When Michael Lyons left a large firm to start a trial firm in 2008, he had a simple mindset that captured everything about his practice. Simply stated, he believed he was a warrior for his clients’ causes. “My clients’ problems are my problems, and we have that approach to everything we do,” said Lyons. Twelve years later, when Lyons joined forces with Chris Simmons, that same mindset continues on times two. “We match our clients’ problems with the kind of tenacity and seriousness every case deserves, and the results we’ve obtained speak to that.”

That could not be truer when you look at the cases that Lyons and Simmons have handled over the last several years. “We’ve been involved in some of the most consequential and technically challenging cases, not just in Texas but around the country, and we’ve seen the difference it’s made in the lives of our clients,” said Lyons. “With Lyons & Simmons, we plan to continue that track record of excellence.”

Lyons and Simmons were previously partners at the Dallas-based trial boutique Lyons & Simmons, LLP. By example, here is a cross section of some of their cases just over the past five years:

• Wrongful Death: Worker killed in a gas well blow-out in Quinton, Oklahoma; the deadliest oil and gas disaster since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion
• Breach of Fiduciary Duty: A nine-figure fraud and breach of fiduciary duty case involving a complex series of aviation transactions
• Sexual Assault: Disabled person was sexually assaulted in her home by employee of cable installer
• Breach of Contract: Former Power 5 head football coach sued university over the failure to pay liquidated damages provisions in his written contract
• Wrongful Death: Patron drowned in spa’s unsupervised aquatic sensory deprivation tank
• Catastrophic Personal Injury: Former lead singer of a rock band sustained life-altering injuries when she was crushed by motorist in parking lot
• Brain Injury: 3-year-old child sustained catastrophic brain injuries after being struck by falling tree limb on a playground
• Catastrophic Personal Injury: 2-year-old child sustained life-altering injuries by defectively designed and installed gate operator
• Gross Negligence: Teenager sustained life-altering brain injuries when she was struck by delivery driver who was intoxicated, distracted and on the wrong side of the road
• Airplane Crash: Man was killed along with two others when multiple system failures occurred mid-air in instrument conditions

Together with senior counsel Chris Carr and Stephen Higdon, who has joined the firm as an associate, Lyons & Simmons will continue to focus its practice on wrongful death, personal injury and products liability litigation along with “bet the company” type business disputes.

“For Mike and I, the goal is to level the playing field,” said Simmons. “Our clients are often facing the most challenging situation they will ever encounter when we’re brought in to help. So we have a tremendous responsibility to do everything we can to get the best possible outcome.”

Already with a reputation for huge outcomes on the biggest cases, Lyons & Simmons is poised to continue the crusade for their clients’ causes — even if that means a little less sleep.

ContractPodAi®, the award-winning provider of AI-powered contract lifecycle management software, today announced that IPsoft, the largest independent leader in enterprise AI, has rolled out ContractPodAi to support its document management. Live since October 2019, IPsoft is working with ContractPodAi to empower its global workforce with an innovative contract management solution.

As a fast-moving and highly innovative company, IPsoft looked to migrate from document management to a records-based approach for contract management. To do so, the company required a contract lifecycle management system that is reliable, robust and graphically intuitive, as well as a solution that could easily analyze and track contract data. What’s more, the solution needed to be simple to use for attorneys and legal staff in order to alleviate the workload on legal teams and drive company-wide adoption.

ContractPodAi offers customers intelligent AI functionality, out-of-the box. Customers gain access to a smart contract repository, which replaces time-consuming manual efforts and helps to manage versions of contracts across locations. Additionally, ContractPodAi helps customers track key metrics regarding contract data and search metadata including phrases or clauses. What’s more, having a dedicated success manager provides IPsoft a go-to contact who’s knowledgeable about the product, as well as able to quickly resolve any potential issues.

Learn how ContractPodAi is empowering legal teams across the world at contractpodai.com.

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, announced that Charles Critchlow has joined the firm’s national Litigation Practice Group in New York. Critchlow brings a four-decade legal practice resolving matters related to antitrust and trade. His experience extends to Latin America, India, and Africa, representing international enterprises in the transportation and logistics, fertilizer, natural resources, and electrical sectors.

