Alston & Bird has announced the election of 16 lawyers to its partnership, effective January 1.
“We offer congratulations and a warm welcome to our new class of partners, all of whom have demonstrated steadfast excellence, leadership and commitment to exceptional client service,” said Alston & Bird Managing Partner Richard Hays. “Our new partners have all shown an outstanding ability to work together with their colleagues to advise clients on complex legal and business issues and help them succeed in an always-changing, increasingly demanding world.”
The firm’s new partners are:
- Dane A. Baltich (Atlanta) has been named partner in our Patent Prosecution, Counseling & Review Group. He concentrates his practice on patent solicitation in electrical and computer-related technologies, in addition to counseling clients on patent portfolio management, intellectual property licensing and patent infringement, validity and enforceability.
- Peter S. Barwick (Charlotte) has been elected partner in our Finance Group. Focusing on structured finance, he represents financial institutions in their roles as master servicer, certificate administrator, paying agent, trustee, custodian and issuer in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securitization transactions.
- Michael A. Calandra, Jr. (New York) is a new partner in our Finance Group. He represents buyers and lenders in repurchase, warehousing and other secured lending facilities related to residential and commercial mortgage loans, securities and other financial assets, in addition to counseling buyers and sellers of residential and commercial mortgage loans, servicing rights and tax liens.
- Tara E. Castillo (Washington, D.C.) has been elected partner in our Finance Group, where she focuses on debt securities, structured finance, securitizations and other asset-backed finance transactions representing issuers, underwriters, sellers, servicers, trustees, rating agencies and other transaction parties across a wide variety of asset classes.
- David S. Frist (Atlanta) is a new partner in our Intellectual Property Litigation Group. Focusing on patent litigation and enforcement, he represents clients in federal district courts in patent infringement cases involving telecommunications, computer software and various mechanical devices.
- Lauren P. Giles (Atlanta) has been named partner in our Financial Services & Products Group. She advises payments industry clients on transaction, regulatory and strategic matters, including negotiating card issuance and acceptance programs, developing new payment products and establishing joint ventures.
- Michele M. Glessner (Charlotte) has been elected partner in our Patent Prosecution, Counseling and Review Group, where she advises clients on domestic and foreign utility and design patent prosecution matters, patentability analysis and freedom-to-practice investigations. Her practice includes trademark law, with an emphasis on domestic and foreign prosecution, clearance investigations and enforcement matters.
- Brian D. Harvel (Atlanta) is a new partner in our Federal & International Tax Group. He focuses his practice on complex tax structuring and planning for domestic and international businesses, assisting clients with investments and operations throughout Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, India and the United States.
- Matthew P. Hedstrom (New York) has been elected partner in our State & Local Tax Group. He advises clients on state and local tax planning and controversy, including multistate tax issues related to state income tax apportionment, tax bases and unclaimed property, in addition to counseling on the state and local tax implications of corporate transactions.
- Elizabeth Helmer (Atlanta) has been named partner in our Litigation & Trial Practice Group. She represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial litigation, including unfair competition, antitrust, intellectual property and trade secrets and contractual disputes, in such industries as technology, insurance, manufacturing, consumer products and media.
- Michael R. Hoernlein (Charlotte) has been elected partner in our Litigation & Trial Practice Group. Focusing on the financial services and health care industries, he represents corporations and individuals in a wide range of complex matters, including business disputes, internal corporate investigations and cases before federal and state criminal and regulatory agencies.
- Donald Houser (Atlanta) is a new partner in our Litigation & Trial Practice Group. Representing clients in federal and state courts in privacy and antitrust litigation in such industries as health care, technology and consumer products, he has defended privacy class action lawsuits involving claims under both federal and state laws.
- W. Scott Kitchens (Atlanta) has been elected partner in our Corporate Transactions & Securities Group, where he represents public and private companies in a variety of corporate transactions, including M&A, outsourcing and technology transactions, privacy matters, joint ventures and corporate governance.
- Jeffrey W. O’Neale (Charlotte) has been named partner in our Finance Group. He represents institutional lenders, financial institutions, rating agencies and loan portfolio servicers in secured and unsecured financial transactions, with a focus on advising special servicers on loan workouts, restructurings and modifications.
- William B. Snyder (Charlotte) has been elected partner in our Corporate Transactions & Securities Group. He concentrates his practice on private equity, leveraged buyouts, growth equity investments, M&A and general corporate matters in addition to representing private equity funds and their portfolio companies in leveraged acquisitions and divestitures.
- Clifford S. Stanford (Atlanta) is a new partner in our Financial Services & Products Group who also serves as chair of the firm’s Bank Regulatory Group, where he counsels U.S. and foreign banks and nonbank financial services companies on a broad range of regulatory concerns affecting the banking, financial services and payments industries.