AZA’s three new partners are a triple threat. Their practices fall into the two primary areas of AZA’s work for our clients — commercial litigation and intellectual property.

Masood Anjom focuses his practice on intellectual property and patent work, including patent preparation and prosecution, as well as patent litigation and technology contracts. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants in patent infringement suits before U.S. district courts and the International Trade Commission and has worked on different phases of patent litigation from initial fact investigation to discovery and trial. He received a summa cum laude law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. And while obtaining his electrical engineering degree before that, he worked in the nanotechnology lab at the Cullen College of Engineering of the University of Houston.

Taylor Freeman focuses on complex commercial litigation, including breach of contract, energy, tort, intellectual property and construction. For example, he served as lead counsel in getting 100% of requested damages for a jury and helped obtain a $12.2 million court judgment for an international energy company. He has a law degree from New York University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University. He was named to the 2018-2020 Texas Rising Stars lists for his excellence in business litigation. The list, which is compiled by Thomson Reuters’ Texas Super Lawyers, honors leading attorneys age 40 and younger and those who have been in practice no more than 10 years.

Monica Uddin is a commercial trial lawyer who has represented energy companies and other businesses and individuals in complex matters. For example, she successfully represented an exploration and production company win a substantial sum in arbitration and defeated the refiner’s counterclaims of over $400 million. She has a technology background and has also been active with AZA’s intellectual property and patent litigation team. A University of Chicago Law School graduate, she has an undergraduate degree from Stanford University. She was named to the 2021 list of “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” for commercial litigation and was selected for the Texas Rising Stars’ lists for 2013-2020 for her excellence in business litigation.

“On December 10, 2020, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced proposed changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule to support individuals’ engagement in their care, remove barriers to coordinated care, and reduce regulatory burdens on the health care industry,” writes Jennifer Guerrero in Buchalter’s Publications.

“Several of the proposals modify provisions related to individuals’ right of access to protected health information (“PHI”), including strengthening individuals’ rights to inspect their PHI in person (e.g., allowing individuals to take notes or use other personal resources to view and capture images of their PHI). Another change shortens covered entities’ required response time to no later than 15 calendar days (from the current 30 days) with the opportunity for an extension of no more than 15 calendar days (from the current 30-day extension).”

Read the article for other notable proposed changes.

Read the article.

“Patient Square Capital, a dedicated health care investment firm, announced today that Adam Fliss has joined the firm as a Founding Partner and General Counsel. The addition of Mr. Fliss, who is deeply experienced in law, private equity and health care, will help advance Patient Square’s goal of investing in and partnering with great companies that improve patient lives,” posted Patient Square Capital in News.

“Mr. Fliss will become the third Founding Partner of Patient Square, joining Jim Momtazee, Managing Partner, and Maria Walker, Founding Partner and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to Patient Square, Mr. Fliss was the General Counsel of TPG Capital, the private equity platform of alternative asset firm TPG.”

Read the article.

“Dinsmore & Shohl announced a merger with Wooden McLaughlin that became official on January 1. That gives the newly expanded Dinsmore three new offices in Indiana (in Indianapolis, Evansville and Bloomington), and it’s being touted by the firm as ‘one of the largest such deals of two domestic-only firms in the legal industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.’ It brings the firm’s headcount to 630+, which is over a 7 percent increase,” reports Kathryn Rubino in Above the Law’s Biglaw.

“Just last month, megafirm Dentons announced a combination with Iowa law firm Davis Brown. That merger is part of Dentons ‘Project Golden Spike,’ which is a dual-partnership model that allows for local decision making. The new law firm will operate as Dentons Davis Brown.”

Read the article.

“We often think of 20/20 vision in the context of great eyesight. But this analogy about perspective is especially meaningful in health care. If there is one good thing about the year 2020, it is that it has given us many opportunities to have great perspective. And while we’d love to forget it and not look back, we would be remiss if we did not try to use our new perspective as we forge ahead,” writes Nicole M. Thorn in Brouse McDowell’s Health Care.

This post shares, from a legal perspective, some priorities you may want consider for 2021.

Read the article.

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has announced that S. Christopher Collier, a senior partner at Hawkins Parnell & Young in Atlanta, has accepted an invitation to join the IADC, the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests.

Serving as deputy partner-in-charge of Hawkins Parnell’s Atlanta office, Collier also works from the firm’s offices in St. Louis and Charleston, West Virginia. In addition, he leads the firm’s COVID-19 Task Force and is a member of the firm’s Diversity Committee. Collier focuses his practice in the areas of products liability, premises liability, toxic tort, mass tort, transportation, and general liability.

