January 2022 Law Firm Moves, Hiring & Recognition

Saturday 15 January 2022

Happy 2022 to all our readers! We hope you all had a safe and healthy New Year. Read on for more legal industry updates.

Recent relocations and hiring of law firms

The law firm of Van Ness Feldman has elected three new partners to its Seattle office:

“Clara, Steven and Chris have not only distinguished themselves through their professional achievements, but also through their relationships with customers and colleagues. They strengthen the culture of collaboration at the firm,” said Van Ness Feldman Seattle Managing Partner Tadas Kisielius.

Stubbs, Alderton & Markiles (SA&M) has expanded its Southern California practice to include apparel and fashion attorney Mark Brutzkus and trial attorney Nick Rozansky.

Mr. Brutzkus represents consumer goods companies on various e-commerce and sourcing issues and has advised apparel, textile and consumer goods clients at various stages of the business process.

“SA&M is an excellent platform for me to expand my consumer products practice, particularly as the firm has unparalleled experience working with emerging growth companies, mid-sized public companies, large technology, entertainment and digital media companies, and investors. venture capital funds, investment bankers and underwriters. More and more of my clients are asking for additional areas of activity and specialized lawyers who can help with long-term, holistic goals,” said Mr. Brutzkus.

Mr. Rozansky advises corporate clients on a variety of topics including litigation, risk avoidance, IP protection and more. When required, Mr. Rozansky handles higher stakes cases such as infringement issues, contract cases and shareholder disputes.

“This move provides my clients with much-needed corporate and M&A expertise and significantly expands my litigation capabilities by joining three renowned litigators and several highly capable litigators,” said Mr. Rozansky.

“Mark and Nick share the values ​​that define our unique and coveted culture at Stubbs Alderton, and we look forward to Mark and Nick making a direct and lasting contribution to our business,” said Scott Alderton, Managing Partner of SA&M.

Gilbert LLP has elected Heather Frazier to the firm’s partnership effective January 1, 2022. Ms. Frazier focuses on insurance recovery in mass tort litigation, complex alternative dispute resolution, and other matters. Mrs. Frazier has been with Gilbert since 2015.

“I am thrilled to be joining the partnership at Gilbert alongside the most innovative and dynamic attorneys I have had the good fortune to meet. I look forward to continuing to contribute to the firm’s growth and unique culture in this new role, and to assisting our clients with solving unsolvable problems,” said Ms. Frazier.

“Heather has established herself not only as an excellent attorney during her time with us, but also as an excellent Gilbert citizen. She was a real asset to all of us, serving our customers and our community with talent, dedication and tenacity. We look forward to a long, exciting and mutually satisfying relationship with our newest partner,” said company founder Scott Gilbert.

The law firm of Bernstein Shur announced the election of four attorneys as partners:

“This is an excellent group of lawyers. They have all shown an impressive commitment not only to their clients but also to our local communities and the advocacy community. I am confident that they will continue to apply their extensive knowledge and skills to provide quality legal advice that helps our clients achieve their business goals,” said Joan Fortin, CEO of Bernstein Shur.

Recognition and awards from the legal industry

Polsinelli’s intellectual property division was recently included in three Patexia Inc. reports: ANDA Litigation Intelligence Report, IPR Intelligence Report and CAFC Intelligence Report.

The firm received multiple awards, including a placement among the Top Performing and Most Active Law Firms in multiple categories in Patexia Inc.’s 2021 ANDA Litigation Intelligence Report. Polsinelli was also among the Top Performing and Most Active Law Firms, which ranked 243 law firms and 1,471 attorneys by activity and performance in the Area Hatch-Waxman/ANDA assessed.

“Our team continues to work hard and provide excellent customer service, as demonstrated by our continued ranking high in Patexia’s various reports,” said our Head of Intellectual Property, Pat Woolley. “As one of the nation’s largest intellectual property law firms, our commitment to focusing on our clients’ businesses and service needs has allowed us once again to earn recognition as a top performer.”

