Sidley Austin LLP announces that Brian Stretch, current U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, will join the firm in San Francisco as a partner in its White Collar: Government Litigation & Investigations practice. Stretch will focus his practice on the full range of federal enforcement and internal investigation matters, with a particular emphasis on corporate investigations, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and criminal defense matters.

In a release, the firm said Stretch is a highly accomplished lawyer with a distinguished history of public service and prosecution of criminal matters. During his 18-year tenure in the U.S. Attorney’s office, Stretch has held various high-level positions, including that of U.S. Attorney, First Assistant U.S. Attorney and Chief of its Criminal Division. Stretch was appointed to the U.S. Attorney post by the Chief Judge of the Northern District. As the U.S. Attorney, he leads an office of over 130 lawyers and other professionals in addition to personally handling an array of criminal prosecutions.

Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s office, Stretch served as a Deputy District Attorney (DA) in the Marin County District Attorney’s Office. As a Deputy DA, he participated in all aspects of civil and criminal litigation, including investigation, charging, discovery, negotiation and settlement.

Stretch has tried more than three dozen jury trials to verdict and argued three appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the firm said.

“Brian’s substantial experience as a first chair trial lawyer in high-stakes cases will add value to the San Francisco office as well as to the robust national practice,” said Sharon Flanagan, managing partner of Sidley’s San Francisco office and member of its Executive Committee. “We look forward to drawing from his tremendous knowledge to advise our clients facing government investigations and other complex white collar matters.”

Hogan Lovells announced that 31 of its lawyers have been promoted to partner.

Speaking on the promotions, Hogan Lovells’ CEO Steve Immelt commented:

“We are seeing real momentum with these promotions – in terms of diversity of our practices, our offices, by gender, and by ethnicity. They represent the globally diverse nature of our business. With that in mind, I am particularly pleased that more than a third of our new partners and new counsel are women. I congratulate all those who were promoted and wish them every success as they continue their career with us.”

Each of Hogan Lovells’ five practice groups is represented in the 2018 partner promotions:

• Seven in Corporate (including in Corporate, Financial Institutions Group, Real Estate, and Tax)
• Ten in Litigation & Arbitration (including in International Arbitration, Investigations, White Collar and Fraud, and Litigation)
• Five in Government Regulatory (including in Environment and Natural Resources, Government Contracts and Public Procurement, Government Relations and Policy Advocacy, Food & Beverage, and Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology)
• Five in Finance (including in Banking, business Restructuring and Insolvency, and Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects)
• Four in Intellectual Property

New partners include:

• 15 in Europe, spread across our London, Munich, Amsterdam, Madrid, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, and Hamburg offices
• 13 in the United States & Latin America, spread across our Mexico City, Denver, Miami, New York, Northern Virginia, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. offices
• Three in Asia, spread across our Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo offices.
• Eleven women and twenty men.

In addition to the 31 new partners, 38 lawyers have been promoted to counsel.

New partners are:

• Michael J. Bell – Government Regulatory (Government Relations and Policy Advocacy) Washington D. C.
• Meryl Rosen Bernstein – IPMT, Northern Virginia
• Jaime Bofill – LAE (Litigation) Madrid
• Sean Conaty* – Finance (Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects) Tokyo
• Matthew E. Eisler – Corporate (Corporate Transactional) Denver
• Elizabeth B. Fawell – Government Regulatory (Food & Beverage) Washington D. C.
• Matthew Felwick – LAE (Litigation) London
• Gaston P. Fernandez – Finance (Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects) Miami
• Alex Harrison – Finance (Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects) London
• Jörg Herwig – Corporate (Corporate Transactional) Frankfurt
• Alex Kay – Finance (Business Restructuring and Insolvency) London
• Valerie Kenyon – LAE (Litigation) London
• Jorge Valdés – LAE (International Arbitration) Mexico City
• Inken Knief – LAE (International Arbitration) Munich
• A. Elizabeth Korchin – LAE (Litigation) New York
• Henrik Lehment – IPMT, Düsseldorf
• Stephen A. Loney Jr. – LAE (Litigation) Philadelphia
• Carla Luh – Finance (Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects) Hamburg
• Désirée Maier – LAE (Investigations, White Collar and Fraud) Munich
• David B. Massey – LAE (Litigation) Miami
• Daniel S. Metroka – LAE (Investigations, White Collar and Fraud) Philadelphia
• Jeremy Pickles – Corporate (Funds) London
• Allison D. Pugsley – Government Regulatory (Government Contracts and Public Procurement) Washington D. C.
• Bryan R. Ricapito – Corporate (Funds) Washington D.C.
• Joanne Rotondi – Government Regulatory (Environment and Natural Resources) Washington D. C.
• Benjamin Schröer – IPMT, Munich
• Arne Thiermann – Corporate (Commercial) Hamburg
• Florian Unseld – Corporate (Commercial) Munich
• Hein van den Bos – Government Regulatory (Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology) Amsterdam
• Helen Xia – IPMT, Beijing
• Lu Zhou – Corporate (Corporate Transactional) Beijing

