Chamberlain Hrdlicka welcomes Senior Associate John Nail and Associate Reed Turry to the firm’s Atlanta office. Nail joins the nationally recognized Tax Controversy & Litigation practice, comprised of attorneys experienced in advising and representing taxpayers before federal, state and local taxing authorities and in all federal and state courts where tax disputes are litigated. Turry joins the Corporate, Securities, & Finance group, a team of seasoned attorneys who serve as general or special legal advisors to many public and privately-held companies, as well as partnerships, strategic alliances and joint ventures. These attorneys are the latest additions to Chamberlain’s rapidly growing Atlanta office.

John Nail
Nail’s practice focuses on representing clients in all aspects of matters involving the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), from examination and appeals to litigation in the U.S. Tax Court and Federal District Court. His considerable experience allows him to effectively counsel clients in tax matters, including disallowed deductions for charitable contributions, executive compensation and bad business debts; employment tax compliance; state sales and use tax audits; and collection activities. Nail also has experience counseling high net worth individuals and corporate clients on issues related to tax, estate and business planning. He handled disputes with the IRS and state taxing authorities related to deficiency proceedings, refund claims and collection activities while working at a firm in North Carolina. Super Lawyers listed Nail among North Carolina’s Rising Stars in 2019 and 2020, and Business North Carolina named him to the North Carolina Legal Elite in the areas of Tax and Estate Planning (2016) and Young Guns (2018 and 2019). Nail earned his undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston and his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.

Reed H. Turry
Turry represents companies in a variety of transactional and corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, corporate finance, entity selection and corporate governance. He additionally serves as outside general counsel, advising clients on a broad range of corporate legal issues. While in law school, Turry gained experience working in both governmental entities and Fortune 500 companies, interning at SunTrust, The Home Depot, The Coca-Cola Company, the Federal Trade Commission, and the State of Georgia Attorney General Office’s Consumer Protection Division. This experience helps him understand his clients’ internal corporate and external regulatory environments, providing them with straightforward and insightful answers to a wide variety of legal questions. Turry is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US), representing specialized knowledge of the privacy and cybersecurity legal landscape. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law.

About Chamberlain Hrdlicka
Chamberlain Hrdlicka is a diversified business firm with offices in Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia and San Antonio. The firm represents both public and private companies, as well as individuals and family-owned businesses across the nation. The firm offers counsel in appellate law, bankruptcy, commercial and probate litigation, construction law, corporate, employee benefits, energy and maritime law, ERISA, estate planning and administration, intellectual property, international and immigration law, labor and employment, privacy and data security, real estate, securities and finance, tax controversy and tax planning.

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Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Tripp Haston, a partner in the firm’s Birmingham office, has been named a 2022 Global Elite Thought Leader in the area of product liability defense by Who’s Who Legal (WWL).

The sixth edition of the WWL Thought Leaders: Global Elite includes a total of 27 attorneys recognized in product liability defense, with only 10 of those attorneys located in the United States. The guide focuses on individuals who obtained the highest number of nominations from peers, corporate counsel and other market sources during the research cycle. Honorees have demonstrated a high level of work, as well as an ability to innovate, inspire and go above and beyond to deliver for their clients.

“We congratulate Tripp on his continued recognition by Who’s Who Legal for his product liability defense work,” said Bradley Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner Jonathan M. Skeeters. “It is a tremendous accomplishment to be considered among the top in your field, and Tripp’s inclusion in this prestigious list is a testament to his legal skill and to his commitment to providing exceptional client service.”

Mr. Haston is chair of the firm’s Life Sciences Litigation team and a member of the Product Liability team where he represents a broad spectrum of clients on regional, national and international engagements. He has served as national trial and coordinating counsel and as a national team member in individual actions, as well as in mass tort and multidistrict litigation. Mr. Haston has handled matters throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and South America.

Bradley’s acclaimed Product Liability team represents clients in a variety of industries and jurisdictions throughout the state and federal court systems. Their representations involve litigation over a diverse range of consumer products, including tires, construction equipment, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, vehicles (both on- and off-road), component parts, industrial equipment, power tools and building products. These attorneys frequently serve in leadership roles on the legal defense teams for clients navigating litigation and mass claim matters.

