Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Rachel M. LaBruyere and Lissette Payne, attorneys in the firm’s Charlotte office, have earned the Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/E) credential in Europe through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). The firm now has 10 members of its Cybersecurity and Privacy team with ANSI Certifications in Privacy (CIPT, CIPP/US and CIPP/E).

Ms. LaBruyere is an associate in Bradley’s Litigation Practice Group. She received her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law, her M.A. in Spanish and Latin American Studies from American University, and her B.A. in Spanish and Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to law school, Ms. LaBruyere lived and worked in Washington, D.C., where she specialized in digital strategy for organizations and campaigns.

Ms. Payne is a member of Bradley’s Banking and Financial Services Practice Group. In addition to her CIPP/E credential, she has her CIPP/US credential, which is concentrated on the U.S. private sector. Ms. Payne received her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law and her B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Accredited by the ANSI/ISO, the CIPP/E credential encompasses pan-European and national data protection laws, key privacy terminology, and practical concepts concerning the protection of personal data and trans-border data flows. CIPP/E designated professionals demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of information privacy within the European context, including critical topics such as the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield and GDPR, as well as mandatory DPOs.

Michael Best is pleased to announce that Deborah Gerhardt has joined the firm’s growing Raleigh office as of counsel in its Intellectual Property Practice Group.

Gerhardt represents a wide range of clients, spanning Fortune 500 corporations, small businesses, nonprofits, museums, entertainment agents, musicians, and artists. She has successfully litigated disputes in state and federal courts, as well as before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

Prior to joining Michael Best, Gerhardt spent nearly 10 years in private practice before becoming a law professor. During her tenure in academics, she served as Director of the Intellectual Property Initiative at the University of North Carolina School of Law, Associate Director of the Intellectual Property Project at the University of Richmond, and as a professor at William & Mary Law School.

In tandem with her new role at Michael Best, Gerhardt will continue to serve as a Reef C. Ivey II Excellence Fund Term Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina School of Law, where she was awarded a University Distinguished Teaching Award for teaching trademark, copyright, intellectual property and art law.

“We are excited to welcome Deborah to our team in Raleigh,” said Ed Roney, Managing Partner of Michael Best’s Raleigh office. “She’s an excellent example of the strong talent our firm has brought on recently. Her experience in trademark and copyright law, coupled with her background in mentoring and teaching the upcoming generation of attorneys will help to strengthen our growing IP bench.”

The addition of Gerhardt comes on the heels of recent litigation attorneys Carrie Meigs and Justin May, who joined the firm’s Raleigh office last month.

“After years of working in academia and private practice, I am thrilled to be joining Michael Best to continue my legal practice,” said Gerhardt. “The triangle is a major creative and startup hub. I look forward to bringing all my experience to assist the firm’s clients.”

Gerhardt earned her J.D., cum laude from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and her A.B. from Duke University. She has also been recognized for her work in Post-Baccalaureate Instruction.

New York City, July 7, 2021 – Adding its third D.C.-based partner in less than a month – and its eighth lateral partner in a year – Stroock continues to enhance service offerings for clients with the addition of Steven R. Schneider.

Steve counsels clients on tax ramifications related to real estate fund development, acquisitions, qualified opportunity zones, cross-border deals, dispositions, restructurings and real estate partnerships. A nationally recognized tax practitioner, Steve also advises clients on tax-related implications of REITs, international investing (including sovereigns), IRS audits and S corporations.

“Steve’s career has taken him from the IRS to the Big 4 to Big Law. This gives him a sophisticated and nuanced understanding of the myriad tax implications involved with structuring real estate and corporate transactions,” said firm Co-Managing Partner Jeff Keitelman, who also serves as Co-Chair for the Real Estate practice. “His insights on policy and practical outcomes will be invaluable to our clients.”

Further to his experience with the real estate activities of his clients, Steve has deep tax experience relating to corporate actions including mergers & acquisitions, private equity investments and joint ventures, having represented companies in transactions in the banking and financial services, credit, technology, automotive, bioscience, entertainment, and manufacturing industries, among others.

