Michael McCarthy, a real estate lending lawyer, has joined Stroock’s national Real Estate Group as a partner in New York — the third lateral partner added to the practice in 2019.

In a release, the firm said McCarthy primarily represents commercial lenders and borrowers in connection with mortgage and mezzanine financings secured by commercial real estate. In addition, he represents real estate clients in loan workouts, restructurings and foreclosures, repurchase facilities, loan workouts, restructurings and foreclosures.

The firm’s national Real Estate Group also added commercial real estate lawyer Elsa Ben Shimon in February, and trial advocate Jennifer Recine joined the Real Estate Litigation practice in March.

The firm said other recent additions to the team include litigation partner Joshua Sohn, who joined the firm last August, and REIT/real estate capital markets partner Evan Hudson, who joined the firm last May.

Bruce V. Spiva has been named managing partner of Perkins Coie’s Washington, D.C. office. He succeeds William Malley, who led the office since 2010 and will become firmwide managing partner of Perkins Coie on July 1. Spiva is also a member of the firm’s Executive Committee.

In a release, the firm said Spiva has tried cases and argued appeals in areas as diverse as congressional redistricting and voting rights (seven cases in the past three years), civil rights, First Amendment, class actions and antitrust law. He has also argued appeals in U.S. Courts of Appeals and in state supreme courts across the country.

Spiva serves on the board of directors of the DC Bar Foundation, which funds organizations and attorneys who provide access to justice for low-income people in the District of Columbia. He also serves on the advisory boards of the Institute for Consumer Antitrust Studies and the American Antitrust Institute. In addition, he is the former chair of the board of directors of DC Vote and also served as the co-chair of the D.C. Bar Litigation Section Steering Committee.

Arimi Yamada has joined Michael Best’s Intellectual Property Practice Group as a partner in Washington, D.C. She was previously a founding partner at IP boutique law firm, Typha IP LLP, and will be joined by four intellectual property professionals from her former firm, the firm said in a release.

Yamada will focus her practice on intellectual property and patent matters for Japanese businesses with operations in the U.S. With more than 20 years of experience, she manages patent prosecution, advises on actions coming out of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Japan Patent Office, and counselson patent litigation and inter partes review. Her industry experience spans a number of advanced technologies, including computer software, telecommunications, display, semiconductor, and organic chemistry, the firm said.

In addition to her work in intellectual property matters, Yamada works with U.S.-Japanese related legal needs, including corporate, transactional, regulatory, trade, and cross-border investment matters.

Yamada is licensed to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Japan Patent Office. She earned an LL.M. from the George Washington University Law School, an LL.M. from Temple University Beasley School of Law, and a master’s degree and B.A. from Meiji University. After earning her law degree, Arimi also taught law courses as an adjunct professor at two Japanese universities.

Former federal prosecutor and partner Ferdose al-Taie has joined Akerman LLP to practice in the areas of white collar criminal defense, securities enforcement and compliance, and antitrust and competition law.

In a release, the firm said al-Taie, whose practice is based in Dallas, worked 10 years for the federal government. She held various prosecutorial roles within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including serving as first-chair trial lawyer and trying over 40 civil and criminal jury trials to verdict, before returning to private practice.

Most recently in the federal government, as SEC senior counsel in the Division of Enforcement, al-Taie led investigations and prosecutions of federal securities law violations, such as insider trading, Ponzi schemes, municipal securities violations, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) allegations. During her posts at the DOJ, she served in significant capacities within both civil and criminal divisions, including as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in Phoenix; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandra, commonly known as the “rocket docket;” and as a trial attorney for the DOJ’s Antitrust Division in Washington, D.C.

The firm said al-Taie’s white collar defense practice is focused on federal and state regulatory schemes, including before self-regulatory organizations. Her securities and compliance practice includes cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings (ICOs), virtual exchanges, the EB-5 visa program, anti-money laundering rules (AML), and Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) issues. al-Taie works on antitrust/competition issues, including private party litigation, Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) filings, mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures, government investigations, and high-stakes private-party antitrust litigation, the firm said.

The firm also announced that George Tate joined Akerman in March, working in construction litigation in Orlando. Former SEC branch chief Douglas Paul and Michael Kelly joined Akerman’s Washington, D.C. office in January, and trial lawyers Amy Doehring and Ellen Robbins also recently joined Akerman’s Chicago and Los Angeles offices.

A private equity team led by Mehdi Khodadad has joined Sidley Austin LLP from Cooley LLP, where Khodadad led that firm’s private equity practice. The team consists of Khodadad, partners Josh DuClos and Eric Kauffman, counsel Stacy Crosnicker and several associates.

Khodadad, DuClos and Kauffmann are in Sidley’s Century City office, while Crosnicker is in Washington, D.C.

