Hogan Lovells announced that Lea Ann Fowler will join the firm’s Real Estate practice as a partner in the Denver office.

“Lea Ann has significant ties to the Denver real estate community and a notable reputation for representing prominent investors and lenders on highly complex matters,” said Mark Eagan, Hogan Lovells’ Head of Real Estate for the Americas. “Bringing Lea Ann on board deepens our national platform for our regional, national, and international real estate clients.”

Fowler represents a range of commercial lending institutions, developers, operators, and investors in real estate acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, development projects, asset-based lending involving loan origination, restructurings, loan participations, note purchases, and commercial mortgage-backed securitizations.

“I am excited about the opportunity to bring leadership to the Denver real estate team, mentor younger attorneys, and expand my client base nationally and internationally,” said Fowler.

In a release, the firm said:

Fowler has a highly regarded commercial real estate finance practice, representing clients in the origination of multimillion dollar senior and mezzanine structured financings secured by all sectors of commercial real estate, including hotel, mixed use condominium projects, retail, office and industrial portfolios. On the investor side, Fowler advises commercial real estate developers and private equity firms in the structuring and negotiation of large portfolio acquisitions and dispositions and multi-tiered construction and permanent loan transactions, including workouts and restructurings.

“Many of us at Hogan Lovells have known Lea Ann and worked with her for many years,” said Cole Finegan, Regional Managing Partner at Hogan Lovells. “We are very pleased that such a prominent real estate and finance lawyer will now be part of our local, national, and global efforts.”

Prior to joining Hogan Lovells, Fowler was a shareholder at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP. She earned her J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and her B.B.A. in Finance from Southern Methodist University.

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Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C., announces the expansion of its Chicago office with the addition of three attorneys across the firm’s Securities & Financial Services, Litigation and Intellectual Property groups.

Harris L. Kay joins the Securities & Financial Services industry group as an officer. Daniel C. McCabe is a new officer in the Litigation Practice Group. Ryan J. Yager joins as an associate in the Intellectual Property Practice Group.

“We are excited to welcome Harris, Dan and Ryan to our firm as we continue to expand and enhance the level of services in key practice areas for our clients throughout the Midwest and the nation,” said David B. Goodman, Managing Officer of Greensfelder’s Chicago office. “Together, they bring decades of legal experience and market-specific knowledge that will help us further expand the footprint for Greensfelder in Chicago.”

In a release, the firm said:

Kay counsels financial services firms and individuals regarding a variety of registration, compliance, regulatory and litigation matters. He represents futures commission merchants, introducing brokers, broker-dealers, forex firms, investment advisers, commodity pool operators and commodity trading advisors in regulatory inquiries, investigations and enforcement proceedings before CFTC, SEC, FINRA, NFA and various exchanges.

Kay most recently was a shareholder with Greenberg Traurig, LLP in Chicago. He earned his law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from the College of William and Mary.

McCabe focuses his practice on complex business and commercial litigation matters including insurance coverage, construction, real estate, energy, finance, manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries. He provides service to clients in all phases of commercial litigation and also provides risk management, transactional and general counsel representation. He has successfully litigated cases in state and federal venues throughout the United States, serving as lead trial counsel in multimillion-dollar matters, and has handled mass tort and class action cases nationally and internationally.

McCabe most recently was the managing partner with the former McCabe, Miller & Morrissey LLC in Chicago. He earned his law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University.

Yager works with clients in a range of industries on matters related to trademark enforcement, trade secret litigation, defense of IP portfolios and other areas of concern for businesses. He also has experience with complex commercial litigation in federal and state courts, handling issues including contract disputes, as well as copyright, trademark and non-compete agreements.

Yager previously served as corporate counsel for a power company, providing legal counsel on the company’s development of power generation and electric transmission infrastructure throughout the United States, as well as managing outside counsel on litigation-related issues. He earned his law degree (magna cum laude) from Saint Louis University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) from the University of Missouri.

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Thomas F. Bush has joined the Freeborn & Peters LLP’s Chicago office as a partner and member of the Litigation Practice Group and Insurance/Reinsurance Industry Group.

