The Texas-based Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, LLP, announces that T. Hunter Lewis has rejoined the family law boutique as an associate in the Dallas office.

A family law litigator and appellate attorney, Lewis began his legal career at the firm in 2010, before moving to Kinser & Bates LLP in 2012. His practice is focused on divorce; child custody, possession and support matters; complex marital property division; pre- and post-marital agreements; questions of paternity; and LGBT-related issues.

“We were very happy to be able to bring Hunter back to our firm,” says firm co-founder Keith Nelson. “Having worked with him previously, we already know he is an exceptionally talented attorney who understands the excellent client service we’ve established at this firm and his experience will further complement our existing expertise in family law appellate cases.”

Lewis has been selected three times to the Texas Super Lawyers listing of the leading attorneys in the state based on his work in Family Law, a unique accomplishment for an attorney of his age. He also was selected to the 2016 The Best Lawyers in America listing and is a member of The National Advocates: Top 40 Under 40.

He is a frequent author and lecturer on Family Law topics and is active in local and statewide Family Law organizations, holding multiple leadership positions in the Family Law Section of the Dallas Bar Association and serving on the Legislative Bill Review and Auction committees of the Texas Family Law Foundation. He also serves on the Mock Trial Committee of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers.

Lewis is a 2010 graduate of Baylor University School of Law. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in 2007.

With 13 lawyers and offices in Dallas, San Antonio and Frisco, Texas, Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, LLP, is one of the largest firms in Texas focused solely on trials and appeals in family law cases, the firm said in a release. Five partners are Fellows in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Every firm partner is a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists and all are Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Orsinger holds additional board certification in Civil Appellate Law.

Diodes Inc. (Nasdaq: DIOD) and Pericom Semiconductor Corp. (Nasdaq: PSEM) have entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger that provides for the acquisition of Pericom by Diodes in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $400 million.

The boards of both companies have approved the transaction, which is still subject to approval by Pericom’s shareholders, as well as other customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. It is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Latham & Watkins represents Pericom Semiconductor in the transaction with a corporate team led from the firm’s Silicon Valley office by partner Tad Freese, with associates Chad Rolston, Benjamin Liss and Jeremy Gibb. Advice has also been provided on intellectual property matter by partner Anthony Klein and associates Isabel Chon and Nicole Fritz; on tax matters by partner Grace Chen and associate Jessica Chen; on employee benefits matters by partner Jay Metz and associate Lilly Fang; and on antitrust matters by partner Joshua Holian. All of the attorneys are based in Silicon Valley, except for Grace Chen and Joshua Holian who are based in San Francisco.

Farrell Fritz’s Director of Finance, Michael (Mike) L. Fallarino, will be a recipient of Long Island Business News’ “CFO of the Year” award. He will be honored at a reception on Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 6 p.m. at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, NY.

Fallarino, a Levittown, NY, resident, joined Farrell Fritz in 1996. He has in-depth experience in all financial matters, including financial statements and analyses, budgeting, billing, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, benefit administration, insurance and accounting systems, the firm said in a release.

The release continues:

Outside of work, Mike supports the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island. As current vice chairman, he sits on several committees, including the executive, finance and audit committees. Prior to joining the board of directors in 2012, he was a member of the business advisory board. Mike has also been an active member in his community, serving on many boards and organizations.

The CFO of the Year program will recognize Long Island’s top financial officers for their outstanding fiscal leadership and asset management, contributions to their company’s performance, their contribution and commitment to their profession and organizations, as well as their involvement in the community.

Hogan Lovells announcse that Peter H. Walsh will join the firm as a partner in the Litigation & Arbitration practice group, co-located in the firm’s Minneapolis and Denver offices.

Walsh joins Hogan Lovells from UnitedHealth Group (UHG), where he was Senior Deputy General Counsel and Chief of Litigation and Government Investigations. Before that he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Denver.

“Peter’s significant experience as a public-company executive and government official and his proven ability to provide practical solutions to clients will be an invaluable asset to the firm,” said Dennis Tracey, head of Hogan Lovells’ Litigation practice for the Americas. “He is a strong and versatile litigator with true leadership skills and an extraordinary track record.”

During his eight-year tenure as a senior executive at UHG, a Fortune 14 international healthcare company, Walsh gained extensive crisis management and healthcare experience, the firm said in a release. He handled the most significant legal matters, including the largest stock-option backdating investigation in U.S. history, numerous congressional and government investigations and hundreds of cases ranging from regulatory enforcement proceedings to complex securities and healthcare class actions.

“Peter has earned tremendous respect in the Minnesota business community and beyond. He will be a valuable asset to our Minneapolis office and to our clients. I’m thrilled he’s part of the Hogan Lovells team,” said Norm Coleman, former Minnesota U.S. Senator and Of Counsel with Hogan Lovells.

As a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado in Denver, Walsh obtained convictions in a variety of high-profile securities, tax, accounting, and other economic-crimes investigations and jury trials. Throughout his career, Walsh has worked closely with numerous federal and state regulators and law enforcement agencies, from the SEC, FBI and IRS to state Attorney’s General and local police.

