Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that seven attorneys in the firm’s Charlotte office have been named to the 2019 class of the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society. Robert A. Cox Jr., Matthew S. DeAntonio, Dexter C. Hobbs Jr., Erin Jane Illman, Dana Lumsden, Steve Snyder and Bridget V. Warren each provided 50 or more hours of pro bono legal services in 2019 to North Carolinians who are unable to pay. The number of Bradley attorneys who have qualified for this recognition has more than tripled since 2018.

“We are very proud of our Charlotte attorneys and commend their efforts and contributions to help provide access to justice for all in North Carolina,” said Bradley Pro Bono Counsel Tiffany Graves.

The North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society is administered by the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center, which was launched in 2016 as a program of the North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Commission. The commission works to increase North Carolina attorney pro bono legal service as a way to meet the legal needs of people of low-income and modest means in the state.

Attorneys in Bradley’s Charlotte office are actively involved in a number of pro bono efforts, including working with the Safe Alliance’s Victim Assistance/Legal Representation Program, which helps victims of domestic violence who seek Domestic Violence Protective Orders, and supporting the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, which provides a wide range of civil legal assistance to low-income people in the Charlotte metropolitan area and west-central North Carolina.

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.

Barnes & Thornburg has added veteran labor attorney Grant T. Pecor as a partner in its Labor and Employment practice. Pecor will work out of the firm’s Grand Rapids and Chicago offices.

A nationally recognized attorney in his field, Pecor limits his practice to the representation of employers in both the public and private sectors. He has represented employers across industries while developing a sophisticated focus in the areas of health care and transit.

In doing so, he has not only represented clients at the bargaining table, but also in virtually all aspects of labor and employment law, including grievance arbitrations, representation proceedings, unfair labor practice proceedings and matters before other state and federal administrative agencies. He also provides general counsel on labor and employment-related matters.

Pecor is a well-recognized thought leader and regularly serves as the keynote speaker for the Health Care Association of Michigan’s annual conference and has presented to audiences like the Bernard Gottfried Memorial Labor Law Symposium and American Bar Association. He is a contributing editor of Bloomberg BNA’s The Developing Labor Law and a long-time member of the American Bar Association’s Committee on the Development of the Law Under the National Labor Relations Act.

Pecor earned his J.D., cum laude, from Michigan State University College of Law and his B.A. from James Madison College (Social Relations) at Michigan State University.

Farrell Fritz is pleased to announce that Brian P. Corrigan has been elected to the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) as a Fellow.

Corrigan, a Garden City, NY, resident, is a partner in the firm’s estate litigation practice group. He earned his J.D. at Hofstra University School of Law and his B.A., cum laude, from Providence College. Last year, he named a Fellow of the New York Bar Foundation.

ACTEC is a national organization of more than 2,500 lawyers and law professors. Fellows are elected by their peers and must have more than 10 years of experience in the active practice of probate and trust law or estate planning in addition to an outstanding reputation, exceptional skill, and substantial contributions to the field by lecturing, writing, teaching and participating in bar activities.

TAMPA – Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that nine attorneys in the firm’s Tampa office have been named 2020 Florida Super Lawyers or Rising Stars, who are recognized as among the leading lawyers in the state.

The firm’s Florida Super Lawyers and their recognized practice areas are:

• Timothy A. Andreu, partner; Banking and Financial Services Practice Group (Business Litigation)
• Michael B. Colgan, counsel; Litigation Practice Group (Business Litigation)
• Robert B. Glenn, retired partner; Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Practice Group (Bankruptcy: Business)
• Mark A. Hanley, counsel; Labor and Employment Practice Group (Employment & Labor)
• Craig Mayfield, partner; Litigation Practice Group (Personal Injury – Products: Defense)
• Edwin G. Rice, counsel; Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Practice Group (Bankruptcy: Business)
• Alysa J. Ward, partner; Labor and Employment Practice Group (Employment & Labor)

The firm’s Florida Rising Stars and their recognized practice areas are:

• Sara D. Accardi, associate; Litigation Practice Group (Business Litigation)
• Tabitha S. Etlinger, senior attorney; Banking and Financial Services Practice Group (Employment & Labor)

“We are very proud of our Florida attorneys who have been named as among the top practitioners in the state and congratulate them on their successes that have resulted in their ranking as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars,” said Bradley Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner Jonathan M. Skeeters.

Only the top 5 percent of lawyers in Florida are named Super Lawyers. No more than 2.5 percent of lawyers in the state are selected as Rising Stars, who must be 40 years old or younger or have been in practice for 10 or fewer years. Published by Thomson Reuters, Super Lawyers uses independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations to determine the honorees. The Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists will be published in June in the Florida Super Lawyers Magazine. The lists also are distributed to attorneys and ABA-accredited law school libraries.

