Latham & Watkins LLP announces that Jonathan Lippman has joined the firm’s New York office as of counsel in the Litigation & Trial Department.

Lippman retired as Chief Judge of the State of New York and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals last month after a four-decade career, including service in both trial and appellate courts, in the New York State Court system. He will provide strategic counsel to clients, including advice on New York law and appellate matters, investigations and monitorships. Lippman will also continue his efforts to champion access to justice for all, including those most in need, the firm said in a release.

During his tenure on the Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court, Chief Judge Lippman authored major decisions addressing constitutional, statutory and common law issues shaping the law of New York, the contours of state government and the lives of all New Yorkers.  As the state’s Chief Judge, he championed a broad range of novel pro bono efforts and took an active leadership role in identifying permanent funding streams for civil legal services.

Read the announcement.

Beck Redden LLP has announced that Patrice B. Childress has been elected to the partnership of the firm.

Childress joined Beck Redden as an associate in 2007. She is a 2001 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a 2007 graduate of Marquette University Law School. Her practice includes energy, legal, business, and real estate sectors, among others.

She is a former editorial board member of the Houston Bar Association’s Houston Lawyer and recently completed terms on the board of directors of the Texas Young Lawyers Association and the Interface-Samaritan Counseling Centers, Inc. Additionally, she is a member of the American Bar Association, the Texas Bar Foundation, the Houston Young Lawyers Association, and is a Fellow of the Houston Young Lawyers Foundation.

Childress is also active in Beck Redden’s pro bono initiatives and regularly lends her time and talents to active service on behalf of organizations and causes that are important to her in the Houston community.

Schiff Hardin LLP announces that Marcy L. Rosen has joined the firm’s Ann Arbor, Michigan, office as an associate in the Tax Group. Rosen advises individuals and businesses on tax planning and controversies at the local, state, and federal levels.

Before joining Schiff Hardin, Rosen was a senior attorney in the Detroit office of an international law firm where she focused on state and local tax controversies and commercial litigation. In addition to her law practice, she serves as Co-Chair of the Federal Bar Association for the Eastern District of Michigan’s Diversity Committee, Regional Board Member of the Anti-Defamation League, and as an active member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Pro Bono Initiative.

“Schiff Hardin is a nationally renowned firm with a sophisticated tax practice,” said Rosen. “With this in mind, I knew the firm was the right choice to take my practice to the next level.”

She earned her J.D. (2004) from the University of Michigan Law School. She earned a B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan (2001).

Katherine (Kate) Heptig, counsel in Farrell Fritz’s corporate department, has been selected by Long Island Business News as a “40 Under 40” award recipient for her leadership in business, support of Long Island’s not-for-profit organizations and commitment to the community. She will be honored at a gala on Thursday, January 21, 2016 at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, NY.

During her career, Heptig has handled several M&A transactions. Two matters on which she has recently worked include representing Cook Maran & Associates in its sale to Prime Risk Partners, and representing The Flood Group in its sale to Hub International Limited. Shehelped structure these transactions and negotiate and draft various agreements.

She played an integral role in launching the firm’s New York Venture Hub and Tax Law for the Closely-Held Business blogs. She has authored posts for both blogs.

Heptig is the chair of the Nassau County Bar Association’s Corporation, Banking & Securities Law Committee and a member of the Long Island Association’s Young Professionals Committee. She also lectures for professional organizations. She was selected to the 2015 (Tax) Super Lawyers New York Metro – Rising Stars and 2014 (Business/Corporate) lists. She was a recipient of Long Island Business News’ 2013 “Leadership in Law” Associate award.

Heptig has assumed a leadership role in several community organizations. She serves on the Board of Trustees and Governance Committee for The Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, and on the Dean’s Advisory Board for The Hofstra University College of Liberal Arts. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Long Island chapter of Girls on the Run, a nonprofit youth development program for girls in grades three through eight.

She is pursuing her Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Employee Benefits. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Hofstra University.

The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP announced that Chairman Emeritus John W. Daniels, Jr. received the Time Warner Cable Unity Award on Dec. 9 at the Milwaukee Urban League’s 56th Annual Equal Opportunity Day Luncheon. Daniels received the award in recognition of his years of leadership and advocacy, and the positive impact he has made on the Milwaukee community.

