14 July – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Eleven lawyers in the Chicago office of Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP are among the 28 associates and counsel elected to partnership in the firm, which now has 601 partners in offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. As of July 1, the new partners are Chris E. Abbinante, Corporate; Zulfiqar Bokhari, Banking & Financial Transactions; Jeffrey E. Crane, Insurance and Financial Services; Thomas D. Cunningham, Insurance and Financial Services; Robert N. Hochman, Litigation; Sherry A. Knutson, Product Liability and Mass Tort; Eileen M. Liu, Employee Benefits; Andrew P. Massmann, Real Estate; Rachel Blum Niewoehner, Litigation; Gregory J. Robbins, Investment Products and Derivatives; and Allison J. Satyr, Banking & Financial Transactions.
“These new partners are outstanding lawyers who embody our collegial culture and client service orientation,” said Thomas A. Cole, chair of the firm’s Executive Committee.
“We value their abilities and skills, knowing that they represent Sidley’s future,” added Charles W. Douglas, chair of the firm’s Management Committee. “We are pleased to welcome them as partners.”
Chris E. Abbinante, 32, is a partner in the Corporate group. He has represented public and private companies in mergers, leveraged buy-outs, acquisitions, hostile takeover defenses and joint ventures. He has advised issuers and underwriters on public offerings, private placement of equity and debt securities, venture capital and related transactions.
Mr. Abbinante, who had been an associate, received his J.D., cum laude, in 1997 from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and was Comments Editor and Associate Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. Mr. Abbinante received his B.B.A., magna cum laude, from University of Notre Dame in 1994.
Zulfiqar Bokhari, 33, is a partner in the Banking & Financial Transactions practice. He focuses on a range of issues arising out of multicurrency financial transactions, including commercial, bankruptcy and tax issues and corporate, trust and securities laws issues. He has represented lenders, participants, agents and borrowers, and his practice includes both secured and unsecured single currency, multicurrency and cross-border financings. Mr. Bokhari has concentrated recently on transactions involving working capital, leveraged acquisition and recapitalization financings, as well as workouts and restructurings, and the establishment of foreign collateral packages.
Mr. Bokhari, who had been an associate, received his B.A., magna cum laude, in 1993 from the University of Notre Dame and in 1996 received his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School.
Jeffrey E. Crane, 38, is a partner in the Insurance and Financial Services group. He focuses on the defense of insurance class actions, complex and multi-district litigation. He represents insurance companies in a variety of class actions arising out of market conduct practices, product offerings, and interest crediting practices, among other areas. Additionally, Mr. Crane has substantial experience in general commercial litigation, and has successfully defended corporations and individuals in cases involving securities fraud, antitrust, white-collar criminal defense, and False Claims Act Medicare fraud.
Mr. Crane, who had been Counsel, received his J.D. in 1992, magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law. In 1990 he was an extern for the Honorable James B. Zagel. Mr. Crane received a B.B.A. with high distinction from the University of Michigan in 1989.
Thomas D. Cunningham, 34, is a partner in the Insurance and Financial Services group. He counsels and represents insurers and reinsurers in dispute resolution, transactional, financial and regulatory matters.
Mr. Cunningham, who had been an associate, received his J.D. in 1995, cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School. In 1992, he received an A.B. from the University of Michigan, with high honors and high distinction.
Robert N. Hochman, 34, is a Litigation partner, focusing on general commercial appellate litigation. Mr. Hochman served as law clerk to Chief Judge Richard Posner of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and to Justice Stephen Breyer of the United States Supreme Court.
Mr. Hochman, who had been an associate, received a J.D. with highest honors in 1997 from the University of Chicago Law School, where he served as a Comment Editor for the University of Chicago Law Review and received the Casper Platt award for student academic writing. In 1993, Mr. Hochman received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Carleton College.
Sherry A. Knutson, 33, is a partner in the Product Liability and Mass Tort group. Her practice emphasizes mass tort litigation, including complex litigation, class actions, and the national coordination and defense of pharmaceutical product liability cases. Ms. Knutson clerked for the Honorable N. Patrick Crooks, Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1996-1997.
Ms. Knutson, who had been an associate, graduated with a B.A. in History, magna cum laude, from Marquette University in 1993. She received her J.D. with high honors from Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1996, where she was a Notes and Comments Editor for the Chicago-Kent Law Review.
Eileen M. Liu, 33, is a partner in the Employee Benefits group. She represents and advises clients in connection with the establishment and administration of tax-qualified plans, nonqualified retirement plans, equity-based compensation arrangements, welfare plans and executive compensation arrangements. Ms. Liu has also represented companies on executive compensation and employee benefit matters in connection with mergers and acquisitions.
Ms. Liu, who had been an associate, received her J.D. in 1997, cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law, where she was Associate Articles Editor of the Northwestern University Law Review. She earned a B.A. degree, with honors and Phi Beta Kappa, from Northwestern University in 1994.
Andrew P. Massmann, 33, is a partner in the Real Estate group. He represents institutional lenders and investors in connection with securitized mortgage loans, portfolio mortgage loans, franchise loans, mezzanine loans and loan servicing matters. He also represents corporate, institutional and not-for-profit clients in connection with the acquisition, disposition, leasing and development of real estate.
Mr. Massmann, who had been an associate, received his J.D., magna cum laude, in 1997 from Valparaiso University School of Law, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Valparaiso University Law Review. He received a B.A., magna cum laude in 1993 from Concordia University.
Rachel Blum Niewoehner, 33, is a Litigation partner. She has a particular focus on aviation and securities litigation, and also handles a variety of matters including contract and corporate governance arbitrations, insurance coverage disputes and class action litigation.
Ms. Niewoehner, who had been an associate, received a J.D., magna cum laude, in 1997 from Harvard Law School. In 1993, she received her A.B., magna cum laude, from University of Michigan with high honors and highest distinction.
Gregory J. Robbins, 35, is a partner in the Investment Products and Derivatives group. He represents clients in federal securities and commodities law, particularly relating to over-the-counter and exchange-traded derivative products and to the regulation of clearing agencies, exchanges, boards of trade, broker-dealers, futures commission merchants and other participants in the securities and commodities markets. He also advises clients regarding securities and derivatives-related regulatory and corporate matters, including hedge funds, swaps, commodity pools and securities, futures and derivatives trading.
Mr. Robbins, who had been an associate, received his J.D., cum laude, in 1997 from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif. He received his B.A. in 1991 from Yale University. He was a Clerk for Judge Robert Harlan Henry, United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, from 1997 until 1998.
Allison J. Satyr, 33, is a partner in the Banking & Commercial Finance group. She has represented companies and financial institutions in connection with the structuring of and investment in secured and unsecured financings and asset-backed securitizations.
Ms. Satyr, who had been an associate, received her J.D. in 1997 from University of Pennsylvania Law School. She received a B.A., in 1994 from Cornell University, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
The firm also named the following to partnership in its other offices: Dallas – Li Chen; London* – David P. Butler and Jason A. Richardson; Los Angeles – Garrett K. Craig, Samantha B. Good, Ivy H. Jones, Melanie S. Murakami and Edward C. Prokop; New York – Giselle M. Barth, Marshall D. Feiring and Geoffrey T. Raicht; Washington, D.C. – Marinn F. Carlson, Jay T. Jorgensen, Eileen L. Kahaner, George B. Parizek, Anna L. Spencer and James C. Stansel.