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.

Buchalter is pleased to welcome new litigators Vincent Whittaker and Skye Daley to its San Diego office. Both Whittaker and Daley’s primary focus is complex business and commercial litigation throughout California.

Whittaker is an experienced federal and state trial lawyer with approximately two decades of handling high-stakes complex commercial litigation. He handles a wide variety of commercial business disputes, including lender liability, complex real estate matters, construction disputes, breach of contract, employment discrimination, negligent misrepresentation and fraud, trade secret and unfair competition, as well as shareholder and partnership disputes.

Committed to philanthropy, Whittaker is currently a board member for the Southwestern Growers Committee. He has also been recognized as a “Top Lawyer” (Business & Commercial Litigation), by Palm Springs Life Magazine from 2011-2019.

Daley’s experience includes representing clients in both federal and state court, as well as in arbitration and in administrative proceedings. He has extensive experience representing employers in a variety of employment matters, advising his clients on questions of labor and employment compliance, and successfully asserting client rights in copyright and trade secret disputes.

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, is pleased to announce that Paruch Chrusciel Schiffter (PCS), a leading labor and employment law firm in Poland, is joining its global platform. The expansion brings Littler’s European presence to nine countries and follows recent growth into Austria, Norway and Singapore.

The move continues Littler’s growth strategy that includes combining with top labor and employment law firms in the world’s business centers. Littler’s global footprint is now comprised of more than 1,500 attorneys in 23 countries.

PCS has five offices across Poland – Warszawa, Katowice, Kraków, Poznań and Wrocław – and consists of 21 attorneys and 21 paralegals. The team counsels and defends clients on a wide range of workplace issues, including hiring and terminations, employee privacy and data protection, compensation and benefits, discrimination and equality, absence and sick leaves, and unfair competition. Additionally, its Global Mobility & Immigration practice advises clients on matters related to international employee mobility, including tax and social security issues.

PCS was founded by Sławomir Paruch and his partners Łukasz Chruściel, Karolina Schiffter and Robert Stępień. Paruch, an accomplished attorney with more than 20 years of experience, represents clients in employment-related court disputes across Poland. He has extensive experience with collective labor disputes, corporate restructuring, trade union relations, non-competition agreements, and regulations involving remuneration and financial incentives for employees.

Chruściel serves as head of the firm’s Katowice office and is one of the country’s leading authorities on labor law and social security regulations. Schiffter advises clients within the firm’s Global Mobility and Immigration practice and has guided the practice’s growth to one of the largest operating within a law firm in Poland. Stępień, head of the Krakow office, draws on wide-ranging experience counseling employers on hiring and terminations, outsourcing, trade union relations and collective labor agreements.

PCS will collaborate with other Littler European offices and further expand the firm’s capabilities throughout the continent. According to Dr. Thomas Griebe, a founding partner of Littler’s offices in Germany, “We have long been familiar with partners of PCS, and with their depth of experience resolving employment disputes and advising on complex workplace issues. The opportunity to team up with such a strong neighboring partner will boost our capabilities in Central Europe and bring significant value to our clients regionally and globally.”

Littler’s international operations span four continents – North America, South America, Asia and Europe – and include Austria, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Poland, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States and Venezuela. The firm’s global capabilities also include U.S.-based lawyers with exceptional international experience, who are dually licensed practitioners in Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.

Venable LLP announced today that it has elected 12 attorneys to the firm partnership. The new partners, from Venable’s Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Tysons, and Washington, DC offices, are emerging leaders from a broad cross section of the firm’s practice groups, including Commercial Litigation, Corporate, Environmental, Intellectual Property, Political Law, Real Estate, Tax and Wealth Planning, and Zoning and Land Use.

Stu Ingis, chairman of Venable, said, “We are excited to welcome this group of attorneys to the firm’s partnership. They have each made significant contributions to the firm through their dedication to client service, outstanding legal abilities, and commitment to the communities in which we work. Their promotions reflect our confidence in their continued success and contributions to the strength of the firm. In these challenging times, developing and promoting our attorneys remains a core area of focus at Venable.”

The following attorneys are joining Venable’s partnership effective June 1, 2020.

Baltimore, Md., Office

Christopher S. Davidson advises clients on a wide range of federal and state tax issues involving corporate, partnership, international, and individual income tax.

Evan T. Shea is an experienced trial and appellate attorney who focuses on complex commercial litigation and white collar criminal defense.

