Law Firm Pro Bono, Hiring & Innovation

Welcome back to yet another edition of the National Law Review’s legal industry news column. Read on for the latest law firm news, innovation and hiring selected by the NLR editorial team.

Law firm employment and relocation

Elizabeth Hermann Smith joined Mayer Brown’s Chicago office as a partner in the Banking & Finance practice group. She represents clients in all areas of the financial industry including investors, borrowers, administrators, lenders and more. Ms. Smith’s specialty is leveraged finance, where she has focused on buyouts, dividend recapitalizations, and other financial transactions.

“The further expansion of our leveraged finance capacities, especially with private credit funds, is a primary goal of the company’s banking & finance practice. Elizabeth’s addition reflects our commitment to growth and strengthens our global financial offering, ”said Frederick Fisher, a co-head of Mayer Brown’s global lending group.

Mayer Brown has also added Brett E. Moskowitz to the Banking & Finance practice group as counsel. Mr. Moskowitz is based in the firm’s Charlotte office and focuses on bilateral and syndicated loan transactions, specializing in acquisition finance, real estate finance, and cash flow and asset-based lending.

Campos Mello Advogados has accepted Antonio Tovo as a partner in the firm’s white-collar crime, compliance and cybersecurity practice group through an agreement with DLA Piper. Mr. Tovo works in industries such as agriculture, real estate, healthcare, and hospitality.

Mr. Tovo works in the office of Campos Mello Advogados in São Paulo. Ricardo Caiado Lima, Partner at Campos Mello Advogados: “We are pleased to announce that Antonio […] has joined our team. We are seeing significant growth in our corporate criminal law and cybersecurity practices, and it is vital for us to have highly trained professionals with extensive experience like Antonio. to have […] . “

Robinson + Cole has added partner Danielle H. Tangorre to the firm’s health law group. In the firm’s New York office, she will focus on guiding clients through state and federal health laws, particularly abuse and fraud laws such as the Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Bylaws. Additionally, Ms. Tangorre has experience in transactional healthcare, litigation, and HIPAA compliance.

“Danielle has impressive experience and I am delighted to welcome her to our team,” said Rhonda J. Tobin, Managing Partner at Robinson + Cole. “Further expanding the depth and geographic diversity of our healthcare law practice is another step in the implementation of our strategic plan to grow some of our strongest law firms in our strategically most important locations.”

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC opened three new Texas offices in Dallas, San Antonio and Collin Counties. Steptoe & Johnson PLCC’s new Texas office includes eleven new attorneys who specialize in a variety of areas including commercial real estate, corporate transactions, energy and tax law. The Dallas, San Antonio and Collin Counties offices are headed by Elizabeth Cromwell, Katherine David and Brad Fletcher, respectively.

Christopher L. Slaughter, CEO of Steptoe & Johnson, said, “These locations represent a strategic investment for the company to better serve our existing customers in Texas and to expand our capabilities to new customers. Our new lawyers bring extensive experience and knowledge to the practice of the law firm. They are valued additions to the Steptoe & Johnson team. “

Legal Industry Recognition

Clark Hill PLLC’s Reginald Turner is the new President of the American Bar Association (ABA). Mr. Turner specializes in government policy and labor and employment affairs and has previously served as President of the National Bar Association and the State Bar of Michigan. Mr. Turner will serve as President of ABA until August 2022.

“It is an honor to serve as President of the ABA and as a representative of the legal profession. The ABA works to promote the rule of law and access to justice. As President, I will work tirelessly to achieve these goals, ”said Turner.

Ankura is one of 83 companies contributing information to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) 2021, which provides analysis of data breaches and security incidents and opportunities to proactively mitigate future risks. The Verizon Data Breach Investigations report is important to law firms because of the technical information and metrics associated with cyberattacks. Ankura’s team provided intelligence on nearly a hundred cyber-related issues, including ransomware, espionage, and other financially motivated actions.

“Executives at all levels need to understand the technology and the benefits and risks it brings to their business. The Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report 2021 does an excellent job capturing many of these risks. Patrick J. Murphy of Ankura’s cybersecurity practice.

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) announced their team of Adam M. Sheinvold of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC. The IADC is a legal organization for attorneys representing corporate and insurance interests to help members develop skills, promote professionalism, and foster camaraderie among clients.

Mr. Sheinvold brings expertise in trade and business processes, regulatory and administrative processes and product liability defense to the IADC team. “I am honored to be invited to join the prestigious International Association of Defense Counsel as a new member and to join my distinguished colleagues in the Corporate Defense Bar who rely on IADC to provide valuable, high-level education, professional support and development opportunities . Said Mr. Sheinvold.