New counsel are:

• Tifarah Roberts Allen – Corporate (Corporate & Commercial) Washington D. C.
• Michael A. Applebaum – Corporate (Tax) New York
• Fiona Bantock – Corporate (Tax) London
• James Black – Corporate (Corporate FIG/ Financial Institutions Group) London
• Stella Bliss – Corporate (Real Estate) London
• Joke Bodewits – Government Regulatory (Privacy & Cybersecurity) Amsterdam
• Chava Brandriss– LAE (Litigation) Washington D. C.
• Florian Brechon – Corporate (Corporate & Commercial) Paris
• Yu-An Chang – IPMT, Shanghai
• Charles Clayton-Payne- Finance (Banking) Singapore
• Jennifer Dickey – LAE (Litigation) London
• Brian D. Eyink – Government Regulatory (Food & Beverage) Washington D. C.
• Mary Carmen Fuertes – LAE (Employment) Mexico City
• Vidal Galindo – LAE (Employment) Madrid
• Alexander Gasparyan – Finance (Banking) Moscow
• Björn Handke– LAE (Litigation) Munich
• Sabrina Handke – Corporate (Real Estate) Munich
• Danielle C. Humphrey – Government Regulatory (Medical Devices and Technology) Washington D. C.
• Thorsten Klinger – IPMT, Hamburg
• Alexander Koch – Corporate (Corporate & Commercial) Luxembourg
• Ingo Kühl – LAE (Litigation) Düsseldorf
• Serena Lim – IPMT, Hong Kong
• Roy Liu – Government Regulatory (International Trade and Investment) Washington D. C.
• James Maltby – Finance (Business Restructuring and Insolvency) London
• Marc A. Marinaccio – LAE (Litigation) Baltimore
• Fabian Pfuhl – IPMT, Frankfurt
• Vironika Pilyugina – IPMT, Moscow
• Stefan Richter – LAE (Employment) Düsseldorf
• Bartosz Romanowski – Corporate (Corporate & Commercial) Warsaw
• Marcus Schönknecht – IPMT, Düsseldorf
• Aimee Sharman – Finance (Banking) London
• Jason D. Sternberg – LAE (Litigation) Miami
• Ben Sulaiman- Finance (Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects) London
• Adriana V. Tibbitts – Corporate (Corporate & Commercial) Baltimore
• Thomas M. Trucksess – LAE (Litigation) Northern Virginia
• Stella Wong – IPMT, London
• Kate Wilford – LAE (International Arbitration) London
• Ernest Yakob – IPMT, New York

Williams & Connolly announces that, effective Jan. 1, 2018, Steven Cady, Colette Connor, Christopher Mandernach, Liam Montgomery, and Katherine Trefz became partners of the firm.

“We would like to extend our thanks and congratulations to the five tremendously talented lawyers who will be joining our partnership this year,” said Chairman Dane Butswinkas. “Each of these extraordinary attorneys embodies the firm’s dedication to our clients and commitment to excellence.”

