Perkins Coie Announce Firm Promotions

SEATTLE (November 10, 2021) — Powered by LawFuel - Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that 28 counsel and senior counsel have been promoted to partner effective January 1, 2022. The new partner class of 2022 includes: Alberto Araiza Diana Z. Bowman Alexander O. Canizares Jesús J. Castillón Michelle W. Chan Erin K. Earl Rebecca A. Eberhardt John D. Esterhay Oliver M. Gold Kiran H. Griffith Aaron M. Holloway Skyler M. Howton Mica D. Klein Daniel (Dan) S. Lewis Adam R. Mandelsberg Winfield (Win) B. Martin Ann E. McQuesten Rachel S. Mechanic Mitchell (Mitch) A. Meneau Matthew J. Moffa Paul L. Navarro Michael E. O’Brien Sarah (Hody) Shtylman Kyle B. Simon Barry G. Stratford Janice L. Ta Nina M. Varughese David R. Zoppo “Members of our new partner class have provided exemplary legal counsel and client service over many years, including throughout the global pandemic,” said Firmwide Managing Partner Bill Malley. “In promoting this class, we recognize their commitment to excellence and celebrate their unique backgrounds, perspectives, and areas of expertise that reflect the depth and breadth of our firm. I am pleased to welcome this highly accomplished group to the partnership and wish them continued success at Perkins Coie.” In total, 64% of the 2022 partner class is diverse, inclusive of women, people of color, LGBTQ+, and persons with disabilities. The class also includes lawyers who work reduced hours. Perkins Coie 2022 Partner Class Alberto Araiza (Palo Alto) is a member of the Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Consulting practice. Alberto provides data-driven patent counseling to develop patent portfolios that are targeted for the dynamic needs of clients ranging from early-stage startups to industry-leading companies. Drawing on his strong technical background in electrical and biomedical engineering, Alberto advises clients regarding valuations for sales and acquisitions and provides transaction analysis during tech companies’ mergers and acquisition transactions. Diana Z. Bowman (Chicago) is a member of the Construction Litigation practice. She represents public and private owners, contractors, design professionals, and specialty consultants. Her work includes drafting and negotiating form and manuscript agreements, advising clients on claim avoidance and resolution strategies, and representing clients in mediation, arbitration, and litigation. Alexander O. Canizares (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Commercial Litigation practice. He represents government contractors and other companies in litigation, investigations, and regulatory matters involving federal departments and agencies. As a former trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Division, Alex has served as lead counsel in cases involving the federal government. He advises companies in aerospace and defense, technology, healthcare, professional services, and other industries in a range of areas, including contract claims and disputes, and False Claims Act (FCA) matters. Jesús J. Castillón (Dallas) is a member of the Technology Transactions & Privacy practice. Jesús advises and negotiates on behalf of customers and vendors in a variety of technology-related transactions with a focus on IT procurement services, software, data and content licensing, cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS), managed services, and outsourcing implementation transactions. He also counsels clients on data security, data use, and privacy-related issues. Jesús chairs the Dallas office’s diversity committee and co-chairs the firm’s LGBTQ+ resource group. Michelle W. Chan (San Francisco) is a member of the Real Estate & Land Use practice. Michelle focuses her practice on land use entitlements, real estate development, environmental compliance, and related real estate transactions for mixed-use, commercial, and residential development projects. She represents developers, landowners, and public agencies in all stages of the development process including acquisition, entitlement, and development of land. Michelle also regularly advises clients on compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and negotiates purchase and sale agreements, easement agreements, and related transactional documents. Erin K. Earl (Seattle) is a member of the Privacy & Security practice. Drawing on her background as a software engineer, Erin defends companies, primarily in the technology industry, in privacy and data security litigation and government agency investigations, including inquiries from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Her litigation experience includes data breach class actions, as well as class actions brought under biometrics laws, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), call-recording statutes, and other privacy claims. Rebecca A. Eberhardt (Chicago) is a member of the Trust & Estate Planning practice. Rebecca’s experience includes trust and estate planning, probate, wealth preservation, trust administration, philanthropic planning, and family office management. She works with sophisticated individuals, families, executives, and their advisors to establish and revise strategic approaches to cross-generational wealth transfer and other issues related to complex trusts, estates, and personal wealth planning. John D. Esterhay (San Diego) is a member of the Patent Litigation practice. He focuses his