“As a Minneapolis resident who spent nine years practicing law in Denver, Peter is well-equipped to collaborate with teams in both offices seamlessly,” said Cole Finegan, Hogan Lovells’ regional managing partner for the Americas as well as managing partner for the Denver Office. “His familiarity with the companies, challenges, and opportunities in both regions is truly unique.”

Walsh earned his B.A. in History from Middlebury College and his J.D. from Harvard Law School. He began his legal career in 1997 at Hogan & Hartson, which later became Hogan Lovells.

About Hogan Lovells

Hogan Lovells is a leading global legal practice providing business-oriented legal advice and high-quality service across its exceptional breadth of practices to clients around the world.

“Hogan Lovells” or the “firm” is an international legal practice that includes Hogan Lovells US LLP and Hogan Lovells International LLP. For more information, see www.hoganlovells.com.

A new company, Morae Legal, has begun operating, offering law department management consulting, outsourced legal services, discovery consulting and services, and claims management services.

“Law departments no longer have the luxury of viewing themselves as firefighters immune to the use of strategy, process and technology,” said Shahzad Bashir, Morae’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Today, they face the same pressures and need similar solutions as the rest of the business.”

“Days when law departments could focus solely on legal advocacy and rely on the best legal outcome, no matter the cost, are long gone. Today, they must apply processes, data and metrics to make informed and better business and economic decisions,” he continued.

“Law departments looking to improve their business performance are looking for a full service integrated solution provider to turn to for advice, as their counterparts like the Chief Financial Officer or the Chief Information Officer have had. Today, Morae Legal is just that kind of provider for the Office of the General Counsel. And this is not theoretical. Morae Legal has been created from the ground up to be exactly that — a single integrated service provider to law departments.”

Visit Morae Legal’s website.

DLA Piper announces that Henry duPont Ridgely, senior counsel in the firm’s Wilmington office and former Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court, has been appointed an advisor to the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section.

Justice Ridgely will begin his two-year term in September at the end of the 2015 Business Law Section Annual Meeting in Chicago. The Business Law Advisors Committee works to enhance the section’s educational opportunities through shared wisdom and experience of prominent individuals with distinguished records as practitioners, teachers or government officials in areas in which the section’s Substantive Committees are active. Justice Ridgely will be appointed to two of those Substantive Committees.

Justice Ridgely joined DLA Piper in March 2015.

In a release, the firm said he has a distinguished record of more than 30 years as a jurist in Delaware and served on the state’s Supreme Court for more than a decade, where he participated in more than 700 published opinions. Earlier this year, Delaware Governor Jack Markell awarded Justice Ridgely the Order of the First State, the highest recognition the governor can give for outstanding efforts, knowledge, integrity, prudence and ability in serving the State of Delaware.

At DLA Piper, Justice Ridgely focuses his practice on advising corporations, boards, special committees and individual directors and officers on transaction structure, fiduciary duties and managing and defending litigation at the trial and appellate level. He also can act as a mediator, arbitrator or independent monitor. 

About DLA Piper (www.dlapiper.com)
DLA Piper is a global law firm located in more than 30 countries throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, positioning it to help companies with their legal needs around the world. In certain jurisdictions, this information may be considered attorney advertising.

eTERA Consulting, an internationally recognized and award-winning leader in data and technology management, has announced that Eric Laurent-Ricard has joined the company’s highly successful All1ance One Partner Program.

In a release, eTERA said the All1ance One Partner Program provides many ways for business partners to expand their business, win more clients and increase revenue by offering their clients a full range of eDiscovery services throughout the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM).

“I have spent my career working with European law enforcement agencies on computer forensics and security,” said Eric Laurent-Ricard. “My vast experience on these fronts has allowed me to build strong relationships across Europe, and I look forward to the opportunity to assist eTERA in expanding their operations in Europe. Having worked closely with eTERA’s Managing Director of Europe, Greg Bufithis, I am confident in the company’s ability to solve the challenges faced by corporations related to information governance, government investigations and multinational litigation, and am excited to connect them with my network.”

“We are very excited to have Eric and his team as part of the All1ance One Partner Program,” said Mary McGinness, eTERA’s All1ance One Manager. “We are sure that Eric’s unique background, along with his European network, will be very beneficial to eTERA’s strategic growth in the European market.”

“Since launching our European operations in 2014, we have gained significant insight into the critical need for data and technology management services in Europe,” said Greg Bufithis, eTERA’s Managing Director of Europe. “We are fortunate to add an additional trusted partner, which will allow us to grow our already broad understanding of European legal regulations, business processes and cultural constructs.”

The release continues:

eTERA Consulting’s All1ance One Partner Program offers two partnership categories including Connectors and Associates. The All1ance One Partner Program helps eTERA’s partners maximize their revenue potential across the EDRM. For more information about becoming an eTERA Consulting All1ance One Partner, please contact Mary McGinness at all1anceone@eteraconsulting.com.

