The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP announced that Chicago partner Mark W. Bina has been reappointed to the Illinois Supreme Court’s Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC).

Bina will serve another year on the commission which is the state agency overseeing the licensing and discipline of all Illinois-licensed attorneys. He also sits on the ARDC’s Hearing Board which serves as a fact-finder conducting evidentiary hearings for attorneys charged with misconduct, and also sits on the ARDC’s Oversight Committee.

Bina is a member of the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Health Law Practice Groups, working in state and federal trial and appellate courts across the country. In his health care practice, Bina works on regulatory and compliance issues, including disciplinary proceedings, administrative agency appeals, fraud and abuse issues, internal and governmental investigations, subpoenas, and risk mitigation.

He received his law degree from John Marshall Law School and his bachelor’s degree, with distinction, from Indiana University.

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm, announced that trusts and estates lawyer Dale Noll has been appointed president-elect of the National Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Bar Association.

Noll will be installed as president of the country’s largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied legal professionals in 2017. During his tenure, he will preside over the 28th annual Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair, a leading industry event that brings together lawyers, law students, law firms and government agencies to exchange information about the important issues impacting the LGBT community. As president, Noll also will work with the board of directors to advance the National LGBT Bar Association’s mission to promote advocacy and equal access to the law for the diverse LGBT community.

In a release, the firm said Noll is a devoted LGBT advocate. He joined the National LGBT Bar Association in 2012, where he served on its finance committee for two years, and was then appointed to the board of directors as Association Treasurer. He was the 2015 co-chair of the Miami Dade County Gay and Lesbian Lawyers Association and was previously a gala committee member of the Broward County Gay and Lesbian Lawyers Network. He regularly speaks on marriage equality and estate planning issues for alternative families and same sex couples.

At Akerman, Noll represents trustees, personal representatives and beneficiaries in a wide variety of fiduciary issues and assists them in their roles as fiduciaries in administering estates and trusts. A particular focus of his practice is the representation of fiduciaries, beneficiaries and other interested parties in high-conflict, complex, and high-profile guardianship, trust and probate matters.

Akerman is a longtime champion of diversity in the legal profession and a demonstrated leader in the LGBT business community. In 2016, Akerman received its second perfect 100 percent rating on the 2016 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the national benchmarking survey administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for workplace inclusion and equality, and has earned the “Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality” distinction. Akerman also was ranked for another consecutive year among the nation’s top 50 law firms for diversity by The American Lawyer. The collective recognition Akerman has received is a testament to the firm’s continuing hiring and professional development practices that support a diverse group of men and women.

Beck Redden LLP to announces that partner Kat Gallagher has been selected by Lawyer Monthly magazine as a recipient of the 2016 Women in Law Award in recognition of her  legal expertise and contribution within the area of litigation. The award recognizes and honors the achievements of women that have challenged, influenced or changed the practice of law over the last 12 months across the globe.

“With more than 25 years practicing law, Kat Gallagher has distinguished herself as an elite trial lawyer with outstanding instincts for how to best tell her client’s story in the most persuasive and compelling manner,” the firm says in a release.

“She is a Fellow of the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers, a preeminent association of trial lawyers limited to the top one percent of lawyers in any given jurisdiction,” the release continues. “In addition, she is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL) – membership in the Academy is limited to only 500 Fellows in the U.S.   Kat is also an Associate in the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

Read the release.

WB Mills, PLLC announces the addition of Cynthia Dashiell as of counsel to the Dallas-based IP law firm.

With her addition to the firm, WB Mills, PLLC, expands its trademark, copyright and business litigation practice to include patent law, the firm says in a release. Dashiell also works in  trademark and copyright law.

In a release, the firm says Dashiell has more than 10 years of experience as an intellectual property attorney and spent nine years as an engineer in the areas of industrial, manufacturing and safety engineering. In her practice, Dashiell prepares patent applications (provisional, non-provisional and design) in the electrical and mechanical arts in various technological areas including: telecommunications (both packet switched and circuit switched), medical, thermal insulation, HVAC, agricultural and food processing equipment and software implementations. Additionally, Dashiell provides patent validity analysis and has experience with reexamination proceedings.

