ACC-Northeast and RFP Advisory Group will present a webinar designed to teach how to use a request for proposal (RFP) as a tool to better manage outside counsel.

Using the RFP process effectively can help a legal department pick the law firms that are the best fit for a company and its existing needs/budget, ACC says.

The event will be Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020, at 1 p.m. EST.

The webinar will cover how to use an RFP to:

* create a preferred provider panel

* identify the best firm for a specific matter or project

* convert your pricing structure from the billable hour to an alternative fee arrangement (AFA)

* incorporate the latest technology and innovations into your legal strategy

* increase the diversity of the lawyers working on your matters

* create a set of outside counsel guidelines for your law firms to abide by

Attendees will learn the latest trends in how RFPs are being used, and best practices in how to structure and execute a successful RFP, the sponsors said.

Register for the webinar.

Lance J. Phillips has joined Eversheds Sutherland’s M&A and Private Capital teams in its Chicago office.

In a release, the firm said Phillips is the second M&A partner, and fifth partner overall, to join Eversheds Sutherland in Chicago since the firm opened an office there in 2019.

Phillips joins from Skadden’s corporate group in Chicago.

The firm said he advises public and private clients on domestic and international merger and acquisition transactions, divestitures, controlling and noncontrolling equity transfers, corporate finance, SEC and other regulatory compliance matters, share¬holder activism and corporate governance.