Among his professional affiliations, Collier serves as secretary of the Atlanta Chapter of the Claims & Litigation Management Alliance. In addition, he has previously served as a member of the boards of both the Atlanta Bar Association’s Council of Younger Lawyers and Environmental & Toxic Tort sections.

Collier received his J.D. from Emory University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) from Wake Forest 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.

Neal Gerber Eisenberg (NGE) is pleased to announce that Alexis M. Dominguez, previously an associate of the firm’s Labor & Employment group, and Elizabeth (Beth) E. Radichel, previously an associate of the firm’s Real Estate group, have been promoted to partner, effective January 1, 2021.

Dominguez focuses his practice on counseling public and private companies on federal and state labor and employment law. He handles traditional labor matters, including negotiating collective bargaining agreements, responding to unfair labor practice charges, and representing clients in arbitration with unions and before state and federal courts throughout the United States. He helps companies comply with wage and hour requirements, Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), state and local civil rights laws and related fair employment laws. The recipient of the firm’s 2019 Pro Bono Excellence in Service Award, Alex is actively involved with the nonprofit Equip for Equality in addition to several other charitable institutions. Most recently, U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers listed Alex as “One to Watch” for 2021.

Dominguez received his law degree cum laude from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College.

Radichel focuses her practice on assisting clients with their real estate needs. She has extensive experience counseling public and private real estate companies, real estate investment trusts, developers, lenders, property management companies and high net worth individuals. She handles matters throughout the United States, including acquisitions and dispositions, financings, construction financings, joint venture formation, corporate structuring, development agreements and leasing. She is an active member of both the firm’s Sustainability Committee and it’s Women’s Network Leadership Team. Beth is committed to pro bono service through her representation of a variety of nonprofit organizations in connection with their transactional legal needs, such as The AIDS Foundation of Chicago.

Radichel received her law degree cum laude from New York University School of Law. She received her undergraduate degree magna cum laude from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Neal Gerber Eisenberg is a leading law firm dedicated to handling sophisticated matters for entrepreneurs, public companies, and private businesses and their owners. Our attorneys provide legal business solutions to public and private entities of all types—including Fortune 100 companies, financial institutions, nonprofits and high net worth individuals—in connection with domestic and global business transactions and litigation. The firm has built over thirty years of trusted partnerships with clients that span the globe, and we meet each unique client need with the same personalized service and collaboration that provide the most practical solutions for every matter.

While hindsight may be 20/20, how can we use this to gain foresight into 2021?

The last twelve months have permanently altered the role of risk and compliance—increasing it in scope and elevating the function to a top-of-mind priority.

Your profession is forever changed—and for the better. While some of the risks realized in 2020 were the product of a crazy year, many more were the inevitable result of longstanding blindspots, siloing and undervaluation . Perhaps 2021 will be the year we recognize risk and compliance cannot be narrowly defined nor addressed. Integration, context, and cooperation may be the best tools organizations have to course-correct and prepare for the next chapter.

Join this popular event with Kristy Grant-Hart and Carrie Penman for lessons learned in 2020 and guidance on how to use these trends to plan for 2021. They’ll be taking your questions after the hour presentation.

You’ll also receive the complete Top 10 Trends eBook the week of the webinar to help you stay engaged and prepare questions during the event.

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has announced that Naoki S. Kaneko, a partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP in Irvine, California, has accepted an invitation to join the IADC, the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests.

A member of the Class Action and Appellate Practice Group at his firm, Kaneko represents clients in the food, beverage and agribusiness; personal care; technology; automobile; and pharmaceutical industries and has significant experience defending clients in class actions and multidistrict and consolidated mass tort litigation. He defends clients in class actions and complex litigation matters involving consumer protection, product liability and breach of contract claims and also counsels clients on and defends against claims involving California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act (Prop 65).

Kaneko received his J.D. (cum laude) from American University Washington College of Law and his Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Davis.

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.

CHICAGO (January 5, 2021)—Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Arthur Rooney has joined the firm’s Labor & Employment practice as a partner in the Chicago office.

With nearly 20 years of experience in employment law, Rooney’s practice focuses on the defense of employers in state and federal single-plaintiff, multi-plaintiff, and class action cases involving wage-and-hour lawsuits; FLSA collective actions; discrimination, harassment, and retaliation issues; and restrictive covenant matters. He also advises employers on preventative measures including reviewing employment policies, handling disciplinary actions and investigations, negotiating severance and release agreements, and conducting employment practices review.

