Press Release
January 2, 2018

Holland & Knight Announces 29 New Partners

MIAMI (January 2, 2018) – Steven Sonberg, managing partner of Holland & Knight, announced that 29 attorneys in the firm have been elected to partnership effective January 1, 2018. Twenty associates and nine senior counsel from various offices throughout the firm have been elevated. They are:

Atlanta

Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Alyson Pirio is a member of the firm's Business Section. She focuses on transactional tax matters, advising clients with respect to tax issues in mergers and acquisitions, joint venture transactions, inbound and outbound foreign investment, and other corporate transactions. She also regularly advises tax-exempt organizations. Ms. Pirio received a J.D. degree from Emory University School of Law and a B.A. degree from Emory University.

Boston

Associates elevated to partnership:
Katrina Chapman is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. She concentrates her practice in employment and education law, including federal and state litigation, government compliance reviews, and internal and independent investigations. She received a J.D. degree from Boston University School of Law and a B.A. degree from Connecticut College.

Edwin Hall is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. He is a construction attorney focusing on complex procurements, agreements and transactions, as well as litigation, including jury trials, arbitrations and mediations. Mr. Hall received a J.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and a B.A. degree from Dartmouth College.

Mary Beth Hubner is a member of the firm's Business Section. She practices in the areas of business and tax law, with a primary focus on transactions financed by new markets tax credits, low-income housing tax credits and historic rehabilitation tax credits. She received a J.D. degree from the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law and a B.A. degree from Princeton University.

Jacob Schneider is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. His practice focuses on intellectual property litigation and transactions, representing clients in patent, trademark, copyright and trade-secret matters. He received a J.D. degree from Boston University School of Law and a B.S. degree in computer science from Trinity College.

Charlotte

Associate elevated to partnership:
Sarah Passeri is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. Her practice focuses on aviation and complex litigation matters, as well as asset-based financing, leasing, acquisitions, sales and securitizations, with a particular emphasis on aviation and equipment finance. Ms. Passeri received a J.D. degree from Fordham University School of Law and a B.A. degree from George Washington University.

Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Jonathan Brodhag is a member of the firm's Business Section. He focuses his practice on credit arrangements involving banks, investment funds and other financial institutions in their capacities as agents and lenders. Mr. Brodhag advises clients in a variety of complex transactions, including asset-based financings, syndicated financings, first-lien and second-lien financings and specialty lending products. He earned J.D. and M.S. degrees from the University of Michigan and B.A. and B.S. degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Chicago

Associates elevated to partnership:
Michael Grill is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. He works with businesses, business owners, insurers, government entities, trustees and individuals to resolve their disputes in state and federal courts and arbitration forums, as well as through mediation. He received a J.D. degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and a B.A. degree from Northwestern University.

Trisha Rich is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. She focuses on complex commercial litigation, as well as legal ethics and professional responsibility matters. In 2017, she was named one of the “Forty Under 40 Illinois Lawyers to Watch” by Law Bulletin Media. Ms. Rich received a J.D. degree from the University of Michigan Law School and M.A. and B.B.A. degrees from Western Michigan University.

Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Renee Lewis is a member of the firm's Business Section. Her practice focuses on counsel for financial institutions, privately held companies and trustees in the structuring, negotiation and documentation of employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) transactions. She received a J.D. degree from DePaul University College of Law and a B.S. degree in accounting from DePaul University.

Dallas

Associate elevated to partnership:
Jonathan Riley is a member of the firm's Business Section. He represents major lending institutions, business capital companies, corporate borrowers and private equity portfolio companies in the negotiation and documentation of complex credit transactions. Mr. Riley earned a J.D. degree from Southern University Law Center and a B.A. degree from Louisiana State University.

Fort Lauderdale

Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Ariadna Alvarez is a member of the firm's Business Section. She has more than 20 years of experience practicing in the areas of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), employee benefits law and executive compensation. Ms. Alvarez' practice includes designing retirement and welfare plans, handling all employee benefits aspects in corporate transactions and counseling clients on various employee benefits issues. She earned a J.D. degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law, a Masters in Taxation from Nova Southeastern University, and a B.A. degree from the University of Puerto Rico.

Houston

Associate elevated to partnership:
Jason Huebinger is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. His experience includes assisting in litigation involving the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), employment-related torts, noncompete agreements, nonsolicitation agreements, claims of misappropriation of trade secrets, tortious interference, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty. He received a J.D. degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School and a B.B.A. degree from Texas A&M University.

Los Angeles

Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Timothy Evans is a member of the firm's Government Section. He practices in the area of Native American law in several capacities, including tribal governmental, transactional and litigation work. He also frequently interacts with the federal regulatory agencies involved in tribal client matters. Mr. Evans received a J.D. degree from Cornell Law School, an M.P.A. degree from Princeton University and an A.B. degree from Harvard College.

Miami

Associates elevated to partnership:
Patrick Emans is a member of the firm's Business Section. He serves as general counsel to wealthy individuals, their families and their businesses. He focuses his practice on domestic and international estate and tax planning, administration of complex estates and trusts, and trust and estates litigation. Mr. Emans received J.D. and LL.M. degrees from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and a B.S. degree from the University of Florida.

