Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce that Joshua Thompson has joined the firm in New York as a partner in its Global Finance group. Thompson was previously a partner at Shearman & Sterling LLP, where he was head of the firm’s Global Leveraged Finance Group and head of Private Capital.

Thompson has advised many of the world’s most prestigious financial institutions and borrowers on complex financing matters. He focuses his practice on acquisition financings and other leveraged lending, which includes leveraged buyouts, tender offers and other going private transactions. As a trusted counsel to lead arrangers, direct lenders and private equity sponsors, Thompson is highly involved in all aspects of structuring, negotiating and documenting these transactions. The breadth of his experience also extends to structured financings, asset-backed lending, second lien financings, mezzanine investment, restructuring, Chapter 11 plans and the acquisition of troubled companies.

Palo Alto – Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce that Rachel Kleinberg will join the firm in Palo Alto as a partner in its global Tax group. She is joining from Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.

Kleinberg is a nationally recognized thought leader in tax, whose practice spans a wide array of transactional matters. She advises corporate, private equity and financial institution clients on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, spinoffs and reorganizations, cross-border restructurings, capital markets transactions, credit facilities, international tax matters and derivatives transactions.

Kleinberg serves as chair of the Foreign Activities U.S. Taxpayers Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section of Taxation and is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel. She is a sought-after speaker on international and corporate tax topics.

Scott & Scott, LLP is pleased to announce that Stephen F. Pinson has received the IAPP’s Privacy Law Specialist designation. With this elite designation, Mr. Pinson verifies he has met the rigorous experience and knowledge requirements and distinguishes himself as a leader in the Privacy Law industry.

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, is pleased to announce the continued expansion of its Chicago office with the strategic additions of Joel Sestito and Kevin Shortsle. Sestito is part of the Real Estate Finance Practice within the Real Estate Practice Group, bringing robust experience representing lenders, entities, and individuals in sophisticated real estate and commercial loan transactions. Shortsle joins the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group with strong credentials advising high-profile pharmaceutical brands in the intellectual property (IP) aspects of drug treatments for serious health conditions, including prostate cancer, depression, and heartburn.

Akerman’s Chicago office, founded in 2014, has grown to more than 50 lawyers. The expansion led Akerman to more than double the size of its Chicago office space while strengthening the firm’s deep bench in commercial litigation, IP, financial services, real estate, and other client-driven sectors.

Akerman’s Real Estate Finance Practice and Intellectual Property Practice Group have each experienced significant national growth. In the last year, the real estate finance team expanded with notable hires in New York, Jacksonville, and Atlanta, including Alan Cohen, who currently serves as the firm’s Real Estate Finance Practice Chair. Akerman’s Intellectual Property Practice Group has led a similar, strategic growth. Four partners have joined in Tampa, Chicago, and Austin, expanding the firm’s IP skillset in highly technical disciplines, such as advanced software, artificial intelligence, mechanical devices, automotive products, and computer equipment.

Joel Sestito: Partner, Real Estate
Sestito focuses his practice on the representation of financial institutions in connection with real estate and commercial loan transactions. He represents lenders during all stages of the loan process, including the negotiation and documentation of new loan transactions, the workout and disposition of troubled loan assets, and the exercise of various creditor’s remedies. Sestito represents clients with respect to secured and unsecured, single lender and syndicated loans, revolving lines of credit, mezzanine loans, A/B loans, loan on loan financings, and securitized loans. In addition, Sestito has extensive experience with loan transactions that involve EB-5 financings, new markets tax credits, historic tax credits, low income housing tax credits, and ground lease financings.

Kevin Shortsle: Partner, Intellectual Property
Shortsle focuses his litigation practice on pharmaceutical, chemical, and medical device technologies, with additional focus on broader IP litigation, patent prosecution, and counseling. He helps clients navigate all aspects of patent litigation, from pre-filing investigations through trial and appeal. His recent representations have involved treatments for prostate cancer, Eligard®; heartburn, Pepcid Complete®; benign prostatic hyperplasia, Rapaflo® (silodosin); depression, Pristiq® (desvenlafaxine); acne, Differin® (adapalene); actinic keratosis, Solaraze® (diclofenac); and knee, hip, and spine surgical implants and instrumentation.

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has announced that Matthew Noce, a partner at HeplerBroom LLC in St. Louis, has accepted an invitation to join the IADC, the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests.

“I am proud and humbled to be accepted as a member of such a prestigious group of international attorneys,” Mr. Noce said.

