Baker McKenzie has elected 20 new partners in North America. The firm also elected five attorneys to Counsel, as well as three individuals to Director of Economics.

“These individuals have made significant contributions to our firm, demonstrating a deep understanding of our clients’ businesses and industries,” said Colin Murray, Baker McKenzie’s Managing Partner in North America. “We are very proud of their accomplishments, and I congratulate each of them on achieving this significant career milestone. As the new year begins, I look forward to working with them to advise our clients as they pursue growth and navigate a complex marketplace.”

The firm’s newly promoted individuals include:

Partners:
Adam Beckerink is a Partner in the Tax Practice, based in Chicago. Adam advises multinational corporations and high net-worth individuals on a range of tax issues, tax controversies and litigation, including multistate and federal tax planning and the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions. He represents clients on state tax matters before administrative appeal boards, tax tribunals and courts in Illinois and other US states. He received his bachelor’s degree from Shenandoah University, his J.D. from the University of Maryland and his LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.

Christina Bullock is a Partner in the Corporate & Securities Practice, based in Chicago. Christina advises multinational companies on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, pre- and post-transaction corporate reorganizations and general corporate and commercial law transactions. She represents clients in the logistics, packaging, chemicals and healthcare industries, among others. She received her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.

Christopher Burkett is a Partner in the Employment & Compensation Practice, based in Toronto. Chris’s broad advocacy and investigations practice focuses on employment, civil, compliance and criminal law matters. He also regularly advises private and public corporations on regulatory compliance matters, particularly in the areas of anti-corruption and international human rights. Chris was a Fox Scholar at Middle Temple, Inn of Court, and received his bachelor’s degree from Queen’s University, his LL.B. from the University of Windsor, and his LL.M. from the London School of Economics and Political Science under a Baker McKenzie Graduate Legal Studies Scholarship.

Kerry Contini is a Partner in the International Commercial Practice, based in Washington, DC. Kerry focuses her practice on export controls, trade sanctions and antiboycott laws. She advises US and foreign companies on trade compliance programs, risk assessments, licensing, review of proposed transactions and enforcement matters across a range of industries, including the pharmaceuticals, medical devices, oil and gas and nuclear sectors. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California at San Diego, her master’s degree from the George Washington University, and her J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.

Paul DePasquale is a Partner in the Tax Practice, based in New York. Paul advises high net worth individuals and families on a range of matters, including cross-border investments, real estate investments, income tax and transfer tax planning, trust and estate planning and business succession, among others. He also advises multinational corporations and investment funds on US inbound and outbound international tax issues, as well as financial institutions on FATCA, CRS, withholding taxes and information reporting. He received his bachelor’s degree from College of William and Mary and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

Matt Dushek is a Partner in the Intellectual Property Practice, based in Washington, DC. Matt focuses his practice on all areas of patent law, including litigation, counseling, prosecution and post-grant proceedings. He litigates patent cases across the US and before the Patent Trial & Appeal Board, and as part of his patent prosecution practice, he obtains patent protection for leading global corporations from the US Patent and Trademark Office. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Minnesota and his J.D. from the University of St. Thomas.

Juan Carlos Gonzalez Novo is a Partner in the Banking Finance & Major Projects Practice, based in Chicago. Juan’s practice focuses on banking and finance matters, including global custody, cross-border financing, trade financing, project finance and major projects, particularly those related to infrastructure development. Juan received his law degree from the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and his LL.M. from Chicago-Kent College of Law.

José Hoyos-Robles is a Partner in the International Commercial Practice, based in Mexico City. José’s practice focuses on foreign trade and customs matters, including tariff classification of goods, rules of origin, customs valuation, free trade agreements, regulatory matters, consumer protection and export controls. He also advises on programs aimed at promoting imports and exports in Mexico, such as IMMEX and PROSEC, and on the implementation of trade compliance programs, licensing and certifications in different industries, including the electric, electronic, food, cosmetic, pharmaceuticals and medical devices sectors. He received his J.D. and master’s degree in Business Law from Universidad Panamericana.

Tatyana Johnson is a Partner in the Tax Practice, based in New York. Tatyana focuses her practice on US federal income taxation of corporations, with an emphasis on international tax planning. She advises clients on international mergers, acquisitions, post-acquisition and pre-disposition restructuring, spin-offs, supply chain restructuring, and other tax-related matters, including outbound and inbound tax planning, income tax treaties, efficient repatriation and intangible property migration. She received her B.S.B.A. in Finance from Washington University, her J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of Law and her LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.

Ben Kelly is a Partner in the Intellectual Property Practice, based in Dallas. Ben’s practice focuses on patent litigation, trade secret enforcement and associated business torts, representing clients in US state and federal district courts, at the US International Trade Commission, and before the American Arbitration Association. He has managed the enforcement and protection of a range of technologies, particularly electrical, communications and networking systems. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at El Paso and his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.

Victor Morales-Chavez is a Partner in the Tax Practice, based in Mexico City. Victor’s practice focuses on corporate taxes, non-resident taxation, international tax treaties and general tax planning. He advises multinational companies on projects related to mergers and acquisition, corporate restructuring and due diligence. He received his accounting degree from the Instituto Technologico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente A.C. and degrees in tax from Guadalajara Public Accountants College and Universidad Panamericana.