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

SEATTLE (MAY 9, 2022)—Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that David Lawson has joined the firm’s Trust & Estate Planning practice as a partner in the Seattle office.

David focuses his practice on advising tax-exempt organizations, philanthropists, and companies engaged in philanthropy and social-impact efforts. He provides tax advice to tax-exempt organizations, and counsels clients on matters related to nonprofit governance, philanthropic structuring, and charitable trust and solicitation compliance. His clients include foundations, nonprofit healthcare organizations, trade associations, universities, social service providers, and socially minded businesses.

“David has a highly successful track record and over a decade of experience assisting clients with complex transactions and tax planning matters,” said Scott Wallace, chair of Perkins Coie’s Trust & Estate Planning practice. “Attorneys with David’s level of experience in the exempt organization space are scarce, and his practice and deep knowledge in this area will support the group not only in Seattle and Bellevue, but across the entire firm.”

David also has experience handling investigations and examinations by the IRS and state attorneys general, and he frequently works closely with federal and state agencies that oversee tax-exempt organizations and nonprofits. He also assists clients in navigating transactions such as spinoffs and joint ventures, and in resolving complex, high-stakes corporate governance and management issues.

“David has an exemplary reputation throughout the Pacific Northwest as a high-caliber tax-exempt organizations attorney who helps his clients succeed,” said Perkins Coie’s Seattle office managing partner James Williams. “The charitable space is a growing and evolving industry for personal planning and David is well qualified to counsel our many charitable clients in the region and beyond.”

David received his J.D. from Harvard University and his M.Mus. and B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Washington. He serves as the chair of the Washington State Bar Association Nonprofit Corporations Committee. David joins Perkins Coie from Davis Wright Tremaine LLP.

Perkins Coie’s Trust & Estate Planning team works with families and high-net-worth individuals, helping them define and meet their estate planning needs. Members of the Trust & Estate Planning practice provide tailored planning for owners of closely held businesses, senior officers of public companies, and entrepreneurs. The planning may involve managing financial resources through the strategic use of trusts, gifts, sales, and other income- and wealth-transfer devices. The team implements family and philanthropic goals while minimizing income, gift, and estate taxes.

Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,200 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.

Neal Gerber Eisenberg (NGE) is pleased to announce the addition of Spring Health, a new mental wellness benefit for attorneys and staff. The personalized mental health care platform deepens NGE’s commitment to the whole well-being of its employees.

“The pandemic clearly emphasized the need for the legal community to prioritize mental health and wellness, topics that were stigmatized for too long in our industry,” said Bobby Gerber, NGE’s Managing Partner. “At NGE, we put our people first. We are excited to provide this new offering and hope that it becomes a valuable resource for everyone at the firm.”

Spring Health provides personalized, private, and confidential mental health care. NGE staff, attorneys, and their dependents will have access to an array of tools to support their mental health, no matter how small, including six therapy sessions each calendar year through a diverse network of providers, a dedicated care navigation team, a digital library of self-guided wellness exercises, and professional coaching.

“Mental health is more important than it’s ever been. While we at NGE have long focused on the well-being of our employees as a vital part of our culture, we believe that by offering Spring Health’s services to every member of our firm, we are re-affirming our commitment to serve the whole person, across every aspect of their life,” said Sonia Menon, NGE Chief Operating Officer.

Spring Health bolsters the firm’s health and well-being offerings available to all attorneys and staff, which includes Homethrive, announced in early 2020, and subsequent additions of LifeLock and Headspace. You can learn more about the firm’s Being Well initiatives here.

Yvette Ostolaza Begins Tenure as Sidley’s Management Committee Chair

May 2022 – Sidley is pleased to announce that Yvette Ostolaza has begun her tenure as the firm’s Management Committee Chair, and that she will continue serving on Sidley’s Executive Committee. Ms. Ostolaza succeeds Larry Barden, who had served as Chair of the committee since April 2014. The Management Committee, comprised of eight partners lead the day to day operations of the Firm and coordinates with the 41-partner Executive Committee chaired by Michael Schmidtberger, who is also a member of the Management Committee.

As Management Committee Chair, Ms. Ostolaza is the first woman and first Hispanic person to lead a top 7 AmLaw firm. She is a Band 1 Chambers-ranked litigator who advises boards and companies on a variety of matters, including investigations, crises, and multi-state litigation.