To accommodate Perkins Coie’s continued growth in the Chicago area, the firm is moving to a larger, more collaborative office space at 110 North Wacker Drive in 2021.

Rooney received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and his B.A., magna cum laude, from James Madison University.

LexisNexis Launches Law360 Pulse, a Comprehensive Business of Law News Service

Award-winning journalism combines with deep data and analytics to deliver unparalleled business of law news coverage, timely insights and industry intelligence

NEW YORK, January 4, 2021 – LexisNexis® today unveiled Law360 Pulse, a new business of law news service. Law360 Pulse combines the award-winning journalism and research of Law360 with powerful data and analytics from Lexis+ to deliver unparalleled business of law coverage, timely insights and industry intelligence that help law firms and legal departments succeed. The new offering complements Law360’s industry-leading practice of law coverage, giving legal professionals a single best source for comprehensive legal news.

Law360 Pulse keeps lawyers on top of industry issues and trends, such as leadership and lateral moves, finances, compensation, technology, government policy, regulations, ethics and more. With in-depth focus on large and mid-market firms, in-house counsel, courts and litigation, and local coverage in nine states, readers can customize their Law360 Pulse news feed by selecting the content that’s of most interest, signing up for daily newsletters and setting alerts to stay better informed.

In addition to 24/7 breaking legal news and in-depth features on business of law issues, Law360 Pulse will release a series of insightful surveys, rankings and reports on law firm practices and industry trends to keep law firms and legal departments better informed. The first report, titled Physical Space in a Pandemic: How Law Firms are Adapting, was issued today alongside a broader series on how COVID-19 has impacted the business of law. Future content will include compensation data, attorney satisfaction, and surveys on managing partners and summer associates.

At launch, Law360 Pulse will feature new business of law content spanning 14 topics and geographic regions, including:

• Modern Lawyer: Covering large law firm finances, leadership and lateral moves, compensation, government regulation, legal tech, legal ethics and disruption in the market.
• Mid-Law: Covering similar business of law topics from the perspective of regional and midmarket firms.
• In-House: Topics span executive moves, legal ops, technology, government policy, court developments and other forces reshaping how in-house lawyers do business.
• Courts: Covering the biggest news out of the courts, including major lawsuits and decisions, SCOTUS and other judiciary news, and policy changes that impact litigators.
• Daily Litigation: A sampling of federal and state litigation news from across the country, including complaints and decisions in notable cases such as class actions and MDL bellwethers.
• State-Specific Coverage: Focused business of law news from nine states, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. Additional state coverage will be added to the platform in the future.

Law360 Pulse will continue evolving to keep ahead of the changing needs of its readers. In addition to expanded news and feature content, future enhancements will include insights derived from LexisNexis’s industry-leading analytics tools. Articles will integrate data visualizations and analytics from authoritative sources such as Lex Machina and CourtLink to help readers anticipate opportunities and uncover trends and patterns that affect their practice.

Starting today, LexisNexis will be offering legal professionals complimentary access to Law360 Pulse for a limited time.

Einhorn, Barbarito, Frost & Botwinick, PC, is pleased to announce that Matthew S. Rheingold has been elevated from counsel to partner in the Taxation, Wills, Trusts & Estates and Business/Corporate practice groups, effective January 1, 2021. Rheingold joined Einhorn Barbarito in 2015 as an associate, focusing on tax, trusts and estates. He was named counsel in 2019.

About Matthew S. Rheingold

Rheingold’s practice is primarily devoted to estate and trust administration, charitable planning and business succession planning, as well as controversial estate litigation and tax dispute matters. Highly adept at successfully negotiating with the Internal Revenue Service, New Jersey Division of Taxation and the New York Department of Taxation, Rheingold’s knowledge of tax law and analytical abilities are enormous assets to his clients.

Rheingold earned his LL.M. in Taxation from New York Law School in 2014, his J.D. from Touro College, Jacob D. Fuchsburg Law Center in 2006, and his B.S. from Syracuse University in 2002. He is a frequent author of articles in publications including New Jersey CPA Magazine and The New Jersey Law Journal. Rheingold is admitted to the New Jersey Bar, the New York Bar, the United States Tax Court, and the United States District Court, District of New Jersey. He is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Morris County Bar Association, and the Estate Planning Council of Northern New Jersey.

Weinstein Family Law, a boutique matrimonial law firm, announced that Erika Handler and Katherine (Katie) Segall have joined the firm as associates and will focus their practices exclusively on family law matters.

About Erika Handler, Esq.

