JD Journal » of counsel

Five Attorneys from Bingham McCutchen Move to Perkins Coie in San Francisco

aostler — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:43:37 +0000

Five land use attorneys have now been added to Perkins Coie and have become a part of its Environment, Energy, and Resources practice. This week the San Francisco office gained partners Matt Gray, Barbara Schussman, Geoff Robinson, and Cecily Barclay, as well as Of Counsel Steve Kostka, all formerly part of Bingham McCutchen.

Tom Lindley, Environment, Energy and Resources Chair, said “We have expanded our national energy, environment and resources capabilities by adding California’s premier CEQA, NEPA, land use and development group.”

Gray has been focused on defending and securing entitlements for redevelopment on waterfront areas, as well as urban and retail projects that are mixed use. Land use, CEQA, and NEPA advice and defense to any public or private group which is working on development for energy, institutional, and infrastructure projects is what Schussman brings to the table. Robinson has worked with zoning and planning law, getting financing for public facilities, and administration and civil proceedings. Barclay is great in helping agencies and developers navigate in entitlement projects that are very complex. And when it comes to the California Environmental Quality Act, Kostka is the leading expert in the field. Collectively, they have worked on many development projects that are very high profile in the state of California.

Says Tom Lindley about these new additions to the firm and what their impact will be, “Our new colleagues bring even greater depth to the services that we provide our clients.”

Outgoing Oklahoma Gov. To Be Of Counsel To Local Firm

todd — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:55:45 +0000

Soon to be former Governor of Oklahoma, Brad Henry, has announced that pun his leaving the governors office, he will be of counsel to the Oklahoma state firm of Lester, Loving and Davies.

According to Henry, “I just want to help people. I want to make a difference.” The current governor also added, “I don’t want to own a law firm. I don’t want to be a full-time employee. But I want to be able to continue to sharpen my legal skills and have the backing of a great law firm.”

Henry is set to finish his second term as Oklahoma’s governor next week. Before becoming governor of his home-state in 2002, Henry practiced law.

“I’ve had a number of law firms talk to me about an of-counsel relationship, and I really wasn’t very interested in that until [Lester] began to visit with me about it,” said Henry.

Henry will start work at the firm later this month.

Kutak Rock Founds Phillie Office

Erik Even — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:50:29 +0000

Ohama, Nebraska’s Kutak Rock has launched an office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and brought on a former Wolf Block attorney to run it.

Jeffrey Blumenfeld joins as of counsel. He spent 24 years at Blank Rome, before joining Wolf Block in 2007, where he was chairman of its public finance practice. He represents public entities in the issuance of debt as bond counsel, underwriters’ counsel and counsel to conduit borrowers, credit enhancers and trustees.

He is joined in Philadelphia by Michael T. McDonnell III, who also joins as of counsel. His litigation practice includes risk management, insurance coverage, appeals and construction law.

The Philadelphia office of Kutak Rock also employs an associate and a paralegal.

Founded in 1965, Kutak Rock LLP is a large law firm and lobbying group based in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2007, the firm was ranked by the National Law Journal as the largest law firm in the state of Nebraska, and the 119th largest in the United States by number of attorneys. The firm also ranked 150th in profit per attorney on the 2007 AmLaw 200 survey.

It employs 400 lawyers across 16 offices.

McKenna Long Adds Public Finance Attorneys

Erik Even — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 18:21:38 +0000

McKenna Long & Aldridge has hired on four public finance attorneys for its corporate practice in Atlanta.

Earle Taylor joins as a partner, and head of the firm’s Public Finance practice. Taylor has participated in public finance transactions in more than 15 states and territories, as well as for Indian tribes. He frequently drafts and consults on public finance-related legislation proposed by the Georgia General Assembly.

Ken Pollock also joins as partner. He has experience with financing governmental projects, and with tax-exempt financings benefiting private entities, including health systems and educational institutions.

John MacMaster joins as of counsel. He concentrates on tax planning and controversy, and was an attorney-adviser for the US Treasury Department.

Joe Krolikowski also joins as of counsel. He concentrates his practice on municipal bonds and other financing transactions, and was also an attorney-adviser for the US Treasury.

Atlanta-based McKenna Long & Aldridge is an international law firm with 475 attorneys and public policy advisers. It was ranked the 100th largest law firm in the country by the National Law Journal in 2007. The firm also ranked 141st in profit per attorney on the 2007 AmLaw 200 survey.