“I am thrilled to be joining Stroock, a firm with a great reputation for real estate and tax counsel,” Steve said. “The firm is highly regarded for its collegial atmosphere and commitment to providing superior client service.”

He earned his B.S., summa cum laude, from the University of Missouri, his J.D., Order of the Coif, from the Washington University School of Law and his LL.M., with distinction, from Georgetown University Law Center.

Steve’s addition to Stroock continues the firm’s active hiring in 2021. Late last month, Stroock expanded its government investigations capabilities with seasoned white collar and securities litigation partners Rich Morvillo, Scott Morvillo and Erin Murphy, which followed the addition of Real Estate/Hospitality partner Michael Kosmas and M&A/Private Equity corporate partner Peter Rooney.

JFI Medical, a team of nationally-accomplished African-American physicians and professionals dedicated to healthcare equity for disadvantaged communities, today announced Dr. Jerome Adams, the 20th United States Surgeon General, joined the organization as its Senior Public Health and Community Outreach Advisor.

JFI Medical was most recently recognized for providing COVID-19 testing to the Indianapolis Airport Authority, becoming the first African-American owned supplier of COVID-19 test kits to a major U.S. airport.

Dr. Adams served as Surgeon General for the Trump administration from September 5, 2017 to January 20, 2021, leading a team of approximately 6,500 healthcare officers in nearly 800 locations worldwide. He planned to focus on opioid addiction, mental health and childhood obesity, before coronavirus became the nation’s public health priority.

As a member of the President’s Coronavirus task force, Dr. Adams was at the forefront of America’s most pressing health challenges from the pandemic. A regular communicator on TV, radio, and in print, Dr. Adams is an expert not just in the science, but also in communicating science to various audiences.

Also as Surgeon General, Dr. Adams assisted organizations navigate the opioid epidemic, maternal health, rising rates of chronic disease, the impacts of rising suicide rates in our Nation, and how businesses can become better stewards and stakeholders in promoting community health and equitable access to healthcare resources.

Dr. Adams, a Maryland native with bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and psychology from University of Maryland, a master of public health degree from University of California at Berkeley, and a medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine, has experience in dealing with healthcare crises. As Indiana’s health commissioner from 2014 through 2017, appointed by then Governor Mike Pence, Dr. Adams worked directly with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention while presiding over Indiana’s efforts to address Ebola and Zika, and the state’s unprecedented HIV and hepatitis C outbreak spurred by out-of-control opioid addiction.

Before entering public service, Dr. Adams was associate professor of clinical anesthesia at Indiana University School of Medicine and staff anesthesiologist at Eskenazi Health. He was also a researcher at medical schools in Netherlands and Zimbabwe. His leadership experience included the American Medical Association, Boards of the Indiana State Medical Association, the Indiana Society of Anesthesiologists, and chairing the Professional Diversity Committee for the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

In addition to serving on the frontline of our Nation’s fight against the pandemic, as Surgeon General Dr. Adams successfully partnered with and assisted organizations navigate the opioid epidemic, maternal health, rising rates of chronic disease, the impacts of rising suicide rates, and how businesses can become better stewards and stakeholders in promoting community health and equitable access to healthcare resources.

His motto as Surgeon General, “better health through better partnerships,” perfectly describes his role with JFI Medical and shared service to the Indiana community. JFI Medical Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brian Coleman and Chief Operating Officer Jerry Lacy were born and raised on the Northside of Indianapolis, serving some of the area’s most deprived neighborhoods. Dr. Coleman’s background as a nationally recognized orthopedic surgeon combined with Lacy’s years of experience in international trade, led the friends to form JFI Medical shortly after the number of COVID-19 cases in Indianapolis began escalating, as part of their continued commitment to address community health disparities.

“I’m honored and excited to partner with JFI Medical as we work to advance health access and decrease health disparities for vulnerable communities. Their commitment to health equity is what makes this such a great opportunity and great fit,” Dr. Adams said about his new role.