Critchlow focuses his practice on export antitrust matters. He counsels clients on competition law applicable to joint venture export corporations. Additionally, he advises on antitrust exemptions and a broad range of corporate-related matters, including joint venture agreements, corporate procedures and compliance, and export sales and distribution contracts. With a focus on antitrust and commercial litigation, he also advises on joint ventures, merger clearance, cartel investigations, class actions, and general business litigation. He has worked on matters relating to industrial chemicals, fertilizers, oil, electrical contracting, gasoline, moving and storage, and paper industries.

Critchlow has appeared before federal agencies and in state and federal courts throughout the United States. He has handled antitrust and trade matters in Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, India, and South Africa, and coordinated antitrust legal compliance matters in over two dozen overseas jurisdictions. His experience includes general commercial litigation, antitrust litigation, and representation of companies in government and grand jury investigations. Critchlow has counseled on antitrust merger clearances, at home and abroad, in connection with acquisitions in the coal, industrial gases, household and agricultural insecticides, and fertilizer industries.

Critchlow helps build upon Akerman’s national bench of more than 350 litigators and trial lawyers across the United States. Most recently, complex commercial litigator Grasford Smith joined Akerman’s office in West Palm Beach, and Joel Forman, Philip Touitou, and Joseph Silver joined in New York, growing the firm’s experience in securities litigation and professional liability. The Honorable Ruben Castillo joined Akerman’s White Collar Crime and Government Investigations Practice in Chicago, following his retirement from the bench. Akerman’s recently acquired litigation skills expand to Atlanta, where Robin Johnson and Anthony Morris handle commercial litigation matters.

The National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) is pleased to announce that Tom D’Amore of D’Amore Law Group, P.C. has successfully achieved recertification as a civil trial, civil practice and truck accident law advocate. The NBTA was formed out of a strong conviction that both the law profession and its clients would benefit from an organization designed specifically to create an objective set of standards illustrating an attorney’s experience and expertise in the practice of trial law.

D’Amore is part of a growing number of trial attorneys that have illustrated their commitment to bettering the legal profession by successfully completing a rigorous application process and providing the consumer of legal services with an objective measure by which to choose qualified and experienced legal counsel.

The elaborate screening of credentials that all NBTA board certified attorneys must successfully complete includes: demonstration of substantial trial experience, submission of judicial and peer references to attest to their competency, attendance of continuing legal education courses and proof of good standing.

Board Certification is the highest, most stringent, and most reliable honor an attorney can achieve. Board certifications are the only distinctions awarded by non-profit organizations. The NBTA as well as all board certifying organizations are committed to safeguarding the public’s ability to choose a good attorney.

D’Amore is licensed to practice in Oregon, Washington and California. He represents individuals and families in catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, spinal cord injury – paraplegia and quadriplegia, brain injury, class actions, insurance company bad faith and complex business litigation.

Approximately three percent of American lawyers are board-certified, and Mr. D’Amore is a member of a very select group who has taken the time to prove competence in their specialty area and earn board certification.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Nathaniel J. Greeson has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C., office as an associate in the Government Contracts Practice Group.

Greeson represents clients in a range of government procurement issues, including bid protests, claims, disputes, audits, and investigations. He has extensive experience with Government Accounting Office (GAO) bid protests, agency-level protests, Court of Federal Claims (COFC) bid protests, and appeals before the Small Business Administration Office of Hearings and Appeals. He also is experienced with agency-level requests for equitable adjustments (REA) and claims, and Boards of Contract Appeals claims.

“We are very pleased to welcome Nathaniel as the newest member of our highly regarded team of government contracts attorneys,” said Bradley Washington, D.C., Office Managing Partner Douglas L. Patin. “With his experience in private practice, and as a government attorney with DHS/FEMA, Nathaniel brings valuable knowledge and expertise that will help our clients navigate highly complex government contracts legal matters.”

Prior to joining Bradley, Greeson was a government contracts associate at an AmLaw 100 firm in D.C., as well as senior litigation advisor for the Procurement and Fiscal Law Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Management Agency (FEMA) Office of Chief Counsel. For the agency, he litigated bid protests before the GAO and COFC, and appeals at the CBCA. In addition, he advised FEMA on a variety of legal issues related to solicitation structures, technical evaluations, source selection decisions, debriefings, cure notices, and terminations.

Greeson received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and his Bachelor of Arts from Belmont University.

