Brian H. Pandya has joined Duane Morris LLP as a partner in the firm’s Trial Practice Group in its Washington, D.C., office. Prior to joining Duane Morris, Pandya served as Deputy Associate Attorney General for the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).

As Deputy Associate Attorney General, Pandya oversaw the Antitrust Division and Civil Division and led DOJ initiatives related to privacy, intellectual property, emerging technologies, digital trade and national security. In that role, Pandya oversaw and managed major litigations, civil and criminal investigations, and settlements collectively worth billions of dollars. Many matters involved coordination with multiple DOJ components, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and other federal agencies. He also led DOJ engagement with state Attorneys General on various issues. Prior to his appointment as Deputy Associate Attorney General, Pandya was an intellectual property and litigation partner at Wiley Rein LLP in Washington, D.C., where he represented technology, life sciences, and manufacturing companies in patent litigation, licensing and trade secret disputes.

Pandya began his legal career clerking for Judge Leonard Davis on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School (J.D., cum laude, 2004), where he was articles editor of the Michigan Telecommunications and Technology Law Review, and Penn State University (B.S., Mechanical Engineering, with honors and high distinction, 2002), where he was recipient of the Ralph Dorn Hetzel Memorial Award. Pandya is also a Fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD).

Buchalter is pleased to announce the arrival of new Shareholder Cecilia Miller, and welcome her to our San Diego Office. She joins the firm’s Litigation and Insurance Law Practice Groups. Miller’s practice encompasses trial and appellate representation of her policyholder clients in arbitrations, state courts, and federal courts across the country. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and pre-litigation counseling with an emphasis on insurance coverage recovery for policyholders under numerous lines of coverage. These lines include commercial general liability, D&O, employment practices liability, pollution legal liability, first party property (including business interruption), tax liability, life insurance, AD&D, LTD, and representation and warranty insurance. She was previously with Procopio and Latham & Watkins.

Miller has extensive experience advising clients from a variety of industries, including technology, financial services, hospitality, multi-media, retail, health care, manufacturing, construction, gaming, charter schools, and municipalities, for whom she has successfully obtained millions in insurance coverage for first and third party liabilities.

Miller earned her J.D. from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, summa cum laude and as Valedictorian, where she was also the Note & Comment Editor for the Catholic University Law Review. She earned her BA in Political Science with a Minor in International Affairs from Boston College, cum laude.

Foley & Lardner LLP announced that Dahna Pasternak has joined the firm’s Silicon Valley office as of counsel in its Chemical, Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Practice Group. Her arrival follows directly on the heels of Foley’s addition of nine attorneys across its Northern California offices last month.

Pasternak joins Foley with more than 25 years of intellectual property experience in all areas of life science patent prosecution, including reexaminations, portfolio management and advice, due diligence reviews, infringement opinions, validity opinions and freedom to operate analyses. Her clients include biotech companies, universities and pharmaceutical corporations. Pasternak has created significant patent portfolios for her clients, including in the areas of gene therapy, immunology and imaging. She also provides strategic counseling to allow her clients to navigate the competitive patent landscape in the U.S. and internationally.

In 2012, Pasternak established Pasternak Patent Law, a boutique firm in Palo Alto, California, providing patent prosecution services in biotechnology, including molecular biology, immunology, genetics and gene therapy, vaccines and cancer therapies. Prior to that, Pasternak was a partner at Robins & Pasternak LLP, and previously, was an associate at Morrison & Foerster LLP.

David M. Hryck, Christopher W. Healy and C. Neil Gray have joined Duane Morris LLP’s New York office as partners in the firm’s Corporate and Trial practice groups. Economist Theodor van Stephoudt will join Duane Morris as well. The attorneys and van Stephoudt join the firm from Reed Smith LLP.

“I am always thrilled when a team decides to join us, and their contributions to our clients and firm will generate even more momentum and opportunities for collaboration and growth,” said Matthew A. Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Duane Morris. “Our firm is healthy, growing and we are executing our strategic plan to expand our capabilities in key practice areas by adding the right mix of partners and practitioners to our already-terrific NYC organization. Our 2020 combination with Satterlee Stephens has proven to be seamless, productive and enriching to our culture. With David, Chris and Neil, we are initiating an exciting new chapter for Duane Morris.”

