Arent Fox LLP is proud to announce that Partner Anthony V. Lupo has been selected as the fourth Chair in the firm’s 79-year history. A go-to business advisor, Lupo advises some of the world’s top companies in the entertainment, retail, and technology industries, including Discovery Inc., Diane Von Furstenberg, Tesla Inc. and Elon Musk.

He succeeds Mark M. Katz as part of a planned transition and will focus on strategic initiatives involving the development of key client relationships, firmwide growth, and diversity and inclusion.

A native of Washington, DC, Anthony began his career at Arent Fox in 1995. He earned his JD at Howard University School of Law and his Masters of Law from Georgetown Law.

Since being promoted to Partner in 2000, Anthony has held several leadership positions at the firm, including serving on the Executive Committee since 2002, as co-leader of Arent Fox’s nationally recognized Intellectual Property department, and as leader of the Fashion & Retail and Media & Entertainment industry groups. For more than a decade, Lupo has led the firm’s Marketing & Business Development Committee.

January 26, 2021. Buchalter is pleased to announce that J. Craig Cartwright has officially begun his position as the new office Managing Shareholder in Arizona. He spent the last several months working with Paul M. Weiser, the Arizona office Managing Shareholder since 2005, to ensure a smooth transition.

Co-Chair of the Firm’s REIT Transactions and Compliance Industry Group, Cartwright represents lenders, developers, real estate investment trusts, investors, and national corporations in a broad range of real estate transaction matters including sales and acquisitions, secured lending, property development, commercial leasing, bankruptcy workouts, and construction-related matters. He has significant experience drafting and negotiating purchase and sale documents, easements, leases, and deeds for his clients. In addition, Cartwright has experience managing the formation of corporate entities including bankruptcy-remote entities and commercial and corporate law matters. Prior to joining Buchalter, Cartwright was with DLA Piper.

Brightflag, the AI-powered legal spend management and matter management platform, today announced the appointment of Jill Altruda as the company’s new Vice President of Marketing. Altruda will direct global marketing strategy for Brightflag, drive customer acquisition, and oversee all customer-facing communications. This move follows last month’s $28 million growth equity investment, led by One Peak.

Altruda comes to Brightflag with significant expertise in AI software, having most recently led product marketing for supply chain innovator LLamasoft through its $1.5 billion acquisition by Coupa. Altruda has also held senior marketing positions at ProQuest and Truven Health Analytics, where she drove global go-to-market strategy in the information technology and healthcare industries.

According to the CLOC’s 2020 State of the Industry Survey, 88% of legal departments rate their business intelligence skills as an “emerging” or “developing” competency. Altruda and the Brightflag team will focus much of their attention throughout 2021 on providing in-house legal teams with the tools and strategies they need to make meaningful progress in this area.

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP is pleased to announce that Charlotte partner John Hairr has been elected chair of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation’s board of directors.

Hairr has volunteered with conservation groups for more than 20 years. He has served on the NCWF’s board since 2013 and its Executive Committee since 2017. He also chaired its Governance Committee from 2015 to 2020. He previously served on the Catawba Lands Conservancy’s board of directors for six years.

At Parker Poe, Hairr has 30 years of experience advising clients on domestic and international mergers, acquisitions, and other business transactions. He also serves as outside counsel to companies, helping them navigate their day-to-day legal needs. His clients include Fortune 500 corporations, closely held companies, startups, and local governments.

Chicago, Washington D.C. – Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce that Ankur Gupta, Sam Wales, and Ben Kirschner have joined Sidley as partners in its global M&A and Private Equity practice, together with associate Krista Kay Lewis. They join from McDermott Will & Emery where Gupta was the leader of its global healthcare real estate practice. The arrival of Gupta, Wales, Kirschner and Lewis demonstrates the firm’s ongoing commitment to and investment in hiring top talent to augment our healthcare transactional, private equity and real estate capabilities.