Bradley is recognized as having one of the nation’s leading government contracts practices with work that covers all aspects of federal, state and local contracting and a particular focus on bid protests and claims matters. The group’s attorneys represent contractors of all sizes, including more than 30 of the 200 largest government contractors in the United States. The firm’s government contracts work extends to a wide variety of industries that includes defense, aerospace, construction, engineering, information technology, consulting, energy, manufacturing, electronics, professional services, communications, and healthcare.

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.

Allison Miller, a seasoned and well recognized corporate lawyer with wide-ranging experience in all aspects of corporate law and restructuring and special situations transactions, has joined Stroock’s national Financial Restructuring Group as a partner in the New York office.

Miller has spent nearly two decades advising companies, boards, investment funds and other investors regarding the unique and complex legal issues raised by distressed and special situations transactions. She also has significant experience advising boards and special committees as outside general counsel for companies assessing and moving through liability management exercises and advising creditors as part of the same process, including in their post-reorganization role as owners of reorganized companies.

Miller was the leading transactional attorney on a number of recent landmark restructurings, including Sears, Avaya, iHeart Communications, SunEdison, American Tire Distributors and Seadrill. She is also listed as a 2019 “Notable Practitioner” in restructuring in the IFLR1000 legal directory.

Miller joins Stroock from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where she was also a partner.

Harrity & Harrity, LLP, a boutique IP firm specializing in patent preparation and prosecution, is taking action to help those who have been affected by the severe outbreak of COVID-19. While the firm says it is fortunate to be in an industry that is minimally impacted by the devastation of the virus, it recognizes all of those who have lost their jobs, shuttered their businesses, and/or are struggling to make ends meet during this period of uncertainty.

“Look, we are blessed to be in an industry where many, if not most, make six or seven figures. Most lawyers will make it through this pandemic relatively unscathed,” said John Harrity, Managing Partner. “We are in an unprecedented time, with a virus that is spreading throughout the world at an exponential rate and the global economy being devastated. This is a great opportunity for our legal industry to act.”

The government’s stimulus package is certainly a step in the right direction to help those that have been financially impacted by the coronavirus, but it is clear that more needs to be done. Accordingly, John said his firm has made the decision to temporarily reallocate its giving back initiative, Harrity 4 Charity, to help those suffering from the many adverse effects of COVID-19.

“As a result of the current pandemic, we have decided to pause our contributions to our partner charities and instead get our Harrity 4 Charity dollars out into the communities to help people who have been financially impacted by the coronavirus,” stated John.

Currently, the firm commits 5 percent of its profits to four charity organizations. Impressively, every one of the firm’s 53 employees also donates a portion of their paychecks to the Harrity 4 Charity non-profits. While these charities are still incredibly important to the firm, the current economic climate calls for immediate attention. Suggestions and nominations of where to donate the Harrity 4 Charity dollars have flooded in from the firm’s employees, many with heartfelt accounts of families that they know personally who are struggling to get by.

While Harrity & Harrity has not yet announced the recipients of the COVID-19 relief fund, the initiative will focus on helping families and individuals who have been laid off or lost their jobs, single parents or families struggling to provide for their children as a result of COVID-19, and those with underlying health conditions that prevent them from obtaining household essentials on their own.

The firm additionally plans on establishing restaurant-run food banks throughout the nation with the goal of helping businesses who are suffering from a lack of customers, while providing free meals to people who cannot afford them. Harrity 4 Charity will purchase meals from local restaurants and donate the food to those in need.

John hopes these programs will not only aid those suffering from the effects of the outbreak, but inspire others, specifically in less impacted industries like the legal field, to act.

“If you are in the position to, please also consider donating to one of the many organizations currently supporting COVID-19 relief, or offering to help someone you know in need,” John urges.

About Harrity 4 Charity
Harrity 4 Charity represents a partnering of law firm Harrity & Harrity, LLP, with charities that are near and dear to our hearts. Harrity pledges to give five percent of profits to partner charities and all Harrity employees pledge to donate a portion of their paychecks. Harrity & Harrity is a patent preparation and prosecution firm specializing in the electrical and mechanical technology areas and is considered a Go-To Firm for the Patent 300®. Our clients have come to trust in our high-quality work, experienced people, industry leading innovation, and outstanding service. For more information, visit harrityllp.com.