“We are enthusiastic about welcoming Tom to Freeborn and to our team serving the insurance and reinsurance industry,” said Freeborn’s Co-Managing Partner Michael A. Moynihan. “Tom brings to the firm decades of experience handling diverse litigation and other matters for insurers and reinsurers.”

In a release, the firm said Bush has experience in complex litigation involving antitrust, insurance and reinsurance matters. He has been involved in the representation of lawsuits and arbitrations for global reinsurers in disputes arising from large-scale losses. In addition, he represents and counsels insurance companies and investment firms on antitrust compliance and on competition issues arising in mergers and acquisitions.

Most recently, Bush was a partner and co-chair of the Antitrust Litigation Practice Group at Locke Lord LLP in Chicago. He served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Collins J. Seitz of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Mr. Bush earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and his Bachelor of Arts (magna cum laude) from Dartmouth College.

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Michael Best announced that John Sheehan has joined its Environmental & Natural Resources Practice Group as a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office.

Sheehan, who joins from a national firm in Washington, previously served as a senior trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice in its Environmental and Natural Resources Division for more than 13 years, during which time he also served as a special counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and as a special advisor in EPA’s Office of General Counsel.

“John has more than 30 years of experience in environmental law and corporate litigation – including involvement in some of the most high-profile environmental law cases during that time,” said David Krutz, Michael Best’s Firm Managing Partner. “The combination of his public sector experience at the United States Department of Justice and his private sector experience over the last decade gives him a valuable perspective which will be of great value to clients facing an ever-changing regulatory environment.”

In a news release, the firm said:

Among his cases, Sheehan represented a state government in its lawsuit against BP following the Deepwater Horizon disaster. He regularly counsels municipal and state governments, private corporations, and trade associations in actions brought by environmental regulatory agencies, helping clients navigate complex federal and state regulations.

Sheehan also advises clients in enforcement defense cases and transaction deals under key environmental statutes. He has extensive knowledge of the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and Superfund.

“Michael Best’s team of environmental lawyers understands the law and the science of regulations while balancing client needs – and the firm is also well known for strategically guiding clients through the entire business cycle,” Sheehan said. “Those are qualities that will be especially important in the months and years ahead, given the momentous changes and challenges in Washington and evolving environmental concerns around the world.”

Sheehan earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.A. from Georgetown University. In 1994 and 1997, he was awarded the special achievement award from the U.S. Department of Justice. Sheehan also received a special merit award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of General Counsel in 2001. In Sheehan’s spare time, he volunteers as a youth basketball coach.

Akerman LLP announced trusts and estates associate Dale Noll has been installed as president of the National LGBT Bar Association, the country’s largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied legal professionals.

During the 2017-2018 term, Noll will preside over the 29th annual Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair, the legal sector’s leading event for lawyers, law students, law firms and government agencies to exchange insights about important issues for the LGBT community. Last year’s Lavender Law conference had more than 1,300 attendees. As president, Noll also will work with the board of directors to advance the National LGBT Bar Association’s mission to promote advocacy and equal access to justice for the diverse LGBT community.

In a news release, the firm said:

Noll has devoted his legal career to advancing the LGBT community. He began his efforts while attending the University of Miami Law School, where he served as co-president of the LGBT student advocacy group OUTlaw. He graduated magna cum laude in 2012 and joined the National LGBT Bar Association as a member of its finance committee for two years. He was later appointed to the board of directors as treasurer and most recently served as president-elect of the organization. Noll also is a former co-chair of the Miami Dade County Gay and Lesbian Lawyers Association and a previous gala committee member of the Broward County Gay and Lesbian Lawyers Network. He regularly speaks on marriage equality and estate planning issues for alternative families and same sex couples.

At Akerman, Noll represents trustees, personal representatives and beneficiaries in a wide variety of fiduciary issues and assists them in their roles as fiduciaries in administering estates and trusts. A particular focus of his practice is the representation of fiduciaries, beneficiaries and other interested parties in high-conflict, complex and high-profile guardianship, trust and probate matters.