“At every level, from management to staff, we have already felt the collegial and collaborative nature of the firm,” said Hryck. “We look forward to contributing to the firm’s growth and working with our colleagues to establish mutually beneficial opportunities for our clients.”

“We’re excited to be joining a firm as strategically managed as Duane Morris,” said Healy. “The sophisticated, knowledgeable and achievable plans laid out for the firm’s growth demonstrate a deep understanding of the legal industry and high level of business acumen.”

“We are on an exciting trajectory in New York and expect to once again seamlessly integrate a talented group into Duane Morris to expand our collective business base and the capabilities we offer to clients,” said James J. Coster, co-managing partner of the Duane Morris New York office. “We are excited to collaborate with our new colleagues, who join us shortly after our combination with Satterlee Stephens, as we continue our significant growth in New York,” added Michael D. Grohman, co-managing partner of the Duane Morris New York office.

Former Federal Communications Commission appellate lawyer Thaila Sundaresan has joined Davis Wright Tremaine’s San Francisco office as a partner in the technology and communications practice, where she will focus on matters before the California Public Utilities Commission, the FCC, and on other appellate and regulatory matters.

Before her work at the FCC, Sundaresan was in the appellate and litigation practices at Sidley Austin and WilmerHale.

Sundaresan received her B.A. from Stanford University, with honors, and her J.D. from the University of Maryland’s Francis King Carey School of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Ron Sarubbi, a Corporate Law and Financial Transactions partner, has been named office managing partner of the firm’s growing New York office. Sarubbi takes over as managing partner from Keith Miller, who served in the role since March of 2016.

The firm’s New York office, founded 10 years ago in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, has experienced rapid growth. Expanding from just two attorneys in 2011 to nearly 70 today, the office relocated to a larger space at 1155 Avenue of the Americas in midtown Manhattan in 2019. In 2020, it further expanded through the addition of 17 white collar and financial services litigation attorneys from Richards Kibbe & Orbe.

In addition to his managing partner duties, Sarubbi will continue his practice representing the corporate trust departments of banking institutions in their roles as indenture trustee, collateral agent, administrative agent, escrow agent, custodian, securities intermediary, and other agency capacities in domestic and cross-border debt capital market transactions, defaulted debt restructurings, and litigation.

Sarubbi is also active in the New York legal and business community. He is a board member of Brick by Brick, an innovative partnership that supports and develops entrepreneurial, inventive approaches to business, healthcare, and education in East African communities. He is also a member of the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on Recruitment and Retention of Lawyers, which focuses on diverse lawyers entering the legal profession.

Seattle – March 11, 2021 – Davis Wright Tremaine LLP was honored today by U.S. Bank’s Law Division with its “Invested in Diversity” award. The firm is the second recipient of the annual award, which recognizes one of the bank’s preferred law firms that has made a significant impact on advancing diversity in the legal profession.

Last year, U.S. Bank selected a talented group of diverse professionals from Davis Wright Tremaine to present at its Spotlight on Talent program, which gives early-career women and diverse lawyers from outside law firms the opportunity to learn more about U.S. Bank, meet with the Bank’s legal team, and present educational content to the entire legal department. The topic – “Diversity and Inclusion in Coastal Big Law: the Inside Story” – was timely and the DWT team gave a presentation that was both thought-provoking and practical. The team comprised a group of associates and counsel that included Christina Antoun, Maryam Casbarro, Juliana Gerrick, Xiang Li, Jonathan Mark, Danielle Toaltoan and Dsu-Wei Yuen, with input from partner Tiffany Switzer.

Davis Wright Tremaine has been a legal industry leader in diversity, equity and inclusion for years, having been recognized by clients and industry groups for putting in place effective programs to recruit and help retain and develop diverse lawyers and to promote them into leadership. The firm’s decision to hire Yusuf Zakir as its first chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer is the culmination of the firm’s efforts to date under its strategic plan to more deeply embed DEI into the firm’s operations. The firm has also committed to ensuring an inclusive workplace in the legal profession by becoming Mansfield Certified Plus in 2020.

