Foley & Lardner LLP announced today that Stephen Meli has joined the firm’s Boston office as a partner in its Business Law Department and Fund Formation & Investment Management Practice Group. Meli comes to Foley from Proskauer Rose LLP, where he was a partner in the Private Investment Funds Group. His arrival follows directly on the heels of partner Katharine Beattie, who joined Foley’s Boston office last month.

Meli focuses his practice on private fund formation, emerging and spin-out private fund sponsors, and institutional investor representation. He establishes and structures emerging- and middle-market buyout, venture capital, growth equity, credit and similar funds, including funds-of-funds and secondary funds. Meli advises private fund sponsors on every aspect of their funds business with a particular focus on new and emerging private fund sponsors. He also counsels institutional investors on private investment fund matters, including the negotiation and structuring of primary investments and separate account arrangements, secondary transactions and portfolio company co-investments.

Meli’s fund formation practice involves representing sponsors on the structuring, marketing, operating and compliance of their private funds, including fund reorganizations and restructurings. His focus on emerging, spin-out, “first time” and fund-less sponsors establishing their initial private funds includes advising on separation matters, placement-agent arrangements, commercial terms and conditions, internal governance/employee and management company arrangements, SEC registration and compliance, carried-interest structuring and co-investment arrangements. Meli has also advised several established fund sponsors on the sale of their management company to third parties.

Meli’s institutional investor practice includes working with endowments, charities, sovereign and private pension funds, insurance companies, funds-of-funds and secondary funds. His secondary transaction experience includes advising both U.S. and non-U.S. sellers and buyers in the structuring and negotiation of both individual and bulk sales of private fund interests.

Meli’s recent representative sponsor-side transactions include:

• Raising an oversubscribed growth equity fund for a Kansas City-based sponsor with approximately $300 million in capital commitments.
• Raising an oversubscribed middle-market buyout fund with approximately $350 million in capital commitments for a new Boston-based sponsor spun out from one of the largest Boston-based private equity firms.
• Raising oversubscribed life sciences funds for separate venture capital managers located in Cambridge and Seattle with approximately $880 million and $400 million in respective capital commitments.

The automotive industry is a critical component of the U.S. economy connecting a wide range of industries, from part and raw material suppliers to providers needed for the day-to-day sale and operation of vehicles. In July 2020, Dykema, MICHauto and The Right Place canvassed automotive executives, professionals and service providers to gauge their perspectives on the U.S. economy and the automotive industry and, particularly, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Download the survey.

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, announces today that Complex Commercial Litigation Partner Grasford Smith has been elected as chair of the National Bar Association’s (NBA) Minority Partners in Majority Law Firms Division. In that capacity, he will also serve as an NBA board member.

The NBA is the nation’s oldest and largest national network of predominantly African American attorneys and judges, representing the interests of approximately 65,000 lawyers, judges, law professors, and law students. Founded in 1925, the NBA is organized around 23 substantive law sections, nine divisions, 12 regions and 80 affiliate chapters throughout the U.S. and around the world. The NBA Minority Partners in Majority Law Firms Division facilitates educational, resource, and networking opportunities for minority partners at the top law firms across the U.S.

Smith, whose one-year term as chair is effective July 29, previously served as Minority Partners in Majority Law Firms Division vice chair and NBA parliamentarian.

Smith focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation matters. He has experience representing a diverse range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, athletic leagues, technology companies, and a U.S. Congressman, in addition to a variety of small and medium-sized businesses. He handles local and nationally disputed matters concerning corporate governance, government enforcement actions, non-compete and confidentiality agreements, trade secrets, real estate matters, construction defects, franchises, products liability, eminent domain, and disciplinary/admission matters before the Florida Bar. Smith, ranked by The Best Lawyers in America, was named a Corporate Executive of the Year by Legacy South Florida Magazine in 2019.

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, announces the launch of the Littler NOM-035 Survey, a resource for employers in Mexico. The technology-driven tool helps in-house counsel and human resources managers efficiently comply with new survey requirements under the Mexican Official Standard NOM-035-STPS-2018 (or “NOM-035”).

