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Spring 2015 | Print Issue
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS
A Real Estate Reunion
ALUMNI NEWS
ALUMNI EVENTS
NEW K&S LATERAL
PARTNERS AND
COUNSEL
After six years as associates on King & Spalding's Capital Transactions and
Real Estate team, Amber Murray and Noah Peeters are working together—
again—at Jamestown LP. More
A Man of Letters – and Numbers
Assistant general counsel at Eli Lilly and former FDA &
Life Sciences associate Josh O'Harra discusses how a
facility for both language and numbers has steered his
career choices. More
FORMER ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Building Client Relationships and Expertise
King & Spalding partner Phyllis Sumner looks back over
the past eight years since returning to the firm after eight
years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. More
RECENT K&S
APPOINTMENTS AND
ACCOLADES
CAREER
OPPORTUNITIES
CLE AND e-LEARNS
PRO BONO NEWS
K&S COMMUNITY
SERVICE
ALUMNI UPDATE
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information
FIRM AND PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTS
Firm Earns Global Recognition for Leading Practices and Lawyers
in Chambers Global – In its 2015 guide to the world's leading lawyers,
Chambers Global recognized King & Spalding with 43 practice-level and
110 individual lawyer rankings, reinforcing the firm's place among the
world's top international law firms. More
King & Spalding Ranked Among 'Best Places to Work for LGBT
Equality' – The firm earned a top score of 100 percent in the Corporate
Equality Index 2015, a report card on lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) equality in corporate America. More
Tort & Environmental Team Earns Key Energy Industry Win for
Chevron – King & Spalding had a leading role in a significant win in a
federal court case in which 88 energy-company defendants—including
BP, Chevron, Conoco, Exxon and Shell—had billions of dollars at stake.
The dismissal of the suit reinforced the significant legal hurdles for
prospective plaintiffs contemplating similar litigation. More
Middle East Finance Team Advises on First-of-Kind Deal, Earns
Recognition for Market Leadership – Building on its strong reputation
as a leading firm for conventional finance, Islamic finance and debt
capital markets work in the Middle East, the firm recently represented
several banks in an innovative Sukuk transaction and earned honors for
its market leadership and client service. More
Women in IP Group Continues to Promote Advancement of Women
in Scientific and Technical Fields – Through sponsoring and
organizing events designed to promote science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM) educational opportunities for girls and
young women, King & Spalding's Women in IP group is continuing to
make headway in its efforts to advance the roles of women in those
fields. More
Deal Roundup: Global Transactional Teams Advise on Recent
Deals in the Middle East, Europe and the U.S. – King & Spalding's
transactional teams have inked deals for a number of key clients around
the globe in recent months, spanning industries including energy,
consumer products, real estate and pharmaceuticals, among others.
More
Energy, Product Liability, Real Estate Groups Earn Practice of Year
Honors – In its annual survey of the top legal departments in the world,
Law360 named King & Spalding's energy, product liability and real
estate groups among its "Practices of the Year" for 2014. More
German Disputes Team Hosts International Arbitration/Global
Disputes Program in Four German Cities – The Frankfurt-based
disputes team's spring 2015 client luncheon series, SchiedsEssen, now
in its third year, focused on U.S. litigation risks for German companies.
More
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A Real Estate Reunion
After six years as associates on King & Spalding's Capital
Transactions and Real Estate team, Amber Murray and Noah
Peeters are working together—again—at Jamestown LP.
When Amber Murray and Noah Peeters were associates on King &
Spalding’s Capital Transactions & Real Estate team in Atlanta, they sat in
offices next-door to each other and became good friends. Despite their
proximity and shared practice specialty, however, they represented
different clients and did not have the opportunity to work elbow-to-elbow
on any deals.
Today, Murray and Peeters both are in-house at Jamestown LP, a global
real estate investment and management company with $7.7 billion of
assets under management. And—as luck would have it—after some time
in different locations, they are office neighbors once again, having
recently moved into new Jamestown office space across the hall from
each other. While their specialized roles within Jamestown’s legal
department mean they still do not work elbow-to-elbow on transactions,
they now represent the same “client” and play important support roles for
each other.
Peeters, who joined Jamestown in 2012 after eight years as an associate
at King & Spalding, serves as a director in Jamestown’s Acquisitions and
Legal and Risk Management departments and is the primary legal
resource for all of Jamestown’s acquisitions. The role was a new one
when Peeters took it on. “What really sets us apart is that we don’t do a
lot of cookie-cutter deals,” he said. “We focus on the more complex
deals, which are more profitable. They are a lot of work, though, and
Jamestown needed the additional internal resources, as our portfolio was
growing very quickly.”
Murray followed Peeters to Jamestown in 2013, after six and a half years
at King & Spalding, and now serves as the vice president in Jamestown’s
Legal and Risk Management department, a role for which Peeters
suggested she might be a good fit. In this position, Murray is the primary
legal resource for Jamestown’s existing properties and manages
dispositions, refinancings and other portfolio management matters.
Amber Murray
Noah Peeters
Their complementary roles—with Peeters handling the acquisitions of
assets and Murray handling the legal issues for the assets once they are
in the Jamestown portfolio—makes for a strong working relationship,
because they have great confidence in each other’s abilities. “When an
issue arises with an asset in our portfolio for which Noah did the
acquisition, I will consult with him to get some background,” Murray said.
“That is incredibly valuable.”
Peeters agreed: “We share a lot of the same philosophies on how we
practice law and have a lot of shared experiences, which is a win for
Jamestown.”
While their real estate law careers have followed similar paths, Murray
and Peeters came to the law in very different ways.
“I actually knew I wanted to be a lawyer when I was in 12th grade,”
Murray said. During that year, she interned at Duke University’s Nicholas
School of the Environment, where she got to sit in on law school classes
and became interested in attending law school. She went on to earn her
B.A. with honors and distinction in psychology and Spanish from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.A. in Hispanic
Language and Cultures from New York University—always keeping law
school in her sights.
“I knew that law school would provide me important skills that would be
useful in many settings, and real estate was an area where I could have
a real effect on issues related to the working poor and social justice,”
Murray said. She went on to earn her J.D. from Georgetown University
Law Center.
After a summer at King & Spalding between her second and third year of
law school, her interest in real estate law was affirmed. “I really liked the
people in the real estate group, and I liked the subject matter and how
tangible it was,” she said. “Once I started at King & Spalding, I also saw
that I could apply the knowledge I was gaining while working on complex
real estate transactions to my volunteer work.” While at King & Spalding
as an associate, with the help of the firm’s Community Affairs
department, Murray got involved with the Georgia Law Center for the
Homeless, where she now serves on the board.
While Murray had a strong sense early on of where she wanted her
career to go, Peeters came to law a bit more indirectly. After graduating
from Williams College—where his studies focused on art, architecture
and planning—he worked at Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta as part of
CNN’s video journalist program. “I started out playing such important
roles as staying up all night to make sure the printers stayed filled with
paper and ink and delivering scripts to anchors,” Peeters quipped. He
moved up quickly, going on to work in editorial, where he helped
research, write and edit documentary and long-form programming.
After the AOL/Time Warner merger changed the makeup of his
department, he began to question whether journalism was for him. His
wife was a student at the University of Georgia School of Law at the time,
and she came from a family of lawyers who enjoyed their work, so he
decided his interest in research and writing might be put to better use in
the legal field. He went on to earn his J.D. from the University of Georgia.
Like Murray, Peeters was attracted to real estate’s tangible nature. “I
really liked the idea of being part of building something,” Peeters said.
“And as part of King & Spalding’s real estate team, I got frontline
experience and a large amount of responsibility and client contact early
on, because the deal teams were lean.”
As an associate, he represented many of the firm’s German real estate
clients and served as the primary associate on the Jamestown team. “It
was a great grab bag of real estate work that included the nuts and bolts
plus every nuance and add-on you can imagine,” he said, listing
development deals, joint ventures, tax credit deals and bond deals
among the many types of transactions on which he gained experience.