“I’m thrilled to be taking over as Sidley’s Management Committee Chair. I recognize the great opportunity I have to continue to strengthen the Sidley team of top talent that serves some of the world’s most complex businesses, and to continue the growth of this 156 year old global firm,” Ms. Ostolaza said. “I look forward to building on the success of my predecessor, Larry Barden. I thank him for his leadership, mentorship and guidance, and dedication to the firm over the course of his 41 years at Sidley. I look forward to having him continue to be my partner.”

As Chair-Elect, Ms. Ostolaza conducted a listening tour, visiting many of Sidley’s offices to hear from colleagues and determine her vision for the firm in the coming years. She helped develop Sidley’s “Built to Lead” associate development program, which was launched in 2021, with a focus on developing talent to drive superior client service. “Sidley lawyers – regardless of experience level – must be business-minded problem solvers for the firm to remain one of the most sophisticated destinations for talent and clients,” Ostolaza said.

“Yvette’s personal and professional experiences make her an ideal fit for this position,” said Mr. Schmidtberger. “She’s an authentic leader and a fierce advocate for her clients, traits which I know will serve her well as Management Committee Chair. Last year was a banner year for the firm, and I’m optimistic about the next several years of our leadership and collaboration.”

“It’s been an honor to lead the firm for the past seven years,” Mr. Barden said. “I know that in Yvette and Mike’s capable hands our clients and talent alike will benefit and thrive.”

With more than 2,000 lawyers in 20 offices around the globe, Sidley is a premier legal adviser for clients across the spectrum of industries. Follow Sidley on Twitter @SidleyLaw.

Attorney Advertising – Sidley Austin LLP, One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, +1 312 853 7000. Sidley and Sidley Austin refer to Sidley Austin LLP and affiliated partnerships as explained at www.sidley.com/disclaimer.

Venable filed an amicus brief on behalf of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) in support of petitioners in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, a pending case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case concerns whether the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit set forth the proper test for determining whether wetlands are “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act.

One of 28 entities that filed an amicus brief in support of the petitioners, AAR focuses its brief on the ongoing difficulties that the industry has faced with inconsistent interpretations of WOTUS regarding manmade railroad ditches. The brief urges the Court to clarify the scope of WOTUS, given the confusion resulting from the “significant nexus” test established by Rapanos v. United States. At a minimum, the brief points out that these manmade safety features, essential to the operation of our nation’s rail system, do not qualify as jurisdictional water features.

“Though railroad ditches are vital to rail operations, agency interpretations of the Clean Water Act have left them in a constant state of regulatory flux,” the brief states. “As the relevant rules—and the people interpreting them—have changed, the number of railroad ditches that qualify as ‘waters of the United States’ has changed too. But the text of the Clean Water Act has not changed. It says that ditches are point sources and that point sources are not navigable waters. As the Court considers the proper test for identifying waters of the United States, that distinction should anchor its interpretation.”

The AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research, and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers. AAR members include the major freight railroads of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as Amtrak.

The Venable team included Fred Wagner and Jay Johnson.

NEW YORK, May 4, 2022 – Brown Rudnick announced today that Aaron Lang has joined its New York office as a partner in the Litigation & Arbitration practice and as a member of the Crisis Management Litigation & Government Response team.

Lang’s practice focuses on high-stakes litigation and investigations for banks, investment firms, and corporate clients. He has handled multibillion-dollar and high-profile securities, M&A, and corporate governance litigation, as well as a variety of other complex commercial cases. Lang also has extensive experience conducting regulatory and internal investigations, including anti-money laundering, tax, benchmark-setting, and compliance investigations.

“We are very excited to integrate Aaron into the elite crisis management litigation team,” said Stephen Best, chair of the White Collar Defense, Investigations & Compliance practice. “Aaron’s talent and experience will make him a key player.”

Lang previously served as a special counsel at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft Lang, where he practiced with Mark Grider, a former White House senior adviser and deputy assistant attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice. Grider recently joined Brown Rudnick’s Washington, D.C., office as a partner in the White Collar Defense practice and as head of the Crisis Management Litigation & Government Response team.

