Eversheds Sutherland is pleased to announce that Paul R. Hogan has joined the firm’s Corporate Practice Group in the Chicago office as counsel, continuing the firm’s steady growth in the city to now 16 attorneys. Mr. Hogan focuses his practice on guiding clients through strategic transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint venture, equity and debt financing. He joins Eversheds Sutherland from Kingsway Financial Services, where he served as secretary and general counsel.

“Paul is an accomplished corporate attorney who has been a trusted advisor to the C-Suite and boards of directors for many years,” said Robert J. Pile, Co-Head of Global Corporate at Eversheds Sutherland. “With his extensive transactional experience, he is an excellent fit for our growing practice, and his arrival continues our successful expansion in Chicago.”

Mr. Hogan counsels clients in connection with their most critical corporate matters and strategic transactions. He advises clients on all matters of corporate governance and risk management and has extensive experience guiding clients through complex transactions, including mergers, stock acquisitions and dispositions, asset acquisitions and dispositions, acquisitions and dispositions of divisions, joint ventures, strategic alliances and other similar transactions.

About Eversheds Sutherland’s Corporate Practice
With more than 700 attorneys worldwide, Eversheds Sutherland’s global mergers and acquisitions team provides pragmatic advice and comprehensive support that enables clients to evaluate, structure and complete transactions across a broad spectrum of industries.

The team combines decades of experience with in-depth knowledge of local and cross-border practices. Wherever the transaction is led from, we provide a seamless and integrated worldwide service.

Our attorneys are well versed in the unique requirements of mergers, tender offers, stock and asset acquisitions, corporate restructurings, spin-offs, recapitalizations and other deal structures. We negotiate and establish alliances, joint ventures and other partnering relationships. In addition, we develop innovative approaches to implement other tailored commercial relationships.

Our global M&A team advises clients across a broad range of sectors including financial services, insurance, payment systems, technology, communications, energy, industrials, consumer products, professional services, health care and e-commerce. We understand regulatory frameworks and the impact on transactions of the key issues that affect your business. This in-depth sector knowledge allows us to add real value to the M&A process.

About Eversheds Sutherland
As a global top 10 law practice, Eversheds Sutherland provides legal services to a global client base ranging from small and mid-sized businesses to the largest multinationals, acting for 70 of the Fortune 100, 61 of the FTSE 100 and 128 of the Fortune 200.

With more than 3,000 lawyers, Eversheds Sutherland operates in 74 offices in 35 jurisdictions across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. In addition, a network of more than 200 related law firms, including formalized alliances in Latin America, Asia Pacific and Africa, provide support around the globe.

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is pleased to announce that POLITICO has named Centre for Information Policy Leadership President Bojana Bellamy among its Tech 28, the news organization’s inaugural list of top “rulemakers, rulebreakers and visionaries” shaping the future of technology in Europe and beyond.

London-based Bellamy was ranked among the Tech 28’s key rulemakers for her work leading CIPL, Hunton Andrews Kurth’s global privacy and data policy think tank. POLITICO cited Bellamy’s access to key regulators tasked with enforcing Europe’s flagship privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation.

In its profile of Bellamy, POLITICO also highlighted the impact of CIPL, now in its 20th year of operation: “With Chinese titans Huawei and Tencent, as well as America’s Big Tech elite – Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon – on their books, CIPL’s membership reads like a Who’s Who of tech influence.”

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Scott E. Ludwig, a partner in the firm’s Huntsville office, has been recognized as the ninth Fellow of the Alabama Law Institute.

“The Alabama Law Institute’s success is only possible because the best and brightest lawyers are willing to dedicate their time to improve the law of the state for the benefit of its citizens. Scott epitomizes that model. He draws on a wealth of experience at the highest level of the profession and comes to the table, on behalf of the ideal instead of a client, with the focus of making the law as good as it can be. With Scott’s leadership, the Institute’s Standing Committee on Business Entities has transformed Alabama’s business formation and governance laws over the past decade. His recognition as a Fellow, the first in more than ten years, is a fitting acknowledgement of the role he has played fostering the reform and modernization of laws of Alabama.” – Othni Lathram, Director of the Alabama Law Institute.