Akerman is recognized as one of the nation’s most diverse and inclusive law firms. Advocacy for equal opportunity within the legal profession, as well as within the community at large, is a significant part of the firm’s history. Akerman received its third, perfect 100 percent rating in the 2017 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the national benchmarking survey administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for workplace inclusion and equality, earning recognition as a “Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality.”

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Stinson Leonard Street LLP announced that Stuart Funderburg joined the firm as a partner in the Decatur, Ill. office.

Funderburg joins the firm from Fortune 50 company, Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), where he has worked since 1998, most recently serving in the role of Chief Corporate & Securities Counsel and Assistant Secretary. In this role, he led ADM’s securities law compliance, capital markets and corporate governance efforts. Funderburg also previously served as Associate General Counsel for ADM’s Europe, Asia and Africa operating regions, working closely with senior management to advise on a wide variety of complex legal matters, as well as assisting with the development of business strategy and evaluation of potential transactions.

He works in securities law compliance, capital markets and corporate governance matters, complex transactional matters, including joint ventures and strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions and commercial transactional matters.

“Having served as the lead securities lawyer for one of the largest companies in the world, Stuart has led a wide variety of large, complex transactions, including significant capital markets transactions. In addition, Stuart brings with him to Stinson a unique understanding of how best outside counsel can serve their clients in order to plan, strategize and solve problems effectively and efficiently,” said Jack Bowling, the co-chair of the firm’s corporate finance group. “Our clients will benefit from the addition of Stuart to our deep bench of corporate finance attorneys.”

“Stuart is an incredibly talented attorney who knows the agribusiness industry from the inside out. He has the kind of experience and industry knowledge our clients demand. He has closed multi-million and multi-billion dollar financial transactions around the globe for a Fortune 50 company for nearly two decades,” said Scott Roberts, the managing partner of the firm’s Decatur office. “We are thrilled that he is joining our team.”

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DLA Piper announced the addition of Eric P. Christofferson, a former assistant US attorney, to the firm’s litigation practice as a partner in the Boston office.

For the past six years, Christofferson served in the US Attorney’s Office in Boston, primarily with the Criminal Division’s Economic Crimes Unit. He investigated and prosecuted Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, insider trading, securities fraud, tax fraud and mortgage fraud and has tried nine criminal cases to verdict. He also worked closely with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

“Eric immediately enhances our global white collar and investigations platforms, as well as our national trial bench,” said Loren Brown, co-chair of DLA Piper’s global and US Litigation practices. “Our clients will value his counsel as they continue to navigate a complex regulatory and enforcement environment.”

Prior to his time as a US attorney, Christofferson worked for Ropes & Gray in Boston focusing on white collar and complex civil litigation for clients in various industries, including life sciences and financial services. He’s the latest addition to DLA Piper’s Litigation practice in recent months, following David Sager (Short Hills, New Jersey), George Karavetsos (Miami), Thiru Vignarajah (Baltimore), Matthew Graves (Washington, DC) and Louis Ramos (Washington, DC).

“Eric is a highly respected assistant US attorney and prosecutor in Boston, and his reputation in the white collar community, along with his experience and relationships, will greatly enhance the capabilities of our office,” said John Rattigan, managing partner of DLA Piper’s Boston office. “Our region continues to grow and thrive, and Eric’s broad experience in key industries will be extremely useful to our clients.”

Christofferson received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center, and his A.B., cum laude, from Harvard College.

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Freeborn & Peters LLP announces that attorneys Kenneth M. Crane and Rita W. Garry have joined the firm’s Chicago office as members of the Corporate Practice Group. Crane is a partner and Garry serves as senior counsel.

“Kenneth and Rita both bring extensive experience in corporate and business law matters on behalf of clients in diverse industries,” said Freeborn’s Co-Managing Partner Michael A. Moynihan. “We are enthusiastic about having these two join our corporate practice, which focuses on helping middle-market companies and businesses of all sizes meet their challenges and achieve their full potential.”