When the opportunity to join Jamestown came about, he knew it was a
good move. “I now get to devote more brainpower to working with our
team on value creation, which really excites me,” he said. “It’s really a
hybrid legal and business role.”
For Murray, too, her interest in the business side of real estate was part
of the attraction of joining Jamestown. “I had always considered an inhouse role as a future possibility. I felt I had learned a tremendous
amount about real estate and finance transactions while working with topnotch partners, associates and paralegals at King & Spalding and was
ready to try something new. I really found the opportunity to learn more
about the business of real estate appealing,” she said.
The link to King & Spalding—for both Murray and Peeters—is still very
strong, as they continue to work with their former firm colleagues, who
now serve as their outside counsel on many of their matters. “The King &
Spalding team is very connected to the Jamestown team, not just
because of Amber and me, but because they have spent a lot of effort
getting to know our business and our platform,” Peeters said.
In fact, one of the major projects for which Murray is now handling
multiple legal issues—the high-profile, one million-square-foot Ponce City
Market development in Atlanta—was an acquisition handled by Peeters
when he was at King & Spalding in 2011. “Shortly after I came over to
Jamestown, I started working with the King & Spalding CTRE team on
the construction financing and historic tax credit financing deals for
Ponce City Market, as well as advising on general development issues,
so I got to know Jamestown while still working with my former
colleagues—and while having Noah here as a resource to provide
valuable information about the property,” Murray said.
Peeters agrees that it has been beneficial to be colleagues once again.
“It’s both very comforting and professionally rewarding to have Amber
here,” he said.
And, Peeters jokes, although their roles are more complementary than
collaborative, there is at least one important internal matter that they work
closely on: keeping each other well fed. Their new offices have a sight
line to the break room, where many of their food industry tenants drop off
treats. “We know which kinds of cookies to set aside for each other when
snacks appear in the break room, which is very important,” he said.
About Jamestown LP
Jamestown was established in 1983 as an investment and management
company focused on income-producing real estate in the United States.
Over the past 32 years, Jamestown has expanded into a national,
vertically integrated real estate operator with approximately $7.6 billion of
assets under management.
Jamestown’s capabilities include acquisitions, capital markets, property
management, asset management, retail leasing, design, sustainability
and risk management. Jamestown employs more than 230 professionals
in the United States, with headquarters in Atlanta and New York, and
additional offices in Washington, D.C., Boston and San Francisco. All
real estate acquisition and asset management activities are coordinated
out of the U.S. offices, as are fundraising, marketing and investor
relations for institutional investors. The related company, Jamestown US
Immobilien GmbH, has approximately 40 employees based in Cologne,
Germany, who are focused on investor relations, fundraising and
marketing for European investors as well as portfolio and risk
management of core funds for German investors.
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Spring 2015 | Print Page
A Man of Letters – and Numbers
Assistant general counsel at Eli Lilly and former FDA & Life
Sciences associate Josh O'Harra discusses how a facility for both
language and numbers has steered his career choices.
Connection: You majored in economics and government at Lafayette
College and then worked for the Congressional Budget Office in
Washington, D.C. That seems like a good fit.
O'Harra: I worked as an assistant analyst preparing 10-year cost
estimates for legislation affecting education and social insurance
programs.
Connection: A couple of years later, you went to graduate school, but
not law school …
O'Harra: Though I had focused on economics, I had always been
interested in law. I took both the GRE and LSAT, and then cast a wide
net, applying to graduate programs in economics and also law schools. I
figured I would sort it out based on where I got accepted. But I got
accepted to a lot of programs, so it didn't narrow the options. I decided on
the University of Michigan because I had been accepted in both
disciplines. I figured I could go in either direction—I would start in the
economics program but move to the law school if I wasn't happy. Of
course, it didn't really work out that way, but I did get my master's in
economics.
Connection: After which you moved back to Washington?
O'Harra: That’s right. Ann Arbor is a small college town, and I was tired
of being a poor college student, so I moved back and returned to the
Congressional Budget Office, this time as an associate analyst in the
Long-Term Modeling Group. I was part of a five-to-six-person team
working on the development of the model used by Congress to generate
their 75-year financial forecasts of Social Security and Medicare. The
model included actuarial projections and the ability to perform
distributional analysis—determining who would rise and who would fall
under certain economic factors. The distributional part of the model was
the innovation. It allowed different reform options to be run through the
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model.
Connection: That sounds like important work. What made you decide to
get a law degree after all?
O'Harra: My LSAT scores were about to expire, so I decided to give it
one last shot. I applied only to the Georgetown University Law Center,
which has a night program for those in the workforce—I wasn't interested
in becoming a poor student again. I figured it was fate: if I got accepted, I
would enroll. I got accepted.
Connection: So you continued working in the Congressional Budget
Office while getting your law degree at Georgetown? That must have
been intense.
O'Harra: Actually, I found it very refreshing. The CBO work was a lot of
programming in computer languages—math and economics by day. After
work, at 5:15, I would take the shuttle right outside the CBO to
Georgetown, where I would attend two to three hours of classes every
night, using the other side of my brain. I was surrounded by numbers
during the day and by letters in the evening. Because of that, I really
didn’t experience any fatigue.
Luckily, I have a facility for both numbers and language, and that has
steered my choices. The work I do now—government pricing and
reporting—requires a financial component. So I never really left
economics. I’ve always been part of law practices that require numbers.
Connection: So how does an economist and new lawyer end up in the
FDA & Life Sciences practice at King & Spalding?
O'Harra: I was a summer associate at King & Spalding. My exit interview
was with [FDA & Life Sciences partner] Mark Brown. At the time, the FDA
practice didn't have a life sciences component, but it was being
discussed. In the interview, I admitted to Mark that I would be interested
in joining the practice if they expanded to include life sciences. I always
thought the pharma sector would be intriguing. So when the FDA practice
expanded to include life sciences, Mark recruited me to join the newly
integrated team. It appealed to me because, as a 30-year-old starting
associate, I would have the opportunity to work directly with the partners
representing and counseling clients on various healthcare industry
issues.
Connection: During your tenure at the firm, you actually spent six
months on secondment performing chief compliance officer functions for
a client. How did that opportunity arise?
O'Harra: My first day on the job at K&S was an eight-hour conference
call with a client regarding the implementation of a Corporate Integrity
Agreement [CIA]. I ended up working on the matter on and off for the
next three years. To implement a CIA, it's required that a chief
compliance officer be in place. When the client's chief compliance officer
passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, an agreement was reached
with the Office of the Inspector General for King & Spalding to fill the
function.
Connection: Did this experience give you a taste of what it's like to work
in-house?
O'Harra: It did. I could see how working in-house, for some, might
provide a different work-life balance, but I also saw the fire drills that can
arise. The experience also gave me a view of the compliance function
versus the legal function, and the compliance function did not appeal to
me, so I could rule that out as an option for myself.
Connection: Several years later, in 2012, you went in-house at Eli Lilly,
where you are today. What made you decide to move in-house from
private practice?
O'Harra: I learned of the opportunity through a headhunter email that at
first seemed fairly generic, but was actually very specific to my
background and skill set. It described the three things that I could do as a
lawyer: fraud and abuse compliance and counseling; government price
reporting; and commercial contracting for pharmaceutical companies. All
of these were in my wheelhouse, and all were part of the opportunity at
Lilly, so I was intrigued. I had been a drug company lawyer for seven
years, but I had never worked at a drug company. I felt like I should see it
from the inside.
Connection: Did serving on secondment while at the firm make the
transition in-house at Eli Lilly easier?