Dashiell also prepares and prosecutes trademark applications with the United Sates Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

“We are honored to have Cynthia join our firm as Of Counsel. With her strong knowledge and understanding of both patents and intellectual property, she will prove an extraordinary asset to the firm as we continue to grow,” said Wendy B. Mills, Attorney and Manager of WB Mills, PLLC.

A 2003 graduate of Texas Wesleyan University School of Law in Fort Worth, Texas, Dashiell graduated cum laude, was a staff member on the Texas Wesleyan Law Review, and served as a member of the Phi Delta Phi International Legal Honor Fraternity. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP announces that financial restructuring and reorganization partner John P. Melko was inducted by the American College of Bankruptcy as a Fellow in the 27th Class of the College.

Melko was among 31 professionals from across the country recognized by The American College of Bankruptcy for their professional excellence and exceptional contributions to the fields of bankruptcy and insolvency. Honorees reside in 19 states and two foreign countries. The induction took place on March 18 in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture.

“John represents the highest standard of professionalism in the legal industry as evidenced by his ongoing commitment to the enhancement of bankruptcy and insolvency law,” says Firm Vice Chair Eric Blumrosen. “We congratulate him on this prestigious recognition.”

In a release, the firm said Melko is a partner and chair of Gardere’s financial restructuring and reorganization practice group. His practice focuses on complex sales, acquisitions, bankruptcies and financings in the energy sector throughout the U.S., as well as shipping-related issues in both foreign and domestic cases and financings. Melko has years of cross-border and multinational experience with oil and gas exploration and production, refining and marketing, airlines, telecommunications, electric utilities, manufacturing, retail, rig and ship finance, mass torts and asset-backed securities.

“John is greatly respected by his clients and peers for not only his experience, but also for his character and integrity,” says Deirdre B. Ruckman, a partner in the Firm’s financial restructuring and reorganization practice and a Fellow of The American College of Bankruptcy. “He fully embodies these traits in his every day practice and is a great addition to the fellowship of The American College of Bankruptcy.”

Fellowship nominees undergo a rigorous nomination process and are extended an invitation to join based on a record of achievement. The American College of Bankruptcy now has 848 active Fellows, not including Class 27, each selected by a Board of Regents from among recommendations of the Circuit Admissions Council in each federal judicial circuit and specially appointed Committees for Judicial and Foreign Fellows.

The American College of Bankruptcy is an honorary professional and educational association of bankruptcy and insolvency professionals. The College sustains professional excellence and supports educational and pro bono efforts in local communities around the country. The fellowship includes commercial and consumer bankruptcy attorneys, insolvency accountants, turnaround and workout specialists, law professors, judges, government officials and others involved in the bankruptcy and insolvency community.

Kathleen McDonough, a former managing partner and general counsel at Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney, Ltd., has joined Wilson Elser’s Chicago office as a partner.

McDonough deals with corporate and transactional work and general litigation matters, including product liability, complex commercial litigation, class actions, employment and transportation cases.

“Kathleen is one of the sharpest, most accomplished attorneys I know,” shared Daniel J. McMahon, Wilson Elser chairman. “Her addition to the firm will bolster the practices and the quality service we provide our clients, and we expect Kathleen’s extraordinary leadership qualities and her experience managing a firm to benefit all aspects of the partnership.”

In a release, the firm said McDonough represents small to mid-size companies from a spectrum of industries, including retail, manufacturing, insurance and transportation, on a broad range of matters. She often serves as her clients’ outside general counsel, handling such matters as product liability and employment, negotiating sales agreements and vendor contracts.

“Kathleen is truly accomplished in many areas of the law,” explained Dave Holmes, regional managing partner of Wilson Elser’s Chicago office, “and the fact that her insured clients often retain her to represent them directly is a testament to the counsel she provides, her professionalism and her personality. People in business prefer to work with lawyers they trust and like.”