NOM-035 requires employers to implement several measures to identify, analyze and prevent work-related psychosocial risks that could harm the physical and mental health of their employees. As part of the regulations, by October 2020 companies with operations in Mexico will be required to conduct surveys of their workforces every two years on a variety of mental health-related issues. This deadline has not been extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the Littler NOM-035 Survey tool, employers can quickly and securely complete the required surveys, receive easy-to-read visual reports, and leverage data analytics to track and guide targeted compliance efforts.

The results uncovered through Littler’s NOM-035 Survey offer a blueprint for Littler attorneys to provide counsel on potential modifications to ensure compliance and enhance employee well-being. The visual reports provided through the tool highlight areas in most need of review, while aiding in maintaining records and meeting the requirement that findings be made available to authorities and employees. As data and insights accrue over time, HR teams – in tandem with Littler counsel – will be well-positioned to develop more targeted assistance, training and policies based on substantive analytics.

Littler’s NOM-035 Survey complements the firm’s broad suite of innovative andpractical resources for employers. Littler’s Service Solutions – including Littler CaseSmart (the firm’s approach to efficiently managing employment litigation), the Littler Pay Equity Assessment (a technology tool for conducting audits and guiding legal strategy) and Littler onDemand (a data-driven solution for employment law advice and counsel) – are designed to provide clients with efficient legal counsel, help shape legal and compliance strategies, and spot trends and inform critical business decisions.

Nashville partner Lauren Kilgore recognized for her ‘Talent and Litigation’ work

DALLAS – Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP entertainment and business litigation partner Lauren Kilgore has been selected to Billboard magazine’s 2020 listing of the nation’s leading music attorneys.

 Billboard’s 2020 Top Music Lawyers list recognizes attorneys who are on the front lines of the music industry’s legal battles and deals in a time marked by economic and social upheaval due to the global pandemic.

Kilgore, a partner in Shackelford’s Nashville office, is among the attorneys recognized for their “Talent and Litigation” practices. She has been instrumental in helping identify new business models to help record label and performing artist clients weather the coronavirus shutdown.

Kilgore’s practice focuses on complex litigation and sophisticated entertainment and business issues involving license agreements, trademarks, copyrights, rights of publicity, general releases, distribution agreements, publishing agreements, recording agreements, artist development agreements, and management agreements. She also handles online media issues and crisis management for individuals and corporate clients.

The Top Music Lawyers for 2020 were selected by Billboard editors, based upon such factors as peer and colleague nominations, and the representation of clients with a notable music industry impact as measured by charts, sales and streaming performances. Recognition covers six categories including Talent and Litigation, Major Music Groups, Streaming, Live, Music Publishing, and Performing Rights. The entire list can be found in the July 25, 2020, issue of Billboard or online.

Board-Certified Bankruptcy Lawyer Joins Houston Office as a Partner

HOUSTON and FORT WORTH, TEXAS – Forshey Prostok L.L.P. is proud to announce the addition of Deirdre Carey Brown, pllc, as a Partner in the firm’s Houston office.

Board Certified in Business Bankruptcy by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Brown has 20 years of bankruptcy and restructuring experience. Her work includes representing both Chapter 11 debtors, official committees, creditors, and equity, in a variety of industries, with particular focus in the construction and energy markets.

To learn more about Brown, visit: https://forsheyprostok.com/attorneys/deirdre-carey-brown-pllc/

“Deirdre is a great fit for our growing team of bankruptcy and restructuring professionals,” said managing partner Jeff Prostok. “Particularly as we face growing demand in the energy sector, Deirdre’s experience in both Houston and Louisiana will serve our clients well.”

Prostok notes that, with the addition of Brown, Forshey Prostok now has eight partners who each have more than 15 years of business bankruptcy experience.

“We pride ourselves in offering the skill and sophistication of a large firm, but without the conflicts and expensive overhead,” he said. “I don’t know of many firms in Texas, big or small, with the business bankruptcy firepower our firm offers.”