O'Harra: It did. But in addition to that, I could see that Lilly's organization
matched well with the structure of the FDA practice at King & Spalding. I
could tell that the two viewed the world similarly and that that would help
make it an easy transition. I knew from clients that hours in-house can be
just as intense as in private practice and that the internal politics can be
less straightforward than at a law firm, but Lilly seemed a rational, calm
place, so I didn't think it would be the case there, and that turned out to
be true. It was a completely easy transition. And Lilly has great managers
in the law division. They get what I do and why it's important.
Connection: Can you describe your role as assistant general counsel at
Eli Lilly?
O'Harra: I have the lead responsibility for advising on all matters
pertaining to state and federal healthcare programs and U.S. government
pricing. That includes representing Lilly before federal agencies and state
agencies; advising on government pricing, federal strategy and coverage,
coding and reimbursement issues, including corporate due diligence and
government investigations; drafting and reviewing all manner of
commercial contracts; counseling on compliance with FDA promotional
rules, antikickback, false claims act, and antitrust laws; and providing
legal support and review for various Corporate Affairs functions.
Connection: What is your greatest challenge in the role?
O'Harra: I work in the D.C. office of an Indianapolis-based company, and
sometimes you just need to be on the ground at headquarters with your
colleagues. Working remotely, you're not privy all the time. It can be
challenging. But I go back and forth to Indiana every other week for two
nights, which helps.
Connection: Do you keep in touch with your former colleagues at the
firm?
O'Harra: I do! In fact, I recruited [former Special Matters associate]
Tiffany Benjamin to work at Eli Lilly. I knew she had grown up in Indiana
and went to Indiana University, so I thought of her when a position
opened less than a year after I joined the company. I also continue to be
delighted by my connections from my involvement in diversity activities
while at the firm.
Facts About Eli Lilly
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Founded on May 10, 1876, by Colonel Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical
chemist
Headquarters located in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Approximately 39,000 employees worldwide, more than 8,000 of
whom are engaged in research and development
Clinical research conducted in more than 55 countries
Research and development facilities located in eight countries
Manufacturing plants located in 13 countries
Products marketed in 125 countries
The first company to mass-produce penicillin and to offer the
world’s first commercially available insulin product, and one of the
first pharmaceutical companies to produce human insulin using
recombinant DNA
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Building Client Relationships and Expertise
King & Spalding partner Phyllis Sumner looks back over the past
eight years since returning to the firm after eight years as an
Assistant U.S. Attorney.
As leader of King & Spalding’s Data, Privacy & Security practice, partner
Phyllis Sumner—and former firm alumna—enjoys a thriving practice. In
addition to providing legal support to clients facing data, privacy and
security concerns, she represents clients in complex litigation matters
involving the Fair Credit Reporting Act, False Claims Act, securities and
fraud. She also counsels clients on a variety of corporate matters and
regularly speaks to boards regarding privacy and security compliance,
government enforcement matters, and internal investigations. She
recently received the 2014 Law360 MVP Award, which recognizes
achievements in major litigation that have set a new standard for
accomplishment in corporate law. As one might guess, she is in high
demand.
Not so long ago, however, one of Sumner’s primary professional
concerns was refocusing her expertise from prosecutor back to defense
attorney and building new client relationships. In 2006, she returned to
private practice at King & Spalding after eight years as an Assistant
United States Attorney, first for the Northern District of Illinois and then
for the Northern District of Georgia. During the time she was an AUSA,
she successfully prosecuted the cases against Centennial Olympic Park
bomber Eric Rudolph and former mayor of Atlanta Bill Campbell, and won
an appeal against the leaders of the Gangster Disciples street gang.
Despite her rewarding and successful public service record, Sumner
returned to King & Spalding as a business litigation partner striving to
distinguish herself in a competitive marketplace. As she stated in an
interview with Connection at the time, “You don’t have to worry about
billable hours or business development when you’re working for the
government. You’re in constant high demand.”
Having met the challenge of private practice before, however, she knew
what lay ahead. She actually began her career in private practice at King
& Spalding, where she was one of the first associates in what was at that
time a new Special Matters practice, working with and learning from King
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& Spalding partners such as Judge Griffin Bell, Larry Thompson and
Judge William Duffey. Sumner worked on highly complex, sometimes
highly confidential matters, including the representation of President
George H.W. Bush in the Iran-Contra investigation. Sumner received
what she considers to be excellent training and experience, but also
became inspired by the strong public service backgrounds of the firm’s
partners. “I was deeply influenced by the partners I worked with at King &
Spalding, many of whom had dedicated significant periods of their
careers to public service,” Sumner said. “They influenced my original
decision to join the firm, my decision to leave the firm to be a public
servant and my decision to ultimately return to it.”
When Sumner was offered the opportunity to become an assistant U.S.
attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, she did not hesitate. “I knew it
was the right decision. And because of my experience on complex cases
at King & Spalding, I was rewarded with significant matters for the U.S.
Attorney right away.”
“My first appeal was against eight leaders of the Gangster Disciples, who
had been sentenced to life imprisonment,” she recalled. “My first brief
was 125 pages long. My first argument in the Seventh Circuit lasted an
hour. But I was able to do it because of my training at King & Spalding.”
After eight years in public service, however, Sumner was ready to return
to private practice and to King & Spalding, this time as part of the
Business Litigation team. Like Sumner herself, the firm was at a tipping
point, about to embark on a strategic plan focusing on areas of strength
and high need for clients as well as international expansion. Sumner
knew that to build a practice, she too needed to focus on her own
professional strengths and experience and how they aligned with client
needs.
“Coming from public service,” she said, “the challenge was how to focus
my private practice, using as a foundation my skills and experience both
as a criminal prosecutor and from my previous work in private practice. It
was a very intentional process for me.”
Even then, Sumner felt the support of her colleagues, who referred
parallel criminal and civil cases because of her background as a
prosecutor. “For a couple of years, I did a variety of work, applying my
litigation and investigation skills,” she said. “I started developing two
areas of specialty as a result of my prior experience: False Claims Act
litigation and fraud and security investigations. I understood both areas
from my work as a prosecutor.”
Sumner’s work on fraud and security matters led to work in data, privacy
and security. “My work focused on clients who were victims of a criminal
act regarding data—either from inside or outside the company—working
with law enforcement and advising on potential exposure and related
concerns,” she said. “Obviously, this is now a rapidly developing area of
concern for clients, but it wasn’t a focus when I first rejoined the firm. As
my business grew, so did the types of crimes that began to surface and
the greater the impact of these crimes on companies.”
The increasing amount of work established the momentum to build this
practice for the firm, which Sumner now leads. “The firm’s Data, Privacy
& Security practice group has 50 lawyers across nine offices,” Sumner
said, “and we represent clients such as The Home Depot, Kmart and
payment processors on matters relating to data security and privacy
litigation.”
Having been through the process herself, what advice does Sumner offer
to those who are looking to enter—or re-enter—private practice? “Anyone
returning to private practice should consider how their prior experiences
can help them build a platform to address important client needs,” she
said. “It isn’t easy to figure out what that focus should be, but that’s why
you need to focus on it.”
King & Spalding’s Data, Privacy & Security Practice
King & Spalding’s Data, Privacy & Security practice covers a broad range
of legal issues relating to privacy and security faced by both Web-based
and traditional “bricks and mortar” businesses. The team, with 50 lawyers
in offices across the United States, Europe and the Middle East, regularly
advises clients regarding the myriad statutory and regulatory
requirements businesses face when handling—including gathering,
managing, securing, transferring, sharing, selling or disposing of—
personal and other sensitive information concerning individuals such as
employees, consumers, customers or patients, in the U.S. and globally.
The practice provides substantive expertise and collaborative support to
clients across a wide spectrum of industries and jurisdictions facing
privacy-based legal concerns, bringing together attorneys with
backgrounds in corporate governance and transactions, healthcare,
intellectual property rights, complex civil litigation, e-discovery,
government investigations, government advocacy, and public policy.