In 2012, she was featured in Chicago Lawyer Magazine’s “Women in Law,” which honors 15 attorneys who have made and continue to make an impact on the legal profession. She also was honored that year with the Chicago Kent College of Law Professional Achievement Award in recognition of her accomplishments and contributions to the school and the legal community. Other honors include recognition as an Illinois Leading Lawyer and selection for inclusion in Illinois Super Lawyers.

McDonough is involved in numerous professional and civic organizations, including the Chicago-Kent Board of Overseers, DRI, the Trucking Industry Defense Association and the Society of Women in Law, where she volunteers on the mentorship program. She also has provided pro bono counsel to disabled children in the reinstatement of Supplemental Social Security Income benefits through the Chicago Volunteer Legal Society.

McDonough graduated cum laude with her B.A. degree from Saint Mary’s College (1991) and earned her J.D. degree from the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law (1994).

The firm has added almost 60 lateral hires firmwide over the past 15 months. In addition, the number of offices has expanded to 30 with new offices in Edwardsville, Illinois; Austin and Beaumont, Texas; and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Miller & Chevalier Chartered announces that the firm has moved from 655 Fifteenth Street, NW, to a new office building at 900 Sixteenth Street, NW. Located in the heart of downtown Washington’s central business district, the building is just two blocks from the White House and the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Miller & Chevalier is the building’s anchor tenant, occupying 87,000 square feet, including the top six floors and a rooftop terrace overlooking the White House.

“Miller & Chevalier is well known as one of Washington’s oldest firms and as an elite law firm focused in niche areas,” said Miller & Chevalier Chair Anthony F. Shelley. “We are pleased that our new home fits so well with our personality and strategic vision as a select, DC-based, boutique enterprise. It is the perfect location from which to continue providing high-quality service on sophisticated federal issues for decades to come.”

Miller & Chevalier retained architecture firm LSM Studio to develop the space, which includes a sky-lit, two-story connection at the building’s upper levels that allows access to the outdoor terrace with iconic Washington views. To support collaboration and visibility, LSM Studio also focused on openness throughout the space and included small, interconnected floorplates.

Architect Robert A.M. Stern designed the building, which is owned by The JBG Companies and ICG Properties. The structure is designed to receive LEED Core and Shell certification.

“We are delighted to officially welcome Miller & Chevalier to 900 Sixteenth Street,” said JBG Principal Britt Snider. “As a respected Washington firm with nearly a century of service in our nation’s capital, Miller & Chevalier is a fitting partner for this truly distinguished building just steps from the White House. JBG is very proud of what we’ve created at 900 Sixteenth Street.”

For a second consecutive year, every eligible lawyer at Dallas-based Deans & Lyons, LLP, has been selected to the annual Texas Rising Stars list, which recognizes the top young attorneys in the state.

Earning spots on the 2016 list from Deans & Lyons are Robert Bogdanowicz III, Courtney Bowline, Christopher Simmons and Kathleen Kilanowski.

“We are proud to again have all of our eligible attorneys chosen for this highly selective honor,” says firm co-founder Michael Lyons. “By design, our young lawyers are expected to compete and win against even the most seasoned attorneys, and this group continues to demonstrate that philosophy.”

This is the fifth consecutive year Bogdanowicz has been included on this list based on demonstrated excellence in cases involving business disputes. He also handles cases involving intellectual property, construction disputes, catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful death.

This is Bowline’s third consecutive selection to Texas Rising Stars. Her practice is dedicated to handling complex cases for plaintiffs and defendants involving business disputes, construction disputes, and personal injury and wrongful death.

Simmons has been recognized as a Texas Rising Star for a third consecutive time. He represents plaintiffs and defendants and focuses on a wide variety of business disputes and cases involving personal injury and wrongful death.

This is Kilanowski’s second Texas Rising Stars appearance. Selected for her real estate practice, she also handles construction litigation and complex commercial litigation.