Daniels is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group, and is a strategic advisor to many of firm’s largest clients. During his tenure as chairman of Quarles & Brady, he grew the firm during the worst economy since the Great Depression, expanding its ranks of attorneys and adding new locations and national practice specialties. He is a champion of diversity and inclusion, and a much sought-after thought leader on multiple topics. Over the course of his storied career, Daniels has made significant contributions to the legal professional on the local and national level, as well as the Milwaukee community. He is a past national president of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, currently sits on the board of directors of Chicago United, is chairman of the board of Aurora Health Care, and is a former board chair of the Greater Milwaukee Committee.

Daniels also is the founder and host of the annual Fellowship Open Golf Tournament, whose principal objective is to work with and support organizations that have a meaningful and demonstrable difference in the lives of youngsters. Over the last 15 years, the Fellowship Open has donated more than $1 million to 70 local organizations serving Milwaukee’s youth. In 2011, Daniels helped established MKE Fellows, an extension of the Fellowship Open that provides career development activities for local African-American students at Atlanta’s Morehouse College and other historically black colleges around the country.

About the Milwaukee Urban League
The Milwaukee Urban League’s mission is to provide essential services and strong results-oriented programming to those who share with all of us a desire to be productive, contributing members of the community. A dedicated team of staff, volunteers, sponsors, and the Board open doors to information, skill development and other support to help African-Americans achieve their full potential and participate in the social mainstream, to secure economic self-sufficiency, parity and power, and civil rights.

About Quarles & Brady LLP
Quarles & Brady is an AmLaw 200 firm with more than 475 attorneys offering an array of legal services to corporate and individual clients that range from small entrepreneurial businesses to Fortune 100 companies, with practice focuses in health care and life sciences, business law, labor and employment, real estate, data privacy and security, and complex litigation. The firm has offices in Chicago; Indianapolis; Madison; Milwaukee; Naples, Florida; Phoenix; Scottsdale; Tampa; Tucson; and Washington, D.C. Additional information can be found online at quarles.com, as well as on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Misty Martin, a partner in the Chicago office of Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney, Ltd., has been included in the 2015 edition of 40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch, published by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.

Martin and 39 peers were selected from more than 1,200 nominations to receive the distinction.

“I have had the privilege of working with Misty for several years. She not only possesses strong legal skills but also shows sound judgment,” said Jeffrey Singer, Segal McCambridge founding partner and co-chairman. “Conscientious, dedicated to client service and possessed with people skills, Misty reveals the qualities of a top notch attorney who actually serves and protects the client’s interests.”

Now in its 16th year of publication, 40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch honorees are nominated and carefully chosen by their peers and members of the legal field in recognition of their practice excellence and commitment to the profession, the firm said in a release. Out of the 65,000+ attorneys licensed to practice in the state of Illinois, just 640 lawyers have been named to the 40 Under Forty list. Ms. Martin was selected because of her dedicated involvement with her clients in catastrophic personal injury or bet-the-company products liability cases over more than 10 years in practice.

Martin focuses her practice in litigation and business counseling. She represents corporation, insurance companies and individuals in general and complex litigation throughout the United States. She was a member of the team that obtained a landmark civil rights settlement of $22.5 million from the City of Chicago, the largest amount paid to a single plaintiff in the city’s history. Martin also handles pro bono employment and disability discrimination cases in the northern district of Illinois.

John E. Griffith Jr., a partner in DLA Piper’s Baltimore office, has been selected to receive The Daily Record’s 2015 Leadership in Law award.

The award recognizes 27 members of the legal community for outstanding work throughout Maryland. Griffith was selected from more than 70 nominees. Winners must have devoted time and energy to bettering the legal profession, as well as the communities in which they live and work. They must also have mentored future professional and community leaders.

Griffith is co-chair of the firm’s global Environmental Health and Safety Group and chair of the US Environmental Practice Group. With more than 35 years of experience representing high profile clients in a broad range of matters involving environmental issues, he is highly regarded both within DLA Piper and the legal community. Additionally, Griffith is involved in a variety of pro bono projects, including the firm’s Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) program, which assists disabled veterans whose disability stems from military service, Conservation International (CI), a science-based conservation organization on legal agreements required for the implementation of forest carbon conservation projects in Peru and the Nature Conservancy on projects related to creation and restoration of oyster reefs.