U.S. Bank has been recognized as a champion for diversity, equity and inclusion and most recently launched U.S. Bank Access Commitment, a long-term approach to help build wealth while redefining how it serves diverse communities and provides more opportunities for diverse employees. Under Chosy’s leadership, the company’s Law Division has shown a particular focus on building and promoting diversity, to strengthen its own culture and also help further a more equitable legal profession.

Charter school network Success Academy, which touts its commitment to children “from all backgrounds,” has been ordered to pay over $2.4 million on a Judgment in a case brought by families of five young Black students with learning and other disabilities who sued after the children were pushed out of a Success Academy school in Brooklyn. Success Academy’s efforts to oust the children even included the creation of a “Got to Go” list, as reported by the New York Times in October 2015, which singled out the students they wanted to push out, including the five child plaintiffs.

The lawsuit, brought by New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, Advocates for Justice, and Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, concluded on March 10, 2021 with Senior United States District Judge Frederic Block’s ruling, which included a precedent-setting determination that federal disability discrimination laws authorize reimbursement of expert fees.

The case charged that Success Academy engaged in practices targeting students with disabilities, in order to force them to withdraw. The practices detailed in the suit included regularly removing the children from the classroom and calling the parents multiple times daily.

The litigation centered on five children, then a mere 4 to 5 years old, with diagnosed or perceived disabilities. Success Academy did not provide appropriate accommodations, and frequently dismissed the students prior to the end of the school day – often for behaviors like fidgeting and pouting. Success Academy also threatened to call child welfare authorities to investigate the children’s families, and even sent one child to a hospital psychiatric unit. Each family eventually removed their child from the Success Academy network.

Hawkins Parnell & Young is pleased to announce the addition of maritime lawyer Brian J. Schneider.

Schneider is a go-to litigator for corporations facing toxic tort and product liability claims under maritime law. With more than 20 years of experience with admiralty jurisdiction, he navigates a wide range of state, federal, and constitutional issues coast-to-coast for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, vessel interests, and commercial shipyards. Schneider also frequently speaks and writes on the intersection of maritime law and product liability claims and is cited by commentators, advocates, and courts alike.

Schneider is a member of the Virginia Bar Association Litigation Section Board of Directors. As the former chair of the Appellate Advocacy section and the Legislative Committee of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, Schneider has made significant contributions through appellate and legislative advocacy. He is also a former president of the Henrico County Bar Association.

Prior to joining Hawkins Parnell, Schneider was a shareholder at Moran Reeves & Conn PC. He began his product liability litigation practice at Hunton & Williams. Before entering private practice, Schneider clerked for the Honorable James P. Jones in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

Schneider is licensed in Georgia and Virginia. He obtained his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Richmond School of Law. He received his B.S., cum laude, from Virginia Commonwealth University.

10 March 2021- Luminance has announced a 75% surge in uptake of its pioneering ‘Discovery’ platform as businesses experience a huge influx of Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs) arising from data protection legislation such as the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act).

DSARs give individuals the opportunity to request access to all of the information an organisation holds about them. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of requests has risen significantly as increasing numbers of employees are laid off or furloughed. Without technology, conducting a DSAR review is a time-consuming, complex task and despite the impact of Covid-19, organisations are still expected to complete a request within 30 days or face a fine of up to 4% of the company’s annual global turnover. The number of DSARs is expected to increase even further as the UK Government’s furlough scheme starts to be scaled back and employers have to consider terminating employment, leading to many former employees exercising the right of access to understand why they have been selected for redundancy.

Leading law firms such as Dentons and Burness Paull are turning to Luminance’s AI technology, which can automatically identify personally identifiable information within vast datasets, to cope with this rise in demand for DSARs. For some law firms, their adoption of Luminance has now allowed them to offer their clients a specialised DSAR service that was previously not possible due to the amount of resource required for such a review, in turn giving rise to new sources of growth and profitability.

