Jackson Walker Adds ERISA, Wealth Planning and Real Estate Attorneys
Jackson Walker announced the addition of three partners and one senior counsel to its Dallas and Houston offices. Greta Cowart and Kal Grant join the firm as partners in Dallas, while the Houston office added Christian Triantaphyllis as partner and Catharine Yen as senior counsel.
In a release, the firm listed the new hires:
Greta E. Cowart joined the Labor & Employment, Employee Benefits, & Executive Compensation practice over 30 years of experience in counseling employers on human resources and employee relations issues related to benefits and executive compensation. She focuses on complex employee benefit plan issues – representing plans and plan sponsors before the various regulating government entities and in negotiations – and on resolving retirement plan issues through voluntary compliance programs.
“We are fortunate to welcome Greta to Jackson Walker. Her wide-ranging background in employee benefits and executive compensation lends valuable experience related to planning and audit representations,” said Austin partner Chuck Campbell, who chairs the firm’s ERISA practice.
Kal Grant joins the Wealth Planning, Probate, & Trust practice as a trust and estate strategist working with clients to counsel them through the optimal creation, use, and coordination of estate planning vehicles and techniques, including trusts, family-owned entities, charitable planning, and various disposition matters. In her practice, Grant regularly corresponds with and counsels clients on trust administration practices, including assisting co-trustees in carrying out fiduciary duties and assisting in trustee succession planning, governance processes, and trustee appointments and resignations.
“We are excited to work with Kal to provide our diverse clientele with strategies for building and transferring wealth to their family and to their community,” Wealth Planning Chair Sam K. Hildebrand said. “Her many connections, strong community involvement, and experience in the wealth planning industry will make a great addition to the firm.”
Christian A. Triantaphyllis, joining the Land Use & Real Estate practice, has experience in business and immigration matters, specifically related to assisting foreign nationals from around the world through the EB-5 visa program. Triantaphyllis advises regional centers and real estate developers in establishing projects nationwide and provides analysis from an immigration law perspective on financing structures. He also handles matters pertaining to USCIS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Department of State immigration requirements.
“We are proud to welcome such an accomplished attorney who brings a diverse set of skills and knowledge related to business and immigration law,” Houston Managing Partner Kurt D. Nondorf said. “In combining Christian Triantaphyllis’ international experience with Jackson Walker’s business acumen, we can further expand the services we offer our clients across the board.”
Also joining the Houston real estate group is senior counsel Catharine W. Yen, who brings particular experience in foreign investment and immigration matters. In her practice, Yen corresponds with and counsels individual investors, regional centers, agents, securities attorneys, economists, and business plan writers to help her individual investor clients and regional center clients accomplish their goals.
Houston Chair Vytas A. Petrulis said: “Christian and Catharine add solid experience in business immigration matters and have both worked outside the United States with clients around the world. We are fortunate to welcome two attorneys who bring such strong capabilities to the firm.”
