Press Release
January 3, 2017

Holland & Knight Announces 23 New Partners

MIAMI (January 3, 2017) – Steven Sonberg, managing partner of Holland & Knight, announced that 23 attorneys in the firm have been elected to partnership effective January 1, 2017. Fourteen associates and nine senior counsel from various offices throughout the firm have been elevated. They are:

Atlanta
Associate elevated to partnership:
A. André Hendrick is a member of the firm’s Litigation Section. He is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully represented international corporate entities in multiple jurisdictions as well as small companies and individuals in complicated business litigation matters. He received a J.D. degree from Georgia State University College of Law and a B.S. degree from Furman University.

Boston
Associates elevated to partnership:
Michael Abramson is a member of the firm’s Litigation Section. He is a registered patent attorney with a broad range of technical subject matter expertise specializing in patent due diligence, patent strategy, patent drafting and patent prosecution. He counsels a diverse clientele, ranging from individual inventors/startups to blue chip companies. Mr. Abramson received a J.D. degree from the University of New Hampshire School of Law and a B.S. degree in electrical and computer engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Courtney Groh is a member of the firm’s Business Section. She advises clients in the healthcare industry on regulatory matters; fraud, abuse and compliance matters; and corporate transactional matters. She received a J.D. degree from William & Mary Law School and a B.A. degree from James Madison University.

Jessica Ragosta Early is a member of the firm’s Litigation Section. She concentrates her practice in complex civil litigation with particular emphasis on business/commercial disputes, environmental cost recovery and property damage, toxic torts, product liability, intellectual property, unfair trade practices and fiduciary law. She received a J.D. degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law and a B.A. degree from Boston College.

Chicago
Senior counsel elevated to partnership:
Sameer Patel is a member of the firm’s Business Section. He practices in the area of tax incentive financing with a particular focus on the syndication of new markets tax credits, state tax credits and historic rehabilitation tax credits. Mr. Patel is a former associate general counsel of a leading national tax credit syndicator. He received a J.D. degree from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and a B.S. degree from DePaul University.

Joshua Spencer is a member of the firm’s Business Section. He practices in the area of debt finance with a particular emphasis on negotiating and structuring club and syndicated senior-secured credit facilities, cash-flow-based and asset-based financings, and second-lien and term debt facilities. Mr. Spencer is a former banker with several years of experience in the financial services industry. He received a J.D. degree from DePaul University College of Law and a B.A. degree from Grinnell College.

Dallas
Associate elevated to partnership:
Tyson Wanjura is a member of the firm’s Business Section. He represents clients in finance transactions, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and general corporate matters. He counsels financial institutions, banks and business entities on matters involving senior debt financings, acquisition financings, asset-based and cash-flow financings and other forms of debt financings. Mr. Wanjura earned a J.D. degree from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and a B.A. degree from Baylor University.

Denver
Senior counsel elevated to partnership:
Colin Barnacle is a member of the firm’s Litigation Section. He focuses his practice on labor and employment counseling, as well as food law and food safety. Mr. Barnacle is a former head of global labor and employment and vice president of human resources for a major international manufacturer and a division general counsel for a leading national consumer packaged food and beverage company. He received a J.D. degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and a B.A. degree from Amherst College.

Fort Lauderdale
Associate elevated to partnership:
Joshua Levenson is a member of the firm’s Litigation Section. He concentrates in the areas of commercial litigation, trusts and estates litigation, medical malpractice defense, premises liability, title insurance litigation and commercial landlord-tenant litigation. He received a J.D. degree from University of Florida Levin College of Law and a B.B.A degree from the University of Miami.

Jacksonville
Associates elevated to partnership:
Edward S. Sarnowski is a member of the firm’s Business Section. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and other securities law matters and corporate transactions. His experience includes numerous private company mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, private offerings, angel and venture capital investments, and the formation of angel, venture capital, and other private investment funds. He also advises public company clients on compliance, disclosure, and governance matters concerning SEC rules and regulations, stock exchange listing standards, and corporate laws. Mr. Sarnowski received a J.D. degree from Florida Coastal School of Law and a B.A. degree from the University of North Florida.

Lindsay Dennis Swiger is a member of the firm’s Litigation Section. She defends employers in a broad range of employment and labor law litigation. She also counsels and advises human resource professionals and management teams on all aspects of the employment relationship. Ms. Swiger represents clients in a wide variety of industries, including finance, transportation and logistics, healthcare, hospitality, retail and service. Ms. Swiger earned a J.D. degree from Temple University Beasley School of Law and a B.A. degree from Florida State University.

