Kaye Scholer today announced that it has elevated four of the firm’s counsel to partner, 13 associates to the position of counsel and one associate to international partner. Totaling 18 promotions, 2016 marks one of the largest classes of lawyers elevated at the firm. Appointments will be effective as of January 1, 2016.
“We are proud to recognize the achievements of this talented group of lawyers and congratulate them on this significant professional milestone,” said Kaye Scholer Managing Partner Mike Solow. “This outstanding class of lawyers, some of whom joined us as summer associates, is further evidence of our commitment to smart growth in our key areas of strength and our commitment to investing in the firm’s rising stars.”
Kaye Scholer’s new partners are:
Aaron Gardner (Corporate, New York) represents a variety of domestic and foreign companies, including private equity funds and publicly held and private companies in various industries, and particularly the life sciences sector. He works with clients on a wide range of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, public and private securities offerings, corporate finance, license and collaboration arrangements, joint ventures and strategic alliances. Gardner obtained his JD from Brooklyn Law School.
Rob Laurenzi (Intellectual Property, New York) focuses his practice on patent litigation and IPR/CBM PTAB proceedings involving computer, software, internet and telecommunications technologies. His background includes four years as in-house counsel in a Fortune 10 company, patent prosecution and substantial experience counseling clients on IP transactional matters. He holds a JD from Temple University School of Law, a BS in Electrical Engineering and worked as an electrical engineer prior to practicing law.
Daphne Morduchowitz (Complex Commercial Litigation, New York) focuses on financial services litigation and complex commercial litigation. She has extensive experience representing individual officers and directors of large publicly traded corporations in both federal and state courts, as well as in connection with regulatory investigations. Morduchowitz currently serves as a member of the Pro Bono Advisory Council for New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. She received her JD from New York University School of Law.
Angela Vicari (Complex Commercial Litigation, New York) has considerable experience in product liability and mass tort defense, defending product manufacturers in lawsuits in state and federal courts and coordinating the nationwide defense and multidistrict litigation proceedings of hundreds of cases in the life sciences industry. In her commercial litigation practice, Vicari has represented global financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies and hedge funds in disputes in state and federal court, as well as in adversary proceedings in bankruptcy courts. She holds a JD from Columbia Law School.
The firm’s new international partner is:
Zhe (Kevin) Yu (Corporate, Shanghai) focuses on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, inbound and outbound investment, joint ventures, licensing, corporate restructurings, employment and general corporate advice. His experience covers a wide range of industries including consumer products, pharmaceuticals, avionics and hospitality. He currently serves as a Vice President of the China Business Lawyers Association (CBLA) and holds LLMs from Harvard Law School, East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL) and the University of Ghent, Belgium, as well as an LLB from ECUPL.
The firm’s new counsel are:
Tracy Belton (Corporate, New York) focuses her practice on mergers, acquisitions and dispositions of US and international public and private companies in various industries, including private equity, pharmaceutical, real estate investment, healthcare and insurance, as well as on securities matters, including public debt and equity offerings and compliance with SEC reporting requirements. Belton is a member of Kaye Scholer’s Pro Bono Committee and graduated from St. John's University School of Law, where she was the Executive Publications Editor for the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review.
Alexander Druckenbrodt (Complex Commercial Litigation, Frankfurt) focuses on commercial and contractual litigation, especially in the areas of professional negligence, insurance, insolvency and banking and finance law. Among others, he has represented automotive suppliers, pharmaceutical wholesalers, financial institutions and other law firms in various litigation and arbitration matters all throughout Germany. Druckenbrodt graduated from the Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel and the Higher District Court of Schleswig and is now an appointed lecturer at Leuphana University in Lueneburg.
Peta Gordon (Complex Commercial Litigation, New York) advises clients on financial services, bankruptcy, securities and complex commercial litigation matters. Gordon has also represented companies in connection with criminal and regulatory investigations. She is a member of the firm’s Professional Ethics Committee and holds a JD from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she held the position of Chief Articles Editor for the UCLA Journal of International Law and Foreign Affairs.
