Barnes & Thornburg has added partner Sean Honeywill and associates Devin Schoonmaker, Brian Saling, and Abraham Llama to the Corporate Department in Atlanta. This group focuses on federal and state tax credit financing and monetization in areas such as affordable housing, historic rehabilitation and renewable energy.

Honeywill has deep experience in a variety of federal and state tax credits and the regulations that govern the transferability and monetization of associated tax benefits, including historic rehabilitation, renewable energy, affordable housing and opportunity zones. On the corporate side, he concentrates on tax considerations for transactions including restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, and spinoffs. His clients include developers, investors, lenders and syndicators.

Schoonmaker, Saling, and Llama likewise regularly work on matters surrounding the federal and state tax aspects of transactions related to these various tax incentive programs. The four join from Kowan Cordon.

Honeywill earned his J.D., high honors, from the University of North Carolina School of Law, his LL.M in Taxation from New York University School of Law and his B.S., summa cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh.

Schoonmaker earned his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law and his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Saling earned his J.D. from the Emory University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Iowa.

Llama earned his J.D. from the Emory University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Florida.

William C. Guthrie has been appointed Managing Partner of Foley & Lardner LLP’s Orlando office effective February 1, 2020. Guthrie is a partner and business lawyer, member of the Business Law Department and Real Estate and Consumer Financial Services practice groups, and chair of the Hospitality & Leisure Industry Team. He represents clients in the condominium, resort and hospitality industries, including globally recognized developers, lenders, managers and exchange groups.

Brown Rudnick LLP today announced the addition of Michael Bowe and Lauren Tabaksblat as partners in the Commercial Litigation Practice Group. Both attorneys join from Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP and will be based in Brown Rudnick’s New York office, the firm’s largest office. At Brown Rudnick, Bowe and Tabaksblat are joining a robust team of New York’s top litigators. Leveraging the firm’s leading white collar, restructuring, and intellectual property practices, as well as its entrepreneurial use of alternative fee and litigation funding, they will drive additional growth in the New York and national markets and solidify Brown Rudnick’s position among the elite, go-to New York firms for complex litigation.

Bowe and Tabaksblat are trial lawyers and prepare every case from inception for trial. Representing plaintiffs and defendants, they have a proven track record of innovating aggressive, asymmetrical litigation strategies to secure solutions other firms had advised clients were not possible. Tabaksblat has litigated complex civil RICO, securities, partnership, commercial real estate, professional malpractice, insurance and other high-stakes disputes, in state and federal jurisdictions across the country.

For almost 30 years, Bowe has successfully litigated virtually every type of high-stakes business and personal case, on the plaintiff and defense side, at both the trial and appellate level, for major companies and high-profile individuals. His unprecedented use of civil RICO and defamation law to stop short-selling “bears raids” on insurer Fairfax Financial was credited with restoring billions in market capitalization to the company and its investors and led to the largest insider-trading investigation and conviction in history, and he recently secured millions of dollars for Fairfax from jury verdicts awarding compensatory and punitive damages and trial settlements. Similarly, Bowe secured hundreds of millions of dollars in value for investors by using civil RICO laws to secure the iconic Savoy hotel in Miami Beach from its lender. His more recent trial successes also include a successful verdict in Delaware Chancery Court on behalf of investors in an Oakland, California real estate partnership, and his successful trial defense of Marine Major Jason Brezler before a military tribunal after employing an unprecedented federal court challenge to vacate the Marine Corps’ prior decision to separate Major Brezler from service.

With more than 100 litigators in the United States and Europe, Brown Rudnick has a consistent track record of success against seemingly insurmountable obstacles in some of the most significant international and domestic litigations of our era. Clients bring the firm their most difficult “bet the company” disputes, for which it routinely crafts and implements novel theories and strategies opposite entrenched interests represented by other major law firms. Brown Rudnick routinely and successfully tries cases to conclusion and, as a result, has extensive courtroom experience in jury, bench and arbitral trials throughout the world.

Additional biographical information and credentials are available on Bowe and Tabaksblat’s bio pages at brownrudnick.com.

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has announced that Kristen E. Dennison, a partner at Littleton Park Joyce Ughetta & Kelly LLP in Philadelphia, has accepted an invitation to join the IADC, the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests.