“This is a time of growth and opportunity for our Firm and practice groups,” said Sunni Beville, managing director of Brown Rudnick’s Dispute Resolution & Restructuring Department. “Aaron exemplifies the type of lawyer we are seeking as we strengthen and diversify our practice offerings.”

As a member of the Crisis Management Litigation & Government Response team, Lang will partner with Grider to navigate clients through bet-the-company litigation and regulatory crises. “I am delighted that Aaron will be joining the team,” Grider said. “We had a strong working relationship at our prior firm, and I believe our collaboration at Brown Rudnick will be very beneficial to our clients. Aaron is a true strategist and a skilled advocate; he is an important addition to the Crisis Management Litigation team.”

Lang received his B.A., cum laude, from Harvard University and his law degree from Duke University.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to join the top talent at Brown Rudnick and reunite with Mark,” Lang said. “I look forward to contributing to the Firm’s outstanding reputation for litigation and investigations.”

About Brown Rudnick LLP

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

NEW YORK, May 4, 2022 – Brown Rudnick announced today that Aaron Lang has joined its New York office as a partner in the Litigation & Arbitration practice and as a member of the Crisis Management Litigation & Government Response team.

Lang’s practice focuses on high-stakes litigation and investigations for banks, investment firms, and corporate clients. He has handled multibillion-dollar and high-profile securities, M&A, and corporate governance litigation, as well as a variety of other complex commercial cases. Lang also has extensive experience conducting regulatory and internal investigations, including anti-money laundering, tax, benchmark-setting, and compliance investigations.

“We are very excited to integrate Aaron into the elite crisis management litigation team,” said Stephen Best, chair of the White Collar Defense, Investigations & Compliance practice. “Aaron’s talent and experience will make him a key player.”

Lang previously served as a special counsel at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft Lang, where he practiced with Mark Grider, a former White House senior adviser and deputy assistant attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice. Grider recently joined Brown Rudnick’s Washington, D.C., office as a partner in the White Collar Defense practice and as head of the Crisis Management Litigation & Government Response team.

“This is a time of growth and opportunity for our Firm and practice groups,” said Sunni Beville, managing director of Brown Rudnick’s Dispute Resolution & Restructuring Department. “Aaron exemplifies the type of lawyer we are seeking as we strengthen and diversify our practice offerings.”

As a member of the Crisis Management Litigation & Government Response team, Lang will partner with Grider to navigate clients through bet-the-company litigation and regulatory crises. “I am delighted that Aaron will be joining the team,” Grider said. “We had a strong working relationship at our prior firm, and I believe our collaboration at Brown Rudnick will be very beneficial to our clients. Aaron is a true strategist and a skilled advocate; he is an important addition to the Crisis Management Litigation team.”

Lang received his B.A., cum laude, from Harvard University and his law degree from Duke University.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to join the top talent at Brown Rudnick and reunite with Mark,” Lang said. “I look forward to contributing to the Firm’s outstanding reputation for litigation and investigations.”