Mike Karol (Finance, New York) represents issuers, banks and hedge funds in securitizations, financings and derivatives trading, as well as related regulatory matters, including the Volcker Rule and securities and commodities regulation. Recent work has involved structuring and documenting public, 144A and private ABS; loan facilities and repurchase agreements backed by motion pictures; marketplace loans; RMBS, CMBS, autos (lease, retail and wholesale) and middle-market loans; whole business securitizations; CLOs; structured products; CDS; TRS; securities lending; hedge fund trading; and esoteric transactions. Karol holds a JD from Georgetown University.
Seth Kleinman (Bankruptcy, Chicago) handles all areas of corporate restructuring, bankruptcy and insolvency-related matters. He regularly assists corporate debtors, senior lenders, asset managers, creditors, investors and other interested parties in debt restructurings, bankruptcies and out-of-court workouts. Kleinman also represents purchasers of distressed assets under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code, as well as landlords, suppliers and unsecured creditors in a variety of transactional and litigation-related matters. He graduated from Northwestern University School of Law where he was the Associate Editor of the Northwestern University Law Review.
Abigail Langsam (Intellectual Property, New York) has represented clients in a host of intellectual property matters, including patent litigations and intellectual property transactions. She is experienced in every aspect of litigation, and has practiced in both state and federal court. Langsam has also conducted patent due diligence investigations, and has counseled clients in connection with licenses and acquisitions. Langsam’s patent matters have spanned technologies including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, telecommunications and computer systems. She holds her JD from Fordham University School of Law.
Scott Levine (Real Estate, New York) focuses on both commercial real estate finance and development. He represents a diverse group of clients, including property owners and institutional CMBS and balance sheet lenders. Levine advises on many aspects of real estate, including the acquisition, financing, holding and disposition of hospitality properties, shopping centers, office buildings, mixed-use projects and undeveloped land. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association and graduated from Fordham University School of Law.
Paul Margulies (Intellectual Property, Washington DC) concentrates his practice on patent litigation. He has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of patent cases involving networking, imaging, telecommunications, software, aviation and pharmaceuticals at all stages of litigation. Paul has also litigated cases involving copyright and trade dress infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, and unfair competition. He is a registered patent attorney licensed to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and holds a JD from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
Aaron Miner (Complex Commercial Litigation, New York) focuses his practice on securities and commercial litigation and white collar defense. Miner previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. in the US District Court for the Northern District of New York. He received his JD from New York Law School, where he served as Executive Editor of the New York Law School Law Review and was a John Marshall Harlan Scholar.
Christine O’Connell (Real Estate, New York) represents banks and other institutional lenders in the origination of balance sheet and CMBS mortgage and mezzanine loans secured by various property types. She advises clients on the purchase and sale of mortgage and mezzanine loans, as well as representing lenders in connection with the workout and foreclosure of such loans. O’Connell represents property owners and developers in the acquisition and disposition of lodging and hospitality properties. She received her JD from New York Law School where she was the Senior Editor of Law Review.
Davina Rauch (Real Estate, New York) focuses her practice on representing banks and other financial institutions in connection with the origination of mortgage and mezzanine loans for CMBS and balance sheet lenders, joint ventures, loan participations, preferred equity and co-lending arrangements relating to hotels, retail shopping centers, office and industrial parks, multi-family properties, condominiums and mixed-use properties on a local and national basis. Rauch obtained her JD from Fordham University School of Law as a member of the Order of the Coif.
Matthew Riordan (Tax & Private Clients, New York) focuses on Surrogate’s Court matters, handling will contests, construction proceedings, contested accountings, trust litigation and other trust- and estate-related litigation matters. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association Trusts and Estates Section, the Trusts and Estates Litigation Committee, and is admitted to practice in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia. Riordan received his JD from the Indiana University School of Law.
J.D. Taliaferro (Complex Commercial Litigation, Washington DC) is a skilled trial lawyer with experience representing both private entities and state and local governments in complex civil litigation matters, criminal investigations and regulatory matters before federal agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Transportation. Taliaferro earned his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law where he participated in moot court and served as president of the school’s Federalist Society.