“I have had profound respect for the International Association of Defense Counsel since being introduced to the organization as a young lawyer while participating in its annual Trial Academy,” Ms. Dennison said. “I am honored to be given the opportunity to work alongside other defense lawyers in this prestigious organization and utilize the valuable, high-level education and professional development opportunities it provides to its members.”

Ms. Dennison is an experienced litigator, focusing her practice in product liability and commercial litigation on behalf of product manufacturers, utilities, and other companies in personal injury, death, contract and property damage cases. She has defended manufacturers of automobiles, industrial equipment, utilities, aviation components, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. She also has defended companies against claims of professional malpractice and commercial disputes.

Previously, Ms. Dennison served as in-house counsel at CNH Industrial America LLC. She also is the Past Chair Liaison to the Corporate Counsel Committee of DRI, the Voice of the Defense Bar.

Ms. Dennison received her J.D. (cum laude) from Georgetown University Law Center and her Bachelor of Arts from Pennsylvania State University.

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

Freeborn & Peters LLP is pleased to announce that the firm has elevated attorney Kirk Watkins to Income Partner, effective Jan. 1.

“We are very pleased to introduce Kirk as Freeborn’s newest Income Partner,” said Freeborn Co-Managing Partner William E. Russell. “He has demonstrated a high degree of knowledge and success for our litigation clients and a strong commitment to pro bono matters, and we look forward to his continued contributions as a leader at our firm.”

A member of Freeborn’s Litigation Practice Group, Mr. Watkins has a broad range of experience in all phases of complex commercial litigation, from pre-suit investigation and discovery management to dispositive motion and trial practice all the way up to appeals. In recent years, he has represented clients at multi-week bench and jury trials in both state and federal court in disputes ranging from commercial sales and online taxation to director and officer liability.

Mr. Watkins also maintains an active pro bono practice, and in 2017 received an Award for Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association in connection with his representation of a Stateville inmate in a federal civil rights case.

Mr. Watkins received his J.D. (cum laude) from Northwestern University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University.

ABOUT FREEBORN & PETERS
Freeborn & Peters LLP is a full-service law firm, headquartered in Chicago, with international capabilities and offices in New York City; 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 few years and its established reputation as a Litigation Powerhouse®. Freeborn has one of the largest litigation departments among Chicago-based law firms – 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.

Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C., is pleased to announce that the firm’s attorneys Courtney A. Adair, Cassie L. Barr, Jody B. Forsee, and Heather M. Mehta have been elevated to Officer, effective Feb. 1.

Adair works from the firm’s Chicago office. Barr, Forsee, and Mehta are based in Greensfelder’s St. Louis office.

“We are extremely proud to welcome Courtney, Cassie, Jody, and Heather as new Officers,” Greensfelder President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin T. McLaughlin said. “Each of our new Officers has distinguished herself as an integral member of Greensfelder and has made key contributions to the business success of our clients. We are delighted that all four of our newly elevated Officers are women. This embodies Greensfelder’s ongoing commitment to the promotion and placement of women and minority lawyers into leadership roles at the firm.”

A member of the firm’s Litigation practice group, Ms. Adair represents clients in commercial and employment litigation disputes. She has handled matters in various state and federal courts, with involvement in all phases of litigation. Her work has included non-compete agreements and other contractual disputes, as well as consumer fraud and deceptive practice claims, insurance coverage disputes, and trade secret misappropriation claims. Ms. Adair received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts (magna cum laude) from Tufts University.

A member of the firm’s Business Services practice group, Barr counsels clients on corporate and tax law matters. In the area of corporate law, she focuses on mergers and acquisitions. Her experience includes counseling middle market companies in a broad range of industries, including health care, technology, construction, manufacturing, and distribution. In the area of tax law, she counsels clients on corporate and business tax planning. With a background as an international tax associate for a big four professional services firm, she also has experience in tax controversy matters. Barr received her J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law. She also holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science (cum laude) both from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

A member of the firm’s Trusts & Estates practice group, Forsee focuses her practice on all aspects of estate planning and trust administration. Her work includes advanced estate planning documents used by clients for wealth management. She also addresses income, estate and gift tax issues relevant to her clients’ estate planning and probate needs. A considerable portion of her practice focuses on working with family offices that handle assets and planning for multi-generational families. In addition, she helps family-owned businesses coordinate corporate matters such as business succession planning and creating and administering business entities such as limited liability companies and partnerships. Forsee received her J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and her Bachelor of Science from Missouri Western State University.