Mr. Noce’s practice involves general litigation with an emphasis on commercial trucking, premises liability and employment law matters. He also has a particular focus on defending private and public schools and public utilities in litigation matters.

Mr. Noce currently serves on the board of the Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers (MODL). For MODL, he has served for the last three years as chair or co-chair of the committee that organizes the group’s annual meeting that hosts more than 150 lawyers and their families each year. He also is a member of the St. Louis County Bar’s Executive Committee.

Mr. Noce received his J.D. from St. Louis University Law School and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri.

Legal technology company CLE Companion (www.clecompanion.com) has announced a partnership with Lawyers of Distinction, adding that the partnership “will providing its customers with convenient, on-demand Continuing Legal Education programming at a fraction of the cost they would pay traditional CLE purveyors.

“We’re excited to be able to officially announce this partnership,” said Kristin Davidson, the founder and CEO of CLE Companion. “Legal businesses, like Lawyers of Distinction, are increasingly recognizing the value of delivering CLE to their attorneys, saving them hundreds of dollars a year in what they would be spending on traditional CLE providers and attending conferences.”

In the past several months, CLE Companion has finalized close to 10 partnerships, and the demand for its unique partnership model is rising. “This will be the standard moving forward and were excited to be the leader,” she said.

The value to attorneys is compelling.

“Online CLE courses are a convenient tool for any attorney and one of the easiest ways to save time, reduce costs, and enhance industry knowledge,” said Davidson.
CLE Companion has enhanced these features to another level with features like integrated partner API and a Credit Tracker. “It’s a complete package,” added Davidson.
Lawyers of Distinction is a select membership community featuring lawyers nationwide with exceptional skill sets. Adding a CLE component to their membership is a ground-breaking effort by the Lawyers of Distinction corporate team, virtually doubling their membership values overnight.

“Lawyers of Distinction is always looking for new ways to stay in front of the fast-moving changes in legal technology. Adding a membership to CLE Companion is a great way to enhance our value and commitment to our members,” said founder and CEO Robert Baker.

“We are confident this investment in attorney education will pay off,” added Baker.

Lowenstein Sandler announced today the release of its 2019 Pro Bono Report, which details the firm’s pro bono and community service efforts last year through the Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest. In 2019, Lowenstein dedicated more than 23,000 hours of pro bono work, much of which focused on immigration, civil and human rights, and criminal justice. Over the last 23 years, the firm has dedicated 441,531 hours to pro bono matters.

“Integral to our firm’s core values is our commitment to pro bono work,” said Gary M. Wingens, Chairman and Managing Partner of the firm. “In 2019, it was gratifying to see years of collaborative effort with our nonprofit partners produce positive results, such as the passage of New Jersey’s new juvenile justice reform bill, which will be a national model, and the affirmation of protections such as Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for young immigrants. In this period of major challenge and disruption, the firm continues to focus its energy and talent on addressing the problems that hit vulnerable communities hardest.”

Catherine Weiss, partner and Chair of the center, adds, “This report highlights the resilience and perseverance of pro bono clients who have faced, and overcome, challenges that would flatten most of us. Celebrating with them reminds us that with determination, humor, and compassion, we can tip the scales toward justice. Thanks to our network of volunteers, legal service organizations, and corporate partners, we will continue to fight alongside those who are seeking safety, peace, freedom, and fairness.”

Highlights of the firm’s 2019 pro bono work include:

• Overturning a policy that illegally disqualified a class of young immigrants from a key form of relief specifically intended for abused and neglected children called Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS);
• Preventing the government from deporting young people who had already been granted SIJS but who were stuck in long lines, waiting for the chance to apply for their green cards;
• Helping to draft a New Jersey bill–now a law–that provides a national model for juvenile justice reform by reducing incarceration while promoting incentives for positive youth behavior and successful reintegration into society through such measures as the removal of onerous financial penalties, which often inhibit successful reentry;
• Joining a federal challenge to the government’s restrictions on military service by transgender people;
• Arguing for systemwide reforms to ensure that, when transgender people are incarcerated, they are held in units appropriate for their gender identity and most likely to protect their safety; and
• Assisting more than 100 nonprofits to form, grow, achieve, and expand their missions of providing high-quality services to individuals in need.

Access the 2019 Pro Bono Report.

With the new challenge of the COVID-19 crisis, the firm continues to work with our nonprofit partners to advocate for those who will be hardest hit. For more information, please visit this new feature of the Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest website. You can also find timely Lowenstein articles and other materials related to the pandemic on the firm’s COVID-19 resource page.