Only 2.5 percent of eligible attorneys are chosen for Texas Rising Stars, which recognizes lawyers who are 40 or younger, or who have been in practice no more than 10 years. Selection is based on peer nominations and editorial review. The complete list can be found at www.superlawyers.com and appears in the April editions of Texas Monthly and Texas Rising Stars magazines.

Hogan Lovells announces that Ina Brock, current co-head of the Life Sciences Industry Sector Group, will fill a newly created role on the firm’s International Management Committee (IMC): Managing Partner – Clients and Industries.

In this new role, Brock will be responsible for the global management of key client relationships. In a release, the firm says she will also ensure that the firm’s Industry Sector Groups (aerospace & defense, automotive, consumer, education, energy & natural resources, financial institutions, infrastructure, insurance, life sciences, real estate, sports, technology, media & telecoms, transportation) have a substantial impact in the marketplace and will focus on continuing to improve client engagement and satisfaction.

“I am looking forward to this new challenge,” said Brock. “Our industry expertise allows us to offer the most strategic advice to our clients. This new position reinforces the strong alignment between Hogan Lovells and industry sectors.”

Brock’s practice comprises product liability, mass torts and pharmaceutical liability, including international conflict of laws, jurisdiction and forum non conveniens issues as well as strategic advice on crisis communication. She will continue her regular legal practice while she serves her three-year term. Asher Rubin will become the sole global head of Hogan Lovells’ market leading Life Sciences Group.

The IMC is the body that is responsible for setting and implementing the strategic direction and business operations of the firm and is made up of the heads of Hogan Lovells’ five practice groups and five administrative regions.

Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP,  has announced the addition of six attorneys as the firm expands its litigation and counseling services in its Texas offices in Dallas, Austin and Corpus Christi, and in Nashville, Tennessee.

“The addition of these attorneys shows our strong commitment to the long-term growth in each of our locations so we can continue to provide clients the service they have come to expect from us over the years,” says firm managing partner John Shackelford.

Joining the firm are:

• Partner Gerald Conley in Dallas. This respected litigator has more than 30 years of experience representing clients in intellectual property, media, securities and fiduciary issues. He also represents broadcasters, publishers, reporters and entertainers in defamation, privacy and other First Amendment issues, as well as in copyright and trademark matters. He joins the firm from Andrews Kurth LLP.

• Partner William “Bill” Hopkins in Austin. He represents health care entities and providers in litigation and before state and federal boards on matters involving licensure, regulatory compliance and administrative issues. He has held several leadership positions with the American Bar Association’s Health Law Section. He also is the current president of the Central Texas Advisory Board of the Texas Diversity Council. He joins the firm from Husch Blackwell LLP.

• Of Counsel Susan G. White in Austin. She represents franchised new car dealers, recreational vehicle dealers and independent car dealers in litigation and regulatory matters. Her litigation practice also includes aviation insurance defense work. She joins the firm from Sapp, White & Freeman, P.C.

• Of Counsel Janet A. Freeman in Corpus Christi. She represents new car and truck dealer franchisers in litigation and licensing and enforcement matters. A former in-house counsel with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, she joins the firm from Sapp, White & Freeman, PC.

• Associate Elizabeth Swan in Dallas. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation matters involving small businesses, as well as family law issues including divorce, child custody and support, property division and business valuation. She joins the firm from Cowles & Thompson, P.C.

• Associate Rebekah L. Shulman in Nashville. She is a litigator and registered patent attorney. She frequently represents clients before the U.S Patent and Trademark Office on matters involving intellectual property rights. She joins the firm from Patterson Intellectual Property Law.

Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP is an aviation, general business and entertainment law firm representing aircraft owners, operators and servicers, financial institutions, recording artists, real estate owners and developers, automobile dealerships, record labels, and other businesses in legal matters across the country.