Ashley C. Short focuses on estate planning for high-net-worth individuals. She assists clients with preserving assets for future generations, leaving a charitable legacy, and administering complex estates.

Los Angeles Office

Thomas Baxter advises media, entertainment, and technology companies, and private equity firms in the entertainment and media industries, as well as celebrities, athletes, fashion designers, and influencers in connection with their business activities.

Bret P. Siciliano represents clients in various industries on a wide range of business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, private placements, real estate transactions, joint ventures, transactional advertising matters, and sponsorships and endorsements.

New York City Office

Erin J.D. Austin is a patent litigator experienced with Hatch-Waxman Act litigation and contested proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), including inter partes reviews and interferences.

Jared L. Stringham is a patent litigator with experience representing pharmaceutical companies in Hatch-Waxman Act litigation at both the district court and Federal Circuit levels, as well as in inter partes proceedings before the USPTO.

San Francisco Office

Benjamin C. Pelletier is a registered patent attorney with extensive experience advising clients in all aspects of patent portfolio development and management.

Tyler G. Welti focuses on environmental, regulatory, and litigation matters, drawing on his experience with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. He helps clients navigate environmental issues during project development and operation, regulatory proceedings, challenges to permits and rules, citizen suits, and enforcement actions, as well as a variety of other litigation matters.

Tysons, Va., Office

G. Evan Pritchard focuses on securing zoning and land use approvals for developers and landowners in jurisdictions throughout Northern Virginia, including Arlington County, Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the City of Falls Church, among others.

Washington Office

Julia Lane Mooney focuses on commercial real estate law, concentrating her practice on the acquisition, disposition, development, financing, and leasing of retail, office, multifamily, and industrial property.

James E. Tyrrell III focuses on complex political law compliance and campaign finance regulation for a wide range of corporate and political clients.

Venable LLP is an American Lawyer Global 100 law firm headquartered in Washington, DC that serves as primary counsel to a worldwide clientele of large and mid-sized organizations, nonprofits, high-net-worth entrepreneurs, and other individuals. With more than 850 professionals across the country, including California, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Washington, DC, the firm strategically advances its clients’ objectives in the U.S. and around the globe. Venable, which is celebrating its 120-year anniversary, advises clients on a broad range of business and regulatory law, legislative affairs, complex litigation, and the full range of intellectual property disciplines. For more information, please visit www.venable.com.

Venable LLP announced today that it has promoted 18 attorneys to counsel effective June 1, 2020. The new counsels, from Venable’s Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York, Towson, Tysons, and Washington, DC offices, represent a broad cross section from the firm’s four divisions—Business, Government, Intellectual Property, and Litigation.

Stu Ingis, chairman of Venable, said, “We are excited to promote these attorneys to counsel. Each continues to progress and advance in their careers by delivering excellent legal work, developing professionally, and upholding the firm’s values. In these challenging times, developing and promoting our attorneys remains a core area of focus at Venable.”

The following attorneys were promoted to counsel.

Baltimore, Md., Office

Nick Collevecchio assists clients in a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, with a particular focus on complex mergers and acquisitions, debt financings, equity investments, and commercial contracts.

Gabe Steele represents public and private companies, including many REITs, in connection with securities law matters, major strategic transactions, corporate governance, capital markets transactions, and private financings.

Los Angeles Office

Witt Chang litigates a wide range of commercial disputes, primarily on behalf of businesses engaged in traditional and burgeoning Los Angeles industries, including new media and entertainment, advertising and marketing, hospitality, and real estate.

Ken Kronstadt helps clients resolve complex commercial, insurance recovery, media and entertainment, and intellectual property disputes.

New York City Office

Rob Bugg brings experience in a broad range of intellectual property disputes, with an emphasis on complex patent litigation and post-grant proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Patent Trials and Appeals Board.

Josh Calabro litigates patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation cases and represents clients in proceedings before the USPTO, including both interference and inter partes review proceedings.

Shannon Clark focuses her practice on patent litigation, contested proceedings before the U.S. Patent Office, and pre-lawsuit investigations, involving pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

Whitney Meier focuses on complex patent litigation and contested proceedings before the USPTO, with an emphasis on pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

Evan Minsberg counsels payments companies, lenders, lead generators, fintech platforms, and other financial services providers on product development, regulatory, and transactional issues.

Jonathan Sharret assists clients in complex intellectual property disputes, including patent and trade secret litigation and inter partes review, with a focus on electrical engineering and computer science technologies.