About the Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest

From its founding, Lowenstein Sandler has been committed to advancing the public interest and serving communities in need. The Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest embodies this commitment, directing the firm’s strong pro bono program and other forms of civic and philanthropic engagement. Through these efforts, the center addresses significant social problems and offers meaningful assistance to low-income and other marginalized people, along with the organizations that advocate for and support them. This work engages the full range of the firm’s talents and reflects the core values that imbue all of the firm’s efforts: to perform work of the highest quality in a manner that maximizes results for our clients and causes.

View Press Release.

Rusty Hardin & Associates suit: Cruise line knew of danger, failed to warn and delayed medical care

LOS ANGELES – A Texas woman is suing Princess Cruise Lines for knowingly exposing her and her husband to the new coronavirus and for preventing her husband from leaving the ship while his health deteriorated, leading him to ultimately die alone days later in a California hospital.

On Feb. 21, Susan Dorety and her husband Michael, a retired firefighter, of Crowley, Texas, boarded the Grand Princess cruise ship in San Francisco to celebrate their 40^th anniversary. Little did they know that some passengers who had COVID-19 symptoms had just disembarked while more than 60 others were allowed to remain on-board after they had been exposed to the virus.

Four days after the Doretys boarded, Princess Cruise Lines emailed the previous passengers who were no longer on the ship, alerting them that they had been exposed to the dangerous virus. But there was no warning to the new passengers including the Doretys.

“It is shocking to me that a cruise line that had just discharged coronavirus-infected passengers took on board a new group of passengers to then mingle with others who had been exposed. Princess had notice of the dangers, the Doretys did not,” said Rusty Hardin of Rusty Hardin & Associates of Houston, who represents Mrs. Dorety.

In addition, when a crew member with COVID-19 symptoms left the Grand Princess in Hawaii, there still was no alert to passengers. Mrs. Dorety says she and her husband would have disembarked there had they known about the risks to their health.

“The behavior of Princess Cruise Lines is all the more outrageous because just a few weeks earlier, one of their ships had a coronavirus outbreak infecting 700 people while docked in Japan,” said Mr. Hardin. “This cruise line company put money ahead of its passengers’ well-being, and it cost Michael Dorety his life.”

After two weeks on the cruise, passengers were placed in quarantine off the California coast, and Mr. Dorety fell ill. Mrs. Dorety called the ship’s emergency line multiple times, but no one responded. Her husband became weak and was shivering and feverish as his health deteriorated. A ship’s doctor came at last, giving him Tylenol and Tamiflu, but the couple was not advised until later that they could leave the ship for medical treatment.

Mr. Dorety died in an Oakland hospital days later with no family by his side. Mrs. Dorety, meanwhile, also contracted Covid-19.

The lawsuit, filed April 14, seeks damages for negligence, gross negligence and for other unlawful acts. Other members of the Rusty Hardin & Associates team are Ryan Higgins, Daniel Dutko and Leah Graham. Serving as local counsel in California are Gerald Singleton and J. Ross Peabody of the Singleton Law Firm of San Diego. The lawsuit is Susan Dorety individually and on behalf of the estate of Michael Dorety vs. Princess Cruise Lines, Ltd., Case No. 2:20-cv-02458, in the Central District of U.S. District Court of California.

Rusty Hardin & Associates, LLP has built an outstanding reputation for taking on the causes of its clients and obtaining favorable results in both civil matters and significant criminal cases. Visit https://www.rustyhardin.com.

Note: Photos of Michael Dorety and court documents are available by request.

Media Contact:

April Arias

Androvett Legal Media

april@androvett.com

800-559-4534

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced the expansion of its office in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with the addition of tax lawyer Robert Wall and litigators Bryan Scott and Steven Hemric. Wall’s broad experience in strategic tax planning complements the office’s strengths in corporate and investment management transactions. Scott and Hemric deepen Akerman’s national litigation bench with experience resolving complex commercial and construction matters.

Akerman’s Winston-Salem office opened in 2019 as Akerman’s 25th office location and as part of the firm’s national growth strategy to meet increasing client demand in financial and business centers across the United States. Foley helped establish the office, along with Associate Kiki Scarff and Practice Group Attorney Bree Ward. The team joined from Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, bringing experience in fund formation, investment adviser regulation and securities matters.