A member of the firm’s Employee Benefits practice group, Mehta works on issues employers face when administering benefit plans. Her clients include large and small businesses, as well as tax-exempt organizations such as religiously affiliated hospitals. She also helps employers with ERISA and Internal Revenue Code compliance and frequently assists religious employers with benefits questions. Her benefits litigation experience includes individual benefit claims and ERISA class actions. She has defended plan sponsors in lawsuits involving “church plans,” forum selection clauses, and ERISA preemption. Mehta received her J.D. (magna cum laude) from Washington University School of Law. She also holds a Master of Science (with distinction) from Mercy College and a Bachelor of Arts (summa cum laude) from Wake Forest University.

At Greensfelder, nearly 30 percent of the firm’s Officers are women, and female attorneys currently make up 60 percent of the firm’s associates. Although these numbers surpass national averages for law firms, Greensfelder is committed to further increase the number of women attorneys at the firm. Greensfelder offers numerous programs that support the progress of women and help create a sense of community at the firm. These programs range from job-focused training to networking opportunities and social events. In addition, the firm offers alternative work arrangements, assistance for working parents, and multiple other programs and initiatives that support a diverse workforce. These initiatives reflect Greensfelder’s decision to embrace equity as a core value and strategic growth priority, with a focus on groups that have been historically underrepresented in law firms, including women.

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.

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) is pleased to announce that IADC President Amy Sherry Fischer, a shareholder at Foliart Huff Ottaway & Bottom in Oklahoma City, Okla., has been selected as one of this year’s recipients of the DRI Mary Massaron Award for the Advancement of Women in the Legal Profession.

Presented annually by DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar, the Mary Massaron Award recognizes DRI members who have demonstrated a high regard for diversity and a commitment to advocating the inclusion and promotion of women as well as fostering women’s initiatives and actively promoting positive mentoring relationships with other women in the legal profession.

Ms. Fischer has actively supported and promoted women in the legal profession throughout her career, including serving as a mentor and mentee to other female attorneys. As a former IADC board member and past Membership Committee Chair, she kept diversity at the forefront and constantly looked for opportunities to provide female members leadership roles. Her work also includes many years of involvement with the American Bar Association’s Women in Products Liability Litigation Subcommittee, formerly serving as chair of both the group and its conference, as well as moderating and speaking on numerous panels.

Ms. Fischer focuses her law practice in the areas of products liability, particularly drug and medical products, personal injury, and medical liability. She is actively involved in mass tort litigation, including class actions and toxic torts. She serves as local counsel to a number of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. In addition, Ms. Fischer represents businesses in commercial disputes and employment-related matters. She also handles cases for insurance companies, including extra-contractual liability.

DRI advocates for nearly 19,000 defense attorneys, commercial litigation attorneys, corporations and corporate counsel, who defend the integrity of the civil justice system. DRI provides world-class legal education, deep expertise for policymakers, legal resources, and networking opportunities to facilitate career and law firm growth. For more information, visit https://www.dri.org.

The IADC is the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests. Founded in 1920, the IADC’s 2,500 members hail from six continents, more than 50 countries and territories, and all 50 U.S. states. The core purposes of the IADC are to enhance the development of skills, promote professionalism, and facilitate camaraderie among its members, their clients, and the broader civil justice community. The IADC also takes a leadership role in many areas of legal reform. For more information, visit www.iadclaw.org.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Michael F. Walker, a partner in the firm’s Birmingham office, has been selected as chair-elect of the Federal Practice Section of the Birmingham Bar Association (BBA). He serves as chair-elect for 2020 and will become chair in 2021.

“We congratulate Michael on his new leadership role with the Birmingham Bar Association’s Federal Practice Section,” said Bradley Birmingham Office Managing Partner Dawn Helms Sharff.

