San Francisco, CA (June 1, 2021) – Venable LLP is pleased to announce that Yan (Julian) Zou has joined the firm as a partner in the Corporate Practice in the San Francisco office. Zou focuses his practice on corporate, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, foreign direct investment (inbound into and outbound from China), banking and finance, real estate, and other commercial matters.

Zou has exceptional experience advising multinational corporations on market entry from China to the United States and local operations in the United States, once established. He regularly structures transactions based on clients’ commercial needs in compliance with various regulatory authorities. He also has experience in private equity and venture investments, representing investors as well as portfolio companies.

Zou received his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law in 2013, his LL.M. from the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade Law School in 2003, and his LL.B. from the Soochow University School of Law in 2001.

Eastman & Smith LTD is pleased to announce that Sara L. Rose has joined the firm in Columbus as of counsel in its Labor and Employment and Workers’ Compensation practices.

She is the only attorney in central and southern Ohio certified by the Ohio State Bar Association as a specialist in both labor & employment and workers’ compensation law. Prior to joining Eastman & Smith, Rose had her own successful law firm, Sara L. Rose, LLC.

Rose focuses her practice on protecting employers’ rights in workers’ compensation and employment-related matters. Her clients have ranged from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-size companies to small, family-owned businesses.

She is active with the Fairfield County, Columbus, Ohio, and American bar associations, as well as the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce. She is a co-founder of 100 Women Who Care of Fairfield County and has been recognized as a Super Lawyer by Law & Politics Magazine and a Top Lawyer by Columbus CEO.

Rose received her J.D. from Capital University Law School, graduated as valedictorian, and her Bachelor of Arts (with honors) from the University of Maryland.

DALLAS – Crawford, Wishnew & Lang PLLC is pleased to announce the addition of attorney Cameron E. Jean to its office located in Dallas, Texas. Jean brings experience in representing entities in matters involving employment and commercial litigation, among other things.

After graduating from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2015, Jean served as a briefing attorney to the Honorable Chief Justice Carolyn Wright of the Fifth District Court of Appeals at Dallas. He then clerked for the Honorable Christine A. Nowak of the Eastern District of Texas. These clerkship experiences gave Jean the opportunity to analyze varied and complex cases from initial filing through appeal. Jean comes to Crawford, Wishnew & Lang after several years working as an associate at Figari + Davenport, LLP, where he litigated commercial cases with a wide array of subject matter.

“In September 2020, Cooley LLP, a Palo Alto-based law firm, announced it was handing out $2,500 to $7,500 in one-time payments to associates. The bonuses came as the firm — along with many others in the legal industry — realized it was both flush with cash and facing worker burnout during the pandemic,” report Meghan Tribe in Bloomberg Law’s Business & Practice.

“While most attorneys at larger firms expect to receive one annual bonus, Cooley’s move was quickly matched by others, including Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. One payout was becoming two and now potentially three in a single year.”

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“Nasdaq-listed Athira Pharma has appointed Mark Worthington as the company’s general counsel, effective June 1,” posts Athira in their news releases.

“Worthington joins Athira having been a partner with Summit Law Group for 24 years. According to his law firm biography, Worthington has focused his practice on corporate and securities law, advising start-ups, emerging growth companies and public companies.”

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“Biglaw firms are doing everything they can to hire new associates in this super-competitive, post-COVID market, and to snatch top talent, some of them are expanding their searches outside of their traditional recruitment criteria,” reports Staci Zaretsky in Above the Law’s Biglaw.

“If you work in a sought-after corporate practice area but don’t have a degree from a top law school or have never worked at top Am Law firm, then it may be time to brush off your resume because opportunity apparently awaits”

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The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has announced that Jennifer Job, counsel for ExxonMobil in Beaumont, Texas, has accepted an invitation to join the IADC, the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests.

Job serves as the sole in-house counsel for the ExxonMobil manufacturing complex in Beaumont. She manages a broad range of issues including environmental and safety compliance, contractual matters, real estate, personal injury litigation, dispute negotiations, and labor and employment.

