“When you’re looking to seal a big deal, two units can be better than one. A combined condominium in Brooklyn Heights was the borough’s most expensive listing to go into contract last week, according to Compass’ weekly report. The units at One Brooklyn Bridge Park, which span a total 3,310 square,” reports Cordilia James in The Real Deal.

“It had a last asking price of $5.35 million, or $1,616 per square foot. The condo has four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms and 35 windows that overlook the harbor, Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline. Up next was a four-story townhouse at 562 Second Street in Park Slope. The 4,440-square-foot home was last asking $4.3 million.”

Read the article.

“In the last year or so, people have been doing just that more or less. According to the U.S. Labor Department, a staggering 4.4 million quit their jobs in September. And Harvard Business Review reports that employees between the ages of 30 and 45 saw the largest jump in resignation rates, with,” reports Vivia Chen in Bloomberg Law.

“If there’s a segment of the workforce that should be ripe for The Great Resignation, it should be the lawyering class, particularly those in the associate ranks Millennials and Gen Zers who’ve been working like dogs during the pandemic. Stressed and anguished, they’re also famous for being outspoken about tellinng their bosses exactly.”

Read the article.

“Madison Square Garden Entertainment, the operator of its namesake sporting and live events arena in New York, has hired veteran in-house legal executive Jamal Haughton as executive vice president and general counsel, succeeding Scott Packman who held the role for just over a,” reports Madeline Anderson in The Global Legal Post.

“In his new role, Haughton will serve as head of the media giant’s legal department and oversee corporate, commercial, transactional, litigation and regulatory legal functions effective 6 December. Reporting directly to Jim Dolan, executive chairman andCEO of MSG Entertainment, Haughton will also manage the company’s.”

Read the article.

“With the NFL facing a major lawsuit in St. Louis and things starting to heat up from a legal perspective, it appears that Rams owner Stan Kroenke recently tried to put an end to the four-year lawsuit by offering a huge sum of money to settle the case. According Front Office Sports, Kroenke made an offer of,” reports John Breech in CBS Sports.

“The plaintiffs decided to turn the offer down, which now sets the stage for the case to go to court with the trial expected to begin on Jan. 10. The lawsuit, which was originally filed back in April 2017, lists all 32 NFL teams and their owners as defendants. However, Kroenke has become the face of the lawsuit for the NFL because the only.”

Read the article.

“Apple has agreed to pay out $30 million to settle a lawsuit from employees who say they were forced to face security bag checks off the clock. This comes after over 8 years of back and forth in the case, which was first filed by employees against Apple in 2013. Apple discontinued the controversial bag,” reports Chance Miller in 9 to 5 Mac.

“This has been a long-running case for Apple. Apple retail workers filed the class-action suit against Apple in 2013, saying that they were required to submit to search before leaving for the day, including searches of their bags, purses, backpacks, brief cases, and personal Apple devices. In the lawsuit, employees said they would sometimes.”

Read the article.

Littler Survey: Most European Employers Reopening Offices, But Disconnect Emerges with Employees on Hybrid Work Models

Fourth annual survey of more than 530 executives reveals the myriad forces transforming the European workplace and the future of work

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labour law practice representing management, has released its fourth annual European Employer Survey Report, completed by more than 530 human resources executives, in-house attorneys and business leaders based mainly across Western and Southern Europe. The survey data provides insight into the myriad forces transforming the European workplace and how employers are approaching return-to-office plans, new work models and other emergent workforce issues amid the continued uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Return-to-Office Plans Largely on Course

Even following the COVID-19 outbreaks caused by the delta variant, 52 percent of respondents said in late September that they were proceeding with their return-to-office dates or planned to. Though 36 percent had delayed in some fashion, only half of that subset said delays would stretch into 2022. These decisions are likely driven by a range of factors, including the prevalence of government guidance around keeping the workplace safe and that, as of late August, 70 percent of adults in the European Union (EU) had been fully vaccinated against the virus.

“Broadly speaking, European employers have been eager to bring their employees back into the workplace – in part due to safety policies implemented and enforced by EU governments,” said Laura Jousselin, Littler partner in France. “Though these policies can help usher along return-to-office plans, amid the wide-ranging novel and complex issues this pandemic continues to bring, employers also remain nimble and focused on adjusting their plans as the situation evolves.”

