CHICAGO –5 February 2005 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP has announced that 35 of its attorneys have been promoted to partner.
This is the first class of new partners since the mergers in October and December 2004 that created the global law firm DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, one of the five largest law firms in the world. The American component of the global firm, DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US, has more than 1,400 lawyers in offices across the country. The 35 new partners represent numerous practice groups and geographic areas, a reflection of the extensive nationwide reach and depth of practice the firm now boasts.
“We are pleased to welcome our colleagues into the partnership,” said Lee Miller, co-chair of DLA Piper. “This year’s class of new partners has an outstanding wealth of new talent that reflects the growth and the success of the firm. The depth of their experience, and the broad geographic reach of their practice, gives an immediate sense of the firm’s capacity to offer comprehensive services across the country.”
The new partners:
Austin
John M. Guaragna, a partner in the Patent Litigation practice group, is a trial lawyer who concentrates his practice on the litigation of patent infringement and other intellectual property-related lawsuits in federal court. He also has extensive experience with issues relating to the intersection between intellectual property and antitrust law, including a three-month antitrust trial before the Federal Trade Commission.. Mr. Guaragna’s clients range from high technology start-ups to Fortune 100 multinational corporations.
Baltimore
Kelly Tubman Hardy, a partner in the Corporate and Securities practice group, advises public companies on disclosure and corporate governance issues, shareholder relations, and compliance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nasdaq, and the major stock exchanges. She also represents private and public companies and investors with respect to acquisitions, financings, and other business transactions and serves as company counsel to various private and public companies. In 2004, the Baltimore Business Journal cited Ms. Hardy as one of the “40 Under 40” up-and-coming business leaders in the Baltimore region. She also is the winner of the Equal Justice Council’s 2001 Award for Outstanding Leadership and Sustaining Support and of DLA Piper’s Good Citizenship Award. Jason Harmon is a partner in the Corporate and Securities practice group. He concentrates in the area of corporate and securities law, including public and private equity and debt offerings, mergers and acquisition, and other corporate matters. His practice also emphasizes high technology and emerging growth companies, including Internet, communications, and biotech companies.
John Wellschlager, a partner in the Litigation practice group, represents public and private companies in connection with commercial, insurance, ERISA, and securities litigation. He has significant experience with corporate governance disputes, indemnification litigation arising from mergers and acquisitions, commercial contract disputes, and ERISA litigation. Mr. Wellschlager has represented U.S. companies from Maryland, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Florida, and California, and he has represented international companies from the United Kingdom, Norway, and Israel.
Jeffrey Yeatman is a partner in the Litigation practice group. He represents domestic and international manufacturers in products liability, class action, and warranty litigation, focusing on complex civil litigation cases, many of which involve complicated technological and procedural issues. Mr. Yeatman has represented numerous product manufacturers and distributors in serious personal injury claims and property damage claims relating to allegations of product defects or malfunction. He has also represented a number of manufacturers in nationwide class action suits based on claims of product defect. Boston Geoffrey Howell is a partner in the Real Estate practice group. He focuses his practice on real estate development, finance, and leasing and has represented regional and national owners and developers in a broad variety of commercial real estate transactions, including the development and operation of hotels, office buildings, and telecommunications facilities; the permitting of one of the largest residential developments in Massachusetts; and the redevelopment of an urban renewal project into one of Massachusetts’ largest biomedical laboratory facilities. The respected English research firm Chambers and Partners lists Mr. Howell as one of America’s leading real estate lawyers.
Dylan Sanders, a partner in the firm’s Litigation practice group, has significant experience in product liability complex business litigation and land use litigation. He has represented several national companies in the defense of product liability, wrongful death, negligence, and other personal injury claims, with an emphasis on managing complex, multi-plaintiff cases. In land use, he has represented major developers in metropolitan Boston in zoning litigation, environmental cost-recovery litigation, and litigation under the state’s waterfront development statute. His background also includes significant work in professional malpractice defense.
Chicago
Danielle Meltzer Cassel, a partner in the Real Estate practice group, focuses on transactional real estate, land use, and public incentives law. Her transactional and land use work covers a broad spectrum of property types, including urban and suburban retail and office developments, hotels, hospitals, schools, industrial parks and manufacturing facilities, power plants, and single-family and multi-family residential properties. She has co-taught seminars in zoning and land use law at both Northwestern University Law School and University of Chicago Law School. Ms. Cassel is the recipient of a “Tomorrow’s Leaders Today” award from Public Allies Chicago and a Special Recognition Award from the Partnership to End Homelessness.
Steven Christenholz, a partner in the Finance practice group, concentrates his practice in the area of bankruptcy and business reorganization. He has represented creditors, trustees, and creditors committees in Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases. Mr. Christenholz has also litigated contested mechanics’ lien, foreclosure, and bankruptcy matters and represented mortgage lenders in foreclosure actions, bankruptcies, and building code violation cases.