The five new partners include:

Steven Cady – Cady focuses on civil and criminal trials and on government investigations, principally in matters relating to financial services and banking and on corporate governance. Cady’s practice is national in scope, having litigated cases in the state and federal courts throughout the country. His recent work includes serving as trial counsel in a month-long civil jury trial defending a national bank, serving as lead outside counsel for non-profit organizations, and defending against a federal class action lawsuit alleging hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

Colette Connor – Connor focuses on civil and criminal trial work. She has tried bench and jury trials and has litigated in state and federal courts around the country. Most recently, Connor served as trial counsel defending against defamation and product disparagement claims seeking a multi-billion dollar damages award, and defending a first-degree murder case. Connor has represented corporate clients in a number of industries, including financial services and banking, real estate, healthcare, and media. Connor also has experience defending law firms facing malpractice and securities fraud claims.

Christopher Mandernach – Mandernach focuses his practice on civil litigation in federal and state courts and before arbitration tribunals. He has extensive patent litigation experience, having represented brand name pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, and software companies in patent infringement matters. He has defended against legal malpractice allegations relating to patent prosecution. Mandernach  as also successfully handled a range of high-stakes litigation matters related to securities, bankruptcy, and the False Claims Act.

Liam Montgomery – Montgomery focuses on civil trial work, principally in matters relating to products liability and life sciences, as well as financial services and banking, antitrust, and actuarial services. Montgomery ’s litigation practice extends to the state and federal courts and arbitration tribunals throughout the country. His recent work includes serving as trial counsel in a civil jury trial for the family of the inventor of groundbreaking cardiology technology, in an armed robbery criminal jury trial, and in an arbitration for a national bank.

Katherine Trefz – Trefz focuses on criminal defense and on government and internal investigations. Trefz has a national practice. Her experience includes representing companies and individuals involved in civil and criminal investigations, guiding companies through internal investigations, and serving as counsel at trial. Her recent work includes serving as trial counsel in a major federal securities trial. Her work focuses on defending against allegations of corporate dishonesty, including securities fraud, mail and wire fraud, antitrust crimes, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and the False Claims Act.

Farrell Fritz announces the promotions of Matthew D. Donovan and Frank T. Santoro to partner effective Jan. 1, 2018.

Matthew D. Donovan, a Scarsdale, NY resident, is a commercial litigation attorney. He earned his J.D. degree at the University of St. Thomas School of Law; his M.A. degree from Boston College and his B.A. degree from Marquette University.

Frank T. Santoro, a Forest Hills, NY resident, is an estate litigation attorney. He earned his J.D. degree from Brooklyn Law School and his B.A. from the State University of New York at Binghamton.

William W. Graham, a lawyer, investor and philanthropist who was a member of the family that owned and published The Washington Post for many years, died Dec. 20 at his home in Los Angeles, according to The Post. He was 69.

Reporter Matt Schudel writes that the cause was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Graham’s brother, Donald E. Graham, a former Post publisher and chief executive.

“Graham was a lawyer at the prominent Washington firm of Williams & Connolly in the 1970s before settling in Los Angeles, where he taught trial law at his alma mater, the University of California at Los Angeles,” the report says.

Fox News reports that the death was reminiscent of the suicide of Graham’s father more than 50 years ago.

Read the Post‘s article.

Former lawyer Brian Cuban writes that his 1992 arrest for driving while intoxicated should have been a learning experience, but the only lesson he learned at the time was that it would be better to take cabs to and from his drinking spots.

In a post on Above the Law, Cuban describes the humiliation he felt when he was hauled to a Dallas jail, followed by relief when his case was dismissed because the arresting officer didn’t show up for the trial.

“I high-tailed it out of the courthouse,” he writes. “No thought about how I’d gotten to that point. No thought of being in desperate need of treatment. Just relief that I had dodged a bullet. No hard consequences other than the few grand I gave my lawyer and getting my car out of impoundment.”

But the continuing slide into addiction would carry consequences he didn’t envision.

Read the Above the Law article.

Bankruptcy attorney Michelle Vonsenden Larson has joined the Dallas office of Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, LLP, as an insolvency and reorganization practice partner.

“Michelle is an exceptional addition to our firm,” said Carrington Coleman Managing Partner Bruce Collins. “She brings significant experience in complex, sophisticated bankruptcy matters that will greatly benefit our clients.”

