The iManage leadership team has announced that it has completed a buyout from Hewlett-Packard (HP) for the purchase of the complete iManage business, including its brand, products and services. iManage co-founder and current General Manager Neil Araujo is the CEO of the management-owned company, now one of the largest independent software companies focused on work product management solutions for professional services firms and their clients. Rafiq Mohammadi, also a co-founder and former CTO of iManage, is returning to the company as Chief Scientist.

“With this buyout now complete, the iManage team has rededicated itself to our customer and partner community around the world,” said Araujo. “They have trusted us with their most important assets, and we are proud to begin a new era of innovation and ultimate market leadership in partnership with them.”

The newly independent iManage is led by the founding executives responsible for making iManage the market leader relied upon by nearly 3,000 of the most prestigious professional organizations worldwide. iManage helps legal, accounting and financial services firms and the corporate departments they serve streamline the creation, sharing, governance and security of their work product to improve productivity and client service.

With a 20-year innovation track record and support from an existing global network of integration partners, the newly independent iManage is a well-established and profitable business. Today, 80 percent of the largest law firms in the U.S., a majority of the largest firms in Europe and more than 400 corporate legal departments rely on iManage. In addition to WorkSite (document and email management), the HP products in this transaction include LinkSite (secure file sharing), Universal Search (enterprise search and analytics) and WorkSite Records Manager (records and information governance.)

iManage will continue utilizing HP cloud services for its private and hybrid cloud offerings. The company will also resell relevant HP products, including TeleForm and HP Process Automation, and will have ongoing access to other relevant technology, including HP IDOL. In addition, iManage will maintain its partnership with HP Managed Print Services for document process automation solutions based on integrating HP multifunction devices with WorkSite.

“For us, iManage is much more than a product; it’s a community that spans our people, partners, customer organizations and nearly one million users, many of whom have been with us for a decade or more,” said Araujo. “This buyout allows us to serve the community we care about with a culture based on listening and working with customers, developing innovative products and providing best-in-class services and support.”

Industry Response

“It’s rare in enterprise software to see a management team with 18 years continuous experience in a market space make the decision to recommit and go deeper. It says a lot about the company’s belief in its opportunity, and its confidence in its product direction and the loyalty of its customers,” said Melissa Webster, Program Vice President, Content and Digital Media Technologies at IDC. “iManage’s unwavering focus on customer needs around managing professional work products, together with insights gained from extensive interviews with end users, should enable the company to innovate with fresh approaches – both for productivity and for security and governance.”

“This is very exciting news,” said Andy Jurczyk, CIO at Seyfarth Shaw. “At Seyfarth we constantly look for better ways to serve our clients, and iManage is key to our business as it helps our attorneys manage client work product. We believe an independent iManage will gain industry focus, scale and agility to drive the innovation we need to deliver legal services more efficiently, more effectively and more transparently.”

“We rely on iManage as a best-of-breed solution for electronic matter management,” said Richard Harris, CIO of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. “As the provider of one of our business-critical applications, it is vital that we also have a close relationship with the iManage team, and we have always found them exceptional in this regard. We are delighted to see iManage take this next step in their evolution and look forward to the renewed focus this will bring to developing the best possible tools for legal communities.”

“It’s been a pleasure working with such an experienced and cohesive team that is passionate about client productivity. Given iManage’s loyal customer base and proven financial performance, the company is well positioned to drive growth and innovation within Enterprise Content Management Software,” said John Smart, Managing Director, BMO Harris Bank. “We are excited to be the financial partner of choice for what we believe will be a dynamic Chicago based technology company, one that is changing how professionals work.”

Key Facts

• The management team owns the controlling interest in the newly independent iManage. HP has no financial interest.
• iManage counts among its global customers 1,800 law firms, including 80 percent of the top 100, and more than 400 corporate legal departments, 120 government agencies and 250 financial services firms.
• iManage continues to grow; in its last full fiscal year under HP, iManage added one new customer on average of every two business days.
• The company is profitable and well capitalized through a financial partnership with Bank of Montreal.
• iManage will be headquartered in Chicago, with offices in Silicon Valley, London and Bangalore.