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Firm Earns Global Recognition for Leading Practices and
Lawyers in Chambers Global
In its 2015 guide to the world's leading lawyers, Chambers Global
recognized King & Spalding with 43 practice-level and 110
individual lawyer rankings, reinforcing the firm's place among the
world's top international law firms.
The firm earned Global-wide rankings in Arbitration (International),
Banking & Finance: Islamic Finance, Dispute Resolution, International
Trade/WTO, Projects & Energy, and Projects & Energy: Oil & Gas, as
well as rankings in multiple other practice areas in five large geographic
regions and 17 countries.
The firm’s International Arbitration team had a particularly strong
showing, moving into Band 1 in the Global-wide and Singapore rankings,
advancing to Band 3 in the Europe-wide rankings, and maintaining its
strong rankings in Latin America (Band 1), the Asia-Pacific region (Band
2), France (Band 3), the UK (Band 3) and the USA (Band 2).
In addition, the firm saw its rankings advance in India Projects & Energy:
Desks Based Abroad (Band 1), Russia Energy & Natural Resources
(Band 3) and USA Electricity Regulatory & Litigation (Band 2).
The firm earned first-time rankings in Global-wide Dispute Resolution
(Band 4), Middle East-Wide Capital Markets (Band 3), Saudi Arabia
Banking & Finance (Band 3), UAE Capital Markets (Band 3) and UAE
Dispute Resolution (Band 5).
Chambers annually researches the legal markets in more than 180
countries, identifying the leading law firms and practitioners around the
world. Rankings are based on technical legal ability, professional
conduct, client service, commercial awareness/astuteness, diligence,
commitment and other qualities valued by clients. A full list of the King
& Spalding practices and lawyers ranked in this year’s guide is
available on the firm’s website.
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King & Spalding Ranked Among 'Best Places to Work for
LGBT Equality'
The firm earned a top score of 100 percent in the Corporate
Equality Index 2015, a report card on lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) equality in corporate America.
King & Spalding scored a maximum rating in all nine categories, earning
the coveted distinction of “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality.” The
Human Rights Campaign Foundation has conducted this annual survey
of the nation’s largest publicly traded businesses, privately owned
companies and top revenue-grossing law firms since 2002.
The Corporate Equality Index this year rated 781 of the largest
businesses in the United States, including 306 Fortune 500 companies
and 149 Am Law 200 law firms. The index measures the extent to which
employers protect their LGBT employees, rating employers on a scale
from 0 to 100 percent. Ratings are based on nine factors, such as equal
employment opportunity policy, employment benefits, organizational
LGBT competency, public commitment and responsible citizenship.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization
working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By
inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination
against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental
fairness and equality for all.
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Tort & Environmental Team Earns Key Energy Industry Win
for Chevron
King & Spalding had a leading role in a significant win in a federal
court case in which 88 energy-company defendants—including BP,
Chevron, Conoco, Exxon and Shell—had billions of dollars at stake.
The dismissal of the suit reinforced the significant legal hurdles for
prospective plaintiffs contemplating similar litigation.
In a 49-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown of the
Eastern District of Louisiana dismissed all six of the Southeast Louisiana
Flood Protection Authority-East’s (SLFPAE) claims alleging historical oil
and gas drilling and extraction activities have claimed “hundreds of
thousands of acres” of coastal wetlands that serve as a natural protective
barrier against flooding and destructive weather. The SLFPAE oversees
the flood protection network in the New Orleans area.
King & Spalding partner Robert Meadows represented Chevron in the
case, and argued the remand motion and several of the motions to
dismiss. In addition to Meadows, the King & Spalding team consisted of
partners Ashley Parrish and Jeremiah Anderson and associates Andrew
Stakelum and Eric Plourde.
The team argued the SLFPAE tried to use alleged violations of federal
permits issued by the Corps of Engineers to dredge canals and conduct
oil and gas activities in southeast Louisiana as the basis to recover
billions of dollars to backfill and revegetate canals the energy-company
defendants supposedly used or dredged. Judge Brown’s dismissal of the
suit underscored that the law does not support the claim, and that
reputable science shows coastal land loss is a complex process and the
result of numerous factors.
Submit comments to Lisa Keyes.
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Middle East Finance Team Advises on First-of-Kind Deal,
Earns Recognition for Market Leadership
Building on its strong reputation as a leading firm for conventional
finance, Islamic finance and debt capital markets work in the
Middle East, the firm recently represented several banks in an
innovative Sukuk transaction and earned honors for its market
leadership and client service.
In November, the firm advised Al Hilal Bank PJSC, Emirates NBD Bank
PJSC, Mashreqbank PSC and Noor Bank PJSC as joint lead managers
in a US$120 million five-year private placement Sukuk by Drake and
Scull International PJSC. The transaction is the first Sukuk to be
structured using certificates listed on the NASDAQ Dubai Murabaha
platform, an Islamic financing platform established in collaboration with
Emirates Islamic and Emirates Islamic Financial Brokerage. It is also the
first securities issuance on the NASDAQ Dubai platform. The King &
Spalding team handling the deal included partner Rizwan H. Kanji and
associate Yousef Farsakh.
The deal was one of two for which the firm earned honors from Islamic
Finance News as part of its annual Deal of the Year awards, announced
in January. The publication named King & Spalding 2014’s Best Law
Firm for tawarruq financing for the transaction, which also earned an
honorable mention as Most Innovative Deal of the Year. In addition, the
firm earned the top title in structured finance for its US$190 murabaha
financing for Fawaz Abdulaziz Al Hokair & Co., the largest franchise
retailer in Saudi Arabia. This Shari’ah-compliant deal involved
operational control over point-of-sale terminal receivables, resulting in a
credit receivables securitization.
Following on the Islamic Finance News recognitions, the firm was named
Best Onshore Law Firm–Client Services by MENA Fund Manager in its
annual fund services award program held in Dubai in January. The
award acknowledged the firm’s growing investment funds practice in the
region and its commitment to outstanding client service.
Submit comments to Lisa Keyes.
Spring 2015 | Print Page
Women in IP Group Continues to Promote Advancement of
Women in Scientific and Technical Fields
Through sponsoring and organizing events designed to promote
science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educational
opportunities for girls and young women, King & Spalding’s Women in
IP group is continuing to make headway in its efforts to advance the
roles of women in those fields.
The Women in IP Group was established in 2012 by the women
partners in the IP group, who make up 25 percent of that practice’s
partners. Recognizing that less than half of Am Law 50 firms have
achieved such a percentage of women IP partners, the group formed
two support programs that encourage girls and young women to pursue
scientific and technical educations that could lead to careers in IP. The
group also works to advance the roles of women in the IP field and to
serve clients together. In addition to sponsoring scholarships to
engineering summer camps and other educational programs for girls,
the group has organized and supported a number of other recent
activities to advance their mission:
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In March, the group sponsored the “Georgia BioGENEius
Challenge,” held at the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair in
Athens, Ga. The statewide competition, which is organized jointly
by Georgia Bio and the Georgia BioEd Institute, recognizes
outstanding research and innovation in the biotechnology field by
high school students. Winners of the event receive travel grants
to participate as finalists in the national competition with students
from around the country at the BIO International Convention in
Philadelphia in June.
Also in March, partner and Women in IP group member Natasha
Moffitt was profiled on The Glass Hammer, an online
community for women executives in financial services, law and
business. In the article, she discusses how she has ascended the
ranks as an IP lawyer and shares her thoughts on how women
can continue to advance their roles in the field.
In May, the Women in IP group in conjunction with the Atlanta
Women Affinity Group held a client event in Atlanta designed to
promote awareness and encourage a younger generation of girls
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to pursue scientific and technical educational opportunities. The
event will be a head-to-head competition of battle bots in which
girls between the ages of 5 and 11 will learn about, build and
compete with Lego® robots. The event is designed to give young
girls exposure to STEM and an opportunity to work in a
supportive environment of teamwork and creative learning
More information about the Women in IP group is available on the
firm’s website.
