BakerHostetler announced today that 23 lawyers have been elected to firm partnership effective Jan. 1. The new class includes members from all of the firm’s six core practice groups and from 11 offices across the U.S.
“Our 2023 partner class is impressive, representing all 6 of the firm’s practice groups. These talented attorneys will help us continue to provide high-quality client service and contribute to our strong culture of inclusion, collaboration and innovation,” said Paul M. Schmidt, chairman of BakerHostetler. “Congratulations! I am proud to call each of you partners.”
New partners
Taylor A. Bloom (Costa Mesa, California) focuses her practice on advising companies on data privacy and governance. She has extensive experience counseling clients on compliance with landmark privacy legislation, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act, Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act and the growing list of forthcoming U.S. privacy legislation. She is a thought leader on California privacy law, sits on the California Lawyers Association Privacy Law Section Executive Committee and is the chair of the Ad Tech Subcommittee. A certified privacy professional (CIPP/E, CIPP/US and CIPM) and the former in-house counsel at an advertising technology company, Bloom’s diverse strengths include coordinating and leading the implementation of global privacy policies and programs, advising on compliance issues, negotiating agreements with vendors and business partners, and maintaining a deep knowledge of the advertising technology ecosystem and related privacy issues. She earned her J.D. from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law and her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Chardaie C. Charlemagne (San Francisco) is an accomplished trial and appellate litigator who represents corporate defendants and individuals in high-stakes, complex litigation disputes and provides counsel involving contract disputes, financial fraud and shareholder suits. She has extensive experience litigating trade secrets and noncompetes, white collar matters involving government investigations, financial fraud, and securities fraud claims under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Securities Act of 1933. Charlemagne serves as the San Francisco office co-captain of the Noncompete and Trade Secrets team and is a member of the team serving as court-appointed counsel to Trustee Irving H. Picard for the Securities Investor Protection Act liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC. She earned her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, where she was a staff member of the Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law, and her B.A. from Harvard University.
Kevin R. Edgar (Washington, D.C.) has more than 25 years of financial services and public policy experience. His prior government experience as chief counsel of the House Committee on Financial Services is particularly useful when helping clients navigate legislation, regulatory initiatives and congressional investigations. Edgar provides strategic advice and counsels clients on compliance measures and industry best practices. Additionally, his market intel and broad network enable him to advise clients on how Congress and regulatory agencies can impact corporate governance, lending, investing, innovation and growth. Edgar joined BakerHostetler after working for 12 years, most recently as chief counsel, with the House Committee on Financial Services. He also previously worked at the New York Stock Exchange and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Edgar earned his J.D. from University of Dayton School of Law and his B.A., cum laude, from Boston College.
Timothy J. Doyle (Philadelphia) focuses his practice on developing patent portfolios to protect chemistry-based inventions for clients in the biotechnology, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. He assists clients in securing patent protection for their products, maximizing market exclusivity, and understanding and navigating potential validity and freedom to operate issues. Doyle’s years as a process chemist in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries and as a Hatch-Waxman litigator give him invaluable experience and insight into the complexities surrounding all forms of chemistry-related intellectual property. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Seton Hall University School of Law, his Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his B.S. from West Virginia University.
Amanda L. Godzinski (Columbus) has more than a decade of experience partnering with senior executives, management teams and human resources professionals to develop and implement creative and pragmatic ways to prevent, litigate and resolve employment-related disputes. She provides practical and strategic advice on all areas of employment law, including wage and hour compliance, performance management, internal investigations, leaves of absence and workplace accommodations, terminations and workforce reductions, and employee complaints. Godzinski has also successfully litigated numerous wage and hour class actions as well as cases involving claims of discrimination, harassment, wrongful discharge, retaliation and trade secret misappropriation before courts and administrative agencies across the country. She earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and served as an associate and contributing editor for the Case Western Reserve Law Review, and her B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Akron.
Michelle R. Gomez (Denver) is a litigator who focuses on privacy and data security class action defense and complex business disputes. She concentrates her practice in the areas of commercial litigation and class action defense in both state and federal courts as well as in arbitration. Gomez has successfully represented clients in bench and jury trials and successfully defended both large and small businesses and individuals in product liability, consumer protection, data breach, construction defect, warranty and insurance disputes. She earned her J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law and served as articles and staff editor for The Review of Litigation, and her B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin.
Analia Gonzalez (Washington, D.C.) serves as the leader of BakerHostetler’s Latin America Arbitration and Litigation team. Her practice focuses on investment and commercial arbitrations, with a considerable amount of work on investment and trade matters in Latin America, as well as issues pertaining to the environment, natural resources, public health, energy, infrastructure, and trade and customs compliance. Gonzalez has represented clients before a variety of arbitral tribunals, including the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, the International Chamber of Commerce and the International Court of Justice, as well as in ad hoc arbitrations under the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law. Notably, she serves as an arbitrator in commercial arbitrations under the auspices of the International Court of Arbitration of the ICC and the International Arbitration Center of the Peru-United States Chamber of Commerce. Gonzalez earned her LL.M. from George Washington University Law School and her J.D. (equivalent) and LL.B. from the University of the Republic of Uruguay Law School. She also has a diploma in energy law from Escuela Libre de Derecho.
