Andrews Kurth strengthens transactions practice in Washington, DC

10/24/06

Andrews Kurth strengthens transactions practice in Washington, DC
Andrews Kurth bolstered its domestic and cross-border transactions practice by hiring prominent finance lawyer Roger Feldman at its Washington, DC, office. Feldman will focus on financings of renewable energy, clean energy, and carbon reduction projects, including ethanol, bio-diesel, coal gasification, biomass, energy efficiency, wind power, solar power, and landfill gas projects. Feldman's practice will cover contracting and financing for projects in the areas of energy, environment, and infrastructure. Andrews Kurth's Washington, DC, office houses an intellectual property practice, an antitrust section, and a large litigation group with extensive experience in bankruptcy and environmental matters, as well as nationally recognized expertise in art recovery litigation.

Matthew Stowe joins Paul Hastings as Of Counsel
Paul Hastings has hired former Supreme Court law clerk Matthew Stowe as Of Counsel in the firm's litigation department. Working in the firm's Washington, DC, office, Stowe will assist in developing and implementing appellate strategies, strengthening the firm's capability to handle complex legal problems for its clients. Stowe will be a member of the litigation practice team, which covers every major practice area, including securities, intellectual property, class action, employment, international arbitration, and white-collar crime. Stowe formerly served as a law clerk for Judge J. Michael Luttig from 1996 to 1997 and for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor from 1997 to 1998.

Pietragallo Bosick hires corporate partner, associate
Pittsburgh-based Pietragallo, Bosick & Gordon hired former corporate attorney of Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney Jay Panzarella as a corporate partner in the firm and attorney Brian Ritz as an associate. Backed by extensive experience in the areas of corporate and transactional practice, Panzarella will assume responsibility for the firm's business practice group as co-chairman. Ritz will concentrate on corporate law, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions. In order to consolidate its position in the legal market, Pietragallo Bosick is aiming to take advantage of middle-market business opportunities, and with its recent additions, the firm intends to expand its business practice. As part of its growth strategy, the firm is also exploring the option of opening an office in Philadelphia.

Kilpatrick Stockton ties up with AngelPoints
Kilpatrick Stockton entered into a strategic technology agreement with AngelPoints, Inc., in order to implement AngelPoints EVS and improve management of and reporting for its volunteer programs. The new technology tool will allow Kilpatrick to effectively manage tracking and reporting of volunteer activities and outcomes. The attorneys at the firm serve in leadership roles in several organizations, including the American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, Special Olympics, and American Red Cross; the tie-up with AngelPoints will aid the firm as it serves as an advocate for these organizations and their causes. Because of the massive capabilities of AngelPoints EVS, Kilpatrick Stockton intends to make the system the hub of its volunteer program.

Thompson & Knight adds 22 associates
Thompson & Knight strengthened its workforce by hiring 22 associates in different practice groups at its offices in Austin, Dallas, and Houston. With these additions, the firm intends to improve the operations of its trial practice, corporate and securities, real estate and banking, oil and gas, and corporate reorganization and creditors rights practice groups. The majority of the acquisitions were made by the firm's Dallas office, which hired 11 associates; 10 associates went to the Houston office, and one went to the Austin office. Thompson & Knight currently employs approximately 420 attorneys representing companies, government entities, and individuals in local, regional, and national markets around the world.

Keith M. Andruschak joins Stroock's insurance group
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, LLP, has hired Kevin M. Andruschak as Special Counsel for the firm's insurance practice group. The firm intends to gain leverage from the expertise of Andruschak, who is a former employee of Clifford Chance, LLP , LLP, with experience dealing with domestic and foreign companies in corporate transactions, stock acquisitions, and dispositions. Andruschak has represented domestic, foreign investment, and commercial banks as well as monoline financial guaranty companies in complex transactions with insurance and reinsurance companies. Stroock provides transactional and litigation expertise, and it enjoys a reputation as a market leader in financial services and insurance law.

New attorneys at Jones Day
Robert J. Miller joined international law firm Jones Day's Columbus office as a partner and will look after the firm's general business practice. Prior to joining Jones Day, Miller served as Corporate General Counsel and Global Legal for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati. At Jones Day, he will concentrate on cross-border transactions and corporate governance. Miller has amassed considerable experience while working with foreign government officials to gain licenses, protections, and regulatory approvals in China, Japan, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan, and Australia. He has also gained considerable expertise in handling various Asian transactions, including joint ventures, divestitures, and corporate restructurings. In addition to Miller, Jones Day appointed Christine M. Kim as a partner in its Hong Kong office. She will be responsible for leading the firm's real estate practice in Asia. She formerly worked for Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, LLP, as a real estate partner in its New York office. Jones Day hopes to gain hugely from Kim's wide experience in real estate, mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, complex financings, hotel and shopping center developments, cross-border investments, and corporate restructurings in the Asia-Pacific region. Jones Day's global real estate practice currently has 125 members. With offices in 30 locations in business and finance centers worldwide, Jones Day has more than 2,200 lawyers, including more than 400 in Europe and 200 in Asia, and a clientele list that reads like a "Who's Who" of Fortune Global 500 Companies.

U.S. Attorney Debra Wong Yang Joins Gibson Dunn in L.A.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP, has appointed noted U.S. Attorney Debra Wong Yang Partner in its Los Angeles office. Yang, in addition to co-chairing the firm's crisis management practice group, will play a major role in its business crimes and investigations practice group. Yang is the latest in a series of recent additions to this practice, which include Washington, DC, Partner Barry Goldsmith, a former enforcement official, and New York Partners Jim Walden and Orin Snyder, both former Assistant U.S. Attorneys. Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Yang served as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.

Want to read more law firm headlines?
For past editions of our weekly law firm news, click here.