Law Firm News

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Law Firm News

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Pepper Hamilton, L.L.P.

Christopher J. Huber of Pepper Hamilton Elected to Board of Philadelphia ACLU
Christopher J. Huber, an associate with Pepper Hamilton LLP, has been elected to the board of directors of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. The election took place at the chapter’s annual meeting on March 12, 2006.

Mr. Huber concentrates his practice in commercial litigation matters, with a particular focus on antitrust, including litigation, mergers and acquisitions, counseling and government investigations. Recently, Mr. Huber was part of a team that was awarded the 2005 Human Relations Award from the Allentown Human Relations Commission for pro bono work defending Allentown’s anti-discrimination ordinance.

Founded in 1920, the American Civil Liberties Union is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to defending and protecting individual rights and personal freedoms. The Greater Philadelphia Chapter (www.aclupa.org) serves Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.

Pepper Hamilton LLP is a multi-practice law firm with 400 lawyers in six states and the District of Columbia. The firm provides corporate, litigation and regulatory legal services to leading businesses, governmental entities, nonprofit organizations and individuals throughout the nation and the world. The firm was founded in 1890.

03-16-2006

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Jenner & Block LLP

HealthSouth Reaches Preliminary Settlement in Class Action and Derivative Litigation
Jenner & Block client HealthSouth Corporation recently reached a preliminary agreement in principle with the lead plaintiffs in the federal securities class actions and derivative actions, as well as with its insurance carriers, to settle litigation pending in Alabama federal and state court against HealthSouth and certain of its former directors and officers relating to financial reporting and related activity that occurred at the company prior to March 2003.

Under the proposed settlement, HealthSouth will pay $215 million in common stock and warrants, and its insurance carriers will pay $230 million in cash to settle the federal securities and fraud claims. In addition, the class action plaintiffs will receive 25 percent of any net recovery from future judgments against Richard Scrushy, the company's former chief executive officer, Ernst & Young, the company's former auditors; and UBS, the company's former primary investment bank, each of which remains a defendant in the derivative actions as well as the federal securities class actions. The proposed settlement is subject to a number of conditions, including the successful negotiation of definitive documentation and court approval.

The Jenner & Block team serving as co-counsel to HealthSouth on this matter includes Chairman Jerold S. Solovy, Partners Deirdre E. Connell, Christopher C. Dickinson, William D. Heinz, C. John Koch, Robert T. Markowski and John H. Mathias Jr., and Associates Adam A. Hachikian, Kathryn C. Newman, Christopher M. O’Connor and Blair R. Zanzig.

HealthSouth is one of the nation's largest providers of outpatient surgery, diagnostic imaging and rehabilitative healthcare services.

03-16-2006

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Jenner & Block LLP

Annual Diversity Dinner Kicks Off Dynamic MCCA CLE Expo
Nearly 1,200 attorneys, corporate executives and media representatives gathered in Chicago yesterday for the Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s annual Diversity Dinner for an evening of networking and fellowship. The event was also an occasion to honor legal industry leaders who have succeeded in creating inclusive and diverse work environments. Jenner & Block was again a sponsor of the event.

The dinner also kicked off the MCCA’s fifth annual CLE Expo, being held over the next several days in which several Jenner & Block partners will share their experience and insight on cutting-edge practice issues. The Firm also continues to serve as the Premier Sponsor of the increasingly popular three-day diversity conference.

During one panel discussion being held today at the Expo, Partner Patricia A. Bronte will address “The Evolution of e-Discovery,” while Partner Philip L. Harris will offer attorneys “Practical Tips and Strategies for Litigation Avoidance” at a seminar tomorrow. And Partner S. Tony Ling will explore the hottest issues facing non-qualified deferred compensation benefits at a Friday session entitled, “Executive Compensation: What’s Changed in Light of Corporate Scandals?”

Pictured at the Diversity Dinner – Top row, from left: Partner S. Tony Ling, Partner Philip L. Harris, MCCA Executive Director Veta Richardson, Partner Reginald J. Hill, and Partner Daniel J. Hurtado. Bottom Row, from left: Jenner & Block Chief Marketing Officer Theresa A. Jaffe, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund Midwest Regional Counsel Ricardo Meza, and Partner Gabriel A. Fuentes.

