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DOJ Veteran Joins King & Spalding’s Antitrust Division

rebneely — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:00:51 +0000

King & Spalding announced in recent days that a 32-year veteran of the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice Donna N. Kooperstein has joined the firm as senior counsel in Washington, D.C.

She joins King & Spalding’s antitrust practice from the Department of Justice. There, she most recently served as chief of the antitrust division’s transportation, energy and agriculture section.

Jeffrey S. Spigel, leader of King & Spalding’s antitrust practice was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Donna’s tenure at the Justice Department and her extensive experience handling antitrust matters related to the transportation, energy and agriculture sectors give our practice additional depth and increase our capacity to help our clients in their antitrust matters in general and especially in DOJ-related matters. We are pleased to welcome Donna to our team.”

At the Department of Justice, Kooperstein supervised numerous high-profile matters, including the litigation challenging JBS’s proposed acquisition of National Beef; the successful effort in the KeySpan financial derivative case to obtain judicial endorsement of disgorgement as a Sherman Act remedy; and the lawsuit and settlement involving the proposed $27 billion Exelon/Public Service Enterprise Group electricity merger. As well, she played a major role in the department’s civil price-fixing suit against the major domestic airlines, U.S. v. Airline Tariff Publishing Co. In addition, Kooperstein supervised numerous investigations and cases in the oilfield services, agricultural biotech, railroad and maritime sectors, as well as the department’s competition advocacy activities before the Department of Transportation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Federal Maritime Commission.

Kooperstein earned her J.D. degree, with high honors, from Rutgers University School of Law, and a B.A. degree from the University of Michigan.

Kooperstein was quoted as saying: “I am excited to join the talented lawyers in King & Spalding’s antitrust practice and look forward to advising our clients in a variety of industries on key legal and policy issues affecting them.”

King & Spalding’s global competition/antitrust practice was recognized by Chambers Global in 2011. The firm represents clients on a regular basis in complicated antitrust matters before the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, European Commission, state attorneys general and other key competition authorities around the world, drawing on extensive enforcement authority experience and private practice expertise to guide clients safely and successfully through all phases of civil and criminal enforcement actions and merger investigations.

King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad variety of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100. With 800 lawyers in 17 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, the firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients.

The United States Department of Justice is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice. The DOJ is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate and is a member of the Cabinet. At present, the Attorney General is Eric Holder.

K&L Gates Adds Partners in Brussels and Washington, D.C. Offices

rebneely — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 08:00:51 +0000

In recent days, global law firm K&L Gates LLP added Jeroen Smets as a corporate partner in its Brussels office. In addition, Fatima S. Sulaiman joined as a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. investment management, hedge funds and alternative investments practice. Prior to her joining as a partner, she practiced from 1997 to 2009.

Smets, who joins K&L Gates from Taylor Wessing LLP, advises clients on a broad range of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and structured and leveraged finance transactions, with a focus on management buyouts and acquisition finance. He has practiced in Brussels for over fifteen years.

Martin Lane, K&L Gates’ Managing Partner, Europe was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “We are delighted that Jeroen has joined our growing Brussels office. His experience and deal track record will add a further dimension to our transactional practice there, which assists international businesses and institutional investors seeking to grow their operations in Belgium.”

Smets was quoted as saying: “It is a unique opportunity for me to join K&L Gates’ success story and strengthen the corporate and regulatory team in Brussels. The resources this firm can mobilize across the globe are impressive and the integrated corporate and M&A practice is recognized as one of the legal industry’s leading practices. It is a very exciting prospect to be able to be part of the further development of the practice in Belgium and internationally and to provide a first class service to our clients through this platform.”

Smets is the second new partner to join K&L Gates’ Brussels office. In recent months, Flavia Distefano joined as a competition and regulatory partner.

Sulaiman advises clients, including investment companies and advisory firms and independent directors, on a variety of transactional, regulatory, and compliance matters. These include mergers and acquisitions, fund reorganizations, contract advice, federal securities law disclosure, and compliance program review and development.

David T. Case, Administrative Partner of K&L Gates’ Washington, D.C., office was quoted as saying: “Fatima’s experience in the financial services sectors will be a tremendous asset to K&L Gates’ clients. We’re delighted to have her back.”