About eTERA Consulting 

Founded in 2004, eTERA Consulting is an international, award winning organization selected by clients to help solve the challenges of complex, big data projects in the areas of information governance, investigations, litigation, regulatory compliance, and security breach response. “Built by the clients, for the clients™,” eTERA has a successful track record providing customized data management solutions and services to Fortune 500 companies and the Am Law 100 at the intersection where legal, data analytics, security, and information technology meet.  eTERA’s experienced subject matter experts ensure client engagement success through application of best practices, leading technologies, and proven project management methodologies combined with exceptional customer service. Having passed the most stringent security audits, eTERA is trusted by the world’s largest insurance, financial services, pharmaceutical, and energy companies. eTERA was selected by the Legal Times in 2014 as Best End-to-End Litigation Consulting Firm and as the nation’s top End-to-End eDiscovery Company by the National Law Journal for four consecutive years. Headquartered in Washington DC, eTERA maintains offices in Chicago, Brussels, London, and Paris. For more information about eTERA, please visit www.eteraconsulting.com. 

About Eric Laurent-Ricard 

Eric Laurent-Ricard is a member of various expert witness companies and has a Ph.D. in computer science. Eric created the first French commercial Internet service provider in 1993, which he then sold to Qwest in 1997. Along with his business expertise of helping new startups, he has been working closely with nonprofit professional organizations, mainly in the fields of security, electronic signature, Trusted Third parties and standardization. He is a lecturer in Paris II University on internet protocols, ID and security, forensics, and cryptographic technologies. His LinkedIn page is https://www.linkedin.com/pub/eric-laurent-ricard/0/30/b31.

IRVINE, CA & ALPHARETTA, GA – Neudesic and Handshake Software, provider of SharePoint-based products and services to the legal market, announces that The Firm Directory, a people-based expertise location system for law firms and legal departments built on the Pulse collaboration platform, will integrate with Handshake Software’s SharePoint-based Portals, Enterprise Search and data-driven Expertise Locator products.

“We work with both Handshake and Neudesic, and they deliver great results. So we’re excited that they’re teaming up, and we look forward to what comes out of their collaboration,” said Patrick DiDomenico, director of knowledge management at Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.

In a release, the companies said “the partnership combines the best in class Neudesic Firm Directory, featuring people-centric profiles that enable the capture and discovery of experience, with Handshake Software’s leading portal solutions for the legal industry. Clients can now utilize The Firm Directory’s skills taxonomy to surface attorney experience, which is now integrated with Handshake Software’s data-driven attorney expertise from financial and other line-of-business systems, time entries, documents and contacts.”

The Firm Directory’s secure social collaboration features from the Neudesic Pulse platform will also add new capabilities that will enable Handshake customers to decrease dependency on email with a knowledge management community within their portal.

Glenn LaForce, Handshake Software’s vice president of global sales & marketing, said, “The Neudesic Firm Directory partnership brings two key benefits the market has been asking for: social collaboration around clients, matters and practice areas; and a 360-degree view of firm expertise from firm data and people-derived information.”

“Our partnership with Handshake Software will deliver greater value for legal industry clients by helping firms accelerate the benefits of expertise discovery and social collaboration within their SharePoint intranets.” said Ramin Vosough, vice president of products at Neudesic.

The Firm Directory will be in Booth 529 and Handshake Software in Booth 407/409 at the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) Annual Conference in Las Vegas, August 31 – Sept. 3, 2015.

The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP announces that Washington, D.C. partner Brenda Maloney Shafer has been appointed Vice Chair of the Military and Veterans Health Law Task Force for the American Bar Association (ABA) Health Law Section.

Shafer will serve a one-year term, beginning on Sept. 1, 2015. She has past military experience, serving as a United States Army nurse corps officer.

Shafer is a member of the firm’s Health Law Practice Group. She focuses her practice primarily in health law, and in particular, health care regulatory and transactional work. She received her law degree, cum laude, from the University of New Mexico, her master of laws in health law from Saint Louis University, and her bachelor of science in nursing degree from Creighton University.

Thompson Coburn announced that 125 of the firm’s attorneys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2016 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.

The number of Thompson Coburn attorneys on the list is up from 112 last year and includes attorneys from 62 practice areas, the firm said in a release. With 101 attorneys listed, Thompson Coburn was also the top-listed firm in St. Louis and in Missouri. The firm is also top-listed in Belleville, Illinois with three lawyers listed. The Best Lawyers selection process is a rigorous and comprehensive one, involving detailed evaluations of attorneys by their peers.

The release continues:

The firm offers special congratulations to the twelve attorneys appearing on the list for the first time:

• Douglas Baron – Real Estate Law
• Christopher “Kit” Bond – Government Relations Practice
• Cathryn Conrad – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
• John Farmer – Admiralty and Maritime Law
• Joyce Harris Hennessy – Health Care Law
• David Jinkins – Copyright Law
• Joan Lebow – Health Care Law
• Michael Parks – Litigation – Intellectual Property
• Teresa Polino – International Trade and Finance Law
• Steven Ritchey – Patent Law
• Todd Rowden – Commercial Litigation
• Gayle Smith – Real Estate Law

Also, congratulations to Fred Arnold and Stan Walch, who have been included on the Best Lawyers list for 30 years; and to Ed Buchholz, Tom Corbett, Steve Cupples, Pete Fanchi, Paul Griesemer, Larry Katzenstein, Mike Lause, Rick Lawton, Ray Massey, Michael O’Keefe, Mark Sableman, and David Warfield, who have made the list for 20 years or more.

