February 28, 2012 2:37 PM
The Churn: Lateral Moves and Promotions in The Am Law 200
Posted by Sara Randazzo
Arent Fox has hired W. DAVID WALLACE from Merchant Gould to be a partner in Washington, D.C. Wallace focuses on patent prosecution, counseling, and litigation related to pharmaceuticals, medical devices, polymers, foods, and biotechnology products.
Chadbourne Parke’s newest lateral hire is KEITH ROSEN, the former chief of the criminal division for the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware. Rosen, who worked at Chadbourne earlier in his career, is counsel in Washington, D.C. He will build a special investigations and white-collar defense practice.
JOSEPH DEVER has joined Cozen O’Connor in New York as a member and will lead the firm’s securities litigation and Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement practice. Dever previously worked as an assistant regional director at the SEC. Before joining the SEC, he was an associate at Morgan, Lewis Bockius.
Crowell Moring has gained a trial lawyer in Orange County, California, from Dorsey Whitney. STEVEN ALLISON, who joins Crowell as a partner, represents corporations and individuals in insurance coverage, health care, intellectual property, and class action matters, as well as general business litigation.
Higher education lawyer SHELDON STEINBACH has jumped from Dow Lohnes to DLA Piper, where he is of counsel in Washington, D.C. Earlier in his career, Steinbach served for almost four decades as vice president and general counsel of the American Council on Education, a coordinating body for higher education institutions in the United States.
MICHAEL LEEDS is now a wealth planning partner with Duane Morris in Boca Raton, Florida. Previously with Blank Rome, Leeds counsels clients on estate planning and administration in Florida, New York, and abroad.
A pair of litigators have joined Fulbright Jaworski as partners in Minneapolis: ROBERT PRATT from DLA Piper and BRENT LINDAHL from Briggs and Morgan. Both specialize in mortgage banking, regulatory compliance, class action defense, consumer credit, and real estate finance.
Gibson, Dunn Crutcher has expanded with the addition of BLAISE BRENNAN as of counsel in Washington, D.C. Brennan focuses on capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, acquisition finance, corporate governance, and securities regulatory issues. He last worked at the Securities and Exchange Commission as counsel to commissioners Kathleen Casey and Daniel Gallagher.
Former federal prosecutor WILLIAM HARRINGTON is now a partner with Goodwin Procter in New York. Harrington last worked in the criminal division of the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, where he helped secure the conviction of, among others, disgraced investment adviser Kenneth Starr. Harrington will represent clients in white-collar criminal investigations and prosecutions, internal corporate investigations, and commercial litigation and arbitration.
Hunton Williams has welcomed back FERNANDO MARGARIT as a partner in its corporate group, based in Miami. Margarit worked at Hunton from 2001 until 2010, and was most recently with Greenberg Traurig. His practice encompasses cross-border MA transactions and infrastructure projects. Hunton also recently hired OFER LION as tax counsel in Los Angeles. Lion, previously with Mitchell Silberberg Knupp, represents nonprofits and tax-exempt organizations in tax, transactional, corporate, governance, and fiduciary matters.
In Dubai, ANDREW JOHNSTON has moved from Clifford Chance to KL Gates, joining the latter firm as a partner. Johnston represents clients on private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate and commerical matters throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
Katten Muchin Rosenman has recently added a trio of lawyers in Los Angeles: ALLAN ABSHEZ and DAVID KETTEL as members, and ELIZABETH CAMACHO as special counsel. Abshez and Camacho, both land use specialists, previously worked at Greenberg Traurig. Kettel, a former assistant U.S. attorney who remains a white-collar litigator, joins from Venable.
The Chicago office of Mayer Brown now counts WILLIAM MICHAEL, JR., previously with Dorsey Whitney, as a partner. Michael is a trial lawyer focused on complex white-collar and regulatory defense, civil and criminal health care fraud, antitrust, and complex internal investigations.
VINCENT NAPOLEON has left a role as president and CEO of Eagle Consulting Services, which advises on business and legal issues, to join Nixon Peabody as counsel in Washington, D.C. Napoleon will focus on commercial transactions, government contracts, and the life sciences industry.
Perkins Coie has added STEVEN DUCOMMUN as a partner in Chicago, along with one associate, and MEL WHEATON as of counsel in Seattle. Ducommun, previously with KL Gates, has a corporate and securities practice focused on mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, commercial contracting, and filings. Wheaton, previously president and general counsel at Orca Bay Capital, counsels limited liability companies and partnerships across a variety of industries.
Weil, Gotshal Manges has lost ALAN KUSINITZ to Proskauer Rose. Now senior counsel in New York, Kusinitz litigates antitrust, trade regulation, and intellectual property matters and advises on government investigations, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, and other issues.
After serving a second stint as general counsel for the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, JAMES BARNETTE is rejoining Steptoe Johnson, where he worked from 2007 to 2011 as a partner in the firm’s public affairs and public policy group. Based in Washington, D.C., Barnette will focus on energy, telecommunications, health care, and environmental law.
Stroock Stroock Lavan has added bulk to its entertainment practice with the hires of JAMES SAMMATARO and a senior associate in Miami. Sammataro, previously with Kasowitz Benson Torres Friedman, handles both litigation and deal work for entertainment clients, including TV and radio stations, touring companies, filmmakers, distributors, and actors.
The Churn is compiled from law firm releases and announcements. Moves based on our own reporting will note this. Please send all announcements and news releases to thechurn@alm.com.
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