Towson, Md., Office

Adam Rosenblatt represents local, regional, and national clients in analyzing and complying with land use regulations primarily related to real estate development.

Tysons, Va., Office

Taylor Chapman represents clients in a wide array of complex commercial litigation, including claims involving employee mobility, teaming and subcontract agreements, misappropriation of trade secrets, real estate contracts, trust and estate disputes, business torts, false advertising, and shareholder derivative claims.

Washington Office

Jackie DiRamio focuses on patent prosecution and counseling, and due diligence analysis, including freedom-to-operate and infringement studies, and patent licensing and transactions. Her work involves a variety of scientific areas, including the mechanical, electrical, biological, and chemical arts, as well as medical devices and consumer goods.

Paul Feinstein assists clients on a variety of antitrust issues, including government investigations, pre-merger notifications, civil litigation, and strategic counseling.

Anna Katherine (A.K.) Moody advises individuals and families on all aspects of estate planning, including estate administration and multigenerational wealth transfer strategies.

Daniel Straga counsels publicly and privately held companies on a wide variety of corporate and business matters, with a particular focus on cross-border acquisitions, divestitures, internal reorganizations, venture capital transactions, and investment fund formations

Ryan Sweigard focuses on technology transactions, intellectual property, and commercial contracts, including licensing, cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS), strategic alliance, joint venture, strategic sourcing, new product development, and other complex commercial transactions. Ryan is admitted to the bar in MD and VA. He is practicing in DC under the supervision of Venable partners admitted in DC.

Ryan Ward brings a wide variety of technical knowledge and experience to his patent prosecution, right-to-use, and infringement analyses. He works primarily in the software, Internet, medical device, telecommunications, and fintech fields.

Venable LLP is an American Lawyer Global 100 law firm headquartered in Washington, DC that serves as primary counsel to a worldwide clientele of large and mid-sized organizations, nonprofits, high-net-worth entrepreneurs, and other individuals. With more than 850 professionals across the country, including California, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Washington, DC, the firm strategically advances its clients’ objectives in the U.S. and around the globe. Venable, which is celebrating its 120-year anniversary, advises clients on a broad range of business and regulatory law, legislative affairs, complex litigation, and the full range of intellectual property disciplines. For more information, please visit www.venable.com.

In its continued effort to broaden the firm’s service offerings across strategic growth areas, Stroock has added partner Eric Aronson to its Litigation Group and senior counsel Jeffrey Meyers to its Commodities, Derivatives and Energy practice.

Aronson maintains a comprehensive litigation practice, bringing wide-ranging experience at the trial and appellate levels, while Jeff focuses on varied energy, corporate and transactional matters across the globe.

Aronson routinely advises public and private companies and management teams on issues as varied as securities, construction, environmental law and intellectual property. His regular clients include top financial institutions, real estate developers, life sciences companies, private equity groups and closely held corporations.

Aronson’s experience includes litigation in federal and state courts nationwide, as well as domestic and international arbitrations. He has also argued appeals before numerous state and federal appellate courts.

His recent matters include representing a consumer products company in CERCLA litigation and related regulatory issues regarding the largest Superfund Site in the United States, defending a nationwide class action involving labeling claims, representing a financial services company regarding certain debt instruments, and guiding a major closely held retailer in a series of shareholder litigations and related disputes.

Meyers, a prominent energy lawyer, has extensive experience in the development and financing of domestic and international energy projects, and the acquisition and sale of interests in energy facilities and companies totaling billions of dollars and thousands of megawatts.

Throughout his career, Meyers has worked on matters involving wind, solar and other renewable energy generating projects, biofuels production facilities, fossil fuel-fired generating facilities, oil and gas exploration and production and midstream activities and investments in energy technologies.

Earlier this quarter, Stroock added Allison Miller, a well-recognized corporate lawyer with wide-ranging experience in corporate law and restructuring and special situations transactions.

DALLAS (May 29, 2020) – Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Jill Louis has joined the firm’s Corporate & Securities practice as a partner in the Dallas office. Louis’ addition to the Dallas office follows the opening of the firm’s Austin office in February and the recent addition of John Treviño in Dallas, a privacy law attorney, as Perkins Coie continues to grow and expand its Texas operations.

Louis advises public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, franchise transactions, corporate governance matters, and commercial contracts across a wide range of industries, including industrial, retail, technology, healthcare, and business services. She also advises on road transportation issues, project infrastructure matters, and the creation and implementation of contract management processes for public and private companies. Louis has worked with companies of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 50 corporations. Louis served in the corporate legal departments of major Dallas-based corporations for more than 15 years before returning to private practice in 2016.