Gupta focuses his practice on representing privately and publicly held healthcare, real estate and financial institutions, private equity firms, investment banks and family offices in major healthcare-related real estate, industrial, office, hospitality, multi-family and retail real estate and M&A transactions. He manages all legal components of large domestic and international real estate portfolios for several clients and regularly counsels clients on corporate structure and strategy, internal controls, and risk management issues and best practices.

Wales represents private equity funds, as well as publicly traded and privately held companies, on M&A, joint ventures, and healthcare-related transactions. His work with private equity fund clients includes leveraged buyouts of public and private companies, divestitures, recapitalizations and venture capital investments. He also advises boards of directors on complex transactions, corporate governance, and other corporate matters.

Kirschner has a broad range of experience working on domestic and international transactional real estate matters. His practice focuses on acquisitions, dispositions, property development, leasing, and joint ventures, with a concentration on healthcare and industrial transactions. He has also counseled clients on large corporate transactions for the real estate portions of their deals.

Lewis represents private equity, investment funds, and privately held companies in connection with domestic and cross-border transactions including mergers, stock and asset sales, acquisitions, venture capital investments, and restructurings. She also provides corporate counsel on matters including corporate governance, securities laws, employment, financing, and executive compensation.

The addition of Gupta, Wales, Kirschner and Lewis follows the firm’s recent hires of Frank Rahmani, Nicolai Schwarz-Gondek, Idan Nester, and Andrew Harper to the M&A and Private Equity practice.

As Burris Law, PLLC celebrates its fifth anniversary, the firm is pleased to announce the addition of Lou Houston, David Spears, and Julie Zamler to its team of patent attorneys.

Houston concentrates her practice in patent applications, patent clearance searches, and opinions. With a background in electrical engineering, she previously practiced at multiple national intellectual property law firms in the United States. She also worked as a patent examiner for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, focusing on technologies such as multiplexing network communication systems, including wired and wireless networks, data packaging, routers, switches, applications, and related databases. Houston received her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School and her Bachelor of Science from Prairie View A&M University.

Spears prepares and prosecutes patents for clients across a range of industries, including automotive, consumer products, and medical devices. His background in mechanical engineering includes his work during college with a large automaker and a major energy supplier. Previously, Spears was an associate at a national IP boutique in metropolitan Detroit. He received his J.D. (cum laude) from Michigan State University College of Law and his Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University.

Formerly a paralegal at the firm, Zamler focuses in patent preparation and prosecution. She has previous industry experience working for a contract research organization in the biopharmaceutical field. She received her J.D. and Master of Laws from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and her Bachelor of Arts from Kalamazoo College.

Turner Padget is pleased to announce that Columbia-based Shareholder Reginald “Reggie” Belcher has been named among South Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s inaugural class of “Go To Lawyers” in the State of South Carolina.

South Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s new feature showcases some of the leaders in the South Carolina legal community in particular areas of practice and expertise. The program, in its first year, began by honoring business attorneys. Those making nominations are asked to select attorneys to whom they would refer cases or call for assistance, if needed.

The complete list of South Carolina Lawyers Weekly “Go To Lawyers” is available here.

As the leader of Turner Padget’s Workplace Litigation Team, Belcher counsels clients in state and federal courts and before government agencies in employment litigation, including discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims, as well as the enforcement of non-compete agreements, trade secrets and other restrictive covenants. He also helps employers avoid potential liability by conducting internal HR audits, training supervisors and managers on best HR practices, and developing the necessary employment policies and practices for compliance. Belcher is a certified specialist in employment and labor law by the South Carolina Supreme Court. He also leads Turner Padget’s statewide professional licensing team.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Elliot A. Bertasi, an attorney in the firm’s Nashville office, has earned the Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) credential in the United States through the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

Bertasi is an associate in Bradley’s Healthcare and Cybersecurity and Privacy practice groups. He works with clients on healthcare transactions, as well as regulatory and operational matters affecting healthcare providers, on a day-to-day basis. He also focuses on HIPAA compliance, including the privacy, security and governance of big data in the healthcare industry. This work includes conducting privacy and data security diligence in healthcare transactions, structuring complex telemedicine arrangements, and assisting healthcare facilities and other industry stakeholders with data breach and security incident responses.