Laura M. Haskins (Atlanta) concentrates her transactional practice on the representation of public and private companies in general corporate matters. She has broad experience in a variety of transactions, ranging from mergers and acquisitions to joint ventures, equity financings and corporate governance matters. Haskins also has experience negotiating and drafting complex commercial contracts. She earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was programs editor for the Virginia Sports and Entertainment Law Journal, and her M.B.A. and B.S., both summa cum laude, from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Stephanie M. Hatzikyriakou (Philadelphia) is a member of BakerHostetler’s Intellectual Property Practice Group and focuses her practice on patent litigation. She represents companies in an array of fields, including chemical, manufacturing, renewable energy, software and telecommunications. Hatzikyriakou previously clerked for the Hon. Kimberly A. Moore in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Hon. Sue L. Robinson in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, where she was lead editor of the Drexel Law Review, and her M.S. in chemistry and B.S. in biochemistry from Lehigh University.
Sean J. Holder (Atlanta) is an intellectual property lawyer who focuses primarily on domestic and international patent prosecution. He manages patent portfolios for several large multinational companies and world-class universities. He also serves as lead IP counsel for several small companies and startups. Holder regularly engages in opinion work, licensing, litigation and other intellectual property and data-related counseling. Representative technologies include telecommunications, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cloud computing, home security and automation, the Internet of Things, virtual and augmented reality, optics, satellites, nanophotonics, wearable devices, medical devices, medical physics, image analysis, scientific instruments, fintech, blockchain, networking and content delivery, agritech, renewable energy, semiconductor manufacturing, transistors, memory cells, thin film devices, big data, avionics, LIDAR, antennas, textiles, and a variety of others. He also has substantial computer programming experience in more than 10 programming languages and database technologies. Holder earned his J.D. from Emory University School of Law, his B.S., summa cum laude, from Georgia Institute of Technology and his B.A. from Brigham Young University.
Michael Iannuzzi (New York) is a real estate lawyer who focuses on the representation of financial institutions, private lenders, borrowers, owners, developers, investors and other entities in all aspects of commercial real estate, debt finance, real estate finance and other business matters. His financing experience includes senior secured and unsecured financings, mezzanine financings, warehousing and loan on loan facilities, real estate construction financings, complex mortgage financings, workouts, and restructurings. Iannuzzi earned his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law, where he was the research editor for the New York International Law Review, and his B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross.
Kristen L. Jackson (Chicago) is a litigator who focuses her practice on internal and government investigations, regulatory compliance matters and criminal defense. Her experience includes representing individuals and companies in confidential, high-stakes and often cross-border investigations involving alleged fraud, bribery, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, antitrust violations, improper accounting practices, and the theft of confidential information and trade secrets. Jackson regularly represents clients in connection with inquiries from government agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She also has experience advising clients that face parallel civil proceedings and inquiries by federal and state authorities that arise in connection with criminal investigations. Jackson earned her J.D., cum laude, from DePaul University College of Law, where she was notes and comments editor for the DePaul Law Review, and her B.A. from the University of Illinois.
Christopher M. Luken (Cleveland) focuses his practice on business, corporate and real estate matters, assisting private equity firms and public and private companies across industries in a range of business matters, including debt finance, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate governance. He has substantial experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating transaction documents for a wide range of business transactions, including purchase and sale transactions, mergers, loans, and joint ventures. In his real estate practice, Luken represents developers and lenders in complex financing transactions, using both traditional and nontraditional financing sources, including state and federal tax credits and government grants and incentives. He also has substantial experience representing landlords and tenants in retail, office, warehouse and other commercial leasing transactions. Luken earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law and his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.
Robert A. Musiala Jr. (Chicago) is a member of the Digital Assets and Data Management Practice Group and is co-leader of the Blockchain Technologies and Digital Assets team. He has been working in the blockchain and cryptocurrency market since 2012 and has extensive experience in cryptocurrency investigations and regulatory compliance, including having worked with a U.S. national security community client; advising blockchain clients on compliance with Bank Secrecy Act, General Data Protection Regulation, SEC and Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulations and alternative trading system applications; and serving as the court-appointed receiver to investigate and secure assets related to a cryptocurrency fraud scheme. The inventor of a granted blockchain patent and another pending patent, Musiala works directly with tech teams to build solutions that are compliant by design. He earned his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School, his M.S.A. from the University of Illinois at Chicago Liautaud Graduate School of Business and his B.A. from Northwestern University.
Alexander K. Obrecht (Denver) concentrates his practice on energy regulation and litigation, focusing on oil and gas development on federal lands, hazardous materials transportation and compliance, and oil and gas royalties. He earned his J.D. from the University of Wyoming College of Law, where he was editor-in-chief of the Wyoming Law Review, and his B.A. from Harvard University.