Prior to entering into private practice, Handler served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Thomas L. Weisenbeck, J.S.C., Morris County Family Part (now retired).

Handler earned her J.D. from the Rutgers University School of Law, where she served as the Chairperson of the Women’s Law Forum and Managing Research Editor of the Computer and Technology Law Journal, and her B.A. from the University of Michigan where she graduated with high honors. During law school, Handler served as a law clerk for the Attorney General’s Office, Division of Youth and Family Services, Newark and volunteered with the law school’s Special Education Clinic working to secure school accommodations for children with special needs.

Handler is admitted to the New Jersey Bar and is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association and Somerset County Bar Association. She is an active participant in her community serving as the Co-Chair of Membership for her temple and member of the Mayor of Scotch Plain’s Wellness Committee.

About Katherine Segall, Esq.

Before joining the firm, Segall served as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Mark T. Janezcko, J.S.C., Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Family Part, where she conducted extensive legal research for the Court’s divorce and domestic violence cases. She also interned for the following Superior Court of New Jersey judges: the Honorable Jodi Lee Alper, the Honorable Linda Cavanaugh, the Honorable Vito Sciancalepore, and the Honorable Joseph V. Isabella.

Segall earned her J.D. from Pace Law School and her B.A. from The College of New Jersey. Prior to graduation, she worked for Legal Services of the Hudson Valley as a staff attorney practicing under the student practice Order.

Segall is admitted to practice in New Jersey, New York and North Carolina. She is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Bergen County Bar Association and the Morris County Bar Association.

SDV’s Grace V. Hebbel has been elevated to Partner

Trumbull, Connecticut – Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C. is pleased to announce that Grace V. Hebbel has been elevated to Partner, effective January 1, 2020.

A graduate of UCONN School of Law, Hebbel has been with SDV since January of 2015, having joined the firm after completing a clerkship with the Connecticut Judicial Branch where she provided legal research to trial level judges on pending matters and assisted with the drafting of memoranda of decisions.

Hebbel focuses her practice on complex litigation, with a concentration on Directors & Officers coverage issues, and has written on a variety of insurance coverage topics. A member of the firm’s D&O Practice Group, Hebbel has handled several complex D&O cases involving governmental investigations, along with a wide range of other complicated coverage matters involving CGL and builder’s risk policies, amongst others.

In addition to being Chair on the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Hebbel is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and made the CBA’s 2015 Pro Bono Honor Roll. She was selected as a New England Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2018, 2019, and 2020.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that 26 counsel and senior counsel have been promoted to partner. The new partner class of 2021 includes:

• Sumedha Ahuja
• Jessica Batzell
• Craig A. Beaker
• Josh Boehm
• Miguel J. Bombach
• Aria C. Branch
• Alisha C. Burgin
• Amanda R. Callais
• Nancy Cheng
• George Colindres
• Alexis E. Danneman
• Catherine J. Del Prete
• Justin M. Gonzales
• Andrew C. Hanson
• Charlyn L. Ho
• Chris M. Kang
• Heather Karell
• Lauren M. Kulpa
• Mike LaPlante
• Jordan G. McCarthy
• Caroline M. Mew
• Greg Miller
• Stephanie M. Regenold
• Heidee Stoller
• Leigh E. Sylvan
• Brett D. Zudekoff

Sumedha Ahuja (Seattle) is a member of the Intellectual Property Law practice. Her practice focuses on strategic patent portfolio management and patent prosecution with specific emphasis on computer software, internet, and artificial intelligence inventions. She has successfully drafted and prosecuted patent applications for both large corporations and startups at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and foreign patent offices.

Jessica Batzell (Denver) is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions practice. Batzell focuses on advising private equity sponsors, family offices, senior management, and public and private companies in connection with mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, minority investments, going-private transactions, and other complex corporate transactions in a broad range of industries.

Craig A. Beaker (Denver) is a member of the Trademark, Copyright, Internet & Advertising practice. He counsels businesses ranging from startups to well-known Fortune 500 companies on brand protection and enforcement issues, including trademark clearance, prosecution and enforcement, copyright, marketing and advertising, licensing, rights of publicity and domain, and internet issues.

Josh Boehm (Phoenix) is a member of the Technology Transactions & Privacy practice. Josh guides innovative companies through the complex legal issues in developing cutting-edge products and platforms, particularly in the financial technology and blockchain fields, where he regularly advises digital asset custodians and exchanges on regulatory issues. Boehm has also counseled clients on e-commerce and digital transformation initiatives involving music streaming, advertising, cloud storage, video gaming, and virtual reality.