In a release, the firm said Khodadad and DuClos represent corporations and entrepreneurs along with their private equity and venture capital sponsors in matters related to private and public financings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, leveraged buy-outs, cross-border and other related private equity transactions. Clearlake Capital Group is a long-standing client.

Kauffman concentrates on labor and employment matters, providing strategic support to the technology and life sciences sectors and their private equity and venture capital sponsors. He advises on a wide array of matters, including transactional matters, mergers and acquisitions (both buy-side and sell-side), financings, spinoffs and divestitures, and corporate structuring.

Crosnicker counsels private equity clients and their portfolio companies on issues related to employee benefits that arise in mergers and acquisitions, and guides employers through the transition of employee benefits. She designs and implements equity incentive plans and other compensation arrangements for private and public companies.

Kevin R. Ghassomian has joined Venable LLP’s Tax and Wealth Planning Practice as a partner in both the New York and Los Angeles offices.

The firm said Ghassomian focuses his practice on the personal legal needs of business owners, corporate executives, high-net-worth individuals, and their families. His work involves domestic and international estate planning, with an emphasis on tax minimization, asset protection, business succession, and philanthropy. He also counsels individual and corporate fiduciaries on the administration of trusts and estates, including the preparation of gift and estate tax returns and defense of positions taken on those returns.

Ghassomian previously worked in the New York City headquarters of a global investment company, where he counseled a multinational client base on complex wealth management matters, including foreign and domestic trust planning and related asset allocation strategies.

The firm said Ghassomian is a frequent speaker, a published author, and former professor of law, concentrating his scholarship on estate planning, taxation, and various wealth management topics. He also devotes time to numerous civic and charitable causes, maintaining leadership positions on several nonprofit boards.

Ghassomian received an L.L.M. in taxation from the University of Miami School of Law, a J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law, and a B.A., summa cum laude, in political science from the University of Kentucky, where he received the Vandenbosch Award as the Outstanding Graduating Senior.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP announced that Davis H. Smith has joined the firm’s Montgomery office as a partner in the Corporate and Securities and Tax practice groups.

In a release, the firm said Smith advises captive insurance companies, risk retention groups and self-insured funds on transactional, regulatory and tax matters. He counsels clients on tax and business strategies in a variety of industries, including participants in regulated industries, including insurance companies and investment advisors, and the professional services industry.

A frequent speaker and writer on tax planning for businesses, including strategies for captive insurance companies, Smith was a co-author of the 2016 update to the Alabama Captive Insurers Act. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Alabama Captive Association and is a member of the Captive Insurance Companies Association.

Smith received his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law. He also holds a Master of Laws in taxation from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts from Hampden-Sydney College.

Liseanne R. Kelly has rejoined Littler as a shareholder in its San Diego office. Kelly previously served as Director of Employment Law Compliance for Alliance Data, a leading global provider of data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions.

In a release, the firm said Kelly counsels in-house legal and human resources teams on matters that arise out of the employer-employee relationship. Her practice includes an emphasis on multi-state incentive compensation plan design and advising national employers on multi-state paid time off policies, leave administration and disability accommodation, and wage and hour issues. Kelly regularly works with clients to draft incentive compensation plans, draft and implement employment policies, and provide counsel on performance management issues.

At Alliance Data, Kelly provided guidance on compliance with employment laws across the country, particularly in California and on multi-jurisdictional issues, the firm said. She also counseled on matters related to incentive and bonus plans, recruiting and hiring, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, leaves of absence, paid leave, wage and hour matters, and disability accommodation.

Kelly received her J.D. from the University of California Davis School of Law and her B.S. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Trial attorney Majed Nachawati, co-founding partner of Fears Nachawati Law Firm, has been appointed to the State Bar of Texas Committee on Professionalism. His three-year term will begin in June.

The Committee on Professionalism reports directly to the State Bar Board of Directors and is responsible for recommendations on improving professionalism among Texas lawyers, with particular attention to the development of new attorneys.

“The legal system has always depended on the professionalism of licensed attorneys. Those of us with established practices should feel duty-bound to help guide and teach newcomers just what it means to be a lawyer,” said Nachawati.

In a release, the firm said Nachawati represents individuals, businesses and public and private entities in high-stakes litigation, including state, city and county representation against unscrupulous opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. His practice also includes representation of mass tort clients, and public and private entities across the country in environmental and water contamination matters.

Nachawati serves on the Dallas Bar Association’s Legal Ethics Committee and Lawyer Referral Service Committee. He is also district chairman of the State Bar’s District 6 Grievance Committee and is a member of the Public Justice Board of Directors, the Texas Trial Lawyers Association Board of Directors, and a Leader’s Forum member of the American Association for Justice.