Brown, who relocated to Houston from New Orleans 15 years ago, said the firm’s ability to support complex cases sealed the deal.

“I was impressed by the quality of Forshey Prostok’s lawyers, and I’m looking forward to helping grow the firm’s base in Houston,” she said. “The bankruptcy judges in Houston have excelled in handling the complex case docket while being proactive and accommodating in dealing with issues from COVID-19. We will surely see an increase in complex cases filing in Houston in the coming months.”

Brown has been recognized for her work in business bankruptcy by Texas Super Lawyers (2016 to 2019) and Houstonia Magazine (2013-2015 and 2018) and is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. She earned her J.D. from Tulane Law School and her B.A. from Michigan State University. Ms. Brown is also certified in mediation.

About Forshey Prostok L.L.P.

Forshey Prostok L.L.P. provides extensive experience in all areas of bankruptcy law from its offices in Fort Worth and Dallas. The firm’s scope of representation includes handling complex business reorganizations, enforcing of creditor’s rights, leading commercial and bankruptcy-related litigation, overseeing creditors’ committees, directing workouts, and closing bankruptcy acquisitions. Forshey Prostok is ranked by the Chambers USA legal guide and received a Tier 1 ranking from Best Law Firms for bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights. For more information, visit https://forsheyprostok.com/.

FORT WORTH, Texas – The complex bankruptcy and restructuring law firm Forshey Prostok L.L.P. is pleased to announce the addition of Michael D. “Mickey” Ricketts as Of Counsel in the firm’s Fort Worth headquarters.

Ricketts, who handles bankruptcy and commercial litigation, has also done extensive work as an intellectual property litigator, successfully representing plaintiffs and defendants in complex patent infringement cases across a wide range of industries, including 3D computer graphics, augmented reality, GPS-based asset tracking, and hand tools. Before becoming a lawyer, Ricketts was a software/systems engineer in the U.S. defense industry.

Learn more about Ricketts.

Ricketts holds dual B.A. degrees in computer science and music from Southern Methodist University (2001) and received his J.D. from SMU’s Dedman School of Law in 2010. He is licensed to practice law in Texas and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas. He is also a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute.

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, welcomes Mark Lichtenstein to the firm’s Bankruptcy and Reorganization Practice Group. Lichtenstein brings extensive experience working with corporate and distressed assets, particularly while resolving restructurings and bankruptcy matters on behalf of private equity firms, financial institutions, and hedge funds.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought companies across all industries severe disruption, distress or uncertainty,” said Bankruptcy and Reorganization Practice Group Chair Andrea Hartley. “Mark brings important experience, critical to helping our clients navigate financial complexities as a result of the current economic fallout.”

Lichtenstein focuses his practice on a broad range of corporate and bankruptcy matters, including restructuring of private equity portfolio companies, bankruptcy litigation, and the acquisition of assets in bankruptcy cases, as well as workouts, creditors’ rights litigation, distressed real estate matters, and commercial counseling. He also has experience in structured finance transactions and the rendering of opinions in connection with these transactions.

In addition, Lichtenstein has experience representing secured and unsecured creditors, indenture trustees, debtors, Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 Trustees, landlords, and licensees and licensors of intellectual property. He has handled bankruptcy litigation, including fraudulent conveyance, preferential transfer, breach of fiduciary duty, recharacterization, involuntary bankruptcy and equitable subordination cases. Lichtenstein also has experience in corporate and real estate transactions and non-bankruptcy litigations, including foreclosure actions in the CMBS context or otherwise, lender liability actions, and partnership and corporate disputes.

About Akerman
Akerman LLP is a top 100 U.S. law firm recognized among the most forward thinking firms in the industry by Financial Times. Its more than 700 lawyers and business professionals collaborate with the world’s most successful enterprises and entrepreneurs to navigate change, seize opportunities, and help drive innovation and growth. Akerman is known for its results in middle market M&A and complex disputes, and for helping clients achieve their most important business objectives in the financial services, real estate and other dynamic sectors across the United States and Latin America.

