(January 9, 2013) – Reed Smith LLP today announced the promotion of 22 of its counsel and associates to partner, effective January 1. Eighteen of the global firm’s newest partners practice in the United States; three in Europe; and one in Asia. The new partners are equally divided between the firm's Business & Finance and Litigation Departments. Seventeen associates were also advanced to counsel.
“It is always a highlight of the new year to announce another group of new partners,” said Gregory B. Jordan, Reed Smith’s Global Managing Partner. “These individuals earned advancement as a result of their hard work, outstanding legal knowledge and skills, and meaningful contributions to the success of this firm. We congratulate each of them and anticipate their continued success with, and contributions to, Reed Smith.”
The following counsel and associates were promoted to partner:
Philadelphia:
Stephen J. Blazick, formerly counsel, is a partner in the firm’s State Tax Group.
Marilyn Heffley, formerly counsel, is a partner in the firm’s Financial Industry Group.
Margaret S. Jones, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Corporate & Securities Group.
Brad M. Rostolsky, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Life Sciences Health Industry Group.
Pittsburgh:
David J. Bird, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Appellate Group Matthew M. Mohn, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Corporate & Securities Group.
Courtney C. Murray, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Corporate & Securities Group.
Leslie K. Ross, formerly counsel, is a partner in the firm's Financial Industry Group.
Wilmington, Del.:
J. Cory Falgowski, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Financial Industry Group
New York:
Casey D. Laffey, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Commercial Litigation Group.
Harry H. Rimm, formerly counsel, is a partner in the firm’s Commercial Litigation Group.
John C. Scalzo, formerly counsel, is a partner in the firm’s Financial Industry Group.
Princeton:
John T. McDonald, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Labor & Employment Group.
Washington, D.C.:
Gregory S. Jacobs, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Global Regulatory Enforcement Group.
Michael J. Lowell, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Global Regulatory Enforcement Group.
Los Angeles:
Eric J. Buhr, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Life Sciences Health Industry Group.
Christine A. Kohler, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Labor & Employment Group.
San Francisco:
Cristina M. Shea, formerly counsel, is a partner in the firm’s Insurance Recovery Group.
London:
Ben D. Summerfield, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Commercial Disputes European Middle East Group.
Danielle L. Martin, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Real Estate Group.
Munich:
Rene Lochmann, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Financial Industry Group.
Singapore:
Simon K. Jones, formerly an associate, is a partner in the firm’s Energy & Natural Resources Group.
More on Reed Smith’s new partners follows:
Stephen J. Blazick focuses on complex multistate tax appeals, litigation and advice, and minimizing state tax burdens; he has experience in franchise, corporate income, sales and use, and gross receipts taxes. Mr. Blazick also represents clients in unclaimed property matters, and frequently presents on state tax issues.
Marilyn Heffley returned to Reed Smith in 2011, after six years as in-house counsel at Sunoco. She is an experienced litigator who has tried more than 25 cases to verdict, and argued appellate issues before all state and federal appellate courts in Pennsylvania. She has represented clients in a wide array of financial services litigation, both in putative class actions and individual lawsuits. Ms. Heffley has also represented clients in a broad range of employment, environmental, insurance and products liability litigation matters. In 2009, she was inducted into the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society.
Margaret S. Jones represents a number of non-U.S. based clients and handles general corporate work and advice, as well as financing transactions. She was seconded to the firm’s corporate practice in London in 2007. She also recently spent nine months acting as in-house counsel for a large international banking client, working from its Asian base in Hong Kong, where she handled matters regarding real estate investment and commercial lending in the People’s Republic of China, Malaysia, Japan, India, and Korea, and provided counsel on various legal and business matters.
Matthew M. Mohn’s practice includes structuring, drafting, negotiating and managing strategic and private-equity-led mergers, acquisitions and divestitures for public and private companies; advising emerging growth companies and entrepreneurs on debt and equity capital-raising transactions, and assisting public companies with corporate governance matters and periodic reporting compliance.
Courtney C. Murray focuses on mergers and acquisitions and general corporate, transactional and securities counseling, with significant experience in the sports industry. She has structured numerous corporate acquisitions and dispositions, including several with international operations, deal teams, and issues. She has also represented investor groups in the acquisition of major and minor league sports franchises, and counsels major and minor league sports franchises in their daily operations, negotiating all material agreements including equity, television, radio, advertising, sponsorship, suite license and naming rights agreements.
Leslie K. Ross counsels investment companies, investment advisers and broker-dealers related to pooled investment products, including registered and unregistered, and open- and closed-end investment companies. She has significant experience in various fund options and their associated fiduciary issues, and is also well-versed on closed-end funds and bank-collected funds.
J. Cory Falgowski has represented secured and unsecured creditors, lessors and vendors in numerous chapter 11 actions, as well as creditors' committees, trustees, and debtors and creditors' rights outside of bankruptcy and litigation.
Simon K. Jones’ practice involves advising trading companies and investment banks that trade commodities in relation to disputes arising in the trading, transporting and financing of a wide range of both hard and soft commodities. He also has experience drafting standard terms and conditions for use in commodities trading.
Rene Lochmann focuses on banking and financing matters, including experience in syndicated lending, acquisition finance, loan restructurings, non-performing loan transactions and structured finance transactions. He advises clients on all legal aspects of national and international commercial and industrial real estate transactions, acquisition finance, asset management issues, and lease agreements.