Steve Park is a Partner in the Corporate & Securities Practice, based in Houston. Steve represents public and private clients in a range of transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, investments, international restructurings, spin-offs and general corporate and governance matters. He advises clients from a variety of industries, including oil and gas, life sciences, technology, auto, manufacturing, food and beverage, media and broadcasting and financial services. He received his bachelor’s degree from Seoul National University and his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law.

Jennifer Seale is a Partner in the Litigation & Government Enforcement Practice, based in Washington, DC. Jennifer focuses her practice on cybersecurity issues, including crisis management, data breach response, internal investigations, regulatory compliance and complex litigation. She also advises clients on administrative, civil, and criminal litigation matters across several industries, including financial services, hospitality, manufacturing, telecommunications and energy. She received her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Ahmed Shafey is a Partner in the Litigation & Government Enforcement Practice, based in Toronto. Ahmed is a commercial litigator who advises on contractual disputes, professional liability actions, class actions, shareholder disputes, product liability actions, government procurement litigation, international commercial arbitrations and bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings. He also advises on civil fraud and asset recovery matters, as well as business crime investigations. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto and his J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Catherine Koh Stillman is a Partner in the Litigation & Government Enforcement Practice, based in New York. Catherine’s practice encompasses all antitrust matters, including private litigations, government investigations, merger review, and antitrust compliance. She counsels companies across a variety of industries on managing antitrust risk in their daily business activities, including competitor collaborations, tying, bundling, discount practices, vertical distribution issues, and non-compete agreements. She is also a general commercial litigator with experience representing companies in complex commercial litigations in federal court. She received her bachelor’s degree from Yale University and her J.D. from the University of Michigan.

Carlos Vela Treviño is a Partner in the Intellectual Property Practice, based in Mexico City. Carlos focuses his practice in technology, media, privacy and telecommunications law. He represents some of the most innovative IT and consumer internet industry players on matters related to telecom regulation/licensing, technology contracts and procurement, monetization of e-commerce portals, e-marketing, consumer protection and copyright within the digital space. In the privacy field, Carlos has implemented privacy management compliance programs for more than 100 companies. He received his LL.B. from Universidad Panamericana and his LL.M. in Information and Communication Technology Law from the University of Oslo.

Jonathan Welbel is a Partner in the Tax Practice, based in Chicago. Jonathan advises multinational corporations on transfer pricing and other international tax issues with a focus on US federal tax controversy. He helps clients navigate the audits, appeals and litigation process, and he has extensive experience working with tax court practice and procedure. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University and his LL.M. in Taxation from Northwestern University School of Law.

Ora Wexler is a Partner in the Corporate & Securities Practice, based in Toronto. Ora’s practice focuses on capital markets transactions and securities regulatory matters, including private placements, public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, capital market regulatory compliance matters and other securities issues. She received her bachelor’s degree in economics from Brandeis University and her J.D. from Queen’s University.

Richard White is a Partner in the International Commercial Practice, based in Dallas. Richard counsels clients on corporate transactions with an emphasis on cross-border business transactions, commercial contracts, and structuring international and domestic franchise transactions, among other corporate matters. He represents many of the leading hotel, lodging and hospitality franchise companies and negotiates complex franchise transactions in the US and around the world. He received his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree in accounting and J.D. from the University of Tennessee.

Brian Zurawski is a Partner in the Banking Finance & Major Projects Practice, based in Chicago. Brian advises on real estate and finance matters. He advises landlords and tenants in the negotiation of lease agreements and lease agreement amendments, as well as purchasers and sellers on the sale of office spaces, hotels, data centers and other properties. He received his B.B.A. from Loyola University Chicago and his J.D. from Cornell Law School.

Counsel:
Jane Chen Klinger is Counsel in the Litigation & Government Enforcement Practice, based in Washington, DC. Jane advises clients on a range of international corporate compliance matters, and has led multijurisdictional internal investigations and guided companies under investigation by US enforcement authorities and multilateral institutions. She has also conducted risk assessments and developed third party diligence programs, compliance policies and procedures, and anti-corruption training programs for multinational companies. She received her bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis and her J.D. from George Washington University.

Bianca Lansdown is Counsel in in the Employment & Compensation Practice, based in San Francisco. Bianca advises multinational companies in the design, implementation and ongoing compliance of global executive and employee incentive programs, handling matters related to securities law compliance, tax obligations, data privacy, exchange controls and labor law compliance. She also advises companies on US and international tax considerations and related recharge arrangements. She received her bachelor’s degree from New York University, her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law and her LL.M. in Corporate & Commercial Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Brook Mestre is Counsel in the Corporate & Securities Practice, based in Dallas. Brook represents publicly traded and privately held businesses in a range of corporate transactions, including advising purchasers and sellers in cross-border mergers and acquisitions transactions from the inception of a deal through any post-acquisition restructuring and integration matters that may arise. He also counsels clients in capital market transactions, including public offerings and private placements of equity and debt, as well as on day-to-day governance and other corporate matters. He received his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Allan Pasalagua-Ayala is Counsel in the Tax Practice, based in Mexico City. Allan advises clients on transfer pricing matters, with an emphasis on economic analysis, including planning, compliance, valuations, APAs and audits in Mexico. He counsels companies from different industrial sectors on local transfer pricing matters, but has also been involved in global and regional documentation projects. He also has experience advising on business and intangible assets valuations. He received his bachelor’s degree from Universidad Iberoamericana.