Los Angeles
Senior counsel elevated to partnership:
Jonathan Park is a member of the firm’s Business Section. His practice focuses on complex trust and estate litigation, probate and trust administration, and conservatorship and guardianship matters. His clients include individuals, families, private fiduciaries, financial institutions and charities. He received a J.D. degree from New York University School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Chicago.

Miami
Associate elevated to partnership:
Brian Toth is a member of the firm’s Litigation Section. He represents clients in the area of commercial litigation, with a focus on class-action defense, international and cross-border matters, and media law. Mr. Toth received a J.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Law and a B.A. degree from Tulane University.

Senior counsel elevated to partnership:
Gabriel Caballero is a member of the firm’s Business Section. He concentrates his practice on the representation of domestic and multinational organizations (including banks, broker dealers, money services businesses and other financial institutions) on a broad range of business, licensing, regulatory and compliance matters. Mr. Caballero earned a J.D. degree from St. Thomas University School of Law, a B.B.A. (Finance) degree from Florida International University, and an MBA degree from the University of Florida.

Ilana Strickon is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Section. She has experience in the areas of real estate finance, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and commercial leasing. She represents lenders, purchasers, sellers, equity investment funds, developers, tenants and landlords. Ms. Strickon received a J.D. degree from New York University School of Law and a B.S. from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.

New York
Associates elevated to partnership:
Warren Gluck is a member of the firm’s Litigation Section. He focuses his practice on litigation, fraud investigation, insolvency, asset recovery and judgment enforcement, as well as admiralty law. He routinely acts as lead counsel on litigation, judgment enforcement, fraud, cross-border insolvency, and asset tracing and shipping matters. He received a J.D. degree from the Brooklyn School of Law and an A.B. degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

Adam Paterno is a member of the firm’s Litigation Section. He practices in the area of commercial litigation with a concentration in construction law. He frequently represents owners, developers, contractors, subcontractors, construction managers and design professionals in litigation and contract drafting and negotiations. He received a J.D. degree from Hofstra University School of Law and a B.A. degree from the University of Michigan.

Senior counsel elevated to partnership:
Tara Vance is a member of the firm’s Business Section. She represents corporations and their employees in a wide variety of business immigration matters, including obtaining U.S. work visas and green cards, and also assists with certain family-based immigration matters. In addition, Ms. Vance is experienced in domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters, and regularly assists corporations in retaining or relocating teams of employees in the U.S. post-acquisition or establishment. She received a J.D. degree from Stetson University College of Law, an LL.M. in international law from Rijks Universiteit Leiden and a B.A. degree from the University of Florida.

San Francisco
Associate elevated to partnership:
Carrie Friesen-Meyers is a member of the firm’s Business Section. She represents lessees, lessors, borrowers and lenders in connection with a broad range of complex financing transactions in the aviation sector, as well as in a variety of other industries. Ms. Friesen-Meyers was named a “Rising Star” by Airfinance Journal in 2016. She received a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School, an M.A. degree from Tufts University and a B.A. degree from Goshen College.

Tampa
Associate elevated to partnership:
Brandon Faulkner is member of the firm’s Litigation Section and represents clients in general business disputes and appellate litigation. His practice focuses on disputes involving technology, products, and intellectual property, as well as corporate governance, officer and director liability, professional liability, lender liability, and financial services. He received a J.D. degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and a B.S. degree from the University of South Florida.

Washington, D.C.
Associate elevated to partnership:
Cheryl Feeley is a member of the firm’s Litigation Section. She represents clients in business disputes involving breach of contract, shareholder rights and business fraud. Ms. Feeley has extensive experience in federal and state court litigation and international arbitration. She received a J.D. degree from George Washington University Law School and a B.A. degree from the Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University.

Senior counsel elevated to partnership:
Janene Jackson is a member of the firm’s Government Section. She focuses her practice on local government navigation, legislative and regulatory counseling, and D.C. municipal law. Ms. Jackson has worked in all branches of the government of the District of Columbia, most recently as deputy chief of staff and director of the Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs in the administration of Mayor Vincent Gray. She received a J.D. degree from the American University Washington College of Law and a B.A. degree from the City College of New York.

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