Not all European countries are moving forward in the same way. For example, a higher percentage of employers based in France and Italy – 65 and 62 percent respectively – are proceeding with return-to-office plans, while far fewer are doing so in Germany (28 percent).

Work Models Are Not Broadly Aligned With Employee Preferences

As companies implement return-to-office plans, tensions may flare if there is a disconnect between their plans and employees’ preferences for balancing remote and in-person work. Only 28 percent of respondents believe the work models their organisations are offering align with the preferences of employees who can work remotely. Most employers (52 percent) believe employees want hybrid or remote work to a greater extent than they expect to offer it – and that figure is even higher for respondents in the UK, Germany and Spain.

Even so, European employers recognise the role remote or hybrid work plays in supporting employees, citing the potential for improving job satisfaction (57 percent) and employee well-being and work/life balance (54 percent) as the top benefits of offering these models. Enabling greater productivity (34 percent), reducing physical office costs (31 percent) and reducing other company costs (20 percent) – which all centre on improving the company’s bottom line – ranked significantly lower.

“Over the past year, employers have largely begun to see hybrid working models less as an opportunity to improve efficiency or cut costs and more as a way to attract new employees and keep their existing ones happy,” said Jan-Ove Becker, Littler shareholder in Germany. “That’s a real and positive shift. Moving forward, however, it will be crucial to strike the right balance between employee well-being and the myriad logistical, legal and cultural challenges these new models can pose.”

Relatedly, 67 percent of employers surveyed are at least somewhat concerned about the legal and logistical challenges that could come with a workforce split between in-person and remote work. Employers managing these new arrangements face an array of challenges, including scheduling obstacles, measuring remote work performance and ensuring that remote employees feel included.

Employee Well-Being Is a Priority – But There’s Room for Improvement

Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73 percent) are concerned to a moderate or large extent about the pandemic’s impact on employees’ mental health and well-being. When asked about various resources to address mental health, the top response, selected by 53 percent of respondents, was offering flexible work schedules. Other actions – such as training for managers, Employee Assistance Plans and internal programming – were all selected by fewer than a third of respondents.

“It’s a positive sign that employers are truly recognising the importance of employee well-being and the significant toll the pandemic has taken on mental health,” said Stephan Swinkels, Littler’s Coordinating Partner International. “This will only become more important in the workplace of the future and in organisations’ efforts to attract and retain talent. Offering flexible work schedules is a great step, but to maximise its effectiveness employers should consider providing other resources or benefits – such as training and internal programming – in tandem to deliver a more comprehensive solution.”

Technological Development Continues to Disrupt Workers and Employers

With the pandemic accelerating the technological revolution, European employers are taking steps to equip employees with the skills they need for the workplace of the future. About half (48 percent) are developing internal training programs, while 35 percent are conducting analyses to identify new skill sets and guide talent planning and job training.

At the same time, the pandemic appears to have stalled the collaboration and investment needed for employers to adopt artificial intelligence or data analytics solutions that would improve workforce management. In every area covered in the survey – including HR strategy and employee management, workforce automation, and recruiting and hiring – adoption remained relatively stagnant from when respondents were asked this question prior to the pandemic.

Additionally, as many employers shift to a hybrid working model, the productivity of remote workers might come under greater scrutiny. The survey found nearly 60 percent of employers either using (17 percent), planning to use (23 percent) or potentially interested in using (19 percent) software tools that track or monitor remote employees’ productivity. Yet respondents also expressed hesitancy about implementing these technologies, with the top concerns focused on the impact on employee morale and trust in the company (42 percent) and employees’ fundamental rights beyond compliance obligations (39 percent).

Widespread Workforce Reductions Largely Avoided

Although Littler’s 2020 survey found most employers worried about their ability to stave off job cuts, 60 percent of respondents this year have not made workforce reductions or reorganisations – and the largest subset of those respondents (41 percent) do not anticipate doing so. While the other 40 percent have made reductions or reorganisations in one form or another – roughly half of that subset (18 percent) do not anticipate further changes.