Stephanie Russ is Counsel in the International Commercial Practice, based in Dallas. Stephanie counsels franchisors on the structuring and operation of their domestic and international franchise programs. She assists start-up, mid-market and large, publicly-traded franchisors with their franchise registration and disclosure matters, as well as the management of their franchising programs and their ongoing day-to-day franchise relationship matters with franchisees, acting as an all-around business adviser. She received her B.B.A. in finance from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and her J.D. from Texas Wesleyan School of Law (now Texas A&M University School of Law).

Director of Economics:
Joshua Nixt is a Director of Economics in the Tax Practice, based in New York. Josh advises multinational companies across a variety of industries on transfer pricing and tax-related engagements, including planning of intercompany transactions, preparing US and foreign documentation, valuation and audit defense. His practice focuses on intellectual property and other intangibles, and he has managed several analyses related to licensing, IP migration, and cost sharing. He received his bachelor’s degree from the Ohio State University and his master’s degree and Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

Andrew O’Brien-Penney is a Director of Economics in the Tax Practice, based in Chicago. Andrew provides clients with economic analyses and valuations to assist them in planning and supporting business reorganizations, new transfer pricing policies, transitioning to principal company structures and implementing cost sharing arrangements. He also advises on audit and dispute resolution situations, supply chain restructuring, planning, advance pricing agreements and intellectual property migration opportunities. He received his bachelor’s degree from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Ivan Tsios is a Director of Economics and Valuation Services in the Tax Practice, based in Chicago. Ivan provides comprehensive economic and valuation services related to transfer pricing issues and other tax matters. Ivan assists clients with planning intercompany pricing, US and foreign documentation, negotiating advanced pricing agreements, restructuring intercompany arrangements, intellectual property transfers, and dispute resolution. He also prepares valuations of businesses, intangible property and damages in mergers, acquisitions and other transactions, corporate tax planning, corporate reorganizations, antitrust and competition, and debt and equity valuation. He received his bachelor’s degree from Dominican University and his M.B.A. from DePaul University.

Akerman LLP has added intellectual property partner Caroline Mankey and commercial litigation partner Kanika Corley in the firm’s Los Angeles office.

They join from Sedgwick LLP, where Mankey chaired the Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Group.

In a release, the firm said the lawyers join Akerman’s Los Angeles team at a time when it has more than doubled in size since 2015 to 32 lawyers. In recent months, the office relocated to the CalEdison DTLA to accommodate continuing growth.

“Caroline and Kanika are highly skilled lawyers who bring important depth to our intellectual property and commercial litigation team in Los Angeles and nationwide,” said Lawrence Rochefort, chair of the Litigation Practice Group. “We look forward to making even greater contributions to our clients through their comprehensive knowledge of the entertainment, arts, fashion, retail, sports and technology sectors.”

“Caroline and Kanika add great value to Akerman’s national IP and litigation platforms, as we expand our Los Angeles presence to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said Sue Zabloudil, Los Angeles office managing partner. “In Los Angeles and nationwide, we remain focused on making Akerman a place where clients benefit from a diversity of ideas and experiences essential to advance their goals as well as our culture of collaborative innovation.”

Caroline Mankey
Mankey is a trial lawyer representing clients in intellectual property matters in the entertainment, arts, fashion, retail and technology sectors. She focuses her practice on copyright, trademark, trade secret, design patent, licensing and other contract rights, and rights of publicity disputes. Her entertainment clients include motion picture studios and production companies, actors, comedians, television personalities, and artists.

Mankey is recognized among the National Law Journal’s 2017 list of Intellectual Property Trailblazers and among the Daily Journal’s 2017 Top Intellectual Property Lawyers in California. She serves as chair of the Women Who Lead Board for the Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel and as a board member of Female Executives in Media and Entertainment.

Kanika Corley
Corley has a business and entertainment litigation practice. Her clients include multimedia companies, musicians and other creatives, professional athletes, fashion brands, wine manufacturers, and hotels. She focuses her practice on commercial disputes as well as soft intellectual property litigation and prosecution for clients in the media, entertainment and sports sectors.

Corley was named to the National Bar Association’s Top 40 Under 40 Nation’s Best Advocates list. In addition to her practice, she serves as an adjunct professor for the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law.

Mankey and Corley are the latest lateral partners to join the Los Angeles team. Other recent additions include consumer financial partner Kathleen “Kitty” Ryan, a former Deputy Assistant Director for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office of Regulations, and real estate transactional associate Christopher Muno, who represents operators, developers and investors in connection with the formation and structuring of real estate joint ventures and other investment vehicles.

Shareholder Steven D. Di Saia has joined Buchalter as a member of the Litigation and Products Liability Practice Groups in the Los Angeles office. Di Saia focuses his practice on the defense of mass and catastrophic injury claims, mass and complex tort litigation, and products liability litigation.

“As we kick off the New Year, Buchalter’s growth will continue to be at the forefront of our initiatives in 2018. Steven adds a wealth of experience to our growing Litigation and Products Liability Practices. We are delighted to welcome him to the Firm,” said Adam J. Bass, President and Chief Executive Officer of Buchalter.

In a release, the firm said his experience includes advising clients on matters relating to complex tort litigation concerning environmental liability, toxic exposure, injury, fraud, and unfair business practices. Di Saia represents clients in industries including pharmaceutical, construction, environmental, food and beverage, healthcare, electrical and electronics.

Di Saia earned his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.

“I am very excited to be joining Buchalter’s robust Litigation and Products Liability Practices. Buchalter possesses a multitude of Practices and valuable resources that will allow me to best serve my clients,” said Di Saia.

Andrew Cardonick has joined Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago as a partner in its Global Finance practice.