Within the last year, JFI Medical has expanded its impact and reach across the country through the addition of its esteemed board of advisors. “Dr. Adams’ stellar reputation precedes him. His extensive experience in the medical and healthcare fields make him an invaluable asset to JFI Medical,” said Bill Heller, Consumer Financial Services Practice Group Chair and Coronavirus Task Force Chair at Akerman LLP and Chief Legal Advisor to JFI Medical. “Dr. Adams undoubtedly will excel in this important position, for JFI Medical. Akerman looks forward to collaborating with Dr. Adams and the entire leadership team of JFI Medical to ensure its continued efforts toward eliminating glaring health disparities within diverse communities.”

Buchalter is pleased to welcome Marlene Williams, Shareholder in San Francisco and newest member of the Intellectual Property practice group. Her practice focuses on helping clients maximize the value of their brands and copyrights while avoiding risks connected with developing new brands and creative works. She collaborates with clients to strategically build trademark and copyright assets and protect the value of those assets as efficiently as possible.

“We are so thrilled to welcome Marlene to the Firm,” said Adam Bass, Buchalter President and Chief Executive Officer. “With her impressive background and significant intellectual property expertise, she will be a perfect fit for our San Francisco office.”

Williams’s practice involves the entire life cycle of a brand, including selection, worldwide protection, and enforcement. She works with both established and emerging companies in a wide-range of industries including the entertainment and performing arts, high tech, wine and alcoholic beverage, apparel, and food sectors.

“Everyone at the Firm has been so welcoming, and I am delighted to join Buchalter,” said Williams. “Buchalter has such an exceptional Intellectual Property group, and this move will allow me to continue to grow and expand my practice.”

Williams earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, cum laude, and her B.A. in Political Economics from University of California, Berkeley, with honors. She is also fluent in German.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that J. Michael Wilson has joined the Charlotte office as a partner in the firm’s Tax and Trusts and Estates practice groups. The addition of Mr. Wilson highlights the firm’s strategic growth of its transactional practices in Charlotte specifically, as well as throughout its geographic footprint. He joins the firm from McGuireWoods.

“We are excited to welcome Mike to Bradley,” said Bradley Charlotte Office Managing Partner Christopher C. Lam. “Bringing Mike on board, combined with the recent addition of Kent Jones and Josh Stone in our real estate and finance practices, broadens the scope of our transactional capabilities in the Carolinas as we continue to expand the services we provide our clients.”

Mr. Wilson focuses his practice on taxation, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and fund formations, representing clients in a variety of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, defense, technology, food and beverage, real estate, and renewable energy. He regularly represents private equity funds, strategic buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, and closely held businesses. Mr. Wilson also has significant experience structuring real estate transactions, including joint ventures, acquisitions, development, sales, like-kind exchanges, and conservation easements.

Prior to practicing law, Mr. Wilson was a tax consultant with Arthur Anderson. He earned his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law and his B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Stephanie C. Gaston, a partner in the firm’s Houston office, has been elected as a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.

Founded in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation is the largest charitably funded bar foundation in the country and is dedicated to assisting the public and improving the profession of law. Fellows are elected based on outstanding professional achievements and a demonstrated commitment to the improvement of the justice system throughout Texas.

“We are proud of Stephanie for her election to this position which is a testament to her professionalism and her dedication to the practice of law,” said Bradley Houston Office Managing Partner Ian P. Faria.

Ms. Gaston focuses her practice on resolving labor and employment matters for private employers, public entities and nonprofits. She also represents school districts and governmental entities. An experienced counselor and litigator, Ms. Gaston regularly defends companies facing discrimination, harassment, retaliation, class actions, and other claims under federal, state, and local laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII, ADA, FMLA, USERRA, and the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Young Lawyers Association, and the American and Houston Bar Associations. In 2020, Ms. Gaston was recognized in Benchmark Litigation as a “Labor & Employment Star” and in Lawdragon 500 among the Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers.