Danielle L. Martin’s practice extends to complex transactions for a broad spectrum of clients, including corporate end-users, investors, joint ventures and developers. She deals with all mainstream aspects of commercial real estate work, with a particular emphasis on portfolio sales/restructuring and investment sales and purchases. Ms. Martin also has experience advising solar companies on renewable energy projects in the UK.
John C. Scalzo represents domestic and foreign clients in complex civil litigation, with an emphasis on contract disputes, business torts, shareholder disputes, and consumer class actions. Mr. Scalzo's experience also includes a seven-month secondment to the legal department of NBC Universal, Inc. and a six-week rotation through the New York City Law Department.
Gregory S. Jacobs’ practice spans trade associations and other exempt organizations, government contracts and international trade. He serves as outside general counsel to trade associations and other nonprofit organizations, working with tax-exempt organizations on a wide range of matters. In government contracts, his practice includes competition, procurement integrity, multiple award schedule contracting, and government ethics, as well as international trade issues, including U.S. export controls and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and matters before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
Michael J. Lowell represents clients on issues relating to import and export controls, economic sanctions, and related trade and national security laws and regulations, with a focus on the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the Export Administration Regulations and other embargoes and economic sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. His experience includes investigations (internal, administrative, and congressional), licensing, compliance program design and implementation, training, and strategic planning, as well as related trade and national security issues, including import and customs matters.
Eric J. Buhr practices in the area of product liability litigation, primarily the defense of pharmaceutical and medical device companies in complex actions in both state and federal courts. He has served on several mass tort trial teams, including transvaginal mesh litigation, hernia repair patch litigation and other pharma litigation. He also serves as national and local counsel and is responsible for cases at the state and federal trial court levels, including multi-district litigation, class actions, and coordinated proceedings.
Christine A. Kohler focuses on human resources policies and practices, including the representation of management in all aspects of employment litigation and dispute resolution, particularly matters involving claims of workplace discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, breach of contract, and other related claims.
Casey D. Laffey’s practice focuses on a wide range of commercial and financial services litigation. He has experience handling litigations in both federal and state courts, as well as in arbitration proceedings and civil and criminal enforcement proceedings commenced by the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
Harry H. Rimm represents corporate clients and individuals in complex civil litigation, including class actions. He also handles corporate investigations and white-collar criminal matters. His current responsibilities include service on the Criminal Justice Act Panels for the Southern District of New York and the District of New Jersey. Before joining Reed Smith, Mr. Rimm served as an Assistant United States Attorney, where he led criminal investigations, conducted trials in federal court to jury verdict, and handled appeals.
David J. Bird has front-line experience in a wide range of cases. He has argued precedent-setting appeals in the Third, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Circuits, as well as the Pennsylvania Superior Court, and has second-chaired countless other federal and state appeals. He also has significant experience in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Brad M. Rostolsky regularly advises clients (including hospitals, medical practices, pharmacies, long-term care facilities, and medical device companies) on all aspects of health information privacy and security compliance (HIPAA and state law). His experience also includes assisting hospitals on arrangements with physicians, such as joint ventures, physician recruitment, practice acquisitions, employment arrangements, and exclusive provider agreements, as well as compliance with federal and state laws governing referrals among health care providers, such as the "Anti-Kickback Law" and "Stark II."
Ben D. Summerfield acts for clients across a broad range of sectors, with a particular focus on the media, entertainment, technology and telecommunications industries. Mr. Summerfield is an experienced commercial litigator and has represented clients in a wide range of commercial disputes, particularly breach of contract cases and fraud claims.
Cristina M. Shea focuses on insurance coverage litigation. She represents corporate policy holders in various matters, including mortgage insurance claims, directors' and officers' liability, securities fraud claims, and environmental and remediation. She also has represented clients in first-party property claims, including property damage, and business interruption claims.
John T. McDonald represents employers in a wide array of employment-related disputes, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, restrictive covenant, and wage and hour litigation. Mr. McDonald also has extensive experience representing employers in arbitrations before FINRA, AAA and JAMS.
Reed Smith’s newly promoted counsel in its Business & Finance Department include Jenny C. Baker, Chicago, in Tax, Benefits & Wealth Planning; James M. Doerfler, Pittsburgh, in Energy & Natural Resources; Thomas P. Heim, Falls Church, in Corporate & Securities; Peter L. Kogan, Pittsburgh, in Real Estate; Kellie A. Lavery, Princeton, in the Financial Industry Group; Travis P. Nelson, Princeton, in the Financial Industry Group; and, Stéphane Letranchant, Paris, in Tax, Benefits & Wealth Planning.
New counsel in the firm’s Litigation Department include Joel S. Barras, Philadelphia, Labor & Employment; Laura Ferry, Paris, Commercial Disputes EME; Brent R. Gary, Falls Church, Commercial Litigation; Jennifer A. Guidea, New York, Life Sciences Health Industry; Kevin S. Katona, Pittsburgh, Intellectual Property; Rosalie E. Kim, San Francisco, Commercial Litigation; James M. Neudecker, San Francisco, Commercial Litigation; Evan T. Knott, Chicago, Insurance Recovery; Regis W. Stafford and Patricia E. Antezana, Pittsburgh, both in Records and e Discovery.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,700 lawyers in 23 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses, from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its lawyers provide litigation and other dispute resolution services in multi-jurisdictional and other high-stakes matters; deliver regulatory counsel; and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising, technology and media, shipping, energy and natural resources, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.
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