Global law firm K&L Gates has over 1900 lawyers practicing out of 38 offices located in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and represents numerous GLOBAL 500, FORTUNE 100, and FTSE 100 corporations, in addition to growth and middle market companies, entrepreneurs, capital market participants and public sector entities. The firm has seven practice areas, which are Corporate and Transactional; Energy, Infrastructure and Resources; Financial Services; Intellectual Property; Litigation and Dispute Resolution; Real Estate; and Regulatory and Policy.

It is ranked as the ninth largest law firm in the United States by the National Law Journal. The firm is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Law Firm Kirkland Ellis Commits $2.75 Million to Stanford Law School to Fund Scholars’ Program and Annual Forum

rebneely — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:03:04 +0000

Stanford Law School recently announced law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP has committed $2.75 million over five years to the law school. The funds, which were made possible through the firm’s foundation and through individual partners’ contributions, will fund a scholars program, honoring the law school’s top first-year students, as well as a yearly forum on important legal issues for students, alumni, and the Bay Area business and law community.

Stanford Law School Dean Larry Kramer was quoted as saying in a press release at Kirkland Ellis’s website: “This generous support from Kirkland & Ellis will enable Stanford Law School to continue to transform legal education and prepare the next generation of leaders through innovative, interdisciplinary and international programs, new and expanded forms of clinical education, and a renewed commitment to public service.”

The newly established Kirkland & Ellis Scholars Program will recognize first year law students who have performed at the very highest level. Each year, six first-year students will be designated Kirkland & Ellis Scholars, based on overall scholastic achievement across a variety of courses. Now, students may win awards in individual courses. These awards, known as “book prizes,” will help determine who among the first-year class deserve recognition with the highest honor, the Kirkland & Ellis Scholar designation. The award is unique at the law school.

Kramer was quoted as saying of the program: “The Kirkland & Ellis Scholar designation symbolizes the highest standard of achievement. It is an honor that students will covet and it will benefit them in their pursuit of career and public service goals.”

The Kirkland & Ellis Law Forum offer panel discussions and symposia on emerging legal issues of interest to the business community. Stanford Law School faculty, Kirkland & Ellis attorneys and other legal and business thought leaders from academia, private practice, government, and the public sphere will participate in the discussions.

Jeffrey C. Hammes, Chairman of Kirkland’s Global Management Executive Committee was quoted as saying: “We’re very pleased to support Stanford Law School and excited about these new programs. The opportunity to recognize student excellence and to provide a forum for sharing thought leadership on emerging matters that may challenge and reshape the business and law community fit well with Kirkland & Ellis’s culture and mission.”

Established in 1893, Stanford Law School is one of the nation’s leading institutions for legal scholarship and education, and has worked to establish a new model for legal education that focuses on rigorous interdisciplinary training, hands-on experience, global perspective and focus on public service. The Law School employs more than 50 faculty and hosts over 500 students who are working towards their Juris Doctor (J.D.) or other graduate legal degrees.

Global law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP has over 1,500 attorneys, representing clients in a broad range of matters, including complex litigation, dispute resolution and arbitration, and corporate mergers and acquisitions. The firm has offices in Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Shanghai and Washington, D.C.

Interior Department Assistant Secretary and Chief of Staff Thomas Strickland Joins WilmerHale as Partner

rebneely — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:11:40 +0000

The law firm of WilmerHale recently announced that Thomas Strickland, former Chief of Staff and Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks for the United States Department of the Interior, has joined the firm as a partner in its Washington D.C. office. In this role, he will be responsible for matters dealing with law, business, and government policy, including governmental enforcement cases, Congressional and internal investigations, corporate governance, and high-stakes crisis management matters.

Strickland served as a senior member of the Obama Administration. Prior to this role, he served as chief legal officer for UnitedHealth Group, United States Attorney for the District of Colorado, and Policy Director for Colorado Governor Richard Lamm. In addition, he also was a successful leader in private practice.

Mr. Strickland joined the Interior Department in 2009, after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He held both the Chief of Staff and Assistant Secretary positions. As Chief of Staff to Secretary Ken Salazar, he managed press, legislative and intergovernmental affairs for the department. This included coordination with the White House and external constituencies. He was also responsible for managing nearly 80,000 employees, as well as a $12 billion budget. As Assistant Secretary, he was responsible for managing the National Park System and the National Wildlife Refuge System, as well as for enforcing the Endangered Species Act.

WilmerHale Co-Managing Partner William Perlstein was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Tom has a rare combination of public and private sector experience and substantive expertise that enables him to assist clients in successfully navigating the most challenging matters involving government oversight, regulation and enforcement. He has a strong reputation and track record as a problem solver in high-stakes cases.”

