CHICAGO, July 29, 2008 (LAWFUEL) – The international law firm Bryan Cave LLP (www.bryancave.com) today announced the firm’s Chicago office will expand, including getting greener and extending its international reach with the arrival of five new lateral partners, two counsel and one associate.
“Our office has experienced substantial growth since we first embarked on our plan to become a full-service Chicago office in 2004,” said Jeff Morof, managing partner of Bryan Cave’s Chicago office. “With the addition of this latest group of professionals, we have grown from eight lawyers in the spring of 2004 to nearly 60 attorneys representing prominent Chicago, U.S. and international businesses and financial institutions.”
The new partners concentrate primarily in three practice areas: environmental, including regulatory and litigation-related matters, with a particular emphasis on the emerging area of alternative energies; transactional, including a cross-border practice that will complement Bryan Cave’s Milan office; and business-related litigation matters, including high-profile toxic tort litigation.
“Expanding the Chicago office is consistent with one of our strategic goals, which is to position ourselves to address our clients’ legal needs in key markets and practices,” said Don Lents, chairman of Bryan Cave. “We have taken painstaking measures to grow by carefully selecting individual practitioners and practice groups that share the collegial and entrepreneurial spirit – and dedication to quality of service – for which Bryan Cave is known.”
The new partners are:
Nicola Fiordalisi concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and cross-border transactions. He specializes in representing Italian businesses operating in the U.S. and U.S. businesses operating in Italy. Fiordalisi serves as an international arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association and the International Center for Dispute Resolution. He serves as honorary legal adviser to the Italian Consul General of Chicago and as honorary legal counsel to the Italian Trade Commission of Chicago.
Fiordalisi received his J.D. in 1988 from Bologna University Law School and in 1993 from Loyola School of Law in Chicago. He is licensed to practice law in Italy, New York and Illinois.
Bryan Keyt focuses his practice on a range of environmental, energy, health and safety matters. He regularly counsels clients regarding compliance with environmental, health and safety laws. Keyt defends clients in enforcement actions brought by U.S. EPA, OSHA and state agencies. Additionally, he has extensive experience representing clients in real estate and corporate transactions and advising regarding due diligence issues. This experience includes advising clients regarding “brownfield” redevelopment projects and managing projects through state voluntary remediation programs. Also, Keyt regularly advises alternative energy companies (e.g., electric, gas and thermal) and other businesses regarding a variety of state and federal legal and regulatory issues.
Keyt received his J.D. in 1993, with honors, from DePaul University’s College of Law and his B.A., cum laude, in 1988 from Colgate University.
Francis X. Lyons specializes in environmental compliance, corporate environmental audits and due diligence, enforcement defense, litigation and permit negotiations and appeals. From 1999 through 2001, Lyons served under President Clinton as the regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region V, overseeing a staff of 1,300 responsible for all U.S. EPA policy and enforcement initiatives in the Great Lakes Region. He previously prosecuted environmental enforcement matters as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, and as an assistant attorney general for the state of Illinois.
Lyons received his J.D. in 1988 from Loyola University in Chicago and his B.A. in 1984 from the University of Minnesota.
S. Patrick McKey is a commercial litigator specializing in international disputes, mass and toxic torts, products liability and public law. He has additional experience with internal investigations, risk and liability counseling, regulatory compliance and product recalls. McKey also regularly counsels foreign clients establishing operations in the U.S. regarding insulating and protecting corporate and shareholder assets.
McKey received his J.D. in 1989 and his B.S. in 1984 from the University of Wisconsin. He studied comparative law at the University College Cork (Ireland) College of Law.
Mike Ohm has developed a diverse environmental, energy and natural resource practice. In addition to traditional environmental permitting, counseling and defense work, Ohm has developed a number of emerging practice niches such as brownfield redevelopment of private and military facilities, endangered species and wetland banking, mitigation, conservation and valuation. Prior to his more than 20 years in private practice, Ohm worked in public service first at U.S. EPA in the area of waste management rulemaking and state authorization and followed by service as an assistant attorney general of the state of Illinois from 1986-1988, responsible for environmental matters.
Ohm received his J.D. in 1985 from DePaul University’s College of Law and his B.A. in 1982 from the University of Illinois.
The new counsel are:
Thor W. Ketzback’s practice experience extends to all areas of environmental law, but his practice focuses specifically on Clean Air Act (CAA) counseling and litigation. Ketzback assists clients in determining the impact of new CAA initiatives, including greenhouse gas and mercury regulation. Additionally, he has extensive experience representing clients in the alternative and renewable energy sectors in all aspects of environmental and general legal counseling.
Ketzback received his LL.M. in environmental law in 1997 from The George Washington University Law School. He received his J.D. in 1995 and his B.A. in 1992 from DePaul University.
Brent W. Vincent’s practice focuses on all areas of environmental law with a specialization in litigation. Vincent represents clients in litigation matters involving complex toxic tort matters, focusing on environmental and scientific issues. He counsels clients on environmental land use issues and advises clients on compliance with municipal, state and federal environmental, health and safety laws.
Vincent received his J.D. in 1999 from Northwestern University School of Law and his B.A., cum laude, in 1994 from Washington & Lee University.
The new associate is:
Allyson W. Wilcox concentrates her practice on environmental transactional work and environmental litigation. She counsels developers and private owners on brownfield redevelopment and has worked extensively on projects involving air, land and water contamination and regulatory compliance.
Wilcox received her J.D. in 2003 from Pepperdine University School of Law and her B.A. in 2000 from the University of California at San Diego.
Bryan Cave LLP has a diversified international legal practice. The firm represents a wide variety of business, financial, institutional and individual clients, including publicly held multinational corporations, large and mid-sized privately held companies, partnerships and emerging companies. Subsidiaries Bryan Cave International Trade and Bryan Cave Strategies LLC provide trade and customs consultancy and government relations and strategic counsel, respectively. Aided by extensive investments in technology, Bryan Cave’s more than 1,000 lawyers and other consulting professionals in 23 offices across the United States, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, the Middle East and Asia efficiently serve clients’ needs in the world’s leading business and financial markets.
For more information, contact:
Meghan Clinton, (212) 576-2700 ext. 245
mclinton@goodmanmedia.com
