Duane Morris Adds Four Partners
Charles A. Ognibene, Michael T. Grant, Robert J. Brener and William B. Dubon have joined Duane Morris LLP’s Boston, Newark and New York offices as partners in the firm’s Corporate and Trial Practice the firm announced. In addition, Michael R. Garcia has joined the Boston office as a trial associate. The lawyers join the firm from LeClairRyan PLLC.
In a release, the firm said Charles Ognibene, who led his previous firm’s Business Law Department from 2017 through earlier this year, has experience closing deals, including capital market transactions, loan originations and workouts, as well as helping banks in product development and portfolio projects. He has worked on wholesale and retail finance matters across the country. He provides strategic counsel to banks, finance companies and captives on related matters. He advises on commercial and consumer pool sales, as well as loan origination and dealer loan workouts.
Ognibene graduated from Boston College Law School (J.D., cum laude) and University of Massachusetts (B.A., summa cum laude).
The firm said Michael Grant has experience in consumer finance and banking litigation. He represents banks, servicers, auto finance companies and commercial lenders in state and federal courts. He works on individual claims as well as defending mortgage lenders and servicers in complex class action suits involving statutory consumer lending violations, usury and other contract claims. He also represents lenders in complex commercial loan workouts, foreclosures, negotiable instrument litigation and bankruptcy matters. Grant represents clients in wage and hour class actions and employment law matters involving discrimination, harassment, non-compete and contract issues.
Grant graduated from Emory University School of Law (J.D.) and Dickinson College (B.A., cum laude).
Robert Brener has more than two decades of litigation experience in complex and commercial matters. He appears as lead counsel before state and federal courts, as well as arbitration panels, representing corporations and banks in contract, fraud, RICO, lender liability, employment, real estate and unfair competition disputes. He also counsels clients in the auto finance industry, representing lenders in numerous auto dealer bankruptcies, workouts, class action suits, RICO, consumer fraud, UCC and other litigation proceedings.
Brener graduated from American University Law School (J.D.) and Northwestern University (B.A.).
The firm said William Dubon is a counselor to clients in the auto finance industry on corporate and commercial matters. With a background in commercial banking, he previously worked with national banks on multiple long-term secondments and automotive floorplan lending.
Dubon graduated from the University of Notre Dame (J.D., cum laude, and B.S.).
Michael R. Garcia focuses on commercial litigation, representing automotive finance companies, commercial lenders and other financial institutions in consumer financial services litigation ranging from individual claims to complex class action suits. He also has experience advising automotive finance companies on state regulatory compliance matters.
Garcia graduated from the University of Michigan School of Law (J.D.) and Boston College (B.A.).
