Winston & Strawn announced that 21 attorneys have been elected to partner. Spanning five practice areas and nine offices, the following attorneys were promoted:

• Scott Ahmad (Chicago) is a litigator and trial attorney who devotes a significant part of his practice to defending companies in the medical device/pharmaceutical, food, dietary supplement, and technology industries.

• Brian Bailey (Charlotte) represents lending institutions in connection with loans to finance retail, hotel, office, condominium, and multifamily properties.

• Nolan Bolduc (Chicago) has a wide range of experience in corporate finance matters, including corporate lending, structured finance, and debt capital markets transactions.

• Ilya Bubel (New York) focuses his practice on M&A and other complex business transactions on behalf of private equity sponsors and other financial investors, as well as public and private companies across various industries.

• Katrina Eash (Dallas) is a trial lawyer who concentrates her practice in complex commercial and intellectual property litigation. She also has experience in high-risk employment litigation.

• Christine Kolosov (Los Angeles) concentrates her practice in the development, financing, and sales of renewable energy projects and in the representation of water utilities and other companies in regulatory proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission.

• Maria Kostytska (Paris) is an international arbitrator and litigator who regularly serves as lead counsel to sovereign states, private companies, and individuals across a variety of industrial sectors.

• Rex Mann (Dallas) is a trial lawyer who focuses his practice on complex civil litigation concerning commercial and intellectual property matters. He often works with companies in the technology sector or matters involving complex technology, as he adds additional value through his background in engineering and understanding of the technical issues in the matters.

• Shannon Murphy (Chicago) is a member of the firm’s White Collar, Regulatory Defense, and Investigations group as well as the firm’s Global Privacy and Data Security Task Force and focuses her practice on internal investigations, data protection counseling, and complex litigation, particularly matters involving potential criminal liability or trade secret issues.

• Alex Niebruegge (Houston) concentrates his practice on energy sector transactions, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and other corporate matters.

• Brian Nisbet (Chicago) focuses his practice on patent litigation, in both the pharmaceutical and telecommunications industries, complex commercial litigation, and class action defense in cases alleging design defect and consumer fraud.

• Jason Parker (London) is a project development attorney advising clients on energy and infrastructure projects that are large-scale, complex, and highly technical.

• Conor Reidy (Chicago) concentrates his practice on complex commercial litigation, antitrust merger review, and antitrust counseling.

• Eimeric Reig-Plessis (San Francisco) is a patent litigator with significant experience in Hatch-Waxman litigation, Federal Circuit appeals, and inter partes reviews.

• Justin Reinus (Dallas and Los Angeles) advises on initial public offerings and other equity offerings, high yield and investment-grade debt offerings, and spin-offs. He also advises clients on day-to-day securities disclosure and corporate governance matters.

• Jennifer Stadler (New York) advises public and private companies, private equity clients, and fiduciaries on employee benefits and executive compensation matters.

• Matthew Stark (New York) focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, predominantly in the areas of class actions and insurance. He also has experience litigating disputes in the areas of antitrust, consumer fraud, and sports and entertainment.

• Courtney Tygesson (Chicago) concentrates her practice in capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance matters. She has experience representing both issuers and underwriters in debt and equity offerings, including IPOs and offerings of high-yield securities.

• Ryan Walden (New York) represents private equity funds and their portfolio companies throughout the life cycle of an investment, from the initial acquisition and debt financing through the ultimate sale. He also works with entrepreneurs and their companies on day-to-day corporate counseling, equity and debt financing, and sale transactions.

• Thomas Weber (Chicago) concentrates his litigation and trial practice on complex commercial disputes. He has experience handling breach of contract, fraud, post-closing M&A, securities, and insurance matters.

• Owen Zingraff (Charlotte) represents borrowers and lenders in connection with syndicated and bilateral credit facilities, including asset‐backed, term and revolving, and acquisition facilities. He also has experience with a variety of M&A, fund formation, and other corporate transactions.