About iManage

iManage is the leading provider of work product management solutions for legal, accounting and financial services firms and the corporate departments they serve worldwide. Every day iManage helps professionals streamline the creation, sharing, governance and security of their work product. Nearly 3,000 organizations around the world—including more than 1,800 law firms—rely on iManage to help them deliver great client work. Headquartered in Chicago, Ill., iManage is a management-owned company.

The former general counsel of TCP International Holdings of Aurora, Ohio, has reached a settlement with the company in her lawsuit alleging the company’s former CEO of physically assaulting her, of threatening and bullying her, of damaging the value of the company for stockholders, and of unethical and reckless business practices.

TCP, one of the country’s leading LED light bulb manufacturers, settled the suit brought by Laura Hauser, for $3.9 million, according to SEC documents filed this week, according to Cleveland.com.

“Hauser, the company’s general counsel since 2013, sued her boss, former CEO Ellis Yan, in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court in February,” the website reported.

Read the article.

A Texas state court jury handed down a $19.9 million verdict against Canadian stock promoter Robert Kubbernus based upon findings of fraud and violations of the Texas Securities Act, according to a report on PRWeb. The verdict included actual and punitive damages, and after pre-judgment interest and attorney’s fees and expenses are added, the total judgment could exceed $25 million. The case, JoAnn Schermerhorn, et al. v. CenturyLink, Inc. and Robert Kubbernus, et al., was tried before Judge Michael Landrum of the Harris County District Court in Cause No. 2010-09675.

New York City-based Samuel Goldman & Associates was retained by more than 60 investors and shareholders in SkyComm Technologies Corp., to pursue their claims against Kubbernus and CenturyLink, the company that turned control of SkyComm over to him in 2006. SG&A worked with local trial counsel, Eric Fryar and Christina Richardson, of Houston’s Fryar Law Firm, and Harold Obstfeld, a New York securities litigator, in securing the verdict after five and a half years of litigation and a three week trial.

Read the story.

After a trial court and intermediate appellate court had ruled that an arbitration clause in a consumer contract was unconscionable, the California Supreme Court reversed in a recent ruling, finding the clause was enforceable in Sanchez v. Valencia Holding Co., LLC, reports Liz Kramer in Stinson Leonard Street’s Arbitration Nation.

She wrote: “[T]he court found that because the buyer could not negotiate the provisions of the sales contract, he had established ‘some degree of procedural unconscionability.’ (The buyer did not have to prove he tried to negotiate the arbitration clause.)  The court could then address the buyer’s claims of substantive unconscionability.”

“This decision puts California squarely in the mainstream on the unconscionability of arbitration agreements,” she continued. “It also offers very useful guidance for California courts (or those applying California contract law) facing future arguments about the unconscionability of arbitration clauses.”

Read the article.

Munck Wilson Mandala, the Dallas-based technology law firm, announces that litigation attorney Aaron D. Davidson is joining the firm as a partner.

In a release, the firm said that Davidson represents both plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial litigation and intellectual property disputes, including patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret matters. With extensive experience in life sciences litigation, Davidson also represents pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in product liability lawsuits and government investigations. As defense counsel, he recently defeated a nine-figure patent damages claim that was featured in Texas Lawyer newspaper (Volterra Semiconductor Corp. v. Primarion).

“As a firm, two of our primary areas of focus are technology and trial work,” says William Munck, managing partner of Munck Wilson Mandala. “Aaron certainly strengthens both areas, and his skills in the courtroom will greatly benefit our clients.”

Davidson has earned repeated recognition on the annual Texas Rising Stars list of the state’s top young lawyers based on his work in intellectual property litigation and business litigation, representing clients in jurisdictions across the country. He began his practice at Baker Botts L.L.P. where he worked as a partner for the last seven years.