Akerman’s Bankruptcy and Reorganization Practice Group serves as a strategic partner to creditors, distressed businesses, court appointed committees, and various fiduciaries. Our team—which includes lawyers certified in Business Bankruptcy by the American Board of Bankruptcy Certification—has served as bankruptcy counsel in many of the nation’s largest bankruptcy filings. Creative and cost-effective, we work closely with clients to resolve financial issues quickly, whether through bankruptcy or out-of-court solutions.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Junaid Odubeko, a partner in the firm’s Nashville office, has been accepted to the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Litigation’s Diverse Leaders Academy (DLA).

“We congratulate Junaid on his new role with DLA,” said Bradley Director of Inclusion and Diversity George D. Medlock Jr. “Workplace diversity is a core value at Bradley, and we are very proud of Junaid’s uniform commitment to furthering inclusion and diversity at the firm and in the legal community.”

DLA provides opportunities for lawyers in underrepresented groups to participate in leadership roles within the ABA Section of Litigation. Odubeko will serve a two-year term beginning Aug. 1, during which he will participate in Diversity & Inclusion Committee activities and engage in substantive work as a member of a Section committee or task force.

A member of Bradley’s Litigation Practice Group, Odubeko focuses his practice on advising and representing clients in complex commercial and business disputes and real estate litigation. He has represented clients in industries that include healthcare, financial services, transportation, lodging, entertainment, and insurance. In addition, Odubeko represents clients in a variety of state regulatory matters before the state’s various departments, boards and commissions. His administrative law experience includes representing insurance producers before the department of commerce and insurance and representing utility companies before the Tennessee Regulatory Authority. Furthermore, Odubeko represents and advises clients in the political arena on legal and other issues related to election law and campaign finance.

Odubeko has served on the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, which is a national organization made up of general counsel and law firm managing partners who participate in programs designed to attract, inspire, and nurture the talent in society and within the members’ organizations, thereby helping a new and more diverse generation of attorneys ascend to positions of leadership.

At Bradley, Odubeko is an active member of the firm’s Recruiting Committee and the firm’s Lawyers of Color Resource Group. He was the recipient of the firm’s 2019 Diversity Leadership Award.

About Bradley
Bradley combines skilled legal counsel with exceptional client service and unwavering integrity to assist a diverse range of corporate and individual clients in achieving their business goals. With offices in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and the District of Columbia, the firm’s nearly 550 lawyers represent regional, national and international clients in various industries, including banking and financial services, construction, energy, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, real estate, and technology, among many others.

U.S. Supreme Court and Federal Appellate Practice Chair Dan Geyser recently spoke with Texas Lawbook about his past success as a solo practitioner and what ultimately motivated him to join Texas appellate powerhouse Alexander Dubose & Jefferson.

In the article “Dallas Lawyer Dan Geyser: From Solo Shop to SCOTUS Practice Leader,” Geyser described wanting to focus a practice on U.S. Supreme Court and Federal Appeal Litigation and how that decision snowballed into him becoming one of the most active Texas lawyers before the nation’s highest court.

Read more about Dan and what compelled him to join ADJ. You can also visit TexasLawbook.net (subscription required.)

Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C., is pleased to announce that the firm has been named a finalist in the St. Louis Business Journal’s 2020 list of the “Healthiest Employers” in St. Louis. The firm is listed in the medium size category for companies with 100 to 499 employees and is the only law firm among the 24 finalists across all categories.

Greensfelder’s Well-Being Program strives to increase the overall wellness of all employees through opportunities encompassing physical, financial, emotional and social health. Initiatives have included yoga, Pilates and meditation classes; seminars on nutrition, financial health and other topics; a healthy recipes cookbook; and numerous other opportunities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm strived to ensure that employees working remotely still had wellness resources available, including virtual challenges and seminars and tips on setting up ergonomic workstations at home. Launched in early 2019, the firm’s Well-Being Program is led by Greensfelder Human Resources Manager Jessie Fenton.

The list of “Healthiest Employers” finalists is available on the Business Journal’s website (subscription required). The winners in each category will be profiled in the publication’s Aug. 28 issue.

Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C., founded in 1895, is a full-service law firm with offices in St. Louis, Chicago and Southern Illinois. Greensfelder offers comprehensive legal solutions for clients locally, nationally and internationally. Areas of practice include business services; communications and media; construction; educational, religious and tax-exempt organizations; employee benefits; employment and labor; energy; franchising and distribution; health care; intellectual property; litigation; real estate; securities and financial services; and trusts and estates. Find out more at www.greensfelder.com.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that six of the firm’s attorneys have been appointed to new leadership roles with the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Litigation for the 2020-2021 bar year, beginning Aug. 1.

The firm’s attorneys newly appointed as ABA Section of Litigation leaders are Dylan C. Black, Tiffany J. deGruy, Tiffany Graves, Robert Emmett Poundstone IV, Anne Marie Seibel, and Ethan T. Tidmore.

A partner in the firm’s Birmingham office, Black will serve on the planning committee for the Litigation Section’s 2021 Annual Conference in Houston. A member of Bradley’s Class Action and Complex Litigation Practice Group, he focuses his practice on complex civil litigation in state and federal courts, with particular emphasis on class actions, state and federal securities fraud cases, professional liability matters, and insurance coverage litigation.

A partner in the firm’s Birmingham office, deGruy will serve as co-chair of the Woman Advocate Committee. She focuses her practice on trying high-stakes business litigation.

Based in the firm’s Jackson, Mississippi, office, Graves will serve as co-chair of the Pro Bono Committee. Graves is Bradley’s pro bono counsel and oversees the development and administration of the firm’s pro bono programs.

Managing partner of the firm’s Montgomery, Alabama, office, Poundstone will serve on the Access to Justice Committee. He frequently represents clients in litigation matters pending in federal and state trial and appellate courts.

A partner in the firm’s Birmingham office, Seibel has just completed her service as one of the section’s managing directors and has been elected to serve on the Section of Litigation’s Council. She focuses her practice on multi-forum or multi-plaintiff high-stakes litigation and has trial experience in a variety of venues, as diverse as New Hampshire and Alabama trial courts and multiple arbitration proceedings.

A partner in the firm’s Birmingham office, Tidmore will serve as co-chair of the Pretrial Practice & Discovery Committee. He concentrates his practice primarily on complex commercial litigation.

About Bradley
Bradley combines skilled legal counsel with exceptional client service and unwavering integrity to assist a diverse range of corporate and individual clients in achieving their business goals. With offices in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and the District of Columbia, the firm’s nearly 550 lawyers represent regional, national and international clients in various industries, including banking and financial services, construction, energy, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, real estate, and technology, among many others.

LOS ANGELES – July 27, 2020 – Redgrave LLP, the premier law firm focusing exclusively on eDiscovery and information law, is proud to announce today that Vanessa Barsanti has joined the Firm as a Partner in Los Angeles. Barsanti most recently served as Of Counsel at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where she was a member of the eDiscovery Strategy team.

Barsanti has extensive experience in managing the discovery process, including managing collections, reviews and productions, organizing multi-track offensive and defensive written discovery, and drafting successful discovery motions and depositions.

As a member of multiple complete defense verdict trial teams, Barsanti has developed and implemented custom technical workflows to support eDiscovery processes. Her experience also includes developing procedures for efficient second-level review. She is a member of Women in eDiscovery.

Barsanti received her J.D. (with honors) from the University of Chicago School of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Texas Christian University.

ABOUT REDGRAVE LLP

Redgrave LLP is one of the largest legal practices focused exclusively on addressing the legal challenges that arise at the intersection of the law and technology, including eDiscovery, information governance, data privacy, and data security. The Firm provides practical, innovative, and cost-effective solutions to clients across a diverse array of industries. Redgrave also works collaboratively with Am Law 100 law firms in a wide range of roles, and Firm lawyers have appeared in state and federal courts throughout the United States. Redgrave is proud to be a woman-owned business that celebrates diversity, cultivates inclusivity, and demands equality.