IPRO Acquires Amsterdam-based ZyLAB, Industry’s Most Advanced eDiscovery and Legal Hold SaaS Provider

Combined company to offer AI-driven, real-time hold-in-place and search-in-place eDiscovery and Information Governance Platform.

TEMPE, Ariz., and AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, July 7, 2021 — IPRO, the market leader in predictive eDiscovery and Information Governance software solutions for corporations, government agencies, and legal partners, is proud to announce the acquisition of ZyLAB, creators of the ZyLAB ONE and ZyLAB Legal Hold products. The combination provides IPRO’s clients with extended capabilities in legal hold automation, advanced analytics, and cloud capabilities.

ZyLAB’s fully automated notifications and custodian acknowledgements mitigate against accidental data loss and evidence spoliation. With this acquisition, IPRO now delivers early data assessment (EDA) with real-time, hold-in-place data preservation. This simplifies legal and compliance processes, resulting in the seamless automation of organizational information governance.
“This is a truly exciting next step for IPRO and our customers,” said Dean Brown, CEO of IPRO. “Joining forces with the incredible team of people at ZyLAB enables us to provide uniquely innovative product capabilities AND expand our geographic footprint in Europe and the UK. With this acquisition, we are even better positioned to deliver upstream solutions to help our clients and partners manage the risks and costs associated with the continued growth of their unstructured data and legal discovery costs.”
According to the 2021 Market Guide for E-Discovery Solutions, Gartner found that “Organizations are using e-discovery software vendor and service provider offerings that “extend left” in the Electronic Discovery Reference Model to establish proactive information governance.” Integrating ZyLAB’s best-of-breed Legal Hold and analytics solutions directly within the IPRO governance and eDiscovery platform will provide clients with the most flexible, scalable, and powerful Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) workflow in the legal industry.
“Founded in 1983, ZyLAB’s software has been battled tested in some of the largest corporate fraud investigations and government inquiries and was deployed during the historic international war crime tribunals. ZyLAB has been working on large scale Data Science in eDiscovery, especially with the contributions of Professor Johannes (Jan) Scholtes, who has been involved with the company since 1988,” said ZyLAB CEO, Dennis van der Veeke. “We chose IPRO, after considering all major players on the market, because of its commitment to innovation, security, and customer success.”
In Europe, ZyLAB will continue operations using the well-respected and recognized ZyLAB brand. As a Netherlands registered corporation, ZyLAB will continue to respect all EU’s rules regarding data jurisdiction and sovereignty, for on-premises software and cloud-based or hosted solutions. ZyLAB key product development will remain based in The Netherlands, and all European sales and support operations will remain unchanged.

ParkerGale Capital, a Chicago-based investment firm that acquired IPRO in 2017, provided new capital to execute on the ZyLAB acquisition. Marks Baughan served as exclusive financial advisor to ZyLAB and IPRO. DLA Piper served as legal advisor to ZyLAB, while Kirkland & Ellis and De Brauw served as legal advisors to IPRO.

This is IPRO’s third major investment in recent years. Its earlier acquisitions include NetGovern, an Information Governance solution, and inData, a trial and deposition management solution. The result is an industry-leading solution for customers combining AI powered information governance, legal hold, and eDiscovery solutions.

Foley & Lardner LLP, an international law firm with 1,100 lawyers in 24 offices, together with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, is proud to announce today that it has signed a national partnership supporting the youth development organization’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, rooted in its commitment to promoting safe, positive and inclusive environments for all. Foley is the first law firm to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of America on a national scale.

Together as partners and thought leaders, Foley and Boys & Girls Clubs of America will elevate the powerful message of diversity, equity and inclusion, and activate the potential of kids, Clubs and communities to build more inclusive and equitable futures.

Through Foley’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, the firm committed to provide outreach to the communities in which the firm practices, with a focus on providing support to advance equity for Black communities that have been historically under-resourced. All of Foley’s 21 offices across the United States will partner and engage with their local Clubs on initiatives that include mentoring, read-aloud programs, school supply drives and playground improvement projects.