Robert Wall: Partner, Tax
Wall focuses his practice on representing corporations, entities, and individuals on strategic tax planning matters and best practices. Specifically, he advises clients on matters pertaining to federal and state income tax laws and how to minimize the impact of taxes on business transactions. He advocates on matters before the Internal Revenue Service and state departments of revenue on client issues, including audits and appeals from audit determinations, compliance, collections, and U.S. Tax Court matters.

Bryan Scott: Partner, Litigation
Scott focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, construction law, and creditors’ rights. His range of experience include contract disputes, collections and foreclosures, lender liability, title issues, insurance coverage, warranty claims, secured transactions, patent and trademark infringement, unfair trade practices and competition, shareholder disputes, fiduciary claims, and products liability. In his construction law practice, Scott represents public and private owners, developers, contractors, lenders, and insurers on the full scope of issues that may arise in the construction industry.

Steven Hemric: Associate, Litigation
Hemric focuses his practice on commercial litigation and advising construction industry clients in the negotiations of commercial and residential construction contracts, in addition to resolution of jobsite disputes on public and private construction projects, scheduling and delay claims, defect claims, and payment claims. He also counsels insurance carriers on coverage and financial responsibility obligations in a variety of coverage situations and industries.

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

“We are happy to welcome Kyle to our Tampa office,” said Bradley Tampa Office Managing Partner Craig Mayfield. “Kyle is a great addition to our team of highly skilled litigators, and he brings a wide range of experience that will benefit our clients.”

Robisch represents clients in all manners of business disputes, including high-stakes, bet-the-company cases in federal and state courts across the country. He has significant experience litigating environmental and land use matters, often counseling clients proposing high-profile projects before, during and after litigation. Outside the courtroom, he advises clients on pre-permitting and pre-litigation strategy, provides public relations and governmental affairs advice, and works with regulators to move projects forward.

Before joining Bradley,Robisch served as a law clerk to the Hon. G. Kendall Sharp of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, where he drafted numerous dispositive orders and assisted the judge through all phases of civil and criminal trials and hearings.

Robisch earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and his Bachelor of Arts (magna cum laude) 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.

Firm announces new name of Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann

DALLAS – Mike Lynn, Eric Pinker, and Michael K. Hurst, name partners at the highly respected Dallas trial boutique founded almost 30 years ago, are pleased to announce that the partnership has voted to add longtime partner Chris Schwegmann to the firm’s name.  The firm will now be named Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann.

“Chris is held in tremendous regard by everyone at the firm. With this decision, we’re thrilled to recognize the valuable leadership he offers to our attorneys and the outstanding counsel he provides to our clients,” said Pinker, the firm’s Managing Partner. Hurst added that, “Chris is skilled in the courtroom and at the negotiating table, and we are pleased that he will continue to serve as General Counsel to the firm.”

“I can’t imagine a better place to practice law than with this firm,” said Schwegmann. “Every day I get to work with some of the most creative, talented, and intelligent lawyers out there. We’re not just litigators, we’re trial lawyers who try big and important cases. It’s a dream job, and I’m honored to have my name on the door.”

According to Lynn, “Chris is a great person and an incredible lawyer. He’s been a key player in creating a culture of excellence at our firm that helped us become one of the best commercial litigation boutiques in Texas.”

Schwegmann tries trademark and copyright infringement, false advertising, antitrust, and other business cases. His clients include software, technology, manufacturing, and health care companies, among others. He has been repeatedly honored by Texas Super Lawyers in the fields of business litigation and intellectual property and as one of D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas.

Schwegmann joined the firm in 2005 from Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City. He earned his law degree from New York University School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University. Following law school, he served as a law clerk to The Honorable Sam A. Lindsay of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann is a nationally recognized commercial litigation firm whose philosophy is based on trial-tested experience, creativity, and an uncompromising will to win. For the past three years, the firm has been ranked among the top five commercial litigation firms in Texas by the highly respected Chambers USA Guide to the Legal Profession. The firm has also received numerous accolades by The Best Lawyers in America, Texas Super Lawyers, D Magazine, and Texas Lawyer, and was twice awarded “Defense Win of the Year” in the U.S. by the National Law Journal, the only firm to receive that recognition twice.

The lawyers at Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann try business disputes of all types, including breach of contract, intellectual property and trade secret, class action, financial services, securities, breach of fiduciary duty, employment, and professional malpractice cases. To learn more, visit www.lynnllp.com.