Miguel J. Bombach (San Diego) is a member of the Patent Litigation practice. He focuses on patents in the electrical and computing arts. Bombach’s practice includes district court litigation, inter partes reviews before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, patent prosecution before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and patent portfolio due diligence.

Aria C. Branch (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Political Law practice group. Branch litigates political law cases, most notably in the areas of voting rights and redistricting. Branch also counsels federal and state elected officials, candidates, political parties, trade associations, corporations, PACs, and other political organizations on campaign finance and ethics issues.

Alisha C. Burgin (Los Angeles) is a member of the Commercial Litigation practice. She represents companies and individuals in high-stakes commercial litigation in state and federal courts, as well as in arbitration. Her practice focuses on all phases of complex commercial disputes, unfair competition and consumer protection, and trade secret litigation. Although she is an “anywhere” lawyer, capable of quickly grasping the nuances of law, practice, and procedure in any jurisdiction, Burgin has mastered California procedure and has extensive experience in the state’s trial and appellate courts.

Amanda R. Callais (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Political Law practice group. ACallaisanda focuses her practice on political litigation. She represents voters, campaigns, political committees, and activists at the state and federal level in actions related to elections, including redistricting and voting rights, as well as cases implicating important matters of First Amendment speech and association.

Nancy Cheng (Palo Alto) is a member of the Patent Litigation practice. She has served as a core member of patent litigation teams that have secured victories for leading technology companies at various stages of dispute resolution: motion to dismiss, post-Markman hearing, trial, and appeals. She has also appeared before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board to represent clients in inter partes reviews.

George Colindres (Los Angeles and San Diego) is a member of the Emerging Companies & Venture Capital practice. Colindres acts as outside general counsel for clients in a diverse array of industries, including food, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, digital health, Internet of Things, social networking, e-commerce, online advertising, online gaming, software, hardware, telecommunications, and real estate. Colindres also represents venture capital firms, strategic investors, angels, and other investors in connection with making investments in these industries and others.

Alexis E. Danneman (Phoenix) is a member of the White Collar & Investigations practice. Danneman focuses on defending individuals and corporate entities against criminal and other governmental investigations, including civil enforcement and forfeiture proceedings. She also conducts internal investigations for corporate clients, such as those involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, fraud, and employee misconduct.

Catherine J. Del Prete (Los Angeles) is a member of the Commercial Litigation practice. She is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer who has litigated in state and federal courts throughout the United States. As an attorney with the firm’s Insurance Recovery practice, Del Prete represents corporate policyholders in coverage disputes and litigation and her practice includes representation of clients in disputes on a variety of issues.

Justin M. Gonzales (Portland) is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions practice. His practice focuses on mergers, acquisitions, sales, investments, corporate governance, and other corporate matters for public and private clients. He has represented financial buyers and sellers in strategic transactions across a diverse set of industries, including software and technology, renewable energy, manufacturing, apparel, financial services, transportation, life sciences, and food and beverage.

Andrew C. Hanson (Madison) is a member of the Environment & Natural Resources practice. He has been involved in negotiating contracts and seeking regulatory approvals for hundreds of millions of dollars of investments in renewable energy projects, energy efficiency and demand response programs, electric vehicle infrastructure, advance metering infrastructure, grid modernization, and other emerging technologies in the energy sector.

Charlyn L. Ho (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Technology Transactions & Privacy practice. Ho counsels clients on legal issues related to technology and privacy, including those affecting e-commerce sites, mobile devices and applications, artificial intelligence and machine learning, virtual reality, mixed reality, and augmented reality platforms, cloud services, enterprise software, cryptocurrency platforms, healthcare products and services, and Internet of Things devices.

Chris M. Kang (Bellevue) is a member of the Real Estate & Land Use practice. He practices in the areas of real estate and business law. In his real estate and land use practice, he represents national and regional clients in all areas of commercial real estate, including retail, office, and industrial leasing, purchase and sale of properties, and development projects, including renewable energy transactions.

Heather Karell (Seattle) is a member of the Technology Transactions & Privacy practice. Karell focuses her practice on complex commercial transactions involving technology and intellectual property. She advises clients in a wide range of industries on matters arising in the context of strategic collaborations, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, financings, distribution arrangements, and outsourcing and procurement transactions. She represents clients ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies and provides practical advice and counseling on a variety of issues such as those related to licensing arrangements, privacy and data protection, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and open source software.