Submit comments to Lisa Keyes.
Spring 2015 | Print Page
Deal Roundup: Global Transactional Teams Advise on Recent
Deals in the Middle East, Europe and the U.S.
King & Spalding's transactional teams have inked deals for a
number of key clients around the globe in recent months, spanning
industries including energy, consumer products, real estate and
pharmaceuticals, among others.
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The firm represented Berlin-based online and mobile food ordering
company Delivery Hero in relation to a €287 million fundraising, as
well as its market entry into the Middle East. The fundraising was
the third-largest venture capital deal for a European-based
company since 1999, according to the Wall Street Journal. The firm
subsequently represented Delivery Hero in its acquisition from
Rocket Internet of Talabat.com, the regional partner for global
restaurants brands including Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut. In
addition to its home market of Kuwait, Talabat.com is active in
Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar.
The cross-border team was led by London partner Markus
Bauman and included senior associates Ilan Kotkis (London) and
Osama Audi (Dubai).
The firm served as international counsel to the project company
Adjaristsqali Georgia LLC, during the development, construction
and US$250 million debt financing of the landmark, 187-megawatt
Shuakhevi Hydropower Project in Georgia (the former Soviet
Republic), the first power project that will export electricity from
Georgia to Turkey, and it will be financed on a limited-recourse
basis. The deal team was led by partner Kelly Malone and
included partner Mona Katigbak and associates Alex Blomfield
and Rory O’Connor.
The firm advised Arbor Pharmaceuticals in the sale of a minority
stake in this privately held company to global investment firm KKR.
The team was led by corporate partners Jack Capers and
Matthew Stewart.
The firm represented Sasol Chemicals (USA) LLC with regard to
its Lake Charles, La., petrochemical complex. The firm drafted and
negotiated the engineering, procurement and construction
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management (EPCM) contract and a wide range of other
construction contracts for the $8.1 billion project, which will include
a 1.5 million-tons-per-year ethane cracker and six downstream
derivatives units expected to be ready for commercial operations in
2018. The King & Spalding team representing Sasol included
partner Scott Greer, counsel Scott Chalmers and associate
Jonathan Katz.
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The firm advised KFH Capital Investment Company, the
investment management subsidiary of the bank Kuwait Finance
House K.S.C.P., on the acquisition of two hotels in Manhattan for
approximately $141.5 million from Connecticut-based privateequity real estate firm Greenfield Partners LLC and hotel
management company Magna Hospitality Group from Rhode
Island. The cross-office team advising KFH Capital was led by
partners Andrew Metcalf, Jawad Ali and Wayne Pressgrove.
Submit comments to Lisa Keyes.
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Energy, Product Liability, Real Estate Groups Earn Practice of
Year Honors
In its annual survey of the top legal departments in the world,
Law360 named King & Spalding's energy, product liability and real
estate groups among its "Practices of the Year" for 2014.
Law360’s editors selected the “Practices of the Year” based on the
significance, size, complexity, and number of cases or deals completed in
2014. They selected five or fewer honorees in each category and
featured winning practices in profiles published throughout January 2015.
In recognizing the firm’s energy team, Law360 noted its work guiding the
development of multibillion-dollar projects around the globe and
convincing the D.C. Circuit to strike down the U.S. Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission’s controversial power demand rule, as well as its
successes in Energy Charter Treaty arbitrations and its representation of
Chevron Corp. in critical litigation.
The firm’s product liability team earned a spot among the Practices of
the Year for the second straight year, based largely on its significant
victories for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Merck & Co. Inc. and
GlaxoSmithKline, among others.
Law360 recognized the real estate team for its active year representing
clients including Edens Investments Trust, Morgan Stanley, Jamestown
Premier Property Fund and others on their major transactions.
Submit comments to Lisa Keyes.
Spring 2015 | Print Page
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German Disputes Team Hosts International Arbitration/Global
Disputes Program in Four German Cities
The Frankfurt-based disputes team’s spring 2015 client luncheon series,
SchiedsEssen, now in its third year, focused on U.S. litigation risks for
German companies.
The series—which was presented in the cities of Essen, Frankfurt,
Karlsruhe and Nuremberg—included discussions about the taking of
evidence in Germany for U.S. proceedings, handling data protection and
privacy law issues in the context of e-discovery, and document retention
policies. The four-city luncheon program attracted 50 participants from inhouse legal departments and the judiciary throughout Germany.
Left to right: Jan Schäfer, Sebastian Müller
Partner Jan Schäfer oversees the series and, with associate Sebastian
Müller, gave the presentations at the spring events. A number of King &
Spalding lawyers provided input on U.S. law for the program materials,
including James Berger (New York), Chris Smith (Paris) and Paul
Johnson (San Francisco).
The firm presents the SchiedsEssen series twice a year, in the spring
and fall. Planning is underway for the fall programs.
Submit comments to Lisa Keyes.
Spring 2015 | Print Page
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Alumni News—Recent Promotions, Appointments, Professional Moves and Other Important
Events
Keep your fellow alumni and former colleagues apprised of developments in your life by sending them
to Connection. Please send news of recent promotions, appointments, professional moves and other
important events to alumni@kslaw.com. By submitting your information, you are granting us
permission to include it in Connection and post it on King & Spalding’s alumni pages at
www.kslaw.com and on the King & Spalding Lawyers Alumni group page on LinkedIn. Space
limitations may not allow us to include all submissions.
Dawn-Marie Bey started the nonprofit organization Period Patch, Inc., which is dedicated to improving the
lives of homeless, displaced and impoverished women and girls by providing them access to feminine hygiene
products. Period Patch collects in-kind product donations and monetary donations used to purchase such
products and distributes them to local charities serving women in the Richmond, Va., area.
Andrea Bonime-Blanc, CEO and founder of GEC Risk Advisory, a global governance, risk, compliance and
reputation advisory firm, recently published her latest book, The Reputation Risk Handbook: Surviving and
Thriving in the Age of Hyper-Transparency (Oxford: DO Sustainability 2014). The book has been on several
Amazon best-seller lists since publication and has received numerous accolades, including from former Enron
Task Force head and FBI general counsel Andrew Weissmann. Dr. Bonime-Blanc was also profiled by the
Wall Street Journal in December.
Bob Boyd was recently named to the Top 10 list of Georgia Super Lawyers, an elite group of lawyers who
received the highest number of votes during the Super Lawyers research process. Boyd is a founding partner
at Boyd Collar Nolen & Tuggle, a family law firm.
Lisa D’Alessio has launched a legal research and writing company dedicated to providing legal research and
writing support to New York lawyers. Her company, Scribe Legal Research (www.scribelegal.net), provides
comprehensive research and drafting services such as brief writing, causes of action, editing, verdict search,
case analysis and case summaries.
Robert E. Gordon, Jr., has been named director of the University of Georgia’s Archway Partnership. The
Archway Partnership connects Georgia communities to the knowledge, expertise and other resources of the
University of Georgia to address locally identified community issues. From 2010 to 2014, Gordon served as
economic development and fiscal analysis unit manager for the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, a unit of
the UGA Office of Public Service and Outreach, which also includes the Archway Partnership.
Reuben M. Green serves as a Superior Court judge in the Cobb Judicial Circuit and presides over the Cobb
County Veterans Accountability and Treatment Court. Formed in June 2014, Veterans Court is for honorably
discharged veterans who are charged with a crime, providing them an alternative to incarceration. Judge
Green, a former U.S. Marine himself, and the Veterans Court staff oversee an intensive supervision and
treatment program designed to rehabilitate its participants and to address their underlying issues, which often
involve both mental health and substance abuse issues. Each participant attends court weekly, receives
treatment through the Veterans Administration and otherwise works through personal issues with the help of a
volunteer veteran mentor. In January, Chief Justice Hugh P. Thompson of the Supreme Court of Georgia
visited Veterans Court and later recognized Judge Green and the volunteer veteran mentors at his yearly
State of the Judiciary Address at the State Capitol.