The winners were honored at an awards dinner Nov. 19 at the BWI Hilton in Baltimore.

Special counsel Galen Mason of Foley & Lardner has been named to Crain’s Chicago “40 Under 40” list. The publication annually recognizes Chicago professionals under the age of 40 who are leaders in business, government, philanthropy and the arts.

Mason was recognized for his ongoing work and commitment to Catapult Chicago, a non-profit working space for digital start-up companies that he helped co-found in 2012. As a founding sponsor of Catapult, Foley has supported the group’s growth through leased office space and access to the firm’s business network and Foley Ventures. The firm’s lawyers also provide counsel and free office hours for Catapult’s companies.

Robert C. Creighton has been named managing partner of Farrell Fritz, effective Jan. 1, 2016. Current managing partner Charles M. Strain will continue as a partner serving on the firm’s management committee.

In announcing the transition in a news release, Strain said: “I have had the privilege of serving as the firm’s managing partner for the past 15 years. It is time to give one of my colleagues the opportunity to take on this responsibility. Bob Creighton is a superb lawyer, and equally important, he is thoughtful relating to his colleagues, respectful of the firm’s ethos and genuinely interested in the well-being of everyone at the firm. With his firm-first attitude, I am certain that Bob will be a terrific leader going forward and will add his own very positive imprint on Farrell Fritz over the next number of years. I look forward to supporting Bob in his new role and becoming a more active lawyer again.”

The release continues:

During Strain’s years as managing partner, which included a deep recession, the firm has grown and thrived. “Charlie’s strong leadership has been a key driver of our success,” Bob stated. “During his service as managing partner, he has quietly demonstrated enormous compassion and kindness that has reflected the firm’s culture time and time again. He is a great role model and mentor to me and many within Farrell Fritz. I look forward to continuing to work with him as we grow the firm, while remaining true to the firm’s culture and character.”

Creighton said the hallmarks of Farrell Fritz – commitment to clients, to the firm’s employees and to the community – will continue to guide the Firm’s management. He emphasized that Farrell Fritz will continue to grow organically by providing opportunity for advancement from within the firm and will continue to pursue strategic growth opportunities through lateral additions.

Kennedy Law L.L.P. opened its second Texas office in Houston on Nov. 1, 2015.

The new office is at 363 North Sam Houston Parkway E, Suite 1100, Houston, TX 77060. The Dallas office remains at 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 4950,  Dallas, TX 75202.

The firm also announced that Robin Foret has joined the firm as a partner in the Houston office. She has 23-years’ experience in the area of employment lawyer and is board certified in labor & employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

In addition, David Ritter has joined the Dallas office as a partner. He has 20-years’ experience representing corporate and individuals in the area of business bankruptcy and business litigation.

Culhane Meadows PLLC, one of the nation’s largest cloud-based law firms, announces expansion into Houston along with the addition of nine lateral partners to support further growth of its technology, corporate, finance, international, real estate, tax and general business law practices in Texas.

The new lateral partners are Jonathan K. Hustis, Ajay Mago, Brent R. Somers, Gordon P. Williams, Jr. (Chuck), and James L. Young (all based out of the Dallas office, with Mr. Mago also practicing out of the Chicago office), along with Alicia L. Goodrow, Michelle D. Nickel, and Cliff Simpson (opening the Houston office), and Kristen Geyer (Austin). Mr. Mago joins the firm directly from Duane Morris LLP, and the other eight partners moved over from Phillips & Reiter PLLC.

In a release, the firm said Culhane Meadows continues to attract experienced, entrepreneurial business attorneys from distinguished organizations who are drawn to the firm’s innovative business platform.

“My colleagues and I considered a number of ‘new generation’ law firms as we contemplated our options for a lateral move,” explains Alicia Goodrow. “Ultimately, Culhane Meadows made it an easy decision because all of us were immediately impressed by the genuinely collaborative environment, the cutting-edge technology platform, and the exceptional caliber of partners who are available to serve our clients.”