The Institute was created by an act of the Alabama Legislature and is the official law revision and reform agency for the State of Alabama. Its purpose is to aid the Alabama Legislature in proposing and drafting clearer, simpler, and more up-to-date laws. Scott serves as the reporter for the Institute’s Standing Committee on Business Entities which has drafted and modernized the Alabama Business Corporations Law, the Alabama Limited Liability Company Law, the Alabama Limited Partnership Law, the Alabama General Partnership Law, the Alabama Nonprofit Corporations Law, as well as integrating those laws with other provisions within the Code, including the newly enacted electronic filing process for all entities under the Code.

Previous Fellows are: Professor James D. Bryce; Dean Nathaniel Hansford; Andrew J. Noble, III; Mary Alexander Seddon Lee Stapp; Lewey Stephens, Jr.; John F. Tanner; Dr. Richard A. Thigpen; and Professor Howard P. Walthall.

In addition to his service to the Institute, Scott has served the Alabama State Bar as Chair of the Tax Section. He has also served as President of the Alabama Federal Tax Clinic and President of the Huntsville Financial and Estate Planning Council. Scott is also an active member of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association having served as Chair of the LLCs and Partnerships Committee, Chair of the Joint Editorial Board, Chair of the Publications Board, Content Officer for the Section, Council member, an appointed member of the Corporate Laws Committee, an advisor to the Uniform Laws Commission on Unincorporated Entities, and other leadership positions. He is an author and contributor to numerous articles, publications, CLE presentations, and speeches at the state and national level. Scott is a Founding Fellow and current President of the American College of LLC and Partnership Attorneys and a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel. He has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America since 1995 and has been listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers since 2008.

Scott’s practice involves advising a broad range of clients on corporate, unincorporated, and non-profit entity matters for use in business as well as family planning matters, including mergers, acquisitions, conversions, restructuring, reorganizations, succession, governance, policies, and board committee issues. He is experienced in advising companies in high technology, life sciences, biotechnology, real estate and traditional products and services, as well as advising families on entity planning issues for general transfer of wealth and succession planning matters.

Scott received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the Culverhouse School of Accountancy at the University of Alabama, his J.D. from The University of Alabama School of Law, and his LL.M. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he received the Richard B. Stephens Scholarship in recognition of being first in his graduating class.

Scott is married to Kathy Ludwig, and they have two sons, Chase and Hayes.

“Spanish-language content company Univision Holdings announced the appointment of Pilar Ramos as general counsel as part of a redesign of its corporate leadership structure,” reports Scuttlebutt in Compliance Week.

“The transaction between Univision and Televisa, announced on April 13^th, is expected to close in the second half of 2021, subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals in the United States and Mexico. The consolidated company will hold an unmatched set of assets, including the largest long-form library of content in the world and a powerful portfolio of IP and global sports rights, fueled by the most prolific Spanish-language production infrastructure globally.”

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“With a $26 billion nationwide settlement in sight over claims that the three largest U.S. drug distributors and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) helped fuel a nationwide opioid epidemic, state and local governments will soon turn their attention to pharmacies and a handful of drugmakers,” reports Brendan Pierson in Reuters.

“U.S. state attorneys general are expected to unveil a settlement proposal this week with distributors McKesson Corp (MCK.N), Cardinal Health Inc (CAH.N) and AmerisourceBergen Corp (ABC.N) contributing a combined $21 billion, while Johnson & Johnson would pay $5 billion.”

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“One by one, Biglaw firms have announced plans to return to the office, but not many have announced that all associates must be vaccinated. The majority of firms have strongly encouraged vaccination, but firms that are outright mandating vaccination seem to be few and far between. Today, we have news on a firm that’s not only requiring vaccination, but also has a relatively flexible remote work policy as well,” reports Staci Zaretsky in Above The Law.