“Government support programs saved millions of European jobs throughout the pandemic, and our survey data supports the effectiveness of these efforts. At the same time, the portion of employers citing the potential for future workforce reductions or reorganisations also shows that the full repercussions of the pandemic aren’t behind us yet,” said Raoul Parekh, Littler partner in the UK. “The decisions executives make about how to structure their businesses for the long term, and the impact of the wind-down of government support, will continue to transform workforces across Europe in the months to come.”

In addition to the topics noted above, the survey report covers a range of other legal and HR matters impacting European employers, including new safety precautions; vaccine policies; actions to support inclusion, equity and diversity goals; and managing “wandering workers” who perform their job functions from a different country; while providing country-specific insights for the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

Download the Littler 2021 European Employer Survey Report

About Littler

With more than 1,600 labor and employment attorneys in offices around the world, Littler provides workplace solutions that are local, everywhere. Our diverse global team and proprietary technology foster a culture that celebrates original thinking, delivering groundbreaking innovation that prepares employers for what’s happening today, and what’s likely to happen tomorrow. For more information, visit www.littler.com.

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has announced that Diana Cole Surprenant, a partner and leader of the Products Liability team at Adams and Reese LLP in New Orleans, Louisiana, has accepted an invitation to join the IADC, the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests.

“Joining the IADC has been both an honor and a privilege and I look forward to improving my skillset through its premier programing and building relationships with some of the best legal minds in the world,” Ms. Surprenant said.

Ms. Surprenant focuses her practice on products liability litigation and employment defense for clients in the oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, agricultural, hospitality, health care and pharmaceutical arenas.

Ms. Surprenant is a board member of the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. She received her J.D. from the Columbus School of Law of The Catholic University of America and her Bachelor of Arts from Colby College.

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, 49 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.

Brousseau Naftis & Massingill has added Arianna Smith as an attorney handling civil litigation and family law matters.

A litigator with an extensive background in public and administrative law, Ms. Smith previously served as a staff attorney at the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas (CLEAT) and as a litigator in private practice.

“Arianna is a perfect fit for our firm and our clients,” said shareholder Elayna Naftis Erick. “We provide a concierge-level of service to our clients, and Arianna has the track record of commitment and quality our clients expect.”

Ms. Smith said her ideal case “provides a challenge as well as an emotional element. I enjoy championing the underdog and giving a hundred percent of myself to each case, no matter how large or small.”

In addition to her legal work, Ms. Smith volunteers with the Marbridge Foundation, a residential community that offers lifetime care to adults with a wide range of cognitive disabilities. She also provides pro bono services for the Texas Civil Rights Project, which includes advocating for disability rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. She is also a member of the Barbara Jordan American Inn of Court.

Ms. Smith earned her law degree from Baylor Law School in 2015 and her bachelor’s degree from University of North Texas in 2012.

About Brousseau Naftis & Massingill

Brousseau Naftis & Massingill provides small businesses and individuals with representation in commercial transactions and litigation, estate planning, probate, real estate, and family law matters, including marital property agreements, divorce, property division, and child custody. For more information, visit bnmdallas.com.

Chamberlain Hrdlicka held its 43rd Annual Tax and Business Planning Seminar over three days from November 2-4, 2021. This year’s seminar showcased virtual presentations from attorneys in each of its offices and featured a keynote presentation by the IRS Commissioner, Charles P. Rettig. The event was open to the public and had in attendance approximately 300 accountants, business finance executives, financial planners and lawyers who guide clients in tax and business matters. The detailed topic descriptions from the event can be found here.

Attendees gained valuable knowledge from attorneys of Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s nationally-recognized practices in Data Security & Privacy, Estate & Income Tax Planning & Estate Administration, Intellectual Property, International, State and Local Tax Controversy & Planning, Tax Controversy & Litigation and Tax Planning & Business Transactions.

The three-day series included hour-long presentations on the following topics:

 Intellectual Property, Privacy and Cybersecurity Risks Impacting Businesses;
 The Paycheck Protection Program and Employee Retention Credit;
 Business and Investment Tax Update;
 State and Local Tax Hot Topics;
 Transfer Planning Ideas in Uncertain Times and How to Report Them;
 IRS Enforcement Priorities;
 Cryptocurrency: The Tax Reality of Virtual Coins;
 Urgent Strategies for the Upcoming Tax Reform Storm;
 Setting Up a Family Business from a Tax Perspective;
 2021 Judicial Highlights; and
 10 Potential Pitfalls for Unwary Tax Practitioners.

