Mayer Brown announced today the promotion of 31 lawyers worldwide to partner. The appointments take effect January 1, 2018.

“It is my pleasure to welcome these outstanding lawyers to Mayer Brown’s partnership,” said Chairman Paul Theiss. “This significant milestone in their careers is attributable to our clients’ trust in our new partners. It is also a consequence of our new partners’ superb legal skills and business acumen, as well as their dedication to collegiality and teamwork across our practice areas and geographic boundaries. We are confident that, as partners, they will continue to make significant contributions to serving our clients and to the success of Mayer Brown.”

The new partners are:

Gustavo Lasalvia Besada, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, São Paulo

Gustavo Lasalvia Besada is a Litigation & Dispute Resolution partner in the São Paulo office of Tauil & Chequer Advogados. His practice focuses on insurance commercial, administrative and regulatory litigation. He has extensive experience in commencing and managing legal proceedings, administrative proceedings and arbitrations. Mr. Lasalvia has also participated in the negotiation of commercial agreements involving environmental, regulatory, public procurement, aviation and aerospace, insurance and other areas, and he has performed due diligence and handled transactional work for a number of companies in the past 10 years.

Rebecca Bothamley, Corporate & Securities, London

Rebecca Bothamley, a London-based Corporate & Securities partner, undertakes a broad range of corporate transactional work and is particularly focused on mergers & acquisitions (including cross-border transactions), acting on behalf of purchasers, sellers and targets. Ms. Bothamley also concentrates on corporate finance and corporate governance work, acting for issuers and financial institutions on flotations, secondary fund raisings and ongoing compliance with market rules.

Ludmila Arruda Braga, Real Estate, São Paulo

Ludmila Arruda Braga, a Real Estate partner in the São Paulo office of Tauil & Chequer Advogados, has extensive experience in the real estate industry, advising domestic and international companies and investment funds in the implementation of real estate deals, with an emphasis on Asian companies. Ms. Braga’s experience includes assistance in the establishment of new manufacturing plants in Brazil (real estate and licensing issues), agribusiness, purchase and sales, leasing, real estate swaps and real estate developments.

Joseph Castelluccio, Corporate & Securities, New York

Joe Castelluccio is a Corporate & Securities partner in New York. A former investment banker and finance professional, his practice focuses on complex, cross-border transactions. Mr. Castelluccio is a trusted advisor to US and multinational companies for M&A, joint ventures, equity transactions and other corporate matters. He is also an experienced deal team leader for complex, multi-jurisdictional transactions, as well as a seasoned negotiator and project manager.

Christopher Comstock, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Chicago

A Chicago-based Litigation & Dispute Resolution partner, Christopher Comstock works primarily on consumer class action litigation, litigation involving telecommunications companies and employment litigation. He represents clients in complex trials, appellate proceedings and in proceedings before federal and state regulatory agencies. In connection with this work, Mr. Comstock has participated in jury trials and arbitrations, has briefed dispositive motions and argued before trial courts, and has briefed appeals and argued before courts of appeal.

Jeremiah A. DeBerry, Diversity & Inclusion, New YorkJeremiah A. DeBerry is the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Mayer Brown. Based in New York, Mr. DeBerry is responsible for ensuring that Mayer Brown fulfills its commitment to fostering a supportive an inclusive work environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed and reach his or her full potential. He oversees all aspects of the firm’s efforts to recruit, hire, develop and promote diverse and women attorneys. He is also responsible for the development and implementation of diversity and inclusion policies for the firm’s US offices.

Mark Dempsey, Banking & Finance, Chicago

Mark Dempsey, a Banking & Finance partner in Chicago, represents real estate funds, private equity funds, debt funds, hedge funds and fund of funds, including fund of hedge funds, as well as lenders in a variety of transactions with such funds. His extensive experience with fund finance includes the representation of both borrowers and lenders in connection with a broad spectrum of transactions, including subscription credit facilities, private placements, open-end fund lending, management fee facilities, fund of fund and fund of hedge fund facilities and partner loan programs.