Stradley Ronon announced that it has opened an office in Chicago with the hiring of former K&L Gates partners David P. Glatz and Alan P. Goldberg, both of whom join the firm as partners in the investment management group. In addition to the Chicago-based partners, Eric S. Purple and Nicole Trudeau, both previously partners at K&L Gates, have joined Stradley Ronon’s Washington, D.C., office as partners in the investment management group.

“David, Alan, Eric and Nicole’s practices are a tremendous complement to our investment management group and enhance our subject matter expertise in critical areas such as exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds” said Bruce G. Leto, Chair of Stradley Ronon’s Investment Management Practice. “Our new colleagues are highly regarded in the investment management industry and their addition will help perpetuate the firm’s 80-year history of innovation in this area.”

“We have long admired and respected Stradley Ronon, particularly its highly regarded investment management group and its collegial culture, and are thrilled to join such a well-respected and talented group of attorneys,” said Goldberg, Partner-in-Charge of the Chicago office. “Stradley provides us with a tremendous platform to support our practices, and we know this move will be beneficial to our clients who value sophisticated legal advice from pragmatic, industry-savvy attorneys.”

In a release, the firm said the Chicago office opening marks Stradley Ronon’s first location outside the mid-Atlantic region and its eighth office overall. The location is close to several large firm clients, allowing the firm to provide on-the-ground service in the Midwest in the investment management industry and other areas.

“Given the success and leadership that Bruce’s team has established in the industry, it was an easy decision to open in Chicago. Our Managing Partner Jeff Lutsky and Executive Director Gillian Facher put forth an incredible effort to complete the transaction in record time,” said Stradley Ronon Chairman William R. Sasso. “Our new geographic footprint deepens our existing capabilities by adding to the strength of our robust investment management group and allowing us to expand other practices such as commercial litigation, corporate and securities, financial services, insurance, intellectual property, and securities enforcement and litigation into the Midwest.”

“Our expansion into Chicago is an integral part of our strategic plan to grow in regions and practice areas that complement our existing services and strengths, but more importantly, to add value to our clients,” said Stradley Ronon Managing Partner Jeffrey A. Lutsky.

About Stradley Ronon’s newest partners:

David P. Glatz concentrates his practice on closed-end funds, advising clients on issues arising under the federal securities laws, including the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940. His experience includes advising numerous closed-end funds in connection with their initial public offerings, as well as serving as part of the team that helped bring to market several new types of preferred shares to replace auction-rate preferred stock and to provide additional sources of leverage for closed-end funds. Before joining K&L Gates, Glatz was with its predecessor firm Bell, Boyd & Lloyd. He also served as assistant general counsel for securities & governance at Sears Holdings Corporation. Glatz earned his J.D., cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and his B.S. from DePaul University.

Alan P. Goldberg concentrates his practices on representing registered investment companies and their independent board members, registered investment advisers, sponsors to unregistered investment pools and family offices. He handles all aspects of creating registered investment companies and registering new investment advisers, including the establishment of compliance policies and procedures. Prior to K&L Gates, he was the administrative partner to the investment management and financial services practice of its predecessor firm, Bell, Boyd & Lloyd, and also served on the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Enforcement Division. Goldberg received his J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he was a member of the Temple Law Review and the Moot Court Honor Society, and his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Eric S. Purple counsels mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, closed-end investment companies and other pooled investment vehicles, as well as investment advisers and independent fund directors, on matters arising under U.S. federal securities laws. Before joining private practice, he served on the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission as a senior counsel in the Division of Investment Management’s Office of Chief Counsel. Prior to the SEC, Purple was the compliance officer of the Rydex Funds and was in-house counsel to a financial services start-up that was acquired by a predecessor of TD Ameritrade. Purple earned his LL.M. (Securities and Financial Regulation) from Georgetown University Law Center, his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law, where he served on the Managing Board of the Alabama Law Review, and his B.A. from Vanderbilt University.

