McDermott Announces Partner Promotions

McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce that the following lawyers have been promoted to partner effective January 1, 2009.

Corporate

George Colindres (San Diego) focuses on venture capital and other private equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate formation and maintenance, corporate governance, convertible note and other debt financings, licensing, stock option plans and executive compensation, executive employment agreements, and venture capital and private equity fund formation. (University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, J.D., 1999; Georgetown University, B.S.F.S., 1996)

Meir A. Lewittes (New York) concentrates on private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and securities with a focus on cross-border transactions, private placements, joint ventures, compliance with federal securities laws and general corporate matters. (New York University School of Law, J.D., 2002; University of Maryland, B.A., 1997)

Christopher Lin (Chicago) focuses on mergers and acquisitions and general corporate counseling. (University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 2002; Washington University, B.A., magna cum laude, 1999)

Rebecca L. Schuster (Boston) represents venture capital firms and both private and public companies in the biotechnology and other high-tech industries. Her practice focuses on general corporate, securities, mergers and acquisitions, and venture capital financing transactions. (Boston University School of Law, J.D., 2002; Cornell University, B.A., 1999)

Ben Wolkov (Miami) has experience working on various U.S. and international corporate and transactional matters. He has experience working on cross-border acquisitions and financings between the United States and various jurisdictions in Latin America. (University of Miami School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2000; New College of Florida, B.A., 1996)

Employee Benefits

Anne S. Becker (Chicago) advises clients on various employee benefit issues including retirement and welfare plans. Prior to joining McDermott, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Sarah Evans Barker of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. (University of Michigan Law School, J.D. cum laude, 2002; DePauw University, B.A., summa cum laude, 1999)

Jonathan J. Boyles (New York) has advised clients on various employee benefit issues, including ERISA’s fiduciary obligations, plan design issues, and reporting and disclosure requirements. (Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 2000; University of Virginia, B.A., 1995)

James R. Napoli (Washington, D.C.) counsels clients in the establishment and maintenance of employee benefit plans, as well as fiduciary compliance with respect to the administration of such plans. He also maintains an active controversy practice that includes ERISA and related litigation, as well as government compliance. (University of Akron School of Law, J.D. 1995; Cleveland State University, B.A.)

Health

Arnold V. Pamplona (Los Angeles) counsels health care providers and affiliated entities regarding administrative appeals, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement regulations, federal and state securities laws, and laws governing health care fraud and abuse. He has significant experience advising clients in all aspects of hospital and pharmacy changes of ownership. (Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, J.D., cum laude, 2002; Loyola Marymount University, B.S. and B.A., cum laude, 1998)

Intellectual Property, Media & Technology

Farah Bhatti (Orange County / Silicon Valley), formerly counsel, concentrates her practice on trademark prosecution and litigation. She assists clients with all stages of securing trademark protection with an emphasis on the selection and enforcement of trademarks. (St. John's University School of Law, J.D., 1997; University of Houston Law Center, Master of Law, 1998; State University of New York-Albany, B.A., 1994)

Jeremy T. Elman (Miami) focuses on intellectual property disputes and complex commercial litigation. He represents clients in major patent, trade secret, trademark and copyright disputes. He has substantial litigation experience focused on computer software and consumer electronics technology. (American University-Washington College of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2002; University of Michigan, B.A., 1999)

Qian “Chen” Huang, Ph.D. (Washington, D.C.) focuses her practice on patent prosecution. Prior to practicing law, she was a research scientist at international corporations such as IBM, Siemens and AT&T. (Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2005; Michigan State University, Ph.D., with honors, 1994; Kansas State University, M.S., with honors, 1989; Shanghai University of Technology, B.S., 1984)

Leigh J. Martinson (Boston) focuses his practice on strategic patent portfolio management and complex patent litigation in the areas of computer hardware, software, optics, medical devices, packet and circuit telecommunications, wireless communications and internet technologies. (Suffolk University Law School, J.D., 2003; Michigan Technological University, B.S., 1998)

Tomoki (Tom) Tanida1 (Washington, D.C.) concentrates his practice on patent matters, including all aspects of patent procurement with a special emphasis on semiconductor electronics and computer-related inventions. Prior to joining the Firm, he worked as a registered patent attorney in Japan. (George Washington University Law School, LL.M, 2002)

