters makes him a great fit for our firm,” said Grant S. Palmer, Blank Rome’s Managing Partner and CEO. “Our clients are increasingly seeking healthcare and antitrust counsel, and we are pleased to bolster our national team with someone who can meet their evolving needs.”

Outside of the healthcare industry, Barak has represented clients in antitrust litigation and advised on antitrust and distribution matters. He has counseled companies under investigation by state, federal, and government agencies, and handled individual and class action litigation. Some of his notable experience includes representing major truck, glass, and consumer-packaged goods manufacturers in putative class actions involving alleged price fixing, antitrust, and monopolization claims.

“Given the significant disruptions to companies’ operations these past several years—and within the healthcare industry, in particular—Blank Rome has been seeking to expand our business litigation offerings and capabilities,” stated Larry R. (“Buzz”) Wood, Co-Chair of the Corporate Litigation group. “Barak’s background handling a wide range of disputes not only in the healthcare space, but also in industries like manufacturing and trucking, will greatly benefit our clients across the country.”

“I have known many Blank Rome attorneys for years and was drawn to the firm’s warm, collegial culture,” added Bassman. “I am confident that my clients will benefit from the firm’s expansive service offerings and capabilities, and I look forward to growing my practice at Blank Rome and working alongside many former colleagues of mine.”

Barak received his J.D. from New York University School of Law and his B.A. from Grinnell College, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He serves on the board of trustees of the Delaware Art Museum.

LONDON and WASHINGTON, D.C., January 24, 2022 – Brown Rudnick LLP is pleased to announce that Jeffrey W. Cottle has joined the Firm as a partner in the White Collar Defense, Investigations & Compliance practice in London and Washington, D.C. He will divide his time between the Firm’s U.S. and international offices, serving a global client base.

Cottle, who has extensive experience as an in-house counsel, focuses his practice on compliance, investigations and government enforcement actions in both the U.S., U.K. and abroad. He’s the latest addition to Brown Rudnick’s White Collar Defense, Investigations & Compliance practice, which represents clients in all aspects of white collar criminal defense, corporate compliance, investigations and other regulatory enforcement matters. The group is comprised of U.S.- and U.K.-based lawyers with decades of experience in high-profile criminal, compliance and regulatory matters.

“Jeff is a prime example of the strong and well-respected talent we have brought in recently, and he’ll be an excellent addition to the team in London and Washington, and to our practice group,” said Steve Best, chair of the White Collar Defense, Investigations & Compliance practice. “With strong experience as an in-house and outside counsel, Jeff brings an unparalleled understanding of how to manage difficult strategic and tactical compliance issues, as well as international investigations, which will benefit our clients of all sizes.”

Cottle previously was a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP and a senior in-house compliance counsel at companies headquartered in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere. He has experience with compliance program implementation, M&A and post-merger compliance, compliance issues in commercial and financial transactions, internal investigations related to breaches of company policy and law, as well as government enforcement actions in the substantive areas of anti-corruption, trade sanctions and export control.

“Jeff has a great reputation in Europe, the U.K. and Washington as a strategist and tactician, creating solutions that align with clients’ evolving business needs,” said Sunni Beville, managing director of Brown Rudnick’s Dispute Resolution & Restructuring Department. “His work in the U.S., the U.K. and Europe brings a strong global client base to our Firm, and we could not be more thrilled to welcome him to our ranks.”

“Brown Rudnick’s White Collar Defense, Investigations & Compliance team is comprised of a close-knit group of talented, diverse, hard-working and responsive lawyers and staff – all of which are important requirements in the age of whistleblowers and the 24-hour news cycle,” Cottle said. “I’ve been impressed by the team’s outstanding reputation, cohesiveness and collaboration – characteristics which help drive successful resolutions for clients managing tricky compliance issues, high-stakes investigations or government enforcement actions.”

Before he pursued a career in law, Cottle was an active-duty U.S. Naval Intelligence Officer, deployed in various assignments in Latin America, the Middle East and Southwest Asia, as well as on the staff of the Joint Chiefs at the Pentagon.

Additional biographical information and credentials are available at brownrudnick.com.

About Brown Rudnick LLP

At Brown Rudnick, we combine ingenuity with experience to achieve great outcomes for our clients. We deliver partner-driven service; we incentivize our lawyers to collaborate in the client’s best interest; and we put excellence before scale, focusing on industry-driven, client-facing practices where we are recognized leaders. Our lawyers and government relations professionals work across the United States and Europe, with offices in key financial centers. Beyond the United States and Europe, we serve clients around the world.

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(January 24, 2022, Washington, DC) — Steptoe & Johnson LLP is pleased to announce that Iris Bennett, an internationally-recognized Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and cross-border investigations lawyer, has joined the firm’s Investigations and White-Collar Defense Group as a partner in the Washington, DC office.