Winston & Strawn LLP is an international law firm with 16 offices located throughout North America, Asia, and Europe.

Andreas Balsiger Betts, the former Head of Legal Affairs at Swissmedic, will join Sidley Austin LLP as a senior advisor in Switzerland. The firm also announced that Olivier Goarnisson, the former Director of Medical Affairs Operations Europe and a lawyer at a global pharmaceutical company, has joined the life sciences practice in Switzerland as counsel.

Ina release, the firm said Andreas Balsiger Betts previously served as the head of Legal Affairs and member of the Management Board of Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products. In this capacity, he had a role in drafting the complete revision of the Swiss Federal Act on Therapeutic Products and its ordinances, which will come into force in 2019. He represented Swissmedic in all the Swiss parliamentary committee meetings in this context as well as in all meetings with EU member state agency counterparts. At Sidley, he will advise on regulatory matters in the life sciences industry.

The firm said Olivier Goarnisson possesses dual qualification as a lawyer and medical doctor, and will focus his practice on matters related to clinical trials, non-interventional studies, pharmacovigilance, marketing authorizations, market access, data protection, and compliance and enforcement.

“Andreas’s arrival initiates our effort to provide the first comprehensive global life sciences legal practice in Switzerland, offering a deep, three-continent perspective to established global companies, to the emerging biotechnology sector, and to the many global life sciences companies that call Switzerland home,” said Scott Bass, leader of Sidley’s global Life Sciences practice. “Andreas is highly recognized in the Swiss life sciences industry for his in-depth knowledge of the regulatory environment. His insights into Swiss institutions will significantly bolster our ability to offer global solutions to local challenges for clients in the life sciences sector. We are very happy that Olivier also joins our firm, bringing his experience in a wide range of matters related to life sciences regulatory law, specifically in the pharmaceutical industry.”

In his role as head of Legal Affairs and Member of the Management Board of Swissmedic, Andreas Balsiger Betts was in charge of establishing and maintaining legal guidance for Swissmedic’s policies, procedures and practice, both on the strategic and the day-to-day level. With his division of specialized prosecutors, he also was responsible for law enforcement initiatives within the remit of Swissmedic. Under his guidance, his team represented Swissmedic in all court cases regarding administrative and penal decisions taken by the agency, against claims of liability and in freedom of information inquiries.

Olivier Goarnisson oversaw his company’s execution of post-authorization studies and related interactions with regulatory authorities. He also oversaw programs through which the company provided support for academic research in Europe. In this role, he ensured compliance of the company’s academic support programs with anti-corruption and pharmacovigilance requirements. He also helped the company manage intellectual property and product liability risks that may arise from involvement in academic research. Before moving in-house, he worked for six years as a lawyer in Sidley’s Brussels office, where he worked on regulatory law, clinical trials, pharmacovigilance and data protection issues affecting clients in the life sciences industry.

Austin W. Holland has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP’s Nashville office as an associate in the Litigation Practice Group, focusing on financial services.

“It is a pleasure to welcome Austin to our Nashville office,” said Bradley Nashville Office Managing Partner Lela Hollabaugh. “Austin’s background and experience make him a great addition to our already deep bench of litigators and other Banking and Financial Services Practice Group attorneys who service a broad range of banks, lenders and financial services institutions.”

In a release, the firm said Bradley represents six of the 10 largest banks and 16 of the 20 largest mortgage servicers in the United States. Many of the firm’s attorneys also serve in leadership roles with various prominent financial services trade organizations including the ACMA, MBA, ACCFSL, AFSA, and AllRegs.

Prior to joining Bradley, Holland worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Office of Litigation, where he handled matters related to reverse mortgages, bankruptcy, foreclosures, grant recaptures, withdrawals of SAFMR and AFFH rules, religious discrimination, and the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Holland clerked in the Office of the District Attorney in Nashville and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Holland received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and his Bachelor of Business Administration from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Perkins Coie has announced that its San Diego office will relocate on Dec. 10, 2018 to 11452 El Camino Real, Suite 300. The firm’s new 37,000-square-foot space will accommodate the office’s recent and planned growth in its existing and additional practice areas, the firm said in a release.