Louis received her J.D. from Harvard University and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Howard University. She is well known in Dallas civic and philanthropic circles and serves on several boards, including as a director at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, an executive board member of KERA, and as a member of the board of trustees for Howard University.

Sidley Welcomes Life Sciences Corporate Partner Frank Rahmani in Palo Alto

Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce that Frank Rahmani has joined the firm in Palo Alto as a partner in the Corporate practice, with a focus on emerging companies and capital markets. Rahmani will also be a member of Sidley’s award-winning Global Life Sciences practice. He was previously a partner at Cooley LLP.

Rahmani advises emerging growth and public companies in the life sciences and technology industries. Working closely with founders, CEOs, boards of directors and investors, Rahmani counsels clients in a broad range of matters, from formation and spin-off transactions, to financings and public offerings, governance, mergers and acquisitions, strategic collaborations, and technology acquisition and licensing matters.

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, announces the launch of the Littler Restructuring Assessment Solution, a resource for employers forced to make critical decisions about reductions in force (RIFs), furloughs, layoffs and other workforce restructuring measures.

The holistic solution provides businesses with a proactive, strategic and defensible approach to workforce restructurings by leveraging Littler’s deep bench of attorneys with extensive experience in this area – and enhancing their work with cutting-edge technology. The approach can also give employers the opportunity to plan ahead for bringing select employees back into their workforces.

With Littler’s solution, employers receive timely and practical guidance to help formulate and execute a strategy for workforce restructurings. Here’s how it works:

• Consultation. The process starts with a consultation to understand the company’s business objectives. Littler’s experienced attorneys provide counsel on potential approaches to achieve those goals that align with their specific business needs and comply with the myriad of federal, state and local regulations.
• Analysis. Next, an adverse impact analysis is conducted in a privileged context using Littler’s proprietary technology. The tool provides a comprehensive assessment of the impact of selection criteria, both in various strata of the company and regarding the company as a whole. The analysis helps clients see in real-time how modifying selection criteria affects statistical results and assists in achieving fair and effective workforce adjustments.
• Execution. With the statistical analysis complete, the team analyzes the results to help clients establish a strategy, as well as preserve an evidentiary record of the analysis conducted. While this analysis is privileged, the privilege can be waived in any future litigation if desired.

In addition to Notestine, Littler’s core team of attorneys with decades of experience helping employers plan, devise and execute complex workforce restructurings includes shareholders Robert Long, Bruce Millman, Marko Mrkonich, Terri Solomon, Daniel Thieme and Jennifer Youpa, among others.

Littler’s Restructuring Assessment Solution is the latest in a long line of innovative and practical resources the firm provides to employers. Littler’s Service Solutions – including the Littler Pay Equity Assessment (a technology tool for conducting audits and guiding legal strategy), Littler onDemand (a data-driven solution for employment law advice and counsel) and Littler CaseSmart® (the firm’s approach to efficiently managing employment litigation) – are designed to provide clients with efficient legal counsel, help shape legal and compliance strategies, and spot trends that can inform critical business decisions.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Alison Watkins has joined the firm’s Litigation and Privacy & Security practices as a partner in the Palo Alto office.

Watkins is a veteran privacy litigator and counselor and her experience includes guiding clients on compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Watkins has also counseled clients under government investigation and served as a lead advisor on matters before federal and state courts and the U.S. International Trade Commission.

In addition to her extensive privacy and security practice, Watkins has deep experience with intellectual property litigation, including patent infringement, unfair competition, trade secret, and breach of contract matters. She represents companies in the virtual reality, mobile communication, technology startup, biotechnology, software, and semiconductor industries.

Watkins earned her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law and her B.A., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to her practice, Watkins serves as pro bono counsel on matters related to human trafficking, sanctuary policies, and police reform.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Jacob Hanson has joined the firm’s Tampa office as an associate in the Litigation Practice Group.

“We are pleased to welcome Jacob to our growing team of attorneys in Tampa,” said Bradley Tampa Office Managing Partner Craig Mayfield. “Jacob brings valuable litigation experience that will benefit our clients throughout Florida. We are excited to continue building with lawyers of Jacob’s quality at any time, but particularly proud to be successfully adding his strength during the current environment.”

Mr. Hanson defends clients in first-party property, coverage, and bad faith actions throughout Florida. His experience includes advocating at motion hearings, drafting pleadings and motions, propounding and responding to discovery, negotiating settlements, and advising clients on their legal options while also considering the business ramifications of those options.