Bertasi received his J.D. (cum laude) from Duke University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Tennessee. Prior to entering law school, he worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development in Washington, D.C., and in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Bradley has eight attorneys who are CIPP/US certified. Accredited by the American National Standards Institute, the CIPP is recognized as a leading global privacy and data protection credentialing program. The CIPP/US designates professionals who demonstrate a strong foundation in U.S. private-sector privacy laws and regulations and an understanding of the legal requirements for the responsible transfer of sensitive personal data to/from the United States, the European Union, and other jurisdictions.

Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the addition of Travis W. McNellie as a partner in the Fort Worth office. Joining our nationally recognized Real Estate practice, Travis boosts the Firm’s experience handling commercial leases, particularly involving office and industrial properties, across Texas and the United States.

In his practice, McNellie primarily focuses on representing institutional landlords of office and industrial projects, and he also has extensive experience representing tenants. In addition to leases, McNellie handles the acquisition, development, and disposition of various types of real property.

In recognition of his real estate experience, he has been named among Thomson Reuters’ “Texas Super Lawyers” list since 2017 and Fort Worth Magazine’s “Top Attorneys” list since 2007.

McNellie received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Texas Tech University School of Law and his B.B.A. from Tarleton State University.

In addition to McNellie, the Fort Worth real estate group also welcomes Sara C. Thornton as an associate. In her practice, Thornton focuses on a wide range of real estate and real estate finance matters. She regularly represents landlords and tenants in commercial leases, and has experience handling landlord-tenant disputes. She also represents purchasers, owners, and developers in connection with the acquisition, disposition, development, and finance of improved and unimproved real property.

Thornton received her J.D., summa cum laude, from Texas Tech University School of Law and her B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of North Texas.

Brouse McDowell is pleased to welcome Molly Z. Brown and Catherine M. Stone as new additions to our Business Transactions & Corporate Counseling and Trusts & Estates Practice Groups, respectively.

Brown joins Brouse in an Of Counsel capacity in our Cleveland office. She has extensive experience advising clients on public and private securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and compliance matters. In addition, Molly brings a wealth of knowledge on financial institution regulation and banking finance. Prior to joining Brouse, Brown worked as in-house counsel for top banks, investment adviser/funds, and as law firm partner serving in high-impact roles.

Brown earned her J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and her B.S. in Economics from John Carroll University.

Stone joins Brouse in an Of Counsel capacity in our Youngstown office. Her practice focuses on estate planning and probate law, business law, and real estate law. She has more than 16 years of law firm experience. She counsels clients on the creation of estate plans for each client’s individual needs and drafts all types of estate planning documents, from simple wills to complex trust agreements. Her business law experience focuses on transactional work, primarily in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, contract drafting and negotiation, and general corporate law.

Stone earned her J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and her B.A., cum laude, in Government & International Studies, from the University of Notre Dame.

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has added Gregory S. Fisher as a shareholder in its Anchorage office. Fisher was previously a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP.

Fisher defends companies in complex litigation involving a wide range of labor and employment matters before federal, state and appellate courts, as well as administrative agencies. He represents employers on matters including trade secrets, unfair competition, wage and hour compliance, Occupational Safety and Health Administration violations, discrimination claims and issues related to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. He also represents clients in arbitration proceedings.

In addition to his litigation practice, Fisher counsels on compliance with regulations impacting the workplace and provides guidance on developing workplace policies and compliance programs. He also provides workplace trainings required by federal and state agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights.

Fisher receiver his J.D. from University of Washington School of Law and his B.A. from State University
of New York at Binghamton, Harpur College.