Bryan Cave Expands German Practice with Faegre & Benson Lawyers

Erik Even — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 18:25:07 +0000

Bryan Cave has brought on two lawyers for its Hamburg, Germany office.

Philip Haleen joins as of counsel from Faegre & Benson’s Frankfurt office. He focuses on international tax matters and franchise & distribution law. He got his JD from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Iliana Haleen joins as counsel, also from Faegre & Benson. She will be part of the intellectual property group. Haleen received her law degree from the St. Clement of Ohrid University of Sofia in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Bryan Cave LLP is an international law firm with twenty-five offices worldwide, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. It specializes in corporate transactions and litigation representation. The firm has more than 1,200 lawyers in 25 offices around the world.

Ventantonio & Wildenhain Brings on Lawyers

Erik Even — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:25:06 +0000

Warren, New-Jersey-based law firm Ventantonio & Wildenhain has brought on two new attorneys.

Vincent D. Commisa joins as of counsel. He practices in bankruptcy and commercial litigation. Commisa is a United States Military Academy Liaison Officer and a member of West Point’s Admissions/Field Force, where he is the 9th Congressional District Coordinator. His JD is from the Seton Hall University School of Law.

Duncan J. Campbell joins as an associate in the firm’s Litigation Department, with a concentration in corporate defense litigation. Before practicing law, he was a management/IT consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers. His JD is also from Seton.

Ventantonio & Wildenhain concentrates its practice in litigation, corporate law, and governmental entities. Located in Warren, New Jersey, the firm also maintains a New York office.

Venable Brings on 8 for Tax Practice

Erik Even — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:32:17 +0000

Baltimore’s Venable has brought on eight lawyers for its tax and estate planning practice in Los Angeles.

Brad Cohen, Michael Foster, Robin Gilden, and David Schwartz join as partners from Reish Luftman Reicher & Cohen. Name partner Michael Luftman will also soon join Venable. Charles Kolstad joins as of counsel, and Richard Luftman as an associate.

Kyle Neal joins Venable as of counsel from Freeman, Freeman & Smiley.

In March, the firm laid off 64 people and deferred incoming associates.

Venable LLP is a law firm, formerly known as Venable, Baetjer & Howard LLP. It was founded in Baltimore in the post-Civil War period. Today the firm maintains six Northeastern US offices and specializes in patent litigation, labor and employment law and white collar investigations. Venable employs nearly 600 attorneys.

Ladas & Parry Brings on Partners from Schweitzer Cornman

Erik Even — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:46:55 +0000

Ladas & Parry has hired Michael Cornman, Jay Bondell, and Meyer Gross, all former partners at New York intellectual property firm Schweitzer Cornman Gross & Bondell.

Ladas & Parry brought on the IP team as of counsel for its New York office. They bring along associate Elliot Lipins.

Established in New York in 1912, Ladas & Parry LLP is an international intellectual property firm with over 50 attorneys at offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, London and Munich.

Greenberg Traurig Hires Three for L.A.

Erik Even — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:29:55 +0000

Greenberg Traurig LLP has added three new hires to its Los Angeles office.

Allan J. Abshez joins as shareholder in the Environmental and Land Development Practice groups, where he will continue to work with Elizabeth Camacho, who joins as of counsel. Both come from Irell & Manella LLP.

Cedric T. Chou joins as a shareholder in the Corporate and Securities Practice. Chou was previously a principal and general counsel with NewCap Partners. in the investment banking firm’s Shanghai office.

Greenberg Traurig LLP is an international, full-service law firm with more than 1,800 attorneys and governmental affairs professionals in the US, Europe and Asia. The firm was selected as the 2007 USA Law Firm of the Year by Chambers & Partners.

Former WolfBlock Attorneys Join Friedman Schuman

Erik Even — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:56:20 +0000

Three key partners of the financial services group of the former WolfBlock have joined the Jenkintown, Pennsylvania firm of Friedman Schuman.

Lawrence R. Lesser, David E. Stern and Elizabeth A. Grzywacz have joined Friedman Schuman, which now employs 21 attorneys.

Lesser was co-chair of WolfBlock’s financial service department. He was previously a founding partner of Lesser & Kaplin.

Stern worked with Lesser for more than 25 years at WolfBlock and Lesser & Kaplin.

Grzywacz and Stern come to Friedman Schuman as shareholders, and Lesser will serve as of counsel on a full-time basis.