Started by a group of former Big Law attorneys, some of whom had worked together for more than 15 years, Culhane Meadows now has attorneys based in seven major U.S. business markets: Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, and Washington DC. Unlike traditional law firms, Culhane Meadows does not employ any associates, and every lawyer is a partner with substantial experience at large national and international law firms or in-house legal departments of respected companies. The firm also utilizes a platform that leverages modern technology and cloud-based commuting.

The release continues:

Jon Hustis identifies the firm’s use of strong technology to drive collaboration, collegiality, and efficiency as a key factor that sets the firm apart from other cloud-based legal service providers. “Culhane Meadows provides a truly collaborative partnership balanced with a business model that relies on innovation to eliminate wasteful overhead typical of many traditional firms,” Hustis explains. “The firm’s commitment to delighting clients with prompt and excellent service at a very efficient price-point, and the growing bench of experienced counsel with diverse backgrounds made it a very attractive fit.”

Brent Somers points to the warm welcome he and his colleagues have received as confirmation of their decision to join the firm, noting that “Culhane Meadows has fully delivered on its promise to provide a better way to practice law.” He adds: “Who knew the practice of law could be this gratifying and this much fun?”

Ajay Mago says his clients’ feedback says it all. “Having spent nearly decade at Jones Day and Mayer Brown, my clients recognize and appreciate Culhane Meadows as the legal industry’s response to their changing needs,” he explains. “Business clients are savvy and they are discovering how to benefit from sophisticated Big Firm expertise without the legacy overhead of expensive offices and legions of untrained associates who train on the client’s dime.”

“This has been our quickest and largest multi-attorney expansion,” says Grant Walsh, one of the founding partners. “It has been a whirlwind of excitement and hard work, but we feel incredibly honored that so many amazing and talented attorneys have decided to make Culhane Meadows their professional home.”

Three attorneys from the Texas-based family law boutique Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, LLP, have been selected by the editors of D CEO magazine for the inaugural edition of the Dallas 500, which recognizes “the most powerful business leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth” in various professional categories.

Name partners R. Scott Downing and Keith Nelson were among the group of 12 family law attorneys selected to the list. Also honored was former state District Judge Marilea Lewis, who was selected to the list prior to joining the firm in October.

The selection of the Dallas 500 honorees was the culmination of more than a year of interviews and extensive research by D CEO editors. The publication features executives in more than 60 industries and business categories.

Downing is a litigator who has represented numerous family law clients in complex high-dollar property and custody cases. He has earned recognition in Texas Super Lawyers’; Top 100 Lawyers in Texas; D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas; and The Best Lawyers in America.

Nelson is an attorney with more than 30 years of experience in divorce and custody litigation. He also has been selected among the Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine; Top 100 Lawyers in Texas by Texas Super Lawyers; and The Best Lawyers in America.

Lewis served two terms as judge of the 330^th Family District Court in Dallas from 2002 to 2010 after serving as the court’s Associate Judge from 1992 to 2002. Like Downing and Nelson, she also has earned recognition among the Best Lawyers in Dallas in D Magazine, Texas Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America.

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

, the firm said in a release. Among the group is Kent Adams, the new regional managing partner of both offices.

Accompanying Adams are Allison Edwards, Tracy Freeman, Michael Jacobellis and Kristie Johnson, who will be named partners on January 1, 2016; Of Counsel State Representative Sarah Davis and Ronald White; and Associates John Busch and Cedar Manganiello. Attorneys Russell Heald and Ross Jones, also to be named partners on January 1, 2016, are located in the Beaumont office.

“We couldn’t ask for a more respected, capable team to join our firm,” said Daniel J. McMahon, Wilson Elser’s chairman. “Our aligned practices, combined with their national reach and the synergies among our attorneys in Texas and throughout the country, significantly increase our client-service capabilities in a number of key service areas.”

Practices represented among the new Wilson Elser attorneys include Admiralty & Marine, Commercial Litigation, Construction, Energy, General Liability & Casualty, Insurance & Reinsurance Coverage, Insurance & Reinsurance Defense, Product Liability, Professional Liability, Toxic Tort, Transportation and a London Market group.

“This is an exciting time for us,” said Adams. “We have joined a firm with attorneys we deeply respect and a culture that enables us to leverage litigation acumen and trial skills across practices and around the country to provide our clients with unmatched full-service legal solutions. We have known Wilson Elser attorneys for years and are happy to now call them our colleagues.”