In a release, the firm said Larson represents a diverse range of clients, including financial, energy, real estate, insurance and sports entities, in complex commercial bankruptcy and restructuring matters nationwide. Larson also frequently serves as outside general counsel offering guidance on general corporate and transactional matters. In addition, she represents bankruptcy clients before appellate courts across the country, as well as before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Her practice includes:
· Insolvency & reorganization
· Accounting & receiverships
· Acquisitions & dispositions
· Liquidation
· Secured finance
· Commercial transactions and disputes

A 1996 magna cum laude graduate of Loyola University School of Law and the valedictorian of the 1992 Nicholls State University graduating class, Larson joins Carrington Coleman from the Dallas office of Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP. She previously practiced at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. She is also licensed as a Certified Public Accountant (Louisiana 1992).

Also joining the firm’s Dallas office are three associates:

Lance Henderson’s practice focuses on litigation and intellectual property law. He is a 2014 graduate of The University of Texas School of Law.

Evan Kirkham is an associate in the firm’s securities and director and officer practice group. He is a 2017 cum laude graduate of the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.

Derrick Ward’s practice focuses on employment litigation and insurance coverage, and also includes appellate work. He is a 2014 graduate of The University of Texas School of Law.

Freeborn & Peters LLP announced that attorneys James “Jim” F. Hendricks Jr. and Michael P. MacHarg have joined the firm as partners in its Litigation Practice Group. Both attorneys focus on employment counseling and litigation.

“Freeborn has been concentrating on expanding key practice areas by welcoming top-level talent,” said Rachel Atterberry, who leads the firm’s employment practice within its Litigation Practice Group. “Employment law is one of our areas of focus, and we are thrilled to have a deep bench of experience that Jim and Michael complement so well.”

Hendricks and MacHarg most recently were partners at SmithAmundsen LLC in Chicago.

In a release, the firm said:

Hendricks represents employers in union campaigns and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) charges, as well as collective bargaining, discrimination and human resource issues. His clients work within a number of industries, including automotive, construction, hospitality, manufacturing and healthcare. He assists operations and human resource executives on a variety of issues regarding the development and implementation of employment policies and procedures. He also counsels employers facing labor and employment issues that arise in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, and personnel transactions, and he advises on preventive labor and employment strategies and training. Throughout his career, Hendricks has handled more than 300 union representation campaigns across the nation. He has represented single employers and hundreds of companies in multi-employer negotiations covering thousands of employees, and filed appearances in more than 300 cases where a union election was being conducted by the NLRB. He also has successfully negotiated first contracts after certification.

Hendricks received his J.D. from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law. He also holds a Master of Science from Loyola University Chicago and a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University.

MacHarg assists clients in union avoidance, collective bargaining, contract administration, unfair labor practices, grievance and arbitration, wage and hour issues, and discrimination. He represents clients in various industries, including government contractors, security, commercial laundry, manufacturing, energy, telecommunications, retail, automotive and healthcare. In more than 20 years of practicing law, MacHarg has successfully represented employers in dozens of union organizing campaigns. He has worked on more than 1,000 unfair labor practice investigations and has successfully tried many unfair labor practices cases, including defending employers against government efforts seeking injunctive relief in federal court. His experience involves vacating arbitration awards, complex and class action wage-hour matters, pension collection cases, and injunctions against picketing in Section 301 cases. He also litigates cases involving ERISA, the Railway Labor Act and unfair competition cases.

MacHarg earned his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law and his Bachelor of Business Studies from Loyola University in Chicago.

Quarles & Brady LLP announced that Linda Emery has joined the firm as a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group in the firm’s Milwaukee office.

In a release, the firm said Emery focuses her practice in the areas of information technology, data privacy and security, supply chain, the Internet of Things and trademarks. She has experience in data privacy and security at the international, federal and state levels both in regulatory compliance and establishing best practices. She focuses on the interrelationship between the laws and regulations and utilizes her knowledge and experience to assist clients in the consumer and industrial products, financial services, insurance, education and health care industries.

The release continues:

Emery has spent substantial time helping manufacturing, health care, and technology companies in the smart devices and Internet of Things (“IOT”) arena. She uses her background in technology, privacy and telecommunications to advise clients on the data privacy and security laws that impact this fast-paced environment. She has advised clients on areas ranging from cyber-attacks on interconnected devices to product liability claims to intellectual property risks to the Federal Trade Commission’s Guidance on the IOT. Prior to private practice, she served as in-house counsel at two large corporations, providing her with invaluable insight on legal business needs from the client’s perspective.