California School District Settles Legal Case With Former  High School Student Body President  

Expert: Nathaniel Yu ‘most successful student speech plaintiff in U.S. history’

DANVILLE, Calif. – The San Ramon Valley Unified School District has settled a case involving First Amendment and Due Process claims brought by former student body president Nathaniel Yu. As part of the agreement, the district will pay $665,000 and apologize for “negative effects, disruption, and emotional distress” suffered by Mr. Yu and his family.

First Amendment scholar and former Student Press Law Center Executive Director, Frank LoMonte, has followed this case closely and describes it as “the largest settlement amount surrounding student free speech cases,” adding, “it makes Nathaniel the most successful student speech plaintiff in U.S. history.”

“The landmark settlement figure sends a strong message to public school officials throughout the country that the First Amendment prohibits them from censoring off-campus student speech that does not substantially disrupt school activities,” Prof. LoMonte said. “This is especially true in instances such as this where the speech was made on a weekend, entirely off-campus, and with no school resources.”

According to the lawsuit, the school district violated Mr. Yu’s First Amendment rights when it disciplined him for his role in creating a James Bond-style parody video. As punishment, Mr. Yu, who was 17 and a junior at San Ramon Valley High School at the time, was stripped of his position as elected junior class president, removed from the school’s leadership class and disqualified from the Associated Student Body presidential election after he had already garnered the majority of votes.

Even after the school district reversed their punishment, district employees retaliated against, and continued to publicly disparage Mr. Yu.

In November 2019, U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney ruled against the school district’s motion to dismiss the case, rejecting an argument that the parody constituted school-sponsored speech. A month later, the school district and its legal team were ordered by the court to release more than 12,000 documents they previously withheld. Soon thereafter, the district proposed to settle.

Lead attorney James Carlos McFall, a Dallas partner at Jackson Walker LLP stated, “It was an honor and a privilege to represent Nathaniel and his family in this important First Amendment lawsuit. The defendants punished him for the parody video because they found it ‘offensive’ and ‘inappropriate.’ The First Amendment, however, prohibits government officials from punishing speakers for speech simply because they subjectively disapprove of its content.”

Nathaniel Yu said the settlement and the district’s apology underscore the importance of our Constitution and the First Amendment in the modern age of digital technology and social media.

“No one should be subjected to what my family and I have been forced to endure. As a child of immigrants, I am constantly reminded that we cannot take our civil rights for granted. We must continue our fight to preserve these rights at all costs.”

Learn more about the case at https://studentspeechrights.org/.

Media Contact:
Mark Annick
800-559-4534
mark@androvett.com

As a rising young financial services lawyer, Chava Brandriss has a clear vision for building her practice, and she has found a home for it at Davis Wright Tremaine (DWT).

As the firm helps clients and colleagues during the pandemic, it continues to execute on its strategic plan and build for the future. Today, DWT announced Brandriss has joined its Banking and Financial Services team as a partner in its Washington, D.C., office, the second recent addition to that office and the latest step in the firm’s 2020 campaign to build out scope, scale and depth in the key industries it serves.

Brandriss, who joins the firm from Hogan Lovells, represents banks, mortgage lenders and servicers in class actions, mass claims, appeals and large portfolios of individual lawsuits. She also advises during government investigations, self-reporting and remediation situations, and on loss-mitigation practices. Her practice complements the team’s consumer regulatory stronghold and brings additional depth to its litigation and investigations capabilities. She will also support the team’s work with fintech companies in California, one of the firm’s key geographic areas.

Brandriss also has an active pro bono practice focused on housing segregation and its contribution to entrenched racial inequality. She and her team received the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Robert F. Mullen Pro Bono Award for their successful work on a long-running lawsuit challenging housing policies in the New York suburbs.This is the eighth targeted lateral partner hire DWT has announced in 2020, all in the industry and geographic areas prioritized in the firm’s strategic plan. Since 2014, the firm has seen significant and steady growth in several key performance metrics, outpacing the vast majority of the AmLaw 100.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce Amy E. Puckett has rejoined the firm as a senior attorney in the Banking and Financial Services Practice Group and as a part of the firm’s Cybersecurity and Privacy team.

“We are thrilled to welcome Amy back to our Charlotte office and our team of highly experienced and accomplished attorneys,” said Bradley Charlotte Office Managing Partner Christopher C. Lam. “Amy is a skilled attorney who adds significantly to our strength in key practice areas.”