A member of Bradley’s Litigation Practice Group, Mr. Walker handles a wide variety of complex civil litigation matters across a number of industries. Much of his practice involves the defense of product liability and toxic tort claims against businesses that design and manufacture products or operate industrial facilities. He also has represented businesses in commercial litigation, primarily in disputes involving intellectual property, real estate, and class actions. He has tried cases to verdict in court and arbitrated matters to successful conclusions before panels of the American Arbitration Association and JAMS. Mr. Walker also devotes significant time to pro bono matters.

Through his involvement with the BBA’s Federal Practice Section and Civil Courts Committee, Mr. Walker worked with several local federal judges to help re-draft the Local Rules of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

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 over 500 lawyers represent regional, national and international clients in various industries, including financial services, healthcare, life sciences, real estate, construction, technology, energy, insurance, and entertainment, among many others.

Farrell Fritz is pleased to welcome Maura A. McLoughlin to its Uniondale office as managing attorney for the firm’s commercial and estate litigation departments.

McLoughlin is responsible for the management and tracking of the firm’s commercial and estate litigation cases. She serves as a resource on planned and implemented rule changes and creates, maintains, and updates forms files with respect to pleadings, discovery, and recurring brief issues.

Prior to joining Farrell Fritz, Maura was managing attorney at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP for almost 18 years.

McLoughlin is a Brooklyn, NY, resident. She earned her J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law and her B.A. from American University. McLoughlin is admitted to the New York bar.

Brown Rudnick LLP, an international law firm, is pleased to announce the promotion of six exceptional lawyers to partner. Thomas J. Braiden, Andrew M. Carty, Kyle R. Johnson, Jessica T. Lu, Joseph M. Mercadante, and Arnaud Moussatoff joined the partnership on February 1, 2020.

This experienced group of attorneys will join five dominant practice groups, Bankruptcy & Restructuring; Litigation & Arbitration; Energy, Utilities & Environmental; IP Litigation; and Corporate.

Brown Rudnick’s 2020 partner class joins amid continued expansion of the firm, which has also welcomed 10 new lateral partners from outside its ranks since the start of 2019.

The newly promoted partners are based in the firm’s Boston, Hartford, London, New York and Paris offices. The firm’s new partners include:

Thomas J. Braiden: Corporate (London)
Braiden advises on a wide range of corporate matters in a number of different industries. He has extensive experience advising public and private companies, as well as family offices and other private investors, on IPOs and secondary fundraisings (both AIM and Official List), mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, venture capital, commercial contracts, corporate governance issues, and other general corporate advice.

Andrew M. Carty: Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring (New York)
Carty’s practice focuses on providing effective and efficient solutions to complex corporate restructuring matters. With substantial experience representing secured and unsecured creditors, official and ad hoc committees, equity holders, strategic investors, and other stakeholders in complex reorganization proceedings, his practice spans a wide range of industries, and includes restructuring, finance, and bankruptcy litigation.

Kyle R. Johnson: Energy, Utilities & Environmental (Hartford)
Johnson focuses his practice on environmental issues in real estate and corporate transactions, including environmental due diligence, negotiation of liabilities, and drafting of contractual documents and indemnities, regulatory compliance and enforcement matters, remediation of contaminated properties, and general environmental counseling. Johnson is also experienced in energy and public utility law, including siting, permitting, administrative and appellate litigation, and real estate law.

Jessica T. Lu: Litigation & Arbitration (Boston)
Lu represents clients in general commercial and intellectual property litigation, including patent, copyright, and trademark infringement, contract disputes, business torts, and employment issues. Her practice encompasses stages of litigation from initiation through trial and she also has experience with complex financial and restructuring-related disputes and SEC enforcement actions.

Joseph M. Mercadante: IP Litigation (New York)
Mercadante is an experienced patent litigator with a focus on cases in the field of electronics, including computer hardware and software, automotive technologies, telecommunications, and networking and semiconductors. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of patent litigation matters, including pre-suit investigations, validity and infringement analyses, discovery, Markman proceedings, expert reports and depositions, motion practice, and trial.