Job received her J.D. (magna cum laude) from Baylor Law and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin.

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.

“Major League Baseball has been hit with a lawsuit for moving the All-Star game out of Atlanta following controversy over Georgia’s recent restrictive voting law,” reports Marlene Lenthang in ABC News.

“Job Creators Network, a conservative-leaning business group, filed the lawsuit on Monday of the Southern District in New York, where MLB is headquartered, demanding the July 13 game return to Atlanta.”

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A.Y. Strauss, a leading boutique law firm focused on commercial transactions and litigation in areas including real estate, franchising law, construction contracting, bankruptcy, and labor & employment, is pleased to announce that Jordan M. Engelhardt has joined the firm as a Partner in the firm’s Litigation group, effective June 1, 2021. Prior to joining A.Y. Strauss, Engelhardt served as Counsel at Patterson Belknap. Engelhardt’s focus will be on commercial disputes, financial services litigation, and intellectual property.

A skilled and versatile attorney, Engelhardt has experience in federal and state courts, administrative agency matters, and alternative dispute resolution. He is also the co-author of a treatise chapter on Commercial Division procedure in New York State court, as well as several amicus briefs in cases before the United States Supreme Court.

Engelhardt earned his J.D., cum laude, from Cornell Law School in 2009, where he served on the Cornell Law Review. He earned his B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006. He is admitted to practice in New York, the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has announced that Kathleen Ingram Carrington, an attorney at Butler Snow LLP in Nashville, Tennessee, has accepted an invitation to join the IADC, the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests.

Carrington focuses her practice on personal injury and product liability litigation related to recalled products and allegations of product defect. She represents clients in a wide range of industries, including manufacturers of recreational vehicles, industrial machinery, and automobiles. Her experience includes serving as lead trial counsel and as a key trial team member in several significant trials. She also maintains an active appellate practice in state and federal courts across the United States after having served as a law clerk to the Honorable Rhesa Hawkins Barksdale of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Carrington was her firm’s 2019-2020 Fellow for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. In addition, she is actively involved with DRI, the leading organization of defense attorneys and in-house counsel, and is a frequent speaker and author on products liability topics.

Carrington received her J.D. (magna cum laude) from the University of Mississippi School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana State University.

“… the site’s owner will have to pay $2.1 million in damages to Nintendo after the court ruled in the video game company’s favour. You can read a court order from the suit here. The lawsuit was filed back in September of 2019, with Nintendo seeking damages for copyright infringement and federal trademark infringement,” reports Jordan Oloman in IGN’s Nintendo Switch.

“This is because the RomUniverse website hosted pirated versions of Nintendo games that users could download. It also offered premium subscriptions that allowed RomUniverse subscribers to surpass a download limit.”

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“Cloudmed, the leader in Revenue Intelligence™ solutions for healthcare providers, announced today the appointment of Kathryn Stalmack as General Counsel. In her role, Ms. Stalmack will lead the Company’s legal, compliance and privacy functions,” posts Cloudmed in their press releases.

“Ms. Stalmack brings more than two decades of legal experience, with more than 15 years of specialization in healthcare. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at ModivCare, a value-based health care company focused on improving patient outcomes. Ms. Stalmack has extensive experience leading organizations in healthcare technology and services, acting as a strategic advisor in matters related to legal, data, privacy and security.”

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“Johnson & Johnson is asking for Supreme Court review of a $2 billion verdict in favor of women who claim they developed ovarian cancer from using the company’s talc products,” reports Mark Sherman in The Seattle Times Business and Health.

“The case features an array of high-profile attorneys, some in unusual alliances, including former independent counsel Kenneth Starr, who is representing the women who sued Johnson & Johnson. The nation’s largest business groups are backing the company, and a justice’s father also makes an appearance because of his long association with the trade group for cosmetics and personal care products.”

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“Many of the attorneys making their way back to Perkins Coie’s Seattle office will reconnect with colleagues in person for the first time in a long time, with some sharing workspace more than ever before,” reports Rebekah Mintzer in Bloomberg Law’s Business & Practice.