Matthew D. Pearson (Costa Mesa, California) concentrates his practice on class action defense and focuses primarily on the ever-growing and constantly evolving area of privacy. Having handled class actions from motion to dismiss through final appeal, he is highly experienced in all stages of class litigation. Pearson understands the stress and burdens placed on companies facing bet-the-company litigation and works tirelessly to make the process as painless as possible. He earned his J.D. from the University of California, Davis School of Law and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Chapman University.
Julian D. Perlman (Philadelphia) is an experienced general commercial litigator and trial lawyer, with a particular focus on antitrust and other complex commercial litigation matters. He litigates and advises clients on disputes arising under federal and state antitrust and unfair competition laws, including the exemptions and immunities from antitrust laws, and serves as a vice chair of the Exemptions and Immunities Committee of the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Section. Perlman has particular experience litigating on behalf of clients in numerous industries, including finance and insurance, sports, hospitality, entertainment, fashion, and building and consumer products, and he has litigated many issues involving antitrust law and life and health safety codes. Perlman frequently advises shareholders in nonpublic companies, including founders and private equity firms, regarding shareholder disputes over control, funding and exit opportunities. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Tulane University School of Law and his B.A. from Wesleyan University with honors, where he was early inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.
Carlos Ramos-Mrosovsky (New York/Washington, D.C.) represents multinational companies and sovereign governments in commercial and treaty-based arbitrations and before U.S. courts, with emphasis on disputes arising in the energy, mining and infrastructure sectors. He has acted in disputes arising under the rules of the ICSID, UNCITRAL, the London Court of International Arbitration, the ICC, the Singapore International Arbitration Centre and the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. Ramos-Mrosovsky is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association. He also serves as executive vice chair of the International Section of the New York State Bar Association. Ramos-Mrosovsky earned his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School and his A.B., cum laude, from Princeton University.
Nichole L. Sterling (New York) is a member of the Digital Assets and Data Management Practice Group. Her practice spans privacy and data protection, information governance, and emerging technologies, with a focus on assisting companies subject to multiple privacy laws in developing practical, global compliance solutions. A certified privacy professional (CIPP/E and CIPP/US), Sterling advises on a wide range of legal issues related to information and data use. She regularly counsels clients on domestic and cross-border regulatory and compliance matters, including cross-border personal data transfers, international personal data breach responses, advertising technologies and information governance. Sterling also has considerable experience handling all aspects of discovery in complex litigation and regulatory investigations and routinely advises on discovery issues as they intersect with privacy concerns. She earned her J.D. from University of Michigan Law School, where she was the production editor for the Michigan Telecommunications and Technology Law Review (now called the Michigan Technology Law Review), her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Gustavus Adolphus College.
Michelle N. Tanney (New York) is an experienced regulatory enforcement and litigation attorney. She focuses her practice on a broad range of issues, including securities litigation, SEC and DOJ investigations and inquiries, enforcement actions, and evolving financial regulations. Tanney’s experience includes providing counsel to emerging companies, including scalable startups, and issues related to blockchain, cryptocurrency and digital assets. She is also a lead attorney on significant matters in the firm’s Madoff recovery efforts, leveraging her knowledge of complex financial instruments and U.S. financial markets. Tanney’s experience in compliance, disclosure and government regulation informs her ability to counsel clients on strategic business matters, corporate governance and risk mitigation. She earned her J.D. from Albany Law School and her M.P.S. and B.A. from The George Washington University.
Douglas A. Vonderhaar (Columbus, Ohio) is a consumer financial services lawyer with a litigation and regulatory practice. He focuses on complex commercial litigation and class action defense. Vonderhaar is also a member of the BakerHostetler team serving as court-appointed counsel to the SIPA Trustee in the Madoff matter. As part of the Financial Services Industry team, he routinely counsels banks, lenders and financial technology companies regarding the Truth in Lending Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and other consumer protection laws. Vonderhaar earned his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where he was a member of the University of Cincinnati Law Review, and his B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of Dayton.
Lucas L. Witters (Cleveland) is a member of the firm’s Income Tax team. He focuses his practice on tax-advantaged project finance and related planning and controversy. Witters represents nonprofit and for-profit developers and other clients in the creation and implementation of tax-efficient financing and transaction structures. He also assists both individual and institutional clients with income tax planning and controversy. Witters earned his J.D. from the New York University School of Law and his B.S., magna cum laude, from The Ohio State University.
Justin T. Yedor (Los Angeles) is a member of the firm’s Digital Assets and Data Management Practice Group. He is a thought leader on California privacy law and advises clients on the CCPA and California Privacy Rights Act as well as other U.S. and international data privacy and consumer protection laws. Yedor provides advice and strategies for compliance with privacy requirements facing businesses in the retail, consumer services, entertainment, communications, financial and manufacturing sectors. He holds the CIPP/US credential as a certified information privacy professional. Yedor has advocated for clients in state and federal courts on a broad array of matters ranging from intellectual property disputes to products liability. His experience includes more than 100 successful motions, 50 oral arguments, and taking and defending more than 50 lay witness and expert depositions. Yedor earned his J.D., cum laude, from Duke University School of Law, where he served as executive editor of the Duke Journal of Constitutional Law & Public Policy, and his B.A., cum laude, from the College of William and Mary.
Original source can be found here.