The release also said that Perkins Coie established an office in San Diego in June 2010 to serve the intellectual property needs of national and international clients with business in Southern California and support the firm’s growth strategy on the West Coast. The office quickly expanded to provide a full range of legal services. The firm’s other West Coast offices are located in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Bellevue, WA.

“Our firm is proud to have had a presence in San Diego for more than eight years, and we look forward to continuing to serve clients in the region and maintaining our presence within the business community for years to come,” said Matthew Bernstein, Managing Partner of Perkins Coie’s San Diego office. “Our new space will enable us to continue with our planned attorney growth and will increase our presence in the San Diego community.”

Lando & Anastasi, LLP of Cambridge, Mass., announced the expansion of its professional team with the addition of five technology specialists in recent months.

Lachlan M. Blair, Ph.D. has joined L&A’s life sciences practice; Wilhelm E. Liano has joined the chemical and material sciences practice; and Mohamed J. Alghanami, Stephen W. Kerr, and Arash Sayyah, Ph.D. have all joined the firm’s computer technology & software and electronics practices.

Christie Newkirk and Mark A. Shank have joined Diamond McCarthy LLP in Dallas and created the firm’s Labor & Employment Law Section.

The firm said Newkirk has more than 20 years’ experience representing employers and executives. Her work involves litigation, counseling, investigations, training, and representing executives.

Shank’s practice focuses on complex disputes, which he arbitrates, investigates, prosecutes, or defends as a neutral across the nation, according to the firm.

Read about the two lawyers.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP partners Lela M. Hollabaugh, Lindsey C Boney IV and Tripp Haston have been named by Who’s Who Legal as among the world’s leading life sciences attorneys. They are listed in the Product Liability chapter of the 2019 edition of Who’s Who Legal: Life Sciences.

“We congratulate Lela, Lindsey and Tripp on their most recent Who’s Who Legal: Life Sciences recognition,” said Bradley Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner Jonathan M. Skeeters. “Bradley’s Life Sciences attorneys continue to distinguish themselves as nationally recognized leaders in their field.”

The firm said Bradley’s Life Sciences Industry Team represents clients involved in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, molecular testing services, drug delivery systems, clinical labs (CLIA), genomic labs, bioinformatics, genomic medical clinics, research institutions, contract research organizations, animal sciences, plant sciences, and healthcare. This year, Bradley was named the Product Liability Firm of the Year by the LMG Life Sciences Awards. In addition, the firm earned Tier 1 national rankings in the 2019 edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions, as well as Tier 1 “Best Law Firms” metropolitan rankings for Product Liability Litigation – Defendants for Birmingham; Jackson, Miss.; Montgomery, Ala; Nashville, Tenn.; and Washington, D.C.

Hollabaugh is managing partner of Bradley’s Nashville, Tenn., office and a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group and Life Sciences Industry Team. She has served as the lead trial lawyer in more than a dozen jury trials, as well as more than two dozen bench trials, arbitrations and administrative hearings. She represents leading pharmaceutical, medical device and other product manufacturers in matters ranging from individual lawsuits to mass tort cases.

Based in the firm’s Birmingham office, Boney is a member of Bradley’s Litigation Practice Group and Life Sciences Industry Team. He regularly represents pharmaceutical and medical device companies in national mass tort litigation, often as a member of mass tort national counsel teams for cases involving regulatory and legal strategy issues. He also has represented numerous national and international companies in a variety of other matters.

Also based in the Birmingham office, Haston co-chairs Bradley’s Life Sciences Industry Team and represents a broad spectrum of clients on regional, national and international engagements. He represents medical device and pharmaceutical clients in products liability litigation. In addition, he has served numerous clients as national trial and coordinating counsel, as well as a national team member in individual actions and in mass tort and multidistrict litigation. His experience has involved matters throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and South America.

