Stacey T. Kern has joined Eversheds Sutherland as a partner in the M&A and Private Capital teams within the firm’s Corporate Practice Group. Kern will be based in Eversheds Sutherland’s Chicago office, which opened in May.

In a release, the firm said Kern, who joins from Greenberg Traurig, has practiced for more than 20 years in such areas as mergers and acquisitions, private equity, restructurings and general corporate matters. Her clients include financial sponsors, public companies and privately held companies in connection with domestic and international transactions.

In addition to Eversheds Sutherland’s new Chicago office, the firm announced the opening of an office in San Diego on July 17.

Kern is the fifteenth U.S. lateral addition across six offices since January 2019, including Austin, Chicago, Houston, New York, Sacramento and San Diego.

Barbara E. Rosenblatt has joined Freeborn & Peters LLP in Richmond, Va., as an associate in the firm’s Litigation Practice Group and as a member of the Insurance and Reinsurance Industry Team.

Last month, Freeborn’s Richmond office relocated to larger, renovated space in the Riverfront Plaza’s west tower downtown to accommodate ongoing expansion.

In a release, the firm said Rosenblatt focuses her practice on auto insurance defense litigation.

Prior to joining Freeborn, Rosenblatt served as a public defender for 10 years in Richmond and Newport News, Va. During her tenure, she ran the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Office, supervised junior attorneys preparing for cases, and tried cases in courts including the Circuit Court, General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. She also appeared before the Virginia Court of Appeals.

Rosenblatt received her J.D. from William and Mary School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University.

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Sean D. Jordan of Jackson Walker as a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas. On January 16, 2019, President Donald Trump nominated Sean to succeed Senior District Judge Richard Schell, filling the final vacancy on the court.

Jordan joined Jackson Walker in 2000 and was elected to partnership in 2002, prior to serving as Principal Deputy Solicitor General in the Office of the Solicitor General of Texas. In that role, he represented the state, its agencies and officials in numerous appeals and led a team of appellate lawyers in supervising the federal and state court appeals handled by the Texas Attorney General’s Office. He also coordinated the amicus curiae practice of the State of Texas in the U.S. Supreme Court, and federal circuit and state appellate courts.

He later rejoined the firm in 2015 with Kent Sullivan, who had previously served as a justice on Texas’ Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Houston, as a state district judge, and as First Assistant Attorney General under Greg Abbott. Together, Jordan and Sullivan co-chaired Jackson Walker’s Appellate practice group before Sullivan was named the state’s Commissioner of Insurance in 2017.

“Sean Jordan is an excellent appellate lawyer with an outstanding record,” said C. Wade Cooper, Jackson Walker managing partner. “His prior experiences as Texas’ deputy solicitor general, and as a trial lawyer, have prepared him to be an exceedingly effective federal judge. Sean will serve with great distinction.”

In a release, the firm said Jordan  has handled complex civil litigation and appellate cases in both government service and private practice. He has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and has written numerous Supreme Court briefs, twice winning the “Best Brief Award” from the National Association of Attorneys General for outstanding brief-writing before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jordan is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. From 2016 to 2018, he was named a “Texas Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters). In 2015, he was recognized by The Legal 500 United States in the area of Commercial Litigation.

He received his B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Texas at Austin and his J.D., with honors, from the University of Texas School of Law. Prior to attending UT Austin, he served in the U.S. Army as an infantryman and paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division.

Scott D. Samlin has joined Blank Rome LLP as a partner in the Consumer Financial Services group in the New York office.

In a release, the firm said Samlin represents financial institutions, corporations, and other entities, providing regulatory counsel related to mortgage banking and consumer financial services matters. He joins Blank Rome from Pepper Hamilton LLP, where he was a partner in the firm’s financial services practice group and leader of the consumer financial services and bank regulatory practice.

The firm said Samlin’s regulatory compliance advice extends to state and federal laws affecting mortgage lending and servicing activities, including the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Ac, Truth in Lending Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Samlin works with the American Bar Association’s Consumer Financial Services, Banking Law, and Corporate Counsel committees; the Mortgage Bankers Association’s State Legislative and Regulatory, and Servicer Best Practices committees; the Conference on Consumer Finance Law’s Governing Committee; and the Structured Finance Association’s TPR/RA Compliance Review Scope (TRID Grid) Task Force, among others.

He received his J.D. from New York Law School and his B.A. in Political Science and Government from Rutgers University – New Brunswick.

Anne Murphy has joined Arent Fox LLP as a partner in the firm’s Health Care practice.

In a release, the firm said Murphy joins the Boston office, where she will work as an advisor on mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, and significant strategic projects for health care systems, academic medical centers, and health care service organizations.