Chamberlain Hrdlicka welcomes Atlanta-based associates Joshua Smith and James Fielding to the firm’s growing Labor & Employment Practice, known nationally for its success defending employees against wage and hour class and collective actions. These attorneys are the latest additions to Chamberlain’s Atlanta office, which has been experiencing rapid growth in 2020, adding 13 lawyers to its headcount since January.

Joshua Smith
Smith partners with employers involved in matters before federal and state courts, arbitration and administrative tribunals involving alleged wage-and-hour violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state law equivalents, discrimination, harassment and pregnancy and medical leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Prior to joining Chamberlain, he was a commercial litigator at a large leading New York firm, where he represented clients in a wide range of complex commercial matters, including contract, corporate governance and employment disputes.

Smith earned his undergraduate degree from Georgia State University and his law degree from Rutgers Law School.

James Fielding
Fielding counsels employers on a variety of legal issues and is engaged in litigating complex matters before federal courts. He has represented employers in disputes involving Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Section 1981, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). He also represents employers in litigation involving questions of adequate payment under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and investigations into employer payment practices initiated by the U.S. Department of Labor.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Columbus State University and his law degree from Emory University School of Law.

Trumbull, Connecticut (January 21, 2021) – Saxe Doernberger & Vita, P.C. is proud to announce SDV is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

SDV opened its doors in 1996 with three lawyers in a small office in New Haven, Connecticut, dedicated solely to policyholder coverage. The firm has stayed true to that model to this day. This singular focus has helped SDV thrive and earn the respect of its clients and colleagues.

Today, SDV is a “boutique” firm with a national presence with more than 40 lawyers across three locations. In addition to the Connecticut location, the firm is celebrating five successful years in our Florida and California regional offices.

SDV attorneys are currently admitted to 58 jurisdictions in nearly half of the states in the country, and we project our growth to include 60 attorneys within the next few years. This highly skilled team of attorneys has played a key role in a multitude of precedent-setting decisions obtained in courts nationwide.

Throughout our firm history, we have recovered over $960,000,000 – almost 1 billion dollars – on behalf of our clients,

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, SDV increased its client base by 21% last year. This success is attributed to the firm’s talented and outstanding team of attorneys and employees.

In 2014, the firm was awarded “Litigation Department of the Year.” Twenty-five percent of SDV attorneys have received SuperLawyer and Rising Star designations. In 2017, founding Partner, Tracy Alan Saxe, was the recipient of the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI) Words of Wisdom Award, a recognition reserved for top speakers. This year, founding Partner Jeffrey Vita celebrates his 30th year of legal practice.

SDV has also received multiple recognitions for its workplace culture. The firm was awarded the Hearst Media’s 2020 Top Workplaces in Connecticut, an employee-nominated recognition. In 2019, the Florida office was recognized with the Collier County Child Care Resources “Family Friendly Business” award. Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley honored the California office with its “Spirit of Giving Award” in 2020 for the team’s volunteerism over the years.

SDV was amongst the first law firms in Connecticut to sign the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) Diversity & Inclusion Plan and Pledge. SDV formally endorses the expansion of Rule 8.4 of the Connecticut Rules of Professional Conduct, which would define the engagement in discrimination in the practice of law as misconduct. In line with the firm’s efforts to expand its Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives, SDV is pleased to mention that 61 percent of its attorneys are female. Three of the last five attorneys elevated to Partner are female. SDV is a proud sponsor and participant in local pipeline initiatives and internship programs.

SDV is among the elite law firms in the country representing policyholders in insurance coverage disputes and one of the even fewer national firms whose practice is focused exclusively in this area. Our clients span a broad range, from individuals to international corporations, and reach across all industries. No matter who or where you are, SDV is the right choice for policyholders.

Arent Fox is pleased to announce the expansion of its International Trade & Investment practice with the addition of customs and trade law Partner Angela M. Santos in the firm’s New York office.