Click here for the complete list of Thompson Coburn attorneys who are included in the 2016 Best Lawyers.

Seven Farrell Fritz partners have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2016. Only 4 percent of attorneys in the United States are recognized with this honor, the firm said.

The partners and the fields in which they are being recognized are: John (Jack) Barnosky (Trusts & Estates and Litigation – Trusts & Estates); Ilene Sherwyn Cooper, John R. Morken and Eric W. Penzer (Litigation – Trusts & Estates); Domenique Camacho Moran (Employment Law – Management); Jeffrey P. Rust (Health Care Law) and Robert E. Sandler (Real Estate Law).

Barnosky, a Halesite, NY resident, earned his LL.M. degree from New York University School of Law, his J.D. degree from St. John’s University School of Law and his A.B. degree from Assumption College. Cooper, a Huntington, NY resident, earned her J.D. degree from Hofstra University School of Law and her B.A. degree from Cornell University. Morken, a Centerport, NY resident, earned his J.D. degree from New York University School of Law and his B.A. degree from Swarthmore College. Penzer, a Melville, NY resident, earned his J.D. degree from Fordham University School of Law and his B.A. degree from SUNY Stony Brook. Moran, a Rockville Centre, NY resident, earned her J.D. degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School and her B.A. degree from SUNY Stony Brook. Mr. Rust, a Garden City, NY resident, earned his J.D. degree from The University of Akron School of Law, his M.B.A. from The University of Akron College of Business and his B.S. degree from SUNY College at Geneseo. Sandler, a Dix Hills, NY resident, earned his J.D. degree from St. John’s University School of Law, his Master’s degree from Hunter College and his B.A. degree from American University.

Best Lawyers© is the oldest and most respected peer review publication in the legal profession, the firm said in a release. A listing in Best Lawyers© is widely regarded by legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers within the same geographical area and legal practice area.

Foley & Lardner LLP announced that James Matthews and Katy Koski have joined the firm’s Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice and Life Sciences Industry Team as partners in the Boston office.

Matthews and Koski focus their practices on litigating complex business disputes, specializing in the life sciences industry. For nearly a decade, they have represented a wide range of pharmaceutical industry clients in novel civil enforcement actions challenging a wide variety of business conduct. This work includes representing manufacturers in novel claims challenging the development, promotion and sale of prescription pain medications and testosterone replacement therapies.

For many years, Matthews has been lead national counsel for one of the world’s largest drug manufacturers, coordinating the defense of more than 50 separate lawsuits challenging industry-wide pricing practices pending in state and federal courts around the country, including a qui tam action under the federal False Claims Act (FCA) and numerous civil enforcement actions brought by state attorneys general alleging violations of a variety of state statutes, including state false claims acts.

“James and Katy have an impressive track record defending pharmaceutical companies from major government investigations and other litigation matters. They will help deepen our experience in handling multi-jurisdictional cases and other complex cases throughout the country,” said Foley Litigation Department chair Michael Tuteur.

Matthews has substantial experience representing life sciences and technology companies in commercial disputes pending in courts and before arbitrators throughout the country. His practice extends to antitrust actions, including Walker Process and Pay-for-Delay claims, contract disputes and civil enforcement actions.

Koski’s practice also involves complex commercial contract disputes, business torts and intellectual property matters. She has previous experience defending large law firms and individual practitioners against legal malpractice claims.

“Our Boston office has established a strong litigation presence and life sciences practice. James and Katy bring a winning combination of expertise in both areas that will benefit our clients locally and nationally,” said Susan Pravda, managing partner of Foley’s Boston office.

Prior to joining Foley, Matthews and Koski were partners at K&L Gates.

About Foley & Lardner LLP
Foley & Lardner LLP is a corporate law firm that provides legal and related services for complex issues facing companies today. With approximately 900 attorneys in 20 offices, Foley combines international reach with a local focus across a full range of legal services in various industries, including technology, health care, sports and manufacturing. Foley has been recognized by clients and the legal industry for its strong commitment to client service excellence and innovation. Learn more at Foley.com.

Ellucian, TPG Capital and Leonard Green Partners have announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which TPG and Leonard Green will acquire a majority interest in Ellucian, the leading global provider for higher education software and services. As detailed in the company-issued press release below, the transaction is expected to close before the end of 2015, subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals.

Latham & Watkins LLP represents Leonard Green in the transaction with a corporate deal team led by New York partners Howard Sobel and Paul Kukish, with associate Spencer Ricks. Advice also was provided on finance matters by Washington, D.C. partner Jennifer Van Driesen; on tax matters by Chicago partner Joseph Kronsnoble; on antitrust matters by Brussels partner Héctor Armengod; and on benefits and compensation matters by New York associate Austin Ozawa.