Lesli L. Falk, a partner in the Real Estate practice group, has experience representing purchasers, sellers, and owners of commercial property, including office buildings, hotels, shopping centers, and other retail sites. She also represents developers of retail sites in land acquisition and development issues and landlords and tenants in the negotiation of office and shopping center leases. Ms. Mann’s experience also includes representing lenders in mezzanine financings.
Gregory W. Hayes, a partner in the Corporate and Securities practice group, concentrates his practice in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, securities regulation, and general corporate law. Mr. Hayes has extensive experience in both public and private acquisition transactions and is experienced in all aspects of the corporate, financial, and securities issues related to such transactions. He also has extensive experience in the area of securities regulation, with special emphasis on the federal securities laws.
Jennifer Homer, a partner in the Finance practice group, focuses in commercial lending, secured transactions, and corporate finance. She represents borrowers and lenders in structuring, drafting, and negotiating a variety of financing transactions, including acquisition financings, secured and unsecured loan facilities, and workouts and restructurings. She also concentrates in the area of equipment finance, with an emphasis on corporate aircraft finance.
Jason Kaplan is a partner in the Finance practice group. He has diverse experience in the areas of commercial finance, corporate, debt restructuring, and workouts of distressed loans. Mr. Kaplan’s practice focuses on representing larger financial institutions and banks on a broad range of transactional matters. His practice also includes the representation of commercial finance companies in portfolio administration matters, including workouts, insolvency, loan documentation, due diligence, and acquisitions. Richard Morey, a partner in the Franchise and Distribution practice group, concentrates his practice in the areas of transactional franchising, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate law. He works with both experienced and start-up franchise clients to develop new franchise programs and address registration, disclosure, and franchisee relations issues. He also works extensively on international franchising and licensing transactions, including deals in Asia, Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Marilyn Pearson, a partner in the Labor and Employment practice group, has been a labor lawyer for nearly 30 years. She has significant experience advising clients on a broad range of labor issues. Ms. Pearson has negotiated numerous union contracts, letters of agreement, and settlements and has served as the lead negotiator for collective bargaining. With extensive experience in client counseling, she has conducted investigations of employee misconduct and represented clients in discharge and discipline cases, contract disputes, and cases involving alleged whistleblowers. She is also experienced in arbitration and mediation advocacy and has successfully resolved hundreds of cases. Andrew Scott is a partner in the Real Estate practice group. He represents developers, property owners, and businesses in issues of land use and zoning, economic development incentives, government relations, and ethics compliance. Before entering private practice, Mr. Scott was assistant counsel to the Honorable Michael J. Madigan, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, acting as staff attorney for the Electric Utility Deregulation, Public Utilities, and Environment and Energy Committees. His legal experience also includes work with the Capital Litigation Division of the Illinois Appellate Defender’s Office and the Illinois Commerce Commission.
Paul Shadle, a partner in the Real Estate practice group, concentrates his practice in the areas of general real estate, land use and zoning, tax increment financing and other public/private financing, and multi-family housing. In particular, he represents developers and municipalities in connection with the development and financing of complex retail, residential, office, hotel, and mixed-use projects, and the acquisition and disposition of land. Mr. Shadle also works on transactions involving the sale, purchase, exchange, and financing of multi-family housing projects, with a focus on public/private partnerships funded through the federal low-income housing tax credit, mixed-finance and HOPE VI programs.
East Palo Alto
William Goldman, a partner in the Intellectual Property practice group, focuses on the litigation of patents in district courts throughout the U.S., the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. International Trade Commission. He has extensive litigation experience in a broad range of technologies, including electrical systems, semiconductors, computer memories (volatile and non-volatile), wireless telecommunications, digital and analog circuits, computer architecture, Internet systems, medical devices, computer software, artificial intelligence, user interfaces, natural language processing, and optical device technologies. Brent Yamashita, a partner in the Intellectual Property practice group, focuses his practice on patent litigation. He represents clients in litigation against claims of patent infringement, and in copyright, trade dress, trade secret, and commercial litigation. Los Angeles Antony Buchignani, a partner in the Litigation practice group, is a commercial litigator focusing on complex business disputes in state and federal courts, as well as before the American Arbitration Association and other alternative dispute resolution forums. He has a wide range of experience in the areas of franchising, unfair competition, entertainment, products liability, real estate, intellectual property, and related business torts. Mr. Buchignani has advised a broad array of clients, from Fortune 50 corporations to small enterprises and individuals.