Redgrave is the only law firm nationwide ranked as Band 1 in the field of eDiscovery and Information Governance in the 2020 edition of Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Chambers & Partners produces this annual internationally recognized guide to the legal profession in the U.S. market by conducting thousands of interviews with private practice attorneys and clients.

Redgrave has office locations in New York, Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, Cleveland, Chicago, Minneapolis, Austin, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has announced that Marc S. Blubaugh, a partner at Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP (Benesch) in Columbus, Ohio, has accepted an invitation to join the IADC, the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests.

Co-chair of the Transportation & Logistics Practice Group and vice chair of the Litigation Practice Group at Benesch, Blubaugh focuses his practice predominantly on representing the commercial users (manufacturers, distributors, retailers, etc.) and providers of domestic and international transportation and logistics services (motor carriers, freight forwarders, transportation brokers, warehouse operators, etc.). His litigation work includes high-dollar cargo claims; freight charge and pricing controversies; breaches of transportation, logistics and warehousing agreements; prosecution of subrogation claims; insurance coverage disputes; trade-secrets and unfair competition litigation; and class action defense. In addition, he defends carriers, third-party logistics providers, and shippers in catastrophic injury actions arising out of the transportation of goods.

Blubaugh is a past president of both the Transportation Lawyers Association and Columbus Roundtable Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. He serves as general counsel for the Intermodal Association of North America and is an active member of the Transportation Intermediaries Association, Canadian Transportation Lawyers Association, American Trucking Associations, National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council and International Warehouse Logistics Association. In addition, he is president-elect of the Central Ohio Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Blubaugh received his J.D. (summa cum laude) from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and his Bachelor of Arts (magna cum laude) from Case Western Reserve University.

About the International Association of Defense Counsel
The IADC is the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests. Founded in 1920, the IADC has members who hail from six continents, 51 countries and territories, and all 50 U.S. states. The core purposes of the IADC are to enhance the development of skills, promote professionalism, and facilitate camaraderie among its members and their clients, as well as the broader civil justice community. For more information, visit www.iadclaw.org.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Jay Bender, a partner in the firm’s Birmingham office, has been presented with the Alabama Commendation Medal from the Alabama Army National Guard for his work on drafting and helping to secure passage of the “Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need Act of 2019” (HAVEN Act; H.R. 2938).

Bender was honored July 24 at the 2020 Alabama Military Law Symposium where he was presented with the award by Amy Quick Glenos, an attorney at Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., and a reserve component soldier and captain in the U.S. Army JAG Corps., Alabama Army National Guard, for which she also serves as trial counsel.

The HAVEN Act, which passed Congress and was signed into law last year, changed U.S. bankruptcy laws to better protect the economic security of disabled veterans experiencing financial hardship. Bender was instrumental in the drafting of the original HAVEN Act bill in 2017, worked pro bono on the initiative along with other Bradley attorneys, and served as co-chair of the Legislative Committee of the American Bankruptcy Institute Task Force on Veterans and Service Members Affairs – of which Bender is a founding member – that actively promoted the HAVEN Act on Capitol Hill.

Bender also was recognized for his work with members of the Alabama Army National Guard on writing an article that provided valuable analysis of the HAVEN Act, published in the July 2020 military edition of the Alabama State Bar’s Alabama Lawyer magazine.

The Alabama Commendation Medal recognizes meritorious and outstanding services and accomplishments, including military performance in direct support of the state’s military forces.

Last year, Bender received the inaugural Service to Veterans Award from the American Bankruptcy Institute for his pivotal role in drafting and helping to turn the HAVEN Act into law. He also received Bradley’s Core Value Award for Community Service earlier this year.

A member of Bradley’s Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Practice Group, Bender represents lenders, indenture trustees, and other creditors in bankruptcy cases and receivership proceedings and in out-of-court negotiated workouts, loan restructurings, and orderly liquidations involving privately and publicly owned borrowers. He also regularly advises financially troubled businesses and their leadership teams, both in out-of-court restructurings and in chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. In addition, he has extensive experience representing debtors, creditors, and other parties in chapter 9 bankruptcy cases involving distressed municipalities. A Fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy,Bender formerly served as chair of Bradley’s Bankruptcy, Restructuring, and Distressed Investing Practice Group.