practice on commercial litigations where advanced technical issues are at stake, such as patent, trade secret, breach of contract, and business tort litigations in a wide variety of technical industries, including semiconductors, integrated circuits, sensors, wireless communications, optics, e-commerce, software development, mobile application technology, medical devices, power storage, automotive, aerospace, and de-icing technology. Oliver M. Gold (Los Angeles) is a member of the Business Litigation practice. An experienced trial attorney, Oliver represents companies and individuals in a wide range of commercial disputes throughout state and federal courts in California, as well as in arbitration. Known for his work ethic, deep knowledge of California procedure, and multifaceted problem-solving abilities, Oliver consistently achieves his clients’ objectives in and out of the courtroom. Kiran H. Griffith (Seattle) is a member of the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice. Her practice focuses on healthcare and welfare benefit matters, including plan design and drafting, benefit strategy and innovation, healthcare vendor point solutions, and regulatory compliance. Kiran also advises on Affordable Care Act (ACA), ERISA, and trustee fiduciary matters relating to health and welfare plans, and she regularly advises on HIPAA privacy and security matters for health plans. Aaron M. Holloway (Seattle) is a member of the Real Estate & Land Use practice. Aaron represents real estate investors, commercial and residential developers, and building owners involved in real estate deals across the United States, including in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Seattle. He has managed portfolio and single-asset transactions nationwide in connection with the acquisition and sale of properties and loans secured by such properties. Skyler M. Howton (Dallas) is a member of the Business Litigation practice. She manages all aspects of litigation, from pretrial matters to settlement negotiations, discovery disputes, extensive motion practice, and trials. Skyler’s experience includes matters involving breached contracts, director and officer disputes, real estate, fiduciaries, creditors’ rights, intellectual property, and labor and employment. Skyler’s versatile practice is attributable to her deep understanding of Texas procedure, her trial skills, and her application of project management tools to litigation of all sizes. Mica D. Klein (Seattle) is a member of the Construction practice. Mica counsels owners and developers on public and private construction transactions ranging from tenant improvements to major new construction. As part of her transactional practice, Mica drafts and negotiates construction contracts, professional services contracts, and various other modified American Institute of Architects (AIA) and bespoke agreements. In addition to transactions, Mica prosecutes and defends construction disputes in mediation, litigation, and arbitration, and regularly advises clients regarding significant change orders and warranty issues. Daniel (Dan) S. Lewis (Chicago) is a member of the Trust & Estate Planning practice. Dan counsels individuals, business owners, and families on a wide variety of tax, wealth-transfer, wealth-preservation, business, and philanthropic matters. Dan has extensive experience in the areas of estate planning, family office planning, probate, and estate and trust administration, focusing on sophisticated strategies designed to efficiently minimize taxes and to achieve his client’s specific lifetime and testamentary goals. Adam R. Mandelsberg (New York) is a member of the Commercial Litigation practice. Adam prosecutes and defends high-stakes litigation on behalf of public companies, financial institutions, sports leagues and player agents, public authorities, and individuals. Adam frequently appears before federal and state courts from New York and Delaware to Texas and California. Adam also has substantial experience in fraud matters and litigation surrounding the digital currency space and has represented cryptocurrency traders and mining firms in a range of civil, criminal, and regulatory proceedings. Winfield (Win) B. Martin (Seattle) is a member of the Intellectual Property practice. Win represents clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to individuals across a wide variety of industries, including aviation, food and beverage, manufacturing, and retail/e-commerce. His practice focuses on trademark and copyright selection and prosecution, as well as intellectual property and domain enforcement online and in e-commerce environments. Ann E. McQuesten (Portland) is a member of the Corporate & Securities practice. Ann counsels clients at all stages and across a wide range of industries on corporate transactions, corporate governance, and securities compliance. She regularly represents issuers and investors in debt and equity financing transactions, and buyers and sellers in mergers, acquisitions, and corporate reorganization transactions. Rachel S. Mechanic (New York) is a member of the White Collar & Investigations practice within the Commercial Litigation practice. Rachel maintains a broad litigation practice representing and advising companies, board committees, senior executives, and other individual clients in high-stakes matters, including government and internal investigations, regulatory enforcement proceedings, and commercial