Most recently, Burness Paull used Luminance to conduct a DSAR, searching through over 6,000 documents. Luminance’s unique combination of supervised and unsupervised machine learning could read and form an understanding of the dataset, helping the lawyers cull 80% of the dataset and quickly focus in on what mattered. With Luminance’s advanced search tools, the team were then able to quickly identify information relating to the subject, reducing their overall review time by half, instilled with the utmost confident that nothing had been missed.

Speaking at an event hosted last month by Luminance, Sam Moore, Innovation Manager at Burness Paull, commented: “We recently saw a spike in DSARs from our clients who had received such requests from former employees. A lot of our clients were struggling with the amount of resource they needed internally to ensure compliance. Technology like Luminance Discovery allowed us to very quickly to get high level view of what’s in that data source… This meant that within 24 hours be able to say to the client what was needed for the review. We found that to be very popular with clients and really helped with their budget.”

Speaking at this year’s Legal Week, Tanja Podinic, Global Director of Innovation Programs at Dentons, was already using Luminance for a number of other reviews. She explained that whilst “the volume of DSARs before the GDPR was much lower”, the impact of the regulation caused the number to surge. Turning to technology to assist them, “our in-house team repurposed Luminance for the DSAR problem and it was a breath of fresh air, helping us to cut time spent on a DSAR review significantly.”

Eleanor Weaver, General Manager at Luminance, added: “Today, people are incredibly ‘data aware’ and this raises the stakes significantly for organisations in terms of data privacy compliance. As the only technology that can be used from the first day of deployment, Luminance’s AI technology transforms a potentially costly and time-consuming exercise, allowing users to identify key information almost instantaneously and comply with the stringent requirements set out under legislation such as the GDPR and the CCPA.”

Luminance is currently used in over 300 law firms and organisations worldwide. This includes all of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms and over one-fifth of the ‘Global Top 100’ law firms such as Holland & Knight, Bird & Bird and Slaughter & May.

LOS ANGELES – March 10, 2021 – Davis Wright Tremaine continues growing in California with the addition of Michelle Quijano to its Los Angeles office. Michelle joins the firm’s entertainment practice as of counsel, bringing extensive in-house experience from NBC Entertainment where she most recently served as vice president of legal affairs.

Quijano served as the primary show lawyer for many NBCU scripted and unscripted television projects. Her practice focuses on the full spectrum of production issues, including above-the-line talent agreements, acquisition and rights agreements, day-to-day production agreements and trademark and other intellectual property issues. In addition to her experience at NBC Entertainment, she worked at NBCUniversal’s Universal Studios Home Entertainment and ITV Studios, Inc., and served as vice president of legal affairs at NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment and production company, All3Media America, LLC.

Quijano received her B.A. in Law and Society from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and received her J.D. from Loyola Law School.

Davis Wright Tremaine recently reported that it had another strong year in 2020, its seventh consecutive year of record performance. Revenue increased by more than 7% and net income rose by nearly 12%. Chambers and Partners confirmed Davis Wright Tremaine’s standing as the national leader in media and entertainment litigation, with more lawyers ranked than any other firm in 2020.

Michael Best Strategies LLC announced today that Congressman Steve Israel, the eight-term congressman and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives Democratic leadership, has joined the firm as Senior Counselor and is expanding his role with the Michael Best Board of Advisors.

Representative Israel served in Congress as a member of the New York delegation from 2011 – 2017. While in Congress, Israel served as Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 2011 to 2015 where he was the chief political strategist and the lead architect of House Congressional campaign strategies. During his sixteen years in Congress, Rep. Israel served on a number of House Committees and Subcommittees including the powerful Appropriations Committee, Armed Services and Financial Services.

In his expanded role at Michael Best Strategies, Rep. Israel will provide strategic advice and counsel to clients and continue to facilitate business development efforts on behalf of the firm. Representative Israel will lend his strategic viewpoint and expert knowledge of federal policy development to help clients across key markets and industry sectors.