“We are thrilled to welcome Linda to the Quarles & Brady Intellectual Property Group. Clients will benefit from her diverse experience and broad range of technology and IP issues. From health care to manufactured and consumer products, Linda has deep expertise and knowledge that informs her business-focused counsel,” said Jack Cook, national chair of Quarles & Brady’s Intellectual Property Group.

Emery received her law degree, cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center and her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University.

Kathleen “Kitty” Ryan has joined Akerman LLP as a partner in the firm’s Consumer Financial Services Practice Group in the Los Angeles office. She previously was with Buckley Sandler and also previously served as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Deputy Assistant Director for the Office of Regulations. Prior to joining the CFPB, she was Senior Regulatory Counsel at JP Morgan Chase.

“Kitty’s extensive experience as a regulator, combined with her work as in-house counsel, makes her an invaluable asset to our clients, particularly within the areas of CFPB rulemaking and compliance,” said William Heller, chair of the Consumer Financial Services Practice Group. “Her impressive financial services background builds upon our team’s national strengths in the home loan space and adds a deep understanding of laws governing bank and non-bank consumer debt originators and servicers.”

Ryan focuses her practice on fair lending and regulatory compliance matters, particularly on issues related to the Fair Housing Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, Community Reinvestment Act, Truth in Lending Act, and UDAAP. She has worked with consumer financial services and products — including mortgages, auto loans, installment lending and prepaid cards.

In a release, the firm said:

During her time at CFPB Ryan oversaw the completion of the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure rulemaking — also known as Know Before You Owe — and the HMDA rulemaking that completely rewrote Regulation C. She also oversaw the development of CFPB’s debt collection rulemaking and extensive amendments to the CFPB’s mortgage servicing rules, and is well-versed in the CFPB’s 2017 small dollar lending rule. Ryan also advised on enforcement and supervisory matters — including matters involving fair lending, RESPA and UDAAP.

As in-house counsel at JPMorgan Chase, Ryan analyzed a range of consumer financial products and practices across multiple business lines and provided legal and regulatory guidance and support. She also spent more than 10 years in the Federal Reserve Board’s Division of Consumer and Community Affairs, where she led several TILA, ECOA, HMDA and CRA rulemakings, including the 2002-2004 HMDA amendments and the 2008 Regulation Z Higher-Priced Mortgage Loan amendments, as well as the mortgage loan originator compensation rules.

Ryan is the latest former CFPB official to join Akerman’s Consumer Financial Services Practice Group. The team previously welcomed Washington, D.C., partners Mary “Molly” Calkins and Thomas J. Kearney. Calkins served under the CFPB’s Division of Supervision, Enforcement & Fair Lending, as well as the Professional Liability & Financial Crimes Section of the Federal Deposit Insurance Company. Kearney served within the CFPB’s Office of Regulations where he worked closely with Ryan.

Trial law firm Hamilton Wingo has added attorney Fabiola Segovia, a member of the inaugural graduating class of UNT Dallas College of Law, to the Dallas firm.

Born and raised in Arlington, Texas, Segovia joins the firm to practice civil litigation in wrongful death and personal injury cases.

“Fabiola has all the qualities to be a great advocate for clients,” said Managing Partner Chris Hamilton. “She is passionate about finding the right solutions for people involved in legal disputes. We take pride in finding homegrown talent that shares the same passion for justice as every other member of our firm.”

During law school, Segovia served as a judicial intern for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, the 68th Judicial District Court in Dallas County and Probate Court No. 1 in Dallas County. She also worked with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attorneys. Segovia, a native Spanish speaker, is a former board member of UNT Dallas Law Review’s multimedia journal Accessible Law where she produced articles for the Spanish speaking community. She was also a Teaching Fellow for the Legal Writing Department at UNT Dallas College of Law.

In a release, the firm said Segovia realized her passion for fighting for people’s rights while earning her undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas and working for law firms to pay her way through college. The desire to help others with their legal issues led to a career in the legal industry and eventually to Hamilton Wingo.

“Hamilton Wingo consists of attorneys with their own unique legal expertise,” said Segovia. “Each lawyer has a wealth of trial experience and each fights for what they believe in – from their daily activities for the firm to their pro bono work. I am honored to learn from them; I feel at home.”

