Holland & Knight Announces 26 New Partners

MIAMI (January 2, 2019) – Steven Sonberg, managing partner of Holland & Knight, announced that 26 attorneys in the firm have been elected to partnership effective January 1, 2019. Seventeen associates and nine senior counsel from various offices throughout the firm have been elevated. They are:

Atlanta
Associate elevated to partnership:
Ashley Plemons is a member of the firm's Business Section. She represents clients in complex commercial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital investments, divestitures, restructurings and other corporate matters. Ms. Plemons has extensive experience counseling clients on mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions, representing both buyers and sellers and investors and issuers. She received a J.D. degree from Georgia State University College of Law and a B.A. degree from the University of Georgia.

Boston
Associates elevated to partnership:
Courtney Batliner is a member of the firm's Litigation Section, with a focus on intellectual property. She represents clients in every stage of litigation and dispute resolution, and has particular experience handling copyright, trade secret, trademark, inventor-ship and related licensing disputes. Ms. Batliner's practice covers a broad range of industries that has included toys and games, entertainment, athletic equipment, telecom and internet-based services. She received a J.D. degree from Cornell Law School and a B.A. degree from Williams College.

Allison Lucier is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. Ms. Lucier focuses her practice on patent litigation and has assisted clients in a wide range of industries, including telecommunications, LED technology, recombinant antibody technology, receptor fusion proteins, protein purification and plastic valve technology. She received a J.D. degree from the University of Chicago Law School, an M.S. degree in organic chemistry from New York University and a B.A. degree in chemistry from Cornell University.

Melissa Wong is a member of the firm's Business Section. Ms. Wong provides advice on a variety of healthcare regulatory and transactional matters, and represents a diverse group of healthcare clients, including pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturers, managed care organizations, third-party administrators and utilization review entities. She received a J.D. degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law and a B.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Chicago
Associates elevated to partnership:
Richard Bixter is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. He focuses his practice on corporate bankruptcy, cross-border insolvency, financial investigations and asset recovery. Mr. Bixter represents creditors, debtors and court-appointed trustees in complex corporate restructurings and liquidations in Chapter 11 and Chapter 15 cases, as well as under consensual, out-of-court workout agreements. He also has extensive litigation experience in connection with disputes involving financial fraud. Mr. Bixter received a J.D. degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law and a B.A. degree from Purdue University.

Christopher Buch is a member of the firm's Business Section. He focuses on employee benefits, executive compensation and employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) matters. Mr. Buch represents Fortune 500 companies, publicly traded companies, private corporations and closely held entities with respect to qualified and non-qualified plans, ESOPs, health and welfare benefits, Affordable Care Act compliance and HIPAA compliance, among other matters. He received a J.D. degree from DePaul University College of Law and a B.S. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Anthony Fuga is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. Mr. Fuga represents clients in all forms of intellectual property disputes, including patent, trade secret, copyright, and Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) disputes. He has experience with a wide range of technologies from computer systems and software to mechanical devices. In addition to IP litigation, Mr. Fuga has experience representing clients in connection with breach of contract disputes, commercial litigation, bankruptcy litigation and construction litigation. He received both his J.D. and B.A. degrees from the University of Michigan.

Maria Metropulos is a member of the firm's Business Section. Ms. Metropulos focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, finance transactions and general corporate matters. She represents privately held companies across a wide range of industries in a variety of corporate matters, as well as institutional lenders, private equity funds, mezzanine lenders and borrowers. Ms. Metropulos received a J.D. degree from the John Marshall Law School and a B.S. degree from the University of Iowa.

Dallas
Associates elevated to partnership:
Nicholas Sarokhanian is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. He represents clients before courts and arbitration panels in complex business, healthcare, product liability, trade secret and intellectual property, and franchise litigation. He has extensive trial and arbitration experience, having litigated more than a dozen trials or arbitrations to verdict, judgment or final award before juries, judges and arbitrators. Mr. Sarokhanian received a J.D. degree from Baylor Law School and a B.A. degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

James Voelker is a member of the firm's Business Section. He represents business entities and financial institutions in connection with commercial finance transactions including senior debt, real estate and construction financing, acquisition financing, asset-based lending, secured and unsecured lending, structured financing and other forms of debt and equity financing. Mr. Voelker received a J.D. degree from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and a B.A. degree from Emory University.

Houston
Associate elevated to partnership:
Theresa Wanat is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. She focuses on litigation and arbitration matters affecting a wide range of industries and involving various issues. Ms. Wanat represents clients in the energy sector, including oil, gas and electric cooperatives; healthcare sector, including managed care and provider disputes; insurance industry; real estate sector; and the financial services industry. She received a J.D. degree from the University of Houston Law Center and a B.A. degree from the University of Michigan.

Jacksonville
Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Jason Havens is a member of the firm's Business Section. He is an experienced business and tax attorney who advises high-net-worth individuals, families and charitable organizations. He specializes in complex estate and charitable gift planning (domestic and international), wills and trusts, probate and trust administration, and probate and trust litigation. Mr. Havens received an LL.M. in international taxation from Regent University School of Law, an LL.M. degree in estate planning from the University of Miami School of Law, a J.D. degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law, and a B.A. degree from Lipscomb University.