Michael Best Strategies has seen steady growth over the last two years across its multi-state platform and in Washington, D.C. The firm has most recently added significant new talent and increased visibility in the D.C. market. The recent additions of Lucia Alonzo and Mike Dankler as Principals expanded the ranks of the bipartisan federal policy team in Washington, D.C., which also includes Reince Priebus, Denise Bode, Tami Jackson Buckner, Anne Canfield, and Sarah Helton.

Washington, DC (March 10, 2021) – Venable LLP is pleased to announce that Yardly M. Pollas-Kimble has joined the firm as a partner in the Legislative and Government Affairs Practice in the Washington, DC office. Pollas provides strategic counsel on legislative and regulatory matters affecting the telecommunications, media, intellectual property, finance, and healthcare industries.

Pollas utilizes her extensive experience on Capitol Hill to represent client interests before Congress, the executive branch, and various regulatory bodies. Prior to joining Venable, she served as the chief of staff to U.S. Congressman Bobby L. Rush. In addition to acting as a senior advisor and overseeing the development and implementation of Congressman Rush’s political and policy initiatives, she was the liaison to Region IV of the House Democratic Leadership’s Policy and Steering Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. She also has substantial experience operating within the private sector. She previously served as the head of congressional affairs for a major multinational telecommunications company, during which she oversaw the company’s legislative staff and political action committee and developed and implemented its legislative agenda before the U.S. Congress, the executive branch, and state legislatures. She also developed key relationships with trade associations, grassroots and grasstops organizations, and consultants to ensure the company remained a leader on pivotal issues and initiatives impacting the industry. In addition to her domestic policy expertise, Pollas has a wealth of international experience, having monitored elections in West and Central Africa and represented artists and business leaders in Africa and the Caribbean.

Pollas received her in J.D. from American University’s Washington College of Law and her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Houston.

Solas OLED enforces tech patents with help from Ward, Smith & Hill attorneys

MARSHALL, Texas – An East Texas jury has awarded $62.7 million to Ireland-based Solas OLED Ltd. after finding Samsung Display Company Ltd. willfully infringed on two screen display patents used in Samsung Galaxy phones.

The six-day trial resulted in a verdict that Samsung had infringed on U.S. patent numbers 7,446,338 and 9,256,311 related to active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) functions used in OLED displays for Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Note smartphones. The jury determined a third patent, U.S. Patent Number 6,072,450, to be invalid.

According to the verdict form, Samsung must pay a lump sum of $27.3 million for the ‘338 patent and $35.4 million for the ‘311 patent.

Ward, Smith & Hill attorneys Johnny Ward, Claire Abernathy Henry and Andrea L. Fair were part of the legal team that also included Marc Fenster, Reza Mirzaie and Neil A. Rubin of Russ August & Kabat as well as Sean A. Luner, Gregory S. Dovel and Jonas B. Jacobson of Dovel & Luner LLP.

The case is Solas OLED Ltd. v. Samsung Display Co. Ltd. et al., case number 2:19-cv-00152, before U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

Longview, Texas-based Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC, has tried more than 350 cases to verdict, earning a national reputation in high-stakes claims involving complex commercial litigation, intellectual property law, oil and gas matters, bad faith insurance claims, and serious personal injury claims. The firm frequently assists lawyers nationwide in complex cases before Texas juries. To learn more about the firm, visit http://www.wsfirm.com.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that Jane E. Bockus, San Antonio-based member in the firm’s Litigation Department, was inducted as a Fellow into the American College of Trial Lawyers during an online Induction Ceremony for the College’s 2021 Spring Meeting.

The American College of Trial Lawyers is one of the premier legal associations in North America. Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only and only after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds, who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship.

Membership in the College cannot exceed 1 percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province. There are approximately 5,800 members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, including active Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, Judicial Fellows (those who ascended to the bench after their induction) and Honorary Fellows. The College maintains and seeks to improve the standards of trial practice, professionalism, ethics, and the administration of justice through education and public statements on independence of the judiciary, trial by jury, respect for the rule of law, access to justice, and fair and just representation of all parties to legal proceedings. The College is thus able to speak with a balanced voice on important issues affecting the legal profession and the administration of justice.