From the release:

FAIRFAX, Va. & SAN FRANCISCO & LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ellucian, the leading global provider for higher education software and services, today announced that TPG Capital (“TPG”) and Leonard Green Partners (“Leonard Green”) have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority interest in Ellucian from Hellman & Friedman (“H&F”) and co-investor JMI Equity.

“We are delighted to welcome TPG and Leonard Green to the Ellucian team,” said Jeff Ray, chief executive officer of Ellucian, who will continue to lead the organization. “Their investment validates and enhances our growth strategy and underscores our commitment to our customers and the success of their students. We believe TPG and Leonard Green will be tremendous partners as we work to accelerate our cloud offering, enhance our student information systems, and broaden our product portfolio. We also would like to thank H&F for supporting our company’s growth over the past six years. We have enjoyed a strong partnership and look forward to building on our success for years to come.”

“Ellucian’s industry leadership, global reach, management depth, and deep vertical focus on enabling higher education institutions to leverage technology to improve student outcomes position the company well for continued success and growth,” said Bryan Taylor, partner at TPG. “TPG has been focused on software designed for specific end-market verticals for a number of years, and we’ve been impressed with the breadth and depth of Ellucian’s products. We are excited to leverage our experience and global resources to invest in and partner with this team to help them continue to grow their platform for their customers.”

“Ellucian has established itself as a leader in helping institutions support student success in the rapidly-evolving higher education landscape,” said John Danhakl, managing partner of Leonard Green. “We look forward to supporting this mission in the coming years.”

“Jeff and the Ellucian team have guided the company through a period of impressive growth and extensive investment in the product portfolio,” said Anupam Mishra, managing director of H&F. “We are excited about the meaningful impact Ellucian will continue to make on improving higher education globally. The company is truly unparalleled in its ability to do so.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals, and is expected to close before the end of 2015.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal counsel for Ellucian and Hellman & Friedman. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, BofA Merrill Lynch, BMO Capital Markets Corp., and Barclays served as financial advisors to TPG and Leonard Green. Credit Suisse and Goldman, Sachs & Co. served as financial advisors to Ellucian. Ropes & Gray served as legal counsel for TPG and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal counsel for Leonard Green.

About Ellucian
Ellucian is the world’s leading provider of software and services institutions need to help students succeed. More than 2,400 institutions in 40 countries rely on Ellucian to help enable the mission of higher education. Ellucian provides student information systems (SIS), finance and HR, recruiting, retention, analytics and advancement software solutions. With more than 1,500 institutions subscribing to Ellucian’s cloud services and SaaS offerings, the company is one of the largest providers of cloud-based solutions. Ellucian also supports the higher education community with a range of professional services, such as application software implementation, training, education, and management consulting. Visit Ellucian atwww.ellucian.com.

About TPG Capital
TPG is a leading global private investment firm founded in 1992, with over $74 billion of assets under management and offices in San Francisco, Fort Worth, Austin, Dallas, Houston, New York, Beijing, Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Melbourne, Moscow, Mumbai, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. TPG has extensive experience with global public and private investments executed through leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts, growth investments, joint ventures and restructurings. The firm’s investments span a variety of industries including healthcare, energy, industrials, consumer/ retail, technology, media & communications, software, financial services, travel, entertainment and real estate. For more information visit www.tpg.com.

About Leonard Green
Leonard Green is one of the nation’s preeminent private equity firms with over $15 billion of private equity capital raised since inception. Founded in 1989, the firm has invested in 76 companies in the form of traditional buyouts, going-private transactions, recapitalizations, growth capital investments, corporate carve-outs and selective public equity and debt positions. Based in Los Angeles, CA, Leonard Green invests in established companies that are leaders in their markets. For more information, please visit www.leonardgreen.com.

About Hellman & Friedman
Hellman & Friedman is a leading private equity investment firm with offices in San Francisco, New York, and London. Since its founding in 1984, H&F has raised over $35 billion of committed capital. The firm focuses on investing in superior business franchises and serving as a value-added partner to management in select industries including software, internet & media, financial services, business & information services, healthcare, energy & industrials and retail & consumer. For more information on Hellman & Friedman, please visit www.hf.com.

About JMI Equity
JMI Equity is a growth equity firm focused on investing in leading software and services companies. Founded in 1992, JMI has invested in over 120 businesses in its target markets and has raised more than $3 billion of committed capital. Combining domain expertise and active partnership, JMI works with management teams to build market-leading businesses and create long-term shareholder value. Realized investments from JMI funds include Axeda, BigMachines, Compusearch, Eloqua, Gemcom, PowerPlan and ServiceNow. For more information on JMI, visit www.jmi.com.

Best Lawyers in America® has recognized 14 Beck Redden LLP attorneys in its 2016 ranking of the nation’s top legal talent.

Best Lawyers in America® is an annual referral guide that lists outstanding attorneys throughout the United States.  Lawyers are selected based on detailed peer-review evaluations of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.