Davidson earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School and holds a B.A. in Political Science from Taylor University, graduating magna cum laude.

“Aaron Davidson is an excellent addition to our practice group,” says Jamil Alibhai, chair of Munck Wilson’s Litigation Section. “His litigation experience will be a great asset to the firm and our clients.”

Munck Wilson Mandala is a technology-focused law firm with offices in Dallas and Marshall, Texas, with an emphasis on patent, trade secret, trademark and other intellectual property disputes. According to the release, the firm offers full-service counsel in the areas of intellectual property litigation, complex commercial litigation, intellectual property portfolio development, corporate transactions and securities, and employment law. Munck Wilson Mandala represents clients from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies.

National law firm Dykema has announced the addition of Lea Courington and R. Chris Harvey, both as senior counsel, to its Dallas office at Comerica Bank Tower. Prior to joining Dykema, both Courington and Harvey practiced at the Dallas firm of Stewart Courington Dugger Dean, PLLC.

Courington focuses her practice on health care, government investigations and white collar criminal defense, antitrust and pharmaceutical matters. She defends physicians, hospitals, health care systems, other healthcare providers, and officers and directors in False Claims Act and qui tam cases. She also represents them in parallel criminal and civil governmental investigations and program integrity inquiries and audits arising from whistleblower complaints and allegations of Medicare and Medicaid fraud. A former trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, her experience includes both civil cases and the prosecution and defense of white collar federal criminal matters.

Courington has successfully defended physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care providers before their respective state licensing boards and has extensive experience in medical staff peer review investigations and proceedings. She negotiates clinical trial agreements and counsels and assists clients with disclosure obligations in reimbursement, overpayment, anti-kickback, and Stark Law matters, as well as structuring transactions to comply with those statutes.

Courington, who has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer each year since 2007, received a J.D. from Duke University School of Law, and a B.A., magna cum laude, from Southern Methodist University.

For more than 40 years, Harvey has tried a wide variety of cases ranging from motion picture antitrust cases to First Amendment cases to complex products liability actions. He previously served as the head of the products liability division at Strasburger & Price. He has extensive experience in the trial of products liability cases over a wide variety of products involving catastrophic injuries.

Harvey was selected as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1991, has served as Chairman of the Dallas County Grievance Committee and Chairman of the Disciplinary Review Committee of the State Bar of Texas, and has also served on the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas.

Harvey has been recognized by the Best Lawyers in America each year since 2010, including being listed as the 2013 “Lawyers of the Year” in Dallas for Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Product Liability. He received an LL.B. from the University of Texas Law School, and a B.B.A. from the University of Texas.

“We are very pleased to welcome both Lea and Chris to our Healthcare and Litigation practices in Dallas,” said Bill Finkelstein, Managing Member of Dykema’s Dallas office. “Their experience handling such a wide variety of matters will make them valuable resources for the firm and its clients.”

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney has announced the addition of two highly experienced intellectual property attorneys, shareholder Alfred W. Zaher and counsel Shawn S. Li, Ph.D., to the firm’s Philadelphia office. The new hires expand Buchanan’s nationwide IP practice in the northeast corridor.

In a release, the firm said Zaher and Li will focus their practices on patent and trademark litigation, patent prosecution, licensing and counseling with a heavy focus on U.S. and international clients in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemical, electronics, software and medical device industries. Both also have extensive experience advising multinational clients on protecting IP rights in China.

“Alfred and Shawn bring an expanded offering to Buchanan adding to our already strong national patent and trademark litigation and post-grant practices. Their experience in the Asia Pacific region gives a boost to Buchanan’s expanding reach, particularly in an emerging market such as China,” said Matthew L. Schneider, section leader of Buchanan’s IP Section.