Before joining Bradley, Mr. Hanson served as a law clerk to the Hon. James S. Moody, Jr., on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. He earned his J.D. (magna cum laude) from Stetson University College of Law and his Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida.

The Litigation Practice Group is Bradley’s largest practice and includes nearly half of the firm’s more than 500 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.

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.

ATLANTA – Barnes & Thornburg has added Sarah J. Hawk as a partner in the firm’s Labor and Employment Department in the Atlanta office. Hawk brings nearly two decades of experience advising organizations on their immigration policies.

Employing an extensive knowledge of immigration rules and regulations, Hawk helps organizations obtain visas and permanent residence status for executives, managers, and other critical employees. She advises clients on immigration petitions, consular processing, outbound placement, and waiver cases, as well as complex I-9 and E-Verify compliance, audits, investigations, and trainings. Hawk also oversees the preparation of virtually every kind of employment-based immigration petition.

Hawk is a member of the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network (GAIN) Advisory Board.. She earned her J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law, a M.A.T from Agnes Scott College, and a B.A. from Agnes Scott College, magna cum laude.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Robert A. Cox Jr., a partner in the firm’s Charlotte office, has been recognized as a Board Certified Specialist in Business Bankruptcy Law by the North Carolina State Bar.

“We congratulate Rob on earning distinction as a North Carolina board-certified Business Bankruptcy Law attorney,” said Bradley Charlotte Office Managing Partner Christopher C. Lam. “This certification is proof of his leadership, skills and high standards of commitment to the practice.”

The North Carolina State Bar certifies lawyers as specialists in designated practice areas as a service to the public. To be certified as a board certified specialist in a practice area, a lawyer must be an active member in good standing with the North Carolina State Bar for at least five years, devote at least 25% of his or her practice to the specialty during the past five years, attend continuing legal education (CLE) seminars in the specialty, be favorably evaluated by other lawyers and judges, and pass a written examination in the specialty practice area. Certification is granted for a period of five years and may be renewed if the lawyer meets the same requirements at the time of renewal.

A member of Bradley’s Bankruptcy Practice Group, Mr. Cox focuses his practice on financial restructuring and insolvency, including bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, commercial workouts, bankruptcy related litigation, and distressed asset acquisitions. He represents corporate debtors, secured lenders, unsecured creditors, asset acquirers, lessors, equity holders, and other parties in interest in bankruptcies and out of court workouts in matters throughout the United States.

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.

Redgrave LLP, the national law firm focused on addressing complex legal challenges that arise at the intersection of the law and technology, has formed one of the only Restructuring Discovery teams in the country. In this space, Redgrave works closely with law firms and turnaround advisors on all types of restructurings, acting as subject-matter professionals in the areas of discovery and information governance.

The Redgrave team handles all aspects of restructuring discovery, both pre-petition and after a bankruptcy has been filed, and advises both debtors and creditors, as well as consultants and judicial groups. As discovery counsel, Redgrave works hand-in-hand alongside merits counsel, handling all of the data identification, preservation, collection, review, and production efforts. Discovery in and around restructurings also requires complex privilege analyses. Redgrave attorneys have unique knowledge in the area of attorney-client and other privileges and protections for which clients have relied on for years.

Discovery counsel in restructuring matters sits in between the client, merits counsel, and the eDiscovery vendor to develop an overall discovery strategy and provide legal advice during the process. The Redgrave team focuses on key areas, including preservation strategies, document and data collection, negotiation of discovery issues, compliance with applicable privacy laws, appropriate and e-active privilege determinations, education for judges and special masters on complex discovery issues, and special master and expert services for appropriate cases.

As U.S. businesses face daunting decisions while they return to regular operations, Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, is helping them reintegrate their employees into the workplace and implement new policies and protocols set forth by federal, state and local authorities with the launch of the Akerman Return to Work Resource Guide. Offering a library of key reference materials and procedures, the Akerman Return to Work Resource Guide provides employers with best practices in facilitating a safe and orderly transition to a “new normal” in a COVID-19 era.