Elena Otero is a member of the firm's Real Estate Section. She practices in the areas of real estate, finance and banking law, with a focus on commercial lending transactions and the acquisition and disposition of assets. Ms. Otero assists clients with regulatory and compliance matters, management of real estate assets and a multitude of contractual agreements, including leases, subleases, licenses and assignment agreements. She received a J.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Law and a B.A. degree from the University of Miami.

New York

Associates elevated to partnership:
Laura Sugarman is a member of the firm's Real Estate Section. She focuses on commercial real estate transactions, including development, conversion to condominium and cooperative ownership, financing, and acquisition and sale of residential, commercial, mixed-use and hospitality properties. She received a J.D. degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a B.A. degree from New York University.

Christine Walz is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. She represents media clients with a wide range of First Amendment issues, including defamation and invasion of privacy, journalists' privilege, legal issues that arise during newsgathering, and access to public records. She has extensive experience in federal and state court litigation, especially in defending clients in defamation and invasion of privacy matters, civil enforcement actions under the Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal laws, handling other complex civil litigation. Ms. Walz received a J.D. degree from the George Washington University School of Law and a B.A. degree from the University of Michigan.

Benjamin Wilson is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. He is a versatile litigator with a diverse practice, representing clients in commercial disputes including claims of breach of contract, business torts, breach of fiduciary duty, and defense and indemnity rights. He has appeared before New York and New Jersey federal and state courts in a variety of proceedings and trials, and has represented foreign and domestic clients in disputes before international arbitral bodies. He received a J.D. degree from New York Law School and a B.A. degree from Franklin & Marshall College.

Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Ani Hovanessian is a member of the firm's Business Section. She concentrates her private client practice on strategic wealth planning, complex tax and asset protection planning, and family business succession planning. She serves as private general counsel to high-net-worth executives, private equity, venture capital and hedge fund principals, real estate investors, entrepreneurs and families. She received a J.D. degree from New York University School of Law and a B.S. degree from Stanford University.

Orlando

Associate elevated to partnership:
Luis Gonzalez is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. He helps clients enforce restrictive covenants, protect trade secrets, conduct internal investigations, and resolve contract disputes and business torts. Mr. Gonzalez is also a member of the firm's alcohol beverage practice and helps clients navigate the heavily regulated alcohol beverage industry. He earned a J.D. degree from Florida A & M University College of Law and a B.S. degree from the University of Central Florida.

Portland

Associate elevated to partnership:
Garrett Garfield is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. He represents clients in commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts, including contract disputes, business torts, real estate litigation and employment matters. He also is highly knowledgeable in the area of maritime litigation. Mr. Garfield received a J.D. degree from the University of Chicago Law School and a B.A. degree from Brigham Young University.

Stamford

Associate elevated to partnership:
Seth Milligan is a member of the firm's Business Section. He represents private equity funds, their portfolio companies and other private and public companies in middle market mergers and acquisitions and leveraged buyout transactions. Mr. Milligan also advises clients in a wide range of corporate, commercial real estate, financing and other business transactions. He received a J.D. degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law, an MBA degree from Quinnipiac University School of Business and a B.S. degree from Quinnipiac University.

Tallahassee

Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Eddie Williams is a member of the firm's Business Section. He focuses in the areas of healthcare regulation, state and local tax, as well as cybersecurity and privacy. Mr. Williams earned a J.D. degree from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law, an LL.M. degree in taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, and a B.A. degree from Albany State University.

Tampa

Associate elevated to partnership:
K. Alyse Latour is a member of the firm's Business Section. She focuses her practice on corporate law and represents a wide range of clients, from small startups to Fortune 100 companies. She advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, securities and other business matters. She received a J.D. degree from George Washington University Law School and B.B.A. degree from the University of Notre Dame.

Tysons

Associate elevated to partnership:
Todd Burski is a member of the firm's Business Section. He represents clients in a variety of industries in public and private mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, divestitures, cross-border transactions, financing and other corporate matters. He received a J.D. degree from George Mason University School of Law, an MBA degree from Washington University in St. Louis and a B.A. degree from the College of William & Mary.

Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Eric Crusius is a member of the firm's Litigation Section. He focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation as well as a wide range of government contracts-related matters, including bid protests, claims and disputes, labor and cybersecurity compliance issues and sub-prime issues. He received a J.D. degree from Hofstra University School of Law and a B.A. degree from Hofstra University.

Washington, D.C.

Associate elevated to partnership:
Eric Lee is a member of the firm's Business Section. His practice encompasses a broad range of complex international and domestic regulatory, commercial and corporate matters, principally in the transportation, trade and energy sectors. He received a J.D. degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law, an LL.M. in admiralty from Tulane University Law School, an LL.M. in taxation from the Georgetown University Law School, and a B.S. degree from The Citadel.

Senior Counsel elevated to partnership:
Taite McDonald is a member of the firm's Government Section. She works with energy and clean technology companies to develop and execute strategies to pursue executive branch federal government programs across multiple states and federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Energy. Ms. McDonald received J.D. degree from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law and a B.A. degree from Gettysburg College.

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