The attorneys leading the seminars, from the firm’s Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia and San Antonio offices, included Managing Shareholder Larry A. Campagna, Shareholders David D. Aughtry, Brett T. Berly, Sebastian N. Chain, Aly Dossa, Phyllis A. Guillory, John W. Hackney, Jennifer W. Karpchuk, Philip Karter, J. Scot Kirkpatrick, Peter A. Lowy, Charles J. “Chad” Muller, Katherine P. Noll and Kevin F. Sweeney ; Senior Counsels Stephen C. Heymann, Steven M. Wyatt; Special Counsels Mark Lubin and J. Thompson Turner; and Associates Kaili Cusack, Alissa Gipson, Jasen D. Hanson, Jasmin Severino Hernandez, Patrick J. McCann, Jr. and Victor J. Viser.

Chamberlain Hrdlicka has extensive experience in tax and business planning. The tax practice is a core strength of the firm, with more than one-third of its lawyers either practicing primarily or having a strong background in tax law. Many of the attorneys are board certified in tax law and have worked with the IRS or the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division. The nationally recognized lawyers with Chamberlain Hrdlicka have served as judges, adjunct professors of law, distinguished legal writers and lecturers. The firm represents a wide range of public companies, privately held businesses, partnerships and joint ventures, individuals, estates and tax-exempt organizations in a broad range of business advisory, transactional and litigation matters.

About Chamberlain Hrdlicka
Chamberlain Hrdlicka is a diversified, tax-focused business law 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.

# # #

Eastman & Smith LTD is pleased to announce that Breanne M. Rubin, a Member in the firm’s Toledo office, has been named a recipient of the 2021 20 Under 40 Award, which showcases dynamic leaders from Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan who are under the age of 40.

Rubin was formally recognized Oct. 28 at the 20 Under 40 Leadership Awards Recognition Program.

“We congratulate Breanne on her outstanding achievements for our firm and our clients and as a leader in the local community, which have earned her recognition as a 20 Under 40 Award recipient,” said Fadi V. Nahhas, chair of the Eastman & Smith Executive Committee. “

Since 1996, the 20 Under 40 Awards each year have recognized young professionals who live and work in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan and who have distinguished themselves in their careers and/or in the community. One of the program’s goals is to help motivate young people throughout the region to become community leaders. Award recipients are selected from among nominees who are asked to submit a profile. From these candidates, an independent panel of judges selects 20 leaders to receive the award at the fall recognition program. The judging panel is made up of past honorees and community leaders. For more information about the 20 Under 40 Awards, visit https://20under40toledo.com.

A member of Eastman & Smith’s Mergers & Acquisitions, Business Law and Health Care practice groups, Rubin represents clients on a wide range of corporate matters, such as entity formation and governance, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, venture capital, private placements, commercial contracts, succession planning, regulatory matters, and information security, as well as drafting and negotiating contracts of all types.

Rubin also currently serves as chair of the firm’s Personnel Committee. She received her J.D. (magna cum laude) from the University of Toledo College of Law and her Bachelor of Arts (magna cum laude) from the University of Toledo.

About Eastman & Smith Ltd.
Founded in 1844, Eastman & Smith is a leading consultant, counselor and advocate on personal, business, nonprofit and governmental challenges. Client satisfaction. Reliability. Innovation. Creative approach to problem-solving. These are cornerstones of Eastman & Smith. The firm’s 75+ dedicated attorneys serve clients from offices in Columbus, Findlay and Toledo, Ohio, and Detroit, Michigan. For more information, visit the firm’s website at https://www.eastmansmith.com.

“The collapse of Le Clair Ryan prompted its share of recriminations, but while finger-pointing between the former partners and United Lex continues, one bankruptcy partner found himself caught out in a multi-year embezzlement scheme. The firm’s former Chief Legal Officer, Bruce H. Matson, admitted,” reports Joe Patrice in Above The Law.

“Around $4 million from bankruptcy trust funds that he oversaw, improperly distributing some of those funds to himself and another attorney. Most of the total misappropriation came in the from wind-down funds that he sent around in 2019 that weren’t supposed to be distributed at that time. After the scheme got noticed, prosecutors say.”

Read the article.