Bockus has tried more than 35 cases to verdict in a variety of complex matters in her 41 years of practice. Focusing primarily on products liability litigation, she has tried cases all over Texas and in other states as well. Outside of her practice, Bockus is involved in many professional and civic organizations. She is a Life Member and Former Chair of the San Antonio Bar Foundation, a former President of the San Antonio Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and a Board Member for the San Antonio River Foundation.

Bockus earned a J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law and a B.A. in History from Southern Methodist University.

Michael Best Strategies (Strategies) is partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to recruit for its first Public Policy Internship. The program will offer an educational and supportive experience for students to gain exposure to public policy and government affairs. “Michael Best is committed to the development of leaders of color and leading more students to starting new careers in this sector in need of more diversity,” stated Rob Marchant, Michael Best Strategies President and Partner.

Starting in late May, the chosen interns will work directly with Michael Best Strategies leadership, being assigned a mentor and a sponsor for the duration of the ten-week program. Interns will also collaborate with clients to achieve common goals between companies and the state or federal government, which will expose them to the full public policy process, as well as issues related to the law. The program is open to 2022 and 2023 graduates.

The internship program will start in May and run into July; interns will be located in either the Washington D.C. or Chicago offices, with the opportunity to travel to Springfield, IL as well. The main goal of the program is for interns to pursue a career in the field, whether it be with Michael Best Strategies or in government.

To apply, students can reach out to Alexandra Tillmann, Senior Recruiter at actillmann@michaelbest.com. Requirements and further program details can be found at link.

John S. Polzer has joined Duane Morris LLP as a partner in the firm’s Trial Practice Group in its Dallas office. Prior to joining Duane Morris, Polzer was a partner at Cantey Hanger LLP. Duane Morris announced its opening in the Dallas market February 9 with an initial group of four partners with long-standing roots in the Dallas metroplex area – litigators Robert M. Castle III, Randy D. Gordon, Jamie R. Welton and Lucas “Luke” Wohlford.

Joining Polzer in his move to Duane Morris is his Cantey Hanger colleague Jason E. Boatright, who will be special counsel in the Trial Practice Group.

Polzer represents clients nationwide and has litigated cases in more than 20 states. His practice focuses on bankruptcy, commercial litigation, construction, energy litigation and real estate. Polzer has represented numerous clients in asset purchase litigation in Delaware. He also represented an international food company in class action litigation in California. Additionally, Polzer represented an E&P company in title litigation involving more than 200 parties. He represented a global technology company in an antitrust suit filed by a major airline and an international oil and gas producer in shareholder litigation filed after the announcement of a merger. Polzer is an adjunct professor at Texas Christian University.

Polzer is a graduate of the University of Houston Law Center (J.D., 2005), where he was articles editor of the Houston Business and Tax Law Journal, and the University of Texas at Austin (B.S., 2002).

Boatright has held senior legal positions in state government in both Dallas and Austin. He is a former justice of the Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals, the appellate court that reviews trial court decisions in Collin, Dallas, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman and Rockwall counties. Previously, he was director of the general counsel section of the Texas Railroad Commission, the agency that regulates the Texas oil and gas industry. He was also director of the Texas Attorney General’s opinions division, which issues official written legal opinions to government officials on the meaning of state laws and regulations.

Boatright is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, (J.D. 2003) and Middlebury College (B.A. 1998). He also received a Postgraduate Diploma in Latin and Ancient History from the University of St. Andrews in 2000.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that partners Tripp Haston and Richard A. Sayles have been named as among the world’s leading litigation attorneys in the 2020 edition of Who’s Who Legal: Litigation. Of nearly 900 lawyers recognized worldwide, Mr. Haston is the only Alabama attorney and Mr. Sayles is the only Texas attorney featured in the 2020 edition.