Cardonick formerly co-chaired the finance practice at Greenberg Traurig, LLP. He focuses his practice primarily on the representation of commercial banks, business development companies and other nonbank financial institutions, as well as select private equity funds.

In a release, the firm said Cardonick advises clients in connection with sponsored and non-sponsored asset-based, cash flow, split lien, unitranche, second lien, and unsecured syndicated, club and single bank credit facilities throughout the U.S. and internationally. He represents lending clients in restructurings and workouts throughout the country. Cardonick also is involved in various finance and restructuring topics, including debtor-in-possession financings, cash collateral, substantive consolidation, fraudulent conveyance and other structuring issues.

“Due to significant competitive and regulatory developments within the global finance industry, both traditional and non-traditional lenders are looking for guidance in navigating complex transactions,” said Craig Griffith, member of Sidley’s Executive Committee and its Global Finance practice. “We are pleased to welcome Drew to the firm as his considerable experience, particularly in lending and restructuring, will expand Sidley’s finance capabilities to support our clients engaging in deals within this changing environment.”

Anne S. LaWer has joined Employment and labor law firm Littler as a shareholder in the San Jose office. LaWer joins from GCA Law Partners in the Bay Area.

“Anne’s deep knowledge of employee benefits compliance matters and experience advising clients on a wide range of benefits and compensation issues makes her a natural fit for Littler,” said Eric C. Bellafronto, office managing shareholder in San Jose. “Given the rapidly evolving regulatory framework both nationally and in California, Anne is a strong addition to our San Jose office – one of many in our firm that was recently recognized with a ‘Tier 1’ ranking in the 2018 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® ‘Best Law Firms’ list.”

In a release, the firm said LaWer has experience advising on employee health and welfare, retirement and stock compensation plans, administrative and statutory compliance, and designing and drafting plans. She counsels employers on matters related to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Her practice also includes advising on Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor compliance programs, healthcare privacy and security, executive compensation matters, and employee benefits issues in mergers and acquisitions.

“I’m excited to join Littler, which has an impressive global reputation for advising employers on some of the most complex and significant labor and employment compliance issues, and I am thrilled to help expand Littler’s already outstanding employee benefits practice,” LaWer said. “I was also drawn to Littler’s commitment to innovation and efficiency, which is especially important to clients in Silicon Valley.”

LaWer  is a member of the San Francisco Chapter of the Western Pension & Benefits Council’s program committee and has served as co-chair of the Barron Park Elementary School Site Council and as president of the Barron Park Elementary School Parent Teacher Association.

LaWer received her J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law and her B.A. from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

Dykema announced that Reed R Heimbecher has been appointed as office managing member of its Minneapolis office. Heimbecher also serves as leader of the firm’s Intellectual Property Transactional Group.

Heimbecher has more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of worldwide intellectual property law—including a seven-year stint in-house as vice president of intellectual property for a medical device business with a billion dollars of annual sales. His practice focuses on patent and trademark prosecution, patent portfolio management, intellectual property due diligence, and client counseling.

Prior to joining Dykema, Heimbecher managed his own firm, which received recognition as a “Go-To Law Firm for Patent Prosecution” from a Fortune 500 company.

Heimbecher earned a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, and a B.S., with honors, from the University of Colorado. He clerked for Judge Rich of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Before attending law school, Heimbecher, whose undergraduate degree is in aerospace engineering, was an engineer for a large military contractor where he carried out performance and aerodynamic analysis and trajectory simulations of Tomahawk cruise missiles. In that role, he also worked on launch vehicles for putting large payloads into outer space.

Hogan Lovells announced that Kevin Keenan has joined the firm’s Houston office as a partner in the Infrastructure, Energy, Resources, and Projects practice.

“We are delighted that Kevin has joined us” said Philip Robb, Global head of the firm’s Infrastructure, Energy, Resources, and Projects practice. “He has a strong background and global experience, and already works with many of our existing energy clients. Kevin gives our practice the additional strength to expand our client services in the energy space in general, and in LNG in particular. ”

Prior to joining Hogan Lovells, Keenan was a partner at Baker Botts, where he served as Deputy Department Head of Global Projects in Houston. He has built a global practice in the energy infrastructure and transportation sectors, with a focus on LNG project development and shipping.

“I look forward to leveraging Hogan Lovells’ robust global platform to better serve my clients and, in so doing, not only expand my practice but help further grow the practices of my new partners and help augment what is already a tremendous energy and infrastructure group at Hogan Lovells,” said Keenan. “I assist clients around the world with cross-border transactions and the value of this platform, driven not only by its breadth but also by the talent that Hogan Lovells deploys within it, cannot be overstated. I’m delighted to be a part of it.”

In a release, the firm said Keenan’s clients range from large integrated oil and gas companies to joint ventures, state-owned companies, private equity funds and project start-ups. He has experience in the LNG project development space, having negotiated dozens of LNG sale and purchase agreements, terminal use agreements, master sales agreements, capacity swaps, port liability agreements and various other instruments needed to get an LNG project off the ground.

The release said he also has experience in commercial shipping, primarily as it relates to transporting LNG but also involving crude oil, coal and other commodities. Over the past 15 years he has negotiated more than 75 charters (time, voyage and bareboat) for LNG tankers, oil tankers, coal barges, FPSOs and FSRUs and more than 60 shipbuilding contracts and vessel modification contracts for the same types of vessels, primarily with shipyards in South Korea, Japan, China, the Middle East and Europe.