Dykema announced that its executive board elected nine new members to the firm effective January 1, 2020. Dykema’s new partners, their resident office and practice descriptions are listed below.
Gerald L. Aben – Health Care; Ann Arbor
Aben’s practice focuses on representing health care clients, including health systems, long term care and assisted living facilities, ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), and mental health providers on a range of corporate and regulatory matters. In particular, Aben counsels such clients on compliance and reimbursement issues as well as health facility and physician practice acquisitions and other changes of ownership, including related licensure and Medicare/Medicaid certification matters. Immediately following law school, Aben received an appointment to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Presidential Management Fellow, where he primarily focused on budget and policy issues affecting that agency’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response.
He received a J.D., summa cum laude, from the Michigan State University College of Law and a B.M., with honors, from the University of Michigan.
Gregory K. Jones – Bankruptcy; Los Angeles
Jones concentrates his practice on bankruptcy cases and out-of-court restructurings. He represents lenders, creditors’ committees, debtors, assignees for the benefit of creditors, purchasers of assets in bankruptcy cases, lessors, and defendants in preference and fraudulent transfer lawsuits. Jones is involved in the Financial Lawyers Conference, is a member of the James T. King Bankruptcy American Inn of Court, and served as Director of La Cañada Flintridge Education Foundation.
He received both a J.D. and a B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Scott R. Kocienski – Taxation; Bloomfield Hills
Kocienski has experience in corporate, partnership and mergers and acquisitions tax matters, entity structuring, fund formation, tax credit planning, income tax planning, business succession and estate planning. He is also experienced advising clients on multistate tax planning, audits, dispute resolution, appeals, and litigation.
He earned a J.D., cum laude, from the Michigan State University College of Law, an LL.M. from Wayne State University Law School, and a B.S., cum laude, from Western Michigan University.
Virgil Ochoa – Corporate Finance; Dallas
Ochoa, who is a member of Dykema’s Dental Service Organizations (DSO) Industry Group, focuses his practice on mergers, acquisitions, and affiliations with DSOs, MSOs, the formation of corporate finance matters and international trade law. He regularly advises clients on a wide array of corporate matters, including assisting investors in buying, selling, or investing in DSOs, MSOs assisting dentists and other professionals in selling their practices, assisting DSOs in affiliating with dental practices, and creating regulatory corporate business models. Ochoa’s export control practice includes helping companies interpret the U.S. Export Administration Regulations, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the Federal Trade Regulations and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He also represents clients in import-related matters before U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorities.
He earned a J.D., with honors, from The University of Texas School of Law, an M.A. from Webster University, and a B.A. from The University of Texas at El Paso.
Travis E. Plummer – Commercial Litigation; Austin
In his practice, Plummer counsels clients on general commercial, construction, insurance, and healthcare litigation. With offices in both Austin and San Antonio, he counsels clients throughout central Texas and has recently advised on matters regarding commercial transactions, construction disputes, healthcare litigation, insurance defense, company structures, intellectual property, Deceptive Trade Practices Act claims, non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, and commercial leases. In construction matters, Plummer represents a variety of owners, contractors, and architects defending and prosecuting claims of construction defects, breaches of professional responsibility, and non-payment of contracts. Within the insurance industry, he represents insurers in first-party claims for property damage. Within the health care industry, Plummer represents providers and physicians in commercial disputes and administrative hearings. Plummer has represented numerous clients in securing favorable summary judgments and jury verdicts.
He earned a J.D., with honors, and a B.S. in Biology, with a minor in Medical Humanities, from Baylor University.
John F. Rhoades – Business Litigation; Detroit
Rhoades is a trial-experienced commercial litigation attorney licensed to practice in Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. He represents automakers, suppliers, multinational corporations, and small businesses in a variety of commercial matters involving breach of contract, fiduciary duty, fraudulent misrepresentation, negligence, tortious interference and unfair competition. He also regularly represents some of the nation’s largest financial institutions in matters regarding creditors’ rights, mortgage banking, consumer lending, loan enforcement, bankruptcy, fraudulent transfers, and post-judgment proceedings.
Rhoades earned a J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, and an A.B., with high distinction, from the University of Michigan.
Jon A. Seppelt – Intellectual Property; Minneapolis
Seppelt’s practice focuses on the preparation and prosecution of foreign and domestic patent applications, intellectual property due diligence, portfolio management, and client counseling. He also has experience in providing opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, noninfringement, invalidity, and enforceability. Seppelt has experience serving as an in-house seconded patent attorney for a Fortune 500 medical device company, completing a number of internal projects and assisting in day-to-day operations. He also has experience with technology fields, including chemical technologies, high temperature plasma processes, oil and gas processes and equipment, medical devices and imaging equipment, filtration systems, fuel cell systems, consumer electronic devices, and many more.
He earned a J.D. from the William Mitchell College of Law and a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, Institute of Technology.
John C. Sokatch – Commercial Litigation; Dallas
Sokatch’s practice focuses specifically on complex commercial litigation matters in state and federal court, appellate courts, and arbitration proceedings. He has served as first and second chair trying multiple cases to a verdict or arbitration award and provided oral argument and briefing to the Fifth Court of Appeals and Texas Supreme Court. Sokatch has experience handling a variety of matters, including limited liability company membership and partnership disputes; commercial real estate/landlord-tenant and development litigation; trade secret misappropriation; breach of contract, commercial sale of goods (UCC); breach of fiduciary duties (general partner, LLC manager, and financial planner disputes); Federal, state, and common-law trademark disputes; non-compete, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure agreements; and physician credentialing disputes.
He earned a J.D. from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and a B.A., cum laude, in Economics from the University of Oklahoma.
Boyd White III – Products, Class Actions, & Professional Liability; Detroit
White has first chair trial experience with major automotive industry clients and has tried multiple cases to verdict during the past three years. He has experience in all aspects of commercial litigation including discovery, trial pleadings, depositions, preparation of witnesses for trial and conducting trials. White’s civil trial experience is highlighted by his involvement in a week-long federal bench trial involving alleged banking losses suffered in a phishing scam, where he conducted direct examination of defense witnesses. Immediately prior to joining Dykema, he served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the Office of the Oakland County Prosecutor, where he tried multiple cases to verdict including both bench and jury trials.
White earned a J.D. from the University of Toledo College of Law and a B.T.A. from the University of Michigan.

Trial law firm Sommerman, McCaffity, Quesada & Geisler announced that Jody Rodenberg has earned a spot on the list of D Magazine’s Best Lawyers Under 40 for 2020, an annual recognition of the top young attorneys in North Texas.

Along with peer nominations, selection to D Magazine’s Best Lawyers Under 40 involves an extensive evaluation process including a blue-ribbon panel and final review by the magazine’s editorial team.

Rodenberg, who works in business litigation, also handles employment and ERISA lawsuits, personal injury, wrongful death and medical malpractice cases. Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers magazine has recognized her since 2017 as a Texas Rising Star for her business litigation expertise.

“Jody is a smart, talented attorney who strives for the best possible outcome for our clients,” said firm name partner Andrew Sommerman. “She earned this recognition, and we are very proud of her.”

Rodenberg is a member of the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association and the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, which honored her with a special recognition award in 2017. She obtained her law degree from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law, with honors, in 2011. She received her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University.