litigations. She regularly advises and defends clients in matters proceeding simultaneously in regulatory, white-collar defense, and civil litigation forums. Mitchell (Mitch) A. Meneau (Chicago) is a member of the Trust & Estate Planning practice. Drawing on his background as a certified public accountant, Mitch counsels on estate planning strategies to efficiently minimize income and transfer taxes through the creation of trusts, business entities, and charitable organizations, as well as the use of gifts, sales, and other wealth-transfer strategies. Matthew J. Moffa (New York) is a member of the Intellectual Property practice. Matthew is a registered patent attorney whose clients range from small tech startups to the world’s largest technological and commercial innovators. Matthew's practice includes litigating patent infringement and trade secret claims in federal court and before the International Trade Commission (ITC) and advising clients on patent prosecution, acquisition, licensing, and divestiture. He represents clients in the United States, Europe, and Asia operating in the telecommunications, computer sciences, energy, automotive, life sciences, and financial industries. Paul L. Navarro (Los Angeles) is a member of the Emerging Companies & Venture Capital practice. Paul provides business counseling to help emerging companies and institutional investors succeed. He works with a wide range of companies in the United States and Latin America, and has substantial experience in equity and debt financings, general corporate governance, exit events, restructurings, and recapitalizations. Michael E. O’Brien (Anchorage) is a member of the Labor & Employment practice. Michael counsels business and institutional clients as they navigate labor and employment law issues, and they often turn to him for representation in litigation, arbitrations, and negotiations. He frequently advises organization leaders on traditional labor, discrimination, investigations, and human resources operations. Sarah (Hody) Shtylman (Palo Alto) is a member of the Technology Transactions & Privacy practice. Sarah advises innovators in the fintech and blockchain industries, and her clients range from entrepreneurs and startups to big tech and regulated financial institutions. With experience in financial services, regulatory issues, and in transactional matters, Sarah counsels on a variety of regulatory, commercial, compliance, and product development projects, including non-fungible tokens (NFTs), regulated digital asset platforms, in-game currencies, and payment services integrations. Kyle B. Simon (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions practice. Kyle represents private equity funds and public and private companies in complex business transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, carve-outs, minority investments, secondary investments, and joint ventures. He also advises private company clients and portfolio companies on general corporate matters. Barry G. Stratford (Phoenix) is a member of the Commercial Litigation practice. Barry focuses his practice on commercial litigation matters, including large environmental disputes, antitrust investigations and litigations, and business disputes. He also defends clients against allegations of trade secret theft. His work includes multiparty cleanup litigation under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), California’s Hazard Substance Account Act (HSAA), “toxic torts” under state law, trade secret misappropriation, product liability, and insurance coverage cases. Janice L. Ta (Austin) is a member of the Intellectual Property practice and chair of the firm’s Lawyers With Disabilities Resource Group. Janice is a litigator who helps tech companies enforce, license, and litigate rights related to patents, trade secrets, trademarks, and copyrights. She works with clients globally—from startups to universities to Fortune 500 companies—across a range of technology areas, including computer software and hardware, wireless broadband, telecommunications, semiconductors, and light-emitting diodes. Nina M. Varughese (New York) is a member of the Financial Transactions practice. Nina advises domestic and multinational financial institutions on all aspects of capital market debt transactions, including unsecured, secured, and structured financings. Her practice also includes both in-court and out-of-court restructurings representing debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, indenture trustees, and committees of creditors. Drawing on her significant experience in finance, refinancing, and restructuring matters, she also advises clients on risk mitigation and litigation prevention. David R. Zoppo (Madison) is a member of the Environment, Energy & Resources practice. David represents clients in administrative proceedings and contested case hearings before the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). In his litigation practice, he represents clients in environmental, energy, and land use matters in state and federal court. He also counsels clients regarding compliance and enforcement under major federal environmental statutes such as the Clean Air Act. Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,200 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.

Perkins Coie Announce Firm Promotions

About The Author

LawFuel Editors

Subscibe to LawFuel

About The Author

LawFuel Editors

Read More