Ms. Puckett has diverse experience in the areas of financial services regulatory compliance, consumer protection, data privacy, and employment law. She advises financial institutions on compliance with the regulations of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), as well as other state and federal regulations. As a member of the firm’s Cybersecurity and Privacy team, she counsels clients on a variety of privacy and information security compliance issues, including data breach response and notification requests. Additionally, Ms. Puckett consults with employers on effective employment policies and best practices for employment handbooks.

Ms. Puckett was an attorney at Bradley from 2012-2018 before joining E4 Relief LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of one of the largest community foundations in the United States, as its vice president of Relationship Management and Compliance. She served as the dedicated relationship manager for clients, helping set up grant programs for companies to assist their employees during times of disaster or financial hardship and providing day-to-day support, stewardship, and philanthropic counsel.

Ms. Puckett earned her J.D. (cum laude) from Wake Forest University School of Law. She also holds a Master of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) from Davidson College.

Bradley’s Banking and Financial Services Practice Group counsels clients on complex legal needs, including matters involving litigation, regulations and compliance, and diverse corporate matters. The group’s attorneys represent a broad range of banks, lenders, and financial services institutions across 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.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Misha Isaak has joined the firm’s Commercial Litigation practice as a partner in the Portland office. A prior associate of the firm, Misha rejoins Perkins Coie from the Office of Oregon Governor Kate Brown, where he served as general counsel. Misha’s addition to the Portland office comes after commercial litigator Renée Rothauge joined the office last month.

During Misha’s tenure as general counsel, he managed all legal affairs in the Governor’s Office, representing Governor Brown in settling the state’s most significant litigation during her tenure, including its dispute with Oracle, the hoteling of foster youth, services for the intellectually disabled, treatment of transgender inmates, and sale of the Elliott State Forest. Misha also managed the appointment of a historic number of state judges, including more than half of the Oregon Supreme Court, Oregon Court of Appeals, and Multnomah County Circuit Court, significantly increasing diversity of the state court bench. An excellent trial attorney, Misha argued a number of significant motions during his prior time with Perkins Coie, including the summary judgment argument in Oregon’s marriage equality case.

Misha earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and his B.A. from Reed College. In addition to his current practice, he is also currently an adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark Law School and a member of the Oregon Board of Bar Examiners.

The D’Amore Law Group, P.C. is proud to announce that managing partner and owner Tom D’Amore is a finalist for the 2020 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award presented by the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association (SFTLA). Tom was named along with co-counsel Steve Brady of the Brady Law Group. A winner will be recognized at a gala on August 27, 2020.

The SFTLA board of directors annually honors an attorney or team of attorneys for an exceptional trial victory of the last year based on the size of the verdict, stakes in controversy, diligence and determination shown by counsel, and the rights and interests of society that were vindicated through the verdict.

D’Amore is nominated along with Steve Brady for their co-representation of a husband, Matthew Allison, and the estate of his wife, Sara Allison, against transportation companies Horizon Transport and Smoot Enterprises and their drivers. The case was Allison et al. v. Smoot Enterprises Inc. et al., case number 2:17-cv-01598, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.

In May 2019, an Oregon federal jury returned a record personal injury $26.4 million verdict against the two transportation companies and their drivers for their prolonged bout of “road rage” with one another that caused a head-on accident with a car, killing 30-year-old Mrs. Allison and severely injuring then 27-year-old Mr. Allison.

The jury deliberated for nearly six hours following a nine-day trial and found that the concerted negligence of the defendants caused the fatal June 2016 crash. The jury found that Mr. Allison suffered $600,000 in economic damages and $7 million in noneconomic damages, and his wife’s estate suffered $2.38 million in economic damages and $10 million in noneconomic damages. The jury also found for the Allisons against the transportation companies in the amount of 6.5 million in punitive damages against Smoot and Horizon.

An attorney for more than 29 years, D’Amore is licensed to practice law in Oregon, Washington and California, and is a board-certified civil trial attorney with the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA). He is also one of a few attorneys in the United States board-certified in trucking injury law by the NBTA.

Freeborn & Peters LLP is pleased to announce that Sarah A. Gottlieb has joined the Firm as an Associate in the Litigation Practice Group and a member of the Insurance Brokerage team.

“We are very pleased to welcome Sarah to Freeborn as an attorney in the Tampa office,” said Lawrence P. Ingram, the Firm’s Tampa Office Managing Partner. “Sarah’s past experience will be a strong asset for both our Insurance team and growing Tampa office. We’re excited to expand our talent and legal offerings through new additions like Ms. Gottlieb.”