Buchalter is pleased to welcome Bradley Hoff as Chair of the firm’s Insurance Coverage Practice Group. Mr. Hoff, who is based in Seattle, joins from Foster Garvey PC.

Hoff has 25 years of experience representing insurance policyholders, including litigating and negotiating the resolution of disputes arising under third-party policies such as general liability, employment practices liability, pollution liability, directors & officers liability and errors & omissions/professional liability policies. He also has litigated many first-party policies such as commercial property, condominium, apartment, homeowners, business interruption and employee dishonesty/theft policies. Additionally, he counsels clients regarding risk management.

Outside of his practice, Hoff serves on the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Education, Board of Commissioners for the Seattle Sports Commission, and is a member of the of 101 Club (Washington Athletic Club).

Hoff earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, cum laude, and his B.A. in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from the University of Washington, cum laude.

Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman PC is pleased to announce the growth of its Wilmington office with the addition of Sally J. Daugherty as senior counsel in the Commercial Litigation, Construction and Labor & Employment Groups, Stephen A. Venzie as senior counsel in the Construction Group, and Brionna L. Denby as an associate in the Government Law & Regulatory Affairs, Internal Investigations, Title IX, and Scientific Misconduct Groups.

About Sally J. Daugherty

Daugherty, a seasoned litigator, represents small and medium-sized businesses in a variety of industries in business disputes, employment and labor matters, finance and securitization, and business best practices. She brings more than three decades of experience representing businesses throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, and her clients come from a wide range of industries, including construction, manufacturing, real estate and development, hospitality, and technology.

In addition, Daugherty has significant experience handling complex cases from inception through trials and appeals in state and federal courts in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Penn State Dickinson Law, and her B.S. from Elizabethtown College, and is licensed to practice in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. Prior to joining Cohen, Seglias, Daugherty was the managing attorney for the Delaware office of Salmon, Ricchezza, Singer & Turchi, LLP.

About Stephen A. Venzie

As an experienced construction litigator, Venzie counsels public and private owners, engineers, general contractors, construction managers, subcontractors, suppliers, and sureties through all stages of public, private, and federal projects. He represents clients on projects such as commercial and retail buildings, casinos, libraries, schools and universities, student housing, restaurants, condominiums, courthouses, airports, rail lines, hospitals, roads, sewers, wastewater treatment plants, fire stations, process piping plants, and military-owned facilities.

Further, Venzie assists clients through the various disputes that can occur on a construction project. When a dispute is not resolved during the course of the project, he represents clients in the prosecution and defense of claims in all phases of post-completion litigation in both federal and state court.

In addition to his construction litigation practice, Venzie counsels clients through ancillary commercial disputes and issues such as shareholder redemption and operating agreement disputes, non-compete clauses, employee wage disputes, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) levies, and corporate formation and dissolution.

Prior to joining Cohen Seglias, Venzie served as the managing attorney for Venzie, Phillips & Warshawer’s Delaware office and its New Jersey practice. He earned his J.D. from Villanova University School of Law and his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin, and is licensed to practice in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

About Brionna L. Denby

Denby counsels corporations, educational institutions, non-profit groups, and other entities that are faced with allegations of wrongdoing. Before joining Cohen Seglias, Denby served as a Deputy Attorney General for the Delaware Department of Justice in the Civil Division, Defensive Litigation Unit, and in the Office of Civil Rights and Public Trust. As a Deputy Attorney General, she handled complex, long term investigations into government corruption, financial fraud, voter fraud, and campaign finance violations from the initial allegation through resolution.

Denby also served as a trust compliance officer for a large financial services company where she managed legal and regulatory compliance of various trust business lines, operations, and sales groups. She earned her J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law and her B.A. from Spelman College, and is licensed to practice in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New York.

A native of Wilmington, Denby is active in the community and serves in various leadership roles, including as a trustee for the Delaware Historical Society and Vice President of the Delaware Barristers Association.

GittingsLegal – NE72568

Freeborn & Peters LLP is pleased to announce that Beth Gould has joined the Firm as an Associate in the Litigation Practice Group and a member of the Insurance/Reinsurance Industry team.

We are very pleased to welcome Beth to Freeborn as an attorney in the Richmond office,” said Theodore I. Brenner, the Firm’s Richmond Office Managing Partner. “We believe Beth’s background and extensive trial experience will be a valuable asset to our acclaimed Litigation Practice Group and Insurance/Reinsurance team.”