The following Beck Redden attorneys were named 2016 Best Lawyers in America®:

Austin

• Eric J.R. Nichols:  Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense:  White Collar

Houston

• Fields Alexander:  Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
• David J. Beck:  Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants, Litigation – Antitrust, Litigation – Environmental, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent, Natural Resources Law
• Alistair B. Dawson:  Commercial Litigation
• Kathleen A. Gallagher:  Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
• Thomas E. Ganucheau:  Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Jeffrey Golub:  Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
• David M. Gunn:  Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation
• David W. Jones:  Insurance Law
• Connie Pfeiffer:  Appellate Practice
• Russell S. Post:  Appellate Practice
• Joe W. Redden, Jr.:  Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
• J. Todd Shields: Commercial Litigation
• W. Curt Webb: Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs

Houston-based Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing, also known as AZA, has received recognition from three organizations, including being cited as one of the nation’s “most feared law firms.”

Legal research group BTI Consulting, which conducts a comprehensive survey of corporate counsel at major U.S. companies, included AZA on its “most feared” list on the basis of extensive interviews with 300 general counsel and in-house litigation counsel at top-spending companies and organizations.

And AZA was listed as one of only 10 boutique firms nationally recognized by the legal news publication Law360 for successfully challenging the nation’s biggest law firms. Law360 says the 2015 list includes firms that are on par with the biggest firms but less expensive and more accessible to clients.

The firm also earned selection as a Litigation Department of the Year for 2015 by the publishers of Texas Lawyer newspaper.

Read details on the honors.

National law firm Wilson Elser announces that Joseph J. Ceccarelli has joined the firm’s New York City office as a partner. Ceccarelli was a founding and managing partner of Ceccarelli Weprin PLLC, specializing in business and commercial real estate litigation and transactional work. He also served as treasurer for now State Assemblyman David I. Weprin during four consecutive successful election campaigns for Finance Committee Chair of the New York City Council from 2002 through 2009.

“Joe is a welcome addition to our New York City office and our national commercial services team,” said Partner Thomas Manisero, chair of the firm’s Commercial Services practice. “His experience handling complex commercial transactional and litigation matters will benefit our clients across all industries. His particular specialty in commercial real estate enables us to bolster our capabilities in one of the city’s thriving business sectors.”

In a release, the firm said:

With a career spanning more than 25 years, Ceccarelli has developed a practice focused on commercial and real estate litigation in federal and state courts. His strengths and roots lie in New York City, representing high-stakes business interests on Wall Street and owners, developers and managers in the city’s real estate market.

Among the many services Ceccarelli provides his clients are leasing in office and retail space asset classes; drafting and negotiating service and construction contracts and other building-related agreements; and strategic counsel related to government and regulatory investigations, national and cross-border portfolio acquisitions, and distressed real estate and related asset management.

He has also gained a reputation as a trusted and valued advisor in supporting the cross-practice corporate and litigation needs of growing enterprise software, music and film production, recording artist and digital advertising businesses.

Among Ceccarelli’s civic contributions is his successful pro bono prosecution of the New York test case regarding grandparents’ rights to raise grandchildren in the event of abandonment by or death of the parents. He also served as president and board member of New York City’s Future Condominium from 1995 through 2003, a prominent example of late modernist architecture for international high-rise buildings.

Ceccarelli earned his J.D. degree from Fordham University School of Law and graduated magna cum laude from Fordham University with his B.A. degree in economics.

About Wilson Elser

Wilson Elser, a full-service and leading defense litigation law firm (www.wilsonelser.com), serves its clients with nearly 800 attorneys in 27 offices in the United States and one in London and through a network of affiliates in key regions globally. Founded in 1978, it ranks among the top 200 law firms identified by The American Lawyer and is included in the top 50 of The National Law Journal’s survey of the nation’s largest law firms.

The iManage leadership team has announced that it has completed a buyout from Hewlett-Packard (HP) for the purchase of the complete iManage business, including its brand, products and services. iManage co-founder and current General Manager Neil Araujo is the CEO of the management-owned company, now one of the largest independent software companies focused on work product management solutions for professional services firms and their clients. Rafiq Mohammadi, also a co-founder and former CTO of iManage, is returning to the company as Chief Scientist.

“With this buyout now complete, the iManage team has rededicated itself to our customer and partner community around the world,” said Araujo. “They have trusted us with their most important assets, and we are proud to begin a new era of innovation and ultimate market leadership in partnership with them.”

The newly independent iManage is led by the founding executives responsible for making iManage the market leader relied upon by nearly 3,000 of the most prestigious professional organizations worldwide. iManage helps legal, accounting and financial services firms and the corporate departments they serve streamline the creation, sharing, governance and security of their work product to improve productivity and client service.

With a 20-year innovation track record and support from an existing global network of integration partners, the newly independent iManage is a well-established and profitable business. Today, 80 percent of the largest law firms in the U.S., a majority of the largest firms in Europe and more than 400 corporate legal departments rely on iManage. In addition to WorkSite (document and email management), the HP products in this transaction include LinkSite (secure file sharing), Universal Search (enterprise search and analytics) and WorkSite Records Manager (records and information governance.)

iManage will continue utilizing HP cloud services for its private and hybrid cloud offerings. The company will also resell relevant HP products, including TeleForm and HP Process Automation, and will have ongoing access to other relevant technology, including HP IDOL. In addition, iManage will maintain its partnership with HP Managed Print Services for document process automation solutions based on integrating HP multifunction devices with WorkSite.