“Appfire announced that Christine Alpers joined the company as General Counsel to lead and scale the company’s global legal strategy and function. Christine’s legal and strategic acumen, combined with her depth of experience in the software industry, align with the largest growth opportunity in Appfire,” reports Help Net Security in their blog.

“Christine brings more than 25 years of corporate legal experience spanning both privately held and public technology companies. She most recently served as General Counsel at Acquia, where she oversaw all legal matters across the company’s global operation, including the $1 billion sale of Acquia to Vista Equity Partners. Managing.”

Read the article.

“Price Water House Coopers Greek affiliate has agreed to pay $14.9 million to settle with Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc shareholders who accused the auditor of failing to catch a $300 million fraud. If approved by a federal judge in Manhattan, the deal proposed on Tuesday would end a Utah pension,” reports Jody Godoy in Reuters.

“Fund’s claims that the auditor recklessly disregarded red flags when it audited the fuel transport company’s financial statements in 2016. PwC Greece did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement. The lawsuit is ongoing against Deloitte’s Greek affiliate, which was Aegean’s outside auditor from 2006 through 2015, as well as Aegean founder.”

Read the article.

“Residents who complained of water and soil contamination from two defunct Bennington industrial plants have reached a $34 million case settlement with the plant owners. The court’s approval is pending. After five years of litigation, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation agreed Wednesday,” reports Tiffany Tan in VT Digger.

“The French multinational would also pay up to $6 million to monitor certain diseases among residents adversely exposed to PFOA, a chemical used in its former plants in North Bennington and Bennington. The rest of the money would cover a portion of the attorneys’ fees. The facilities, which closed in 2002, became famous for fiberglass.”

Read the article.

Dallas-based Perry Law P.C. Earns Best Law Firms Honors for 2022

Firm rankings include insurance litigation, insurance law

DALLAS – The publishers of U.S. News & World Report and The Best Lawyers in America have selected Perry Law P.C. for the annual Best Law Firms listing, an honor the firm has achieved since 2020.

Perry Law earned top honors for its work in insurance litigation in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, along with additional recognition for the firm’s expertise in insurance law.

Extensive client and attorney evaluations contribute to the Best Law Firms selection process as well as peer review and independent editorial analysis. For the full 2022 Best Law Firms list, visit https://bestlawfirms.usnews.com.

Best Law Firms eligibility requires that at least one attorney is recognized individually in the current Best Lawyers in America guide. Firm founder Meloney Perry earned that recognition earlier this year for her work in insurance law and insurance litigation. Best Lawyers is the oldest peer-review lawyer guide in the U.S. and one of the most respected.

Ms. Perry was also honored by this year’s Texas Super Lawyers listing for her work in insurance coverage.

With more than 30 years of experience, Ms. Perry is well-known in the legal industry as a top-rated insurance coverage attorney who defends insurance companies and business owners in coverage disputes, bad faith and class-action litigation in Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. She also serves as primary counsel for a national insurance firm.

An active member of the legal community, Ms. Perry is a member of the State Bar of Texas Insurance Law Section with previous leadership roles in the State Bar of Texas Council of Chairs Committee. She conducts seminars that focus on insurance law and coverage issues and is also an advocate on women’s issues.

Perry Law P.C. is certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council as a woman-owned law firm focused on insurance coverage and litigation. Our group of attorneys invests in lasting relationships, takes time to understand your business, and makes you the priority. For more information, please visit our website, http://www.mperrylaw.com.

DALLAS – Bailey Brauer PLLC has been selected among the nation’s top commercial litigation and appellate firms in the 2022 edition of Best Law Firms. It is the fourth year the firm has been recognized in both areas.

The attorneys of Bailey Brauer regularly represent corporate and individual clients in complex tort and commercial cases in federal and state courts across the country.

Published by U.S. News & World Report and The Best Lawyers in America, the Best Law Firms legal guide recognizes firms with a proven track record of success while also earning the respect of their peers. Selection is based upon extensive client and attorney evaluations, as well as practice-specific editorial and peer review.

Firms must also have at least one attorney featured in The Best Lawyers in America legal guide. Firm co-founders Clayton Bailey and Alex Brauer were each recognized in the recently published 2022 edition for their commercial litigation work, with Mr. Bailey earning additional honors for his appellate work.