Farrell Fritz announced that Charlotte A. Biblow will be honored by the American Heart Association at their 2018 Long Island Go Red for Women luncheon to be held Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at Crest Hollow in Woodbury, NY.

Biblow, a Bayside, NY resident, is an environmental law partner in the firm’s Uniondale office. She served as a board member of the Association’s Long Island chapter from 1993-2007. In 2005, she received the association’s James W. Dowling Award for outstanding service in advancing the heart program and stimulating public support to reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Biblow earned her J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law; her M.S. from Hunter College and her B.S. from the State University of New York at Albany.

DLA Piper announced that Adam Ghander has joined the firm’s Corporate practice as a partner in Boston.

Ghander focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and early stage investment, securities, and corporate governance matters. He works extensively with middle market and emerging companies in industries that include manufacturing, technology and e-commerce, banking and financial services, and food and beverage. Ghander also represents various strategic, venture capital, growth equity and private equity investors in connection with equity or debt investments as well as in connection with sponsor-led M&A transactions.

“Adam will be a tremendous resource for our clients, as his experience and capabilities will greatly serve their transactional needs,” said John Gilluly, US chair of DLA Piper’s Corporate practice. “Adam brings deep private equity and emerging growth relationships who will now be able to realize the benefits of DLA Piper’s platform.”

In a release, the firm said Ghander frequently counsels entrepreneurs and investors in various stages of private capital investment, ranging from initial rounds of investment to late-stage venture and private equity financings.

“We are very pleased to welcome Adam, who will be an important addition to our growing transactional practice,” said John Rattigan, managing partner of the firm’s Boston office. “His skills and experience complement our existing corporate and finance work and will be beneficial to our clients across a broad range of sectors.”

Ghander joins DLA Piper from Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP, where he was a partner in the firm’s Business Department and served as co-chair of the Private Equity group. Ghander previously served as co-chair of the Emerging Companies group. He earned his J.D. from Boston College Law School and his B.A., summa cum laude, from St. Anselm College.

Michael J. Schmidtberger has been elected chair of Sidley Austin LLP‘s Executive Committee, the governing body responsible for exercising general authority over the firm’s policies and affairs, effective Jan. 1, 2018.

Schmidtberger will succeed Carter Phillips in this role. Phillips will remain a partner with Sidley and continue his Supreme Court and Appellate practice.

“I am incredibly honored to have been chosen to help guide this world-class firm,” said Schmidtberger. “It is a privilege to carry forward the leadership legacy Carter and his predecessors have instilled throughout their tenures as executive committee chair. I look forward to shaping the firm’s strategy to provide the best possible service as we work together with our clients to confront their opportunities and challenges in the ever-changing global business and regulatory environment.”

In a release, the firm said:

In leading Sidley forward, Schmidtberger will work alongside Larry Barden, chair of the firm’s Management Committee. The Executive and Management Committees work in concert and are the two main governing bodies of the firm.

“Mike is an incredible talent and highly respected by both clients and colleagues,” said Barden. “In our work together on the Management and Executive Committees, I know him to be a strategic thinker who takes a thoughtful and measured approach to addressing complex issues. Collaboration comes naturally to Mike. I look forward to working together in delivering exceptional results for our clients.”

Schmidtberger has been involved in shaping the direction of the firm for the past 15 years in his various leadership roles. He is co-leader of Sidley’s internationally recognized Investment Funds, Advisers and Derivatives practice, which has won numerous awards as a provider of legal services to the private funds industry. Schmidtberger has served on Sidley’s Executive Committee since 2002 and Management Committee since 2008. Additionally, he has been managing partner of Sidley’s New York office for the past five years, a role he will vacate upon assuming his new duties as Executive Committee chair.

“Mike is a trusted colleague with strong leadership skills and insight,” said Phillips. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Mike for many years and I am confident he is the right person for this role. He embodies our collaborative culture and commitment to exceptional client service.”

Schmidtberger has been with Sidley for 28 years. His ability to assist clients has earned him broad recognition as a trusted adviser. Schmidtberger advises and represents clients in domestic and international offerings of hedge funds, fund of funds, public and private commodity pools, and related regulatory matters. As is the time-honored tradition at Sidley, he will maintain his active practice while in this new leadership position. Schmidtberger is a graduate of Columbia College in the City of New York and Columbia Law School.