Santos counsels clients on compliance with federal regulations involving the importation of merchandise. In particular, she helps companies identify business solutions and structure their transactions to facilitate the importation of merchandise, ensure regulatory compliance, minimize duties, and eliminate Customs penalty exposure.

Santos’s Experience

• Santos’s focus includes advising clients on compliance issues involving rules governing the importation of merchandise issued by US Customs and Border Protection (Customs) and other government agencies (including the Fish and Wildlife Service, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Food and Drug Administration, Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Commerce and the US Trade Representative). She represents importers, manufacturers, agents, Customs brokers, freight forwarders, bonded warehouses, and trading companies in various industries such as fashion, consumer products, electronics, food and drug, and cosmetics.
• Santos helps clients manage Customs audits, respond to Customs inquiries and investigations, secure the release of detained or seized goods, mitigate or eliminate Customs penalties, and submit prior disclosures, where necessary. She has represented clients in False Claims Act investigations, FBI and ICE investigations, and in litigation in the Court of International Trade.
• Santos advises clients on the development of internal import compliance programs and manuals to reduce the risk of Customs liability. She evaluates client’s supply chains and assists with the implementation of forced labor compliance programs. Santos responds to Custom questionnaires and prepares petitions for the release of merchandise detained in connection with forced labor Withhold Release Orders.
• She has extensive experience with strategies to mitigate the effects of Section 301 duties as well as the implementation of duty savings programs including First Sale and Buying Agency and eligibility for Free Trade Agreements.
• Before joining Arent Fox, Santos was a partner at an international boutique law firm dedicated to the Customs and Trade practice. She also worked in Finance at an Energy Trading Software company prior to her legal career.

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has named shareholder Paul Bateman the firm’s first Chief Inclusion, Equity & Diversity Officer. The appointment of Bateman, who has served in a variety of leadership roles since joining the firm more than two decades ago, is one of the first actions taken by Erin Webber as Littler’s new managing director.

In his new position, Bateman will be responsible for the strategic direction of the firm’s inclusion, equity and diversity programs and initiatives. That includes the recently unveiled Breaking Through: Littler’s D&I Comp Initiative, which aims to double the number of attorneys of color, women and LGBTQ+ shareholders in the top quartile of the firm’s compensation system within five years.

Bateman will report directly to Webber and will also work with Littler’s management committee, office managing shareholders, practice group leadership, affinity groups, committees, corporate staff and administrative professionals. In collaboration with the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Council, which is comprised of more than 20 lawyers and professional staff, Bateman will advance the firm’s inclusion and equity strategy and its focus on recruiting, developing, retaining and promoting diverse talent at all levels.

Bateman joined Littler in 2000 and served as a member of the firm’s Management Committee from 2006 to 2014. He has been an active member of Littler’s Diversity & Inclusion Council since it was formed in 2003 and hosted the firm’s first meeting for Bollo, an affinity group for Black/African American attorneys. Bateman also has been active with the United Way and has served on the board of the Coordinated Advice & Referral Program for Legal Services (CARPLS) , a not-for-profit agency that provides those in need with legal advice in the areas of employment, housing, family and health.

With Webber’s appointment and Kate Mrkonich Wilson’s re-election on January 15 as Chair of the Board of Directors, Littler’s top two leadership positions are now held by women. In addition, diverse members – attorneys that identify as women, of color and/or LGBTQ – comprise 67% of Littler’s board and more than half of the management committee. Of the 26 attorneys elevated to shareholder and principal status in 2021, nearly 50% identify as of color and more than 60% identify as women.

HOUSTON – Three accomplished trial lawyers have been promoted to partner at AZA. They are commercial litigators Monica Uddin and Taylor Freeman and intellectual property lawyer Masood Anjom.  

Uddin joined AZA 10 years ago after graduation from the University of Chicago Law School. Since then, she has achieved a long list of courtroom successes, trying cases ranging from partnership breakups to trade secret and patent disputes. Her clients include a wide variety of energy and technology companies. 