About Bradley
Bradley combines skilled legal counsel with exceptional client service and unwavering integrity to assist a diverse range of corporate and individual clients in achieving their business goals. With offices in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and the District of Columbia, the firm’s nearly 550 lawyers represent regional, national and international clients in various industries, including banking and financial services, construction, energy, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, real estate, and technology, among many others.

“Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google LLC have hired a pair of public policy experts to expand their antitrust and energy capabilities,” reports Brian Baxter in Bloomberg Law’s Business and Practice.

“Sean Pugh and James ‘Jamey’ Goldin left Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath and Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, respectively, this month for in-house legal roles at the technology giants.”

“Pugh, a former Senate Judiciary Committee staffer who served as antitrust counsel to Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), confirmed in an email that he joined Amazon’s public policy shop July 6.”

“Pugh joined Amazon after five months at Faegre Drinker, a law firm that hired him as counsel in March for its litigation group in Washington. Faegre Drinker advised Boulder, Colo.-based warehouse robotics startup Canvas Technology LLC on its $100 million sale to Amazon in 2019.”

Read the article.

Michael Best is pleased to announce six attorneys have been promoted to the firm’s partnership. The newly named partners are as follows: David E. Cline, David M. DiGiacomo, Daniel J. Gawronski, Nicholas J. Herdrich, Tanya M. Salman, and Kevin J.T. Terry.

David E. Cline (Broomfield) is a member of the Corporate Practice Group and Venture Best® team. Cline focuses on counseling high-growth companies and investment entities in a variety of industries on mergers and acquisitions, raising or investing capital, structuring and restructuring, governance, and succession and intergenerational planning. Cline earned his J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law and his B.A. from Loyola Marymount University.

David M. DiGiacomo (Broomfield) is a member of the Corporate Practice Group, co-leader of the firm’s Cannabis Industry Team, and a member of the Venture Best® team. DiGiacomo helps start-up and early growth companies navigate entity formation, corporate finance, contract negotiations, compliance, investment and capital, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, and other transactional matters. DiGiacomo earned his J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law and both his M.B.A and B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Daniel J. Gawronski (Milwaukee) is member of the Corporate Practice Group and Venture Best® team who advises corporate clients of all sizes and brings a broad range of experience to his practice in corporate law, including early-stage planning and formation, venture capital and angel fundraising, commercial licensing and contracting, and mergers and acquisitions. Gawronski earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School and his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Nicholas J. Herdrich (Madison) is a member of the firm’s Corporate Practice Group and Venture Best® team. Herdrich advises clients on a variety of corporate issues including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financings, securities, and other transactional matters involving start-up, emerging businesses, and investment funds. Herdrich earned his J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his B.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Tanya M. Salman (Madison) is a member of Michael Best’s Litigation Practice Group. She counsels clients on a wide array of complex business litigation matters, including disputes over contracts, business torts, real estate, and trademark infringement. Salman earned her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School and her B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Kevin J.T. Terry (Milwaukee) is a member of the Labor & Employment Relations Practice Group. Terry litigates and provides counsel on all aspects of employer-employee relationships, with expertise in issues related to the National Labor Relations Act, including union organizing and unfair labor practices brought by or against labor organizations, NLRB proceedings, and arbitrations. Terry earned his J.D. from Marquette University Law School and his B.A. from the University of Minnesota.

Article Link: https://www.michaelbest.com/Newsroom/242004/Michael-Best-Elects-Six-Attorneys-to-Partnership

Chamberlain Hrdlicka is pleased to announce the addition of Kaitlin Lammers as counsel in the Atlanta office. Lammers joins the firm’s growing Labor & Employment practice, which has a national reputation for its work in wage and hour class and collective actions. Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s Labor & Employment practice has attorneys covering all of its offices, underscoring the firm’s commitment to boosting its ability to serve companies involved in complex employment litigation matters. Lammers is also the fifth addition to the firm’s Atlanta office this year.