About Brown Rudnick LLP

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

Washington, D.C. – Sidley Austin LLP announced today that David Lashway and John Woods have joined as partners in the firm’s cybersecurity and privacy practice in Washington, D.C. Mr. Lashway and Mr. Woods join Sidley from Baker McKenzie where they started and led the global cybersecurity practice group for over 10 years.
“David and John’s industry leading knowledge and global experience provide a rare viewpoint of the current geopolitical risks in the world today and will have an immediate and positive impact on our broad range of client representations,” said Stephen Cohen, global practice leader of the Regulatory and Enforcement group and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. “By adding these two global market leaders, we are expanding our expertise to better support our clients with the ever growing risks associated with national security and cybersecurity matters across our multi-disciplinary practices.”
“Adding significant bench strength to our Chambers-ranked privacy and cybersecurity practice is a win for Sidley and our clients,” said Yvette Ostolaza, Sidley’s Management Committee Chair. “David and John have successfully led a global cybersecurity practice for over a decade and handled a wide range of issues that companies and public sector institutions face, including national security, geopolitical, criminal, and white-collar matters.”
David Lashway is globally acknowledged as one of the leading lawyers for crisis management, national security, cybersecurity, misinformation, trade secret theft, and related investigation and disputes matters. He has advised private and public organizations on significant and material cybersecurity incidents across almost every critical infrastructure sector. He has significant experience in addressing election security and misinformation related issues, and was deeply involved in the investigations into the 2016 and 2020 elections targeting various U.S. political parties. He has served as the lead lawyer advising on the legal response on operationally impactful malware for a number of Fortune 500 entities, and led the incident response, associated investigations and litigations for several companies impacted by the Notpetya malware incident and recent large-scale ransomware incidents.
“Governments, boards, and C-suites around the world have prioritized cybersecurity as the number one risk issue they are facing today,” said Mr. Lashway, speaking on behalf of himself and Mr. Woods. “We are honored to bring our combined decades of global experience to a firm that has the quality and depth across a wide range of complex practice areas that will allow us to offer clients the A-list capabilities and representation they need.”
Mr. Lashway has led due diligence on some of the largest recent corporate transactions, and regularly advises companies through complex CFIUS issues. He has also served as lead counsel on matters for organizations facing difficult regulatory, congressional, and public policy, national security, and cybersecurity issues across a range of industry sectors and subjects.
John Woods is a globally acknowledged leader in handling cybersecurity matters, data governance, trade secret theft, and related investigation and disputes matters. He is one of the few lawyers who has led multiple global responses to data integrity attacks involving the financial services industry. He also served as the lead lawyer advising a Fortune 500 entity on the legal response on the Notpetya malware incident in 2017, and advised a number of other organizations on the response to ransomware and data extortion claims. As a counselor, based on his experience in handling data integrity and operationally impactful malware incidents, he is sought out for his advice in the areas of cyber resilience and data governance.
Mr. Woods has been recognized in a number of surveys of the best attorneys for cybersecurity globally, and in particular acknowledged for his ability to translate complex technical issues into a legal framework.
With more than 2,000 lawyers in 20 offices around the globe, Sidley is a premier legal adviser for clients across the spectrum of industries. Follow Sidley on Twitter @SidleyLaw.

Buchalter is pleased to welcome new Shareholder Leah Lively in the Firm’s Portland office as a member of the Labor & Employment Practice Group. Lively joins from Davis Wright Tremaine.

“Leah is an exceptional addition to the Firm,” said Adam Bass, President and Chief Executive Officer of Buchalter. “She comes to us as a highly recognized and respected attorney in the Labor and Employment space. She will make significant contributions to our practice group, and to the Firm as a whole.”

Lively is an experienced litigator and counselor who has tried more than 40 jury trials in multiple states and jurisdictions during her career. Her practice centers on defending employers against claims of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge, and wage and hour violations. When employers need to get ahead of potential disputes, Lively conducts workplace investigations and counsels businesses on employment law compliance, risk, and best practices. Licensed to practice in Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, Chambers USA has named Lively as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” in Labor & Employment (Oregon) every year consecutively since 2008.

In addition to her experience defending wage and hour claims, including class actions, Lively served as lead defense counsel in a putative wage/hour misclassification class action in Oregon and co-managed the defense of a 40,000 putative class-member case for a national restaurant chain in California. Further, Lively also advises and represents businesses in non-compete and employment-related trade secrets disputes.

“The exceptional legal services that Buchalter provides to its clients, and the breadth and depth of its lawyers, offers a unique opportunity to further develop my practice and serve our clients,” said Lively. “I am delighted to join the Firm.”

“I am so pleased to welcome Leah,” added Portland’s Office Managing Shareholder, Todd Mitchell. “She adds a wealth of knowledge and expertise in Portland and the Firm as we continue to grow our full service platform in Portland and across the Pacific Northwest.”

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is pleased to announce the promotion of Michelle S. Lewis to counsel. The firm proudly recognizes Lewis for her accomplishments and outstanding client service.

Michelle Lewis (Tax, Washington) concentrates her practice in the areas of health and welfare, qualified retirement and executive deferred compensation plans. She advises clients on a broad spectrum of employee benefit issues, including plan document and amendment drafting, plan administrative and fiduciary issues, ERISA and Internal Revenue Code compliance issues, benefit claims and appeals, employee benefit vendor contracts and HIPAA business associate agreements negotiations, and the employee benefit aspects of corporate transactions and financings. Lewis received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado, magna cum laude, and her law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Milwaukee – May 2, 2022 – Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Hallie Heath to its Corporate Finance Practice Group in the firm’s recently opened Milwaukee office.