This national partnership builds on and continues the work that Foley and Boys & Girls Clubs of America have been doing regionally together for the last few years.

Through this partnership with Foley, Boys & Girls Clubs of America will advance its diversity, equity and inclusion initiative, which offers inclusive and culturally relevant programs and resources that help nurture and elevate youth voices. The initiative includes a focus on racial equity as an imperative effort to reach its overall vision.

In addition to the direct work with the children, Foley also engages in pro bono work for Boys & Girls Clubs of America on legal matters, including human resources and employment, real estate and corporate non-profit issues that will allow local Clubs to offer more programs to a broader range of children.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Andrew Tuggle, an associate in the firm’s Huntsville office, has been admitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as a registered patent attorney. The firm now has 22 attorneys who are registered with the patent bar.

The USPTO is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks and acts as a mechanism to protect new ideas and investments in innovation and technological progress.

“Andrew is an exceptional attorney with a deep understanding of the policies regarding intellectual property and we are proud of his accomplishment,” said Bradley Huntsville Office Managing Partner Frank M. Caprio.

Mr. Tuggle focuses his practice on technology and intellectual property law, helping clients protect their innovations and comply with laws about data and technology through patents, trademarks and trade secrets. Prior to law school, he worked for a large, multinational hardware manufacturer, for a small engineering-design startup, and in academic DARPA-and-G8-funded research, giving him a strong technical background and unique insight into laws regarding cybersecurity, data privacy, digital assets, and exports.

Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce that William Levi, who previously served in senior roles at the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Senate, has rejoined Sidley’s Litigation practice as a partner in Washington, D.C., where he will represent clients in a broad range of complex litigation, enforcement actions, regulatory disputes, and appellate matters.

During his time at the Department of Justice, Mr. Levi served as chief of staff with responsibility for a range of matters across the Department. As senior counselor and counselor to the Attorney General, he supervised high-stakes litigation and complex enforcement and regulatory matters.

He previously served as staff director of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, which oversees the federal antitrust enforcement agencies, and as chief counsel to Senator Mike Lee. He also clerked on the U.S. Supreme Court for Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. and on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit for Judge Anthony J. Scirica.

PORTLAND (July 6, 2021) – Perkins Coie is proud to announce that it is working with Albina Vision Trust (AVT) in Portland to help restore the historic cultural hub of the city’s Black community within the former Lower Albina neighborhood.
The Albina neighborhood was the leading center of Black life and culture in northeast Portland for decades, but in the late 1950s and 1960s, the neighborhood was razed in the name of urban renewal and replaced by what is now the Rose Quarter.
“We are committed to partnering with the Albina Vision Trust and to providing legal counsel to support its mission of redeveloping the Lower Albina neighborhood and business district into a diverse and welcoming hub,” said Chris Rich, Perkins Coie’s Portland office managing partner. “The Albina Vision Trust’s development plan seeks to reconnect the community to the neighborhood and to be a socially and economically inclusive community.”
As part of the firm’s pro bono support, Chris and Devin McComb, a Perkins Coie real estate partner, have helped negotiate an agreement for AVT to gain the “Right of First Offer” for purchase of the current Portland Public School headquarters building in the former Lower Albina neighborhood. Chris and Devin will represent AVT throughout the transaction.
Significantly, the Portland Public School Board recently voted unanimously to approve AVT’s “Right of First Offer” for the district headquarters building during a recent meeting where Black community leaders voiced the profound need for restorative economic and social justice in the neighborhood that was once central to Black life in Portland. Multnomah County, which was in first position to purchase to district headquarters building, provided critical support to allow AVT to step into “Right of First Offer” position.
Chris and Devin, along with other Perkins Coie team members, will work with AVT on the next phases of the transaction, including advising AVT on general real estate, land use and other aspects of its mission as it moves forward with its broader redevelopment plans for the Albina neighborhood.
Perkins Coie is committed to advancing racial equality and to doing its part to end racism and to help create a more just and equal society. The firm has announced a number of actions and pledges as part of its ongoing commitment, including new pro bono initiatives focused on addressing racial inequality and economic justice. In 2020, Perkins Coie attorneys dedicated their most hours ever—nearly 80,000—to pro bono representation. Other members of the firm’s pro bono team supporting AVT include partner Chris Hall, associate Nikesh Patel, and senior attorney John Halski.