In addition to 24/7 live support from Akerman’s employer-focused Return to Work team, the Resource Guide includes a variety of tactical guidance, available for access through a personalized, secure online portal. Akerman’s resource library includes more than 60 downloadable documents, such as questionnaires, checklists, policies, and procedures to help provide direction, context, and clarity as businesses return to regular operations, including:

• Employee requests for ADA accommodations, letters addressing the need to return to work, and health screenings for employees and visitors
• Protocols for prevention of COVID-19 exposure, limitations of non-essential business travel policy, and employee temperature screenings policies
• Trainings for managers in the COVID-19 environment to be tailored to employer requirements, including in the areas of workplace privacy and security, employee benefit plan impacts, and union and non-union concerns
• A deeper dive into return to work issues, such as OSHA and workplace safety, special considerations relating to on-site medical clinics, and workplace configuration and scheduling consideration
• Contract considerations for vendors, including the purchase or implementation of on-site medical clinics, telehealth, IT services, benefit plan services, and payroll services

The launch of the Akerman Return to Work Resource Guide comes at a time when the firm has been singled out by clients for its leading services and unfailing commitment to help during these unprecedented times. Akerman was named on BTI Consulting’s Mad Clientist list as one of 37 Midsize Law Firms Punching Way Above Their Weight. Clients who participated in the Mad Clientist survey look to firms like Akerman “for a wide variety of risky, delicate, and thorny matters – including highly customized advice about reopening [business] and related issues.”

In celebration of its 100th anniversary and in recognition of the vast influence and importance of product liability law in the corporate world, the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has published a special 2020 edition of its flagship publication, the Defense Counsel Journal (DCJ), devoted exclusively to product liability topics.

“The IADC’s Product Liability Committee, which is our organization’s largest committee, assembled an outstanding compendium of product liability related articles for this special issue of the Defense Counsel Journal,” said DCJ editor and former IADC board member Kenneth R. Meyer.

IADC President Amy Sherry Fischer added, “We owe immense appreciation to the Product Liability Committee for putting together so many important and educational articles as a commemoration of the IADC’s long and rich history of providing members and the larger legal community with cutting edge information on a broad range of vital topics in the law.”

William L. Anderson, chair of the IADC’s Product Liability Committee, explained that the IADC members who wrote the articles for this DCJ issue focus on looking at the future of product liability litigation. Included in the issue are short opinion pieces by some of the most distinguished and long-standing product liability practitioners on trends that they expect to dominate the practice in the coming years.

Frequently and favorably cited by courts and other legal scholarship, the DCJ is a quarterly forum for topical and scholarly writings on the law, including its development and reform, as well as on the practice of law in general. The IADC is a 2,500-member, invitation-only, worldwide organization that serves its members and their clients, as well as the civil justice system and the legal profession.

The IADC’s 2020 Product Liability Special Issue of the DCJ is available for free and without a subscription via the IADC’s website at https://www.iadclaw.org/documents/?CategoryId=4.

Following are brief summaries of key articles included in the special commemorative issue of the DCJ:

“3D Printing: Product Liability, Professional Liability and Other Tort Aspects of the Burgeoning Industry” by Jordan Lipp and Steven A. Michalek, managing members at Childs McCune, LLC – The article explores liability issues raised by the burgeoning use of 3D printing when an allegedly defective product is manufactured.

“Torts, Courts and Attorneys General: Tort Litigation by States” by William L. Anderson and Richard E. (Rick) Wallace, Jr., partners at Crowell & Moring LLP – Provides insights on state attorneys general (AGs) actions in the tort arena, including the chief differences between regulation and tort litigation, a summary of the nebulous tort theories that state attorneys general invoke, examples of recent tort cases brought by state AGs, and practical suggestions for counsel defending against such cases.

“The Rise and Minor Fall of Litigation Funding in Australia” by Greg Williams, a partner, and Will Atfield, a senior associate, at Clayton Utz – Offers an overview of the status of litigation funding in Australia.

“Product Liability Cases in Civil Law Countries: A Pro-Plaintiff Approach” by Sylvie Gallage-Alwis, founding partner of the Paris office of Signature Litigation – Discusses how product liability cases have evolved in civil law countries.

Where Are We Headed, Hal? Product Liability in the Next 100 Years” by William L. Anderson, a partner at Crowell & Moring LLP – Muses on the future of product liability law, with attention to the split between federal and state courts, attacks on experts and science, the reptile theory about jurors responding to fear, and the PR battle against products and their makers/sellers.

“This Internet Thing is Great, Isn’t it, Hal? Product Liability in the Next 100 Years” by Stephanie M. Rippee, a member at Watkins & Eager, PLLC – Explores how issues arising from the use of smart products are likely to reshape traditional product liability law and litigation in the future.

“The Next Wave of Global Litigation” by James Sullivan, a partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon, LLP, and Mary-Christine (M.C.) Sungaila, a partner, and Marco A Pulido, an associate, both at Haynes and Boone, LLP – Addresses the new wave of global litigation as a result of the dramatic increase in international commerce.

“Fight for the Forum” by Eric G. Lasker and Brett S. Covington, partners at Hollingsworth, LLP – Suggests that defendants must win forum disputes in order to hope to turn the tide in products liability.