“Our clients know they can depend on us to be problem solvers and provide consistently positive results,” said Mr. Brauer, whose practice focuses on high-stakes business disputes ranging from allegations of fraud and deceptive practices in commercial transactions to breaches of fiduciary duties and litigation relating to non-compete agreements.

Mr. Bailey represents clients in cases involving contract disputes, business torts, RICO, employment law, trade secrets, deceptive trade practices, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, antitrust, unfair business practices, and the Packers and Stockyards Act.

In addition to the Best Law Firms and Best Lawyers in America recognition, the firm and its attorneys have been honored by Benchmark Litigation, Chambers USA, BTI Consulting Group, Texas Lawyer magazine, the National Law Journal, Texas Super Lawyers, Lawdragon 500, the National Trial Lawyers, and D Magazine.

About Bailey Brauer PLLC
Bailey Brauer PLLC is nationally recognized for its trial and appellate work and provides battle-tested, sophisticated courtroom experience in high-stakes litigation matters. The firm focuses on complex commercial litigation, appeals, and class actions. Learn more about the firm at http://baileybrauer.com.

Buchalter is pleased to welcome new additions to its San Diego office. Sanjay Bhandari joins as a Litigation Shareholder. Bryn Spradling also joins as a Shareholder in the Corporate and Health Care Practice Groups, and Gary Spradling joins the Firm’s Health Care Practice Group. Buchalter has seen tremendous growth in San Diego. Opening the office in 2018, the Firm added twelve attorneys in San Diego this year alone bringing its total in San Diego to thirty attorneys.

“I am thrilled to welcome Sanjay, Bryn, and Gary to the Firm,” said Adam Bass, President and Chief Executive Officer of Buchalter. “Sanjay is a highly respected litigator with significant trial experience in white-collar defense and intellectual property matters. Both Bryn and Gary bring valuable expertise complimentary to our impressive full-service healthcare practice. All three are significant assets to the Firm and our rapidly expanding presence in San Diego.”

Bhandari is a former federal prosecutor, a former Securities & Exchange Commission attorney, and an experienced trial lawyer in criminal and civil cases. His practice focuses on government investigations, white-collar defense, and intellectual property litigation. He has conducted numerous internal investigations, created and reviewed corporate compliance programs, and defended many individuals and corporations in government investigations and enforcement proceedings.

With the addition of Bhandari, Buchalter has now added three former federal prosecutors to its ranks within the past year. Combining their expertise with the firm’s substantial experience in defending government enforcement cases and other litigation in the financial services and health care industries, Buchalter now features one of the strongest white-collar practices in the western United States. “I am excited to be joining Buchalter,” said Bhandari. “Being able to utilize the Firm’s full-service resources and joining both the impressive litigation and white collar investigations teams will allow me to expand my practice and better serve my clients.”

Bryn Spradling practices general business, corporate, and health care law, focusing on contractual arrangements in business transactions, representing both individuals and entities, with a large portion of his practice involving clients in the health care field. His experience includes individual and corporate business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, and joint ventures. He also regularly represents individual physicians, medical groups, and other providers in connection with entity formation and mergers and acquisitions.

“Buchalter’s impressive reputation in both the healthcare and corporate sectors made the Firm a perfect fit for me to help facilitate the growth of my practice,” added Spradling. “With the Firm’s close-knit and collaborative culture, I am very pleased to be making this move.”

Gary Spradling focuses on providing expert counsel to clients in the health care field in connection with selection of the appropriate entity for the start-up of their business in order to achieve their desired business objectives. He works closely with clients in all phases of their business, providing counseling with respect to financing needs, compensation, and ownership succession arrangements, as well as structuring and negotiating merger and acquisition transactions and resolving management and governance disputes among owners.

Roetzel & Andress is pleased to announce that Edward L. Filer, of counsel in the firm’s Chicago office, has been highly ranked for Real Estate Law in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, a widely regarded guide to legal excellence.

Across all the firm’s offices, 74 Roetzel attorneys were included in the latest edition of Best Lawyers, including six recognized as “Lawyers of the Year” and 18 honored as “Ones to Watch.”