Prior to joining the firm, Sarah was an Associate in the Tampa office of a regional law firm. She additionally served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Charlene Edwards Honeywell in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. At Freeborn, she focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation.

Sarah received her Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law (cum laude), and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tampa (cum laude). During her time at Stetson University, she participated in the Honors Program, served as a Notes and Comments Editor for Stetson Law Review, and served as a legal research assistant to a professor. Ms. Gottlieb is licensed in the state of Florida.

Sarah is active in the community, serving on the board of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and volunteering with Lawyers for Literacy. In her spare time, Sarah can be found outdoors, visiting family in her home state of New York, and reading literature and history.

Known as a Litigation Powerhouse® with a Big Law-caliber reputation in litigation in federal and state courts throughout the United States and internationally, Freeborn has a team of litigators that includes former federal and state prosecutors with decades of trial experience handling all areas of complex disputes and litigation. Freeborn’s Insurance/Reinsurance group serves all areas of the global insurance and reinsurance marketplace, and has immersed themselves in the intricacies of reinsurance custom and practice and the commercial relationships upon which participants in the industry depend. The Freeborn Insurance/Reinsurance practice has been recommended by the 2019 Legal 500 United States Guide for Insurance.

ABOUT FREEBORN & PETERS
Freeborn & Peters LLP is a full-service law firm with international capabilities and offices in Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.; Richmond, Va.; Springfield, Ill.; and Tampa, Fla. Freeborn is always looking ahead and seeking to find better ways to serve its clients. It takes a proactive approach to ensure its clients are more informed, prepared and able to achieve greater success – not just now, but also in the future. While the firm serves clients across a very broad range of sectors, it has also pioneered an interdisciplinary approach that serves the specific needs of targeted industries.

Freeborn’s major achievements in litigation are reflective of the firm’s significant growth over the last several years and its established reputation as a Litigation Powerhouse®. Freeborn has one of the largest litigation departments among full-service firms of its size – currently with more than 90 litigators, which represents about two-thirds of the firm’s lawyers.

Freeborn is a firm that genuinely lives up to its core values of integrity, effectiveness, teamwork, caring and commitment, and embodies them through high standards of client service and responsive action. Its lawyers build close and lasting relationships with clients and are driven to help them achieve their legal and business objectives. For more information, please visit www.freeborn.com.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Rich Sharff has rejoined the firm’s Birmingham office as counsel in the Healthcare Practice Group.

Mr. Sharff has represented a variety of healthcare providers in his career, in a range of transactional, compliance and litigation matters.

“We are pleased to welcome Rich back to our Birmingham office,” said Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner Jonathan M. Skeeters. “Rich brings nearly three decades of diverse experience and insights that will further enhance our firm’s healthcare practice.”

Mr. Sharff was an attorney at Bradley from 1994-2007 before leaving to join Surgical Care Affiliates (SCA), a nationwide owner and operator of outpatient surgery centers, as its executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary in 2007. After SCA’s acquisition by Optum, he was also named general counsel of OptumHealth, which is one of the three primary business segments within Optum and includes care delivery businesses such as SCA, physician groups/IPAs and urgent care centers, and numerous other major platforms serving behavioral health, population health, complex care and consumer offerings at Optum.

Mr. Sharff earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia.

Bradley’s Healthcare Practice Group is a nationally recognized, interdisciplinary team of attorneys and advisors who provide a comprehensive suite of services to virtually the entire range of health industry participants. The Healthcare Practice Group is routinely relied on to guide major transactions, advise on complex regulatory matters, and handle high-stakes litigation. Many of the group’s attorneys have served in high-profile industry leadership positions, including as president of the American Health Lawyers Association, and many have been recognized by leading legal industry referral guides, including Chambers, Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers.

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.

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, welcomes Mauricio Rivero in Miami, expanding the national presence of the Tax Practice Group and widening the firm’s expertise in international taxation. Rivero resolves domestic and international tax matters, representing foreign trusts and estates, investors, and businesses in cross-border transactions throughout the U.S. and Latin America.

Rivero focuses his practice on international tax planning, business succession planning, U.S. tax compliance, and tax controversy work. He has experience servicing high-net-worth international families with U.S. tax planning, expatriation, pre-immigration and succession planning, including the use of Private Trust Companies (PTCs), and U.S. income and transfer tax aspects of foreign trusts and estates. He has also assisted U.S. and foreign investors and businesses with both inbound and outbound U.S. tax planning, income tax treaty planning, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate and partnership tax matters, and has assisted clients with REIT structuring, particularly involving foreign investors.