The firm said Murphy manages transactional, regulatory, litigation, risk, compliance, and accreditation issues. Additionally, she counsels clients on Enterprise Risk Management, joint ventures, and emerging health care delivery models in areas such as value-based purchasing, behavioral health, aging in place, health information and technology, and telemedicine.

Prior to joining Arent Fox, Murphy was a partner in the Boston office of a New England law firm and a senior vice president and general counsel at a large academic medical center in Chicago. She also previously served in both private and public sector positions, including as chief counsel to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Akerman LLP announced the the addition of Sul Kim, Erica Mason, Anthony Morris and Peter Spanos in its Atlanta office.

In a release, the firm said the four new partners raise the headcount to 11 lawyers in the 10 months since the office opened.

Kim, Mason and Spanos practice in labor and employment, while Morris works in commercial litigation.

Kim joins from Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP. The firm said she represents employers in matters involving union organizing campaigns, National Labor Relations Board proceedings, workplace safety and health issues, race, national origin, age, disability, religion and sex discrimination and harassment claims, and wage and hour claims. Kim has experience with foreign-based international companies, especially those in the automotive and manufacturing sectors.

Erica Mason, Partner, Labor and Employment Practice Group
Mason joins from Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP. As national and regional employment counsel for her clients, she routinely defends employment claims before state and federal courts and agencies across the country, including successfully litigating five sexual harassment class actions against the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and dozens of class and collective actions against privately represented individuals and groups.

Anthony Morris, Partner, Litigation Practice Group
Morris joins from Dentons US LLP. He focuses his practice on business litigation, in addition to professional ethics and entertainment. He represents some of the world’s largest companies, with an emphasis on multinational insurance companies, in complex litigation matters, including class actions. Morris litigates high dollar coverage claims with insureds and handles all types of coverage disputes, with a particular focus on those alleging bad faith, and has experience in the substantive law regarding first-party property loss. He also defends corporate directors and officers in negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and securities fraud claims, attorneys in malpractice claims, and entities in sexual misconduct claims involving their personnel. He also routinely represents clients in appellate courts.

Peter Spanos, Partner, Labor and Employment Practice Group
Spanos joins from Barnes & Thornburg LLP. He has decades of experience representing clients in all major areas of labor and employment law, including federal and state employment law guidance and litigation, wage and hour law compliance and claims, trade secrets, unfair competition, and non-competition matters. In addition, Spanos provides legal counsel pertaining to collective bargaining, union organizing, elections, unfair labor practices, grievances and strikes.

Associate Ana Dowell also joined the Atlanta office from Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart. She represents employers in a variety of employment law matters, including alleged violations of Title VII, ADA, FMLA, and FLSA.

Perkins Coie announced that former JCPenney director April Goff has joined the firm as a partner in its Tax, Benefits & Compensation practice. Goff joins the firm in Dallas after serving as senior counsel at J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. where she oversaw all employee and executive compensation matters as well as cybersecurity and data privacy issues.

Goff’s move to Perkins Coie follows that of three labor and employment partners – Richard B. Hankins, Seth H. Borden and Brennan W. Bolt. Richard and Brennan are also based in Dallas, while Seth is based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.

In a release, the firm said Goff has advised executive leadership teams on issues relating to employee benefits, corporate restructuring, executive and associate compensation, cybersecurity risk, financials, and budgeting and cost containment strategies. She is also routinely involved in executive employment agreements and counsels clients on complex labor and employment matters.

Goff served at JCPenney for three years after holding prior roles as an employee benefits attorney with several AmLaw 100 firms. She has been recognized by the Association of Corporate Counsel as one of the “Top 10 30 Something In-House Lawyers for 2019”, is actively involved in the legal community, and holds leadership positions within local and national professional organizations.

She serves as chair of the Fiduciary Responsibility, Administration and Litigation Committee for the American Bar Association Section of Real Property Trusts and Estate Law and will be taking over as vice chair of the Employee Plans and Executive Compensation Group with the new bar year. She also serves as chair of the ACC Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter’s Women’s Leadership Committee and is vice chair of the ACC Employment and Labor Law Network.

Goff was also recently appointed to the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council to represent the interests of employer plans under the Tax Exempt/Government Entities division.

Goff earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from St. Thomas University School of Law B.A. and her M.B.A. from Baylor University. She graduated with a B.A., magna cum laude, from Tarleton State University.

Karen Hayes

Partner Karen A. Hayes and attorney Asama L. Itseumah have joined Freeborn & Peters LLP in its Corporate Practice Group in Chicago.