Eversheds Sutherland is pleased to announce that Ellen Sheridan-Cona has joined the firm’s Litigation Practice Group as counsel in the New York office, bolstering the firm’s financial services litigation practice particularly in enforcement, compliance and regulatory matters. Ms. Sheridan-Cona joins Eversheds Sutherland from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), where she was senior regional counsel in the Department of Enforcement for over four years.

With more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Ms. Sheridan-Cona will guide clients through every aspect and type of litigation and enforcement matter, including arbitrations, mediations, civil litigation, and enforcement proceedings. In representing investment advisers, broker-dealers and their associated persons in Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and FINRA regulatory investigations and inquiries, as well as in federal and state inquiries on a variety of compliance and regulatory issues, Ms. Sheridan-Cona will help clients negotiate settlements, limit testimony and document requests, and resolve their high-stakes matters expeditiously.

“I am thrilled to welcome Ellen to the firm and our litigation team,” said Kymberly Kochis, Co-Head of Global Litigation. “Her extensive knowledge of SEC, FINRA, and state regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings, along with her experience and relationships with the Department of Enforcement, will be a tremendous asset to our clients working through sensitive and complex enforcement matters.”

Prior to working with FINRA, Ms. Sheridan-Cona spent over eight years as Managing Director and Counsel of a national New York-based broker-dealer where she conducted and directed internal investigations regarding potential regulatory violations, as well as employment-related issues; counseled on regulatory initiatives, applicability of security laws and regulatory rules; and successfully first-chaired the defense of numerous arbitrations and expungement proceedings. She also gained experience advising clients in state and federal employment-related matters and responding to employment-related inquiries. Earlier in her career, Ms. Sheridan-Cona worked at another large New York-based broker dealer. Her time as both a regulator and an in-house counsel will allow her to provide clients with unique perspectives as they address their regulatory issues.

About Eversheds Sutherland’s Litigation Practice Group

With more than 100 litigators, Eversheds Sutherland’s Litigation Group has tried and argued cases in the US Supreme Court, all 13 circuits of the US Court of Appeals, the Court of Federal Claims, the Tax Court and hundreds of federal district and state trial and appellate courts. Eversheds Sutherland’s litigation team represents regional, national and international clients from a broad range of industries, including energy, financial services, securities, insurance, construction, manufacturing, automotive, distribution, education, professional services, data privacy, electronics, technology and defense.

CHAD RUBACK was elected President of the Mac Taylor Inn of Court. Ruback is a former Fort Worth Court of Appeals briefing attorney, and he founded his own Dallas-based appellate law firm sixteen years ago. He is a former President of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers and a former member of the Dallas Bar Association’s Board of Directors.

JUDGE MARTIN HOFFMAN was elected as the Inn’s Counselor, which is the title conferred upon the person expected to become the next Inn President. Judge Hoffman has presided over the 68th District Court for fourteen years. Among other accolades, he has been named Trial Judge of the Year by the American Board of Trial Advocates Dallas Chapter, has been named the Outstanding Jurist of the Year by the Dallas Women Lawyers Association, and has received the Outstanding Mentor Award from the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers. He is a member of the Dallas Bar Association’s Board of Directors.

HOUSTON – Experienced trial attorney John B. Strasburger has joined Houston’s Bissinger, Oshman & Williams as a name partner. Effective July 1, the litigation boutique will be known as Bissinger, Oshman, Williams & Strasburger LLP.

