(HOUSTON) LAWFUEL – Andrews Kurth LLP announced today the election of seven of its lawyers to the partnership. Marcus W. Deitz, Tonya M. Gray, Jonathan I. Levine, Kenneth L. Rothenberg,
Lisa M. Shelton, Lori Lustberg Smith, and M. Katherine Strahan will assume their new positions on
January 1, 2009.
“The addition of these new Partners will greatly strengthen our firm,” said Bob Jewell, Managing Partner. “We are pleased to welcome them to the partnership.”
MARCUS W. DEITZ (Houston)
Marcus practices public law, with a focus in public finance. He has extensive experience serving as bond counsel, disclosure counsel and underwriters’ counsel in tax-exempt bond transactions for school districts, junior college districts, cities, counties, state agencies and special authorities. His experience includes assisting clients with general obligation bond issuances, lease purchase transactions and revenue-backed financings. In the past year alone, Marcus has acted as bond counsel, underwriters’ counsel and disclosure counsel on more than 65 financings totaling approximately $2 billion in aggregate principal amount. Marcus also has experience representing governmental entities in certain derivative transactions and regularly assists governmental clients with a variety of municipal law, school law and election law matters. Marcus received his J.D. in 1998 from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and his B.B.A. in 1995 from the University of Texas at Austin.
TONYA M. GRAY (Dallas)
Tonya’s practice encompasses complex civil and commercial litigation matters at both the trial and appellate levels and in both federal and state court. She has significant experience in intellectual property litigation defending patent infringement suits (particularly in the Eastern District of Texas) and trade secret misappropriation claims. Tonya’s intellectual property experience includes cases about battery technology, video games, electronic gift cards, internet advertising, check imaging, and online banking. Her practice also includes contract disputes, fiduciary claims, and general business and tort litigation. This year, Tonya was recognized as a Texas Rising Star in Texas Monthly magazine. Tonya received her J.D. in 1999 from Vanderbilt University School of Law where she was Notes Development Editor for the Vanderbilt Law Review. She received her B.S., magna cum laude, in 1996 from Southwest Missouri State University.
JONATHAN I. LEVINE “Jon” (New York)
Jon’s practice involves the representation of official and ad hoc creditors and stockholders committees, significant strategic and financial investors and debtors/issuers in complex Chapter 11 reorganizations and out-of-court restructurings. Jon’s practice also includes extensive experience in corporate and securities work, including: representing issuers and underwriters in public offerings and private placements of equity and debt securities; structuring and negotiating public and private mergers and acquisitions; venture capital financings; joint ventures/corporate partnering arrangements; and advising clients in contractual, banking and finance matters. In 2007, Jon was named an Outstanding Young Restructuring Lawyer in Turnarounds and Workouts. Jon received his J.D. in 2000 from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law and his B.A. in 1996, with Honors, from Stanford University.
KENNETH L. ROTHENBERG “Ken” (New York)
Ken specializes in advising investment banks, broker-dealers and hedge funds on legal issues related to the purchase and sale of domestic and international par and distressed assets, including primary and secondary loans, private debt securities, equity interests and bankruptcy trade claims. Ken also advises clients on corporate and securities matters. Ken’s practice focuses on advising investors in private equity and debt transactions, including secured and unsecured debt transactions. In addition, Ken represents clients in derivative transactions, with an emphasis on negotiating and structuring master agreements, credit support annexes and credit default protection. Ken received his J.D. in 2000 from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law where he was a member of the Order of St. Ives and editor of the Denver University Law Review. He received his B.A. in 1991 from the University of Pennsylvania.
LISA MONTGOMERY SHELTON (Austin)
Lisa’s practice focuses on environmental, health and safety counseling, compliance and liability. She has extensive experience analyzing environmental, health and safety issues associated with corporate and securities matters as well as transactions involving contaminated properties including Brownfield redevelopment. Lisa has experience in a wide spectrum of associated matters including negotiation of environmental insurance policies, indemnity provisions and access agreements as well as SEC disclosure issues for a wide range of industries. She has worked with industry associations and companies to address air, waste, water, wetlands and toxics issues in permitting, enforcement and regulatory forums. Her work includes the development of global compliance and environmental health and safety management systems and performance of environmental health and safety audits and investigations. In addition, she has assisted clients in the formulation of global strategies for product stewardship and pollution prevention, including RoHS and WEEE compliance. Prior to joining Andrews Kurth, Lisa was Senior Environmental Counsel for a Fortune 100 company and handled environmental, health and safety related compliance, risk and transactional issues worldwide. Lisa received her J.D. in 1987 from Texas Tech University School of Law and her B.A. in 1979 from the University of Vermont.
LORI LUSTBERG SMITH (Dallas)
Lori’s practice focuses on commercial real estate transactions, including the representation of clients in the acquisition and disposition of office, multi-family, multi-use, retail, and industrial properties, as well as all related financing. Her experience includes the representation of hospitality clients in connection with bond-financed hotel and convention center projects. She also has experience in negotiating (for both tenants and landlords) leases for office buildings, options to buy, retail space and industrial space, as well as easements, licenses, and all other real property-related matters. Lori regularly represents lenders in connection with origination, securitization and mortgage loan purchases, as well as workouts, forbearance, modifications, and exercise of remedies (including foreclosure), and frequently advises clients on issues relating to the servicing of commercial mortgage-backed securitized loans and compliance with related pooling and servicing agreements. She also regularly counsels clients in the drafting and negotiating of complex multi-tiered project and investor-level limited partnership agreements and assists with the exercise of rights and remedies, including exit strategies, withdrawal negotiations and removals. Lori was recognized as a Texas Rising Star in Texas Monthly magazine in 2005 and again in 2008. Lori received her J.D. in 1998, cum laude, from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and her B.A. in 1994, cum laude, from Southern Methodist University.
M. KATHERINE STRAHAN “Kathy” (Houston)
Kathy’s practice consists of commercial litigation, with an emphasis on employee welfare benefits and managed care litigation. As part of her ERISA practice, Kathy routinely represents insurers, plan administrators, and employers in medical, disability, life and AD&D benefits matters in federal district courts, as well as federal courts of appeals. Kathy’s ERISA practice includes written and oral advocacy of the jurisdictional, discovery and standard of review issues that typically arise in such cases, as well as defending administrative benefits decisions on the merits. As part of her managed care practice, Kathy regularly represents managed care entities in cases involving contractual disputes with health care providers, allegations of prompt pay violations, and business torts. She also has experience in representing insurance companies and managed care entities in bad faith litigation in state and federal courts. In addition, Kathy has represented clients in toxic tort litigation and commercial disputes. Kathy received her J.D. in 1999, cum laude, from the University of Houston School of Law Center and her B.A. in 1991 from the University of Texas.