“Buchanan provided unique strengths and the feel of an IP boutique with the broader-based platform of a strong national general practice firm. We saw this as a tremendous opportunity not only to grow our IP practice in the US, Europe and China, but also to expand into corporate and other opportunities not available at other firms,” said Zaher.

“We were looking for a full-service firm with an international reach that could support our growing practice particularly in the biotech and software space, and also provide the expertise that would allow us to assist our clients in other areas such as FDA, corporate and immigration. Buchanan has the resources in place to meet those needs,” said Li.

“We are very excited to have Alfred and Shawn join us here in Philadelphia. Their practices are a great complement to our current capabilities, and we are already actively working on increased client opportunities. They are a welcome part of our office’s and our firm’s continued growth, both in practice areas and client base,” said Joseph A. Dougherty, Buchanan’s CEO-Elect.

Both Zaher and Li join the firm from Novak Druce’s Philadelphia office and bring a wealth of experience to Buchanan, the release said.

Zaher, a first-chair litigator, concentrates his practice on patent, trademark and trade secret litigation, licensing and counseling. He has experience representing clients before U.S. courts, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Copyright Office. Zaher leverages his working relationships with Chinese officials and law firms to successfully manage clients’ patent and trademark portfolios in China, including identifying and prosecuting infringers in the Chinese court system.

Before entering law, Zaher was a research electrical engineer with more than 10 years of technical experience at organizations such as The Boeing Company and Litton Industries. He earned a law degree from St. John’s University, engaged in graduate studies in Electrical Engineering at Drexel University and earned a B.S. degree in Engineering Science from the City University of New York.

Dr. Li’s comprehensive intellectual property practice involves developing global protection strategies, drafting and prosecuting U.S. and international patent applications, representing clients in reexamination proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and negotiating and preparing complex licenses and related agreements. He also advises clients on issues related to protecting intellectual property in China.

In addition to gaining experience working for nationally recognized law firms, Dr. Li has worked as a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of physiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and as a graduate research assistant at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine at the New York University School of Medicine. He earned his law degree from Temple University, a Ph.D. and M.S. degree in Pharmacology from New York University and a B.S. degree in Biology from Peking University.

About the Firm
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC has more than 530 attorneys and government relations professionals practicing throughout the United States, with an office in Washington, D.C. and in 18 cities across states, including California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, ruling in a vacatur of arbitral award case, found that an arbitrator exceeded his authority in a multiple-party, multiple-contract AAA arbitration by acting in accordance with one arbitration agreement, but contrary to the arbitrator appointment and forum selection clauses in other arbitration agreements involving an intervening party.

Baker & McKenzie associate Eileen Theresa Flynn, writing in an article posted on Lexology, wrote about PoolRe Ins. Corp. v. Organizational Strategies, Inc.

“Reviewing the vacatur de novo, the Fifth Circuit agreed that Ramos acted contrary to the express provisions of the PoolRe arbitration agreements and affirmed the vacatur decision,” Flynn wrote.

Read the article.

Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP has added David Cabrales as a litigation partner in the firm’s Dallas office. Cabrales also will work with members of the firm’s Government Affairs team in Austin.

Cabrales, who joins Gardere from Locke Lord LLP, has broad experience representing clients in government and commercial litigation matters. He frequently represents financial institutions, securities broker-dealers, retailers, and life and health insurance companies in traditional, class-action and multidistrict lawsuits, and arbitrations. Cabrales also counsels clients in matters before state government, and represents businesses in litigation matters initiated by state attorneys general.

From 2007 to 2009, Cabrales served as general counsel to Texas Gov. Rick Perry, leading a legal team that advised the governor and his staff on a variety of topics at the intersection of law and public policy. He served as principal economic development advisor for the governor and helped administer the Texas Enterprise Fund, the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, Texas One and other programs in the governor’s economic development portfolio. In addition, Perry appointed Cabrales to the Texas Economic Development Corporation in 2010 and again in 2014, where he served as chairman from 2010 to 2012. He is a member of the bipartisan Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee, which is composed of leading Texas attorneys who screen and recommend nominees for vacancies on the federal bench and in U.S. attorney offices across Texas.