Jackson Walker announced the addition of Kirk Tucker as a partner in the Houston office.

In a release, the firm said Tucker joins the Chambers USA-ranked Corporate & Securities practice with a focus on domestic and international energy matters related to mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, capital raising, and general corporate law.

The firm said Tucker has handled matters involving debt and equity capital raising for both public companies and private equity portfolio companies, having represented both issuers and underwriters, as well as private equity firms and management teams; mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; venture capital and financings; and corporate governance, including representing boards of directors and related committees. In addition, he has served as outside general counsel to management teams and companies with respect to federal securities laws, including Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reporting, initial public offerings and secondary offerings, preparing annual and periodic reports, proxy statements, and all types of other Securities Act and Securities Exchange Act reports. He has also handled numerous limited partnership, limited liability company, and joint venture agreements.

Tucker received his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and his B.B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin.

Akerman LLP announced the firm’s expansion in Atlanta and Winston-Salem, N.C., marking the establishment of the firm’s 24th and 25th offices within seven months.

In a release, the firm said the expansion is part of a national growth strategy to meet increasing client demand in major financial and business centers across the United States and in areas of core strength.

Akerman is expanding its presence in Atlanta with the addition of Corporate Practice Group partners R. William “Bill” Ide and Amanda Leech. The firm said Ide and Leech have transactional and governance experience, having represented numerous large corporations, Fortune 100 companies, and boards of directors in merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions, general corporate governance and compliance, and board risk management reviews. Ide’s background as a former in-house counsel gives him strong insight into the day-to-day needs and demands confronting clients.

Ide and Leech join Healthcare partners Sidney Welch, Jeremy Burnette, and Amy Jeon McCullough, who formally launched Akerman’s Atlanta office in September 2018. The team has experience in healthcare litigation, transactions and regulatory compliance for a range of providers, including healthcare systems, specialty physician practices and associations, and technology companies. Welch serves as the Atlanta Office Managing Partner.

Akerman also announced Paul Foley as chair of the Investment Management Practice. Foley joins Akerman in Winston-Salem, with experience in investment fund formation and fund offerings. Associates Caroline “Kiki” Scarff and Shea “Bree” Ward also join Foley in the Winston-Salem office.

Lois Tilton has joined Perkins Coie’s Trust & Estate Planning practice as a partner in the New York office.

With more than three decades of experience as a trust and estate lawyer, Tilton focuses her practice on complex estate and gift planning, including business succession planning, planning for real estate entities and estate and trust administration, the firm said in a release.

The firm said Tilton counsels families on multigenerational business planning matters and has performed personal planning services for several greater New York area-based families with estates of significant value. She also represents clients in state and federal estate tax audits and other trust and estate proceedings, with a focus on the New York Surrogate Court.

Tilton earned her J.D. from Harvard University and her B.A. from Barnard College, summa cum laude. She is recognized by Martindale Hubbell’s peer reviews as an “AV Preeminent” attorney and, since 2012, she has been consistently named one of the Top Women Attorneys in the New York Metro Area by Super Lawyers. She was also recognized in Best Lawyers for 2019. She was previously a partner at Kurzman Eisenberg Corbin & Lever, LLP.

Littler has added Mark A. Romeo as a shareholder in its Irvine office. He was previously a partner with Crowell & Moring LLP.

In a release, the firm said Romeo’s background in employment law includes counseling clients on matters involving workplace investigations, executive employment agreements, reductions in force, whistleblower/retaliation, restrictive covenant agreements and employment-related due diligence in mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions, with a particular focus on trade secrets issues and computer forensics. Romeo has also represented clients before such agencies as the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Labor and the California Department of Labor Standards Enforcement, as well as against claims of discrimination and harassment, misclassification and wrongful termination. Early in his career, he practiced as an associate at Littler.

Romeo received his J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1994 and his B.S. from the University of Southern California in 1988.

Scott A. Hughes has joined Dykema in its Government Policy & Practice Group as a senior counsel in the firm’s Lansing office. He joins Dykema after serving as general counsel for the Michigan State Senate.

During his tenure as general counsel with the Michigan State Senate, where he also held the roles of deputy chief of staff and director of strategic affairs, Hughes served as the lead adviser to the Senate, the majority leader and the majority caucus in areas of law, policy and strategy and was also responsible for reviewing, drafting and negotiating contracts on behalf of the Senate. In addition, he developed and coordinated legislative policy with external stakeholder groups, managed deputy and associate counsel and leadership staff, and collaborated with and supervised outside legal counsel.

Prior to his time in the State Capitol, Hughes was in private practice at Mika Meyers PLC in Grand Rapids, where he focused on civil litigation, as well as environmental, energy and natural resources law.