Lauren M. Kulpa (Dallas) is a member of the Labor & Employment Law practice. Kulpa advises clients, from small employers and startups to Fortune 500 companies, on employment policies and practices and is highly experienced with workplace investigations, particularly those involving C-suite and other high-level employees. She also regularly litigates claims of harassment, discrimination, and wage and hour violations, as well as bringing claims on behalf of her clients for violations of noncompete agreements, trade secret misappropriation, and breach of employee confidentiality agreements.

Mike LaPlante (San Francisco and Palo Alto) is a member of the Emerging Companies & Venture Capital practice. He serves as outside general counsel to emerging growth companies through all stages of their corporate life cycle, including pre-incorporation planning, general corporate counseling, venture capital and debt financings, public offerings, and mergers and acquisitions.

Jordan G. McCarthy (Chicago) is a member of the Real Estate & Land Use practice and focuses on real estate transactions and development, with an emphasis on the hotel industry. McCarthy works on local and multistate real estate transactions and is experienced in acquisitions, dispositions, hotel finance, REIT structuring, joint ventures, franchise and hotel management agreements, and development, asset management, and operational matters.

Caroline M. Mew (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Commercial Litigation practice. She is an experienced litigator who represents clients from diverse industries in complex civil litigation in state and federal court. In addition to litigating commercial disputes, Mew advises clients on regulatory compliance, represents companies asserting challenges to federal regulatory action under the Administrative Procedure Act, and defends companies in private litigation and federal enforcement actions challenging statutory and regulatory compliance.

Greg Miller (Seattle) is a member of the Product Liability practice, as well as the Appeals, Issues, and Strategy practice. He defends companies in product liability and commercial disputes in both state and federal court. He also has extensive appellate experience, representing clients in a range of complex matters in appellate courts at the state and federal level. Miller is a former U.S. Supreme Court law clerk.

Stephanie M. Regenold (Portland) is a member of the Environment & Natural Resources practice. She counsels clients on development of major infrastructure projects, including natural resource and renewable projects, highway and public and private transportation projects, and commercial development.

Heidee Stoller (Portland) is a member of the Commercial Litigation practice. Stoller represents clients in complex commercial and healthcare litigation. Her commercial litigation experience includes consumer protection, business tort, contracts, employment, and shareholder disputes. She has also defended several class action lawsuits in state and federal court.

Leigh E. Sylvan (Seattle) is a member of the Product Liability Law practice. Sylvan is experienced in general litigation matters, including internal investigations, white collar and regulatory defense, and international arbitration.

Brett D. Zudekoff (San Francisco and Palo Alto) is a member of the Trust & Estate Planning practice. Zudekoff works with individuals, couples, and large multigenerational families. He advises them on wills, trusts, and other wealth preservation tools to help them in succession planning and asset protection.

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP has added satellite and telecommunications lawyer Lafayette M. Greenfield II as a partner in its Washington, D.C., office, bringing new capabilities to its team serving the technology and communications industries.

Greenfield, who joins the firm from Milbank, focuses his practice on satellite operators, telecommunications companies, aerospace manufacturers and launch services providers. He advises satellite and telecom companies and investors on transactional and regulatory matters and has significant experience with the Federal Communications Commission and regulations applicable to satellite systems and space-based technologies. He also has extensive experience advising a broad range of clients on international trade and national security matters.

Greenfield received his law degree from Howard University School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Radford University.

Miller & Chevalier Chartered announced the election of Margot Laporte as a Member of the firm. The promotion was effective January 1.

Laporte advises global public companies, boards of directors, and audit committees facing complex multi-jurisdictional regulatory, litigation, and reputational risk resulting from enforcement actions. Her practice focuses on cross-border internal and regulatory investigations, white collar criminal defense, securities enforcement, and regulatory compliance, including with respect to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, economic sanctions laws, insider trading, and accounting fraud. She has conducted investigations on behalf of clients in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Russia.

Kisshia Simmons recently joined the Houston office of the national law firm, Chamberlain Hrdlicka, as a senior associate in the Immigration practice, where she will focus on employment-based immigration, temporary work visas, criminal immigration, family-based immigration and complex immigration matters. She will also assist small businesses by providing corporate law services, such as contract drafting and negotiations.

A successful immigration attorney, Simmons brings more than 15 years of experience to the firm. Through the prestigious Attorney General Honor’s Program, Simmons started her legal career at the Department of Homeland Security as assistant chief counsel with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, where she argued on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security in the New York Immigration Court.