Arnaud Moussatoff: Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring (Paris)
Moussatoff represents clients in restructuring operations and distressed transactions relating to underperforming or insolvent companies. His practice also includes a wide variety of litigation matters, including French Insolvency Law and the issues arising from financial difficulties affecting businesses, such as complex M&A litigation and managers’ liability. He offers a wide range of counseling to debtors, investors, purchasers, lenders and managers.

Barnes & Thornburg has added Michelle N. Bradford as partner in the Litigation Department in Washington, D.C. As an experienced litigator and former federal prosecutor, Bradford handles issues in connection with white collar criminal defense and complex civil litigation.

Bradford spent over a decade serving as an assistant United States attorney for the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. In this capacity, she prosecuted cases related to healthcare fraud, tax fraud, money laundering, as well as public corruption matters. She tried nearly 30 felony jury trials more than 20 felony and misdemeanor bench trials.

Bradford also served in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, where she handled a variety of civil cases and defended federal agencies in issues regarding Title VII of the Civil Rights Act; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; the American with Disabilities Act; the District of Columbia Human Rights Act; the Federal Tort Claims Act; the Administrative Procedure Act; as well as the Freedom of Information Act.

Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg, Bradford was a shareholder at a financial services law firm, where she represented clients, individuals and companies, in government investigations and proceedings involving securities fraud; healthcare fraud, complex financial fraud; the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; the False Claims Act; and the Anti-Kickback Statute, among others. Further, Bradford has experience serving as counsel for companies conducting internal investigations.

Outside of the office, Bradford is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, teaching trail advocacy, and has served as a faculty member for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA). She also serves as board vice president of the Center of Abused Persons, a nonprofit that provides support to victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

Bradford earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. from Barnard College.

Barnes & Thornburg has added Stephen C. Smith as a partner in the Intellectual Property Department in Chicago. Smith is the latest addition to the firm’s IP practice, which added a 10-attorney Life Sciences Patent Group in late 2019.

Prior to his legal career, Smith was a supervisor and engineer at a naval power plant facility and joins the firm with deep knowledge of patent law. He counsels a wide range of clients in the consumer product, automotive, medical device and industrial equipment industries on matters including patent prosecution, patent infringement, due diligence, licensing, and disputed matters and litigation. Smith helps clients navigate each stage of prosecution proceedings, including post issuance proceedings, drafting applications and invention harvesting. He also has valuable experience with matters that come before international patent offices and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Smith earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.S. from Purdue University. He joins from Brinks Gilson & Lione, where he served on the board of directors.

Venable LLP is pleased to announce that New York partner Nicholas M. Reiter and Los Angeles partner Celeste Brecht have been elevated to lead their respective litigation groups. Specifically, Reiter has joined Michael J. Volpe as a co-chair of the firm’s national Labor and Employment Practice, and Brecht has joined Daniel P. Hoffer as a co-chair of the firm’s West Coast Litigation Group.

Geoffrey R. Garinther, chair of the firm’s Litigation Division, said, “We are fortunate to have Nick and Celeste, who are well respected among their peers and clients, join our leadership ranks within the Litigation Division. Both of them have demonstrated exemplary work representing clients in complex matters across a variety of forums, acting as trusted advisors, and expanding the capabilities and reach of two thriving practice groups.”

Reiter joined Venable in 2011 and represents employers in employment and traditional labor matters. He has obtained successful jury verdicts as a first-chair trial lawyer and negotiated new collective bargaining agreements with labor unions. Reiter regularly defends and advises employers in the financial services, hospitality, real estate, and healthcare industries, including multinational hotel chains, restaurant groups, investment banks, and hospitals.

When asked about his new co-chair role, Reiter said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to help lead such a terrific group of employment lawyers. There has been no shortage of legal developments for employers lately, and we expect that trend will continue as federal, state, and local legislatures create new rules for the American workplace. Our Labor and Employment Practice will remain focused on staying ahead of the curve and advising our clients on best practices for managing their workforces.”

Brecht is a first-chair trial attorney who focuses on complex civil disputes for clients in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, consumer products, media and entertainment, and transportation industries. In addition to trial work, Brecht has served as national counsel, managing complex litigation from inception through appeal. In connection with her new role, Brecht said, “Since joining Venable in 2013, we’ve doubled the size of the Los Angeles office and our litigation group while maintaining our collaborative culture. We have a deep bench of incredibly talented litigators who are tireless advocates for our clients, and I look forward to supporting this dynamic group as we continue to level up in the years to come.”