“As a former general counsel to the Texas governor, David has a broad understanding of the important issues facing our clients today,” says Gardere Chair Holland N. O’Neil. “His commercial litigation and state government expertise will be welcomed by our clients, and will further enhance our Litigation and Government Affairs practices. He is an excellent addition to the Gardere team.”

A graduate of Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, Cabrales began his legal career as a briefing attorney to former Texas Supreme Court Justice Raul Gonzalez. He is a member of the United Way of Texas Board of Directors and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Foundation, as well as a past member of the Texas Racing Commission. 

“Gardere is the premier Texas-based law firm, and has the top government affairs group in Austin,” says Mr. Cabrales. “The Firm’s attorneys are among the most respected in their field. I am excited to be joining this exceptional group of professionals.”;

Cabrales is the latest high-level addition to Gardere. Texas State Representative Jason Villalba joined the firm’s Dallas office in July, and litigation partner Craig Dillard joined the Houston office in January.

Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, an Am Law 200 firm founded in 1909 and one of the Southwest’s largest full-service law firms, has offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston and Mexico City. Gardere provides legal services to private and public companies and individuals in the areas of corporate, energy, environmental, financial restructuring and reorganization, financial services, government affairs, hospitality, insurance, intellectual property, international, labor and employment, litigation, private equity, real estate and tax.

Stradley Ronon announced that commercial litigation and insurance attorney Mark D. Villanueva has joined the firm as a partner in its Philadelphia office. He was most recently a partner with McCarter & English.

Villanueva represents clients in commercial litigation matters, having amassed extensive litigation experience at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts and in arbitration proceedings. He also counsels clients in the negotiation and drafting of commercial contracts and sponsorship agreements. Villanueva has worked with companies in numerous industries, including insurance, energy, oil and gas, financial services, pharmaceutical and health care.

Villanueva brings with him to Stradley Ronon significant litigation, transactional and intellectual property matters, the firm said in a release.

“Mark is widely regarded as one of the region’s top young attorneys, and we are thrilled to have him join Stradley Ronon,” said firm Chairman William R. Sasso. “His commercial litigation and insurance experience complements our existing practice areas and further advances our mission of providing clients with skilled attorneys committed to providing value-driven results.”

“Joining Stradley Ronon gives me a large, sophisticated and highly visible platform from which to serve my clients,” said Villanueva. “While I was familiar with the firm’s deep roster of legal talent in areas such as litigation, insurance, intellectual property and corporate law, I was just as impressed with its commitment to responsive, efficient, comprehensive client service, which is particularly attractive to my contacts.”

Stradley Ronon’s nationally recognized insurance practice group counsels leading insurers, reinsurers and producers, and, when necessary, litigates on their behalf. The firm helps insurers resolve disputes regarding the full spectrum of commercial and individual coverage lines, including transactional and regulatory matters and complex claims and litigation. In addition, Stradley Ronon’s complex commercial litigation practice represents public and private companies in a wide range of industries on litigation issues including securities fraud allegations, director and office liability, merger and acquisition disputes, shareholder disputes, intellectual property claims, business torts, contract claims and lender liability matters. The firm’s litigation practice group was recognized by The Legal Intelligencer as one of the top litigation departments in Pennsylvania.

“Mark’s unique combination of business savvy and courtroom experience strengthens the capabilities of our growing corporate and litigation teams,” said Stradley Ronon Insurance Practice Group Chair Steven B. Davis “His passion for the law and commitment to client service will instantly resonate with our client base.”

Prior to joining McCarter & English, Villanueva clerked for the Honorable Paul S. Diamond of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He began his legal career as an associate at Drinker Biddle. Villanueva was honored as one of The Legal Intelligencer’s “Lawyers on the Fast Track.”

