CORRECTION, 5/14/12, 1:20 p.m. EDT: Bradley Olson’s name was originally incorrect in the eleventh paragraph of this article. We regret the error.
Kirkland & Ellis has confirmed the arrival of LEORA BEN-AMI as a partner in the firm’s New York office. Ben-Ami was previously with Kaye Scholer, and she arrives with a group of partners from that firm.
We reported last month that Ben-Ami, a notable New York patent litigator, was set to join K&E after eight years with Kaye Scholer that included winning a $65.2 million verdict in the 2006 patent case involving her client ARIAD Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company. Ben-Ami did not return requests for comment last month, and a K&E spokeswoman declined to comment.
Ben-Ami’s body of work also includes several representations of Pfizer Inc., including the recent successful defense of the pharmaceutical giant’s Celebrex patents in a 2007 challenge brought by generics company Teva Pharmaceuticals USA. She served as cochair of Kaye Scholer’s intellectual property practice and as a member of the executive committee after joining that firm from Clifford Chance, where she chaired the global intellectual property group and served on the firm’s board.
Joining Ben-Ami from Kaye Scholer as partners in the K&E intellectual property practice in New York are THOMAS FLEMING, PATRICIA CARSON, and CHRISTOPHER JAGOE. Carson and Jagoe specialize in patent litigation related to the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Fleming handles IP litigation in each of those industries as well as the wireless technology and telecommunications areas.
In other Churn news . . .
Corporate and securities attorney AARON SCOW is now a partner in Baker & McKenzie‘s Dallas office, where he will work on such matters as public securities offerings and private placements, as well as public and private M&A. Scow previously practiced with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.
Blank Rome has announced the arrival of MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ as a partner in the firm’s consumer finance litigation group. Rodriguez will be based in the firm’s new Tampa office, where he will represent lenders and financial institutions in a variety of consumer finance litigation matters. He arrives from Florida law firm Greenspoon Marder.
Crowell & Moring has welcomed DAVID LAING to its Washington, D.C., office as a partner in the firm’s antitrust group. A former trial attorney in the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Laing focuses on regulatory clearance of transactions and also advises on criminal and civil investigations. He was previously with Baker & McKenzie.
DAVID CORNWELL has returned to private practice as a partner in the Atlanta office of Gordon & Rees, where he will work on matters pertaining to sports and entertainment law. Cornwell previously headed his own firm, DNK Cornwell, which he formed in 1997 to represent professional athletes in connection with administrative procedures related to drugs, alcohol, steroids, and disciplinary actions in front of professional sports leagues and players associations. (Past clients include Ben Roethlisberger, Reggie Bush, and Ryan Braun.) Cornwell will continue to serve as executive director of the NFL Coaches Association while practicing at his new firm.
Goulston & Storrs has announced the arrival of THOMAS KAUFMAN and JOHN RATINO, who both most recently served as heads of the real estate practice in Washington, D.C., for Hunton & Williams. Kaufman and Ratino join Goulston as directors in the firm’s D.C. office. Sibling publication The National Law Journal reported earlier this week that Kaufman focuses on real estate finance, private equity, and joint ventures, while Ratino caters to commercial real estate and hospitality industry clients.
J. RICK TACHE is the newest intellectual property shareholder in Greenberg Traurig‘s Orange County, California, office. Tache, who arrives from Snell & Wilmer, represents clients in patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret litigation as well as transactions.
Haynes and Boone has brought on three intellectual property partners from Dickstein Shapirotwo based in Washington, D.C., and one in Orange County, California. PHILIP HAMPTON II and BRADLEY OLSON will be based in D.C., and KIMBERLY CHEN NOBLES will be based in California but will also practice in D.C. The three attorneys are expected to contribute to Haynes and Boone’s work on patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secrets litigation and arbitration.
LARS JOHANSSON is now a corporate partner in the Palo Alto office of K&L Gates, having joined the firm from Foley & Lardner. Johansson’s corporate practice caters to domestic and international clients in the telecommunications, software, nanotechnology, IT, medical device, and clean technology industries.
Former Latham & Watkins partner DAVID STEWART is now a part of the New York office of Mayer Brown. Stewart has joined the firm’s real estate practice as a partner and will represent clients in such matters as subordinate real estate lending and structured finance transactions.
McDermott Will & Emery has hired the former vice chair of DLA Piper’s restructuring practice to head its own international restructuring and insolvency practice. TIMOTHY WALSH joins the firm as a partner in the New York office, where he will focus on restructuring transactions in major domestic and cross-border bankruptcy-related proceedings as well as out-of-court restructurings, according to sibling publication New York Law Journal.
Proskauer Rose is bolstering its labor and employment group with the addition of Los Angelesbased special counsel LAURA REATHAFORD. Reathaford will handle class action litigation, as well as individual and multiplaintiff actions. She was previously at Seyfarth Shaw.
LEE GARNER has left Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom to join the Chicago office of Quarles & Brady as a partner in the firm’s commercial litigation group. He specializes in defending shareholder suits, M&A litigation, and corporate investigations.
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan will expand its London office with the hires of partners STEPHEN JAGUSCH and ANTHONY SINCLAIR. Both attorneys will join the firm from Allen & Overy, where Jagusch served as chair of that firm’s international arbitration practicea position he will also fill at Quinn Emanuel. Jagusch and Sinclair both specialize in international commercial and treaty arbitration.
THOMAS GIERATH has left Dechert to join Reed Smith‘s tax practice as a partner in Munich. He advises on domestic and international tax matters related to private equity, corporate, real estate, venture capital, and financial clients.
BRUCE CASINO has filled a slot in the Washington, D.C., office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, arriving as a partner from Katten Muchin Rosenman. Casino is a litigator who will focus on government contracts-related litigation, including white-collar defense, False Claims Act, customs, export controls, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters.
Sidley Austin is bulking up its recently opened Houston office with the arrival of Vinson & Elkins partner CLIFF VRIELINK (who joins former V&E colleague Glenn Pinkerton in the Houston office). With Sidley, Vrielink will be a partner working on M&A and private equity matters related to the energy industry.
Venable has hired LAWRENCE NORTON as a partner and cochair of the firm’s political law practice group in Washington, D.C. Previously with Womble Carlyle, Norton is a former general counsel for the Federal Election Commission. He advises clients on federal and state campaign finance laws, as well as issues related to lobbying and governmental ethics. Meanwhile, the firm also announced the arrival of JOHN BOWMAN as a partner in its D.C. and Los Angeles offices, where he will work in the banking and financial services practices. Bowman is the former acting director of the Office of Thrift Supervision, which oversaw savings banks and savings and loans associations before merging with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency last year.
The Churn is compiled from law firm releases and announcements. Moves based on our own reporting will note this. Please send announcements and news releases to [email protected].