Keenan has also assisted clients with a number of refinery projects, including expansions at several refineries along the US Gulf Coast, an expansion in Aruba, and a new build modular refinery in Asia.

“Kevin will be a great addition to the Houston office as we continue to add depth and breadth to our transactional, intellectual property, and litigation practices focused on serving energy industry clients here and around the world,” said Bruce Oakley, Managing Partner of the Houston Office.

Keenan earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.A. from Idaho State University. He is admitted to practice in Texas.

Former Indiana Senate Majority Leader Brandt Hershman has joined Barnes & Thornburg LLP’s Washington, D.C., office as an of counsel attorney in the firm’s Government Services and Finance Department. Hershman will be an integral member of the Federal Relations Group.

Hershman, who served 17 years in the Indiana senate before recently announcing his resignation, is widely recognized for his experience in the areas of tax, energy, telecommunications and agriculture.

“It is an honor to join a firm of Barnes & Thornburg’s caliber and I look forward to working with the exceptional attorneys who are counseling clients on issues critical to their businesses, such as taxes, economic development and infrastructure” Hershman said.

Hershman, who represented constituents in Senate District 7, focused his efforts on tax reform and economic development during his tenure. He led the effort to usher in telecommunications deregulation legislation that has brought more than $5 billion of investment in infrastructure throughout Indiana.

“We are excited to welcome Brandt to Barnes & Thornburg,” said Karen McGee, managing partner of the Washington, D.C. office. “His experience in public service and background in tax policy, telecommunications, and other areas will be a tremendous asset to our clients as a member of our growing Washington, D.C.-based Federal Relations group. It will be a privilege to work with someone who has had a huge impact on public policy throughout his 17-year political career. We congratulate him on his service to Indiana and look forward to working with him.”

In addition to serving in the Indiana Senate, Hershman previously served as managing partner and general counsel for The DeNovo Group. He also served as executive director of the Program on Continuing Education for Public Officials at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

He also has served in several staff positions in the U.S. Congress and its members, including district operations director for the U.S. House of Representatives; press secretary for Buyer for Congress; and presidential writer in the Executive Office of the President in The White House.

A graduate of Purdue University, Hershman earned his law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. He also earned two executive certificates, one in comparative tax policy and administration from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government and one in finance and financial management services from Cornell University.

He is admitted to practice in the state of Indiana and before the U.S. Tax Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana and the Indiana Supreme Court.

The law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP announced that Michael Wieber has joined the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group, Employee Benefits team, as of counsel in its Milwaukee office.

Wieber focuses his practice on tax and fiduciary aspects of 401(k) plans, pension plans, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), executive deferred compensation arrangements, and flexible spending plans. He has significant experience in ERISA fiduciary law, including investment advisory and management services, and in mergers and acquisition.

“We are pleased to bring Mike onto the Quarles & Brady team, as his significant corporate and financial expertise will make an immediate, valuable contribution,” said Sean Scullen, national chair of the Labor & Employment Group.

Prior to joining the firm, Wieber spent 19 years at BMO Financial Group. Before BMO, he worked as an associate at Foley & Lardner, LLP focusing on ERISA and Employee Benefits Law.

“I am excited to return to private practice, especially at Quarles & Brady as a member of its Employee Benefits team. I feel as though I have a unique practical perspective that I’m looking forward to sharing with clients and the firm,” said Wieber.

Wieber earned his law degree, with honors, from the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and his bachelor’s degree, with highest honors, from the University of Notre Dame.

Dykema announced that Jeffrey G. Huron has been appointed as the office managing member of the firm’s Los Angeles Office. He succeeds Mike Wippler, who now serves on the firm’s Executive Board.

In a release, the firm said Huron, who is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group, has more than 25 years of experience litigating and arbitrating business, real estate and entertainment disputes. His clients have included individuals, financial institutions, lenders, real estate investors and developers, and receivers. Huron has experience in appellate matters and has authored numerous articles relating to his litigation and appellate practice.

“We’ve been thrilled with the growth of our Los Angeles office since its establishment 15 years ago,” said Peter Kellett, Dykema Chairman and CEO. “We’re excited Jeff is bringing his leadership capabilities into this role to build upon the momentum Mike Wippler established over the past five years.”

Outside of his practice, Huron also serves as Vice Chair of the California State Bar Financial Institutions Committee. Prior to joining Dykema, he founded and managed his own firm, the Huron Law Group.

Huron earned a J.D. from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and a B.A. from Marquette University. He has been recognized in Southern California SuperLawyers for Business Litigation every year since 2010.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP announced that Brant K. Brown, former associate general counsel at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA), has joined the firm as counsel in the Washington office.

In a release, the firm said Brown’s hire is the latest regulatory addition to the firm’s Washington office in recent months, following former Chairman (and Director of the Office of Enforcement) of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Norman C. Bay and former Acting General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel for the Department of the Treasury Priya R. Aiyar, who joined the firm in September.

“Brant’s strong reputation and experience bring added depth to our team of asset management attorneys who regularly advise clients on complex SEC and FINRA issues,” said Jim Burns, Willkie partner and former SEC Deputy Chief of Staff and Deputy Director of the SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets. “He is well regarded and highly accomplished, and will be a tremendous asset to our clients as they navigate the changing SEC and FINRA regulatory environments.”

Brown has experience working with self-regulatory organizations and broker dealers on a range of regulatory, compliance and enforcement-related matters. At Willkie, he will advise asset management and private equity clients on regulatory matters they face as they navigate the complex legal environment, according to the firm.