Elodie Deschamps, Tax Transactions & Consulting, Paris

Elodie Deschamps, a Tax Transactions & Consulting partner in Paris, focuses her practice on advising private equity clients and multinational groups on the tax aspects of their acquisitions, mergers and reorganizations. She provides assistance to clients on all aspects of transactions, from tax due diligence to structuring work, including financing matters. Ms. Deschamps creates and manages models aiming to analyze the tax consequences and cash flow impacts of contemplated transactions. She also assists corporate groups in the day-to-day management of their tax affairs and in the reduction of their global effective tax rate.

Alban Dorin, Banking & Finance, Paris

A Paris-based partner in the Banking & Finance practice, Alban Dorin regularly advises on international asset and project finance transactions, with a focus on the aviation and mining industries. Mr. Dorin is familiar with matters governed by OHADA law, and his experience extends to advising on all types of projects related to Africa. He also represents arranging banks, investment funds and sponsors in areas of structured finance such as trade receivables securitizations and asset-based lending.

Kristen B. Ford, Corporate & Securities, Houston

A Corporate & Securities partner in Houston, Kristen Ford focuses her practice on capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and general corporate matters. She represents both public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, as well as issuers and underwriters in public offerings and private placements of debt and equity securities. Ms. Ford also advises clients regarding general corporate and securities matters, including Exchange Act reporting and corporate governance.

Ben Fryer, Tax Transactions & Consulting, London

Ben Fryer is a Tax Transactions & Consulting partner in Mayer Brown’s London office. Mr. Fryer regularly advises on the tax aspects of a wide range of domestic and cross-border matters and transactions, including in relation to banking, capital markets, corporate finance, corporate reorganizations, debt restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and structured finance.

Michael Gaffney, Banking & Finance, Charlotte

Michael Gaffney is a Charlotte-based partner in the Banking & Finance practice. He focuses on a wide range of structured financial products, as well as trade finance and fund finance lending products. He represents banks and issuers in the structured finance space, as well as banks and other institutional lenders in the trade and fund finance arena. Mr. Gaffney has extensive experience with securitization facilities and asset-backed lending facilities supported by cross-border trade receivables, railcars and other equipment, peer-to-peer marketplace loans and other unsecured consumer/small business.

Jared Goldberger, Tax Transactions & Consulting, New York

A Tax Transactions & Consulting partner in New York, Jared Goldberger focuses his practice on advising US and non-US financial institutions on information reporting and withholding tax issues, specifically those relating to Chapter 4 of the Internal Revenue Code and the qualified intermediary regime. Mr. Goldberger also advises clients on the tax aspects of a wide variety of transactions, including capital markets and structured finance matters.

Scott Guetzow, Real Estate, Chicago

A Real Estate partner in Chicago, Scott Guetzow has considerable experience negotiating fair and appropriate property tax burdens with local assessment officials, taxing districts, review boards, administrative taxing bodies and tax tribunals. He provides comprehensive advice in property tax management services. Previously, at the Cook County Board of Review, Mr. Guetzow directed the daily operations of the highest volume quasi-judicial tax tribunal in the US and served as chief tax judge, supervising several billion dollars in market value appeals.

Julien Haure, Employment & Benefits, Paris

Julien Haure, an Employment & Benefits partner in Paris, has abundant experience as an employment law advisor with a background in complex employment collective matters, such as shutdowns, reorganizations implying reduction in force plans (including social plans), negotiation with unions and employee representative bodies, implementation of collective agreements, and sensitive litigations. Mr. Haure also focuses on the management of top executives’ situations, including management package, retirement schemes, delegation of power, mobility and termination.

Darius Horton, Banking & Finance, Chicago

Darius Horton, a Banking & Finance partner in Chicago, focuses his practice on securitization and structured finance, with an emphasis on residential and commercial mortgage loans and unsecured consumer loans. He represents large banks and private investment funds in connection with the purchase, sale and financing of financial assets. Mr. Horton also represented the Finance group on the Chicago Committee of Associates and is committed to developing and mentoring junior associates.

Adam Kanter, Corporate & Securities, Washington DC

Adam Kanter is a Corporate & Securities partner in Washington DC who focuses his practice on counseling domestic and non-US investment advisers, investment companies, and other financial services firms on a variety of regulatory, compliance, enforcement, and transactional matters. Mr. Kanter has advised clients on a wide range of investment management matters, including formation, registration, and ongoing compliance issues of investment companies and investment advisers.