In a news release, the firm said:

Crane is a deal lawyer who represents private equity, venture capital and family office clients, focusing on acquisitions and sale transactions. He works with entrepreneurs and companies from inception through closing of realization transactions. He also represents the portfolio companies of his private equity, emerging growth and other clients in a wide range of commercial transactions and legal matters, including equity-based compensation plans, manufacturing, distribution and sales agreements, and intellectual property licensing and development. Crane most recently was a partner with Perkins Coie LLP.

Crane earned his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Garry focuses her practice on serving as outside general counsel to many small and middle market companies across an array of industries. With over 30+ years’ experience, Garry works closely with business owners, executive management teams, and stakeholders throughout the business’ life cycles, including entity design and maintenance, commercial transactions, mergers, acquisitions, business sales, joint ventures, corporate governance and succession planning. Additionally, Garry works to assist clients in capital market transactions and finance, including private securities offerings under Regulation D and the new equity crowdfunding exemption. She most recently was a corporate and transactional partner at Golan Christie Taglia LLP. Previously, she served as a partner and chair of the corporate practice group at SmithAmundsen LLC.

Garry earned her law degree from Boston University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from Lake Forest College.

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Quarles & Brady LLP announced that partner Edward A. Salanga has been named national chair of the Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice group, and partner Joshua D. Maggard will assume the newly established role of vice-chair of the Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group, effective immediately.

Salanga succeeds Kevin M. Long, who has been the national chair of the Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group for the past 10 years. Long will continue to serve on the Executive Committee (EC), as well as focus on his litigation practice in the firm’s Milwaukee office.

“Ed and I have worked together for many years and I am confident that he and Josh, who have more than 30 years of combined experience at the firm, will be outstanding leaders for the Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution group,” said Long. “Ed is a well-respected member of the community with stellar litigation capabilities and a thoughtful approach to the firm and client matters and I look forward to seeing him advance the ongoing success of the group.”

Having been with the firm for 17 years, Salanga previously served as the chair of the Commercial Litigation Group in the Phoenix office and co-chair of the Real Estate and Construction Litigation Committee. He focuses his practice on construction and commercial litigation disputes. Following Salanga’s transition, John M. O’Neal will serve as chair of the Commercial Litigation Group in Phoenix.

“I am grateful for Kevin’s years of dedicated leadership,” said Salanga. “Together, with the support of Josh, I look forward to continuing the success of the group.”

As partner in the firm’s Milwaukee office, Maggard focuses his commercial litigation practice on class action defense and professional liability defense. He has also served on several technology-focused groups and firm committees.

“I am thrilled to assume this new position and to help shape the future of the Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution group,” said Maggard. “I look forward to collaborating with Ed to continue to develop and strengthen the relationships with litigators across the firm.”

Salanga has received several recognitions for his work including being named by The Best Lawyers in America® in 2013-2016 and receiving Martindale-Hubbell AV® Peer Review Rating. He was a member of the Graduate of Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellows Program, and named Top Pro Bono Attorney by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education in 2005.

Maggard is active in the firm’s pro bono group, representing clients on appellate issues before the Seventh Circuit. He is also the membership co-chair of the ABA’s Professional Liability Litigation Committee, and a member of Advocate Designation for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.

Salanga received his B.S. from Vanderbilt University, and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Maggard received his B.A. from Taylor Univiersty and his J.D., cum laude, from Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law.

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Akerman LLP announced the the addition of partners Allison Nelson and Lori Albert and associates William Garehime and Kelly Adams from Fennemore Craig to the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group.

In a release, the firm said:

“Growing client needs across the real estate and construction sector continue to drive the expansion of our practice,” said Richard Bezold, chair of Akerman’s Real Estate Practice Group, which is ranked sixth by Law360 among the largest teams of real estate lawyers in the United States. “Allison leads a highly skilled team who operate at the intersection of the real estate and healthcare economies. These lawyers add important depth to our national and local capabilities as shifting federal and state policy agendas produce new opportunities and challenges for our clients.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Allison and her team to the Denver office, where we have diverse practices in the financial services, real estate, healthcare and life sciences sectors,” said Justin Balser, Akerman’s Denver office managing partner. “Their deep experience in complex transactions and compliance investigations will provide immediate value to our clients in Denver and nationwide.”