Brown joins a team at Willkie of former senior attorneys from numerous branches of federal government and other regulatory agencies, including SEC, CFTC, DOJ, FCC, DOC, FERC, ITC and NTIA, Treasury, as well as the White House and State Department.

Brown served in FINRA’s Office of General Counsel for 13 years, most recently as associate general counsel. He was responsible for advising senior management, departments and committees of FINRA on complex regulatory initiatives and rule proposals, developing and drafting regulatory notices and rule filings for submission to the SEC, and preparing materials for FINRA’s Board of Governors. He also regularly counseled FINRA’s Departments of Market Regulation, Transparency Services and Finance and worked closely with SEC staff on multiple high-profile regulatory initiatives, including establishing FINRA trade reporting requirements for trading activity in the Treasury market and representing FINRA in a significant role on the Consolidated Audit Trail Initiative. At FINRA, he was the recipient of several honors, including the FINRA Chairman’s Award, FINRA’s highest award.

Prior to his time at FINRA, Brown was an associate in the securities group of a large Washington law firm where he advised clients on securities laws and rules and represented firms and individuals in securities enforcement matters.

“I am excited to join Willkie’s outstanding Asset Management team,” said Brown. “Willkie has a preeminent practice in providing sophisticated advice to a wide range of clients, and I look forward to being a part of this talented and dedicated group.”

Brown received a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and a B.A., magna cum laude, from Vanderbilt University.

Freeborn & Peters LLP announces that Benjamin C. Hughes has joined the firm as a partner in the Corporate Practice Group.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ben to Freeborn and our Corporate Practice Group,” said Cynthia A. Bergmann, a partner and co-leader of the firm’s Corporate Practice Group. “Ben plays an important role in delivering key counsel on tax-related and other business transaction issues that are important to the success of our corporate clients.”

Based in Freeborn’s Chicago office, Hughes focuses his practice primarily in the areas of business structuring, strategic business planning, income tax evaluation, tax efficiency evaluation, state and federal tax law, and IRS controversies, the firm said in a release. He also serves as general counsel or tax counsel for commercial and financial transactions across a broad spectrum of professions and industries. In addition, Hughes has been involved in various personal advanced planning and advanced business planning engagements that have included international trusts, family holding companies, family offices, and strategic business development for the working wealthy.

Prior to joining Freeborn, Hughes was a partner in the Advanced Planning and Family Office Practice Group at Handler Thayer, LLP. He also previously handled transactions involving tax planning and business and corporate law for his nationwide private practice client base. In addition, he formerly served as outside counsel to a tax consulting firm.

Hughes received his J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law with Moot Court Honors, his Master of Laws in taxation, with honors, from The John Marshall Law School and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Montana.

Employment and labor law firm Littler announced the return of Aaron D. Crews to the firm as its first Chief Data Analytics Officer, based in the Sacramento office.

In this new role, Crews will manage the operations of Littler’s data analytics practice and lead the development and implementation of technology-based solutions that provide value to the firm and its clients, the firm said in a release. He will work closely with Dr. Zev J. Eigen, Littler’s Global Director of Data Analytics, a team of data analysts, and others within the firm who are guiding Littler’s efforts in data analytics, AI and other technology-based tools and methodologies. Crews will also use data analytics tools to facilitate process improvements and efficiencies, and assist in protocols for the secure handling of data.

“Aaron’s addition comes at an important time for Littler and the legal industry as a whole, as the use of data analytics to guide business and legal decisions only continues to grow,” said Tom Bender and Jeremy Roth, co-managing directors of Littler, in a joint statement. “Aaron will play a key role in formalizing our business strategy and enhancing our capabilities as we continue to expand our data analytics capabilities.”

Crews joins Littler from Text IQ, a provider of AI technologies to address legal and compliance issues, where he served as general counsel and vice president of strategy. Prior to that, he was global head of eDiscovery at Walmart and oversaw the company’s eDiscovery process and litigation strategy and managed data analytics initiatives. Prior to joining Walmart, Crews was a shareholder with Littler and counseled clients on eDiscovery, the use of computer forensics in investigations and litigation, and protocols related to the collection and analysis of data.

“Littler is one of the few firms that has a genuine appetite and history of embracing innovation and leveraging technology to improve the delivery of legal services,” said Crews. “One of the most significant trends affecting our industry is the rise of legal operations teams within corporate law departments. The opportunity to create a legal operations role within a law firm was too good to pass up and helps further Littler’s unique ability to provide solutions that focus on clients’ needs and pain points.”

“We’ve developed several initiatives over the years that use data analytics to better serve clients and the time had come to create a position focused on managing our operations in this area,” said Paul Weiner, Littler’s National eDiscovery Counsel. “We are fortunate to bring on Aaron who has the right experience, skills and vision to collaborate with clients, corporate departments and our own attorneys to develop new data analytics applications and improve legal processes that will advance our position as a market leader in law firm innovation.”

Crews has served on the advisory boards of several technology companies and startup organizations, and is a prolific writer and accomplished speaker. He received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of San Francisco School of Law and his B.A. from the University of California at Davis.

DLA Piper has named Frank Ryan co-chair of the firm’s global Intellectual Property and Technology practice and Ann Ford co-chair of its US IPT practice, both effective January 1.