Hogan Lovells announced that 29 of its lawyers have been promoted to partner effective January 1 across a network of 45+ offices in 24+ countries, spanning Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.

Each of Hogan Lovells’ five practice groups is represented in the 2020 partner promotions:

• Eight in Corporate (including in Transactional, Real Estate, and Tax)
• Seven in Litigation, Arbitration and Employment (including in Litigation, Arbitration, Investigations, White Collar and Fraud, and Employment)
• Nine in Global Regulatory (including in Communications, Environment and Natural Resources, FDA/ Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology, Health, International Trade and Investment, Antitrust, Competition and Economic Regulation, and Regulated Payments Banking and Lending )
• Two in Finance (including in Business Restructuring and Insolvency, and Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects)
• Three in Intellectual Property, Media and Technology

The new partners include:

• 14 in the Americas, spread across our Baltimore, Denver, Mexico City, New York, Northern Virginia, and Washington, D.C. offices
• Eight in the UK and Africa, in our London office
• Six in Continental Europe, spread across our Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Munich, Madrid, and Rome offices
• One in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, in our Tokyo office.
• 13 women and 16 men.

In addition to the 29 new partners, 56 lawyers have been promoted to counsel.

New partners are:

• Andrea Atteritano, LAE (Litigation), Rome
• Fiona Bantock, Corporate (Tax), London
• James Black, Global Regulatory (Financial Services Regulatory), London
• Carrie A. DeLone, LAE (Litigation), Washington D.C.
• Jennifer Dickey, LAE (Litigation), London
• Ana Maria Gutiérrez, Global Regulatory (Environment and Natural Resources), Denver
• Margaux J. Hall, Global Regulatory (Health Care), Washington, D.C.
• Sabrina Handke, Corporate (Real Estate), Munich
• George W. Ingham, LAE (Employment), Northern Virginia
• Alexander Koch, Corporate (Transactional), Luxembourg
• Lina R. Kontos, Global Regulatory (Medical Devices and Technology), Washington, D.C.
• Tony Lin, Global Regulatory (Communications, Internet and Media), Washington, D.C.
• James Maltby, Finance (Business Restructuring and Insolvency), London
• Liam Naidoo, LAE (Investigations, White Collar and Fraud), London
• Aaron Oakley, Intellectual Property, Media, and Technology, Denver
• George O’Brien, Global Regulatory (Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology), Washington, D.C.
• Luis Ernesto Peón Barriga, LAE (International Arbitration), Mexico City
• Hannah Quarterman, Corporate (Real Estate – Planning), London
• Alexander Stefan Rieger, Finance (Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects), Frankfurt
• Christian Ritz, Global Regulatory (Antitrust, Competition and Economic Regulation), Munich
• Jonathan Russell, Corporate (Transactional), London
• Ignacio Sánchez, LAE (Investigations, White Collar and Fraud), Madrid
• Abigail C. Smith, Corporate (Transactional), Washington, D.C.
• Jane Summerfield, Global Regulatory (Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology), London
• Tomoe Takahashi, Intellectual Property, Media, and Technology, Tokyo
• Adriana V. Tibbitts, Corporate (Transactional), Baltimore
• Jared R. Wessel – Global Regulatory (International Trade and Investment), Washington D.C.
• Gabrielle (Gabi) M. Witt, Corporate (Transactional), Northern Virginia
• Ernest Yakob, Intellectual Property, Media, and Technology, New York

New counsel are:

• Ryan M. Adrian, Corporate (Transactional), Denver
• Christiane Alpers, Corporate (Commercial), Hamburg
• Oliver Bäcker, Intellectual Property, Media, and Technology, Dusseldorf
• Robert F. Baldwin III, Global Regulatory (Antitrust, Competition and Economic Regulation), Washington, D.C.
• John D. Beck, Finance (Business Restructuring and Insolvency), New York
• Alberto Bellan, Corporate (Commercial), Milan
• Maria Benbrahim, LAE (Employment), Amsterdam
• Nicole Böck, LAE (Litigation), Munich
• Christine Borries, Finance (Business Restructuring and Insolvency), Munich
• Dele F. Butler, Corporate (Transactional), Washington, D.C.
• Scott Campbell, Corporate (Real Estate), Denver
• Jordan P. Chase, Finance (Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects), Denver
• Shantay Cong, Finance (Banking), Shanghai
• Adam A. Cooke, LAE (Litigation), Washington, D.C.
• Anneka Dalton, Intellectual Property, Media, and Technology, London
• Charles Elliott, Global Regulatory (Financial Services Regulatory), London
• Sebastian Faust, Global Regulatory (Antitrust, Competition and Economic Regulation), Dusseldorf
• Marion Fischer, Intellectual Property, Media, and Technology, Munich
• Anne W. Fisher, Global Regulatory (International Trade and Investment), Washington, D.C.
• Derrik E. Forshee, Corporate (Transactional), Baltimore
• Patrick Fromlowitz, Intellectual Property, Media, and Technology, Hamburg
• Mauricio Fuchs Tarlovsky, Finance (Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects), Mexico City
• Sabrina Gäbeler, LAE (Employment), Frankfurt
• James Hewer, Finance (Business Restructuring and Insolvency), Perth
• Alex Hohl, LAE (Investigations, White Collar and Fraud), London
• Erin J. Howell, Corporate (Transactional), New York
• Scott Kaplan, Global Regulatory (Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology), Washington, D.C.
• Sarah-Lena Kreutzmann, Intellectual Property, Media, and Technology, Dusseldorf
• Lennart Lautenschlager, Finance (International Debt Capital Markets), Frankfurt
• Paul Leroy, Corporate (Transactional), Paris
• Joyce Leung, LAE (International Arbitration), Hong Kong
• Cristina Marin, Finance (Banking Transactional), Paris
• Virginia Martínez, LAE (Litigation), Madrid
• Soumitro Mukerji, Finance (Banking), Singapore
• Jean-Philippe Monmousseau, Corporate (Tax), Luxembourg
• Faraz Naqvi, Finance (Banking), London
• Michael Penners, LAE (Litigation), Hamburg
• Eduardo Pérez, Corporate (Transactional), Madrid
• Natalie Psaila, Corporate (Tax), London
• Aafke Pronk, Corporate (Transactional), Amsterdam
• Thomas P. Schmidt, LAE (Litigation), New York
• Tom Smith, LAE (International Arbitration), London
• Cecilia Stahlhut Espinosa, Global Regulatory (Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology), Mexico City
• Amelia Stawpert, Corporate (Transactional), London
• Martin Strauch, LAE (Litigation), Munich
• Tobias Strohmeier, Corporate (Real Estate), Dusseldorf
• Arpan A. Sura, Global Regulatory (Communications, Internet and Media), Washington, D.C.
• Matthew C. Sullivan, LAE (Investigations, White Collar and Fraud), New York
• David E. Thiess, Global Regulatory (Health Care), Washington, D.C.
• Gauthier Vannieuwenhuyse, LAE (International Arbitration), Paris
• Alice Wallace-Wright, Global Regulatory (Antitrust, Competition and Economic Regulation), London
• Danielle Wu, Corporate (Transactional), Singapore
• Phoebe Yan, LAE (Investigations, White Collar and Fraud), Shanghai (Hogan Lovells Fidelity)
• Andrew S. Zahn, Corporate (Transactional), Washington, D.C.
• Felipe Zilly, Intellectual Property, Media, and Technology, Dusseldorf
• Astrid Zourli, Finance (Business Restructuring and Insolvency), Paris

James M. Wicks of Farrell Fritz writes about a recent breach of contract case in which a court found that an unsigned termination agreement between a real estate broker an another party was enforceable even though it never was signed.

He explains that the court focused its analysis on two questions: Is there evidence supporting a finding of an intent to be bound?, and if so, is there evidence that the parties “positive[ly] agree[d] that it should not be binding until so reduced to writing and formally executed”?

The ruling is a reminder that written agreements without the “not bound until signed or executed” clause is risky business, Wicks writes.

Read the article.

D Magazine has named Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson attorney Taylor Mohr to its list of Best Lawyers Under 40 for 2020. It is the first selection for Mohr, who works in the firm’s Frisco office.

Honorees are chosen based on peer nominations and extensive reviews by a blue-ribbon panel of attorneys and D Magazine’s editorial team.

“We are proud to see Taylor honored among the top young lawyers in North Texas. She is an exceptional attorney who continues to exceed expectations for someone so young,” said firm partner Brad LaMorgese. “She’s not only a first-rate family lawyer, but also has expertise in estate planning, a real asset for our clients. She truly deserves this recognition.”