Based in Bradley’s Birmingham office and chair of the firm’s Life Sciences Litigation team, Mr. Haston represents a broad spectrum of clients on regional, national and international engagements. He has served numerous clients as national trial and coordinating counsel and as a national team member in individual actions, as well as in mass tort and multidistrict litigation. His experience has involved matters throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America.

Based in Bradley’s Dallas office, Mr. Sayles has more than four decades of experience trying cases in both state and federal courts. He has taken more than 150 cases to trial and has won more than a dozen jury verdicts exceeding millions of dollars. His experience includes defending clients in cases involving defense of and claims against corporate directors and officers, securities claims, product liability and patent infringement suits, and high-stakes commercial litigation.

The 2020 edition of Who’s Who Legal: Litigation recognizes lawyers who receive the highest number of recommendations from peers and clients as determined through independent research are listed in the publication. The Who’s Who Legal directory lists more than 27,000 private practice lawyers from more than 160 national jurisdictions, covering diverse areas of corporate and commercial law. The guides are intended to serve as reference sources for companies seeking to corroborate the reputations of lawyers recommended by another party.

The Litigation Practice Group is Bradley’s largest practice and includes almost half of the firm’s nearly 550 attorneys who represent clients in litigation and arbitration in every U.S. state and federal district court across the country, as well as internationally. Attorneys handle matters in nearly every substantive area of business law and in a wide range of industries, including high-stakes and complex cases.

Brightflag, the AI-powered legal spend management and matter management platform, today announced its achievement of SOC 2 (Type II) and SOC 1 (Type II) certifications without exceptions. Following the recent renewal of the company’s existing ISO 27001:2013 certification, these attainments underscore Brightflag’s reputation as a trusted partner to corporate legal, compliance, and security professionals eager to embrace cloud-based solutions.

While navigating an unexpected shift toward remote work in 2020, many global enterprises began to fully recognize the risks associated with tying essential business applications to a single physical workplace. Through third-party verification of its security controls, and the expertise of its own world-class customer success team, Brightflag is helping corporate legal departments rapidly execute ambitious digital transformation plans.

SOC 2 (Type II) evaluates general information security practices, highlighting Brightflag’s strength in safeguarding customer data. SOC 1 (Type II) more specifically attests to Brightflag’s protection of invoice approval, accruals management, and financial reporting processes.

For a copy of Brightflag’s security and compliance reports, including a completed Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Consensus Assessment Initiative Questionnaire (CAIQ), please contact the team directly.

Barnes & Thornburg today announced that David DeVillers, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, has joined the firm’s Litigation Department as partner in the Columbus office.

DeVillers, whose practice will concentrate on white collar crime and investigations, has a stellar track record. As U.S. Attorney, he oversaw the investigation into and prosecutions related to one of the largest corruption conspiracies in Ohio’s history and prosecuted the largest federal murder case in Ohio, charging 20 members of the Short North Posse, a known gang in Columbus. Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, he spent nearly 20 years as Assistant U.S. Attorney, during which time he served as lead prosecutor in 24 jury trials and headed up task forces involving the FBI, ATF, DEA, IRS and the Division of Police.

DeVillers is the sixth former U.S. Attorney to join the firm since 2015, and follows Josh Minkler, the former U. S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, who joined in November 2020. Fifteen former Assistant U.S. Attorneys also practice with Barnes & Thornburg in litigation, white collar criminal defense, and other areas.

He stepped down from the Justice Department in late February. DeVillers has decades of experience providing counsel and defense at every stage of the criminal defense process. During his time at the Department of Justice, he prosecuted a number of cases involving the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the Continuing Criminal Enterprise statute, money laundering, corruption, murder, international drug trafficking, and terrorism.

In addition to his work with the Justice Department on U.S. soil, DeVillers served as a legal adviser in Albania, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Georgia, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine – including acting as prosecutor adviser to the Iraqi High Tribunal for the Anfal (Kurdish Genocide) trial of Saddam Hussein. While in this role, DeVillers investigated additional crimes against humanity perpetrated by the former Iraqi regime.

DeVillers earned his J.D. from Capital University and his B.A. from The State University of New York at Oswego.