Hayes also joins the firm’s Private Equity and Venture Capital Industry Group.

The firm said Hayes advises clients on federal income tax. She represents corporations, partnerships and private equity funds involved in a variety of taxable and non-taxable transactions, domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, investments, reorganizations, partnerships, and joint ventures. In addition, she has represented tax credit syndicators, banks and other institutional investors with respect to investments in affordable housing projects that generate low-income housing tax credits under Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code. Hayes also has experience advising real estate investment trusts with respect to tax matters.

Prior to joining Freeborn, Hayes was a partner at Sidley Austin LLP. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School and her Bachelor of Arts from St. Cloud State University.

The firm said Itseumah concentrates his practice on the creation of organizational and corporate governance documents for corporations, limited liability companies, and nonprofit corporations. He also assists clients on matters involving mergers and acquisitions and commercial contracting.

Prior to joining Freeborn, Itseumah was an attorney at Warner Norcross + Judd LLP. He received his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from Northern Illinois University.

Justin R. Pollak has joined Davis & Gilbert LLP as a partner in the Corporate Practice Group.

The firm said Pollak’s practice focuses on seed and venture capital financing transactions as well advising emerging and high-growth companies in transactions through all stages of their development. Over the past decade, he has represented businesses in their investments across a broad range of industries, including fintech, blockchain, fashion, social and digital media, enterprise software, network security, and biotechnology. Pollak is currently representing the founders of a cryptocurrency trading fund in the formation and governance of the fund and an e-commerce solution company in its Series Seed financing.

Prior to joining the firm, Pollak was a partner at Hand Baldachin & Associates LLP. He earned his undergraduate degree at Cornell University, M.B.A. at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and J.D. at Emory University School of Law.

Edward S. Sledge IV, a partner in Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP’s Birmingham office, has been appointed director-elect of the annual Trial Academy of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC). He also has been appointed to the board of the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence (NFJE).

With the Trial Academy, Sledge will serve as director-elect in 2020 and as director, overseeing implementation of the program, in 2021. He was appointed to a three-year term on the NFJE board, beginning this month.

A member of Bradley’s Litigation Practice Group, Sledge is a litigator and trial lawyer, with experience in high-stakes, bet-the-company disputes for a variety of corporate clients and private equity groups, the firm said in a release. He has tried cases to verdict in multiple state and federal courts and serves as national trial counsel to a unit of a Fortune 50 corporation. Sledge represents financial services clients in connection with finance-related litigation, including the defense of class actions, lender liability, securities, and RICO claims. In addition, to commercial disputes, Sledge litigates product liability matters, consumer finance disputes, intellectual property disputes, and insurance coverage matters, , as well as personal injury and wrongful death matters, the firm said.

Sledge is a frequent lecturer and author on civil litigation and trial issues. He serves on the Foundation Board of the IADC, is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Benchmark Litigation, Mid-South Super Lawyers and Alabama Super Lawyers (Top 50), among other publications. As a former Army officer, Sledge remains active in serving veterans’ issues for which he has been recognized by the Alabama State Bar with its President’s Award three times. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and the University of Alabama School of Law.

Held in the summer at Stanford Law School in Palo Alto, Calif., the IADC’s Trial Academy is a seven-day, intensive training event and one of the oldest and most respected programs in the country for enhancing trial advocacy skills of less experienced lawyers. The program emphasizes the learning-by-doing method of instruction, blending faculty instruction and demonstration with individual student participation. The program’s faculty consists of IADC members who are leading defense trial lawyers, representing different geographic areas and diverse practices, styles and personalities.

The IADC is the preeminent invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests. In addition to its core purpose involving professional development for its members, the IADC takes a leadership role in many areas of legal reform. 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 NFJE addresses important legal policy issues affecting the law and civil justice system by providing meaningful support and education to the judiciary, including by publishing scholarly works and by engaging in other efforts to continually enhance and ensure judicial excellence and fairness for all engaged in the judicial process.

Elizabeth “Beth” Odian and Carrie Ziegler Thomas have joined Michael Best’s Labor & Employment Relations Practice Group in Milwaukee as senior counsel.

In a release, the firm said Odian defends and advises employers in matters arising under the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act, Title VII, the American with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. She represents employers in front of state and federal agencies including the Equal Rights Division, Unemployment Division, and Worker’s Compensation Divisions of Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development. She also counsels clients on a wide range of employment matters including, policies, contracts, terminations, leaves of absence and disciplinary actions.