Nicole Trudeau represents open- and closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds, other pooled investment vehicles and their independent board members, and investment advisers on matters relating to U.S. federal securities laws. Her experience includes serving as issuer’s counsel for a closed-end fund’s initial public offering in 2015, which raised $555 million, and serving as ongoing fund and independent board member counsel to a leveraged ETF fund complex. Trudeau earned her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Quarles & Brady LLP has announced that Lindsey T. Millman has joined the firm’s Chicago office in its Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group.

Millman represents and counsels clients in commercial and civil litigation matters, including product liability, construction negligence, wrongful death, and premises liability. She has first-chaired 12 jury trials, two bench trials, and more than 35 arbitrations in the area of insurance defense litigation. Millman has experience serving as general legal counsel for a real estate investment company, where she advised on general commercial litigation matters.

She received her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, L.L.P. has added three new partners to the firm’s team of information technology and intellectual property specialists.

They are David Black, Sam Joyner and Mark Howland.

Black, former general counsel of two Fortune 500 global publicly traded companies, has 30 years of experience representing companies ranging from start-up to mid-cap to global operations.

In a release, the firm says Joyner and Howland are seasoned intellectual property partners who established their credentials at AmLaw 100 firms.

Read details about the new hires.

Two attorneys from the Texas-based family law boutique Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, LLP, once again have earned recognition among the state’s top young lawyers in the 2016 edition of the annual Texas Rising Stars list.

Dallas associate Holly B. Rampy and San Antonio associate R. Porter Corrigan II were selected for their accomplishments in family law.

 “We are thrilled, but not surprised, that these two exceptional attorneys were recognized yet again on the Rising Stars list,” says firm partner Scott Downing. “Both Holly and Porter are valuable assets to their clients and our firm. We are proud to have them on our team.”

Texas Rising Stars recognizes the state’s leading attorneys who are 40 or younger, or who have been in practice no more than 10 years. Only 2.5 percent of eligible attorneys receive this award, which is based on peer nominations and extensive editorial review, the firm said in a release.

A third-time Rising Stars honoree, Rampy focuses her practice on cases involving divorce, complex property division, modification actions, enforcement actions and child custody issues. She earned her law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.

Corrigan is making his sixth appearance on the Rising Stars list. Corrigan, who worked with two federal judges at the district and appellate court levels, represents family law clients in both trial courts and appeals courts. He graduated from St. Mary’s University School of Law.

The complete 2016 list of the state’s leading young attorneys is available online at www.superlawyers.com and will appear in the April issues of Texas Monthly and Texas Rising Stars magazines.

Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, LLP,  has 16 lawyers and offices in Dallas, San Antonio and Frisco, Texas. Every firm partner is a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists and all are Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Orsinger holds additional board certification in Civil Appellate Law.

Strasburger & Price, LLP has announced that 17 attorneys from across the state have been selected for inclusion in the 2016 Texas Rising Stars list. The April 2016 issue of Texas Monthly and Texas Super Lawyers – a Thomson Reuters business – Rising Stars Edition will feature the selected attorneys.

In a release, the firm said Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. The Rising Stars list is developed using the same multiphase selection process used for the Super Lawyers list except, to be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars, a candidate must be 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less. While up to 5 percent of the lawyers in a state are named to Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5 percent are named to Rising Stars.

AUSTIN
Sujata Ajmera (2013 to 2016), Immigration Law: Business
Jeff Bates (2008, 2012 to 2016), Real Estate: Business, Business Litigation, Banking

COLLIN COUNTY
Julie Biermacher (2011 to 2016), Business Litigation, General Litigation, Banking
Alyson Blatney (2015 to 2016), Business Litigation
Allison Reddoch, Employment & Labor, Consumer Law
Martin Thornthwaite (2010 to 2016), Business Litigation, Employment Litigation: Defense
Ginny Webb, Business Litigation

DALLAS
Carla Crapster, Insurance Coverage
Tate Hemingson, Business Litigation, Professional Liability: Defense, Franchise/Dealership, Appellate
Jadd F. Masso (2009 to 2016), Appellate
Justin P. Melkus (2013 to 2016), Insurance Coverage
Kathryne Morris (2014 to 2016), Business Litigation, Intellectual Property, Technology Transactions
Melody Smith (2015 to 2016), Employment & Labor, Business Litigation, Government Relations
Carr Staley, Banking, Business/Corporate

HOUSTON
Kelly Hunsaker Leonard, Appellate

SAN ANTONIO
Katherine E. David (2005 to 2016), Tax, Nonprofit Organizations
Carrie L. Douglas (2015 to 2016), Healthcare, Business Litigation, Transportation/Maritime

Herbert Smith Freehills has strengthened the New York hub of its global Latin America offering, the firm announced in a release.