Board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, Mohr’s practice focuses on complex family law matters involving divorces, modifications, enforcements and child custody disputes. She also advises clients on estate planning and elder law.

Super Lawyers magazine has recognized her among its Texas Rising Stars since 2017. Mohr has also earned honors from the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys, making its Top 10 Under 40 Texas list, and the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, recognized among its Top 10 Best Female Attorneys.

Mohr is a graduate of Baylor Law School and earned her undergraduate degree in history from Baylor University.

Trial law firm Ward, Smith & Hill announced that intellectual property attorney and former U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles “Chad” Everingham IV is joining the firm as partner.

Everingham joins Ward, Smith & Hill from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, where he handled intellectual property cases and complex business disputes.

As magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Everingham conducted Markman proceedings and intellectual property trials involving medical devices, computer hardware and software, recreational equipment, advanced electronics, semiconductors, and automotive disputes. When Ward, Smith & Hill’s T. John Ward served as judge for the Eastern District, Everingham was his permanent law clerk.

The firm said in a release that, since rejoining private practice in 2011, Everingham has litigated a variety of intellectual property and other business matters for clients ranging from individuals to large corporations. He has defended clients against claims of patent infringement in the consumer electronics, telecommunications, energy, hospitality, and software industries. He has also prosecuted claims for trade secret misappropriation on behalf of a Texas neurosurgeon involving spinal implant technology.

Everingham has earned recognition as a leading practitioner in intellectual property law by Chambers USA, and he has been recognized for his IP and patent litigation work by The Best Lawyers in America since 2018.

Paul H. Tzur, former deputy chief of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, has joined Blank Rome LLP’s Chicago office as a partner in the White Collar Defense & Investigations group.

The firm said Tzur has more than four years of corporate litigation experience in the private sector and nearly nine years as a prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office—including more than two in the office’s Securities & Commodities Section—and will focus his practice on high-stakes white collar defense and complex commercial litigation matters.

During his tenure at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Tzur worked on cases such United States v. Gary Winemaster, Craig Davis and James Needham; United States v. Matthew Brunstrum; United States of America v. Chunlai Yang; and United States of America v. Carol Delgado and Brent Houck, among others.

Tzur earned his J.D., cum laude, from the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and his B.S. in Engineering, cum laude, from the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering. Following law school, Paul clerked for the Honorable Steven M. Colloton at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and then worked as a litigation attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C. announced that Bethany L. Barrese has been elevated to partner, effective Jan. 1, 2020.

The firm said in a release that Barrese’s practice focuses on complex policyholder coverage issues. She has experience with coverage disputes arising from construction projects and frequently negotiates construction defect and additional insured claims on behalf of owners, architects, construction managers and general contractors.

Neal Gerber Eisenberg has promoted Tanvi B. Patel, previously an associate of the firm’s Intellectual Property group, to partnership, effective Jan. 1, 2020.

A registered patent attorney, Patel has experience in intellectual property law, including patent and trademark litigation, patent prosecution, and client counseling in non-infringement and patent enforcement. As an associate at NGE, Patel served on several trial teams that successfully navigated patent disputes, including winning a jury finding of willful patent infringement in one case and defending against preliminary injunctions in another. Prior to practicing law, Patel worked in the Electric Power Generation group at Caterpillar, Inc.

Patel serves on the Ms. JD board of directors, an organization that supports women in the legal profession and contributes to an ongoing conversation about gender concerns in the field of law.

Patel received her law degree cum laude from DePaul University College of Law and her undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Perkins Coie announced that it has appointed four partners to manage its San Francisco, Palo Alto, San Diego and Portland offices.

The appointments were effective Jan. 1 and include:

In San Francisco, Laura Zagar becomes office managing partner, succeeding Barbara Schussman. Zagar joined Perkins Coie in 2014 as a partner in the Environment, Energy & Resources practice.

In Palo Alto, Daphne Higgs becomes office managing partner, succeeding Lowell Ness. Higgs, who joined the firm in 2008 as an associate and became a partner in 2014, is a member of the Technology Transactions & Privacy practice.

In San Diego, Mark Wicker becomes office managing partner, succeeding Matthew Bernstein. Wicker joined Perkins Coie in 2016 as a partner in the Technology Transactions & Privacy practice.