“The firm, which is set to welcome lawyers back to offices by Oct. 1 in a hybrid arrangement that includes some remote work, is cutting more than 70,000 square feet of space—or around 25 tennis courts—across four of its offices. As part of the move, it’s getting rid of some assigned seating in certain offices, encouraging a ‘hoteling’ setup, where individuals book desks as needed, and implementing office sharing, in which lawyers with work schedules that don’t overlap use the same workspace.”

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DALLAS – High-stakes trial lawyer Mark Werbner is honored in the Chambers USA 2021 legal guide for his work involving commercial litigation in Texas. It’s a recognition he has earned since 2013.

Published by London-based Chambers and Partners, the Chambers USA guide is considered the gold standard for business law firms. Selections are based on a rigorous search process that includes interviews with clients and lawyers. Criteria include technical legal ability, client service, professional conduct and other qualities valued by clients.

Known for his role in a high-profile trial where he secured a historic jury verdict against a Middle Eastern bank for providing material financial support to terrorists, Werbner has handled approximately 150 jury trials in his more than 30-year career and has secured some of the largest jury verdicts in the country.

More recently, he was part of a legal team that won a False Claims Act case against Texas Heart Hospital of the Southwest. Werbner also represented a Forest Park Medical Center founding physician accused in a high-profile fraud and kickback scheme.

Often recognized by his legal peers as one of the most accomplished trial attorneys in the nation, Werbner has a long list of accolades. For years, he’s been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America, Benchmark Litigation and Texas Super Lawyers.

A co-founder of Dallas’ successful Sayles Werbner law firm, he launched Werbner Law on March 1 after a two-year stop at Winston & Strawn to focus on business, commercial and personal injury litigation as well as white-collar criminal defense.

Raleigh, N.C. – Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP is pleased to announce that Carri Preble has joined the firm’s Raleigh office. Preble is a business-oriented attorney with significant experience in the telecommunications and commercial real estate industries, including working directly for national wireless service providers and infrastructure companies.

Preble has advised national and regional wireless service providers and infrastructure owners on all phases of tower and cell site development. She has resolved landlord/tenant disputes and construction and access issues. She has helped landlords and tower owners administer, enforce, and amend existing infrastructure agreements. She also has experience in mergers and acquisitions in the telecom industry, including working with regional and national developers in the purchases and sales of tower portfolios.

In addition, Preble has represented commercial retail tenants and solar companies in the acquisition of entitlements to property. She has drafted and negotiated a high volume of diverse real estate documents, including leases, lease amendments, purchase and sales agreements, assignments, perpetual easements for ground lease buyouts, bills of sale, subordination and non-disturbance agreements, and utility and access easements.

Preble is also experienced with all levels of real estate due diligence, from examining title and survey issues and resolving title defects and encumbrances, to environmental assessment review and analysis.

Earlier in her career, Preble was a real estate manager for what was then Sprint, managing a portfolio of the leading wireless company’s sites across New England. Prior to that, she managed wireless and fiber carrier programs for Tilson, a national network development and information infrastructure professional services firm. She later worked for Minasian Becker, a boutique firm focused on commercial real estate, business services, and telecommunications, before joining Parker Poe.

Buchalter is pleased to announce the arrival of new Shareholder John Clough, and welcome him to our Los Angeles Office. Clough is the newest member of the Litigation Practice Group. A seasoned trial lawyer, Clough focuses his practice on business and commercial litigation.

Clough routinely litigates complex, multiparty matters in diverse areas of substantive law, including corporate governance disputes, construction defects, lender liability, fiduciary litigation, business and lending fraud, officer and director liability, intellectual property and trade secret/trade dress. He also has substantial experience with matters pertaining to unfair competition, restrictive covenants, usurpation of corporate opportunities, theft of trade secrets, and deceptive trade practices.

In addition to his litigation practice, Clough has a variety of clients such as start-up businesses, businesses restructuring to attract investors and passive capital, and other corporate clients. He also advises clients in various areas including with respect to employment handbooks/agreements, separation agreements, shareholder agreements, distributor agreements, franchisor and franchisee agreements, information technology policies, and advertising and marketing policies and procedures.