Nelson focuses her national practice on the representation of public and private healthcare systems in complex real estate transactions and joint-ventures, and in mergers and acquisitions. She partners with clients to construct and improve legal, business, and compliance systems to manage their U.S. healthcare real estate portfolios and navigate through real estate compliance investigations by the U.S. Office of Inspector General. Nelson also regularly represents commercial developers in refinancing and acquisition of Colorado properties.

Prior to Fennemore Craig, Nelson was the chair of the real estate transactions practice group at Polsinelli where she served as lead real estate counsel in the $1.2 billion acquisition of a five-campus hospital system in Houston, Texas.

Albert represents national healthcare organizations, as well as Fortune 500 companies, developers, and investors in acquisition, disposition, and financing transactions involving all types of real estate. She has negotiated numerous leases, subleases, and other lease-related transactions for healthcare providers, and ensures such arrangements are compliant with the Stark Law, Anti-kickback Statute, and other federal and state healthcare regulations. In the community, Albert serves on the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Infrastructure Committee.

Real estate associates Garehime and Adams also principally focus their practice on healthcare real estate transactions. As a group, Nelson, Albert, Garehime and Adams are responsible for closing more than 500 healthcare leasing, development and acquisition projects annually across the United States.

Denver marks the latest growth for the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group. Akerman previously welcomed a real estate and land use team in Los Angeles led by partner Ellen Berkowitz from Gresham Savage; real estate litigation partner Michael Weiss from Lewis Brisbois in Los Angeles, hospitality litigation partner Joshua Bernstein from Pryor Cashman in New York and real estate transactional partner Thomas Diorio from Nixon Peabody in New York.

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Dykema Cox Smith announced the addition of IP lawyerVan Lindberg to its Intellectual Property group in the firm’s San Antonio office. Lindberg will be focusing his practice on the intersection of technology and law.

Lindberg was most recently Vice President of Intellectual Property at Rackspace, where he led Rackspace’s defense against patent trolls and worked to end patent law abuse. Lindberg also played a role in Rackspace’s relationships with open source communities, serving as Rackspace’s representative before the OpenStack Foundation, Linux Foundation, and on the advisory board for Docker, Inc. He also served as its Vice President of Technology, developing and leading a technical executive program for the most highly skilled tech employees across all business units and advising on the company’s technical strategy.

“I’m excited to join Dykema,” said Lindberg. “The firm impressed me with both the depth of its team as well as its devotion to client service.”

In a release, the firm said:

Lindberg was named as one of “America’s Top 12 Techiest Attorneys” by the American Bar Association in 2012, and is author of the book Intellectual Property and Open Source. He is a former Chairman and current General Counsel and Member of the Python Software Foundation Board of Directors.

“Van’s reputation and extensive background precede him,” said Dan Harkins, Office Managing Member of Dykema Cox Smith’s San Antonio office and member of the firm’s IP group. “We’re obviously thrilled that he’s joining us. His deep knowledge and experience in patent and technology transfer matters, combined with his highly technical experience in the world of open source software, will be of great benefit to not only our clients, but to the entire firm as well.”

Prior to his work with Rackspace, Lindberg was with Haynes and Boone, LLP, representing companies in high-stakes patent litigation and inter partes review proceedings. Lindberg received his J.D. and a B.S. in both Computer Engineering and History from Brigham Young University.

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McKool Smith has announced that Frank Vecella, the former associate general counsel of litigation at Ericsson Inc., has joined the firm as a principal in its Dallas office. Vecella was with Ericsson for 16 years and managed and supervised all of the company’s significant litigation in the United States and Canada, and often provided guidance with respect to Ericsson’s major disputes around the world.