The 2019 edition of Who’s Who Legal: Life Sciences is scheduled to be published in March 2019 by London-based Law Business Research Limited. Only lawyers who receive the highest number of recommendations from peers and clients as determined through independent research are listed in the publication. The Who’s Who Legal directory lists more than 24,000 private practice lawyers from more than 150 national jurisdictions, covering diverse areas of corporate and commercial law. The guides are intended to serve as reference sources for companies seeking to corroborate the reputations of lawyers recommended by another party.

Clifton Dugas has joined Foley Gardere’s Real Estate Practice Group as a partner in its Dallas office.

The firm said Dugas has more than 20 years of experience in the real estate industry, including commercial lenders, loan servicers and borrowers in acquisitions; acquisitions and dispositions of office, multifamily, retail, mixed-use, raw land, and industrial commercial real estate; commercial transactions; and clients in the vacation ownership and timeshare industry. He also has experience with transactions involving health care, student housing, publishing facilities, oil and gas properties, and residential investment portfolios.

The firm said Dugas’ representative experience includes serving as the primary leasing counsel for a globally integrated asset manager assisting office properties nationwide with leasing, sales, acquisitions and property management issues, as well as representing a private Canadian real estate lending company with numerous, fast-moving deals ranging in value from $10 million to more than $100 million. In addition, he previously represented a large institutional lender with over $1 billion in troubled real estate assets.

“Clifton’s breadth of experience in both real estate and real estate lending will add significant depth and strength to our growing real estate practice in Texas and nationally,” said David Cook, chair of Foley’s Real Estate Practice Group. “Clifton will quickly become a vital resource for our clients, meeting their current and evolving business needs by applying two decades’ worth of experience in areas spanning real estate finance, development and lending.”

Dugas joins Foley from Polsinelli PC, where he was an equity shareholder in the financial services department, which included the real estate and commercial lending practice groups. Prior to that, he was managing director and chief legal officer at Lantern Asset Management LLC, a full-service commercial real estate asset management platform that managed a $1.1 billion portfolio of timeshare and resort construction, along with hypothecation loans and real estate property.

“We are thrilled to add Clifton to our expanding team,” said Michael Newman, managing partner of Foley Gardere’s Dallas office. “Clifton provides invaluable knowledge and diligence to his clients, pulling from his experience in private practice and as an in-house counsel, and uniquely understands their business needs and strategies, all of which will make Foley Gardere’s Real Estate Practice even deeper.”

Littler is expanding its presence in Wisconsin with the addition of Michael R. Gotzler who will open a new office in Madison, Wisconsin, located at 10 East Doty Street, Suite 800.

“As our work across Wisconsin continues to expand, the time was right to invest in a full-time presence in the state capital,” said Jonathan Levine, managing shareholder of Littler’s Wisconsin offices. “Mike is a real entrepreneur, an innovative and creative thinker who will immediately enhance our ability to provide labor and employment services to the business community in one of the most vibrant areas of the state.”

Tom Bender and Jeremy Roth, Littler’s co-managing directors added, “We’re excited to have someone of Mike’s caliber help us grow our regional footprint in the Midwest. Madison is not only an attractive expansion opportunity based on the legal services sought by our clients, it’s a natural fit for the firm as a whole and our growing technology and artificial intelligence practices.”

Gotzler, previously a founding partner of employment boutique Clark & Gotzler, has more than 20 years of experience advising businesses on all employment-related matters. Gotzler also spent a decade serving as general counsel of a human resources firm that provided temporary staffing, executive recruiting, consulting and other services throughout the U.S.

“Madison is my home and this is a terrific opportunity to open and build an office for a leading firm like Littler, which is known for its innovation and technology, vast resources and experienced, savvy practitioners,” said Gotzler. “Madison continues to gain national attention as one of the best places to live, work and grow a business and ranks as one of the fastest growing technology employment markets in the nation. The larger platform and unparalleled labor and employment resources Littler offers will enable me to provide expanded services and solutions to my clients both locally and nationally.”

