HOUSTON (February 21, 2017) – Global law firm Reed Smith LLP today announced the addition of two leading partners and two experienced associates to its growing Houston office.

Bart W. Huffman, former chair of Locke Lord’s Privacy & Cybersecurity practice, has joined Reed Smith as a partner in the firm’s global Intellectual Property, Information & Innovation Group; and Daniella D. Landers, a 20-year veteran of energy and environmental law, has joined as a partner in the firm’s global Energy & Natural Resources (ENR) Group from Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP.

Additionally, Reed Smith welcomed senior corporate transactions associate Rodrigo Morales Draxl, who joins the firm’s burgeoning Latin American Business team from King & Spalding; and Paige T. Bennett, an experienced trial lawyer, who has joined the firm as an associate in the Labor & Employment practice from Bracewell in Houston.

“To have such high-caliber attorneys join us as we move full speed into 2017 will be of great benefit to our clients in the region and the diverse practices they represent,” said Kenneth E. Broughton, Houston office managing partner. “In addition to decades of experience in cybersecurity, environmental, corporate and labor law, all bring substantial experience representing energy clients, from foreign conglomerates, to the largest Texas-based companies.”

About Bart W. Huffman

“Bart’s experience in privacy and information security law, plus his background in systems engineering, spans the entire history of this continually advancing practice,” said Mark S. Melodia, co-chair of Reed Smith’s IP, Information & Innovation Group. “Another major bonus is his industry focus on privacy and security matters for the oil and gas industry, transportation, financial services, and other critical infrastructure sectors.”

Huffman advises on a wide range of matters, including cybersecurity program development, enterprise cloud computing, IT services agreements, company data security policies, cybersecurity preparedness, data breach response, and international privacy matters.

“I am very excited to be part of the sophisticated, global privacy practice at Reed Smith. The energy in the Houston office is palpable, and it’s clear that the firm goes to extraordinary lengths to cultivate excellence and professional growth.”

Huffman graduated with honors from The University of Texas School of Law. He also holds a degree in civil engineering and operations research, with a certificate in engineering and management systems, from Princeton University. A past visiting fellow of the Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton, Huffman is currently an adjunct professor, teaching Privacy and Cyber Security in the Information Age at the University of Texas School of Law.

A community leader, Huffman is a graduate of the Center for Houston’s Future’s Business/Civic Leadership Forum, and he has served as a Corporate Committee Member for The McNay Art Museum, and on the Executive Committee of the Princeton University Alumni Council. He is also a former Commissioner and Budget and Finance Chair for the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Commission.

About Daniella D. Landers

“Daniella is an excellent addition to our global energy and natural resources team,” said ENR Vice Chair Craig Enochs in Houston. “She has the upstream, midstream, and downstream experience in environmental matters that our energy clients require.”

Landers focuses her practice on a broad range of environmental compliance, transactional and litigation matters. She counsels energy companies, manufacturers, industrial facilities, financial institutions, real estate companies, and other businesses on complex environmental and related land-use issues. She is also versed in issues affecting the renewable and alternative energy sectors, natural resources damages claims, climate change initiatives, and pollution exposure disputes.

“I have a broad-based environmental practice that includes litigation, compliance, and transactional, as well as incident response,” says Landers. “I was attracted to Reed Smith's international platform and the great reputation of its energy and natural resources practice group.”

Landers received her J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, and she also holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University, with distinction. After law school, Landers joined Locke Lord before moving to Epstein Becker Green in 2003, where she became a partner. Landers left Epstein in 2009 to lead the Environmental team at Sutherland Ashbill & Brennan LLP before moving to Katten.

Landers is highly regarded for her community leadership in Houston, for which she recently received the State Bar of Texas, African-American Law Section’s 2016 Outstanding Achievement Award. Landers contributions are many, including serving on the Board of Directors for Houston Volunteer Lawyers, the Houston Lawyer Referral Service, and the Houston Bar Association. She is also an active member of the State Bar’s Legal Services to the Poor, and a volunteer mediator at the Harris County Dispute Resolution Center. A champion of women’s career advancement, Landers is a member of Houston’s Women in Energy Network and the Center for Women in Law, Leaders Circle.

A thought-leader on Texas environmental law, Landers serves on Houston’s Brownfields Program Land Redevelopment Committee and on the advisory board of the Institute for Energy Law. She is also an adjunct professor at South Texas College of Law Houston, and the University of Houston Law Center.

About Rodrigo Morales Draxl

Morales joined King & Spalding in 2010 from Rubio, Leguía, Normand in Lima, Peru. With experience in a variety of complex cross-border business transactions, mainly in Latin America, Morales assists clients with mergers and acquisitions, project development transactions, corporate matters and other complex energy-related deals. Morales earned his law degree from the University of Lima, and he also holds an LL.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Morales is a member of the New York State Bar Association, Lima Bar Association and Houston Young Lawyers Association.

About Paige T. Bennett

Bennett handles cases ranging from employment disputes to complicated oil and gas litigation. A former Placer County, California Deputy District Attorney before joining Bracewell in 2015, Bennett has served as lead prosecutor on more than a dozen jury trials. Bennett's academic achievements include the Dean's Pro Bono Award at Georgetown, the Abernethy Award from Davidson College, and the International Trial Lawyers' Advocacy Award. An active member of the Houston Bar Association and Houston Young Lawyers Association, Bennett also volunteers  with pro bono at the Child Advocates of Harris County.

About Reed Smith

Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm with more than 1,700 lawyers in 26 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, entertainment and media, shipping and transport, energy and natural resources, real estate, manufacturing and technology, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com.

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