03-16-2006

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Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Law Firm Takes 48th Floor of 161 North Clark in Chicago
Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, a Philadelphia-based law firm with 10 offices around the country, has leased the entire 48th floor, or 17,400 square feet, of 161 N. Clark, a 50-story downtown office building owned by Equity Office Properties Trust in a joint venture with TIAA-CREF. The lease represents a near doubling of the space the firm currently occupies at 115 S. LaSalle.

The roughly 1 million-square-foot building is 94 percent occupied. Studley represented Drinker Biddle in the deal. ... The firm is actively pursuing opportunities to expand its profile in Chicago; the lease at 161 N. Clark provides a foundation for launching that growth. Drinker Biddle ... established itself in Chicago only last April, when Dames and David Sudzus joined Drinker Biddle from the firm of Kelley Drye & Warren L.L.P.

Competition for tenants such as Drinker Biddle is cutthroat in the downtown Chicago market these days, with the newer buildings of the West Loop competing vigorously against some of the more traditional locations for law firms in the Central Loop. ""161 N. Clark is able to compete in the current environment,"" Jack O'Brien, leasing director at the Chicago office of Equity Office, told CPN this morning. ""It's amenity rich, located near the courts, and has unobstructed views on all sides.

03-16-2006

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Venable LLP

Venable LLP Receives Law Firm Diversity Trailblazer Award
Venable LLP is pleased to announce that it was presented the Law Firm Diversity Trailblazer Award by The President’s Roundtable, Inc. (PRT) and the Black CEO Summit. The Award was presented to Venable last month during the 2006 Black CEO Summit at the Baltimore Convention Center. The Trailblazer Award recognizes the winning law firm’s commitment to diversity in both their staffs and among their client base, as well as its contributions to the community.

PRT is a Maryland-based organization of committed African-American CEOs who seek economic development advancement for community betterment. The Black CEO Summit is an event held annually in Baltimore for minority business owners and features two days of networking to provide assistance in developing business partnerships with major companies.

Venable—the largest law firm in Maryland—recently formed an alliance with Brown & Sheehan, LLP, one of the area's largest minority-owned firms. This alliance is designed to assist both firms in meeting client service needs and providing clients with an even more diverse pool of legal professionals.

Venable is committed to maintaining and building a diverse group of attorneys and staff who reflect the diversity of the communities in which they practice and the clients they serve. In 2005, minorities represented 20 percent of our entering associate class. Venable attorneys and staff worked more than 22,000 hours pro bono last year to benefit its communities.

Other finalists of the Trailblazer Award were DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary and the law offices of Billy Murphy.

As one of The American Lawyer's top 100 law firms, Venable LLP has lawyers 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 Maryland, New York and Virginia. For more information, visit www.venable.com.

03-16-2006

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Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo P.C.

Bret Cohen Presents at Human Resources Organization\'s Human Resources and The Law Management Program
Bret Cohen, a Member of Mintz Levin practicing in the Employment, Labor and Benefits Section, presented at HRO's Human Resources and the Law Program, March 6, 2006 in Ashland, MA. The program addressed Employment at Will, Non Compete and Confidentiality of Information agreements and issues of company size and compliance, severance agreements, reasonable accommodations and independent contractors.

Bret's practice includes representing employers in labor and employment litigation, including claims arising under FLSA, Title VII, ADA, ADEA, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 151B, Massachusetts Wage Act, as well as state common law, breach of contract, wrongful termination and defamation claims.

03-16-2006

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Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman Represents The Mark Winkler Company in $2.3 billion Disposition of Major Commercial and Residential Real Estate Portfolio
Sales represent largest single private property disposition in the Washington DC metro area

WASHINGTON – In what may be the largest ever private disposition of real estate assets in the Washington DC metro area, law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP represented The Mark Winkler Company and its affiliates in the sale of commercial and residential properties valued at approximately $2.3 billion.



The Winkler portfolio consisted of more than 12 million square feet of prime commercial and residential projects and included over $2 billion in assets throughout the Greater Washington market. The company was founded in the 1940s and through the years established itself as a leader in real estate leasing, development and management.

“This complex transaction involving multiple purchasers and dozens of different sellers came together incredibly smoothly and swiftly. We would say it set a new standard for legal representation in the market,” says John Engel, the senior partner with Pillsbury, who led the transaction team along with William Horton and Marjorie Fisher. “As one of the largest single portfolio transactions in the Washington DC market, this deal required the involvement of a number of attorneys from many different disciplines. Our firm’s deep bench enabled us to orchestrate an outcome that was beneficial to all parties involved while accomplishing this in the short period of time our client desired.”

“Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman has been a critical part of our success for over 20 years. They were often a part of our business planning, as they were able to share with us their observations regarding important business and real estate issues and trends derived from their national practice,” says Randal B. Kell, Chief Executive Officer of The Mark Winkler Company. “Although we had never before sold any project that we had developed for our own account, it came as no surprise when we reached the decision to liquidate our real estate portfolios and wind up our long-standing real estate development and investment business that the lawyers at Pillsbury rolled up their sleeves and jumped right in. The firm’s attorneys helped us select and interview investment bankers, took the lead in negotiating the deal structures for the sale of the real estate and corporate assets and then finalized all of these deals in a long and extremely complex series of the smoothest and best organized closings that I have ever been a part of. This transaction is an amazing testament to the skills and hard work of John Engel and his team, and it is just a great way for us to exit the business.”

Goldman Sachs acted as financial advisor for the commercial portfolio and CB Richard Ellis acted as financial advisor for the residential/retail portfolio. Both firms have received high praise from The Mark Winkler Company for their performance in managing a complex bidding process involving dozens of potential buyers.

The commercial portfolio represents highly desirable office properties and development sites located in four primary markets within the Greater Washington, DC area. Among the highest-profile properties included are 1801 and 1875 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, two prime office buildings just two blocks west of the White House and directly across from the World Bank Headquarters and the IMF Headquarters. The law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr currently occupies a majority of these properties under a long-term lease. The portfolio is being sold to several different purchasers in a number of closings. To date, nearly all of the properties have closed, with the remaining office buildings and one residential project under contract and expected to close by the end of the second quarter.

Duke Realty (NYSE: DRE) the Indianapolis-based REIT, has purchased the bulk of Winkler’s commercial properties and undeveloped land and commercial management operations, which includes about 2.3 million square feet of commercial space in Northern Virginia, and has several additional buildings under contract.

The majority of the residential portfolio, including nine apartment home communities containing 3,726 units in Northern Virginia and a shopping center called The Shops at Mark Center in Alexandria, was acquired by affiliates of the JBG Companies of Chevy Chase, MD. The JBG Companies also acquired the Reston International Center office building.

A team of 25 attorneys in the Washington, DC office of Pillsbury represented The Mark Winkler Company and its affiliates in these transactions. Given the size and complexity of the deal, numerous practice areas contributed to the transaction including real estate, corporate & securities, tax, litigation, and executive compensation. Among the participating attorneys were:


Attorney Practice Group Title
John Engel Real Estate Partner
William Horton Corporate & Securities Partner
Marjorie Fisher Real Estate Senior Associate
Timothy Watkins Real Estate Partner
Lee Carter Real Estate Partner
Allison Prince Real Estate Partner
Yuchong Yi Real Estate Partner
Brian Blum Tax Partner
Jeffery Yablon Tax Partner
David Cynamon Litigation Partner
Kurt Lawson Executive Compensation & Benefits Partner
Martin Krall Real Estate Senior Counsel
Jessica Hubley Real Estate Senior Associate
Peter Freeman Real Estate Senior Associate
Matthew Anzaldi Litigation Senior Associate
David Avitabile Real Estate Associate
Merdith Horn Real Estate Associate
Susan Michelich Real Estate Associate
Yemi Oladeinde Real Estate Associate
Sharla Post Real Estat Associate
Rhina Roberts Real Estate Associate
Michael Silver Real Estate Associate
Yann van Geertruyden Real Estate Associate
Kimberly Miller Corporate & Securities Associate
Teresa Reeves Corporate & Securities Associate






























Also involved from Pillsbury were Elizabeth McMahon, William Nye, Brad Noojin, Jamie Gross, Deborah Aschaffenburg, Cory Bingaman, and Torcelia Davis.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is an international law firm with over 900 attorneys in 16 offices, including San Francisco, New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles and London, with more than 100 real estate lawyers representing clients nationally and internationally. In business for more than 130 years, Pillsbury’s practice focuses on real estate, capital markets and finance, energy, global sourcing, litigation, technology, life sciences and communications. For more information, please visit www.pillsburylaw.com.

03-16-2006

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