Osamudia James is a law professor at the University of Miami School of Law, where she received tenure and
promotion in the spring of 2014. She writes and teaches in the areas of education law, race and the law,
identity and inequality. She was a co-recipient of the 2014 Derrick A. Bell, Jr. Award, a national award
presented by the American Association of Law School’s Minority Groups Section to a faculty member who,
through activism, mentoring, teaching and scholarship, has made an extraordinary contribution to legal
education, the legal system or social justice. In 2014, she was also honored as one of 50 law professors of
color under the age of 50 making an impact in legal education.
Craig Stone, senior counsel, Phillips 66, has been named a 2015 Corporate IP Star by Managing Intellectual
Property. The Phillips 66 legal brand team was also named 2015 North America Team of the Year by World
Trademark Review. Other finalists in the category included Apple, MasterCard, Kate Spade and World
Wrestling Entertainment.
Michael P. Thomas was unanimously appointed to the serve on the Bond Implementation Commission by the
City Council in Hickory, N.C. Hickory Mayor Rudy Wright nominated Thomas, who is a partner at Patrick,
Harper & Dixon, LLP. The Bond Implementation Commission was formed to advise city staff members and the
City Council on the implementation of $40 million in bond funds approved by referendum in November.
Alison Van Lear recently joined Access Clinical Partners (ACP) as General Counsel. ACP is a national urgent
care provider that develops and operates “GoHealth” branded next-generation urgent care clinics with marketleading health system partners. ACP and GoHealth are backed by TPG, one of the world’s leading private
investment firms with over $65 billion of capital under management.
Mary Anne Walser was the top-ranked individual realtor at Keller Williams Realty of Buckhead for the years
2012, 2013 and 2014. She is featured regularly as a columnist for the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s
Homefinder section.
Scott Williams recently launched S. Williams Capital, LLC, a New York-based boutique investment firm
specializing in event-driven, risk arbitrage and value investing.
Submit comments to Lisa Keyes.
Spring 2015 | Print Page
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Alumni Events
Upcoming Programs
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Washington Office Alumni Party – May 28
The King & Spalding 3rd Annual Washington Office Alumni Party will be held May 28 from 5:30 p.m. to
8:00 p.m. Please join us to reconnect with old friends and welcome the newest King & Spalding lawyers
and summer associates.
The event will take place on the Rooftop Deck at the firm’s Washington office. All Washington alumni are
invited to attend. RSVP to Judy Deason at jdeason@kslaw.com or +1 202 626 2915.
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Atlanta Networking Event for Firm Alumni – September 17
Save the date for King & Spalding’s 2015 Atlanta networking event, which will feature best-selling
business author, motivational speaker and graffiti artist Erik Wahl presenting on “The Art of Leadership.”
The event will be held at the Woodruff Arts Center on September 17, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. All
alumni are invited to attend and may bring a guest. CLE credit will be applied for.
Submit comments to Lisa Keyes.
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New Lateral Partners and Counsel
John H. Barr, Jr., a commercial litigator who focuses on intellectual property, energy
and business litigation, has joined the firm as a partner in its intellectual property
practice in the Houston office. Barr joins King & Spalding from Bracewell & Giuliani,
where he was a partner and co-head of the intellectual property litigation practice.
Trial lawyer Bobby R. Burchfield and litigator Matthew M.
Leland have joined the firm as partners in the complex
litigation practice in Washington, D.C. They join King &
Spalding from McDermott Will & Emery, where both were
partners and Burchfield previously served as head of complex
litigation, co-head of the Washington office and a member of
the management committee.
The firm has expanded its intellectual property practice into
the firm’s Washington, D.C., office with the addition of
partners Jennifer Burdman and William Sauers. They join
King & Spalding from Crowell & Moring. Burdman’s practice
includes counseling clients on a broad range of matters
relating to the acquisition, protection, licensing and
enforcement of IP rights. Sauers focuses on patent,
trademark, trade secret and copyright infringement litigation
and also counsels clients in a wide range of fields regarding
IP portfolio management and enforcement.
Nick Cherryman, previously head of international disputes in Fried Frank Harris
Shriver & Jacobson’s London office, has joined the firm as a partner in the global
disputes practice in London. Cherryman, who previously practiced as a commercial
chancery barrister for 12 years, represents major corporate clients and institutions in
complex, high-value international arbitration and commercial disputes.
Simon Cowled, a leading power projects lawyer, has joined the firm as a partner in
its Singapore office. Cowled comes to King & Spalding from Skadden, Arps, Slate,
Meagher & Flom’s Singapore office, where he served as a member of that firm’s
Asia Pacific energy and infrastructure group.
Private equity and M&A lawyer Michael B. Cubell has joined the corporate practice
of King & Spalding as a counsel in the New York office. Cubell joins from Paul,
Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.
Israel Dahan has joined the firm as a partner in the financial institutions and
business litigation practices in New York. Dahan joins King & Spalding from
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, where he was a partner. Dahan focuses on
complex commercial, securities and bankruptcy litigation.
UK/European tax specialist Daniel Friel has joined the firm as a partner in its
international tax practice in London. Previously, Friel was a partner and vice chair of
the tax and benefits practice at Latham & Watkins. Friel advises clients on complex,
multijurisdictional tax-planning matters, including cross-border mergers; disposals
and acquisitions, principally in the UK, U.S. and Europe; tax-related financing and
structuring; and international structured finance transactions.
Ye Cecilia Hong has joined King & Spalding’s financial institutions and finance
practices as a partner in the New York office. She formerly was a corporate finance
partner at Kirkland & Ellis. Hong focuses on complex, broad-based financing
transactions for both public and privately held borrowers and lenders. She also has
experience in banking and credit matters and in distressed-financing and
restructuring transactions.
Stuart Isaacs, QC, an established and highly regarded international arbitration and
litigation lawyer with extensive first-chair advocacy experience, has joined the
London office as a partner in the global disputes practice. Isaacs joined from Berwin
Leighton Paisner, where he was partner and head of advocacy.
Former federal prosecutor Jason A. Jones has rejoined the firm as a partner in the
Washington, D.C., office. Jones returns to King & Spalding from the Criminal Division
of the Department of Justice, where he served as Assistant Chief of the Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act unit in the Fraud Section. He also served as senior counsel to
the Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division.
Linda Lorenat has joined the firm as a partner in its Silicon Valley office. Lorenat
joins from Latham & Watkins, where she worked in the firm’s emerging companies
practice. Lorenat represents start-up and emerging companies on a variety of
corporate matters as well as venture capital firms in their investments in start-up and
early-stage companies. She also represents major corporations in connection with
mergers and acquisitions.
Real estate partners Jennifer Morgan and Chris Hoffman
have joined the firm’s New York and Washington, D.C.,
offices, respectively. They come to the firm from Kirkland &
Ellis, where both lawyers were partners. Morgan focuses her
practice on real estate private equity, advising pension funds
and fund sponsors as well as other institutional investors on
negotiating and structuring joint ventures and fund
formations, including private real estate investment trusts
(REITs) and other structured investments. Hoffman’s practice
focuses on representing U.S. and non-U.S. clients in forming
real estate private equity funds and joint venture
arrangements. He also counsels and represents real estate
private equity clients on dispositions, acquisitions,
development, financings, and leasing and management of
real estate and real estate-related assets and companies.
Granta Y. Nakayama, Ilana Saltzbart and Joseph A. Eisert have joined the tort and environmental litigation
practice as partners in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. They join the firm from Kirkland & Ellis, where they
were partners. Nakayama is a nationally recognized environmental lawyer and former Assistant Administrator
for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Saltzbart had nearly a decade of experience as a senior enforcement attorney at the EPA before leaving
public service, and now has over 14 years as an experienced practitioner of environmental enforcement
matters. Eisert represents clients on environmental and product safety counseling and litigation matters
involving the EPA, Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, state and international regulatory bodies, and state attorneys
general.