National law firm Dykema announced the addition of Richard L. Lieberman to its Taxation Practice Group as senior counsel in the firm’s Chicago office.

Lieberman joins Dykema after spending more than eight years as a partner with Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C., where he served as Chair of the firm’s Tax and Employee Benefits practice. Prior to that, he was a principal at Deloitte Tax LLP for more than a decade.

In a release, the firm said Lieberman has more than 30 years of experience in a broad range of federal and state tax matters, with emphasis on tax issues related to real estate, mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, restructurings, partnerships, limited liability companies, and S corporations. He also advises clients on the tax aspects of executive compensation arrangements, including designing and advising on the implementation of executive, equity, and deferred compensation programs.

In addition, Lieberman has been actively involved in representing not-for-profit organizations in both obtaining and retaining exemption from federal, state, and local taxes, avoiding unrelated business income tax, and addressing private inurement and intermediate sanctions issues. He has long represented clients in connection with adjustments proposed by the Internal Revenue Service and a myriad of state Departments of Revenue.

“Richard brings much needed state and local tax, as well as transactional, experience to our Chicago office and the firm’s national platform,” said Mike Cumming, Leader of Dykema’s Taxation Practice Group.

Lieberman earned a J.D., with high honors, from IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law, an LL.M. (International Legal Studies) from New York University School of Law, an LL.M. (Taxation) from DePaul University College of Law, and a B.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Minority lawyers now make up 16 percent of law firms — a record high — but remain scarce at the top, where only 9 percent of law partners are people of color, according to new data collected by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association.

Put another way, The Washington Post reports, nearly half of their white counterparts make partner, while the vast majority of minorities remain associates.

Reporter Tracy Jan writes that only 11 percent of general counsel at Fortune 500 companies are black, Hispanic, Asian or Native American even though minorities make up a third of the legal profession as a whole.

Read the Post article.

Littler has added Russell A. Jones and Kathryn S. McConnell as shareholders in the Atlanta office. The  employment litigation and counseling practitioners join Littler from Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton.

“Our Atlanta office has grown steadily over the years and now comprises more than 40 lawyers,” said L. Traywick Duffie, office managing shareholder of Littler’s Atlanta office. “Adding Russell and Katy, who both bring extensive experience in labor and employment law and a deep knowledge of the region, will further strengthen our team in Atlanta, which recently was among several Littler offices to earn a Tier 1 ranking in the 2018 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® ‘Best Law Firms’ list.”

Jones focuses his practice on providing counseling and training on various issues that arise out of the employer-employee relationship, including compliance with equal employment opportunity laws, union avoidance, wage and hour issues, disability and medical leave requirements, and non-competition and other employment agreements. He also helps businesses comply with state and federal laws related to background checks of employees and job applicants, workplace privacy and information security, policies related to employees’ social media activity, and whistleblowing and retaliation. Jones regularly represents clients in state and federal courts, before administrative agencies, and in the mediation of employment-related claims.

“Having begun my legal career at Littler nearly 18 years ago, I am thrilled to rejoin the Atlanta office and to be part of a firm with unparalleled capabilities and resources,” said Jones. “Littler has handled some of the most complex and significant labor and employment cases, including several out of the Atlanta office, and I look forward to leveraging Littler’s impressive platform to serve the evolving needs of global employers.”

McConnell counsels and defends multinational and domestic companies on employment and traditional labor law matters, including discrimination, harassment and retaliation in the workplace; wrongful termination; wage and hour compliance; unfair labor practice charges and union avoidance; and restrictive covenants. She regularly prepares and advises on non-competition, confidentiality, non-disclosure and other employment-related agreements, as well as the development of incentive and commission plans. McConnell’s employment litigation practice includes defending employers before state and federal courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and equivalent state agencies, and the National Labor Relations Board, as well as representing employers in arbitrations implicating collective bargaining agreements.

“Littler is a dominant force in labor and employment law, with technological capabilities, deep subject matter knowledge and a global footprint that is unrivaled in the space,” said McConnell. “I am excited to work with such a talented team of attorneys in the Atlanta office and across the globe to counsel employers operating in the U.S. and globally.”