Projects and Infrastructure partner Juan-José Zentner relocated to Herbert Smith Freehills’ New York Office on March 1 to advise clients on the development and financing of major infrastructure projects. Juan-Jose joins International Arbitration partner Christian Leathley and the rest of the team to focus on Latin America from the New York hub, with an emphasis on mining, power and general infrastructure opportunities in the region. He was previously based in Herbert Smith Freehills’ office in Melbourne, Australia.

The release continues:

Fluent in English and Spanish and of Argentinean heritage, Juan-José has represented the firm’s clients in South America for more than a decade, during that time living and working in Chile for more than a year. He specializes in all forms of design, engineering, procurement and construction contracts and offtake agreements. He also has extensive experience in corporate, project and structured finance.

Herbert Smith Freehills’ highly regarded Latin America Group comprises an experienced global team in Madrid, London, Paris, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Tokyo, Beijing, and other offices across the firm’s international network. Co-led by Christian Leathley, the New York hub includes US and UK- qualified lawyers, fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, with specialist projects and infrastructure and international arbitration experience. The practice offers expertise in mining, power and general infrastructure and represents a large Australasian client base – which is one of the most active currently investing in Latin America.

The New York office also includes a team of US and UK-qualified disputes lawyers that represents clients in US courts in commercial litigation, investigations, cross-border matters and class actions. Lawyers working in the New York office are also qualified to practice in Paris, Singapore, Brazil, Ecuador, New Zealand and Australia.

Juan-José, who has been with the firm since 2001, commented:

“With the current pressure on commodity prices, many global corporates are looking to strengthen their balance sheets by selling assets and restructuring their investments, while others are acquiring or developing assets to capitalize on opportunities. Many of the banks, trading houses, pension funds, infrastructure funds and other investors we represent have large offices in New York with mandates to invest in Latin America. As the majority of the financing for cross-border transactions in Latin America originates from New York, there is acute demand for our transactional expertise in the City.”

Christian Leathley, co-head of the firm’s Latin American group, said: “We established the New York hub for our Latin American practice to better serve clients with interests in the region. Juan-Jose’s relocation to New York allows us to provide a broader, integrated offering that includes counsel on international best practice for risk allocation, bankability of project documents and project structures, arbitration and dispute resolution, with a multi-lingual team that has deep roots in the region. The development of this capability it key to the firm and we will continue to add strength to our local team.”

Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP  has announced that 17 of the firm’s attorneys have been selected for inclusion on the 2016 Texas Rising Stars list. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of lawyers in the state are honored with this distinction.

“These 17 lawyers represent the many ‘rising stars’ at Gardere,” says Gardere Chair Holland N. O’Neil. “To earn recognition on the official Texas Rising Stars list reflects the exceptional work these lawyers provide for our clients and our Firm, and we congratulate them on this well-earned honor.”

The Gardere attorneys named to the 2016 Texas Rising Stars list and the practice areas for which they are being recognized are:

Dallas:

• Michael S. Haynes, Business: Bankruptcy
• Rick Jordan, Mergers & Acquisitions
• Rachel Kingrey, Business Litigation
• Kimberly P. Mabel, Insurance Coverage
• Virgil Ochoa, International
• Aimee Cook Oleson, Business Litigation
• James C. (Jim) Scott, Business Litigation
• Sarah A. Walters, Franchise/Dealership
• Taylor E. White, Employment & Labor

Houston:

• Katharine D. (Kate) David, Eminent Domain
• Scott D. Ellis, Business Litigation
• Mary Elizondo Frazier, Business Litigation
• Jessica Glatzer Mason, Employment & Labor
• Audrey Momanaee, Business Litigation
• Alfredo Ramos, Energy & Natural Resources
• Mike Seely, Business Litigation
• Rhonda Reed Weiner, Business Litigation

In a release, the firm said Rising Stars recognizes top up-and-coming attorneys who are 40 years of age or younger, or have been in practice for 10 years or less. The annual selections are made by the research team at Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys, the firm said.