Dara Kurlancheek, Intellectual Property, Washington DC

Dara Kurlancheek is an Intellectual Property partner in Washington DC. She is a registered patent attorney whose practice focuses on complex patent litigation. Her experience encompasses all stages of litigation, from pretrial investigation through trial. Ms. Kurlancheek has participated in jury trials and claim construction hearings and is experienced in managing pretrial discovery, such as depositions and motion practice. She works closely with clients to provide critical strategic advice and frequently takes a leading role in coordinating joint defenses in multiple-defendant litigations.

Caroline Lan, Corporate & Securities, Paris

Caroline Lan is a Paris-based Corporate & Securities partner with extensive experience in private equity and private and public M&A transactions. She particularly advises management teams in the structuring/restructuring of their management incentives in connection with leveraged management buyout IPOs, as well as in the context of build-up transactions or public M&A transactions. Ms. Lan also advises managers, founders, entrepreneurs and family shareholders on various corporate matters, such as management incentive/employee share schemes, corporate governance, acquisitions and reorganizations.

David McKellar, Legal Risk & Compliance, Hong Kong

David McKellar is the deputy general counsel for the firm in Asia. He concentrates his practice on professional indemnity, professional ethics, loss prevention and risk and compliance issues. Earlier in his career, Mr McKellar focused on general commercial, professional negligence, securities, employment and construction litigation, and personal and corporate insolvency. David is also a qualified mediator.

Stephen Medlock, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Washington DC

A Litigation & Dispute Resolution partner in Washington DC, Stephen Medlock focuses his practice on antitrust litigation and criminal investigations, with an emphasis on the overlap between antitrust and intellectual property law and high-technology markets. Mr. Medlock handles all substantive aspects of antitrust matters, including drafting dispositive motions, planning and executing discovery strategies, taking and defending depositions, working with expert witnesses, preparing witnesses to testify at trial and before grand juries, advocating before the US DOJ and FTC, and counseling clients concerning ongoing antitrust risks.

Luis Montes, Banking & Finance, São Paulo

Luis Montes, a Banking & Finance partner in the São Paulo office of Tauil & Chequer Advogados, focuses on project finance transactions and construction law and represents multilateral institutions, commercial banks, institutional lenders and project sponsors in infrastructure, energy and natural resources projects. With significant experience in corporate, finance and capital markets law, Mr. Montes has participated in significant banking transactions and projects in Brazil, including the construction and financing of energy and infrastructure projects and equity and debt offerings of Brazilian private issuers (both domestic and offshore).

Gina Oderda, Wealth Management, Chicago

Gina Oderda is a partner in the Chicago office of Mayer Brown’s Wealth Management group. Her practice focuses on estate and tax planning for high net worth individuals, estate and trust administration, international estate planning, and establishing and advising not-for-profit organizations. Ms. Oderda has experience drafting a wide range of sophisticated estate planning documents, including wills, revocable living trusts, generation skipping transfer tax exempt trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, charitable remainder trusts, and charitable lead trusts.

Lindsay O’Neil, Banking & Finance, Chicago

A Chicago-based Banking & Finance partner, Lindsay O’Neil represents issuers, borrowers, underwriters, domestic and international banks and asset-backed commercial paper conduits in a variety of securitization and other structured finance transactions in both the public and private markets. Ms. O’Neil has experience with a wide variety of asset classes, including auto and equipment loans and leases, trade receivables, credit card receivables and life settlements. In addition, she advises clients in connection with various regulatory developments.

Peter Price, Tax Controversy, Chicago

Peter Price, a Chicago-based Tax Controversy partner, represents and advises clients in all phases of tax controversy, including IRS audits, administrative appeals, and litigation before federal courts. Mr. Price’s experience includes complex corporate and partnership tax disputes including leasing transactions, purchase price allocations, economic substance issues, substance-over-form disputes, and intercompany transactions, including transfer pricing disputes. His litigation experience includes matters in the United States Tax Court, the Northern District of Illinois, United States Court of Federal Claims, and United States Courts of Appeals.