Ryan joins Stéphane Lemarchand as global co-chair of IPT and will continue to serve as chair of the US IPT practice alongside Ford. Ryan also serves as deputy chair of the firm’s global Media, Sport and Entertainment sector and is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and Global Board. In his practice, he provides legal and strategic advice to domestic and multinational clients in litigation, intellectual property, media and sports, and complex commercial matters.

Ford, who previously served as vice chair of the US IPT practice, is also the US chair of the Trademark, Copyright and Media practice, the global co-head and US head of Sectors, and a member of the firm’s Executive and Policy committees. In her practice, Ford works with clients on business, litigation, strategy, and transactional aspects of intellectual property. She has extensive experience working with both mature and emerging companies on developing, strengthening and enforcing brands in a wide variety of industries.

Dykema announced that Dommond Lonnie, member of Dykema’s Litigation practice, was recently appointed to serve the firm as director of its Automotive Industry Group, a multidisciplinary group focused on providing high-quality legal service to automotive and mobility clients.

Based in the firm’s Los Angeles office, Lonnie is experienced in representing numerous domestic and foreign automobile/mobility manufacturers in product liability, class action, toxic tort, and commercial litigation matters, the firm said in a release. Throughout his career, he has prepared and tried multi-million dollar exposure lawsuits involving product liability, breach of warranty and breach of contract claims on behalf of Fortune 500 clients.

“I am honored to have been asked to take on this significantly important leadership position in one of Dykema’s core industry groups, and in doing so, supporting and upholding the successful work we’ve done on behalf of our automotive clients worldwide,” said Lonnie. “We have established ourselves as the premiere legal counsel to OEMs, global automotive suppliers and other mobility companies, and I plan to lead the charge in continuing our excellent track record of client service.”

Lonnie, who received a J.D. and a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, succeeds Brendan Cahill, who was recently appointed to Dykema’s Executive Board.

Barnes & Thornburg LLP has added financial restructuring and banking attorneys Thomas Hoffman and Michael Cavallaro as partners in the firm’s Minneapolis office.

Hoffman and Cavallaro have almost 30 years of in-house bank counsel experience, including indenture trustee representation, restructuring work and bank advisory and regulation advice, the firm said in a news release.

“As we approach our tenth year in Minneapolis, we’re continuing to attract the best legal talent in the region, while also putting our people in positions to provide valuable counsel and services to clients, both in the Twin Cities and other markets, and take advantage of our national platform,” said Connie Lahn, managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg’s Minneapolis office. “In Mike and Tom, we’ve added two highly respected, dynamic attorneys with decades of banking and financial services experience.”

“Mike and Tom bring invaluable in-house experience and are well-regarded by their peers and the broader business and legal communities in Minneapolis,” said David Gotlieb, chair of Barnes & Thornburg’s Corporate Department. “Their arrival underscores the concerted effort we’re making to grow this office and our larger corporate group with practitioners who can best address the increasing regulatory and compliance challenges facing large financial institutions.”

The pair, who was previously at Fox Rothschild, will be members of the Corporate Department.

Barnes & Thornburg has seen an influx of lateral growth with a group of four partners who launched the firm’s Family Law group in the Minneapolis office: Karen Schreiber, Sonja Trom Eayrs, Brittany Stephens Pearson, and Gloria Myre. Bruce Little, an intellectual property partner, also joined in Minneapolis in the first four days of the year. Barnes & Thornburg’s Minneapolis office, which opened in 2009, now has increased its attorney ranks to 32.

About the Attorneys

Thomas Hoffman has more than 34 years of experience in the financial services industry as a consumer regulatory and compliance attorney and as a commercial financial restructuring and bankruptcy attorney. In the consumer space, he concentrates on default servicing, consumer regulatory and compliance issues, foreclosure, and secured and unsecured claims. In his commercial practice, he represents national banks, trustees, and other creditors in financial restructuring and bankruptcy cases. Earlier in his career, Hoffman worked for more than 25 years as an in-house attorney at Wells Fargo & Company and became a managing counsel.

Hoffman received his J.D. from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law, cum laude, and his B.A. from the University of Minnesota.

Michael Cavallaro focuses his practice on advising banks and financial services companies on national and regional consumer regulatory and legal compliance issues related to consumer and commercial bankruptcy and restructuring, collections, vendor management, foreclosure, loss mitigation and default servicing. His representation of financial institutions includes credit unions, community and national banks, and mortgage servicing companies. Cavallaro also served as the U.S. Trustee Single Point of Contact for one of the top five largest financial institutions in the country, in addition to having worked as senior corporate counsel at U.S. Bank.

Cavallaro received his J.D. from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and his B.A., cum laude, from Gustavus Adolphus College.

Nicholas G. Moneta, a Franklin Square, NY resident, has joined Farrell Fritz  as a first-year associate.

Moneta was a law clerk (2017) and summer associate (2016) at Farrell Fritz. Additionally, he interned for the Hofstra Community & Economic Development Clinic; was a judicial intern for Magistrate Judge A. Kathleen Tomlinson, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York; and was a legal intern and paralegal at the law firm of Moulinos & Associates LLC in New York, NY.

Moneta earned his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, where he was the Managing Editor of Articles for the Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts, magna cum laude, from Adelphi University.

Texas family law boutique Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, LLP, announced that attorneys Holly Rampy Baird and Ryan Kirkham have been selected to D Magazine’s annual listing of the Best Lawyers Under 40.

“Holly and Ryan are exceptional attorneys with unique perspectives and experiences that set them apart from most other family law attorneys, regardless of age,” said firm partner Keith Nelson. “We are proud to have them as colleagues, and more importantly, their clients love them.”