The complete 2016 Texas Rising Stars list will appear in the April 2016 issues of Texas Monthly and Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars magazine.

Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, an Am Law 200 firm founded in 1909, has offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Denver and Mexico City.

Seven Beck Redden attorneys have been named as 2016 Texas Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers.

The Super Lawyers list recognizes no more than five percent of attorneys in each state and the Texas Rising Stars list recognizes no more than 2.5 percent of Texas attorneys. Selections are determined through peer nominations and research. To be eligible, attorneys must have been in practice for fewer than 10 years or be 40 years of age or younger.

The complete list of Beck Redden 2016 Rising Stars:

Austin

• Chris Cowan – Business Litigation

 Houston

• Patrice Childress – Civil Litigation: Defense
• Chad Flores – Appellate
• William Peterson – Appellate
• Bryon Rice – Business Litigation
• Alex Roberts – General Litigation
• Andrea Whitley – General Litigation

The family law boutique Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, LLP, has promoted Paula A. Bennett to partner in the firm’s Dallas office.

“Paula is among the most dedicated attorneys I have ever had the honor to work with,” says firm partner Keith Nelson. “We are very proud of her commitment and hard work on behalf of her clients, confirming her role among the leaders of this firm.”

In a release, the firm says Bennett represents clients in a wide range of family law matters, including divorce and complex property issues with a particular focus on matters that affect the welfare of children. Her work includes dealing with parental custody disputes, the termination of parental rights, custody modification, custody relocation and child support matters.

“I came to law as a second career and could not have asked for a better group of attorneys to work with,” says Bennett, who worked in pharmaceutical sales before attending law school. “There is a wonderful camaraderie that fosters a collaborative atmosphere benefitting not only the attorneys, but ultimately our clients as well.”

A 2008 graduate of Texas Wesleyan University School of Law (now known as Texas A&M University School of Law), Bennett developed an interest in family law while working with victims of domestic abuse at the school’s law clinic. She is a 1991 graduate of North Adams State College in North Adams, Massachusetts. Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Ms. Bennett is a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists.

With 16 lawyers and offices in Dallas, San Antonio and Frisco, Texas, Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, LLP, is one of the largest firms in Texas focused solely on trials and appeals in family law cases, the firm says in a release. Four partners are Top 100 Texas Super Lawyers. Every firm partner is a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists and all are Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Orsinger holds additional board certification in Civil Appellate Law.

Quarles & Brady has added Shen Wang and Hao Tan to the Intellectual Property Practice Group in the firm’s Chicago office.

In a release, the firm says Wang focuses his practice on preparing and prosecuting patent applications in the U.S. and abroad. He has experience in computer software, network, and printer control technologies. He also has experience litigating patent and International Trade Commission (ITC) Section 337 cases, as well as with client counseling, including patent analysis and opinion.

Hao works with clients in Asia and U.S. to obtain IP protections all over the world. Hao has drafted freedom-to-operate, non-infringement, patentability, and invalidity opinions. In addition to his prosecution work, he provides advice to prospective and existing clients about patent strategies in the U.S. and China. He has handled patent appeals before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Wang received his law degree from Washington University School of Law, his M.B.A. from Washington University Olin Business School, his master’s degree from Old Dominion University, and his bachelor’s degree from Beijing Normal University.

Hao received his law degree from Chicago Kent College of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology, his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, and his master’s and bachelor’s degree from Shanghai Jiaotong University.