Sutherland Elects New Partners and Counsel

1/18/17

Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP is pleased to announce the election of three new partners and nine new counsel, effective January 1, 2017.

“Each of these attorneys provide excellent service to the work of their clients and have made a significant impact within the firm,” said Sutherland Managing Partner Mark D. Wasserman. “We thank them for their contributions, and we are certain they will be a large part of our continued growth and success.”

The following attorneys have been elected partner:

Saren Goldner focuses her practice on international tax and insurance and insurance tax issues, including structuring non-U.S. operations, captive insurance companies, insurance characterization and other insurance specific tax issues. She advises clients on public and private securities offerings (including securitizations and catastrophe bonds), the structuring of international insurance operations, the formation and operation of captives and cell companies, and tax exempt issues. Ms. Goldner is based in the New York office.

James M. Hannon provides prosecution counseling and opinions for clients primarily in mechanical, electrical and software businesses. Mr. Hannon counsels clients in a variety of industries on a range of technologies and provides a full spectrum of services to meet his clients’ intellectual property needs, including counseling in regard to invalidity, non-infringement, freedom to operate and patentability, as well as providing patent portfolio planning and management. He also handles IP evaluations for mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions. Mr. Hannon is based in the Atlanta office.

Stacey McGavin Mohr litigates complex business disputes—with extensive experience in consumer and policyholder class actions—as well as civil rights and constitutional law cases and education-funding litigation. Ms. Mohr represents clients engaged in commercial arbitrations and in litigation in state and federal courts at the trial and appellate levels. She also counsels companies on a variety of matters, including employment issues and open-government compliance, and advises private and public schools on a range of education issues. Ms. Mohr is based in the Atlanta office.

The following attorneys have been elected counsel:

Joshua L. Belcher advises clients in the utility, power and pipelines sectors on all manner of transactions, litigation, administrative proceedings and environmental compliance. With a focus on environmental, regulatory and general corporate law, he manages complex transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and financings. He has extensive experience in both the development and acquisition of utility-scale and customer-sited energy projects, and is counsel to developers and several Fortune 100 companies in the negotiation of physical and financially settled renewable energy purchase agreements. Mr. Belcher is based in the Houston office.

Kathleen Blaszak focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate reorganizations and day-to-day operational and corporate governance matters, with a special focus on the technology, media and telecommunications industries. She also counsels clients on financing transactions, as well as finance restructurings. Ms. Blaszak is based in the Washington DC office.

Michael A. Boldtadvises clients on a broad range of energy and complex litigation matters. Mr. Boldt represents clients in all phases of litigation, from contested cases before administrative agencies, including the Public Utility Commission of Texas, to state and federal district courts and courts of appeals. He also provides counsel on a wide range of regulatory and compliance matters, including state and federal regulations governing the electric and gas utility industries. Mr. Boldt is based in the Austin office.

Daren L. Moreira advises clients on insurance and reinsurance corporate transactions, regulatory compliance and corporate governance matters. He manages mergers and acquisitions, purchases and sales of specific blocks of insurance business, and complex restructurings. Mr. Moreira advises on the formation and licensing of insurers and insurance intermediaries, redomestications, the Holding Company Act and affiliate transactions, credit for reinsurance and investment law compliance. He also represents his clients in internal investigations and regulatory enforcement actions. Mr. Moreira is based in the New York office.

Sidney O. Simms practices commercial finance and private capital law, counseling borrowers and lenders to reach their acquisition or other finance-related goals. A member of Sutherland’s Corporate Practice Group, Mr. Simms represents commercial and investment banks in creating and administering senior and subordinate credit loans, term loans, revolving credit and syndicated term facilities. Mr. Simms also represents corporations, limited liability companies and joint ventures in a variety of finance transactions, including construction and acquisition financing. His clients are involved in various industries, including energy, retail, restaurants, telecommunications and timberlands. He also is active in pro bono matters. Mr. Simms is based in the Atlanta office.

Brooke P. Parris represents lenders, servicers, developers and pension fund advisers in various aspects of real estate finance and development. She guides and facilitates her clients’ investments in commercial real estate projects, including acquisitions, development, financing and leasing. Ms. Parris devotes significant time advising clients on structured finance and real estate finance, and resolving non-performing or sub-performing real estate assets. She also regularly represents energy clients in the development, acquisition and financing of traditional and alternative energy projects. Her work in the agribusiness space has also helped clients acquire large portfolios of farmland across the country. Ms. Parris is based in the Atlanta office.

Lee A. Peifer represents clients in commercial litigation and education contexts. He advises clients on a variety of matters—including business disputes, corporate governance, professional liability, school funding, whistleblower retaliation and constitutional law—and has represented clients in arbitration, at trial and on appeal. He is currently part of a team defending the State of Florida’s $19-billion funding system for K–12 public schools. Mr. Peifer is based in the Atlanta office.

R. Christian Walker represents corporate clients in the areas of securities, corporate governance and finance. His practice focuses on advising public and private companies and funds, such as business development companies, on public and private debt and equity offerings and other financing transactions, ongoing U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reporting and securities law compliance, and other transactional matters. Mr. Walker is based in the Washington DC office.

Yvonne M. Williams-Wass defends clients in investigations, enforcement actions and litigation brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, state regulators and private litigants. She also represents audit or special committees or the boards of directors at public or private companies, investigating securities law violations, financial reporting fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and officer and director misconduct. Ms. Williams-Wass is based in the Atlanta office.

ABOUT SUTHERLAND ASBILL & BRENNAN LLP

Sutherland is an international legal service provider helping the world’s largest companies, industry leaders, sector innovators and business entrepreneurs solve their biggest challenges and reach their business goals. More than 400 lawyers across seven major practice areas—corporate, energy and environmental, financial services, intellectual property, litigation, real estate and tax—provide the framework for an extensive range of focus areas. Sutherland is composed of associated legal practices that are separate entities, doing business in the United States as Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, and as Sutherland (Europe) LLP in London and Geneva. Sutherland (Europe) LLP is a limited liability partnership and is registered in England and Wales with registered number OC348198. Its registered office is at Marble Quay, St. Katharine Docks, London E1W 1UH. Sutherland (Europe) LLP is authorized and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales whose regulatory requirements can be accessed at http://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/handbook/code/content.page. A list of the members of Sutherland (Europe) LLP and their professional qualifications is open to inspection at its registered office.

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