Prior to joining Chamberlain Hrdlicka, she was the founding partner with Simmons Grant, PLLC, a law firm in New York City, where she represented small and medium-sized corporations in filing for temporary visas and permanent residence for foreign-born employees. She is experienced in filing for extraordinary-based visas and green cards for artists, as well as business and marketing professionals. Simmons has also argued in Immigration Courts in New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

Simmons graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor of science degree in human development and obtained her law degree at Georgetown University Law Center. She currently serves as the chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for the Georgetown University Board of Governors. As part of her pro bono work, Simmons has successfully argued on behalf of a non-profit providing free health care for Haitian citizens and a Yemeni citizen with a complicated legal permanent resident issue. She is proficient in Spanish.

DALLAS (Jan. 5, 2021) – Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Dallas attorneys Samuel T. Acker and Scott Schardt have been elevated to partner, and Andrew R. Stubblefield has been elevated to counsel. Across all the firm’s offices, 13 attorneys were elevated to partner, and three were elevated to counsel.

Acker is a member of the Litigation Practice Group. His practice focuses on commercial and securities litigation, and white-collar criminal defense. He routinely represents plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal court actions involving fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and partnership and corporate governance disputes. A substantial portion of his practice has also been dedicated to representing broker-dealers and registered representatives in FINRA arbitrations and regulatory inquiries.

A member of the Healthcare Practice Group, Schardt’s practice is focused on a variety of regulatory matters affecting hospitals and healthcare providers, including Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute compliance, Medicare provider enrollment and reimbursement, 501(a) Physician Employment Organizations, HIPAA compliance, and healthcare facility and provider licensing. In addition, he actively represents healthcare providers as both purchasers and sellers in transactional matters, including mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures.

Stubblefield is a member of the Construction Practice Group. He has spent his career representing clients of every kind within the construction industry, including owners, contractors, design professionals, subcontractors, suppliers and sureties. Stubblefield has significant experience trying a variety of cases – in bench trials, jury trials, and arbitrations – that run the gamut from small residential matters to large-scale defect and contract cases. He was also among the first class of attorneys to be Board Certified in Construction Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that 13 of the firm’s attorneys have been elevated to partner and three attorneys have been elevated to counsel, effective Jan. 1. The new partners are Samuel T. Acker, Timothy L. Capria, Matthew S. DeAntonio, Evelyn McKinney Hill, Holly S. Hosford, Ryan J. Letson, Carly Miller, Spencer R. Mobley, Marc A. Nardone, Preston H. Neel, Keaton H. Osborne, Scott Schardt, and Brooke Vinson. The new counsel are Amy Elizabeth Garber, Amy Magdanz Rose, and Andrew R. Stubblefield.

Details about each attorney newly elevated to partner or counsel, grouped by office, are as follows:

Birmingham

Hill is a member of the Corporate and Securities Practice Group. She focuses her practice on corporate mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and commercial law, as well as general business formation and counseling. Hill advises healthcare companies in corporate transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, and syndications of hospitals, physician practices, surgery centers and ancillary providers. Her practice also includes the representation of investment funds’ debt and equity investments in healthcare and several other industries.

Hosford is a member of the Healthcare Practice Group. She represents numerous types of healthcare providers in a range of regulatory and transactional matters and in the litigation of healthcare-related issues. Her practice includes assisting clients with a variety of state and federal regulatory issues, including state certificate of need laws and compliance with federal and state regulatory issues, as well as compliance with anti-kickback and self-referral laws.

A member of the Construction Practice Group, Miller represents clients in a variety of industries, with a focus on construction, government contracting and energy. Her practice involves the representation of owners, EPC contractors, general contractors and subcontractors on a variety of projects, both public and private, international and domestic. She has experience in construction disputes, in both litigation and arbitration, across the United States and abroad. Miller also advises construction clients in contract negotiation and contract administration during the performance of construction contracts.

Mobley is a member of the Banking and Financial Services Practice Group. He represents financial services clients throughout the country with a focus on resolving issues arising from the enforceability of mortgage liens and note obligations and borrower-driven litigation. He regularly provides counsel to lenders, mortgage servicers, and banks to help maximize recovery and mitigate mortgage loan losses through recoupment efforts involving title insurance, closing protection letters, mortgage insurance and the exercise of mortgage lien rights.

A member of the Litigation Practice Group, Neel provides litigation and regulatory compliance assistance to financial services clients across the country. He is one of a small number of lawyers who has earned an Accredited Mortgage Professional designation through the Mortgage Bankers Association. In litigation, Neel primarily represents clients in the residential mortgage space, including forward and reverse mortgage investors, originators and servicers. He has litigated cases involving a wide array of state, federal, and statutory law claims, including claims related to the FCRA, FDCPA, TILA, RESPA, RICO, TCPA, bankruptcy discharge violations, and state consumer protection violations.