Legal Innovation & Pro Bono Programs

In July, Ropes & Gray organized a “Legal Bootcamp” in collaboration with BUILD (Broader Urban Involvement & Leadership Development), a Chicago youth development organization that focuses on gang intervention and violence prevention.

“A hallmark of Ropes & Gray Chicago has always been our commitment to the Chicago community,” said Paulita Pike, managing partner of the office. “This commitment is reflected in the extensive efforts of our Chicago office family to introduce the Legal Bootcamp. We are happy about the positive feedback from the students and BUILD and I am proud of my colleagues. “

Ropes & Gray partnered with five high school and college students to take part in a three-week pilot program that highlighted professions in the legal industry, including judges, lawyers and commercial professionals. The curriculum included a corporate law clinic, a series of lectures and a workshop to hear injunctions.

“The launch of our first Legal Bootcamp with BUILD was a highlight for our Chicago office this summer,” said Tim Farrell, litigation and enforcement partner for Ropes & Gray. “We hope to advance our mission of inclusion by giving students who otherwise would not otherwise have access to or a background in the legal industry a front row seat in a corporate law firm, while hopefully giving us a broader student perspective World of possibilities that lie ahead of them. “

Barnes & Thornburg has selected five undergraduate students to be first grade members of its Pre Law Scholars Program, which aims to assist students with a law degree. As part of the program, Barnes & Thornburg will cover the cost of the student admission test (LSAT) and LSAT prep courses, as well as the cost of law school applications. In addition, Barnes & Thornburg attorneys will work with the students to guide them through law school.

“We are very pleased to welcome the first class of Prelaw Scholars to the Barnes & Thornburg family. They are all amazingly accomplished personalities and we are thrilled to be part of their journey to law school, ”said Sarah Evenson, director of law school programs at Barnes & Thornburg. “Our hope is that this program will not only reduce the financial burden and administrative hurdles of applying to law school, but also provide important mentoring connections that will help them prepare for law school and ultimately for the legal career they want bring to.”

The Pre-Law Scholar Program is presented in collaboration with the Barnes & Thornburg Racial Justice Committee, which seeks to support various candidates interested in pursuing a career as a lawyer.

“Our core concern as the firm and as a committee was to find ways to build relationships with a pipeline of diverse legal talent and to guide these aspiring lawyers as they prepare for law school. The Prelaw Scholars Program does just that, and I’m proud to be a part of it, ”said William A. Nolan, member of the firm’s Management Committee and Racial Justice Committee.

The first class includes:

  • Phillip Arrington IV, Loyola University Chicago, BA in Political Science

  • Natalie Frazier, Emory University, BA in Gender and Sexualities Studies for Women

  • Esther Oluwapelumi Durosinmi, Loyola University Chicago, BA in Political Science

  • Alexa M. Carpenter, Central State University, BS Criminal Justice

  • Jasleen Gill, University of California Berkeley, BA Philosophy and Law

Benchmark litigation included Bradley Arant Boult Cummings partners Leigh Anne Hodge, Lela M. Hollabaugh and Kimberly B. Martin on the Benchmark Top 250 Women in Litigation 2021 list, developed through customer feedback and research.

“Leigh Anne, Lela and Kim continue to demonstrate superior skill and client success in their litigation practices, and we are proud to have them recognized again on this prestigious list,” said Bradley Chairman and CEO Jonathan M. Skeeters.

Ms. Hodge heads the Litigation Practice Group and is a member of the firm’s Healthcare Practice Group and is based in the Birmingham office. She represents clients in the healthcare industry in product liability disputes, medical malpractice litigation, peer review and personnel privileges, regulatory hearings, ERISA litigation, Medicare Advantage plan litigation, managed care litigation, insurance disputes, and insurance fraud cases.

Ms. Hollabaugh works in the law firm’s Nashville office advising leading natural gas pipeline companies and other infrastructure clients on location, land purchase, construction and operations. She recently co-authored an amicus curie brief to the US Supreme Court supporting the industry’s position on the scope of the Natural Gas Act and state immunity through the 11th Amendment.

Ms. Martin focuses on general litigation with an emphasis on medical device and drug liability disputes. She works in the firm’s Huntsville office and recently served as a trial attorney defending a nationwide hospice service in a three-month trial against the Department of Defense of the False Claims Act that resulted in a dismissal.

Copyright © 2021 National Law Forum, LLCNational Law Review, Volume XI, Number 242

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