“For us, iManage is much more than a product; it’s a community that spans our people, partners, customer organizations and nearly one million users, many of whom have been with us for a decade or more,” said Araujo. “This buyout allows us to serve the community we care about with a culture based on listening and working with customers, developing innovative products and providing best-in-class services and support.”

Industry Response

“It’s rare in enterprise software to see a management team with 18 years continuous experience in a market space make the decision to recommit and go deeper. It says a lot about the company’s belief in its opportunity, and its confidence in its product direction and the loyalty of its customers,” said Melissa Webster, Program Vice President, Content and Digital Media Technologies at IDC. “iManage’s unwavering focus on customer needs around managing professional work products, together with insights gained from extensive interviews with end users, should enable the company to innovate with fresh approaches – both for productivity and for security and governance.”

“This is very exciting news,” said Andy Jurczyk, CIO at Seyfarth Shaw. “At Seyfarth we constantly look for better ways to serve our clients, and iManage is key to our business as it helps our attorneys manage client work product. We believe an independent iManage will gain industry focus, scale and agility to drive the innovation we need to deliver legal services more efficiently, more effectively and more transparently.”

“We rely on iManage as a best-of-breed solution for electronic matter management,” said Richard Harris, CIO of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. “As the provider of one of our business-critical applications, it is vital that we also have a close relationship with the iManage team, and we have always found them exceptional in this regard. We are delighted to see iManage take this next step in their evolution and look forward to the renewed focus this will bring to developing the best possible tools for legal communities.”

“It’s been a pleasure working with such an experienced and cohesive team that is passionate about client productivity. Given iManage’s loyal customer base and proven financial performance, the company is well positioned to drive growth and innovation within Enterprise Content Management Software,” said John Smart, Managing Director, BMO Harris Bank. “We are excited to be the financial partner of choice for what we believe will be a dynamic Chicago based technology company, one that is changing how professionals work.”

Key Facts

• The management team owns the controlling interest in the newly independent iManage. HP has no financial interest.
• iManage counts among its global customers 1,800 law firms, including 80 percent of the top 100, and more than 400 corporate legal departments, 120 government agencies and 250 financial services firms.
• iManage continues to grow; in its last full fiscal year under HP, iManage added one new customer on average of every two business days.
• The company is profitable and well capitalized through a financial partnership with Bank of Montreal.
• iManage will be headquartered in Chicago, with offices in Silicon Valley, London and Bangalore.

About iManage

iManage is the leading provider of work product management solutions for legal, accounting and financial services firms and the corporate departments they serve worldwide. Every day iManage helps professionals streamline the creation, sharing, governance and security of their work product. Nearly 3,000 organizations around the world—including more than 1,800 law firms—rely on iManage to help them deliver great client work. Headquartered in Chicago, Ill., iManage is a management-owned company.

Munck Wilson Mandala, the Dallas-based technology law firm, announces that litigation attorney Aaron D. Davidson is joining the firm as a partner.

In a release, the firm said that Davidson represents both plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial litigation and intellectual property disputes, including patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret matters. With extensive experience in life sciences litigation, Davidson also represents pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in product liability lawsuits and government investigations. As defense counsel, he recently defeated a nine-figure patent damages claim that was featured in Texas Lawyer newspaper (Volterra Semiconductor Corp. v. Primarion).

“As a firm, two of our primary areas of focus are technology and trial work,” says William Munck, managing partner of Munck Wilson Mandala. “Aaron certainly strengthens both areas, and his skills in the courtroom will greatly benefit our clients.”

Davidson has earned repeated recognition on the annual Texas Rising Stars list of the state’s top young lawyers based on his work in intellectual property litigation and business litigation, representing clients in jurisdictions across the country. He began his practice at Baker Botts L.L.P. where he worked as a partner for the last seven years.

Davidson earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School and holds a B.A. in Political Science from Taylor University, graduating magna cum laude.

“Aaron Davidson is an excellent addition to our practice group,” says Jamil Alibhai, chair of Munck Wilson’s Litigation Section. “His litigation experience will be a great asset to the firm and our clients.”

Munck Wilson Mandala is a technology-focused law firm with offices in Dallas and Marshall, Texas, with an emphasis on patent, trade secret, trademark and other intellectual property disputes. According to the release, the firm offers full-service counsel in the areas of intellectual property litigation, complex commercial litigation, intellectual property portfolio development, corporate transactions and securities, and employment law. Munck Wilson Mandala represents clients from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies.

National law firm Dykema has announced the addition of Lea Courington and R. Chris Harvey, both as senior counsel, to its Dallas office at Comerica Bank Tower. Prior to joining Dykema, both Courington and Harvey practiced at the Dallas firm of Stewart Courington Dugger Dean, PLLC.