Baird’s practice focuses on divorce and complex property division, modification actions, enforcement actions and child custody litigation and mediation. In addition to this D Magazine honor, she has earned a place on the Texas Rising Stars list of the Top 100 Up-and-Coming lawyers and the Top 50 Up-and-Coming Women lawyers.

Kirkham works in international family law issues. He lived and worked abroad for several years before joining Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson. His practice focuses on divorce, jurisdictional disputes, asset tracing and complex property issues. He has twice been selected among the leading young family law attorneys in the state by Texas Rising Stars.

The 2018 list includes 135 of the top young attorneys in North Texas. Honorees are selected in a process that includes peer nominations and extensive review by a blue-ribbon panel of attorneys and D Magazine’s editorial leadership.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP announced that former U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Mehta have joined the firm’s Tampa office as partners in the Government Enforcement and Investigations Practice Group. Both served the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, based in Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla., respectively.

Bradley Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner Beau Grenier said, “As former federal prosecutors with extensive experience handling diverse criminal and civil fraud cases at the highest levels, Lee and Jason offer invaluable insights and skills for securing successful outcomes for our clients and defending their interests in every stage of an investigation. They each add significant depth to several key industries of interest for our clients: healthcare, government-contract defense, financial services, higher education, and cybersecurity.”

“The strengths of Lee and Jason, along with the recent addition of former Assistant United States Attorney Scarlett Singleton Nokes in our Nashville office, expand our already robust capabilities. We have a truly premier group of government enforcement attorneys, which enables us to provide unparalleled service to clients dealing with compliance issues, corporate investigations, and regulatory, civil, and criminal enforcement matters,” said Ty Howard, chair of the firm’s Government Enforcement and Investigations Practice Group.

“We are thrilled to welcome Lee and Jason to Bradley’s Tampa office,” said Bradley’s Tampa Office Managing Partner Robert B. Glenn. “Both are great additions to our team of experienced attorneys that supports and defends our clients’ pro-business efforts in today’s challenging enforcement environment. Our clients, both in Florida and nationally, will receive an outstanding defense team with Lee and Jason in place.”

Bentley now focuses his practice on defending False Claims Act and qui tam matters, handling federal criminal and regulatory matters, and conducting internal investigations. He has more than 30 years of experience in complex civil litigation and criminal matters and has handled trials and appeals in numerous federal and state courts. Bentley has served as sole or lead counsel in nearly 40 civil and criminal jury trials, the firm said in a news release.

As U.S. Attorney, Bentley oversaw more than 120 civil and criminal prosecutors. During his tenure, his office led the country in the number of qui tam cases prosecuted and was routinely one of the highest performing offices throughout the country, the firm said. Bentley participated in and supervised high-profile matters in the healthcare, defense procurement, and white-collar criminal areas.

Previously, Bentley served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and as an attorney advisor for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Legal Counsel, advising the White House and executive branch agencies on constitution and statutory questions. He also spent time in private practice in Washington, D.C., and in Atlanta.

Bentley received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was Order of the Coif and an editor of the Virginia Law Review, and his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Georgia. Following law school, Bentley clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for Chief Judge Haynsworth and for the Supreme Court of the United States for Justice Powell.

The firm said Mehta helps businesses and individuals navigate government investigations, conduct internal investigations, and defend False Claims Act and business litigation matters. His litigation and regulatory experience includes matters related to healthcare, defense procurement, cybersecurity, and financial services.

During his time as Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mehta recovered nearly a quarter of one billion dollars for the U.S. government, working on matters throughout the Middle District of Florida, including in Tampa, Fort Myers, Orlando, and Ocala. He was recognized in 2017 with the DOJ’s Director Award, one of the highest honors bestowed upon the department’s employees.

Previously, Mehta worked as an attorney-adviser for the U.S. State Department in Washington, where he led the department’s responses to various Congressional investigations and represented the department in lawsuits throughout the country. In 2012, Mehta was recognized with the department’s Exemplary Service Award. His experience also includes private practice in Washington and clerking for Judge Gerald Tjoflat of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Mehta earned his J.D. (magna cum laude) from Harvard Law School, where he was senior editor of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy and editor of the Harvard Journal on Legislation, and received his Bachelor of Arts with high honors from the University of California, Berkeley.

D Magazine has selected Sayles Werbner shareholder Rob Sayles to the 2018 edition of Best Lawyers Under 40, a list that recognizes outstanding young attorneys in North Texas.

“I’m truly honored to be included among this group of impressive lawyers,” said Sayles. “When you are recognized by your peers for working hard to represent your clients in tough legal disputes, it means a lot. I am truly grateful.”

Sayles represents plaintiffs and defendants in a litigation, including commercial disputes, product liability, personal injury and wrongful death claims. His success record in 2017 includes obtaining a summary judgment on a covenant not to compete claim where his client faced more than $3.6 million in damages and negotiating significant settlements on behalf of clients injured in car accidents. He also defended the City of Dallas in several lawsuits filed by firefighters and police officers claiming billions of dollars in back pay.

Sayles is among 135 attorneys included in the Best Lawyers Under 40 list, which is selected from peer nominations and a review by a blue-ribbon panel of lawyers and D Magazine editors. The full list is available in the January issue of D Magazine.

In addition to the D Magazine recognition, Sayles has been featured on the Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars list annually since 2012. He was also honored in the 2017 edition of D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas for representation of clients in business and commercial litigation. He is a graduate of the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and the University of Texas at Austin.