Jones received his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Tennessee College of Law and his B.S., summa cum laude, from Appalachian State University. He worked as an associate in Littler’s Atlanta office from 2000 to 2003. McConnell received her LPC, with honors, from the College of Law in the United Kingdom and her B.A. from the University of Cambridge. She is admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales and, earlier in her career, worked in the London office of an international law firm.

Sidley Austin LLP has announced that Christopher Fonzone, former National Security Council (NSC) legal adviser and deputy assistant and counsel to the President, has joined the firm as a partner in its Washington, D.C. office. He will be a member of Sidley’s global Privacy and Cybersecurity practice.

Fonzone has years of experience advising high-level government officials on some of the most pressing national security issues of our time. Most recently, he provided counsel to the National Security Advisor, NSC staff and other White House officials on legal matters concerning cybersecurity, foreign investment issues and trade sanctions, intelligence, military and counter-terrorism operations, and international disputes. He played a pivotal role in helping to develop the Obama Administration’s Executive Orders on cybersecurity and position on key legislation designed to enhance the deployment of cybersecurity defensive measures and facilitate the sharing of cyber threat information between the public and private sectors. Prior to his time at the White House, Fonzone held positions within the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense, where he advised senior officials on a wide array of domestic and international legal issues, including those involving national security, military operations and litigation.

“Chris is an extraordinarily accomplished lawyer with significant high-level policy experience and an impressive background providing counsel on complex cybersecurity issues,” said Alan Raul, founder and co-leader of Sidley’s global Privacy and Cybersecurity practice. “We are proud to have Chris become a key member of our practice and join a growing number of notable recent additions to our privacy and cybersecurity group. We are very excited to welcome him to the team and look forward to working with him to expand our privacy and cybersecurity work in the defense and intelligence sectors.”

Sidley’s Privacy and Cybersecurity practice has grown this year, and now has more than 70 lawyers worldwide focused on U.S. compliance and litigation, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and Asia’s fast-evolving privacy regimes. In addition to internal growth, the practice has recently added lawyers in the privacy and cybersecurity space including:
• Wim Nauwelaerts, a leading EU data protection lawyer, who is a new partner in Brussels;
• Tim Muris, former Federal Trade Commission chairman, now senior counsel in Washington, D.C.;
• Anthony Gardner, former U.S. Ambassador to the EU, now senior counsel in Brussels and London; and
• Kate Heinzelman, who joined the firm’s privacy, cybersecurity and healthcare practices as counsel in Washington, D.C., following her service as deputy general counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services and associate White House counsel.

Barnes & Thornburg LLP has added Gary Caris to its Los Angeles office as a partner in the Finance, Insolvency and Restructuring Department.

Caris focuses his practice on federal equity receivership, creditors’ representation in Chapter 11 proceedings and complex bankruptcy litigation. Caris has represented federal equity receivers in dozens of cases across the country brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Caris’ experience includes assisting his receivership clients in pursing funds and other assets in connection with Ponzi schemes, deceptive marketing practices and other fraudulent business activities. He also represents financial institutions and other sophisticated businesses in Chapter 11 proceedings, bankruptcy litigation and commercial litigation matters.

“Gary is a talented litigator who has helped to recover tens of millions of dollars in money and other property for the benefit of receivership estates and his creditor clients,” said David Allen, managing partner of the firm’s Los Angeles office. “He’s a tremendous client advocate and is a valuable resource when assisting receivers and creditors.”

Caris is a current member and previously served on the board of the National Association of Federal Equity Receivers. He earned his J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles and his B.A., summa cum laude, from California State University at Northridge. He joins the firm from Diamond McCarthy LLP.

Five partners in Estes Thorne & Carr, as well as the firm itself, have received recognition from lawyer rating publications, including The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers.

Receiving Best Lawyers honors are Dawn Estes, Jessica Thorne, Lori Carr and Carol Payne. They were selected for the awards by their peers in the profession.

All three, as well as partner Linda Moore, also were named Super Lawyers, a rating service of lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. This selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.

And the firm was recognized by U.S. News & World Report in its Best Law Firms list for 2018.

Read more about the partners.