Gotzler’s practice includes employment litigation before courts and administrative agencies, as well as ADA/FMLA leave and accommodation issues, wage and hour compliance, non-compete disputes, independent contractor and joint employment issues, labor relations and NLRB proceedings, and preventive audits and training.

Gotzler received his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School, with honors, and his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Phi Beta Kappa.

Barnes & Thornburg has added James Van Horn as a partner in the firm’s Finance, Insolvency and Restructuring Department in Washington, D.C.

Van Horn works with senior management, investors, creditors and other stakeholders in matters ranging from out-of-court workouts and pre-packaged and pre-arranged Chapter 11 reorganizations to cram down plans of reorganization and sales of substantially all assets. He represents corporate debtors, secured creditors, asset purchasers, official committees of unsecured creditors, liquidating trustees, receivers, investors and other stakeholders in bankruptcy courts and other courts throughout the United States.

“Jim is a seasoned bankruptcy attorney with significant restructuring experience across the manufacturing, retail, energy and real estate industries,” said Karen McGee, managing partner of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. “He’ll complement and expand our creditors’ rights and bankruptcy representation capabilities in the Beltway and nationally.”

Previously, Van Horn was a partner at McGuireWoods. He holds an MBA in finance, is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor, and a Certified Valuation Analyst. He was a senior consultant in the bankruptcy and restructuring services practice of FTI Consulting, Inc. and a senior associate in the business recovery services division of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, as well as an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business teaching corporate finance and restructuring.

Van Horn earned his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business; and he received his B.A. from Pennsylvania State University.

Lawrence “Larry” M. Hadley has joined Glaser Weil as a partner and chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Department. Hadley focuses his intellectual property litigation practice on patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets.

In a release, the firm said he has trial and appellate experience before both federal and state courts, and the International Trade Commission.

He works in the firm’s Century City and Orange County offices.

“Larry is a welcome addition to lead the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Department. His experience working on unique and broad intellectual property litigation in the technology and material science industries adds tremendous value and enables the firm to offer supplementary resources to better serve our clients,” said Patricia L. Glaser, Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department.

He has experience as a commercial ship and naval officer and licensed pilot.

Hadley earned his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, where he was Order of the Coif. He received a B.S., with high honors from the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Gail Serota, a partner in Florida’s Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman, died Sunday in a snorkeling accident in Biscayne Bay. She was 65.

The Miami Herald reported that her husband Joseph, one of the founders of the firm, said he and his wife loved to be on their boat and often spent days in the Ragged Keys. His wife, who loved the water, went snorkeling Sunday afternoon and got caught in a current, Serota said.

He said the two met while students at Princeton. Gail Serota turned down going to law school at Stanford to attend the University of Miami, where he was studying. The two married in 1980.

Read the Miami Herald article.

Emily Weber has joined Foley & Lardner LLP’s Health Care Practice as a partner in its Denver office.

In a release, the firm said Weber brings more than a decade of experience in the health care industry, both in private practice and as in-house counsel for major academic medical centers and teaching hospitals. She has experience advising health systems, medical centers, schools of medicine, community hospitals, and physician groups on a wide range of matters, including complex health care and clinical research regulations and transactions, HIPAA and Affordable Care Act compliance, health care fraud and abuse, and data privacy issues. In addition, Weber has experience with joint ventures, affiliations, practice acquisitions, provider agreements, compliance programs, and governance documents.

The firm said Weber has advised some of the nation’s largest academic health systems on data and innovation matters and has successfully handled data security compliance and governance for personalized medical programs. Her experience includes setting up a sophisticated, multi-institutional enterprise data warehouse and complementary biobank for a precision medicine program.

Weber joins Foley from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, where she was a shareholder in the firm’s Denver office. Before entering private practice, she served as associate general counsel at the University of Colorado Health and, previously, as associate counsel at Temple University Health System Inc. and as associate counsel and compliance officer at Vail Valley Medical Center.