Hughes received a J.D., summa cum laude, from the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and a B.S., with High Honors, from Michigan State University.

Holland & Hart announced the addition of partner Greg Saylin and of counsel Tyson Horrocks to its Labor and Employment practice in the firm’s Salt Lake City office.

Before joining Holland & Hart, Saylin and Horrocks were shareholders at a large Utah-based firm where Saylin chaired the Employment Practice Group. When Saylin was elected to the firm’s Board of Directors, Horrocks became chair of the Employment Practice Group.

Barnes & Thornburg has added Robert M. Weiss as a partner in the firm’s Corporate Department in Chicago.

In a release, the firm said Weiss advises clients on complex technology and data transactions, web and e-commerce matters, and strategic alliances. With a particular emphasis in the financial services, healthcare, retail, hospitality, logistics and payment processing industries, Weiss represents companies worldwide that are involved in infrastructure and business process sourcings, technology development and licensing projects, enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations, health tech integrations, SaaS agreements and telecommunications procurements.

Weiss has also worked on multiple M&A transactions involving companies with substantial technology assets, and has served as interim general counsel to a healthcare technology business unit of a multinational industrial corporation.

Previously, Weiss was a partner and chair of the Technology Transactions practice at Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg. He is currently a member of the executive committee and past president of the International Technology Law Association, a global organization for legal professionals focused on technology and law. He earned his J.D. from Stanford Law School, and his A.B., magna cum laude, from Dartmouth College.

Phillip Oldham

Thompson & Knight LLP has named two veteran attorneys as leaders of the firm’s offices in Dallas and Austin, the firm said in a release.

Phillip G. Oldham will now lead the Austin office of the firm, while Bruce S. Sostek will serve as office leader of the firm’s Dallas office. The two join six other office leaders for the firm in Algiers, Fort Worth, Houston, Mexico City, Monterrey, and New York City.

Bruce Sostek

The firm said Sostek focuses his practice on intellectual property, technology, and commercial litigation in federal courts throughout the nation, at the International Trade Commission, and at the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. He also counsels clients on the identification, valuation, licensing, and litigation of intellectual property assets to achieve strategic business objectives. He is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and was named the Dallas Litigation-Patent “Lawyer of the Year” in 2017 and 2013 by The Best Lawyers in America, among numerous other honors.

Oldham practices federal and state energy regulatory and administrative law, and in transactional matters involving energy projects, energy markets, and related industries such as chemical manufacturing. He has been honored among the nation’s top attorneys by The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, and The Legal 500.

Sonia A. Kaczmarzyk has joined Farrell Fritz its Uniondale office as a commercial litigation associate.

She is a Long Island, NY, resident. Prior to joining Farrell Fritz, she was an assistant district attorney in the Queens County District Attorney’s Office.

Kaczmarzyk earned her J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law and her B.A., cum laude, from Stony Brook University. She is admitted to the New York bar.

Litigation boutique Estes Thorne & Carr PLLC announced that labor and employment attorney Monica Narvaez has joined the firm as a partner.

A Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), Narvaez has experience advising and defending clients in labor and employment matters. She has represented clients before the Texas Workforce Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Department of Labor, National Labor Relations Board, state and federal courts, and other regulatory bodies.

In a release, the firm said she previously served as assistant attorney general in Ohio where she defended state and county agencies in complex employment disputes. She also served as a human resources policy attorney for Ohio where she wrote and advised on the rules and policies for governmental employees.

Narvaez’s work includes representing clients in matters related to the Fair Labor Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, OSHA, and Americans with Disabilities Act policies and procedures. She also has led internal audits and advised on immigration issues. Her work earned recognition among the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Dallas by the Texas Diversity Council in 2018 and the Small Business Turnaround of the Year Award from the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association.

She graduated from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2003. She also earned, with distinction, an LLM in Commercial Law from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and an MBA from Schiller International University, Paris and London.

Thadford A. Felton has been named managing officer of Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.’s Chicago office, effective May 3.

Felton succeeds David B. Goodman, who recently left the firm after serving as the Chicago managing officer since March 2014.

Felton joined the firm in July 2013. He previously was a partner and co-chair of the Commercial Litigation Group at Arnstein & Lehr in Chicago. In addition to his role on the board at Greensfelder, he co-chairs a firm committee focused on strategic growth and lateral recruiting.

The firm said Felton has more than 20 years of experience as a litigator and as outside corporate counsel for a variety of national clients. He has handled business and complex commercial litigation matters and has successfully tried cases in federal and state courts. In his role as corporate counsel, he advises business owners and executives in areas that include corporate governance, employment and personnel matters, contracts, litigation, risk management, intellectual property, and mergers and acquisitions.

Felton received his J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology and his Bachelor of Arts from Denison University.