U.S.-qualified securities lawyers Tom O’Neill and Markus K.
Bauman have joined the firm as partners in the London
office. They anchor a European capital markets practice as
the firm further expands its international corporate offerings.
O’Neill most recently was a partner at Linklaters; Bauman
joins King & Spalding from Latham & Watkins, where he was
a counsel.
Brian Pierce has joined the firm as counsel in the Middle East & Islamic Finance
group. Pierce, who is based in the Abu Dhabi office, will focus his practice on project
finance work. Pierce began his legal career at Sullivan & Cromwell, where he served
as Middle East special counsel in that firm’s London office, and comes to King &
Spalding from SquirePattonBoggs, where he was as a partner in the Abu Dhabi
office.
Ellen N. Sueda has joined King & Spalding’s corporate practice group as a counsel
in its Silicon Valley office. Sueda will focus on advising the firm’s corporate clients on
executive and equity compensation issues, including start-up and early-stage clients
in California. Sueda joins King & Spalding from Seyfarth Shaw, where she was a
senior counsel in its employee benefits and executive compensation department.
Brad Thompson, formerly president and general counsel of solar energy company
Circular Energy, has rejoined King & Spalding as a partner in the business litigation
practice in Austin, Texas. Thompson will focus on complex commercial disputes,
particularly construction and energy-related matters.
Submit comments to Lisa Keyes.
Spring 2015 | Print Page
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Recent Lawyer Appointments and Accolades
Stephen Abreu has been selected as a member of the National Black Lawyers –
Top 100 Lawyers for 2015. Abreu, an associate in the Corporate Practice Group in
Silicon Valley, was chosen for his intellectual property expertise.
Partner Richard Bange has been selected as a 2015 BTI Client Service All-Star.
He joins an elite group of 354 lawyers nationwide that Fortune 1000 clients say
stand out from all others by delivering superior client service. BTI interviewed more
than 317 corporate counsel at large and Fortune 1000 companies to compile this
year’s list of its client service all-stars. Respondents were asked to single out by
name—unprompted—a lawyer who stands for unparalleled client service.
Partners Patricia Barmeyer and Chilton Davis Varner were
named to an elite list of winners of the Daily Report’s firstever Lifetime Achievements Awards, part of the Atlanta legal
newspaper’s 125th anniversary celebration. They will receive
their awards at an anniversary dinner to be held on June 17.
Barmeyer and Varner were selected for their work in
environmental law and corporate defense law, respectively.
Law360 has recognized seven King & Spalding lawyers as 2015 Rising Stars, a designation the publication
gives attorneys under 40 who have demonstrated outstanding career accomplishments. King & Spalding was
one of two firms with the most Rising Stars, at seven. They are Jonathan Chally (Class Action), Daniel
Hettich (Health), Brandt Leibe (White Collar), Mona Francesca Katigbak (Project Finance), Viren
Mascarenhas (Energy), Matthew Stewart (Private Equity) and Joseph Wetzel (Media & Entertainment). (To
read each lawyer’s profile on Law360, please click on his or her name.)
Partner Bobby R. Burchfield will deliver the keynote address at his alma mater,
George Washington University School of Law, at its Diploma Ceremony on May 17.
Burchfield has served on the law school’s Dean’s Board of Advisors for the past two
decades and also served as national chairman of its Law School Annual Fund. As a
law student, Burchfield served as editor-in-chief of The George Washington Law
Review, and in 2012 was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award,
the highest honor the university bestows on alumni. Burchfield joined King &
Spalding’s Washington office from McDermott Will & Emery in March.
Partner Daniel Crosby was honored by the International Trade and Investment Law
Society (ITILS) with its 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award at a dinner on April 15 at
American University’s Washington College of Law. Each year, the student group,
which was founded to promote interest in the field of trade and international
investment, presents an award to recognize individuals for their contributions in the
area, whether in the private, public or academic sector.
Partner Tom Duley was appointed to the board of directors of Parnell
Pharmaceuticals Holdings Ltd., a fully integrated pharmaceutical company focused
on developing, manufacturing and commercializing innovative animal health
solutions. Duley will serve on the company’s audit, compensation and nominating
committees.
Partner Harold Franklin has been admitted as a sustaining member of the Product
Liability Advisory Council, a nonprofit organization formed to analyze, understand
and shape the common law of product liability and complex litigation.
Partner and Atlanta pro bono chair Phil Holladay received the State Bar of Georgia
Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service in February. The award was
made in recognition of Holladay’s many pro bono accomplishments and his
demonstrated commitment to public service.
Dixie Johnson has been elected to the inaugural fellowship class of the American
College of Governance Counsel. The college is a professional, educational and
honorary association of lawyers from the United States and Canada widely
recognized for their achievements in the field of corporate governance.
Ralph Johnson, an attorney in the Tort & Environmental practice, has been
selected by the Health Physics Society to receive its Fellow Award. The award is
given to honor senior members of the Society who have made significant
administrative, educational and/or scientific contributions to the profession of health
physics.
Law360 recognized five King & Spalding partners among 2014’s most successful lawyers in its 2014 MVP
Awards, making King & Spalding one of the top 10 award-winning firms in this year’s MVP series. The King &
Spalding winners were Michael Johnston (Employment), Bobby Meadows (Environmental), Michael
Paulhus (Healthcare), Phyllis Sumner (Healthcare) and Chilton Davis Varner (Product Liability).The annual
awards acknowledge lawyers whose achievements in major litigation or transactions have set a new standard
for accomplishment in corporate law. (To read each lawyer’s profile on Law360, please click on his or her
name.)
Associate Elizabeth Lindquist was appointed to the Food and Drug Law Institute’s
Primer Editorial Advisory Board for a three-year term. She will serve as a peer
reviewer for content submitted for publication and recommend topics for publication,
among other duties.
Partner Rahul Patel was appointed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott to the board of
trustees of the University of Florida. Patel’s term runs through January 6, 2020.
Partner Doc Schneider has been elected to a second term as chairman of Mercer
University’s board of trustees.
Counsel Greg Smith was named to Georgia Trend’s Legal Elite 2014 in the category
of business law. Selections and category listings were made based on peer balloting
by lawyers living and practicing in Georgia who are members of the state bar.
London-based partner Thomas Sprange has been appointed Queen’s Counsel
(QC) in this year’s silk appointments list. The award of QC is for excellence in
advocacy in the higher courts. It is made to advocates who have rights of audience
in the higher courts of England and Wales and have demonstrated the competencies
in the QC Competency Framework to a standard of excellence.
Partner Beth Tanis received the 2015 Elbert P. Tuttle Jurisprudence Award
presented by the Anti-Defamation League’s Southeast region for her pro bono and
community work.
Partner Jeff Telep was elected secretary of the International Trade Commission
Trial Lawyers Association for the 2015 term at the group’s annual meeting on
November 13. Jeff had been a member of the executive committee.
Associate Laura Westfall has been selected as a Nolan Fellow by the ABA Section
of Taxation for the 2015-2016 year. Named for the late Jack Nolan, the Nolan
Fellowship is awarded to young lawyers who are actively involved in the Tax Section
and have shown leadership qualities.
Spring 2015 | Print Page
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K&S Connection Employment Resource
The K&S Connection Employment Resource is designed to help match clients, alumni and friends of the firm
seeking to hire lawyers with current K&S lawyers and alumni looking for opportunities. Listed here are current
career opportunities with firm clients and friends, as well as opportunities available within the firm.
For additional information, to post a position or to receive information on open positions, please contact Lisa
Keyes at alumni@kslaw.com.