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

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has announced that Avanti Bakane, a partner at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP, in Chicago, 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 thrilled at the opportunity to join a global network of skilled lawyers and look forward to the valuable professional development resources the IADC provides,” Bakane said.

Bakane focuses her practice on consumer and complex class action, antitrust, breach of contract and commercial litigation. A Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP), Bakane also represents businesses and creative professionals in software and e-commerce development, data privacy, data loss, licensing, and copyright infringement disputes. In addition, she has experience representing clients in the cannabis space.

Bakane currently serves as the vice president of communications and formerly was the central regional governor for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. She also is a member and former president of the South Asian Bar Association of Chicago (formerly the Indian-American Bar Association of Chicago). In addition, she is a former board member of Leading India’s Future Today (LIFT Foundation).

Bakane received her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

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

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Elizabeth M. Boone has joined the firm’s Jackson office as a partner in the Corporate and Securities Practice Group.

“We are thrilled to welcome Elizabeth to our Jackson office,” said Bradley Jackson Office Managing Partner Margaret Oertling Cupples. “With her diverse experience and background in finance, Elizabeth is a great addition to our team of highly skilled attorneys in the Corporate and Securities Practice Group.”

Ms. Boone focuses her practice on business transactions and corporate law, including mergers and acquisitions, real estate and municipal matters. She advises clients on general business law matters domestically and internationally, including contract negotiation, establishment and maintenance of legal entities, establishment of terms and conditions for the sale of goods, employment matters, and real estate transactions. Her work also includes managing trademark portfolios for clients in conjunction with intellectual property counsel and advising regarding protection of inventions.

Prior to joining Bradley, Ms. Boone was a partner at Watson Heidelberg PLLC, where she focused on business, real estate and municipal law, as well as mergers and acquisitions. Prior to law school, Ms. Boone worked in finance and as a chemist.

Ms. Boone received her J.D. (magna cum laude) from the University of Mississippi School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts (summa cum laude) from the University of Tennessee.

Attorneys in Bradley’s nationally recognized Corporate and Securities Practice Group guide and advise clients in a variety of industries, working with emerging companies, family and closely held business, and publicly traded corporations, as well as venture capital and private equity funds and their operating companies.

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 over 500 lawyers represent regional, national and international clients in various industries, including financial services, healthcare, life sciences, real estate, construction, technology, energy, insurance, and entertainment, among many others.

Freeborn & Peters LLP is pleased to announce that it has finalized the recapitalization with $850 million of funded and committed capital to refinance the existing capital structure and fund future development for its client, Altus Power America, Inc., a market-leading solar power company.

Altus Power America, which provides clean electricity to commercial, industrial and municipal clients across the United States, was represented by Freeborn Partners Cynthia A. Bergmann, Karen A. Hayes, Gary A. Jungels, Jordan H. Peters, Michael J.W. Rennock, Brian A. Smith, and Christopher J. Townsend; Freeborn attorneys Fielden A. Fleming and Zachary K. Iacovino; and firm paralegal Leslie A. Schmidt.

“This is a highly significant recapitalization that will allow Altus Power America to grow its portfolio to more than $1 billion of commercial and industrial solar assets,” said Mr. Jungels, who led the Freeborn team that represented Altus Power America. “We are incredibly proud of our attorneys and staff who worked diligently over many months to complete this deal, also coordinating with nearly 100 attorneys at other firms representing various parties in the transaction.”

The recapitalization consists of preferred and minority equity and investment grade-rated debt financing provided by GSO Capital Partners LP and a consortium led by Blackstone Insurance Solutions, respectively, and a construction-to-term loan facility from a syndicate of commercial banks. The initial phase of the transaction closed in late 2019. The remaining phase relating to future assets closed this month.

The recapitalization includes one of the first-ever privately rated investment-grade financings made up solely of commercial and industrial distributed solar assets.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Michael Hanahan has joined the firm’s Chicago office as a partner in the Construction practice.