Rivero follows the arrival of Robert Lowey to Akerman’s Tax Practice Group in New York. He focuses his practice on U.S. and international tax planning.

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP begins its new fiscal year with the promotion of the following 13 lawyers. The firm proudly recognizes these talented individuals for their accomplishments and outstanding client service.

Jeremy S. Boczko (Litigation, New York) litigates and helps companies acquire intellectual property rights underlying brands and innovations within a wide variety of industries, including banking and financial services, fashion, entertainment, wine and spirits, pharmaceuticals and computer software. Boczko earned his undergraduate degree from Yeshiva University and his law degree from Fordham University School of Law.

Anthony Bonan (Capital Finance and Real Estate, New York) focuses his practice on commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, development, financing, leasing and joint ventures and has extensive experience counseling institutional investors and lenders, real estate opportunity funds and private developers on all aspects of their real estate-related business. Bonan received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and his law degree from New York University School of Law.

Emily E. Cabrera (Tax and ERISA, The Woodlands) focuses her practice on executive compensation and employee benefit arrangements (including their related tax, accounting, securities and corporate governance aspects). Cabrera earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and her law degree from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law.

Ashley D. Drummond (Capital Finance and Real Estate, Dallas) focuses on commercial real estate transactions nationwide, including acquisitions, dispositions and financings (multifamily, office, retail, industrial and golf course properties), real estate aspects of mergers and acquisitions, construction projects and leasing (both landlord and tenant), for a broad spectrum of clients in the real estate industry, including owners, developers, private equity funds and financial institutions. Drummond received her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and her law degree from Southern Methodist University.

M. Kaylan Dunn (Litigation, Houston) practices commercial litigation with an emphasis on oil and gas, banking, real estate disputes and fiduciary litigation with an emphasis on trust and estate disputes. Dunn earned her undergraduate degree from Texas Christian University and her law degree from South Texas College of Law.

James W. Head (Energy and Infrastructure, Washington and Richmond) focuses his practice on domestic and international project finance and public-private partnerships, particularly in the energy and transportation industries. Head earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Virginia.

James A. Kennedy II (Corporate, Richmond) represents public and private companies in connection with mergers and acquisitions, strategic corporate transactions, securities offerings, general corporate matters and corporate governance matters. Kennedy received his undergraduate degree from the College of William & Mary and his law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law.

Jonathan H. Kim (Corporate, Charlotte) serves as counsel to financial institutions and other market participants in capital markets matters with a primary focus on the securitization of various asset classes and the trading and financing of mortgage loans, servicing rights and mortgage-backed securities. Kim earned his undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University and his MBA and law degrees from Wake Forest University.

Brit Mohler (Corporate, New York) represents borrowers, lenders, issuers and underwriters with respect to the financing and securitization of various asset classes primarily related to servicing rights, residential mortgage loans and credit risk collateral. Mohler received her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and her law degree from William & Mary Law School.

Adam O’Brian (Corporate, New York) focuses his practice on energy sector capital markets transactions, which includes representing issuers and underwriters on a range of securities transactions, including dedicated utility rate securitizations, and counseling clients on SEC registered public offerings, Rule 144A/Regulation S offerings and private placements. O’Brian earned his undergraduate degree from McGill University and his law degree from State University of New York School of Law at Buffalo.

Sergio F. Oehninger (Litigation, Washington) represents companies in complex insurance coverage and bad-faith disputes arising in various industries, including retail, financial services, energy and real estate, and counsels multinational corporations on cross-border insurance and risk management issues. Oehninger earned his undergraduate degree from the College of William & Mary and his law degree from The George Washington University Law School.

Joseph Rovira (Capital Finance and Real Estate, Houston) represents secured lenders, debtors, hedge funds, private equity funds, unsecured creditors and various official and ad hoc committees in both out-of-court financial restructurings as well as chapter 7, 11 and 15 bankruptcy proceedings. Rovira earned his undergraduate degree from Trinity University and his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.

Jessica R. Tobin (Capital Finance and Real Estate, Richmond) represents corporate borrowers and lenders in connection with secured and unsecured revolving, bridge and term loan facilities, including acquisition financings, recapitalizations and “going private” transactions, with an emphasis on the representation of portfolio company borrowers. Tobin received her undergraduate degree from the University of New Hampshire and her law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law.