Dinsmore was recognized by Crain’s Cleveland Business with a Diversity Award in its edition, recognizing seven “remarkable companies committed to diversity and inclusion.” Dinsmore recently received Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certification Plus for the 2021 iteration of the Diverse Executive Hiring Initiative.

The firm also created a Pre-Law Minority Program to help students of color at four Kentucky universities and created a scholarship with Procter & Gamble and the Ohio Innocence Project in Cincinnati Law to allow a recent law school graduate to gain experience in Cincinnati Law Civil law can collect litigation and policy.

Everyone has a customer in the business world, and the customer population is becoming increasingly diverse,” partner Richik Sarkar told Crain’s. “Look around your company. When everyone seems equal, especially in leadership, you have a problem serving your customers and if you don’t take steps to understand your customers, you will fail sooner rather than later.”

Six Wiggin and Dana attorneys are included in the Best Lawyers in America® 2022 Family Law Edition.

These include the following partners:

And one associate is on the Best Lawyers 2022 Ones to Watch list:

Chief Justice Stuart Rabner and the New Jersey Supreme Court appointed Stark & ​​Stark stockholder Bhaveen Jani to the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Torts Committee of the Supreme Court.

“I am honored to have just been appointed to an important Supreme Court committee where I will be able to protect the people of New Jersey and the legal profession from unauthorized practice,” Bhaveen said. “Being an attorney comes with great responsibility, especially to our clients and the community, and this committee will work to protect those we serve.”

Mr. Jani’s three-year term began on January 1, 2022 and will end on December 31, 2024. Mr. Jani is a member of a number of New Jersey professional organizations that have qualified him for the position. These organizations include the New Jersey State Bar Association, the South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey, the New Jersey Association for Justice, the American Association for Justice, the Hunterdon County Bar Association, and the Mercer County Bar Association.

The Committee performs three main functions, including providing opinions, investigating complaints, and investigating unauthorized legal practice.

Shumaker attorney Melanie Griffin has been appointed secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Ms. Griffin has advised companies on a wide range of commercial law issues and also has extensive experience in employment law as well as trust and probate law. Ms. Griffin has been recognized by many organizations over the years for her leadership excellence.

“I am very pleased for Melanie to have this opportunity to serve the people of Florida,” said Ron Christaldi, executive partner of Shumaker in Tampa and president of Shumaker Advisors Florida. “With her extensive experience and understanding of the business world, she will be an outstanding leader of this important government agency.”

Shelli Erffmeyer and Renee Stallions, employees of Varnum LLP, were recently named unsung legal heroes by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. The publication’s award recognizes non-attorneys who frequently exceed expectations and go above and beyond in their roles. Ms. Erffmeyer, a paralegal supporting the Varnum Litigation Practice Group, is known for her outstanding initiative and dedication, particularly during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Stallions, senior systems application analyst in the company’s information technology division, is known for her considerable flexibility and work ethic, which ensures Varnum’s technology continues to function efficiently across all offices.

“Both Shelli and Renee deserve this recognition very much. Her exemplary service and commitment to the company has been particularly appreciated over the past year during the challenges of the pandemic,” said Scott Hill, Varnum’s Executive Partner. “As we congratulate Shelli and Renee, we are once again reminded of the important role played by our support staff. Your contributions are critical to the success of our company.”

Much Shelist, PC has announced its new membership in the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA). The LFAA, which seeks racial equality and systemic legislative change, helps coordinate allied law firms to enact changes that benefit underserved and downtrodden communities. Much previously assisted the LFAA in filing an amicus brief with the Supreme Court arguing that the court should consider the retrospective application of Ramos v. Louisiana (which states that jury verdicts not unanimous are unconstitutional).

“We are proud to join the nearly 300 Alliance law firms working together to address systemic racism in the justice system,” said Steve Blonder, Chair of the Law Firm’s Social Responsibility Initiative, Much Community. “It is our privilege and our responsibility to continue to fight for the rights of marginalized people.”

Copyright ©2022 National Law Forum, LLCNational Law Review, Volume XII, Number 15

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