Hanahan represents commercial and public project owners and other industry participants on a wide variety of construction-related matters, including contract drafting and negotiations, disputes, and overall contract administration. He also provides procurement counsel to government entities and private organizations, which in the past has included public entities in Chicago. In recent years, Hanahan has helped draft and negotiate contracts with a combined value of over $2 billion.

Hanahan’s addition to the Chicago office follows the arrival of Labor and Employment Partner Sarah Flotte to the office this month. To accommodate Perkins Coie’s continued growth in the Chicago area, the firm will move to a larger, more collaborative office space at 110 N. Wacker Drive in 2021.

Hanahan joins the firm from Schiff Harden where he was a partner in Schiff’s construction practice. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois Chicago Graduate School of Architecture, and has been recognized for his excellence in construction law, including as a “Recommended Construction Attorney” by The Legal 500 United States. Michael earned his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and received his B.Arch from the University of Notre Dame.

Franklin D. Rosenblatt has joined Butler Snow’s Ridgeland, Miss. office, and will practice with the firm’s commercial litigation group.

Rosenblatt retired as a Lieutenant Colonel with more than 12 years of experience serving in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps as a prosecutor, legal advisor and defense attorney. As a prosecutor, he tried dozens of international, financial and violent crimes cases to verdict. Additionally, he successfully prosecuted four terrorism suspects in the Iraqi court system of Kirkuk, Iraq. As a defense attorney from 2014 to 2018, Rosenblatt served as lead military defense counsel for Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl in the most publicized court-martial in American history.

Rosenblatt has won national recognition for his legal writing, having authored book chapters and co-authored two books. His latest contribution is the third edition of “Military Justice: Cases and Materials,” a law school textbook recently published by leading law publisher Carolina Academic Press co-authored by Rosenblatt and other prominent scholars. Rosenblatt has also been invited to speak about litigation and internal investigations to several of the world’s flagship institutions, including Yale Law School, The Hoover Institution, The Pentagon and The Peace Palace in The Hague.

Rosenblatt is a member of the Federal Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the International Society for Military Law and the Law of War, where he serves as vice president for Criminal Law of the United States Chapter. He received his bachelor’s degree from James Madison University, his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law and his Master of Laws from The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. Most recently, he served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Barbara Jacobs Rothstein in the U.S. District Court, District of Columbia.

Foley & Lardner announced that Lewis Zirogiannis has joined the firm as a partner in its Litigation Department and Government Enforcement Defense & Investigations Practice Group. Zirogiannis is resident in the firm’s San Francisco and New York City offices.

Zirogiannis’ practice focuses on complex litigation, as well as government and internal investigations and corporate compliance. He has deep expertise in counseling corporations and company executives in connection with litigation and investigation matters in the areas of anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, trade sanctions, information governance, securities fraud, and data privacy and protection, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Zirogiannis has appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court and in federal and state trial and appellate courts, and he has conducted investigations in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe.

Zirogiannis brings extensive in-house experience from having served six years in legal leadership roles at two global businesses of General Electric Co., where he oversaw global compliance programs and supervised litigation, investigations and regulatory relations. In addition, he previously served as Associate General Counsel and Global Anti-Corruption Officer at American International Group.

Zirogiannis comes to Foley from Reed Smith, where he was a member of the complex litigation and global regulatory enforcement practice groups. He began his legal career as a staff attorney in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and as a federal judicial law clerk in the Southern District of New York before entering private practice.

Holland & Hart announced the addition of Dirk Gaspar, Of Counsel in the firm’s Las Vegas, Nevada office. Gaspar strengthens Holland & Hart’s Construction Practice by bringing experience serving as lead attorney on litigation and transactional matters involving industrial/infrastructure, commercial and residential disputes, insurance issues, and contract negotiation and drafting.

Gaspar focuses his practice on all aspects of construction law, including contract negotiation and drafting, construction defect litigation, disputes, and liens. He has counseled some of the largest developers and general contractors in Southern California and Nevada, including clients in the sports and entertainment, mining, development, and construction industries. Utilizing his background in architecture, Gaspar has represented clients on industrial, commercial, and residential projects.

Prior to joining Holland & Hart, Gaspar worked for boutique construction law firms in Las Vegas and Southern California. He is admitted to practice in Nevada, California, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, and U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.