He received his J.D. magna cum laude from The Catholic University Columbus School of Law, where he was notes and comments editor of The Catholic University Law Review, and his B.A. from Bucknell University.

About Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young

Counseling clients since 1926, Stradley Ronon has helped private and public companies – from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations – achieve their goals by providing pragmatic, value-driven legal counsel, the release said. The firm has seven offices throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP has relocated the firm’s Houston office. Although the firm will remain in Wells Fargo Plaza in downtown Houston, the office, spanning nearly 75,000 square feet, will be relocated to floors 20-22, effective immediately.

“We are thrilled to begin operation out of our new and innovative office,” says Gardere Vice Chair Eric A. Blumrosen. “The space is designed to accommodate modern law firm operations, particularly the use of technology. Our new office will enable us to implement multiple efficiencies for our clients, lawyers and staff for years to come.”

In a release, the firm said the fully redesigned interior office space will allow Gardere to incorporate state-of-the-art technology and workspace amenities for its employees. In addition, the modernized configuration will accommodate future growth and further embodies the firm’s brand and culture. The relocation emphasizes Gardere’s commitment to client service, responsiveness and overall quality of work – fundamental to the success of the firm and its clients.

Gardere’s leadership team felt it was in the firm’s best interest to remain at Wells Fargo Plaza based on its first-rate facilities and easily accessible location, the release said. The firm has been a Wells Fargo Plaza tenant for the past 16 years.

The property is the largest multi-tenant building in the southwestern United States with more than 1.7 million square feet of rentable office space. The building occupies an entire city block, surrounded by Louisiana, Lamar, Smith and McKinney Streets in downtown Houston. CBRE manages and leases the building.

The new Houston office address is 2000 Wells Fargo Plaza, 1000 Louisiana Street, Houston, TX 77002.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced the addition of Jennifer Fraser to its Intellectual Property Practice Group as a Member in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. Prior to joining Dykema, she served as Co-Chair of Novak Druce Connolly Bove + Quigg LLP’s national trademark and copyright practice, working out of its Washington, D.C., office.

In a release, the firm said Fraser represents clients in matters involving trademark procurement and protection as well as trademark and copyright litigation. Her practice focuses on the selection, use and enforcement of trademarks, including managing global brand portfolios, litigating rights before courts and administrative tribunals such as Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and resolving domain name and Internet-related IP disputes.

Fraser represents clients in many industries, including construction, machinery, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, information technology, agriculture, consumer products, industrial chemicals defense and cybersecurity. She has significant trial experience and has prosecuted thousands of trademark applications. Fraser also counsels clients and renders corporate-related due diligence and licensing services.

She is a former Examining Attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, has been recognized as a leading trademark practitioner in Washington, D.C., by World Trademark Review and has also been recognized as a Super Lawyer.

“We’re extremely pleased to add someone of Jennifer’s caliber and reputation to our Washington, D.C., office,” said Eric Fingerhut, Leader of Dykema’s Trademark Practice. “I’ve known Jennifer and admired her work for many years and I am thrilled she is joining our team. Her vast trademark experience and deep understanding of the businesses she serve fits right into Dykema’s model of outstanding client service. I have no doubt Jennifer will be an extremely valuable resource to the firm and its clients.”

Fraser received a J.D. from the Howard University School of Law, and a B.A., in History, as well as a minor in Justice Studies, from the University of New Hampshire.

About Dykema
Dykema serves business entities worldwide on a wide range of complex legal issues. Dykema lawyers and other professionals in 15 U.S. offices work in close partnership with clients – from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies – to deliver outstanding results, unparalleled service and exceptional value in every engagement.

The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP announced its recognition in “Raising the Bar” 2015 by Equality Illinois, a yearly recognition of top Illinois LGBT-friendly law firms.