“Ericsson is a long-time client and Frank has been a very dear friend of the firm for many years,” said McKool Smith managing principal David Sochia. “We couldn’t be more excited to have Frank with us. He has significant litigation and industry expertise, and his in-house counsel perspective will be invaluable to the firm as we continue to strengthen our client service initiatives.”

Prior to joining Ericsson, Vecella was a senior partner at Jackson Walker L.L.P., where he worked for 18 years.

Read details about Vecella’s career move.

Barnes & Thornburg LLP has added Bill Jones, former general counsel to Texas Gov. Rick Perry, to its Dallas and Washington, D.C., offices as a partner in the Government Services and Finance Department.

Upon leaving the governor’s office in 2003 and entering private practice, Jones counsels clients on a variety of matters before state and federal agencies and on legislative matters. He has represented numerous clients in the public law arena, including oil and gas companies before the Texas Railroad Commission, landowners before the Texas Public Utility Commission, and various clients before the Texas Office of the Attorney General, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Texas Department of Transportation and other state agencies. He also has represented clients in matters at the U.S. Department of Energy.

In a news release, the firm said:

“Bill’s experience in public service has made him adept in managing complex proceedings and investigations for clients that involve local, state and federal administrative and regulatory agencies,” said Bruce Donaldson, chair of Barnes & Thornburg’s Government Services and Finance Department. “He’s a valuable addition to our multidisciplinary team and also gives us additional boots on the ground in Texas and Washington, D.C., to advise clients on virtually all aspects of government.”

Jones served in the governor’s office from 2000 to 2003, where he advised on all legal, regulatory and legislative matters, including economic development, contract negotiations, policy review and the monitoring of settlements and litigation. He later entered into private practice and worked as a partner at two large law firms before launching his own law practice, The Jones Firm.

“Bill is a self-starter and natural leader, which are qualities we’re seeking for our young, but growing, Dallas office,” said Mark Bayer, managing partner of the firm’s Dallas office. “We’re gaining a premier practitioner in government-related law, including regulatory issues with most Texas agencies, and Bill benefits from the firm’s national platform including our strong Washington, D.C. office.”

With the addition of Jones, Barnes & Thornburg’s Dallas office now has 12 attorneys since opening in 2015, and its roster spans many of the firm’s sophisticated practices, including corporate, intellectual property, labor and employment and litigation, to name a few.

Jones earned his J.D. from Baylor University School of Law and his B.S. from Texas A&M University. He is chairman emeritus of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents and serves as commissioner of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission. He will continue to reside in Austin, Texas.

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DLA Piper announced that Mary Dollarhide has joined the firm’s employment practice as a partner in the San Diego office.

Dollarhide has represented companies with a focus on wage and hour class actions and other employment matters for nearly 30 years, the firm said in a news release. She has experience defending clients in single-plaintiff cases involving sex or sexual orientation discrimination, executive misconduct, religious harassment, disability claims, breach of contract, theft of proprietary information and other related matters.

The release continues:

“We’ve recruited some wonderfully talented partners to our Employment practice in California over the past 5 years. Mary represents the capstone to these efforts. . She is remarkably talented, has had a distinguished career and now steps into an exciting opportunity joining DLA,“ said Michael Sheehan, DLA Piper’s global co-chair of Employment and chair of the US Employment practice. “California presents dynamic and unique challenges for employers. Mary’s breadth of experience working in multiple state and federal courts with an intimate knowledge of California labor laws will be valuable to our clients.”

Dollarhide’s addition builds upon the firm’s strategic growth in California this year. In January, Ron Holland, Ellen Bronchetti and Pankit Doshi joined the firm’s Employment practice in the San Francisco office. Also in January, Michael Brown joined the firm’s Corporate practice in San Diego.

“Mary is a marquee trial attorney and a proven leader with the skills to help our clients navigate complex, large-exposure and brand-threatening employment litigation,” said Troy Zander, managing partner of DLA Piper’s San Diego offices. “She has built a strong reputation in Southern California, and her arrival shows our commitment to attracting the state’s top talent while bolstering our bench of resourceful litigators.”