Filer focuses his practice on construction, real estate and banking law. He has more than two decades of experience in construction law, commercial real estate, commercial banking, mergers and acquisitions, and the general representation of privately held corporations. His clients include material suppliers, subcontractors, contractors, construction managers, design builders, architects, owners, developers, landlords, tenants, sureties, and financial institutions.

Best Lawyers listings are based on an exhaustive peer review survey of thousands of attorneys who vote on the legal abilities of others in their practice areas. For more than three decades, recognition in Best Lawyers has been regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, since an attorney cannot pay to be listed.

About Roetzel
Roetzel is a full-service law firm with offices located throughout Ohio and Florida, and in Chicago. The firm provides comprehensive legal services to national and international corporations, closely held and family-run businesses, institutions, organizations, and individuals. For more information, visit www.ralaw.com.

Stroock today welcomed partners John F. Pierce and Jason T. Kuzma, expanding the commodities, derivatives and energy team within the firm’s corporate practice. The additions raise to 11 the number of lateral partners the firm has onboarded within the last year as part of its growth strategy.

John and Jason focus on the structuring, financing and development of energy and infrastructure projects globally. They join from Perkins Coie, where John co-chaired the Clean Technology industry group and headed the carbon-related and hydrogen practices.

“With their collective experience in power generation, renewables, LNG, transmission and distribution, John and Jason strengthen our leading position in commodities, derivatives and energy transactions. They will offer great experience and value to our clients,” said Firm Co-Managing Partner Jeff Keitelman.

John’s recent work includes development of utility-scale solar projects in North American and Asia; transactions involving liquefied natural gas in Asia; and the development and financing of onshore and offshore wind farms across the United States. He also works with carbon mitigating credits, offsets and trading structures, carbon trading protocols and markets, carbon sequestration, and related market-based means to add value to energy projects.

Jason represents major utilities, telecommunications companies, investment banks, renewable energy developers, independent power producers and large customers of electricity on purchase agreements in a variety of contexts, including selling and buying environmental attributes, energy-related litigation, network and transmission issues, and various regulatory proceedings.

“Stroock is a go-to firm for complex transactions in the energy markets,” said corporate recruiting partner Brett Lawrence. “Our deep industry knowledge fuels our ability to design solutions that help clients structure and finance major infrastructure projects, but also mitigate regulatory and operational risks as they grow their businesses. John and Jason will be right at home at Stroock, particularly in the fast-growing renewables space.”

John earned his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law and his B.A. from San Francisco State University and completed Harvard Business School’s Executive Training Program. Jason earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and his B.A. from Central Michigan University.

Stroock today welcomed partners John F. Pierce and Jason T. Kuzma, expanding the commodities, derivatives and energy team within the firm’s corporate practice. The additions raise to 11 the number of lateral partners the firm has onboarded within the last year as part of its growth strategy.

John and Jason focus on the structuring, financing and development of energy and infrastructure projects globally. They join from Perkins Coie, where John co-chaired the Clean Technology industry group and headed the carbon-related and hydrogen practices.

“With their collective experience in power generation, renewables, LNG, transmission and distribution, John and Jason strengthen our leading position in commodities, derivatives and energy transactions. They will offer great experience and value to our clients,” said Firm Co-Managing Partner Jeff Keitelman.

John’s recent work includes development of utility-scale solar projects in North American and Asia; transactions involving liquefied natural gas in Asia; and the development and financing of onshore and offshore wind farms across the United States. He also works with carbon mitigating credits, offsets and trading structures, carbon trading protocols and markets, carbon sequestration, and related market-based means to add value to energy projects.

Jason represents major utilities, telecommunications companies, investment banks, renewable energy developers, independent power producers and large customers of electricity on purchase agreements in a variety of contexts, including selling and buying environmental attributes, energy-related litigation, network and transmission issues, and various regulatory proceedings.

“Stroock is a go-to firm for complex transactions in the energy markets,” said corporate recruiting partner Brett Lawrence. “Our deep industry knowledge fuels our ability to design solutions that help clients structure and finance major infrastructure projects, but also mitigate regulatory and operational risks as they grow their businesses. John and Jason will be right at home at Stroock, particularly in the fast-growing renewables space.”

John earned his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law and his B.A. from San Francisco State University and completed Harvard Business School’s Executive Training Program. Jason earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and his B.A. from Central Michigan University.