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Gould was an Associate at Kalbaugh, Pfund & Messersmith, P.C. She focuses her practice on insurance defense for personal lines, trucking, commercial general liability, and restaurants and retail. Ms. Gould has vast trial experience, working in partnership with her clients to craft a litigation strategy in order to ensure their needs are met and the desired outcome is achieved.

She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond School of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College. Ms. Gould is licensed in the state of Virginia.

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.

AUSTIN – March 19, 2020 – Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP vindicated Chalker Energy’s rights obtaining a major decision from the Texas Supreme Court.

After seven years, the $240 million-dollar landmark case that came from the Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas came to an end. The central argument brought before the court was the effect of unambiguous contract language precluding the creation of any agreement or legal obligations during negotiations unless and until a “definitive agreement” was executed and delivered by the parties.

Greenberg Traurig attorneys Kendyl T. Hanks and Dale Wainwright argued the appeal on behalf of Chalker Energy and successfully convinced the court that, as a matter of law, a piece of an email communication with a losing bidder in negotiations for valuable oil and gas assets in the Texas Panhandle did not constitute a definitive agreement. Thus, Chalker Energy was free to strike a deal with another buyer.

“Contracting parties in all industries across the state of Texas needed to hear that a clear condition precedent to formation of a contract will be enforced,” said Hanks and Wainwright. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the Texas Supreme Court’s ruling and the clarification and certainty it will bring to future negotiations in industries.”

Read the court opinion here.

Hanks is an experienced business litigator and appellate advocate who is licensed in Texas and New York and represents clients throughout the country in state and federal forums. She represents clients from entrepreneurs, investors, executives and partnerships to Fortune 500 companies and burgeoning multinational firms.

Wainwright, co-chair of the firm’s National Appellate Practice, has more than three decades of experience. He represents clients in complex commercial, energy, and administrative disputes in state and federal trial and appellate courts, and is frequently engaged to handle precedent-setting and high-stakes appeals.

About Greenberg Traurig’s Appellate Practice: Greenberg Traurig’s Appellate Group has been involved in some of the most important and consequential cases of our time. In recent years, GT’s Appellate lawyers have played key roles in cases addressing voting rights and election law, federal constitutional law, environmental law, labor law, white collar criminal law, First Amendment law, real estate law, civil rights law, intellectual property and patent law, and administrative and regulatory law.  The GT appellate philosophy is to combine forum-knowledgeable lawyers who have a comprehensive understanding of their jurisdictions with colleagues who have a proven record of substantive excellence in the legal issues involved in our clients’ appellate cases.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP – Texas: Texas is important to Greenberg Traurig, LLP and part of its history. With more than 130 Texas lawyers in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Greenberg Traurig, LLP has deep roots in the Texas business, legal, and governmental communities. Greenberg Traurig Texas works with clients to address their interdisciplinary legal needs across the state utilizing the firm’s global platform. The Texas attorneys are experienced in industries key to the state’s future, including: aviation, chemicals, construction, education, energy and natural resources, financial institutions, health care, hedge funds, hospitality, infrastructure, insurance, media, medical devices, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, real estate, retail, sports, technology and software, telecommunications, transportation, and video games and esports.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2200 attorneys in 41 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.

Washington, DC – The Venable Foundation, Inc., the philanthropic arm of Venable LLP, is pleased to announce it awarded the Maryland Food Bank (MFB), the largest charitable food provider in Maryland, a grant of $100,000. The grant will support MFB’s food distribution operations, technology upgrades, and Lawyers’ Campaign Against Hunger, which is an annual fundraiser to distribute meals.

Core to the MFB’s operations are its statewide food procurement and food distribution efforts, including the School Pantry Program, which provides children and their families vital nutrition in a school setting; HEART Markets, or pop-up farmer’s market-style distribution events; Supper and Summer Clubs, which supply meals for youth to ensure food reliability outside of school hours; FoodWorks, a culinary workforce development program; and the Pantry on the Go Program, which provides bulk food deliveries to locations without access to fresh and nutritious food.

Venable Foundation President Lindsay Meyer said, “With hundreds of thousands of Marylanders facing food insecurity, we know there is no more vital cause than the fight to end hunger. We believe in the work that the Maryland Food Bank does, and we proudly continue to support their efforts.”