Prior to joining Chamberlain Hrdlicka, Lammers served corporate clients and nationwide affiliates to provide advice and defense in labor and employment matters. Lammers has experience managing complex litigation, and risk management.

Lammers has successfully counseled corporate clients in labor and employment disputes, ranging from employee relations issues, union organizing campaigns and elections, arbitrations, and administrative adjudicatory proceedings before state and federal agencies. Additionally, she has advised clients on compliance with a wide variety of federal laws, including the National Labor Relations Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act,, Title VII and their state-law counterparts, as well as compliance with employers’ collective bargaining agreements and other employment contracts.

Lammers earned her undergraduate degree from Boston University and her law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

BH Properties has launched a debtor-in-possession (“DIP”) initiative and has set aside $200 million in initial funding to finance and acquire troubled middle market real estate assets in receivership or facing bankruptcy, announced firm President James Brooks.

Senior Managing Director of Investments Andrew Van Tuyle and veteran bankruptcy attorney Howard Weg, who will serve as a consultant to the firm, will lead the initiative.

Due to the Covid-19 virus, virtually every state, from California to New York, has imposed moratoriums on foreclosures and evictions on commercial real estate. BH Properties believes that the coming expiration of these moratoriums later this year, along with the winding down of PPP or other governmental assistance programs, will result in a dramatic and troubling increase in declared defaults, foreclosures, receiverships and bankruptcy filings across the country.

Large real estate projects that were financed by multiple banks, life insurance companies or CMBS-backed loans typically get relief from the large money center banks, financial advisors and investment bankers. But the owners of smaller projects will struggle for assistance,” according to Weg.

BH Properties will offer a variety different packages to provide new financing or acquisition solutions, including:

• Debtor in possession or receivership financing
• Stalking horse bids for private sales, receiverships, REO sales
• Sale-leaseback transactions
• Secured note acquisitions
• 363 sales

BH Properties is an experienced real estate investment firm that includes a successful track record of acquiring assets in and out of Chapter 7 and 11 dating back to 2000 with the acquisition of real property from furniture giant Heilig-Meyers following its bankruptcy and subsequent liquidation. The firm also acted as a stalking horse and was subsequently the winning bidder in 363 sales in both the Radio Shack and Golfsmith bankruptcies.

Earlier this year, the firm announced it will acquire distressed real estate assets and loans from lenders including senior mortgages, mezzanine loans, B-notes and controlling participations secured by fee simple, leasehold interests and long-term leases under the direction of Rowan Sbaiti.

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has announced that Tiffany R. Durst, a member at Pullin, Fowler, Flanagan, Brown & Poe, PLLC, in Morgantown, West Virginia, has accepted an invitation to join the IADC, the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests.

Durst focuses her practice in litigation. Her experience includes approximately 40 trials in the last eight years in state and federal court. Her areas of practice include extra contractual insurance/bad faith, governmental/municipal liability, insurance adjuster liability, insurance coverage, legal and medical malpractice defense, deliberate intent defense, personal injury defense, wrongful death, and employment law. Durst also has an active appellate practice before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.

AV Peer Review-Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Durst has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America 2020 for Appellate Practice, Insurance Law, and Personal Injury Litigation: Defendants. She also was named a “West Virginia Super Lawyer” for Civil Litigation: Defense from 2013 to 2018. In addition, she was named among “America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators, 2018-2019” and “America’s Top 100 Civil Defense Litigators, 2018-2019,” both presented by America’s Top 100 LLC.

Durst received her J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law and her Bachelor of Arts (magna cum laude) from West Virginia University.

About the International Association of Defense Counsel
The IADC is the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests. Founded in 1920, the IADC has members who hail from six continents, 51 countries and territories, and all 50 U.S. states. The core purposes of the IADC are to enhance the development of skills, promote professionalism, and facilitate camaraderie among its members and their clients, as well as the broader civil justice community. For more information, visit www.iadclaw.org.