Firm founder David Bissinger remarked that “John is a preeminent bet-the-company lawyer with a demonstrated track record of success in leading the prosecution and defense of numerous high-profile complex commercial disputes. He is a perfect match for, and will substantially augment, our existing practice, which focuses on providing seasoned first-chair trial experience in cases involving large, difficult, urgent, and sensitive matters.”

Mr. Strasburger has unique experience in complex disputes involving private equity, hedge funds, financial derivatives, and other trading and supply-contract matters, including his leading roles in the Enron and Lehman Brothers bankruptcies and many matters thereafter. He has extensive experience in cases involving employment covenant and trade-secret disputes, particularly in the energy sector. He has handled corporate-governance disputes, including his representation of SemGroup during its Chapter 11 bankruptcy. He has deep experience in handling sensitive internal investigations. He has trie d international banking, real-estate, and construction disputes and has successfully defended numerous catastrophic tort cases and litigated related insurance-coverage disputes arising from these cases.

Licensed in Texas and New York, Mr. Strasburger has tried jury and non-jury cases as lead counsel in state and federal courts across the nation. He has represented some of the world’s largest companies, as well as mid-market companies and high-net-worth individuals. His practice includes matters involving novel, urgent, and sensitive disputes that are often the subject of governmental and media scrutiny.

He is recognized by The Best Lawyers in America in three substantive areas: commercial litigation, bankruptcy litigation, and mass tort/class action litigation defense. His work also consistently earns Texas Super Lawyers and Benchmark Litigation honors.

A graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and Tulane University, he joins Bissinger, Oshman, Williams & Strasburger from Winston & Strawn. He is the former managing partner of the Houston office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, where he also chaired the firm’s nationally recognized pro bono committee. Active in many professional organizations, he co-chaired the 2021 American Bar Association Litigation Section Annual Conference and is a past chair of the Houston Volunteer Lawyers board of directors. He began his practice at Fulbright & Jaworski.

Jackson Walker LLP in Texas is pleased to announce the addition of Arthur Gollwitzer as a partner in the Austin office. Combining his experience gained as a federal prosecutor with 25 years in private practice, Arthur focuses on intellectual property litigation and also is highly experienced in criminal matters and internal investigations.

Ross Forbes Jr., Chair of the Firm’s Trial & Appellate Litigation practice group, said, “Arthur’s addition marks a significant win for our IP litigation practice as well as our internal investigations and white-collar group. He has a history of winning cases as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York and as an attorney at a national law firm. His experience will complement and support the team’s abilities involving intellectual property litigation as well as counseling clients in government investigations.”

Virginia Alverson Mimmack, Chair of the Firm’s Healthcare practice group, said, “We are happy to welcome Arthur to Jackson Walker and we look forward to working with him. His experience advising clients on internal investigations and government investigations, including False Claims Act suits will be a great addition to our healthcare team.”

Arthur has been admitted to practice before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fifth, Seventh, and Federal Circuits and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas. He has also litigated matters in the Southern District of New York, \ Northern Districts of Illinois, the Central and Northern Districts of California, the Northern District of Indiana, and the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin.

He received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School and his B.A. in Economics, magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame.

As the use of Microsoft Teams has exploded, compliance officers, information governance professionals, and other risk management decision-makers must determine whether they have the right tools to secure the information that comes out of this collaboration tool, for their compliance, legal processes, and internal investigations.

Using a third-party archiving and data protection solution to capture point-in-time and point-in-context actions, enables organizations to take advantage of new capabilities within Teams without undermining their compliance requirements.

Join Pierre Chamberland, IPRO Innovation Catalyst and Michael Sampson, Senior Analyst at Osterman Research, who has been consulting on collaboration tools for over 20 years, for this webinar as they discuss how to evaluate such third-party security s

Eversheds Sutherland is pleased to have advised GlobalFood Tech on its acquisition by Oracle Corporation, which closed on June 25, 2021. GlobalFood Tech SRL (https://www.gloriafood.com) provides a market-leading platform enabling restaurants around the world to easily create websites, ordering menus, and branded mobile apps as well as to accept online payments and run flexible, data driven, marketing/promotional campaigns.

