Washington, DC (January 5, 2024) – Venable LLP announced today that it has elected 20 attorneys to the firm partnership. The new partners, from Venable's Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC offices, are emerging leaders from a broad cross section of the firm's practice groups, including Advertising, Bankruptcy, Commercial Litigation, Corporate, Construction, Energy, Intellectual Property, IP Litigation, Patent Prosecution and Counseling, Political Law, Nonprofit, Private Wealth Planning, Real Estate, Regulatory, and Tax.
Stu Ingis, chairman of Venable, said, "The new partners were elected based on their legal expertise, their embodiment of our values and culture, their focus on client service, and their contributions to the firm. Their promotion is a reflection of the confidence of their colleagues in their future success."
The following attorneys joined Venable's partnership effective January 1, 2024.
Baltimore Office
Julie L. Galbo-Moyes – Ms. Galbo-Moyes assists clients in a wide range of complex products liability litigation matters. Julie represents clients at all stages of litigation in federal and state courts. Her experience includes drafting motions and briefs, including Daubert challenges. She also prepares and responds to discovery requests and conducts in-depth legal research and analysis. Julie has represented corporations and individuals in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and automobile industries.
Ashleigh J. (AJ) F. Lynn – Ms. Lynn represents companies, partnerships, nonprofits, and individuals in a diverse range of complex commercial litigation matters in federal and state courts and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) tribunals across the country, including for claims involving commercial and government contracts, trusts and estates, intellectual property, trade secret misappropriation, fraud, and related business torts. AJ also frequently provides pre-litigation counseling, negotiating resolutions in formal and informal ADR settings before litigation is commenced.
Liz Clark Rinehart – Ms. Rinehart represents clients in complex class action, commercial litigation, and regulatory investigation matters involving violations of consumer protection statutes, antitrust, false advertising, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, and constitutional challenges to legislation and agency rulemaking. Liz advises clients in litigation involving the Sherman Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the Lanham Act, and other Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and state attorney general enforcement matters, as well as matters involving the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC).
Chicago Office
Jonathan Freilich – Mr. Freilich practices construction law. Jonathan has significant experience drafting and negotiating design and construction contracts on behalf of project owners, architects, engineers, and other design professionals for projects ranging in size from home remodeling to large commercial and infrastructure projects. His practice focuses on resolving construction-related disputes by finding creative and business-oriented solutions that minimize costs and avoid prolonged litigation. He also advises clients during construction on assessing claims and developing strategies to mitigate project disruption.
Los Angeles Office
Theresa Clardy LaFazia – Ms. LaFazia focuses on domestic and international tax planning, international tax compliance and reporting, tax controversy, and litigation for talent, entertainment executives, high-net-worth individuals, and entrepreneurs. A significant portion of Theresa's practice is dedicated to helping clients resolve tax controversy and litigation matters with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB). Theresa represents individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations in all stages of tax disputes, including audits, administrative appeals, refund actions, collection disputes, and litigation in state and federal courts.
Ryan S. Kasdin – Mr. Kasdin advises tax-exempt organizations on a range of corporate, tax, and governance matters, political activities regulatory compliance, and commercial transactions. In addition to providing general counsel services, Ryan helps clients navigate the intersecting tax and campaign finance laws applicable to tax-exempt organizations engaging in issue advocacy and political activities. Ryan works with a variety of tax-exempt organizations, including public charities, private foundations, political committees, advocacy organizations, and professional associations. Clients appreciate his accessible, solution-oriented approach to lawyering and his understanding of their individual challenges and goals.
Sharoni S. Finkelstein – Ms. Finkelstein is Venable's West Coast brand protection lead. Sharoni's practice focuses on global brand protection and enforcement, counseling clients on how to secure, protect, and police their trademark rights. She represents clients in federal court, before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), and in Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution (UDRP) proceedings. Sharoni manages high-volume enforcement programs, sending cease and desist letters, negotiating complex settlements in trademark infringement matters, and handling infringement matters on social media and other Internet platforms, including through the use of various takedown proceedings.
New York Office
Hilary G. Atzrott Hamburg – Ms. Atzrott Hamburg works with clients in the drafting and negotiation of agreements related to the acquisition, development, and disposition of properties. Drawing on her prior experience in government relations and finance, Hilary understands the perspective of a variety of stakeholders to a transaction, allowing her to formulate practical, collaborative solutions to complex problems.
Lawrence D. Mandelker – Mr. Mandelker helps high-net-worth individuals with estate planning by counseling on mutigenerational transfers of assets and business succession planning. Through the use of wills, trusts, and other estate planning instruments, Larry works with his clients to creatively design estate plans that address their unique needs and plan for future contingencies, while also focusing on asset preservation, premarital planning, and estate, gift, and income tax minimization goals. His clients include individuals in many industries, including corporate executives and founders, owners of closely held businesses, real estate owners and developers, financial principals, technopreneurs, entertainers, athletes, and publishers.