Bennett represents Fortune 100 clients across a wide range of white-collar matters, from internal investigations and corporate compliance, to federal mandatory and voluntary disclosures. She has conducted internal investigations related to sensitive and business-critical issues, as well as potential violations of criminal and civil fraud statutes, including the FCPA, the False Claims Act, the Anti-Kickback Act and antitrust law. Utilizing her multilingual abilities in Spanish and Portuguese, Bennett also has served as lead counsel on numerous large and complex cross-border matters, particularly in Latin America. These matters include serving as US counsel to the Independent Committee appointed by the Board of Directors of Vale S.A., to investigate the causes and responsibilities for the 2019 rupture of the Córrego do Feijão tailings dam in Brumadinho, Brazil.

Bennett’s compliance experience includes serving as the Independent Compliance Monitor for SNC-Lavalin, Inc., where she reviewed and evaluated that company’s global anti-corruption compliance program on behalf of the World Bank. Under her oversight, SNC-Lavalin successfully completed its sanctions obligations to develop a robust anti-corruption compliance program and was able to obtain an early release from debarment. In addition, she regularly advises corporate clients on their anti-corruption compliance programs and specific policies, procedures and compliance questions.

“Iris’s experience counseling clients on high-profile government investigations and compliance programs in the US and Latin America deepens our group’s expansive cross-border capabilities,” said Gwen Renigar, Steptoe chair. “As one of the top FCPA practitioners in the country, she’ll be a premiere asset to an already talented group of investigations and white-collar defense attorneys serving our clients around the globe.”

Bennett added: “When it comes to cross-border investigations, Steptoe has an international reputation for excellence, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to further it. As I continue to grow my practice, I look forward to collaborating with the Steptoe team in Washington and around the world.”

Steptoe’s Investigations & White-Collar Defense practice has represented some of the largest public and private companies in the world in major government and internal investigations. Regarded as one of the best white-collar practices in the United States, the team has garnered many accolades, including recognition by both Chambers USA and The Legal 500 as a top-ranked practice in this field. The group was also named The National Law Journal’s “Washington Litigation Department of the Year in White-Collar Crime” in 2014, 2017, and 2018, and has received Law360’s “Practice Group of the Year in White-Collar” award three times. For the past six years, Global Investigations Review has named Steptoe to its GIR 30, an independent guide to the world’s best firms for international investigations.

In 2021, Bennett was recognized in several categories by Global Investigations Review, including “Top FCPA Practitioners” and “Women in Investigations,” in addition to being ranked as an FCPA practitioner in Chambers USA and Chambers Global. She earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from New York University, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif and a contributor to the New York University Law Review. She earned her A.B., summa cum laude, from Harvard University, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

About Steptoe

In more than 100 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.

The diversity of the firm is a critical factor in its success. The firm’s Chair is a woman; the majority of Steptoe’s nine offices are managed by women; the majority of Steptoe’s practice groups have women as leaders; and the firm’s twelve-person elected compensation committee is headed by a woman and includes five women as members. The firm’s eight-person professional business services leadership is equally diverse, with half the c-suite made up of women, including three women of color, and other leaders who openly identify as LGBTQ+.

Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and London, 18 January 2022 – After a stop-start year, 2022 is expected to bring re-energized anti-bribery and corruption enforcement and prosecution activities around the world.

Hogan Lovells’ annual Global Bribery and Corruption Outlook, published today, forecasts an increased compliance burden on corporations and individuals this year – particularly as a result of heightened environmental, social and governance (ESG) expectations. Other key trends that are reshaping risk include a growing collaboration between regulators, an increased personal liability for directors and technology risks including the criminal misuse of cryptocurrencies.

Stephanie Yonekura, Global Head of Investigations, White Collar and Fraud at Hogan Lovells, commented: “We expect 2022 to bring a renewed focus on enforcement and prosecution activities throughout many parts of the world. We also expect to see the continued increase in cross-border cooperation among nations that are committed enforcers, such as the UK and U.S., alongside increased activity from other countries that are building up their anti-bribery and corruption efforts.

“Regulators appear committed to ramping up their anti-corruption enforcement efforts that stalled over the past two years. Financial consequences aside, companies could face devastating reputational damage if an investigation is announced, and directors may be held personally liable.

“There is also a growing body of case law regarding corporate liability for ESG, data and technology risks. Recent trends suggest the future sanctioning of misconduct in these areas may operate like existing ABC laws. Businesses would do well to review their existing compliance programs to ensure they are prepared for these emerging risks.”

Around the World

The full Global Bribery & Corruption Outlook report examines enforcement trends across a number of regions. The report is co-edited by Hogan Lovells partners Ann Kim and Liam Naidoo.