“This past Friday, Clifford Chance announced an agile working policy for its American offices, with a return to office-based working to start on September 13. That plan involves up to two remote days each week for both attorneys and business professionals (and time spent with clients outside the office will be considered time in the office). Once or twice a month, all employees will be expected to be in the office on specific days for specific events. The firm’s plan is relatively simple so that employees can “reap the benefits without heavy bureaucracy.” That’s a nice change of pace from what we’ve seen at most firms.”

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“UBS will pay more than $8 million to settle charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which argued the firm failed to ensure compliance among its financial advisors who recommended an exchange traded product (ETP) linked to short-term market volatility,” reports Patrick Donachie in Wealth Management.

“The settlement with UBS marks the second stemming from the commission’s ETP initiative, meant to crack down on financial services firms selling inappropriate funds to retail clients. Last November, the SEC settled charges with five firms facing their own alleged compliance lapses, including Summit Financial Group and Securities America Advisors.”

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“Every Biglaw firm hell, most employers, regardless of industry is trying to figure out exactly what post COVID work looks like. Because, while remote work got us through, it’s unclear exactly how much of that will be in our future. One Biglaw partner has taken to sending pleas to attorneys asking them,” reports Kathryn Rubino in Above The Law.

“Charles Chuck Palmer is the managing partner of Troutman Pepper’s Atlanta office. And he’d really, Really like folks to be back in the office. He links it to building the firm’s culture, and assures everyone that associates are MORE than just billing machines. We talk a lot about our firm’s culture about how we like each other and care.”

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“The Kardashians are becoming wealthier still. Sisters Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian won their suit for royalties from the makeup line Kardashian Beauty. After a five-year legal battle, a California State Appeals Court judge agreed that the Kardashians were owed $11.5 million in royalties from Haven Beauty and subsidiary Hillair Capital, who had licensed the beauty line that included various beauty items,” reports Robert W. Wood in Forbes.

“The award adds $2 million in post-judgment interest and costs. The Kardashians were owed a $1 million advance plus ongoing fees, but when they were shorted millions they sued. The trial court ruled for the Kardashians in 2018, and the Appeals court upheld it. The IRS will collect a share, and that share will be sizable. This was a royalty dispute, and royalties are taxed as ordinary income.”

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“The Berkeley City Council approved a $82.6 million settlement with the University of California that drops lawsuits challenging long term development projects the campus is pursuing. In a closed session on Tuesday, the council voted 8-1 to accept the settlement, in exchange for agreeing to drop two recent lawsuits it filed against the university. One suit seeks compensation for the environmental and community impacts,” reports Olivia Wynkoop in SF Gate.

“The other alleges the university violated an environment impact review requirement during development for a volleyball facility. The settlement also has the city dropping its challenge of the UC Berkeley 2021 Long Range Development Plan, and the two housing projects that will house almost 2,000 more students and overtake People’s Park and apartments located at 1921 Walnut Street.”

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San Antonio – July 16, 2021 – Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that Daniela Gonzales Aldape will join its Product Liability and Class Action Practice Group as a Member in the firm’s San Antonio office. Aldape joins Dykema after practicing with Prichard Young LLP in San Antonio for the past 17 years. Aldape’s start date with Dykema is August 1, 2021.

Aldape focuses her practice on product liability and commercial litigation and has extensive experience representing clients in the automotive industry, namely original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). She routinely steps in to take the reins and maneuver large complex dockets to the best advantage of her clients. Aldape is particularly adept at engaging in and handling multifarious discovery issues while preserving the simple story of a case for courtroom presentation. She has tried cases in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.

Aldape is also active in several professional organizations. She has served as a Contributing Editor for the American Bar Association Class Action Survey each year since 2012 and is an active member in the San Antonio Bar Association, Bexar County Women’s Bar Association, and the Mexican American Bar Association of San Antonio.