In Portland, Christopher Rich becomes office managing partner, succeeding Sarah Crooks. Rich, who joined the firm in 2006 as of counsel and became a partner in 2009, is a member of the Environment, Energy & Resources practice.

Craig R. Culbertson has joined Blank Rome LLP as a partner in the Corporate, M&A, and Securities group and as a member of both the Energy and Financial Services industry teams in the Chicago office.

In a release, the firm said Culbertson represents private and public companies, banks, funds, boards of directors, and special committees in a variety of corporate and finance transactional and other matters, including corporate governance, international projects, mergers and acquisitions, and complex commercial arrangements. His clients include Fortune 100 companies in a wide range of industries, including oil logistics and trading, aerospace, food and beverage, banking and finance, and steel manufacturing. He also represents domestic and international mid-stream oil and gas companies and funds, including oil refineries, terminals, pipelines, and gathering systems, among others. His practice in this area involves acquisitions, joint ventures, pre-export financings, minority investments, and complex commercial arrangements, the firm said.

Culbertson serves on numerous boards and advisory panels for legal associations, foundations, schools, and professional member clubs. He earned his J.D., summa cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago and his B.A., cum laude, from Davidson College.

Alan Kravitz and Dustin Smith have been promoted to the partnership of Hughes Hubbard & Reed effective Jan. 1 . The firm also elevated Amina Hassan and Tamara Kraljic to counsel.

Kravitz is a member of Hughes Hubbard’s Tax department, and Smith is a member the Corporate Reorganization and Bankruptcy group; both are based in New York.

Hassan is a litigator and a member of the Employment and Unfair Competition group, also in Hughes Hubbard’s New York office. Kraljic is a member of the Anti-Corruption and Internal Investigations group and resides in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.

New Partners

Kravitz focuses his practice on the tax aspects of domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and structured finance. He has deep experience in aviation finance and equipment finance transactions, and has provided tax advice to underwriters, issuers, lenders and other involved parties. He regularly assists companies and funds with tax matters relating to structuring and implementing the acquisition and disposition of subsidiaries and portfolio companies, both domestic and multinational, and bank financings, debt restructurings and capital markets offerings, with a particular focus on the media and technology, telecommunications and transport and logistics sectors.

He graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in physics, and received his J.D., also from Columbia, where he was a James Kent Scholar and Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.

Smith represents companies restructuring their financial affairs both in and out of court, as well as representing secured and general creditors in Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 bankruptcies, out-of-court workouts, and adversary and collateral proceedings. He has assisted with the recovery of customer and proprietary assets and resolved various disputes on behalf of the trustee in the Lehman Brothers Inc. and MF Global Inc. bankruptcies, including the investigation of the events leading to the failure of these entities, resolution of thousands of individual claims, litigation regarding various financial instruments and transactions, and the monetization and distribution of billions of assets.

He is a cum laude graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he became proficient in German and studied for a year in the Middle East, and a graduate of Cornell Law School, where he was a Managing Editor of the Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy. He is Secretary of the New York City Bar Association’s Bankruptcy and Corporate Reorganization Committee.

New Counsel

Hassan represents U.S. and foreign clients in a wide range of litigation matters. Her practice focuses on complex litigation and investigations, and on employment matters. She has successfully represented clients in, among others, employment litigation, securities litigation, auditor defense and bankruptcy and SIPA litigation. She has experience litigating class actions, handling cross-border matters and representing clients before regulatory and administrative agencies.

Born and raised in Lahore, Pakistan, Hassan attended Lahore University of Management Sciences on a merit scholarship, and graduated top of her class with a B.S. in Computer and Social Sciences. Hassan came to the U.S. to attend Columbia Law School, where she received her JD.

Kraljic advises clients on a range of anti-corruption and dispute resolution matters. Her practice focuses on managing global compliance risk assessments and internal investigations as well as advising on resolution efforts with enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the French Anti-Corruption Agency. Kraljic also counsels clients on designing compliance programs and conducting transactional compliance diligence. Kraljic has experience in international commercial and investment arbitration and has successfully represented clients before U.S. state courts and international institutions such as the World Bank Group.

Kraljic is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she completed her LL.M. Prior, Kraljic studied at Sciences Po Paris and graduated cum laude from the University of Paris II, Panthéon-Assas. She earned her B.A. in mathematics and philosophy from King’s College London, where she graduated summa cum laude.