Before his service with the Department of the Interior, Strickland was executive vice president and chief legal officer at UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation’s leading managed health care companies. There, he managed an in-house group of 200 attorneys, as well as a nationwide team of outside counsel. Responsible for all legal, regulatory and compliance matters, he also implemented various corporate governance initiatives.

He also has significant experience in private practice. As a partner at Hogan & Hartson, he participated in building and leading the firm’s practice in Colorado. Prior to this, he served as U.S. Attorney for Colorado. In this role, he was in charge of the federal investigation of the Columbine shootings. His expertise lies in the areas of natural resources and environmental, health care regulation, and securities laws.

Strickland was quoted as saying in the press release: “WilmerHale is the perfect fit for me because it has the full range of top policy, regulatory and litigation practices necessary to assist clients with high-stakes matters involving government oversight and policy. I had the privilege of working with a multi-disciplinary team at WilmerHale when I was with UnitedHealth, and was greatly impressed with the firm’s quality and depth, collaborative approach, and sophisticated understanding of how government works.”

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr has over 1,000 lawyers in twelve offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Global Law Firm K&L Gates Adds Retired U.S. Congressman Bart Gordon to D.C. Office

rebneely — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:51:10 +0000

Retired U.S. Congressman Bart Gordon has joined K&L Gates LLP as a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. based public policy and law practice.

From 2007 to 2010, Gordon served as Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology. He was also a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and served on the Financial Services, Budget, and Rules Committees.

Having spent 26 years in Congress, Gordon possesses significant experience and deep understanding of the legislative and regulatory process that will enable him to advise clients on a wide range of matters, including innovation and technology-related issues, including clean technology, nanotechnology, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and nuclear energy.

Peter J. Kalis, K&L Gates Chairman and Global Managing Partner was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Bart’s Committee service in the House was extraordinary by any measure and will add considerably to our policy practice’s capabilities in the technology-dense 21st Century and especially in the energy sector.”

Among Gordon’s numerous and notable achievements during his congressional career include his 2007 support of the landmark legislation, America COMPETES Act, which encourages federal investments in innovation in order to make the U.S. more competitive. Additionally, in 2010 he was instrumental in the passage of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act. Gordon was consistently a strong supporter for nanotechnology, and played a large role in developing and passing the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, which encouraged the federal government to promote the transfer of nanotechnology breakthroughs from laboratories to commercial products. Gordon also has extensive working relationships throughout the European Union.

Gordon joins 50 plus other lawyers and policy professionals in K&L Gates’ bipartisan public policy and law practice, which is among the five largest law and lobbying firms in the United States.

17 Howrey Attorneys Join Baker Hostetler

rebneely — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:22:29 +0000

Robert G. Abrams, former co-chair of Howrey’s Global Litigation Practice, along with 16 Howrey antitrust and environmental law attorneys have joined Baker Hostetler’s Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles offices.

Seven partners, four counsel and four associates possessing significant antitrust and environmental practice strengths will join the Firm in Washington, D.C. They include Robert G. Abrams, who will serve as the head of Baker Hostetler’s national antitrust practice, and the following individuals, who all join as partners: Gregory L. Baker, Robert J. Brookhiser, Gregory J. Commins Jr., Gilbert S. Keteltas, , Elizabeth B. McCallum and Terry L. Sullivan.

Joanne E. Caruso and Joanne Lichtman have joined the Los Angeles office as partners. They each have significant antitrust, commercial litigation and environmental experience.

National Executive Partner Steven Kestner was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website that: “The addition of Bob Abrams and this highly respected team is another significant step forward for Baker Hostetler’s Washington and Los Angeles offices, our Firm and our clients. These attorneys bring the experience and client relationships that complement and broaden our national litigation team as we deliver the highest quality legal counsel on the most complex and critical issues facing clients today.”

John F. Bruce, William T. DeVinney, Danyll W. Foix and Monica B. Lateef join the Firm as Counsel. Associates joining the Firm are Carey S. Busen, Evan M. Mannering, Bridget S. Merritt and Jocelyn R. Roy.

With over 700 attorneys, global law firm Baker Hostetler serves clients in such diverse industries as hospitality, healthcare, financial services, media, energy, sports and technology.