Commenting on the U.S., Ann Kim said: “Following the Biden administration’s release of the-first ever United States Strategy on Countering Corruption, we can expect to see the U.S. government corralling its resources to more efficiently combat corruption, increasing efforts to work with foreign partners and nations, and implementing rules to curb illicit finance. The Strategy calls for the Department of Justice to employ new tools to prosecute money laundering, and continue its commitment to aggressive enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). In light of these developments, companies should carefully consider recent policy changes at the DOJ, which includes, among other things, directing prosecutors to consider a corporation’s full criminal, civil and regulatory record when determining appropriate resolutions, and the announcement of a new whistleblower program aimed at recovering proceeds that may be related to corruption.”

Commenting on the UK and Europe, Liam Naidoo added: “In recent months the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has come under criticism for failing to successfully prosecute individuals associated with corporate wrongdoing. We expect the SFO to focus on this while continuing to use DPAs in the coming year. In Continental Europe, there is a movement to expand corporate criminal liability for corruption potentially exposing companies to an increased compliance burden. Businesses should carefully review their compliance programmes to ensure they are prepared.”

Other key trends outlined in the report include:

ESG – There is a growing overlap between corruption enforcement and expectations around environmental and social behaviours of large companies. Companies with good anti-corruption compliance procedures should be well-prepared for growing ESG-related compliance obligations.
EU – In France, a draft law plans to broaden the scope of companies that are subject to Article 17 of the Sapin II Act. At the EU level, regulators are preparing to implement the EU Whistleblower Directive, which provides additional protections for whistleblowers.
Southeast Asia –In recent times, Asia has been the most frequently implicated region in U.S. FCPA-related bribery schemes. Countries in Southeast Asia are recovering from setbacks of the pandemic and introducing new policies and measures to fight bribery and corruption.
Latin America – A renewed enforcement push is expected this year, particularly around processes for buying vaccines and supporting vulnerable populations.
China – The digital evolution of brick-and-mortar retailers driven by the establishment of a cashless payment infrastructure and upgraded logistics networks will give rise to novel compliance risks and challenges.
Africa – Domestic enforcement of corruption is likely to pick up speed particularly in the more developed economies of Nigeria and South Africa.
Key industries to watch in 2022

Life Sciences – Life sciences companies have been in the spotlight during the pandemic and have more touchpoints with government officials than companies in other industries. This presents unique challenges and exposes them to more potential FCPA investigation risks.
Technology – Tighter regulation is expected as well as a jump in the number of controls in 2022.
Sports, media and entertainment – The fierce competition in the sector is causing mergers of major industry players, which could lead to a rise in post-acquisition compliance risks.
The Global Bribery and Corruption Outlook 2022 report is available here.

MILWAUKEE ¬– Foley & Lardner LLP is pleased to announce that Daljit S. Doogal has been elected as the firm’s next Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). His term will begin later this spring. Doogal will succeed Jay O. Rothman, who has served as Foley’s Chairman and CEO since 2011.

Doogal is a partner and business lawyer in Foley’s Detroit office. He is a member of the firm’s Management Committee and has previously held numerous leadership positions at the firm, including managing partner of the Detroit office and chair of the firm’s Business Law Department, and was intricately involved in the development of the firm’s strategic plan.

“I am honored to lead my colleagues in this next important chapter for the firm,” said Doogal. “I intend to build on the firm’s solid and successful foundation and I am excited to work closely with Stan Jaspan and Claude Treece who will continue to serve as the firm’s Managing Partner and Chief Administrative Partner, respectively.” He continued, “My priorities are to enhance Foley’s culture of client service, collaboration, innovation, and diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as continue to grow the firm strategically and enhance its market presence.”

Doogal is a member of the firm’s Manufacturing Sector and the Transactions, Private Equity and Venture Capital, and International Practice Groups. He started at Foley as an associate in 2001 and was elevated to partner in 2006. He represents automotive and manufacturing companies, venture capital/private equity funds, financial institutions, and other publicly and privately held businesses.

“Daljit is an exceptional lawyer and he will be an outstanding leader for Foley,” said Rothman. “Daljit’s election as Chairman and CEO is a significant moment in our firm’s long history. Foley and our clients will undoubtedly benefit from his leadership.”

With Rothman in the last year of his term – and ineligible to serve another term per the firm’s partnership agreement — Foley’s Management Committee has been diligently acting on a succession plan. Rothman was recently selected as the next University of Wisconsin System President, a role that he will begin in June.

About Foley & Lardner LLP

Foley & Lardner LLP looks beyond the law to focus on the constantly evolving demands facing our clients and their industries. With approximately 1,100 lawyers in 25 offices across the United States, Mexico, Europe and Asia, Foley approaches client service by first understanding our clients’ priorities, objectives and challenges. We work hard to understand our clients’ issues and forge long-term relationships with them to help achieve successful outcomes and solve their legal issues through practical business advice and cutting-edge legal insight. Our clients view us as trusted business advisors because we understand that great legal service is only valuable if it is relevant, practical and beneficial to their businesses.