Dollarhide is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and was selected by the Southern District of California to serve a three-year term as a Lawyer Representative for the court. She is the co-author of the legal treatise, “Reductions in Force in Employment Law,” published by the Bureau of National Affairs.

Prior to joining DLA Piper, Dollaride spent her career at Paul Hastings LLP, most recently leading the Employment practice in San Diego. She received her J.D. from USC Gould School of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Southern California Law Review, and her B.A., with honors, from Occidental College.

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Benjamin Kozinn has joined Lowenstein Sandler LLP as a partner in the Investment Management Group. Kozinn joined Lowenstein Sandler from Claren Road Asset Management, LLC, a global credit-focused hedge fund formerly majority-owned by The Carlyle Group, where he served as General Counsel. Kozinn previously served as Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Director of Hedge Fund consulting in Deutsche Bank’s prime brokerage business.

Robert G. Minion, Chair of Lowenstein Sandler’s Investment Management Group, said, “Ben’s experience, business savvy, and in-depth knowledge of the issues facing funds, fund managers, and investors will be of immeasurable benefit to our clients. We are thrilled to have him as part of our team.”

In a release, the firm said:

Kozinn said, “I was drawn to Lowenstein Sandler because of the strength of its investment management practice and its ability to help funds navigate the increasingly complex terms and choices they face in today’s market. I am grateful to be part of such a strong team as we help steer our clients through an evolving market.”

“Ben brings value to every stage of the fund life cycle,” said Peter Greene, Vice-Chair of the Investment Management Group. “His experience on both the buy-side and sell-side will provide our clients with an edge in a rapidly evolving environment. Funds and investment managers need lawyers who have been on the frontlines and can provide proactive counsel to help avoid risks and turn challenges into prospects for growth.”

Kozinn is based in the firm’s New York office.

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Gardere labor and employment attorneys Cristina Portela Solomon and Rachel Powitzky Steely, and litigation attorneys Mary Elizondo Frazier and Mike Seely, have been elected to membership in the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation. Fellows of the Foundation are selected for their professional achievements and demonstrated commitment to the justice system throughout the state of Texas.

Selection as a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation is restricted to members of the State Bar of Texas. Each year, only one-third of 1 percent of State Bar members are invited to become Fellows. Once nominees are selected, they must be approved by the Texas Bar Foundation Board of Trustees. Membership has grown from an initial 255 charter members in 1965 to more than 9,000 Fellows throughout Texas today.

Founded in 1965 by lawyers determined to assist the public and improve the profession of law, the Texas Bar Foundation has maintained its mission of using the financial contributions of its membership to build a strong justice system for all Texans. To date, the Texas Bar Foundation has distributed more than $17 million throughout Texas to assist nonprofit organizations with a wide range of justice-related programs and services. More information about the Texas Bar Foundation can be accessed at www.txbf.org.

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Kenneth Freeling, of counsel at Covington & Burling and former Dewey & LeBoeuf litigation partner, died in a fall from his ninth-floor New York apartment Thursday, according to reports.

The New York Post quoted police reports saying Freeling, 59, had a history of mental illness and reported that Freeling had jumped to his death. He lived on the ninth floor of the building and landed on a second-floor terrace in view of witnesses in the building’s gym.

Above the Law reports that Freeling’s son, Samuel, committed suicide in 2013.

Read the NY Post article.

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The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP announced that Jennifer Sucher has joined the firm’s Chicago office in its Bankruptcy, Restructuring, and Creditor’s Rights Practice Group.

Sucher’s practice focuses on secured lending and leasing transactions, restructuring, bankruptcy and creditor’s rights. She has advised clients on a wide variety of issues involving healthcare finance, cash flow and asset based lending, franchise finance and commercial real estate. She spent 19 years working in-house as Executive Counsel at GE Capital and as Legal Operational Risk Manager at Heller Financial.

She received her law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago.

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Arent Fox LLP announces the addition of commercial litigator John S. Purcell as a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Purcell joins the firm’s Complex Litigation practice and focuses on class actions, intellectual property, media, and commercial litigation. His intellectual property practice includes litigation involving copyright, patent, trademark, idea theft, and unfair competition. He also has experience in construction, real estate, and environmental nuisance matters.