Dickie McCamey Expands into Ohio With Merger

joshua — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:34:24 +0000

Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, P.C., one of Pittsburgh’s largest law firms, has expanded into Columbus, Ohio, through a merger with Golian McCaffrey, LLC.

With this acquisition, Dickie McCamey now has offices in Columbus, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Delaware, New Jersey, Charlotte, Steubenville, and West Virginia, along with the firm’s headquarters in Pittsburgh.

Jeffrey T. Wiley, managing director of Dickie McCamey, said joining an established firm like Golian McCaffrey “will allow us to expand in Ohio immediately because our practices are complimentary.”

Joe Golian and Pat McCaffrey, principals in Golian McCaffrey LLC since 1995, will be shareholders in Dickie McCamey. Also joining the firm is Audrey E. Varwig as an associate.

Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, P.C. is a nationally recognized litigation firm providing comprehensive legal expertise, as well as non-litigation services, in a multitude of practice areas. It is headquartered in Pittsburgh and was founded more than 100 years ago.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 13:57:53 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Monday, September 13th. Here’s a quick recap of Friday’s stories.

The ACLU will represent defense lawyers against U.S. Homeland Security…

According to a CT TyMetrix Inc. and The Corporate Executive Board survey, billing rates in Washington, D.C. are the second highest in the U.S….

The Quellos Group owners pled guilty to fraud and tax evasion…

The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was ruled unconstitutional in California’s 9th District…

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan disqualified herself from 10 more cases…

Law School admissions officers survey tells prospective students how to prepare…

Burleson Cooke added nine attorneys to its Pittsburgh office…

Billing Rates in Washington, D.C. Are Second Highest in the U.S.

ashley — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 00:24:35 +0000

Between 2007 and 2009, CT TyMetrix Inc. and The Corporate Executive Board gathered invoice data from over 3,500 law firms and 90,000 individual billers across the nation. Ultimately the invoices came to $4.1 billion.

According to the CT TyMetrix Inc. and The Corporate Executive Board survey on billing rates, Washington, D.C. law firm partners come in at a close second for the highest rates in the United States at $600 an hour for their time. New York City law firm partners charge the most in the United States at about $700 an hour. Washington, D.C. associates, however, bill at only $375 an hour, more than in San Fransisco, and just less than Las Angeles.

Over the three years of the CT TyMetrix Inc. and The Corporate Executive Board survey, it was also found that District of Columbia lawyers raised their rates on an average of 10.5%. In comparison, lawyers in Detroit only raised their rates 2%, the least in the country, and Dallas invoices showed the highest rate raising at 21.9%.

It seems lawyers nationwide do not necessarily have set rates, however. The survey found that 85% of lawyers change their rates for the same work depending on the client.

Senate Confirms Ronald Machen & Others

sara — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:44:51 +0000

The Senate confirmed Ronald Machen as U.S. Attorney for D.C. on Thursday. Machen was a partner at WilmerHale. He was assistant attorney in DC from 1997 to 2001. Machen faced no opposition and was confirmed without a formal vote.

Andre Birotte Jr., former inspector general of the Los Angeles Police Department was confirmed as the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California

Sharon Bowen, a partner in Latham & Watkins’ New York office, was confirmed as a director of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation.

Ketanji Brown, of counsel to Morrison & Foerster’s Washington office was confirmed to a seat on the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

Richard Hartunian, an assistant U.S. Attorney, was confirmed as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York.

Former FERC Enforcement Director Joins Hogan & Hartson Energy Practice in Washington, D.C.

aostler — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:51:35 +0000

Today Hogan & Hartson LLP publicly stated that Susan J. Court has become part of their Washington, D.C. office. She will join the energy practice group as a partner.

Court was formerly the Director of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Office of Enforcement, or FERC. While at FERC, she was in charge of 170 lawyers, accountants, auditors, economists, and other staff in charge of keeping to the Federal energy laws and rules. She was also key in helping set up NERC guidelines and rules.

Court also served on FERC’s natural gas counsel in a senior position during its restructuring of the regulation of natural gas. She is also involved continually in international energy issues; she recently spoke in Argentina at the 24th World Gas Conference and will be attending the 25th World Gas Conference in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia in 2012.

Director of the firm, Kevin Lipson, voiced that she will be well received by Hogan & Hartson. He stated, “We are very fortunate to have Susan join us. Her knowledge of the industry and regulatory environment in which our clients operate is unparalleled. She will be a great asset to our firm and the firm’s clients.”