“The acquisition of this group is part of Wilson Elser’s firmwide strategic growth initiative,” said Stratton Horres, regional managing partner of the Dallas office and the partner in charge of lateral hiring. “Throughout 2015, we have bolstered our traditional insurance-related practices as well as our nontraditional business lines, such as domestic and cross-border commercial services and intellectual property, among others.”

“With offices in Dallas, Houston, Beaumont and a newly opened Austin office, and with a deep bench of skilled attorneys, Wilson Elser has a formidable presence throughout Texas to service clients across all practice areas,” added Horres.  “I look forward to working with Kent on implementing our shared vision for the firm of continued growth throughout the state of Texas and the southwest region.”

The national trial and business law firm Rose•Walker LLP announced the addition of attorney Todd M. Starr as managing partner in the firm’s Pagosa Springs office.

The firm will conduct business in Colorado as Rose•Walker•Starr.

Starr is a trial lawyer who has tried cases in many states, including Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas and Arizona. For the past 15 years, he has held a variety of positions in county governments, including most recently the post of Archuleta County Attorney. In his role, Starr represented the county in numerous criminal and civil claims.

Starr resigned as county attorney on Sept. 21, but said he plans to continue representing the county on a contract basis.

“My background and skills position me rather uniquely to work with businesses and local governments during a time a great change in our area,” says Starr. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Todd has done an incredible job for Archuleta County,” says Michael Whiting, Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. “This is a great opportunity for him professionally and for the community because it will reduce the overall cost of legal services to taxpayers.”

Starr previously served as Dolores County Attorney on a contract basis while in private practice. While leading the Cortez, Colorado-based Starr Law Firm, he represented a wide range of clients in commercial litigation, and was elected to two terms on the Executive Committee of the Colorado Bar Association. He earned his undergraduate degree in business from Graceland University and his law degree from the Creighton University School of Law. He also earned an LL.M degree in banking law from Boston University and worked in the banking industry for several years.

“We are very pleased that Todd has agreed to join our firm and offer his diverse litigation experience and knowledge of the governmental process to our clients,” says Rose•Walker founder Martin E. Rose.

Clients need to understand that they must communicate fully with their lawyers if they want to receive the best possible legal advice, writes Francis Drelling in a new article. He says lawyers need to better understand what a client might “hold back” so that they can take steps, early on, to solve the problem.

He starts with the problem of clients withholding important information, possibly in an attempt to “sell” their case to the lawyer.

“Lawyers need to understand that they should make their point, their recommendations, and then listen to their clients,” he writes in the second point.

Other points include when to stop talking, hiding motives from the lawyer, and following the client’s directions.

Read the article.

David J. Beck of Houston is being honored by the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists (TACTAS) with the Lifetime of Excellence in Advocacy Award.

The award recognizes a local attorney who has, throughout their legal career, been an example of excellence in trial and appellate work. The Board of TACTAS nominates attorneys who they feel have consistently been examples of skill, zeal and professionalism, and the nominees are then voted on by the membership.

Beck’s firm, Beck Redden LLP, said in a release that he is consistently recognized as one of the country’s best trial lawyers and has been named in Best Lawyers in America 1985‐2016. “This recognition has grown from the consistent results he has achieved for his clients in his 50 years of practice. From the smallest disputes to the billion dollar cases, David understands the importance of each case to his client, and he approaches each with the same intensity and integrity that has served him – and his clients – so well for so long,” the release said.

Beck will receive the award during a ceremony held at the Four Seasons Hotel on Nov. 18, 2015.

TACTAS was established in 1986 to promote the availability, accessibility and quality of the services of civil trial and appellate lawyers to the public. TACTAS provides service to the public interest and advances the standards of the legal profession in the area of civil trial and appellate practices. TACTAS members include only attorneys and judges who have obtained board certification in Civil Appellate Law, Civil Trial Law, or Personal Injury Trial Law. Through its years of professional service, TACTAS has promoted high standards in professionalism, established principles and networking resources, and has provided integrity and strength for its members (www.tactas.org).

Beck Redden is a litigation firm that handles a wide range of disputes including commercial, oil and gas, product liability, antitrust, securities, environmental, insurance coverage, legal and accounting malpractice, white collar crimes, patent and other intellectual property cases.