“Daniela’s case handling skills and outstanding reputation with clients and opposing counsel precede her,” said Mike Cooney, Director of Dykema’s Litigation Department. “We’re thrilled to add her to our team in Texas and San Antonio, and we know her impressive experience will be a tremendous asset to Dykema’s clients.”

Aldape earned a J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law and a B.A. in Political Science & English from New Mexico Highlands University.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that partners Ngai Zhang and Drew Schulte have joined the firm’s expanding Intellectual Property (IP) practice in the Washington, D.C., and New York offices, respectively. Ngai and Drew counsel on strategic patent prosecution with a focus on the software and financial technology sectors.

The firm’s internationally recognized IP practice has grown significantly in recent years to more than 250 attorneys and patent agents in the United States and Asia. Ngai and Drew’s additions come after partner Lori Gordon, a seasoned IP litigator focused on inter partes reviews (IPRs), joined the firm’s Washington, D.C., office in June.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ngai and Drew to our growing IP practice and know that their fintech experience and innovative approach to portfolio management will be of great benefit to our clients,” said Steve Bishop, co-chair of Perkins Coie’s Intellectual Property practice. “Their addition to the group continues our focus on cutting-edge industries and the East Coast.”

Ngai focuses his practice on internet and technology law, including patents, trademarks, open source, technology transactions, user agreements, and contests and sweepstakes. He advises clients from Fortune 500 companies to startups and has a deep understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), blockchain and distributed ledgers, cybersecurity, cloud computing, medical devices and health-related applications, virtual, augmented, and mixed realities, and video games.

With extensive experience before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the European Patent Office, Drew has focused his practice in recent years on the dynamic fields of AI/ML and fintech. He counsels clients on patent prosecution and IP portfolio development, prepares patentability or noninfringement opinions, performs due diligence, and assists with drafting and negotiation of IP agreements.

“We were impressed by the insightful and entrepreneurial approach Ngai and Drew bring to their work on behalf of their clients and know it will be an asset for our highly regarded patent team,” said Bruce V. Spiva, Perkins Coie’s Washington, D.C., office managing partner. “We are pleased to welcome them both to the firm amid the continued growth of our IP practice.”

Ngai and Drew join from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, where they were members of the Intellectual Property, Patent Counseling, Prosecution & Litigation, IP Audits & Strategic Planning, and Post-Grant Proceedings groups.

Ngai received his B.S. in computer engineering and his J.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park. Drew received his J.D. from the George Washington University Law School and his B.S. in manufacturing and design engineering from Northwestern University.

“The Laguna Beach City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to pursue joining a renewable energy program, setting the city up to potentially leave Southern California Edison as soon as the end of this year. Community choice energy programs, or CCEs, are electric utilities set up by local governments that take over buying energy for their residents, giving more options for homeowners who want to buy,” reports Noah Biesiada in Voice Of OC.

“Any resident can opt out if they want to remain with their original service provider and are not required to increase the amount of renewable energy they use. Depending on what choices the program offers, homeowners can purchase a mix of fossil fuels and renewable energy or go 100% renewable. Just last year, some cities in Orange County created their own community choice energy agency, with Irvine, Huntington Beach.”

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“NC State had eight players taken in the MLB Draft earlier in the week, and already half of them have indicated that they are going to sign professional contracts. This is not a surprising development. Centerfielder Tyler McDonough, a third-round pick of the Red Sox, was the first to agree to terms—he’ll get the full slot bonus due the No. 75 overall selection, which is $831,100. Pretty good chunk of change,” reports Steven Muma in SB Nation.

“This afternoon, Inside Pack Sports reported that both left fielder Jonny Butler and pitcher Reid Johnston intend to sign. Butler was a 14th-round selection by the A’s, while Johnston went to Cleveland in the 19th. Neither one would be likely to improve their bonus offers by returning for one more season at NC State. Additionally, Pack The Bases reported Wednesday that Evan Justice will be signing with the Rockies.”