Ziegler Thomas is an immigration attorney and counsels employers throughout all aspects of hiring a foreign employee. This encompasses drafting immigrant and nonimmigrant petitions, including H-1B visas, and permanent resident petitions, including EB-5 investor green cards. She also assists clients in developing strategies and solutions surrounding their global mobility issues.

Odian and Ziegler Thomas’ moves follows the addition of two associates to the Labor & Employment Relations Practice Group earlier this month. Kurt Ellison joined in Madison and Michael Chropowicz joined in Chicago.

Odian was most recently a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Marquette University Law School and her B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

Ziegler Thomas was previously a partner at Grzeca Law Group, a boutique family and corporate immigration firm. She earned her J.D. from Marquette University Law School and her B.S. from Ferris State University.

The law firm of Thompson & Knight LLP announced that George Humphrey has joined the firm’s Houston office as a partner in the Finance Practice Group.

The firm said Humphrey’s practice focuses on U.S. and international project finance and development and mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the energy industry. He has overseen the development, financing, and closing of billions of dollars in energy projects. His ongoing work includes advising on an EPC contract and project financing for a petrochemical facility, a power purchase agreement for a Texas solar facility, and an energy scheduling agreement for a Mexican renewable project. His prior work includes helping a client sell its South American renewable business, including operating wind and solar projects, and the refinancing of project debt following the commercial operation of a methanol facility.

Humphrey has been named a Recommended Attorney in The Legal 500 US by Legalease in the Renewable and Alternative Energy category (2019) and listed as a Notable Practitioner for banking & finance, energy, project development, and project finance by IFLR1000 (2019). Humphrey has also been recognized by Euromoney’s Expert Guides as one of the world’s leading practitioners chosen by their peers in energy (2018).

Humphrey received his J.D. from the University of Florida’s Fredric G. Levin College of Law and B.A., with honors, also from the University of Florida. Immediately prior to joining the firm, Humphrey was a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.

Arent Fox LLP announced the expansion of its Privacy, Cybersecurity & Data Protection practice with the addition of partner Julia B. Jacobson. Jacobson joins the Boston office, where she will continue to advise clients on data privacy and protection issues, as well as marketing and technology transactions.

In a release, the firm said Jacobson counsels clients on how to comply with federal, state, and international laws and industry standards, monetize data, and address privacy and security issues that arise during business transactions. She advises clients on compliance with GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, New York Department of Financial Services Cybersecurity Regulations and preparations for compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act, and other evolving privacy and cybersecurity laws.

In addition, Jacobson assists clients with the design and development of privacy-sensitive policies for use and protection of personal data, cybersecurity incident response, information governance, and vendor management.

Prior to joining Arent Fox, Jacobson was a partner in the Technology Transactions practice at an AmLaw 50 firm.

The Biglaw firm of LeClairRyan, already in the news after issuing WARN Act notices to staff warning about possible mass layoffs, has lost founding partner Gary LeClair, according to Above the Law.

The report says LeClair will be taking two other partners with him to Williams Mullen as of August 5.

“For over a year now the firm has seen a flood of partners and senior attorneys exit,” writes Above the Law senior editor Kathryn Rubino. “Almost 10 percent of LeClair’s headcount departed in 2018, and the trend has continued in 2019. Indeed, just earlier this week a 15-attorney group from LeClairRyan — the aviation group led by Mark Dombroff — departed.”

Read the Above the Law article.

Mike Ramsey, the Houston criminal defense lawyers who represented high-profile clients such as Ken Lay in the Enron scandal and Robert Durst on a murder charge, died Saturday evening.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Ramsey died at the age of 79, after suffering from failing health.

The Chronicle‘s John Tedesco quotes former U.S. Attorney Ron Woods, who later became a defense lawyer: “He’s the best cross examiner I ever saw. He was so smart, and so personable. His job was to destroy the credibility of the state’s witnesses. He could do it with charm. But he was always very devastating.”

Read the Houston Chronicle article.

A suspended lawyer who was found in contempt of court for stonewalling Chevron’s efforts to collect a money judgment against him has been ordered to pay $3.4 million in attorney fees to the oil company, reports the ABA Journal.

A federal judge ordered New York lawyer Steven Donziger to pay the attorney fees for “intransigence” that blocked Chevron’s “considerable efforts” to get at the facts.

The Journal‘s Debra Cassens Weiss writes that Donziger told the publication that $3.4 million is the highest sanction in the history of New York courts. And it’s not his total liability—court fees, attorney fees and fines add up to about $10 million.

Read the ABA Journal article.

Bloomberg Law reports that conservative lawyer and activist Larry Klayman violated numerous professional conduct rules in his representation of an Iranian-born journalist and should be suspended from the practice of law for 33 months, a Washington hearing committee said.