George Soumalevris – Mr. Soumalevris focuses on structured finance, distressed asset, and bankruptcy litigation. George has extensive experience representing lenders and special servicers in cases involving complex financial products, including collateralized debt obligations, commercial mortgage-backed securities, and credit default swaps. He has secured victories for clients in multiple structured finance matters including multi-million-dollar proceedings regarding the permissibility of trust reserves and special servicer's fees. George has also advised clients in Chapter 11 and Chapter 15 as well as foreign insolvency proceedings. In the past, George represented clients in major international arbitrations and international trade investigations in various jurisdictions across the world.
Gianna E. Cricco-Lizza – Ms. Cricco-Lizza's practice focuses on patent and trademark litigation in the federal courts and monitors intellectual property enforcement efforts for clients in the telecommunications, luxury goods, and consumer products industries. As a litigator, Gianna has experience in all phases of patent litigation, including pre-suit diligence, drafting of pleadings, motion practice, discovery, claim construction, trial, and appeal.
Laura K. Fishwick – Ms. Fishwick represents pharmaceutical companies in all stages of patent litigation and contested proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Laura also handles due diligence and pre-lawsuit investigations. She has counseled on a range of chemical and life science patent matters involving small-molecule pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical formulations, polymorphs, and medical treatments.
San Francisco Office
Amit Rana – Mr. Rana is a litigator who protects businesses and entrepreneurs in commercial disputes and against class actions. In particular, Amit has extensive experience successfully defending against consumer class actions, including those brought under unfair competition and false advertising laws. He has been involved in more than 75 threatened or filed consumer class actions and brings creative legal solutions to accommodate business needs in a variety of industries, including consumer-packaged goods, multi-site franchises, food/restaurant, and computer software.
Washington, DC Office
Rob Hartwell – Mr. Hartwell draws on his deep understanding of the digital marketplace, from company practices to legislative and regulatory developments, as he holistically counsels clients on their product development, advertising and marketing, and policy advocacy. Rob offers practical and actionable advice to companies, complemented by his relationships with policymakers, ensuring that clients can anticipate the coming challenges and requirements.
Joseph R. Hicks – Mr. Hicks counsels energy sector clients on regulatory and energy infrastructure developments and represents clients in complex administrative litigation, rulemaking proceedings, and federal appellate matters. Joe draws from his experience serving as regulatory counsel for crude oil and petroleum products pipelines, natural gas pipelines, and electric utilities when advising on energy, administrative, transportation, and transportation safety law. He represents clients in litigation before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), state public utilities commissions, and federal courts, and in conducting due diligence related to regulatory approvals of public utility mergers and acquisitions.
Meredith K. McCoy – Ms. McCoy provides experienced guidance to businesses, tax-exempt organizations, individuals, and political groups in their efforts to impact public policy and the political process. Meredith works with clients to understand their goals and make tailored recommendations for complying with the range of laws that may affect their plans, including tax, campaign finance, lobbying disclosure, gift and ethics, and pay-to-play laws. Her previous experience as an attorney for the Federal Election Commission helps her foresee compliance challenges and evaluate risks facing Venable's clients. She is skilled at providing practical, user-friendly guidance that helps clients make informed decisions and achieve their objectives.
Christopher J. Kim – Mr. Kim assists clients with intellectual property and technology transactions across a wide variety of industries. Chris also advises clients on the licensing, sale, acquisition, maintenance, and protection of their intellectual property assets, and provides general corporate counseling for technology products and services. In addition to his primary transactional practice, Chris has participated in numerous intellectual property litigation matters. He utilizes his litigation experience to provide clients with a full picture of the commercial opportunities and risk management strategies that apply to their business.
Stephen Yam – Mr. Yam focuses on post-grant proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), district court patent litigation, and preparation and prosecution of patent applications in the mechanical, electrical, computer, and business method arts. Stephen has worked in a variety of technologies, including smartphones, ink jet and laser printing, satellite communications, medical devices, automotive components, and information management systems. Prior to joining the firm, Stephen was a primary examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where he examined patent applications involving photocell and image sensing technology.
Andrew T. Hernacki – Mr. Hernacki's practice focuses on complex class action and multi-party litigation involving antitrust, breach of contract, business tort, and unfair competition claims. Andrew has represented clients in a variety of actions by private plaintiffs, government investigations, and law enforcement actions, including those initiated by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and state attorneys general. He also has experience defending clients across a broad spectrum of issues, ranging from actions involving the Helms-Burton Act, partnership disputes, and general business issues.
Katie Wright Morrone – Ms. Wright Morrone is a civil litigator with vast experience representing clients in complex and high-profile matters in all stages of litigation and dispute resolution. Katie is regularly engaged in prominent, highly publicized matters, while also handling extremely confidential matters that are routinely resolved without ever getting to litigation. She is particularly sensitive to, and adept at managing, the competing interests clients must balance during or in anticipation of litigation.
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Venable LLP is an American Lawyer Global 100 law firm headquartered in Washington, DC that serves as primary counsel to a worldwide clientele of large and mid-sized organizations, nonprofits, high-net-worth entrepreneurs, and other individuals. With more than 900 professionals across the country, including in California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Washington, DC, the firm strategically advances its clients' objectives in the United States and around the globe. Venable advises clients on a broad range of business and regulatory law, legislative affairs, complex litigation, and the full range of intellectual property disciplines. For more information, please visit https://www.Venable.com/.