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K&S alumnus Robert Khayat is looking for lawyers interested in performing legal research, writing, and
other litigation and transactional activities on a project basis. The hours are flexible, work can be
performed remotely, and the pay is commensurate with the market and each lawyer’s experience. For
more information about the Khayat Law Firm, please see www.khayatlawfirm.com. If you are
interested in this highly flexible opportunity, please email Robert at rkhayat@khayatlawfirm.com, and
include your resume.
Submit comments to Lisa Keyes.
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CLE and e-Learns
Earn CLE Credit from Your Desk
Our free, one-hour Web-based e-Learn programs can be viewed over the Internet from your home or office
computer.
Upcoming Programs
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“Women in IP e-Learn: Hot Topics in Patent Law for the Life Sciences Industry” – Presented by
Becky Kaufman and Peg Brivanlou. June 11, 2015, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. EDT.
“Washington Insight – Can Congress Make Progress on Appropriations, Trade, Intellectual
Property and Healthcare Legislation? Hear What King & Spalding’s Governmental Affairs
Practitioners Have to Say About These Issues and an Early Look at the 2016 Race.” Presented by
Gov. Robert Ehrlich, Mike Andrews, Tom Spulak, Lloyd Hand, J.C. Boggs, Bonnie Byers, Allison Kassir,
Sara Peters and George Crawford. June 15, 2015, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. EDT.
"Interplay Between Parallel ITC, USPTO and District Courts Actions in Pharmaceutical Patent
Litigation” – Presented by Mike Dougherty and Tony Pezzano. June 24, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
EDT.
Click here to send a request to have your name placed on our e-Learn invitation list.
Submit comments to Lisa Keyes.
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Pro Bono News
Supreme Court to Hear Appeal in King & Spalding Pro Bono Case
The U.S. Supreme Court in March granted King & Spalding’s petition for certiorari on behalf of pro bono client
Samuel Ocasio, a former Baltimore police officer convicted of conspiracy to commit extortion. The government
charged Ocasio with referring car accident victims to a repair shop in exchange for kickbacks paid by the
repair shop. King & Spalding successfully convinced the Court to grant certiorari to resolve a significant issue
of statutory interpretation concerning the Hobbs Act—whether a conspiracy to extort “property from another”
requires the government to show that the conspirators agreed to obtain property from someone outside the
conspiracy, or whether a defendant may be convicted of extorting property from another member of the
conspiracy. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in October or November of this year. The King &
Spalding team involved in this pro bono case included appellate partner Ashley Parrish and associate Ethan
Davis.
New York Office Helps Indigent Clients Living in Substandard Housing Conditions
In the fall, the New York office hosted a training session on litigating housing conditions cases conducted by
Legal Services NYC, one of the largest providers of pro bono legal services to the indigent in the New York
city area. The training session detailed the difficult conditions and housing code violations that often exist in
low-income housing, and explained how affirmative cases can be filed on behalf of tenants in housing court to
remedy these substandard conditions. Fifteen King & Spalding lawyers attended the session and, along with
some others, have taken on multiple cases for which they have already obtained positive outcomes for
indigent clients.
D.C. Office Participates in DC Bar Advocacy and Justice Clinic
The Washington, D.C., office has wrapped up its fifth year of participation in the DC Bar Advocacy and Justice
Clinic, which is designed to assist indigent residents of Washington, D.C., with basic legal needs, including
family law and disability law. The team has achieved many successes for its clients, including a multiyear
successful representation of an indigent female, originally from Ethiopia, who was sued by her husband for
divorce and custody of their son, despite her being the son’s primary caregiver for his entire life. In 2013, after
a multiday bench trial, the judge issued an opinion that was essentially a complete victory for this client.
Subsequently, the opposing party did not make the required child support payments, for which the team then
concluded a multiday hearing on its motion for contempt. In October, a second judge again ruled in the client’s
favor, finding that opposing party did not carry his burden to prove a material change in circumstances. The
team handling this matter includes associates Drew Bell, Laura Greig, Kelsey Desloover and Barrett Young,
with assistance from pro bono counsel Joshua Toll.
Firm Hosts Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta’s 10th Anniversary Event
In March, the firm helped the Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta (PBPA) celebrate 10 successful years by
hosting the organization’s 10th anniversary celebration at King & Spalding’s Atlanta office. More than 100
attorneys gathered at the firm as PBPA recognized the work of its volunteers and thanked them for their
service. PBPA executive director Rachel Epps Spears—a King & Spalding alumna—spoke about the
importance of volunteers and donors to the growth and impact of PBPA in the 10 years since its founding in
2005, noting that through the work of dedicated volunteer attorneys, the organization has provided $20 million
in free legal services to nonprofits. PBPA also presented awards to individual attorneys, law firms and
corporations in recognition of their outstanding volunteer achievements in 2014. PBPA provides free legal
services to community-based nonprofits that operate programs benefiting low-income or disadvantaged
individuals. PBPA matches eligible organizations with volunteer attorneys from the leading corporations and
law firms in Atlanta. Since it opened its doors 10 years ago, PBPA has assigned and supported over 2,000
volunteer lawyers in aiding about 700 nonprofit clients. In 2014 alone, PBPA provided free legal services
valued at over $3.5 million to Atlanta-area nonprofits. PBPA is funded by donations from corporations, law
firms, bar sections and individuals.
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K&S Community Service
King & Spalding lawyers organized and participated in many activities during recent months to further
the firm's commitment to serving its communities and advancing diversity in the legal profession.
Delivering Street Law Program to Atlanta High Schoolers. For the fourth year, King & Spalding has
partnered with The Coca-Cola Company Legal Division and students of Emory Law School to deliver the Street
Law program to students at Atlanta’s Benjamin Mays High School. In addition to collaborating with Coca-Cola
and Emory law students to present classes on contracts, intellectual property, litigation/dispute resolution,
constitutional law, employment law and trials, the firm hosted the Mays students for a mock jury selection in the
firm’s courtroom and a mock negotiation.
Lovita Tandy and Nick Hill of King & Spalding with Emory Law School and Mays High
School students at Street Law
Nick Hill and Lovita Tandy of King & Spalding with Emory Law School students at Street
Law
Reviving Community Gardens During Day of Service. King & Spalding lawyers, staff, friends and family
members participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at Truly Living Well Community Gardens in
the King Historic District in Atlanta. Firm volunteers weeded and cleared brush in “The Labyrinth,” a walking
meditation circle in the garden that was overgrown with weeds and grass, and laid the groundwork for garden
staff to refresh the meditation circle.
Margaret Darby and Thomas Gaines pull up the shade cloth underneath the Labyrinth.
Left to Right: Thomas Gaines, Gale Gaines, Guatam Huded, Portia Williams,
Lansing Lee, Margaret Darby, Susan Foster, Forrest Tennant, Elvetra Cossie
Beautifying Hospitals in New York. New York office personnel painted a butterfly mural for the Foundation for
Hospital Art, an organization that works with volunteers to create beautiful, calming artwork for hospitals across
the country.
New York office volunteers proudly display their finished butterfly mural.
Feeding the Hungry in Austin. Volunteers in the firm’s Austin office organized the annual “Souperbowl of
Caring” to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. In the weeks leading up to the NFL Super Bowl, the
Austin office collected 90 pounds of food, enough to provide 75 meals to those in need.
Austin office canned food drive
Kids Helping Kids in Houston. In support of Ryan’s Rainbow—an organization started by the children of
partner Jill McWhirter—volunteers in the Houston office assembled donated wagons used to deliver more than
750 holiday gifts to patients at Texas Children’s Hospital. In addition to being a helpful way to deliver the gifts,
the wagons are then used by patients as a fun alternative to a wheelchair for getting from their rooms to the
treatment center. Ryan’s Rainbow is a nonprofit that purchases gifts for Texas Children’s Hospital patients each
holiday season.
Houston volunteers stand among the assembled wagons and gifts, ready to be
delivered to Texas Children's Hospital.
Submit comments to Lisa Keyes.