The Supreme Court will hear a slate of highly charged disputes when the justices return to the bench in the new year and resume one of the most politically volatile terms in recent memory, reports The Hill.

The court already has heard high-profile fights over LGBT rights in the workplace, the scope of the Second Amendment and the deportation status of nearly 700,000 young undocumented immigrants. But the remaining cases on the court’s docket are no less explosive, write The Hill‘s John Kruzel and Harper Neidig.

The top seven cases to be heard this session involve a separation of powers fight over President Trump’s financial records, Louisiana’s abortion law, religious school scholarships, religious exemptions from discrimination suits, the future of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a fight over how copyright law treats software interfaces, and Bridgegate and public corruption.

Read the Hill article.

The former general counsel of Faraday & Future Inc. sued the company for $106 million Jan. 3, according to a Bloomberg Law article.

Hong Liu, a China expert, claimed in Manhattan federal court that the electric car startup lured him away from a Mayer Brown LLP partnership by fraudulently overstating its prospects.

He alleges top executives made false claims about a pending $2 billion investment to persuade him to abandon his lucrative practice and move his family from New York to California. The investment didn’t materialize, and Liu alleges he was fired after less than a year without receiving the compensation he’d been promised: $6 million in cash and 20 million shares—valued at $100 million—in Faraday affiliate Smart King Ltd.

Read the Bloomberg article.

Bloomberg Law reports that Apple Inc. general counsel Katherine Adams earned more than $25.2 million in total compensation during 2019, down slightly from a year earlier, according to a preliminary proxy statement filed Jan. 3.

Adams receives $1 million in annual cash compensation, with the balance coming in the form of restricted stock awards in the company.

“Adams replaced the retiring Bruce Sewell as the company’s general counsel, having previously spent 14 years in-house at Honeywell International Inc., the last eight of which she served as its in-house legal chief,” writes Bloomberg’s Brian Baxter. “Before that Adams spent a decade at Sidley Austin, where she was an associate and partner.”

Read the Bloomberg Law article.

Two Gray Reed lawyers give their take on a recent Texas appellate court’s ruling in Mesa v. Deep Energy, an opinion that will have profound impacts on mineral liens and contractual provisions purporting to waive mineral liens.

Writing on the firm’s website, Ethan Wood and Joe Virene describe the case in which Mesa sued Deep Operating for failing to pay fully for work Mesa performed on three wells. Deep Operating’s parent company claimed that Mesa contractually waived its right to assert liens against Deep Operating’s wells and waived its right to seek payment on the contract from any entity other than Deep Operating, which at that point was in bankruptcy.

“Relying on a 2012 case out of the Dallas Court of Appeals and a 2015 decision from the Texas Supreme Court, the Houston Court concluded that when a party to a contract agrees to seek payment or damages only from one source to the exclusion of all others, that party has effectively waived its rights to such payment or damages from other parties,” the authors write.

Read the article.

Faegre Baker Daniels is being sued for legal malpractice by a company that says the firm provided “erroneous” legal services relating to the launch and operation of a fund set up to acquire and manage crypto assets, according to a Bloomberg Law report.

Digital Capital Management’s complaint alleges that the law firm provided “inaccurate analysis and advice” to Digital Capital’s predecessor, Crypto Asset Management, LP, regarding how to register under the Investment Advisers Acts of 1940.

Crypto Asset Management alleges the firm advised the plaintiffs that “Crypto Assets are not securities” and to thus structure the fund’s business “accordingly.” The advice was “erroneous,” the complaint says, resulting in a censure and penalty from the SEC.

Read the Bloomberg Law article.

A financial tug-of-war is emerging over the $13.5 billion that the nation’s largest utility has agreed to pay to victims of recent California wildfires, as government agencies jockey for more than half the money to cover the costs of their response to the catastrophes, reports Insurance Journal.

Pacific Gas & Electric had acknowledged that  its power lines ignited some of the 2017-2018 fires that caused billions in damages. The company declared bankruptcy nearly a year ago as it faced about $36 billion in claims.

“Those claims were settled as part of the $13.5 billion deal that PG&E reached last month with lawyers representing uninsured and underinsured victims,” explains the Journal‘s Daisy Nguyen.

But the settlement leaves open just how much would be used to compensate victims, their lawyers and federal and state agencies for the money they spent on rescue and recovery operations.

Read the Insurance Journal report.