Vinson is a member of the Corporate and Securities Practice Group. Her practice is focused on advising public and private clients, from start-ups to large corporations, in the areas of business formation, investment and financing transactions, securities compliance and other corporate matters. She primarily counsels privately held companies and private equity funds and their operating companies in formation, M&A, and corporate finance transactions, including securities offerings, divestitures, joint ventures and general corporate and securities law issues. She also advises clients on franchise matters, including business structure and legal and regulatory compliance.

Charlotte, N.C.

DeAntonio is a member of the Franchise and Distribution Practice Group. A significant portion of his practice involves representing franchisors in litigation matters such as franchisee terminations and enforcement of post-termination covenants. He understands the unique relationship between franchisors and franchisees, and he works to help his clients build and strengthen their franchise systems. DeAntonio also litigates trademark infringement cases for both franchise and non-franchise clients. He is well-versed in representing his clients’ trademark interests in administrative actions before the USPTO, preliminary injunction proceedings, jury trials and appeals.

Dallas

Acker is a member of the Litigation Practice Group. His practice focuses on business, commercial and securities litigation, and white-collar criminal defense. He routinely represents plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal court actions involving fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and partnership and corporate governance disputes. A substantial portion of his practice has also been dedicated to representing broker-dealers and registered representatives in FINRA arbitrations and regulatory inquiries with respect to alleged sales practice and supervisory violations.

A member of the Healthcare Practice Group, Schardt focuses his practice on a variety of regulatory matters affecting hospitals and healthcare providers, including Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute compliance, Medicare provider enrollment and reimbursement, 501(a) Physician Employment Organizations, HIPAA compliance, and healthcare facility and provider licensing. In addition, he actively represents healthcare providers as both purchasers and sellers in transactional matters, including mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures.

Stubblefield is a member of the Construction Practice Group. He has spent his career representing clients of every kind within the construction industry, including owners, contractors, design professionals, subcontractors, suppliers and sureties. Stubblefield has significant experience trying a variety of cases – in bench trials, jury trials, and arbitrations – that run the gamut from small residential matters to large-scale defect and contract cases.

Huntsville, Ala.

Letson is a member of the Intellectual Property Practice Group. His practice focuses on matters involving IP and technology. He handles patent and trademark prosecution before the USPTO, and he represents clients in proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Letson also assists clients in disputes involving patents and other IP matters in federal and state courts. His technical experience covers a wide range of areas, and includes computer hardware and software, electronics, data communication networks, autonomous vehicles, electromechanical devices, payment processing and e-commerce systems, biometric sensors and structural systems.

Nashville, Tenn.

A member of the Intellectual Property Practice Group, Capria focuses his practice on acquiring IP, patent opinion practice and enforcing IP rights. He manages international trademark portfolios, each consisting of hundreds of trademarks worldwide. Capria advises clients in efficient and effective monitoring and enforcement of trademark rights, including navigating protection and strategies in popular online marketplaces. He helps clients with brand selection and clearance and assists clients in obtaining trademark registrations in the U.S. and abroad, and he has successfully represented clients in over a dozen Trademark Trial and Appeal Board proceedings.

Osborne is a member of the Banking and Financial Services Practice Group. He focuses his practice on commercial finance and intellectual property. In his commercial finance practice, he assists lenders and borrowers in a variety of commercial lending transactions, such as acquisition financings, asset-based loans, and real estate development and construction loans. He also counsels clients on trademark clearance, registration and enforcement in a variety of industries.

Washington, D.C.

Garber is a member of the Construction Practice Group. She focuses her practice on construction and government contracts, and she has significant experience in commercial litigation. Garber has represented and counseled contractors in cases involving federal and state Miller Act and complex payment disputes, and effected removal, settlement, and/or dismissal of various claims. She has also drafted construction contracts and subcontracts by tailoring standard documents to meet client needs, and counseled clients on complex government contract issues.

A member of the Litigation Practice Group, Nardone has extensive experience drafting pleadings, discovery, and motions in constitutional litigation involving the Second Amendment. He has co-authored merits briefs before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, as well as numerous amicus briefs before various federal courts of appeals. Nardone also has experience representing clients in insurance disputes.

Rose is a member of the Banking and Financial Services Practice Group. She represents clients who are members of the financial services industry on state and federal compliance matters involving residential and commercial mortgage lenders, brokers, servicers, consumer financial companies, money transmitters, and debt collectors. She assists clients in achieving licensing goals and maintaining licensing status on the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System.