Matthew Provance, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Chicago

Matthew Provance, a Litigation & Dispute Resolution partner in Chicago, defends corporations in complex civil antitrust litigation and consumer class actions. He has briefed and argued successful motions at all stages in litigation, including dispositive motions, in both state and federal court. Mr. Provance regularly advises his clients on defensible electronic discovery practices and has extensive experience navigating the discovery process in large-scale, multiyear civil litigation. He also has deposed and defended dozens of fact and expert witnesses in depositions.

Brad Resnikoff, Financial Services Regulatory & Enforcement, Washington DC

A FSRE partner based in Washington DC, Brad Resnikoff counsels domestic and non-US financial institutions confronting banking and securities regulatory and enforcement exposure. He also assists clients in developing remedial strategies policy and procedural shortcomings. Mr. Resnikoff has significant experience representing both domestic and international financial institutions in enforcement proceedings relating to US economic (OFAC) sanctions, suspected money laundering, tax fraud, and corrupt practices. He is also experienced in conducting internal investigations.

Iain Roberts, Real Estate, London

Iain Roberts, a Real Estate partner in London, has experience covering a wide variety of commercial property work, including property development and finance, corporate transactions, property management for investment funds and general transactional work. Mr. Roberts has recently assisted in a number of large investment transactions.

Lei Shen, Corporate & Securities, Chicago

A member of the Corporate & Securities practice in Chicago, Lei Shen also is a member of the firm’s Cybersecurity & Data Privacy and Technology Transactions groups, in which she focuses her practice on data privacy and security, technology and business process outsourcing, and information technology transactions. Ms. Shen has passed the Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States certification exam offered by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

Jessica Walker, Restructuring, Bankruptcy & Insolvency, London

Jessica Walker is a London-based partner in the Restructuring, Bankruptcy & Insolvency practice. She has considerable experience advising financial institutions, insolvency practitioners, directors and other stakeholders on all elements of domestic and cross border restructuring and insolvency matters.
Ms. Walker’s background covers contentious and non-contentious matters, particularly in respect of distressed transactions, pensions restructuring, CVAs and schemes of arrangement.

Ruth Zadikany, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Los Angeles

A Litigation & Dispute Resolution partner in Los Angeles, Ruth Zadikany has represented clients in state and federal court in a broad range of labor and employment disputes, as well as complex litigation matters, including class action defense. Ms. Zadikany’s experience includes the defense of wage and hour class action claims involving meal and rest period violations, failure to pay overtime, work-off-the-clock, rounding and expense reimbursement, and the extraterritorial application of California law to employees outside of California, as well as other employment issues.

ABOUT MAYER BROWN

Mayer Brown is a global legal services organization advising clients across the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Our presence in the world’s leading markets enables us to offer clients access to local market knowledge combined with global reach. We are noted for our commitment to client service and our ability to assist clients with their most complex and demanding legal and business challenges worldwide. We serve many of the world’s largest companies, including a significant proportion of the Fortune 100, FTSE 100, CAC 40, DAX, Hang Seng and Nikkei index companies and more than half of the world’s largest banks. We provide legal services in areas such as: banking and finance; corporate and securities; litigation, arbitration, and other dispute resolution; antitrust and competition; US Supreme Court and appellate; employment and benefits; environmental; financial services regulatory and enforcement; government and global trade; intellectual property; real estate; tax; restructuring, bankruptcy and insolvency; and wealth management.

Mayer Brown comprises legal practices that are separate entities (the “Mayer Brown Practices”). The Mayer Brown Practices are: Mayer Brown LLP and Mayer Brown Europe-Brussels LLP, both limited liability partnerships established in Illinois USA; Mayer Brown International LLP, a limited liability partnership incorporated in England and Wales (authorized and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and registered in England and Wales number OC 303359); Mayer Brown, a SELAS established in France; Mayer Brown Mexico, S.C., a sociedad civil formed under the laws of the State of Durango, Mexico; Mayer Brown JSM, a Hong Kong partnership and its associated legal practices in Asia; and Tauil & Chequer Advogados, a Brazilian law partnership with which Mayer Brown is associated. Mayer Brown Consulting (Singapore) Pte. Ltd and its subsidiary, which are affiliated with Mayer Brown, provide customs and trade advisory and consultancy services, not legal services. “Mayer Brown” and the Mayer Brown logo are the trademarks of the Mayer Brown Practices in their respective jurisdictions.

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