Law Firm News

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Law Firm News

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King & Spalding

King & Spalding Earns Largest Published ICSID Arbitration Award Ever for Client Azurix
King & Spalding, a leading international law firm, announced today that its international arbitration teamed has earned a key victory for its client Azurix in the largest published award to date granted by the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes. The award is also the largest ever rendered against the government of Argentina.

The claim arose from a successful bid by Azurix for a 30-year concession to provide water services in the Province of Buenos Aires. The concession, which began in 1999, was terminated less than three years later after widespread conflicts between the company and provincial officials. The conflicts concerned the officials’ refusal to allow Azurix to charge the tariffs allowed under the concession contract, which rendered the concession financially unsustainable. Azurix claimed that the acts of the province violated the bilateral investment treaty between the United States and Argentina, entitling it to compensation.

The tribunal agreed, finding that the acts violated the provisions in the bilateral investment treaty requiring Argentina to afford U.S. investors fair and equitable treatment and full protection and security, and to refrain from taking arbitrary or discriminatory measures that impair investments. On July 14, it awarded approximately $185 million in compensation, including interest.

The King & Spalding team representing Azurix was led by partner R. Doak Bishop, who was recently named one of the top 20 international arbitration lawyers in the world by Practical Law Company, a prominent U.K.-based legal publisher. Partner Craig S. Miles and associate Juan P. “John” Crespo were the other primary lawyers on the team. Other King & Spalding lawyers who worked on the case were associates Roberto J. Aguirre Luzi and Gwendolyn Dawson.

King & Spalding has one of the leading international arbitration practices in the world, specializing in oil and gas and energy disputes, foreign investment disputes against governments, and disputes involving Latin American projects. Lawyers in the firm's International Arbitration Group have represented major U.S. and foreign companies, as well as foreign state-owned companies. Arbitrated disputes in which firm attorneys have been involved have ranged from approximately $1 million to more than $1 billion.

08-16-2006

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Dechert LLP

Intellectual Property Lawyer Steven R. Daniels Joins Dechert LLP
Dechert LLP announced today that Steven R. Daniels has joined the firm as a partner in its intellectual property practice. He is based in the firm's Austin, Texas office. Most recently, Daniels was a visiting professor of law at Chungnam National University in South Korea, where he taught graduate courses in intellectual property and antitrust law, and also advised the Korean government on intellectual property issues likely to arise during the negotiation of the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement. Prior to his time in Korea, he was a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP and counsel at Dewey Ballantine LLP.

Daniels represents clients in the United States and Asia in patent, trade secret, and trademark disputes. He is a registered patent attorney with experience in a number of industries and technologies, including wireless cellular technology, computer software and hardware, gaming devices, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. Daniels has published numerous articles relating to intellectual property and general litigation issues.

""Steve brings a strong set of skills to our IP practice,"" said Bryan Farney, managing partner of the Austin office, which opened in February 2006 when Dechert welcomed a group of 14 intellectual property litigators from Dewey Ballantine. ""Steve's extensive litigation experience, combined with his strong international background, make him a great addition to our office and to the firm's nationwide IP practice. I have had the privilege of working with Steve before and I am confident that his years of experience will be a strong asset to Dechert's IP practice.""

""Joining Dechert is like coming back to family,"" Daniels said. ""I have previously worked with a number of attorneys in the intellectual property group and I look forward to being part of the group's continued expansion.""

Daniels received his law degree, cum laude, from the University of North Carolina, where he was Articles Editor for the North Carolina Law Review. He also received a master's degree from the University of North Carolina and a bachelor's degree from the University of New Mexico.

08-16-2006

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Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP

Calfee Welcomes Matthew Shady
Matthew Shady joins Calfee as an associate with the firm's Securities and Capital Markets group. He earned his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, his M.B.A. from The Weatherhead School of Management and his B.S. from Wake Forest University.

08-16-2006

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Venable Baetjer & Howard

Versatile Employee Benefits/ERISA Attorney Serena Simons Joins Venable
Further deepening its client service capabilities in critical employee benefits matters, Venable LLP announced that experienced benefits and ERISA attorney Serena G. Simons has joined the firm’s Washington office as a partner in Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group.