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“Summit Health has seven commercial and Medicare risk-based contracts covering more than 165,000 lives. How those responsible for managing the contracts have gotten a return on investment out of an accountable care model that requires considerable investment is the focus of the HIMSS21 session, Building ACO Analytics Identify Opportunities, Measurement and ROI,” reports Susan Morse in Healthcare Finance.

“Data and analytics is needed before decisions can be made on investment in specific cost-reduction and care quality programs. Our analytics capabilities helped us make data-driven decisions about where to expand or reduce program investments,” said Dr. Ashish D. Parikh, chief quality Officer at Summit Health. For instance, analytics helped the Summit Health team evaluate its transitional care management program.”

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“Luxury sales continue to tumble in Brooklyn. Only 21 contracts for homes asking $2 million or more were signed in Brooklyn last week, down from 23 the week prior and continuing a week-to-week decline that has endured since the beginning of June, according to Compass’s weekly reports. Of the deals signed from July 6-11, 10 were for townhouses, eight were for condominiums and three were for co-ops,” reports Cordilia James in The Real Deal.

“The asking prices of those contracts totaled $62 million, down from the previous week’s $73 million. The top two contracts were neck-and-neck in terms of price, with only $4,000 separating them. Topping the list was a $4 million Brooklyn Heights co-op at 200 Hicks Street. The unit features three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a 781-square-foot wraparound terrace.”

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“Kim will start July 26 and serve as a member of the executive team. In her new role, she will oversee legal and compliance to promote and protect the overall business strategy. Kim was most recently chief legal officer at Energizer Holdings, where she was responsible for legal, compliance, ethics, regulatory, and government affairs. She also brings experience leading environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy. Neiman Marcus will announce its three-year ESG plan later this year,” reports Scuttlebutt in Compliance Week.

“Prior to her three years at Energizer, Kim served in senior roles at Bank of America and Lowe’s Companies. She started her law career at Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein and Alston & Bird. She is also a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.”

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“In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, corporate America pledged to do better, saying it would diversify its leadership, encourage equity and take concrete actions to root out systemic racism. But a USA TODAY analysis of previously undisclosed hiring records from dozens of top firms found that more than a year later, executive roles remain overwhelmingly white and male. Black and Hispanic workers, particularly women, tend to be concentrated in the lowest ranks, and some of the nation’s most powerful brands still refuse to disclose data on the gender, ethnic and racial makeup of their workforce,” reports Charisse Jones, Jayme Fraser and Dian Zhang in USA Today.

“They revealed that while Black and Hispanic employees are often overrepresented as compared to U.S. census data on the nation’s workforce among the technicians, administrative assistants and laborers who form the backbone of many organizations, they are less likely to be found at the company’s senior levels, or in other professional positions.”

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“One of Wall Street’s top paid lawyers is telling his outside law firms to put an end to remote work and force their attorneys back to the office. Eric Grossman, chief legal officer at Morgan Stanley, sent a memo Thursday to law firms and legal service providers encouraging them to improve client service by having lawyers and employees return to the office, according to a company official. Grossman’s memo suggested that those continuing to operate remotely risk their relationship with the financial services giant,” reports Brian Baxter in BloomBerg Law.

“Grossman declined to comment on his missive, which comes as Big Law grapples with updating remote work policies stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. Morgan Stanley has asked its own employees to plan on returning to the office by Labor Day. In a Thursday earnings call with analysts, Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman said the best mentoring comes from watching others in the workplace.”

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“Benchmarking varying attitudes, governance and tactics across a range of industries, the report breaks down the challenges of addressing the fast-moving ESG agenda into nine core themes and forecasts. From the challenges of meeting investor demands, to policing high-risk global supply chains, to tackling the complexities of carbon reporting, our report assesses how some of the most seasoned and respected GCs are responding,” reports Herbert Smith Freehills in their blog.

“With investors, consumers, employees and nations all pressing companies to fulfil an expanding range of non-financial objectives, ESG will not only redefine business agendas for years, it promises to change the role of chief legal officers as much as the organisations around them. Packed with practical commentary from legal heads and our experts, Responsibility Incorporated charts the journey ahead.”

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