Eversheds Sutherland served as international legal advisors to the sellers, led by cross-border M&A team of Partner Ted Cominos (Chicago), Counsel Cristina Audran-Proca (Paris), and Associate Evan W. Johnson (Chicago).

This transaction is yet another example of the deal team’s impressive track record advising European tech companies with global reach in relation to their successful strategic exits to US and global tech giants. Ted and Cristina have previously advised on scores of similar tech transactions including the sale of RAV antivirus to Microsoft, Avangate to Francisco Partners, Vector Watch to Fitbit, ePayment to Naspers, and others. With coverage and expertise on both sides of the Atlantic, and deep familiarity with the deal terms that strategic US buyers seek of European targets, this international deal team is able to find solutions and drive value for its clients.

Cristina commented: “We are very proud to have collaborated with Oliver, Mihai and Cosmin on the very successful sale of their business. What they achieved as a young technology company is remarkable and inspiring and will certainly move onto bigger and better opportunities as a result of joining forces with Oracle.”

Ted also stated: “We were honored to have collaborated with the highly experienced and professional tech investment banking team of Telegraph Hill Advisors, and particularly Phillip Courten and Dinesh Moorjani – who commercially led this transaction in a first-rate manner. And we are delighted to have had the opportunity to work alongside distinguished legal co-counsel from Radu & Asociatii, including Radu Diaconu (Partner, Lead), Stefan Mantea (Senior Managing Associate, Lead) and Claudia Grosu (Senior Associate).”

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Shundra Crumpton Manning, an associate in the firm’s Nashville office, has been selected to the inaugural National Bar Association (NBA) Associate Advancement Academy for Excellence.

The NBA Advancement Academy is designed to facilitate the advancement and retention of black attorneys in the nation’s largest law firms, focusing on associates within the first three years of practice at AmLaw 200 firms. The year-long academy, which runs from July 1 through June 30, is comprised of 20 associates and entails monthly participation in educational and networking sessions, mentoring check-ins with NBA mentors, and events throughout the year.

Ms. Manning is an associate in Bradley’s Litigation Practice Group and represents clients involved in complex business litigation and product liability disputes with particular experience in managing class action litigation. She is also experienced in privacy and data security matters. While attending Vanderbilt University Law School, Ms. Manning was a three-time recipient of the Sen. Avon N. Williams Jr. and Hon. Robert Lillard Law School Scholarship. Ms. Manning currently serves as a First Year Director for the Marion Griffin Chapter of the Lawyers’ Association for Women, which addresses issues of concern to women within the legal profession.

New York, NY and Portland, OR — 29 June, 2021: Onna and Zapproved have today announced a direct integration between Onna’s Knowledge Integration Platform and Zapproved’s ZDiscovery platform to create a more seamless legal hold experience than ever before, particularly for unstructured data.

Through this integration, joint Onna and Zapproved customers will be able to automatically preserve Slack data at the point of hold issuance — something that has not been possible until now. Slack legal holds initiated from Zapproved’s ZDiscovery Preserve are instantly applied to archived data in Onna, significantly reducing the time and costs associated with preserving Slack data.

Until now, businesses have struggled with a way to deal with legal hold management for unstructured data. Traditionally, preserving Slack data required multiple steps, including notifying custodians from a legal hold platform, followed by a repeated process to identify, collect and hold Slack data from a separate platform. This integration will enable customers to place holds and send out communications seamlessly, starting first with Slack and then expanding to other applications, where a single hold for selected custodians in ZDiscovery Preserve can be automatically applied across multiple data sources in Onna.

Data can be searched, culled, and exported for review at any time, which improves legal self-service by creating less dependence on the IT department. The integration can be set up quickly and easily, and features an intuitive user experience that allows for rapid time to value.

Join experts from Onna and Zapproved for a live webinar on Wednesday, June 30th, 2021: “Unstructured data and the EDRM: Building a defensible strategy that mitigates risk.” Register here.