“We are thrilled to welcome John to the firm,” said Los Angeles Managing Partner Aaron H. Jacoby. “He will add to our deep bench of litigators who counsel clients strategically and efficiently, with an eye on ensuring we meet their business objectives. John’s diverse skillset and valuable courtroom experience is a great addition to our national litigation team.”

Previously a senior partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, Mr. Purcell has experience in federal and state courts on behalf of large commercial clients in the consumer electronics, telecommunications, and technology industries.

In a news release, the firm said the addition of Purcell is the most recent step in Arent Fox’s West Coast expansion, which prioritizes the growth of core practice areas that the firm boasts national and international capabilities in. The firm’s California offices recently added commercial litigator Brian P. Maschler in San Francisco and corporate finance attorney Samuel J. Miller in Los Angeles.

Purcell is a member of the California Bar. He earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Illinois, and his law degree from New York University School of Law, where he served as the Associate Editor of the NYU Review of Law and Social Change.

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Freeborn & Peters LLP announces that it is combining with the New York City firm of Hargraves, McConnell & Costigan P.C. The development, which establishes Freeborn’s first office in New York, represents a further geographic expansion for the Chicago-headquartered Freeborn, which last year combined with the Richmond, Va.-based Brenner, Evans & Millman P.C.

“A common client of the two firms urged the combination. We are always pleased when clients’ needs result in continuing strategic growth for the firm and for our internationally acclaimed insurance/reinsurance practice,” said Joseph T. McCullough IV, Leader of the Insurance/Reinsurance Practice Group and member of the Freeborn Executive Committee. “With the firm’s growing emphasis on international arbitration and litigation for other industries, New York is an ideal location in which to offer our sophisticated litigation capabilities. A presence in New York enables us to better serve our international, as well as domestic, clients.”

In a news release, the firm said:

The combination with Hargraves, McConnell & Costigan P.C. advances Freeborn’s strategy of geographically expanding its strongest practice areas when faced with demonstrable client demand. This objective is fulfilled through Hargraves’ strong reputation in the insurance and reinsurance industries in litigating and arbitrating disputes arising out of both domestic and international contracts. The combination also serves Hargraves by extending the scope, reach and depth of its practice.

“In seeking a partner for growth, there were very few other firms that had the same depth of knowledge and experience in insurance/reinsurance as Joe McCullough and his large team at Freeborn & Peters,” said Daniel Hargraves, Founder of Hargraves, McConnell & Costigan P.C. “We look forward to this combination and to collaborating with our new colleagues to the benefit of all our clients.”

Hargraves and his team in New York have extensive experience in complex commercial litigation and arbitrations across many industries, including reinsurance. He also has the unique distinction of being admitted to practice across three continents: before the Courts of the State of New York, U.S. Court of Appeals (Second and Third Circuits), and U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York; High Court of Justice of England and Wales; and Supreme Court of Queensland, High Court of Australia and Federal Courts of Australia.

According to Freeborn’s Co-Managing Partner Michael A. Moynihan, Freeborn has been able to maintain its independence and stature in a rapidly evolving profession by focusing on its strengths and expanding opportunistically from its legacy offices in Illinois. This is a testament to the firm’s dedication to its cultural identity, which enables it to attract well-credentialed attorneys with similar values.

“Our combination with Hargraves is a great example of our philosophy on growth,” Moynihan said. “We believe that practicing together with attorneys who share similar values produces superior legal results and best serves our clients. We anticipate additional expansion in other key markets for the firm.”

Freeborn plans to expand the New York office’s practice areas to include real estate, where the firm will draw on its existing national footprint to serve investors and developers in the multistate region in and around New York, and corporate law, where Freeborn will leverage its considerable experience with buyers and sellers of varying sizes to service clients with merger and acquisition needs in this region.

The combination will be complete on March 1, 2017. At that time, Freeborn will have four offices: Chicago; Springfield, Ill.; Richmond, Va.; and New York.

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