“Emily’s considerable industry knowledge and hands-on regulatory and compliance experience adds significant depth to our growing national health care practice,” said Judith Waltz, co-chair of Foley’s Health Care Practice Group. “With the addition of Emily, our team continues its client-driven growth in the areas where clients need us most, particularly as the regulatory landscape for the U.S. health care sector continues to shift.”

“We are pleased to welcome Emily to the firm,” said Geoffrey Bracken, managing partner of Foley’s Denver office. “She will be a remarkable asset to our clients and an important resource in enhancing our presence, both in the Colorado market and nationally, as we continue to grow our Denver office.”

Barnes & Thornburg has added Bradley J. Walz as a partner in the Corporate Department in Minneapolis, where he works on business and transactional issues. Previously, Walz was a shareholder at Winthrop & Weinstine.

The firm said Walz has experience in helping companies monetize and protect their assets. He has advised on the buying, selling and licensing of IP assets, trademark agreements, software development agreements, compliance matters, cloud computing, and data privacy matters. He has managed global trademark portfolios for companies in the fast food, beer and hops, esports, jewelry, software, and aftermarket engine parts industries. He is also experienced in transferring global trademark portfolios as part of international acquisitions, and resolving trademark, copyright, false advertising, and cybersquatting disputes through district court litigation and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Walz’s addition is the ninth to the firm’s Minneapolis office in 2018.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Bradley,” said Connie Lahn, Barnes & Thornburg’s Minneapolis office managing partner. “His experience assisting emerging companies in the early stages of their life cycle and his understanding of their unique financial needs is a perfect complement to Barnes & Thornburg’s entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to providing exceptional value to our clients.”

Walz is an adjunct professor in the University of St. Thomas School of Law’s trademark clinic. In addition, he serves on the board of directors at the Little Free Library. Walz earned his J.D. from the University of St. Thomas School of Law and his B.S. in business economics from the University of St. Thomas.

Ian J. Block has joined Neal Gerber Eisenberg as a partner in the Intellectual Property practice group. Block joined the firm from Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where he was a partner.

The firm said Block has experience in intellectual property with an emphasis on trademark and trade dress issues. He focuses his practice on litigating disputes concerning trademark, trade dress, utility and design patent, copyright, and advertising. Block’s trademark practice includes clearance, prosecution, and enforcement. He also advises clients on IP issues associated with corporate transactions, such as IP licenses and assignments, and on advertising clearance.

“We are thrilled to have Ian join our growing group of more than 40 intellectual property professionals,” said Michael Kelber, co-chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property practice group. “His presence deepens our litigation bench and further strengthens our ability to serve the IP needs of our clients through the United States and around the world.”

Block has been recognized as an “Illinois Rising Star” in intellectual property litigation by Super Lawyers magazine every year since 2014. He received his J.D. from The University of Chicago Law School and his B.A. from Georgetown University.

Peter N. Cubita has joined Davis Wright Tremaine as counsel in its New York office.

Cubita joins the firm from Ballard Spahr, where he was of counsel.

“Peter is widely and rightly regarded as one of the ‘deans’ of the closed-end bar, and we’re thrilled that he’s chosen to join our team,” said Claude Goetz, chair of DWT’s consumer finance practice.

Three months ago, DWT added Bradford Hardin, also a practitioner in fair-lending and closed-end credit matters. Hardin joined the practice from WilmerHale in Washington, D.C.

“The additions of Peter and Bradford over the past few months have significantly broadened and deepened our capabilities in fair-lending and closed-end credit matters, both in counseling and advocacy contexts. These additions were driven largely by the expressed needs of our market-leading clients,” noted Goetz.

The firm said Cubita’s experience includes regulatory compliance, transactional, governmental enforcement, and class action matters, with experience in the motor vehicle retail finance and leasing areas.

Previously, Cubita worked as an in-house attorney at Ally Financial Inc., and was at Weil, Gotshal & Manges.

Kerianne Kane has joined Northeast office of Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C. (SDV) as an associate.