The Venable Foundation was honored by MFB as one of its Heroes Against Hunger recipients and received the Powerhouse Partner of the Year award in 2018.

The Maryland Food Bank is dedicated to feeding people, strengthening communities, and ending hunger for more Marylanders by partnering with local organizations from the state’s western mountains to the Eastern Shore. The food bank’s statewide network of food assistance brings enough resources together to provide the equivalent of 110,000 meals every day (more than 40 million meals annually) to hungry children, seniors, veterans, and hard-working families, meeting the immediate needs of hungry Marylanders while simultaneously working to create pathways out of hunger. For more information, visit https://mdfoodbank.org/.

The Venable Foundation, Inc. was established in 1983 to support a wide variety of charitable, civic, and cultural endeavors, and serve public interest law needs in our communities. In the past 10 years, the Venable Foundation has granted more than $25 million to worthy organizations that provide critical support to those in need. These include children’s services and funding for disadvantaged families and individuals; homeless shelters and food programs; community organizations, hospitals, hospices, and local chapters of national health organizations; and educational, artistic, and cultural events and organizations. The Foundation is funded by the partners of Venable LLP.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Nancy Williams Ball has joined the firm’s Birmingham office as a partner in the Trusts and Estates Practice Group.

Ball focuses her practice in areas that include estate planning and estate administration, taxation, real estate, and corporate law. She also speaks regularly on estate planning topics.

Ball is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Birmingham, Inc., and the Alabama Planned Giving Council. In addition, she currently serves as secretary of the Birmingham Bar Association’s Probate Section and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Prior to joining Bradley, Ball was a partner at Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal LLP.

Ball received her J.D. (summa cum laude) from the University of Mississippi School of Law. She also holds a Master of Laws in taxation (magna cum laude) from the University of Alabama and a Bachelor of Science (cum laude) from Birmingham-Southern College.

Bradley’s Trusts and Estates Practice Group attorneys represent a wide range of clients, including business executives, owners of closely held businesses, highly compensated employees, and many other individuals and families. In the area of probate law, Bradley represents the personal representatives and beneficiaries of estates.

Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C., is pleased to announce that Scott Cruz has joined the firm’s Chicago office as an Officer in the Employment and Labor practice group.

“We are thrilled to welcome Scott to our growing team of attorneys in Chicago,” said Thadford A. Felton, Managing Officer of Greensfelder’s Chicago office. “Scott is a leader in employment and labor law and is actively involved in the city’s business and civic communities.”

Mr. Cruz represents public and private sector employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, including civil litigation and preventative counseling. His practice includes representing employers in state and federal courts and administrative agencies involving claims brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, retaliatory discharge, breach of contract, labor arbitration, and class actions. He is particularly versed in all aspects of state and federal law relating to minimum wages, overtime, exemptions, and wage payment issues. He also trains management and employees on workplace legal issues and conducts workplace investigations and legal audits.

Mr. Cruz serves on the board of directors of Alivio Medical Center, a not-for-profit health center dedicated to increasing access to comprehensive, affordable quality health care for Chicago’s Hispanic community.

Prior to joining Greensfelder, Mr. Cruz was a labor and employment attorney at Clark Hill PLC.

Licensed to practice in Illinois and Missouri, Mr. Cruz received his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law and his Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) from Marquette University.

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

Lowenstein Sandler’s Global Trade & Policy group adds to its ranks Christian C. Contardo, who joins the firm’s Washington, D.C., office after over a decade of experience in federal agencies such as Treasury, the Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Christian most recently served as Attorney Advisor in various Treasury offices, including the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), where he counseled on economic sanctions, Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) matters, counterintelligence/insider threat programs, anti-money laundering, security clearance investigations, information security, and data privacy.

Why it matters:
The United States is both the largest recipient of foreign direct investment and the world’s largest investor in overseas businesses. In the last few years, the Treasury Department and the Department of Justice have responded to this trend by strengthening their enforcement teams and announcing more stringent compliance best practices. CFIUS has dramatically increased its review of deals involving both foreign investment and foreign investors, with a growing number of transactions at risk of being suspended or blocked.

