Press Release
September 10, 2019

Holland & Knight’s Christopher Buch and Sarah Passeri Named Rising Stars by Law360

MIAMI (September 10, 2019) – Holland & Knight Partners Christopher Buch and Sarah Passeri have been selected as 2019 "Rising Stars" by Law360. This honor recognizes the top five lawyers under the age of 40 in the country in each of 39 practice areas. Mr. Buch was recognized in the benefits category and Ms. Passeri was recognized in transportation.

Law360 reviewed more than 1,300 submissions for the 2019 "Rising Stars" distinction. The final list includes 175 attorneys from 80 law firms. Winners were selected based on their career accomplishments in their respective practice areas.

Mr. Buch, who is based in the firm's Chicago office, represents Fortune 500 companies, publicly traded companies, private corporations and closely held entities on a range of employee benefits matters including qualified plans, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), non-qualified plans, health and welfare benefits, Affordable Care Act compliance, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance, Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service audits and investigations, vendor contracting, fringe benefits, fiduciary investment advice, prohibited transactions and corporate transactions. He also has extensive experience with executive compensation issues.

Among other transactions, Mr. Buch recently guided Isagenix Worldwide, a multilevel marketing company based in Arizona that sells dietary supplements and personal care products, in the design and implementation of an ESOP that purchased 30 percent of the company's stock for the benefit of its employees.

Domestic and foreign transportation companies rely on Ms. Passeri to represent them in all types of civil litigation, including claims involving wrongful death and personal injury, mass torts, product and premises liability, regulatory violations, and breach of contract and commercial disputes. She also advises clients with respect to loans, sales and leasebacks, operating and finance leases, pre-delivery payment financing and other transactions. She is based in the firm's New York office.

Last year, Ms. Passeri served as lead counsel for Turkish Airlines in a dispute involving a New York resident and famous movie/television producer who claimed the airline stranded him in Italy and that he missed production of an upcoming television series. The Southern District of New York granted her motion for summary judgment.

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