In a release, the firm said Kane has a background in state and federal litigation and a practice previously focused on issues involving Metro-North Railroad. Her experience includes defense of claims under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act and whistleblower complaints under the Federal Railroad Safety Act as well as defense of insureds in personal injury and property damage matters.

The firm said Kane is also experienced in complex litigation matters involving business disputes, securities fraud and intellectual property infringement.

Beth Stephens has joined FisherBroyles, LLP as a partner in the firm’s Atlanta office and Health and Pharmacy Law practice group.

“It is a pleasure to welcome Beth to FisherBroyles and to our dedicated team of Atlanta-based partners,” said Ted Lavender, an Atlanta-based FisherBroyles partner and member of the Health and Pharmacy Law practice group. “Beth’s significant experience involving ERISA and other diverse healthcare plan issues, along with her public policy background, will provide valuable insights and support for our healthcare clients.”

Stephens said, “I am very eager to continue my practice and contribute to the successes of FisherBroyles clients who benefit greatly from the firm’s cloud-based partnership model and the top-level experience of the firm’s former Big Law partners.”

In a release, the firm said Stephens focuses her practice on the representation of ERISA and other self-funded employer healthcare plans and their fiduciaries, as well as plan participants, in healthcare reimbursement disputes. She also defends clients under consumer protection laws, including the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and deceptive trade practices laws.

Prior to joining FisherBroyles, Stephens was the senior director of public policy & advocacy at Georgia Watch, a non-profit consumer advocacy organization. In that role, she developed educational resources for healthcare consumers, authored policy papers, and lobbied on behalf of consumers at the state and federal levels on various issues, including healthcare, access to civil justice, and financial services. Her work has included collaboration with government agencies, policymakers, legislators, academic partners, professional associations, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders.

Previously, Stephens was an attorney in the Health Law Unit at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, where she represented low-income Georgians in a variety of civil legal matters.

Stephens received her J.D. (magna cum laude) from the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from Emory University.

Dykema announced the addition of Kenneth J. Sachs to its Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Group as a member of the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office. Sachs joins Dykema after practicing in the Troy, Mich., office of Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C., for more than a decade.

In a releqse, the firm said Sachs has experience advising clients regarding employee benefit plans, executive benefit programs and business planning. He also represents public and private entities concerning their corporate, fiduciary and governance responsibilities. Sachs routinely designs, drafts and establishes retirement plans, welfare plans, medical plans (insured and self-funded), fringe benefits and various other programs provided to employees.

The firm said Sachs also assists clients with audits, non-discrimination testing and the proper administration and funding of such plans. He also counsels clients in regard to incentive compensation programs, implications of mergers and acquisitions, contracts, and a variety of many other matters.

“We’re extremely happy to further expand our practice by adding an attorney with Ken’s experience and capabilities,” said Margaret Hunter, Leader of Dykema’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Group. “His breadth of knowledge in a wide variety of employee benefits and executive compensation matters will serve as a tremendous resource to Dykema and its clients.”

Sachs earned an LL.M. in Taxation from Wayne State University Law School, a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, and a B.A. in History from the University of Michigan.

Robert G. Frucht has joined Freeborn & Peters LLP as a partner in the Corporate Practice Group in the firm’s New York office.

“We are excited to welcome Bob to our growing New York office and corporate team,” said Daniel Hargraves, managing partner of Freeborn’s New York office. “As a leader in corporate and securities law, Robert offers valuable insights for our expanding roster of corporate clients in New York and across all the firm’s offices.”

Freeborn also recently added Christopher A. Pesch as a corporate partner in its New York office, which was formed in March 2016 through the combination with New York City firm Hargraves, McConnell & Costigan P.C.

Frucht focuses his practice on domestic and international transaction-based corporate and securities law. His work includes debt and equity financings involving both public offerings and private placements, negotiated mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, financing transactions, and general corporate counseling. He has cross-border transactional experience involving the U.K., India, Russia, Hong Kong and British Virgin Islands.

Prior to joining Freeborn, Frucht was a partner with Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP.

Frucht received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and his Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University.