As government scrutiny of global transactions rises, tech startups, private equity firms, hedge funds, C-suite executives, and other stakeholders engaged in international business must comply with ever-tougher CFIUS and OFAC regulations to avoid potentially devastating impacts on their investments and operations abroad. They need guidance in order to navigate the complex world of sanctions, tariffs, and investment restrictions under the Treasury Department’s evolving regulatory regime.

What:
Lowenstein Sandler’s Global Trade & Policy practice is expanding to meet this burgeoning need. In 2019 alone, Lowenstein completed over 500 venture-backed deals involving some of today’s most innovative companies. Its private equity and M&A teams handled a record-breaking number of deals, including numerous large-scale cross-border matters worth billions of dollars both for strategic acquirers and investment funds.

The firm’s global trade lawyers support these transactions by ensuring that clients and portfolio companies understand tariff engineering, country of origin requirements, OFAC sanctions, export restrictions, and CFIUS to minimize risks and maximize current and future profits. They help them to implement consistent and forward-thinking compliance programs and to anticipate supply chain issues and foreign investment requirements so that clients can plan for the future.

How:
The firm’s ranks are growing with experienced professionals deeply immersed in the ever-changing policies and laws governing CFIUS foreign investment national security reviews, OFAC economic sanctions, export and import transactions, cyber security, and data privacy. Doreen M. Edelman, chair of the firm’s Global Trade & Policy practice, says, “Our corporate lawyers understand that clients need this expertise to initially analyze a proposed transaction. National security concerns can actually cause an entire transaction to unravel. And national security now includes technology companies and those with access to personal data. We need more lawyers to advise not only our venture clients, but also our hedge fund and private equity companies. CFIUS alone is becoming a routine pre-deal concern.”

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Margaret Oertling Cupples, managing partner of the firm’s Jackson office, has been named by the Mississippi Business Journal (MBJ) as one of the winners of its 2020 CEO Awards of Mississippi.

“We congratulate Margaret on being recognized by the Mississippi Business Journal as among the top organization leaders in Mississippi,” said Bradley Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner Jonathan M. Skeeters. “Margaret is an outstanding attorney and a tremendous asset to our firm.”

The CEO Awards of Mississippi recognize leaders around the state who demonstrate excellence among the top executives in their field. The honorees have helped their companies achieve strong growth and success and have made a profound impact on their company and community. Ms. Cupples was recognized in the Medium Companies category.

A member of Bradley’s Appellate Practice Group, Ms. Cupples focuses her practice on civil appeals and commercial litigation, including asbestos, benzene and silica mass-tort and products liability cases, as well as litigation involving insurance sales practices, consumer finance, and other general commercial matters. She has participated in more than two dozen appeals in Mississippi’s Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, and in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Cupples is listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of Appellate Law and Products Liability Litigation, and in Benchmark Litigation as a Litigation Star and as one of the Top 250 Business Women in Litigation.

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

Freeborn & Peters LLP is pleased to announce that Christine E. Hollis has joined the Firm as Director of Attorney Recruiting, Development and Diversity.

“We are thrilled to welcome Christine to Freeborn as Director of Attorney Recruiting, Development and Diversity,” said William E. Russell, the Firm’s Co-Managing Partner. “We believe Christine’s background perfectly aligns with Freeborn’s goals for continued advancement in hiring, development, and diversity.”

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Hollis worked in attorney recruiting at both Barnes & Thornburg LLP and McGuireWoods LLP. With a background in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, she utilizes these skills to create, develop and implement effective and innovative processes for the recruiting life cycle. Her role at Freeborn includes working with leaders of the firm to execute the strategic initiatives of the Recruiting, Management and Executive Committees with respect to the hiring of associates and lateral partners across all offices. She also manages the integration of lateral hires, attorney training programs and initiatives, and oversees the firm’s CLE programs.

Ms. Hollis received her Master of Science (magna cum laude) from DePaul University, and her Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) from Spelman College.

Ms. Hollis also volunteers for several organizations focused on enriching and improving the youth on the south side of Chicago, and is passionate about mentoring young women to achieve both professional and personal success.

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.

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced Theodore Wern has joined the firm, bringing 20 years of vast experience advising investor groups and businesses in acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, sell-side mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and investment management. In his new role at Akerman, Wern will lead Corporate Practice Group efforts in Chicago. He joins the firm from Perkins Coie LLP where he served as firmwide vice-chair of the Private Equity Practice. Wern’s skillset builds upon Akerman’s core strengths in corporate, private equity, and middle-market mergers and acquisitions.