She earned a spot on the Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list for 2021 and has been honored on the Super Lawyers list of Texas Rising Stars every year since 2013. Recently, she was elected as a Fellow to the invitation-only Texas Bar Foundation. 

Freeman focuses on complex commercial litigation including breach of contract, energy, tort, intellectual property and construction disputes. Among his wins was a $12 million judgment in federal court for an international oilfield services company that was defrauded by some of its own executives.  

Named to the list of Texas Rising Stars since 2018, Freeman earned his law degree from the New York University School of Law. He joined AZA in 2015 from Big Law firm Jones Day.  

Anjom has built an extensive IP track record representing both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide array of patent infringement suits. He has represented clients before federal courts, the International Trade Commission and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 

Armed with an electrical engineering degree from the University of Houston and a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center, Anjom is knowledgeable in a multitude of technologies involved in patent prosecution and patent disputes, ranging from cellular and voice technology to oilfield drilling.

Androvett expands digital marketing capabilities with new role

DALLAS – Androvett Legal Media & Marketing, with offices in Dallas and Houston, is expanding its digital marketing and media capabilities with the promotion of Bria Burk to Director of Digital Marketing.

In her new role, Burk will oversee the firm’s digital marketing capabilities for law firms, professional services firms and businesses. That includes working proactively to reinforce competitive positions, expand offerings, develop new business and enter into new markets.

A component of this work also touches on proactive and reactive reputation management and crisis communications.

Burk has extensive experience developing digital campaigns across myriad online channels. Digital marketing is rapidly evolving, and that constant evolution demands constant pursuit of new resources and capabilities to effectively deliver results.

The creation of this role and elevation of Burk represent Androvett’s dedication to be at the forefront of digital for clients.

Androvett is an award-winning, full-service marketing and public relations agency with unparalleled experience serving the communications needs of businesses and organizations across the U.S. Now in its 26^th year, Androvett has offices in Dallas and Houston.

For a complete listing of agency services, visit www.androvett.com.

Atlanta, Ga. – Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP is pleased to announce that Ellen Smith and Christian Torgrimson have been chosen for leadership positions with Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Atlanta. CREW Atlanta serves to transform the commercial real estate industry by advancing women.

Smith has been voted president-elect of CREW Atlanta for 2021-2022. She has previously served on its board of directors and held several leadership roles, including treasurer, co-chair of its Finance and Governance Committee, and as a delegate to the global CREW Network. Along with a team of others, she received the 2016 CREW Network Economic and Community Improvement Award in connection with the Mercedes-Benz USA North American headquarters relocation to Sandy Springs, Georgia. At Parker Poe, Ellen advises clients in complex real estate transactions, navigates land use and zoning entitlement issues, and resolves disputes.

Torgrimson has been appointed co-chair of CREW Leadership for 2021-2022. CREW Leadership provides an opportunity for a smaller group of CREW Atlanta members to shape strategies for their development as professionals and leaders. Christian is a graduate of its 2014 class and has won CREW’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. At Parker Poe, she advises commercial real estate clients, with a focus on eminent domain and condemnation.

Smith and Torgrimson share a passion for serving others in their communities. Smith is also on the board of directors for The Atlanta Women’s Foundation and the Georgia Wireless Association, as well as the Executive Committee for the Georgia State Bar’s Real Property Law Section, the Council for Quality Growth, and Select Cobb. Torgrimson is on the advisory board of the national Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference, is a mentor for the Georgia Latino Law Foundation at GSU College of Law, is vice-chair of the Georgia Chapter of the Counselors of Real Estate, and was the founding president of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (GAWL) Foundation.

About Parker Poe
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has more than 225 lawyers in eight offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. The firm provides legal counsel to many of the largest companies and local governments in the Southeast.

Parker Poe is a member of two leading international legal networks: TerraLex and the Employment Law Alliance. TerraLex and the ELA have chosen Parker Poe to help guide clients through the challenges of global business.

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