Friedman Schuman PC, founded in 1988, concentrates primarily in financial services; real estate law and transactions; corporate law; municipal law; personal injury and commercial litigation; business law; banking and estate administration; wealth management and estate administration; and trademark and copyright registration.

Steptoe & Johnson Brings on Team from McNamara

Erik Even — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:01:25 +0000

Steptoe & Johnson has hired three lawyers from Los Angeles’ McNamara, Spira & Smith, including founder Michael McNamara.

McNamara joins as a partner; Kirsten Spira, a founder and name partner at McNamara, will serve as of counsel, and J. Patrick Jacobs joins as special counsel. They will work in the litigation practice at Steptoe’s Century City, California office.

McNamara, Spira & Smith was founded in 1997. David Smith is the only remaining principal.

Steptoe & Johnson LLP is a Washington DC-based law firm with over 450 attorneys working out of eight offices around the world. It was founded in 1913 in West Virginia.

Fenwick & West Lays Off 15 Associates, 7 Staffers

Erik Even — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:13:27 +0000

The Bay Area’s Fenwick & West, which in January laid off 36 staff and froze associate salaries, has laid off 15 associates and seven staffers.

According to online sources, the firm is also laying off an undisclosed number of corporate of counsel.

Founded in 1972, Fenwick & West LLP is a full service law firm focusing on technology and life sciences clients. The corporate, intellectual property, litigation and tax groups service clients from a wide range of additional industries. Approximately 300 attorneys work from offices in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, California; Boise, Idaho; and Seattle, Washington. The firm is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Glaser Weil Brings on Entertainment Team

Erik Even — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:20:45 +0000

Los Angeles-based Glaser Weil has brought on leading entertainment attorney John Mason and his team. Mason joins the firms as a partner.

Mason brings with him Nashville-based Deborah Wagnon as of counsel.

The group, which will bring on other lawyers from within Glaser Weil, will represent high profile actors, producers, recording artists, athletes and creative talent in all venues of entertainment sports and lifestyle. They will counsel clients in strategic planning, career development, branding, and transitions into new media opportunities.

Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs, Howard & Shapiro, LLP has two offices, in Century City, California and Las Vegas, Nevada. It employs 100 lawyers.

Akerman Senterfitt Adds 3 to Labor & Employment Practice

Erik Even — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:40:25 +0000

Miami-based Akerman Senterfitt has brought a three-attorney group into its West Palm Beach labor & employment practice.

David Spector and Christopher Duke are joining the firm as shareholders. Lorraine Rogers joins as of counsel.

Spector got his JD from the University of Miami School of Law; Duke and Rogers from the University of Florida College of Law.

Akerman Senterfitt was founded in 1920, and has grown to become one of the largest law firms in the United States. In 2008, the National Law Journal ranked the firm as 92nd largest in the US by number of attorneys, and the second-largest Florida-based firm, behind Greenberg Traurig.

Volpe and Koenig Grows IP Practice

Erik Even — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:07:01 +0000

Intellectual property boutique Volpe and Koenig announced the addition of three new IP attorneys. Abhik A. Huq, Daniel S. Goldberg, and Kristine L. Butler have joined the firm as Of Counsel.

Huq, most recently counsel in the Philadelphia office of Gibbons, has been an IP practitioner for more than 15 years.

Goldberg, also from Gibbons, has nearly 15 years of legal experience, and was an associate in the IP groups of Dechert and Duane Morris.

Butler joins the firm after seven years in the Princeton office of Mathews, Shepherd, McKay and Bruneau. She has extensive experience prosecuting and defending patent infringement claims.

Philadelphia’s Volpe and Koenig PC is dedicated solely to intellectual property law. It has a staff of more than 130 people, including over 50 patent attorneys, patent agents and technical advisers.

Former Chief Judge Joins Skadden

Erik Even — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:58:50 +0000

Former New York State chief judge Judith S. Kaye has joined Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom as of counsel.

Kaye, 70, who left the Court of Appeals in December due to mandatory retirement rules, said she has to learn the landscape of a large law firm after her 25 years on the Court of Appeals and her more than 15 years as chief judge.

Kaye was a commercial law specialist and the first female partner at the now-defunct Olwine, Connelly, Chase, O’Donnell & Weyher when she was nominated by then-Governor Mario Cuomo in 1983 to become the first female member of the Court of Appeals.

She will work out of Skadden’s New York headquarters.

Kaye earned an LL.B. from New York University School of Law in 1962. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1963.