Wern focuses his practice on representing public and private companies, private equity funds, family offices, and other investor groups in a variety of complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, growth equity financings, private placements, joint ventures, and fund formation. In addition, he acts as outside counsel to a variety of private company clients with respect to general corporate and strategic matters and has represented family business owners in sell-side M&A transactions with enterprise values from $10 million to $1 billion.

Several lateral partners have joined Akerman in the last year, further strengthening the Corporate Practice Group nationally. Otavio Carneiro, dual-licensed in Brazil and the U.S., expanded Akerman’s cross-border transactional experience with significant experience in Latin America. Bill Ide and Amanda Leech joined Akerman’s Atlanta office with robust transactional and governance experience, having represented numerous large corporations, Fortune 100 companies, and boards of directors in M&A transactions, general corporate governance and compliance, and board risk management reviews. Paul Foley, now serving as chair of the Investment Management Practice, joined Akerman in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with substantial experience in investment fund formation and fund offerings. Extensively experienced in institutional investments and fund formation, Ricardo Hollingsworth joined Akerman in New York.

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has named Cheri Husney as its new Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer (CMBDO), based in the firm’s Atlanta office. Husney, a seasoned marketing executive with nearly two decades of experience across multiple industries, will be responsible for developing and overseeing Littler’s marketing and business development strategy and operations.

Prior to joining Littler, Husney spent a majority of her career with KPMG. Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of Clients and Markets, fulfilling a dual position of regional director while managing all marketing directors and teams. In this position, she drove marketing strategy, developed relationship-nurturing initiatives, enabled account-based marketing programs and established an overall strategic vision. In addition to these senior-level responsibilities, she played a leadership role in women and diversity initiatives.

Husney began her career in the greater Atlanta area and worked with premier textiles, manufacturing and telecommunications companies, including Alsco and Cogent Communications. She earned her MBA from Mercer University and her B.A. from Florida State University.

Jennifer M. Lantz and Philip W. Woo have joined Duane Morris LLP’s Silicon Valley office as partners in the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. Lantz and Woo are Silicon Valley veterans with decades of experience, including at global law firms such as Hogan Lovells and Sidley Austin.

Philip W. Woo has been in practice for 25 years, working in all areas of patent law including litigation, prosecution and contested proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. He has represented a wide spectrum of innovation-driven high-tech companies, ranging from startups to Fortune 500 corporations. With a degree in electrical engineering and substantial real-world experience in industry, Woo works on the deep technical issues in intellectual property matters of commercial significance for the clients he serves. He was counsel in the first inter partes review proceeding resulting in a successful final determination invalidating claims of the patent at issue. Woo has been recognized in the 2013-2020 editions of Best Lawyers in America, and as a leading patent litigator by IAM Patent 1000.

Woo is a graduate of the University of Southern California Gould School of Law (J.D., with honors, 1994) and the Southern Methodist University (B.S.E.E., cum laude, 1990).

Jennifer M. Lantz advises innovators at all stages on managing and protecting their valuable brands and other IP. She focuses on helping companies develop brands through enforcement policies, clearing marks for use, registering marks in the United States and abroad, commercializing marks through licenses and merchandising agreements, assessing infringement risks and defending against allegations of infringement. Lantz has been recognized in the 2020 World Trademark Review 100 as “An excellent hybrid lawyer … Lantz delivers crisp results whether securing trademark protections, enforcing rights or negotiating deals.” She represents clients of all sizes—from new startups to multinationals. In addition to her prosecution and counseling practice, Lantz has an active trademark litigation practice in federal courts around the country. She has obtained preliminary injunctions on behalf of a number of trademark clients and has also successfully defended against preliminary injunctions. Lantz has litigated other significant and complex intellectual property and business disputes for clients, including patents, trade secrets, rights of publicity, copyrights, licensing, contract disputes and numerous section 337 matters in the International Trade Commission. She handles opposition and cancellation proceedings in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, oversees multijurisdictional disputes and regularly counsels clients regarding domain name issues and trademark issues in social media. Lantz has also spearheaded enforcement campaigns in the United States and overseas for clients in industries where counterfeiting and knockoffs are prevalent.

Lantz is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1994) and the University of Michigan (B.A., with honors, 1991).