Heath has experience handling matters in the areas of wealth planning, real estate, and general business matters. She earned a J.D., cum laude, a B.A. in Psychology, with distinction, and certificates in Business and Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

While attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Heath received several academic honors and awards, including earning the Dean’s Academic Achievement Award. She was selected to be a member of the Wisconsin Law Review, including a stint serving as one of its managing editors.

“We are excited to further expand our service in Milwaukee with Hallie’s wealth planning and real estate experience,” said Kate Bechen, Managing Member of Dykema’s Milwaukee Office. “Hallie is well-positioned to immediately integrate with our clients. She is an asset to our growing team.”

Heath is also a member of the Association for Women Lawyers.

About Dykema
Dykema serves business entities worldwide on a wide range of complex legal issues. Dykema lawyers and other professionals in 14 U.S. offices work in close partnership with clients – from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies – to deliver outstanding results, unparalleled service, and exceptional value in every engagement.

Steptoe & Johnson LLP is pleased to announce that it has deepened the capabilities of its highly regarded Government Contracts practice with the addition of Amba Datta as a partner in the Washington, DC office, where she will focus on government contracts, internal investigations, and compliance.

Datta represents government contractors across various industries in bid protests before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Government Accountability Office. In addition, she counsels clients on compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation and other federal agency acquisition supplements and drafts and negotiates teaming agreements, contracts, and subcontracts. She also conducts internal investigations and assists contractors in responding to government criminal, civil, and administrative actions, including allegations under the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Act.

“Amba’s proven advocacy skills and experience advising on high-stakes bid protests will add significant depth to our leading Government Contracts practice, particularly related to ever-growing novel issues such as compliance with cybersecurity and supply chain regulatory requirements,” said Steptoe chair Gwen Renigar. “She will be an invaluable addition to the firm as we continue to develop the next generation of leaders to serve our clients’ needs and respond to steadily increasing demand.”

Datta added: “I am very excited to be joining the Government Contracts team at Steptoe, a firm renowned for its depth of knowledge at the intersection of government regulation, litigation, and investigations. I look forward to contributing my own expertise in a wide range of government contracts matters and collaborating with this group of talented professionals to help our clients achieve their business goals.”

Highly ranked by Chambers and Legal 500, the top legal directories, Steptoe’s Government Contracts Group combines Steptoe’s litigation prowess with an extraordinary breadth of experience in government contracting issues. The group is built around a team of highly experienced lawyers who are familiar with all aspects of the government procurement process and who function in a collegial and highly cooperative manner. This enables us to respond quickly and seamlessly to meet the needs of our clients, both large and small, and to provide them with innovative solutions to complex government contracting issues.

Amba Datta earned her J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota in 2009, where she served on the Minnesota Law Review. She earned her B.A. from Columbia University in 2003.

About Steptoe

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

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

Katten announced today that Christopher Isaacs has joined the firm’s distinguished Mergers and Acquisitions/Private Equity practice as a partner in New York, further expanding the office there and adding to the bench of experienced attorneys who handle corporate transactions and strategic investments.

“Chris is a highly skilled attorney with sophisticated transactional experience, particularly in the financial services industry,” said Kimberly T. Smith, global chair of Katten’s Corporate department where the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions/Private Equity practice is based. “He complements our talented dealmaking team focused on delivering industry-leading advice to help our clients achieve their investment objectives.”

Isaacs focuses his practice on asset and equity transactions on both the buy and sell sides, as well as joint ventures, various types of reorganizations and other matters relating to general corporate and securities law. He has represented private equity funds and their portfolio companies, asset managers, banks, financial technology firms and real estate investment firms in connection with a range of corporate matters, including acquisitions and minority equity investments.

He has a strong history of pro bono service, working with nonprofit organizations, including the New England Innocence Project and the California Innocence Project, to help exonerate the wrongfully convicted.