Han (Jason) Yu (Los Angeles) focuses on licensing, trademark, copyright, internet and digital media, promotion and advertising, and entertainment law matters. (University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, LL.M. 1998; China University of Political Science and Law, Bachelor of Law)

Private Client

William R. Burford (Los Angeles), formerly counsel, focuses on tax and estate planning, probate and trust administration, and estate and trust controversies. (University of Michigan Law School, J.D., cum laude; New York University School of Law, LL.M. (taxation); University of Michigan, B.A. with high distinction)

Andrew Stone (Chicago) counsels individuals, families, fiduciaries and family offices on all aspects of estate planning and administration. He has created and implemented strategies to minimize income, gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes for the preservation, transfer and management of wealth through trusts and family investment entities. (Cornell Law School, J.D., 2000; Washington University in St. Louis, B.A., summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1995)

Regulation & Government Affairs

Kevin M. Cookler (Washington, D.C.), a member of the Telecommunications Practice Group, focuses on telecommunications law and regulation, including licensing, compliance and policy matters. His experience includes work for commercial and private wireless licensees, electric utilities, cable providers and emerging technology companies. Prior to joining the Firm, he was a law clerk for the Honorable James F. Merow of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. (George Washington University Law School, J.D., with honors, 2002; Emory University, B.A., 1999)

Danielle K. Schonback (New York), a member of the Energy & Derivatives Markets Practice Group, focuses on representing investment banks, hedge funds and energy and commodity companies in a variety of transactional, regulatory and risk management matters. (American University-Washington College of Law, J.D., 2002; Boston College, B.A., 1999)

April Tabor (New York), a member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice Group, focuses on compliance with the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act, defense of mergers and acquisitions before the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, consent decree negotiation, complex antitrust litigation, antitrust counseling in patent infringement and standard-setting matters, distribution practices and dealer termination, and consumer protection counseling. (Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 2000; Columbia University, B.A., 1996)

Tax

Kumar Paul (New York) advises U.S. and foreign multinational corporations in the fields of inbound and outbound tax planning, international reorganizations, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, cross-border financing and repatriation, divestitures and unwinding of joint ventures, international leasing and captive insurance structures. (Sri Lanka Law College; Harvard Law School, L.L.M. 2001)

Kevin Spencer (Washington, D.C.) focuses on federal tax law issues relating to planning and controversy matters. He previously clerked for the Honorable Robert P. Ruwe at the U.S. Tax Court. (University of Miami School of Law, J.D. cum laude, 1996; Georgetown University Law Center, LL.M., with distinction, 2002; Mary Washington College, B.S., cum laude, 1992)

Trial

Mark J. Altschul (Chicago) focuses on general litigation. He served as law clerk to the Honorable Norman C. Roettger, U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of Florida and the Honorable John J. O'Sullivan, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Florida, additionally he served as a summer extern to the Honorable Robert W. Gettleman, U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois. (University of Illinois College of Law, J.D., 2002; University of Michigan, B.A., 1996)

Melissa Nott Davis (Boston) has experience in general commercial matters and has appeared in and represented clients in a variety of matters, including defense of an agribusiness company in connection with a trade secrets case; defense of an international petroleum company in a mass tort, product liability multidistrict litigation; defense of a major university in connection with a purported class action lawsuit against its medical school; and prosecution of a claim by a health care provider under Medicare/Medicaid law. (Boston University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2002; Northwestern University, B.A., 1997)

John A. Litwinski (Chicago) handles various general civil litigation matters, and has extensive experience in the area of employment benefits litigation and counseling under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). (Georgetown University, J.D., 2001; London School of Economics and Political Science, M.Sc., 1998; Johns Hopkins University, B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, 1997)

Nicolas F. Oettinger (Los Angeles) focuses on general commercial matters including health care related litigation. (University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, J.D., 2002; Amherst College, B.A., magna cum laude, 1999)

Robert M. Pryor (Los Angeles) handles various aspects of general litigation matters. (University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, J.D., 2002; Vanderbilt University, B.S., 1997)

1. Admitted only in New York. Practice limited to matters and proceedings before federal courts and agencies.

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