Angela Dotson, a partner in the Litigation group, practices in the areas of general commercial litigation and labor and employment. She has represented private entities in administrative proceedings and before various state and federal courts on many levels, including at trial. Ms. Dotson has also resolved many disputes through alternative dispute resolution techniques, including mediations. A poll conducted by the magazines Law & Politics and Los Angeles named her a “Southern California Rising Star for 2004.”
Edward Totino is a partner in the firm’s Litigation practice group, representing banks, securities broker-dealers, and other businesses in securities and complex commercial litigation. Mr. Totino was named a 2004 “Southern California Rising Star” and a 2005 “Southern California Super Lawyer” in the area of securities litigation by the magazines Law & Politics and Los Angeles.
New York
Stephen Davidson is a partner in the firm’s Litigation practice group. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts across the country. He has experience representing public and private companies, as well as the officers directors and employees of those companies.
Eric Falkenberry is a partner in the firm’s Litigation practice group. His practice focuses on product liability, with an emphasis in mass tort litigation and civil trial practice. He has defended pharmaceutical, medical device, automobile, and heavy industrial equipment manufacturers in federal and state courts throughout the United States. He is also experienced in commercial litigation and has represented international shipping companies in numerous commercial disputes throughout the world. Daniel I. Goldberg, a partner in the Corporate and Securities practice group, represents public and private companies in connection with corporate, securities, and mergers and acquisitions transactions. He forms and advises venture capital funds, including small business investment companies. In addition, Mr. Goldberg advises clients in broker-dealer, investment company, investment advisor, and related securities matters. Scott Stern is a partner in the Real Estate practice group. He represents financial institutions in commercial real estate loans and other types of asset-based lending. Mr. Stern also represents owners/developers in transactions involving office buildings, retail, multi-family apartment complexes, cooperatives, condominiums, shopping centers, and land development. Philadelphia Phillip E. Wilson, Jr., a partner in the Litigation practice group, has a diversified trial practice. His experience includes complex commercial litigation, counseling, and trial practice in federal and state courts and administrative bodies and before the AAA, and multiparty regulatory and administrative law matters. San Francisco Emily Maxwell is a partner in the Litigation practice group. She focuses in consumer class actions, unfair competition cases, mass tort and products liability litigation, complex business disputes, breach of fiduciary duty actions, and legal ethics and professional responsibility issues. Seattle Jeffrey J. Greene, a partner in the Corporate and Securities practice group, focuses in corporate and securities law, including public and private debt and equity offerings, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, and small business investment company licensing. His practice emphasizes high technology and emerging growth companies, including venture capital funds and software, hardware, and communication companies. Tampa Christian C. Burden, a partner in the Litigation practice group, focuses his practice on franchise and complex commercial disputes. He has conducted numerous trials and arbitrations and has represented clients and amici in Florida’s appellate courts and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Mr. Burden has significant experience with software license disputes, trademark infringement, business torts, claims of unfair trade practices, class actions, and employment law. Wilhelmina F. Kightlinger is a partner in the Real Estate practice group. She concentrates her practice in real estate law, commercial lending, and acquisitions. Ms. Kightlinger has spoken at various seminars on land trusts and Florida’s documentary stamp tax and non-recurring intangible tax.
Washington, D.C.
Virginia (“Nina”) Boggs, a partner in the Government Affairs practice group, represents national and international clients, including foreign governments, on a broad range of issues before the U.S. Congress and executive branch. Ms. Boggs counsels clients on developing and implementing strategic objectives that address specific needs or broader policy interests requiring attention by the federal government. She also represents clients in administrative proceedings before federal agencies. James M. Heintz, a partner in the Intellectual Property practice group, focuses on patent litigation and prosecution with an emphasis on electrical and computer technologies, including software, conditional access television systems, train control systems, optical sensors, integrated circuits, and semiconductors. He also has experience in patent litigation, as well as providing opinions and counseling clients regarding patentability, validity, infringement, and licensing.
Lisa R. Trovato, a partner in the Intellectual Property practice group, practices in the areas of trademark, copyright, trade secret, and Internet law. She focuses in intellectual property transactions and regularly works on trademark and copyright litigation. Ms. Trovato also counsels clients on a broad range of intellectual property issues including copyright compliance and branding. Anne Magee Vaughan is a partner in the Corporate and Securities practice group. She represents a variety of clients in connection with various business and finance transactions, focusing on corporate franchise transactions, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate representation.
About DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP is a business law firm of 1,350 lawyers in offices throughout the U.S., whose core practices are corporate and securities, litigation, real estate, intellectual property, and government affairs. Worldwide, DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary has 2,700 lawyers in 49 offices in 18 countries, including the United Kingdom, mainland Europe, and Asia, offering leading practices in Commercial; Corporate and Finance; Human Resources; Litigation; Real Estate; Regulatory and Legislative; and Technology, Media, and Communications.