Quarles & Brady was one of 42 firms recognized for protecting the rights of Illinois lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees, providing a safe, fair, and integrated work environment, and participating in related community outreach programs, the firm said in a release. These law firms are also featured in the 2015 Raising the Bar report.

“When you enter any office of Quarles & Brady, you are greeted with a sign that reads, ‘This Law Firm Serves Everyone’,” said George Marek, co-chair of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. “It serves as a visible reminder of our commitment to diversity and inclusion.”

As part of its diversity initiatives, Quarles & Brady provides domestic partner benefits, and an LGBT liaison attorney is assigned to each new LGBT attorney as part of its mentoring program. The firm also interviews and recruits LGBT law students and sponsors numerous events in the LGBT community.

About Equality Illinois
Equality Illinois was founded in 1991 to secure, protect and defend the basic civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Illinoisans, and is the state’s oldest and largest LGBT advocacy organization.

About Quarles & Brady LLP
Quarles & Brady is a full-service AmLaw 200 law 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, 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.

Kat Gallagher, partner in Beck Redden’s Houston office, has been invited to become a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL).

“With more than 25 years practicing law, Kat has distinguished herself as an elite trial lawyer with outstanding instincts for how to best tell her client’s story in the most persuasive and compelling manner,” the firm said in a release. “Her invitation to become an IATL Fellow is well deserved.”

The news release continues:

“I am truly honored and grateful to become an IATL Fellow” said Kat. “I am humbled to have received this recognition from the judges before whom I have appeared and from my peers.”

Kat will officially be inducted as an IATL Fellow during a ceremony to be held on July 25, 2015.

Membership in the Academy is limited to only 500 Fellows in the U.S. under the age of 70.  Standards for admission are high and the process is extremely thorough. Imperative qualities for every nominee include outstanding skills and extensive experience as a trial lawyer, unimpeachable personal and professional character, and integrity and honesty, among others.

The purposes of the IATL are to promote the rule of law, promote reforms in the law, facilitate the administration of justice, and elevate the standards of integrity, honor, and courtesy in the legal profession globally.

The National Association of Corporate Directors is offering a complimentary consultation to discuss a customized program for your board designed to help your organization’s board collaborate with management in setting the company’s cyber-risk strategy.

The program concludes with directors and executives agreeing on a clear set of cyber-risk priorities — along with milestones and responsibilities for making them happen.

The program is designed to help:

• provide the board with context around cyber risk
• lead constructive discussions with management
• produce a concrete roadmap for allocating resources to cyber-risk initiatives

Board and C-Suite Cyber-Risk Alignment is an in-boardroom customized program led by active directors with experience in the appropriate industry. It covers such topics as

• identifying vulnerabilities and ranking their importance
• determining which assets must be protected
• challenging flaws in the enterprise risk map
• understanding materiality and liability related to cyber risk
• defining appropriate cyber-risk and ERM indicators for your dashboard

Prospective participants may call 202-572-2081 or email Steve_Walker@NACDonline.org.

A young woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted in 2011 by the owner of a pizza restaurant in Addison, Texas, has been awarded $21.43 million following a four-day bench trial heard in the 193rd District Court in Dallas.

Judge Carl Ginsberg issued the award after hearing evidence that Ajredin “Danny” Deari, owner of co-defendant Pastazios Pizza in Addison, served the then-18-year-old victim multiple rounds of beer and whiskey at the restaurant under the pretext of a job interview.

According to a release issued by the plaintiff’s law firm, the victim eventually passed out and awoke in a nearby hotel room while she was being sexually assaulted by Mr. Deari, who then fled the scene. Subsequent physical examinations determined that Deari had infected her with herpes during the assault.

The woman, who is identified as “Jane Doe” due to the nature of the assault and her age at that time, was in Judge Ginsberg’s courtroom throughout the trial.

“The judge called this the most offensive set of facts he had ever seen during his time on the bench,” says Dallas attorney Trey Crawford of Gruber Hurst Elrod Johansen Hail Shank, who represented the woman at trial with co-counsel Royce West of Dallas’ West & Associates L.L.P. and Gruber Hurst Elrod co-founder Michael Gruber.