Los Angeles
Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Robert Barton is a member of the firm's Business Section. He focuses on complex trust and estate litigation and trust and estate administration, as well as conservatorship and guardianship matters for individuals, families and charities. Mr. Barton has represented clients in federal, state and tribal courts throughout the country. He received a J.D. degree from the University of Minnesota Law School and a B.A. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Mexico City
Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Carlos Véjar is a member of the firm's Business Section. He counsels companies on international trade strategies, investments, government procurement, unfair trade practices, customs procedures, as well as commercial, private and international trade arbitration matters. Mr. Véjar previously served at the Ministry of Economy of Mexico (SE) as general counsel for international trade. He received a J.D. degree from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México and an MBA degree from the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations.

Miami
Associates elevated to partnership:
Rebecca Canamero is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. She practices in the areas of appellate litigation, trial support, international arbitration, white collar criminal defense, intellectual property, internal investigations, and healthcare fraud. She serves clients in a broad range of industries, including financial services, healthcare, military contractors, and securities, among others. Ms. Canamero earned a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School and a B.A. degree from the University of Florida.

Aymee Valdivia Granda is a member of the firm's Business Section and its Cuba Action Team. Mrs. Valdivia represents foreign and domestic clients in joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and a broad variety of commercial transactions - with focus in Latin America and the Caribbean. She also has extensive experience representing clients on regulatory and compliance matters under the U.S. Cuban Assets Control Regulations. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mrs. Valdivia practiced law in Cuba for several years. She received a Licenciado en Derecho (J.D. equivalent) from the Universidad de La Habana and a J.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Law.

Henry R. Roque is a member of the firm's Business Section. He focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, cross-border transactions, joint ventures, private equity deals, commercial business arrangements and day-to-day corporate governance matters. He serves clients in a broad range of industries, including strategic buyers, sellers and private equity funds in the healthcare space. Mr. Roque also represents insureds and underwriters in connection with the issuance of representations and warranties insurance policies. He received a J.D. degree from American University, Washington College of Law, an LL.M. degree in taxation from New York University School of Law, and a BBA from the University of Miami.

Shane Segarra is a member of the firm's Business Section. He focuses his practice on corporate law, including capital markets and securities matters, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. Mr. Segarra counsels clients regarding public and private securities transactions and other public and private corporate transactions. He received a J.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, a certificate in business and public policy from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Isabel C. Diaz is a member of the firm's Real Estate Section. She focuses her practice on complex commercial real estate transactions and commercial lending and leasing. Ms. Diaz has extensive experience in acquisitions, sales, leasing and financing of commercial properties. She also represents governmental entities, including local municipalities and state universities, on leasing, acquisition and sale transactions. She received a J.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Law and a B.A. degree from Florida International University.

New York
Associate elevated to partnership:
Duvol Thompson is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. He focuses his practice on defending companies in complex litigation claims, including breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competition and tortious interference with contractual relations. Mr. Thompson also is experienced in insurance and reinsurance litigation, as well as coverage disputes. He received a J.D. degree from Fordham University School of Law and a B.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Orlando
Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Christin Decker Petroski is a member of the firm's Business Section. She is a transactional attorney who focuses her practice on new markets tax credit transactions and general corporate transactions, including acquisitions, mergers and reorganizations. Ms. Petroski received a J.D. degree from University of Florida Levin College of Law and a B.S. degree from Florida State University.

Philadelphia
Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Jonathan Korman is a member of the firm's Business Section. He is a financial services attorney who focuses his practice on representing national and regional banks, nonbank lenders and corporate borrowers in a wide variety of syndicated, club and bilateral financings. Mr. Korman received a J.D. degree and a B.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Tampa
Associate elevated to partnership:
Patrick Chidnese is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. He focuses his practice on trial and appellate litigation involving class action claims, commercial business disputes, municipal and local government representation, insurance coverage, and personal injury. Mr. Chidnese received a J.D. degree from Stetson University College of Law and a B.S. degree from Duke University.

Washington, D.C.
Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Michael Friedberg is a member of the firm's Government Section. Mr. Friedberg focuses on developing and implementing advocacy strategies for companies in the transportation industry on a wide range of issues, including rail, aviation, technology in transportation, and overall goods movement. He also provides guidance on the funding, financing and development of transportation and other infrastructure projects. Mr. Friedberg received a J.D. degree from UNC School of Law, an M.S. degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.A. degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Kenneth Parsons is a member of the firm's Government Section. Mr. Parsons focuses his practice on resolving critical tax and business organizational issues for tax-exempt organizations and Native American governments. He provides tax planning and compliance advice, and regularly represents clients in ruling requests, audits and tax controversies. Mr. Parsons received a J.D. degree from the University of Michigan Law School, an LL.M. degree in taxation from the New York University of School of Law, and an M.A. degree and a B.A. degree from Tulane University.

F. Alvin Taylor is a member of the firm's Business Section. Mr. Taylor primarily represents clients in regulatory and transactional energy matters, including proceedings and rulemakings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and various state utility commissions. He received a J.D. degree from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.S. degree from Auburn University.