Clough is an AV® Preeminent Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He was also recognized in the 25th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America© for Commercial Litigation, and has been named to the “Best Lawyers” list every year from 2013 to 2021.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Ryan P. Robichaux, a partner in the firm’s Birmingham office, has been elected as an Alabama State Bar (ASB) commissioner for the 10th Judicial Circuit, Place 8. He begins his three-year term on July 1.

As the governing and policy-making body of the ASB, the Board of Bar Commissioners has the authority to promulgate and enforce rules relating to admissions, rules of ethics, and discipline of its membership. Other responsibilities of the board include determining the qualifications and requirements for admission to the practice of law, investigating and acting on complaints concerning conduct of members and applicants for admission, overseeing the bar examination, and assisting local bar associations.

A member of Bradley’s Government Affairs Practice Group, Robichaux focuses on political advocacy and compliance, representing clients before the executive and legislative branches of government in Washington, D.C.; Montgomery, Ala.; and other states. His work in these areas includes representation of businesses, trade associations, political action committees, nonprofits, government contractors, and other individuals and entities that are involved in the political process. He also has significant experience representing candidates for public office.

Prior to law school, Robichaux served as a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate, specializing in agriculture, judiciary, trade and manufacturing policy. He also was a research assistant for a member of the British Parliament.

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP partner Lisa J. Sotto, chair of the firm’s global privacy and cybersecurity practice, has been recognized by Chambers and Partners with the 2021 Outstanding Contribution to the Legal Profession award. This honor is given to one lawyer each year for exceptional achievements.

A longtime leader in global privacy and cybersecurity law, Sotto has dedicated her career to promoting sound global data privacy and security practices. In addition to heading the firm’s privacy and cybersecurity team, Sotto co-founded in 2000 the Centre for Information Policy Leadership, a think tank within the firm that collaborates with industry leaders, policymakers and regulators to develop global solutions and best practices for data privacy and responsible data use. Sotto is so well respected in matters of cybersecurity and privacy that governments and lawmakers around the world seek her counsel in regulating the space.

Sotto has served as chair of the US Department of Homeland Security’s Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee since 2012 and previously served as its vice chair. Among her honors and accolades, The National Law Journal named Sotto one of the nation’s “100 Most Influential Lawyers” and Chambers USA has again named her as a “Star Individual”—the only privacy lawyer in the US to receive this distinguished ranking. The Legal 500 has recognized Sotto as a “Leading Lawyer” for Cyber Law, Data Protection and Privacy and named her to its inaugural list of Hall of Fame lawyers.

A.Y. Strauss, a leading boutique law firm focused on commercial transactions and litigation in the areas of real estate, bankruptcy, franchising law, construction contracting, and labor & employment, is pleased to announce that Matthew L. Holden, Esq., has merged his law firm Holden Legal Group, LLC with A.Y. Strauss, effective June 1, 2021. Holden joins as a partner in A.Y. Strauss’s Real Estate and Corporate practice groups.

Holden represents developers, borrowers, lenders, and other entities in large-scale commercial real estate transactions related to retail, office, multifamily, hotel, condominium, and industrial spaces. He also provides counsel in risk-avoidance and complex transactions and disputes. His clients include startups, emerging companies, and Fortune 500 companies alike.

Holden earned his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law, where he was a member of the Real Estate and Trust Law Society. He earned his BBA in Finance from Emory University Goizueta School of Business. He is licensed to practice in New York and New Jersey; the United States District Court, Southern District of New York; and the United States District Court, District of New Jersey.

Prior to founding Holden Legal Group in Hackensack, NJ and New York City in June 2009, Holden practiced corporate and securities law at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, and thereafter served as in-house counsel at Ospraie Management, LLC, the investment manager for the Ospraie Funds, where he worked on corporate, hedge fund, securities and real estate matters. Prior to earning his law degree, Holden worked in investment banking for Lehman Brothers Inc.