Deari pleaded no contest to criminal charges and the next day filed for personal and business bankruptcy protection. Pastazios continues to operate under Chapter 11 status.

“This is certainly one of the largest bench trial judgments in Dallas County in recent memory,” says Mr. West. “This young woman has been waiting for justice for four long years, and she’s fought very hard to make sure that every business owner is aware of the consequences of their actions.”

Gruber Hurst Elrod attorney Brian Mason also represented the woman at trial.

The case is Jane Doe v. Pastazios Pizza, Inc.; and Ajredin “Danny” Deari, No. 13-04564.

Exigis LLC, a minority-owned company, is suing the city of Dallas in federal court for violating its own policy about awarding points for involving minority-owned businesses seeking city contracts, reports The Dallas Morning News.

The issue is whether businesses like Exigis, which lost out to a white-owned company, should get credit just for being owned by minorities and women.

“The Exigis lawsuit could settle the differences of opinion as to whether it’s legal for local governments to consider race in awarding contracts,” The News report says.

Read the article.

Two attorneys and a paralegal from the Law Offices of John W. Giblin, Jr., P.C. have joined Farrell Fritz. The Melville-based, Martindale-Hubbell AV-rated firm concentrated in estate planning, business succession planning, estate management and estate litigation.

John W. Giblin, Jr., a Lloyd Harbor, NY resident, is counsel to the firm, concentrating in trusts and estates law. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Fairfield University. He is admitted to practice before all courts in New York State, as well as the United States Tax Court and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Yeshim E. O’Donnell, a Lloyd Harbor, NY resident, is also trusts and estates counsel. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree from The Johns Hopkins University. She is admitted to practice in New York.

JoAnn Jostlin, a Jericho, NY resident, is a paralegal.

Jennie D.G. Azoulai

Jennie D.G. Azoulai, General Counsel News Chief Marketing and Business Development Consultant, was quoted in the Everlaw Blog about her impressions at Legal Tech West in San Francisco July 13-14.

Everlaw builds e-discovery and litigation cloud platforms used by law firms, corporate counsel and government attorneys. LegalTech is part of ALM Conferences and Trade Shows, a producer of educational and networking events for business leaders and professionals.

She responded to two questions: “What are you liking about Legaltech West Coast?” and “How has your experience here been, compared to previous conferences you attended?”

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The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) has issued a final written decision confirming the patentability of five patent claims covering card-reader technology invented and owned by Washington University Professor Dr. Robert E. Morley Jr. In its decision, the PTAB rejected a series of challenges to U.S. Patent No. 8,584,946 filed by San Francisco-based mobile credit card processing company Square Inc.

The patent claims upheld by the PTAB in the July 7 decision also are being asserted by Morley against Square in a separate patent infringement lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Attorneys Brad Caldwell, Jason Cassady and Austin Curry of Dallas’ Caldwell Cassady & Curry represent Morley in the Missouri court proceedings. Caldwell also defended the ’946 patent at the PTAB trial heard in March in Washington, D.C.

Since the America Invents Act was signed into law in 2011, more and more companies have challenged patents in inter partes review trials before the PTAB, which largely has ruled in favor of patent challengers. Recent statistics show that only 18 percent of claims instituted in PTAB proceedings are confirmed.

“We’re very glad that the Board found in our client’s favor on five separate claims,” says Caldwell. “Square built its company around Dr. Morley’s inventions. We continue to believe that Square should take responsibility for its flagrant infringement of Dr. Morley’s patents, and we are honored to help him make sure that happens.”

Dallas-based Caldwell Cassady & Curry represents clients in intellectual property disputes and commercial litigation claims. The firm is home to trial lawyers who have tried and won some of the biggest verdicts of the past decade against some of the largest companies in the world.