Courington focuses her practice on health care, government investigations and white collar criminal defense, antitrust and pharmaceutical matters. She defends physicians, hospitals, health care systems, other healthcare providers, and officers and directors in False Claims Act and qui tam cases. She also represents them in parallel criminal and civil governmental investigations and program integrity inquiries and audits arising from whistleblower complaints and allegations of Medicare and Medicaid fraud. A former trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, her experience includes both civil cases and the prosecution and defense of white collar federal criminal matters.

Courington has successfully defended physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care providers before their respective state licensing boards and has extensive experience in medical staff peer review investigations and proceedings. She negotiates clinical trial agreements and counsels and assists clients with disclosure obligations in reimbursement, overpayment, anti-kickback, and Stark Law matters, as well as structuring transactions to comply with those statutes.

Courington, who has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer each year since 2007, received a J.D. from Duke University School of Law, and a B.A., magna cum laude, from Southern Methodist University.

For more than 40 years, Harvey has tried a wide variety of cases ranging from motion picture antitrust cases to First Amendment cases to complex products liability actions. He previously served as the head of the products liability division at Strasburger & Price. He has extensive experience in the trial of products liability cases over a wide variety of products involving catastrophic injuries.

Harvey was selected as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1991, has served as Chairman of the Dallas County Grievance Committee and Chairman of the Disciplinary Review Committee of the State Bar of Texas, and has also served on the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas.

Harvey has been recognized by the Best Lawyers in America each year since 2010, including being listed as the 2013 “Lawyers of the Year” in Dallas for Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Product Liability. He received an LL.B. from the University of Texas Law School, and a B.B.A. from the University of Texas.

“We are very pleased to welcome both Lea and Chris to our Healthcare and Litigation practices in Dallas,” said Bill Finkelstein, Managing Member of Dykema’s Dallas office. “Their experience handling such a wide variety of matters will make them valuable resources for the firm and its clients.”

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney has announced the addition of two highly experienced intellectual property attorneys, shareholder Alfred W. Zaher and counsel Shawn S. Li, Ph.D., to the firm’s Philadelphia office. The new hires expand Buchanan’s nationwide IP practice in the northeast corridor.

In a release, the firm said Zaher and Li will focus their practices on patent and trademark litigation, patent prosecution, licensing and counseling with a heavy focus on U.S. and international clients in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemical, electronics, software and medical device industries. Both also have extensive experience advising multinational clients on protecting IP rights in China.

“Alfred and Shawn bring an expanded offering to Buchanan adding to our already strong national patent and trademark litigation and post-grant practices. Their experience in the Asia Pacific region gives a boost to Buchanan’s expanding reach, particularly in an emerging market such as China,” said Matthew L. Schneider, section leader of Buchanan’s IP Section.

“Buchanan provided unique strengths and the feel of an IP boutique with the broader-based platform of a strong national general practice firm. We saw this as a tremendous opportunity not only to grow our IP practice in the US, Europe and China, but also to expand into corporate and other opportunities not available at other firms,” said Zaher.

“We were looking for a full-service firm with an international reach that could support our growing practice particularly in the biotech and software space, and also provide the expertise that would allow us to assist our clients in other areas such as FDA, corporate and immigration. Buchanan has the resources in place to meet those needs,” said Li.

“We are very excited to have Alfred and Shawn join us here in Philadelphia. Their practices are a great complement to our current capabilities, and we are already actively working on increased client opportunities. They are a welcome part of our office’s and our firm’s continued growth, both in practice areas and client base,” said Joseph A. Dougherty, Buchanan’s CEO-Elect.

Both Zaher and Li join the firm from Novak Druce’s Philadelphia office and bring a wealth of experience to Buchanan, the release said.

Zaher, a first-chair litigator, concentrates his practice on patent, trademark and trade secret litigation, licensing and counseling. He has experience representing clients before U.S. courts, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Copyright Office. Zaher leverages his working relationships with Chinese officials and law firms to successfully manage clients’ patent and trademark portfolios in China, including identifying and prosecuting infringers in the Chinese court system.

Before entering law, Zaher was a research electrical engineer with more than 10 years of technical experience at organizations such as The Boeing Company and Litton Industries. He earned a law degree from St. John’s University, engaged in graduate studies in Electrical Engineering at Drexel University and earned a B.S. degree in Engineering Science from the City University of New York.

Dr. Li’s comprehensive intellectual property practice involves developing global protection strategies, drafting and prosecuting U.S. and international patent applications, representing clients in reexamination proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and negotiating and preparing complex licenses and related agreements. He also advises clients on issues related to protecting intellectual property in China.

In addition to gaining experience working for nationally recognized law firms, Dr. Li has worked as a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of physiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and as a graduate research assistant at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine at the New York University School of Medicine. He earned his law degree from Temple University, a Ph.D. and M.S. degree in Pharmacology from New York University and a B.S. degree in Biology from Peking University.

About the Firm
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC has more than 530 attorneys and government relations professionals practicing throughout the United States, with an office in Washington, D.C. and in 18 cities across states, including California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.