Ms. Simons, who is the co-author of HIPAA Privacy Workbook for Group Health Plans, was most recently of counsel at Bredhoff & Kaiser, P.L.L.C., and prior to that was a partner at Miller & Chevalier Chartered in Washington. She is very active in the District of Columbia benefits bar and serves as Vice Chair of the Employee Benefits Committee of the DC Bar Taxation Section.

“Employee benefits law is constantly evolving. In recent years the practice has become so diverse and complicated that many attorneys have become channeled into particular subspecialties. Serena is one of the rare practitioners who has maintained a wide base of knowledge across the field – she is as comfortable advising clients on privacy, security and compensation matters as she is on plan administration, health care issues, tax and statutory compliance,” said Andrea I. O’Brien, chair of Venable’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group.

Ms. O’Brien said she got to know Ms. Simons through both lawyers’ longtime participation in a high-level ERISA lunch/study group, one of a number of such practitioner working groups in the city.

“In her career Serena has worked with many types of employers in many types of enterprises and industries, which has given her a great deal of experience in all sectors of employee benefits. Her well-rounded knowledge will be a real asset to our clients on challenging aspects of benefits and ERISA issues,” Ms. O’Brien added.

Ms. Simons advises employers on such matters as benefit plan design and compliance with statutory and regulatory regimes that affect plans including the Internal Revenue Code, ERISA, COBRA, FMLA and HIPAA. She regularly designs, drafts and amends plan documents, prepares plan-related employee communications, negotiates service-provider contracts, and deals with the benefits issues related to business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions. Ms. Simons has also worked extensively with plan sponsors on plan administrative structure, fiduciary responsibilities, and claims review procedures under ERISA.

She speaks and writes frequently on benefits issues including defensive plan drafting, HIPAA privacy and security compliance for group health plans, and on new health plan designs.

“I have been aware of Venable’s strength in the benefits arena for some time and through Andrea have gotten to know other members of the practice. I am delighted to add my experience to this well-established group,” said Ms. Simons.

“Employee benefits law touches important bread-and-butter issues for employers and employees alike,” she added. “What keeps the field especially complicated and on the cutting edge is that Congress can never leave benefits laws alone – the rules are constantly changing, which means that employers of all types and sizes are constantly in need of advice,” she added.

Ms Simons received her J.D., with high honors, from the Duke University School of Law (1983), and her B.A. from Duke (1971). After law school, she clerked for the Honorable Alex Kozinski, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

As one of American Lawyer's top 100 law firms, Venable LLP has attorneys practicing in all areas of corporate and business law, complex litigation, intellectual property and government affairs. Venable serves corporate, institutional, governmental, nonprofit and individual clients throughout the U.S. and around the world from its headquarters in Washington, D.C. and offices in California, Maryland, New York and Virginia. For more, visit www.venable.com.

08-16-2006

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Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Seyfarth Shaw Adds Erika C. Birg to Litigation Practice
Seyfarth Shaw LLP, one of America’s leading full service law firms, announced that Erika C. Birg has joined the firm as a litigation partner in the firm’s Atlanta office. Previously, she worked with Paul Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in Washington, D.C.

As a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group, Birg concentrates her practice in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Complex Litigation, and Trade Secrets/Restrictive Covenants. She has assisted clients in all forms of dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration, as well as litigation in federal and state court. Her representation of entities of all sizes and types spans a variety of industries, including technology, insurance, telecommunications, and financial services. She also has substantial experience with internal investigations.

""We are extremely pleased that Erika has brought her strong litigation background, including cutting-edge trade secrets experience, to our Group,"" said Michael R. Levinson, chair of the Firm's national Litigation Department. ""Her talents and experience will enhance our practice and provide great value to our clients.""

Seyfarth Shaw’s Litigation Practice is comprised of more than 160 attorneys in offices throughout the United States, and helps clients with every aspect of their dispute resolution needs, nationally and internationally. The practice covers the full spectrum of litigation services, including trials and appeals in federal and state courts, in cases involving disputes over: intellectual property; real estate and construction; trade secrets and restrictive covenants; creditors' rights and bankruptcy; product liability; insurance; antitrust; D&O Securities; Government Contracts; and other types of complex business litigation.

“Erika is a welcome addition to the firm and we are delighted that she has chosen Seyfarth on her return to Atlanta to practice law,” said Paul P. Mattingly, managing partner of Seyfarth’s Atlanta office. “Her approach to litigation and client service fit well with our existing litigation group. She's a great addition to our national team.""