“Warning: Additional Warnings May Be Required” by Jessalyn H. Zeigler, a member, and Sarah B. Miller and Olivia Seraphim, associates, at Bass, Berry & Sims PLC – Examines recent developments and lawsuits with regard to warning labels, focusing particularly on the sometimes-conflicting requirements imposed on manufacturers by inconsistent regulations and/or court rulings.

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.

Duane Morris LLP is pleased to announce that it has promoted four associates to special counsel.

These newly named special counsel are:

• David A. Kahn, Health Law Practice Group, Miami
• Heather N. King, Corporate Practice Group, Baltimore
• Stuart I. Seiden, Trial Practice Group, Philadelphia
• Gretchen L. Temeles, Ph.D., Intellectual Property Practice Group, Philadelphia

“David, Heather, Stuart and Gretchen are tremendous attorneys and have proven their commitment to our clients through their hard work and initiative,” said Duane Morris Chairman and CEO Matthew A. Taylor. “We’re pleased to be able to recognize their accomplishments and look forward to watching them continue to build prosperous legal careers.”

David A. Kahn practices in the areas of corporate and healthcare law, with a particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance, corporate entity and limited liability company formation and organization, and other general corporate matters. He has experience in the preparation of stock, membership interest and asset purchase agreements, operating agreements and shareholder agreements, employment agreements, confidentiality, noncompetition, nonsolicitation and nondisclosure agreements, general corporate counseling and other transactional matters.

Kahn is a graduate of Emory University School of Law (J.D., 2007), where he was a member of the Moot Court Society, and a graduate of Union College (B.A., 2002). Prior to entering law school, Kahn worked as a corporate paralegal for two years at an international law firm.

Heather N. King practices in the area of corporate and securities law, representing clients in connection with complex financings, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private securities offerings. She regularly advises management teams and board of directors regarding corporate governance and matters relating to company operations. King has extensive experience advising clients in a variety of industries, including corporate clients in the technology, financial services, consumer products and healthcare industries.

King is a graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2008), where she was associate comments editor of the Law Review, and a graduate of Stevenson University (B.S., magna cum laude, 2000).

Stuart I. Seiden practices in the area of litigation and focuses on representing the interests of clients in state, federal and bankruptcy court litigation matters throughout New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. He has experience in mortgage-related litigation; consumer bankruptcy, including adversary proceedings; consumer credit card litigation; and consumer and commercial collections litigation. Seiden’s practice includes defending lenders, servicers and credit card companies from actions brought under TILA, RESPA, HOEPA, NJHOSA, ECOA, FCRA, TCPA and state consumer fraud statutes. He also responds to consumer disputes sent to his clients by state attorneys general offices, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other regulatory agencies. Seiden also has appellate experience in the mortgage-related litigation space.
Seiden is a graduate of Rutgers University School of Law–Camden (J.D., 2005), Lebanon Valley College (B.A., 2002) and The Hill School (1998). Prior to entering private practice, he served as law clerk to the late Hon. M. Allan Vogelson, presiding judge, Chancery Division, Camden County Superior Court. Additionally, Seiden worked for The Sports Corporation, a major professional hockey agency in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Gretchen L. Temeles, Ph.D., focuses her practice on patent procurement and patent portfolio management in the biotechnology, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. She counsels clients from multiple industry sectors including established specialty chemical, diagnostic and medical device companies, midmarket biotech companies, medical cannabis and cannabinoids, early stage startup companies and universities. Temeles’ experience includes both U.S. and international patent prosecution, patent landscape analyses, freedom-to-operate searches, patent due diligence, noninfringement and invalidity opinions and European opposition proceedings. She works with clients to balance their patent and trade secret portfolios and assists clients with transactional work, including material transfer agreements, sponsored research agreements and licensing agreements. Temeles has experience in prelitigation and litigation matters in molecular diagnostics.

Temeles is a graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law (J.D., 2009), Yale University (Ph.D., biology, 1987) and the University of Pennsylvania (B.A., cum laude, 1974). Prior to her legal career, Temeles was a research scientist and group leader in a biotechnology company, where she worked on target identification and small molecule drug discovery. Previously, she held research positions at the University of Pennsylvania and Merck Sharpe and Dohme Research Laboratories. Temeles is a co-inventor on two U.S. patents and has authored peer-reviewed scientific papers.

About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP provides innovative solutions to today’s multifaceted legal and business challenges through the collegial and collaborative culture of its more than 800 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally. The firm represents a broad array of clients, spanning all major practices and industries.