Prior to joining Katten, Isaacs was an attorney at Goodwin Procter and an Assistant General Counsel in the Corporate and Investment Bank of JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Isaacs is the latest partner to join Katten’s Mergers and Acquisitions/Private Equity practice, which added nearly two dozen attorneys over the past year, strengthening the group and broadening the dynamic capabilities offered to firm clients. The practice, experiencing extremely high demand, is known for being at the forefront of market dynamics and providing clients with competitive market intelligence to close strategic transactions.

Katten is a full-service law firm with approximately 700 attorneys in locations across the United States and in London and Shanghai. Clients seeking sophisticated, high-value legal services turn to Katten for counsel locally, nationally and internationally. The firm’s core areas of practice include corporate, financial markets and funds, insolvency and restructuring, intellectual property, litigation, real estate, structured finance and securitization, transactional tax planning, private credit and private wealth. Katten represents public and private companies in numerous industries, as well as a number of government and nonprofit organizations and individuals. For more information, visit katten.com.

“The EU plans a massive increase in solar and wind power, and a short-term boost for coal, to end its reliance on Russian oil and gas as fast as possible. In a plan outlined on Wednesday, the European Commission said the EU needed to find an extra €210bn (£178bn) over the next five years to pay,” reports Jennifer Rankin in The Guardian.

“Senior officials conceded that in the short term, the race to get off Russian gas would mean burning more coal and energy. The plan, drawn up in response to the Kremlin-ordered invasion of Ukraine and subsequent soul-searching about Europe’s dependence on Russian gas, proposes upgrades to the EU green deal, the bloc’s flagship.”

Read the article.

“The Desert Sands Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously to renew its contract through the 2024-2025 school year with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for two deputies to patrol and provide services at the following campuses in La Quinta: La Quinta High,” reports Jonathan Horwitz in Desert Sun.

“The district and the City of La Quinta will each pay for 50 of the cost of the two deputies an estimated amount of $578,500 charged to each agency over the three-year contract. The contract with the sheriff’s department and the memorandum of understanding with the City of La Quinta were approved by the Board on the consent calendar.”

Read the article.

“From a league standpoint, we want teams to honor contracts, we want players to honor contracts,” he said. “There’s no doubt we’ll sit down and talk about it.  I know we can do better. I know the players want to do better because it’s not an individual sport. So if a player is pushing to move out of a city, it,” reports Timothy Rapp in Bleacher Report.

“While the NBA has seen more and more star players exercise their influence and leverage to force trades in the modern NBA, Brooklyn Nets guard/forward Ben Simmons arguably took it to a new level this past season. Simmons, in his sixth season and in the second of a five-year, $177.2 million contract, requested a trade from the Philadelphia.”

Read the article.

“For the first time, soccer players representing the United States men’s and women’s national teams will receive the same pay and prize money, including at World Cups, under landmark agreements with the U.S. Soccer Federation that will end years of litigation and bitter public disputes over what,” reports Andrew Das in The New York Times.

“The revised pay structures are part of collective bargaining agreements with each team announced Wednesday, three months after a group of top women’s team players settled a gender discrimination lawsuit against U.S. Soccer and six months before the men’s team is scheduled to take the field at the World Cup in Qatar.”

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“Miami is Big Law’s latest go-to destination as the city looks to reshape itself and firms follow clients making their way south. Kirkland & Ellis, the world’s largest law firm, and Winston & Strawn on Thursday announced the opening of new respective offices in Miami. They are the latest in a wave of,” reports Meghan Tribe in Bloomberg Law.

“Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan opened its Miami location in May 2021, hiring Mayor Francis Suarez in a counsel position. King & Spalding launched its office in January and Sidley Austin has recently hired several partners in the city, though the firm hasn’t officially opened an office yet. This is unprecedented to have this amount.”

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“REI Co-op has hired Minnie Alexander as vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, effective May 31. Alexander is joining REI from The Walt Disney Company, where she has been assistant general counsel. Her previous work includes being in-house counsel at Campbell Soup,” reports Ben Maiden in Corporate Secretary.

“An attorney with law firm Dorsey & Whitney. She succeeds Wilma Wallace, who was promoted to senior vice president, chief diversity & social impact officer and chief legal officer in the fall of 2021. Alexander’s role will entail leading and helping to implement the specialty outdoor retailer’s strategies by integrating legal considerations.”

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