Birg received her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her J.D. from Emory University School of Law. She clerked for the Honorable Stanley F. Birch, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and for the Honorable Willis B. Hunt, Jr., on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Birg sits on the executive board of the Atlanta Chapter of the Federalist Society and is a member of the editorial board for the Georgia Bar Journal.

“Seyfarth Shaw’s comprehensive litigation group affords me the opportunity to expand my practice in Atlanta,” said Birg. “I particularly admire the firm’s commitment to work closely with clients to provide maximum counsel and support.”

Seyfarth Shaw has over 650 attorneys located in nine offices throughout the United States including Chicago, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento as well as Brussels, Belgium. Seyfarth Shaw provides a broad range of legal services in the areas of labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation and business services. The firm’s practice reflects virtually every industry and segment of the country’s business community. Clients include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, newspapers and other media, hotels, health care organizations, airlines and railroads. The firm also represents a number of federal, state, and local governmental and educational entities. For more information, please visit www.seyfarth.com.

08-16-2006

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Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

Fava Selected for ABA Air & Space Law Committee
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough partner Mark Fava has been elected to a two-year term on the Governing Committee of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Air & Space Law.

The forum includes more than 1,500 professionals who represent all areas of air and space law including airlines, airports, labor, financial communities, the FAA, DOT, NASA, as well as attorneys practicing in corporate, litigation and antitrust areas.

Mr. Fava practices nationally in aviation law and statewide on selected land use development matters before local governments. Currently, he advises and represents many air carriers, aircraft manufacturers, fixed based operators, aviation insurers and air taxis in litigation, operations and regulatory matters.

Mr. Fava has published articles on aviation law and is a frequent speaker on aviation litigation and regulatory matters. He is an adjunct professor of aviation law at the University of South Carolina School of Law. For the past two years, he has taught legal writing at the Charleston School of Law.

Mr. Fava is a commander in the United States Navy Reserve who has been selected for promotion to captain. He has accumulated more than 3,300 flight hours as a Naval Flight Officer and was the commanding officer of a Navy aviation squadron in Jacksonville, Fla., from 2004 to 2005. He now serves on the staff of the Navy Inspector General in Washington.

Nelson Mullins, established in 1897, has more than 360 attorneys practicing from offices in Atlanta, Boston, Charleston, Charlotte, Columbia, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Raleigh, Washington and Winston-Salem. For more information on the Firm, go to www.nelsonmullins.com, or call (803) 255-9794 or (803) 255-9280.

08-16-2006

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Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone, P.L.C.

Miller Canfield Presents Strategies in Acquiring Distressed Companies - September 12 in New York City
Miller Canfield M&A, tax and investment incentives attorneys present “Strategies in Acquiring Distressed Companies in Michigan,” Tuesday, September 12, from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the New York Athletic Club in New York City. Strategic and financial buyers looking at new growth opportunities in Michigan, particularly to acquire financially distressed automotive businesses in Michigan, will want to attend this executive briefing.

Attendees will learn acquisition strategies used to help organizations gain global competitive advantages in acquiring business operations in Section 363 sales, stock sales or other dispositions. Topics such as structuring purchase agreements, obtaining investment incentives including refundable tax credits, no cost financing and tax abatements, Michigan’s unique environmental assessment requirements and dealing with unions will also be discussed.

“Michigan offers opportunities that in better economic times were too expensive or unavailable, especially for companies looking to enter the automotive industry or gain a North American presence,” said Richard Walawender, co-presenter and director of Miller Canfield’s Automotive Group and M&A attorney.

“This is a growth strategy that should not be overlooked,” added co-presenter Lynn Gandhi, a CPA and Miller Canfield lawyer specializing in investment incentives and tax credits.

Reservations are required to Sandy Bera at bera@millercanfield.com or 248/267-3345. Cost is $150 per person.

The 350-attorney law firm of Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C. was established in Detroit in 1852 and has offices in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Howell, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Monroe, Saginaw, and Troy, Michigan. Other offices are located in New York City, Naples and Pensacola, Florida, Windsor, Ontario, and in Gdynia, Warsaw, and Wroclaw, Poland.

08-16-2006

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