“Klayman allegedly represented Elham Sataki, a plaintiff in a sexual-harrassment suit, for a 40% contingency fee, but didn’t commit the fee to writing,” writes Bloomberg’s Martina Barash. “Klayman allegedly became infatuated with Sataki and repeatedly sought a romantic relationship with her. When she declined, he told her the fee would be 50%, and verbally abused her, according to the 185-page report.:

The committee recommended a suspension of 12 to 18 months for Klayman’s conflict-of-interest violations alone.

Read the Bloomberg Law article.

Neal Gerber Eisenberg partner Steven F. Pflaum has received the Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) and Chicago Bar Association (CBA)’s 2019 Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award. The award recognizes attorneys who “display a deep commitment to the fundamental principles of equal protection and equal justice in the community through outstanding pro bono service.”

Through its Pro Bono & Public Service Awards, the CBF and CBA honor lawyers who have used their talents and resources to improve access to justice for the less fortunate in our community.

Since joining the firm in February 2010, Pflaum has dedicated more than 3600 hours of pro bono work to improve access to justice for all. In addition to being co-chair of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group and Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee, Pflaum is a founding member and current chair of the Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee. He is also a former member and two-term chair of the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Professional Responsibility, a former general counsel of the CBA, and an appointee of the Illinois Supreme Court to, and chair of, the legislatively created Illinois Supreme Court’s Statutory Court Fee Task Force.

Pflaum has chaired the firm’s Pro Bono Committee since 2010. In that capacity, he collaborates with the members of the Committee and lawyers throughout the firm to implement the firm’s innovative and ambitious pro bono policy. Under Pflaum’s leadership, the firm has maintained a gold-level membership in the CBF Law Firm Leadership Circle, which represents a commitment to support pro bono, legal aid and related access to justice initiatives.

Pflaum will be honored at the CBA and CBF Pro Bono & Public Service Awards Luncheon on Tuesday July 23, 2019 at the Hilton Chicago.

Oren Gertner has joined Sidley Austin LLP in New York as a partner in its Investment Funds practice. Gertner joins from Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, where he was in the firm’s Corporate department, practicing in the Investment Management group.

The firm said Gertner focuses his practice on the forming, structuring and offering of domestic and international large and mid-market private equity funds, hedge funds, sector-specific funds, secondary funds and funds of funds. He advises on structuring and negotiating a broad range of transactions in the secondary market, including GP-led secondary transactions, as well as drafting operating agreements and carry plans in connection with the formation of new investment management companies and spin-outs. Gertner also counsels clients on state and federal securities laws related to fund formations and offerings.

Tracy A. Gallegos has joined Duane Morris LLP as a partner in the firm’s Corporate Practice Group. She will be resident in the Las Vegas office and also practice in San Francisco.

Prior to joining Duane Morris, Gallegos was a partner at Fox Rothschild LLP.

In a release, the firm said Gallegos’ practice covers corporate, real estate, cannabis, sports and entertainment law for clients ranging from startup companies to established businesses. Her clients include retail shopping centers, entertainment and media companies, online retailers and cannabis companies involved in retail, manufacturing and cultivation, as well as companies providing ancillary services to the cannabis industry in both California and Nevada. Gallegos’ corporate services include assistance with entity formation and restructuring, corporate rollups, financing and other general corporate matters. She routinely drafts and negotiates letters of intent, equity and asset purchase agreements, subscription agreements, loan documents, private placement memoranda and corporate governance documents such as bylaws, operating agreements and partnership agreements.

In her cannabis practice, Gallegos serves as lead transaction counsel on mergers and acquisitions, financing transactions and corporate rollups, and has been involved in deals with an aggregate value exceeding several billion dollars. She serves as lead regulatory and compliance counsel, and advises clients regarding the licensing process and other regulatory issues on both the state and local levels in California and Nevada.

The firm said Gallegos also represents both commercial and residential developers, as well as commercial landlords. Gallegos handles transactions involving the acquisition and disposition of multimillion-dollar commercial properties and residential subdivisions, and has served as lead counsel on transactions with purchase prices in the hundreds of millions of dollars. She also handles real estate financing transactions and has served as lead counsel on deals in excess of half a billion dollars. She negotiates and drafts purchase and sale agreements, promissory notes, public offering statements, disclosure statements, commercial leases and secured loan agreements. In addition, she frequently prepares third party borrower opinions and previously served on a prior firm’s opinion review committee, where she was responsible for reviewing borrower opinions for conformance with Nevada and California law.

Gallegos is a graduate of Drake University Law School (J.D., 2004) and the University of California, Davis (A.B., 1999).