Start-up team includes cyberlaw attorney Matthew Yarbrough and leading ERISA lawyer David Cowart; law firm plans rapid growth, strong focus on IP and government litigation
DALLAS–LAWFUEL – Law News –National law firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP announced today that it has opened an office in Dallas. The office will be led by Matthew D. Orwig, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, who joins the law firm on June 1 to serve as Dallas managing partner and national chair of Sonnenschein’s Government Litigation and Investigations Group. Other attorneys immediately joining Sonnenschein’s Dallas office as partners are former assistant U.S. attorney and cyberlaw specialist Matthew E. Yarbrough and one of the country’s foremost authorities in the employee benefits and executive compensation arena, T. David Cowart.
Sonnenschein’s Dallas office will provide representation to the firm’s existing national clients with Texas-related matters, as well as to companies headquartered locally. The office will offer a strong focus on intellectual property litigation, government litigation and investigations, health care enforcement and compliance, and ERISA and other high-stakes matters for clients across the state, including in the litigation hotbed of East Texas.
“I am delighted to join one of the country’s litigation powerhouses and to help assemble a formidable team of attorneys,” stated Orwig. “Sonnenschein will be a prestigious addition to the Dallas legal community, quickly becoming a go-to firm for the most challenging intellectual property litigation, government litigation and investigations, and health care fraud and abuse representations in this region. We anticipate adding other extremely talented attorneys soon and aggressively expanding our capabilities, while also partnering with our colleagues firmwide.”
Orwig joined the Department of Justice as an assistant U.S. attorney in 1989 and was named U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas in 2001. During his tenure, he directed some of the most high profile and successful prosecutions in the country, including cases targeting public corruption, money laundering, securities fraud, insider trading, health care fraud, capital murder and domestic terrorism. He also has served on numerous subcommittees of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, including the White-Collar Fraud Subcommittee and the Health Care Fraud Working Group.
“The Dallas/Fort Worth market is a vibrant business center, presenting significant opportunities for Sonnenschein in a number of our core practices,” said Elliott I. Portnoy, Sonnenschein chairman. “We are honored that such talented attorneys have joined our team and look forward to rapidly establishing Sonnenschein as a top-tier law firm in Texas.”
Yarbrough has distinguished himself as a trial lawyer both in private practice and as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Texas. Most recently, he headed the cyberlaw practice at Fish & Richardson P.C., focusing on intellectual property litigation and government investigations, including defense of numerous complex white-collar criminal cases involving securities, banking, health care and business schemes. As an assistant U.S. attorney, Yarbrough created the first cybercrimes task force and pioneered the prosecution of cybercrime, earning recognition as an “Outstanding Prosecutor” by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He is internationally known for his expertise on technology litigation, appearing on “Nightline,” “20/20,” CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel and other prominent media.
Cowart, who joins Sonnenschein from Jenkens & Gilchrist P.C., is a national leader in the employee benefits community and frequent speaker to bar and industry groups across the country. He has served as chair of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Joint Committee on Employee Benefits, the ABA Tax Section’s Employee Benefits Committee, and the Health Care Task Force. He also is a former chair of the employee benefits and executive compensation section of the Dallas Bar Association. Cowart counsels clients on traditional retirement plans, health and welfare plans, and related merger and acquisition work. He also handles administrative controversy work, advises private equity firms on employee benefits and ERISA matters, and provides the ERISA expertise in major ERISA litigation cases.
Sonnenschein’s office is currently located in the Crescent complex in uptown Dallas. The firm expects to seek expanded office space within a year as it quickly grows to accommodate the demands of the Texas market.
At Sonnenschein, we are committed to providing the highest-quality legal and counseling services for all of our clients, all of the time. They include many of the world’s most admired businesses, nonprofits and individuals. Through integrated, inter-office teamwork, we help them to prosper and grow. For more information, visit www.sonnenschein.com.
