Firm News
Katten Muchin Zavis Rosenman Names 23 New Income Partners
February 16, 2005
CHICAGO – The Board of Directors of Katten Muchin Zavis Rosenman is pleased to announce it has elected 23 attorneys to income partners.
"This is an outstanding group of attorneys and the Board is extremely pleased to welcome them to the partnership. We look forward to their continued success and contribution to the Firm and to our clients," said Vincent A. F. Sergi, the Firm’s National Managing Partner.
The Board selected attorneys from nine practices (Employee Benefits, Entertainment & Media, Litigation, Corporate, Trusts & Estates, Structured Finance, Intellectual Property, Real Estate, and Financial Services) across five Firm offices:
In Chicago:
Jeffrey J. Bakker, in the Employee Benefits Practice, advises employers in the design, drafting and administration of qualified retirement benefit plans, nonqualified deferred compensation plans and equity-based compensation plans. His practice also includes advising health plan sponsors with respect to the privacy requirements under HIPAA, providing assistance with the employee benefits aspects of corporate transactions and the negotiation and preparation of employment agreements. He received a B.A. degree, magna cum laude, in mathematics and government from Monmouth College, and a J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois.
Karl R. Barnickol, in the Litigation Practice, addresses a wide range of commercial litigation matters with a particular focus on securities litigation, mergers and acquisitions litigation and counseling, and white collar criminal defense work. He received a B.A. degree in Political Science from Georgetown University in 1994, and a J.D. degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1997.
Matthew J. Cannon, in the Litigation Practice, concentrates his practice on complex commercial and securities litigation as well as white collar criminal and civil litigation . He has worked as an adjunct professor of Constitutional Law at Aurora University in Aurora, Ill. He graduated summa cum laude from Aurora University in 1994 and earned a J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois – Champaign in 1997. He also serves as a Democratic Committeeman in Will County.
Michael T. Foley, in the Financial Services Practice, represents a number of securities broker/dealers and futures commission merchants with respect to a variety of compliance, regulatory, enforcement and transactional matters. He also has provided legal representation to various financial services industry participants in civil litigation and arbitration proceedings sponsored by the National Association of Securities Dealers and the New York Stock Exchange. He earned a B.S. degree in Management, with honors, from DePaul University in 1991, and a J.D. degree in 1995, with high honors, from IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Mark R. Grossmann, in the Corporate Practice, represents and counsels institutional and entrepreneurial corporate clients in the private equity, banking, technology, manufacturing, real estate, retail and pharmaceutical industries. He represents acquirers and targets in mergers and acquisitions; issuers and investors in equity and debt financings/recapitalizations; and management of operating companies in complex commercial transactions and corporate compliance. He received a B.S. degree in Business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1994 and a J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1997.
Mark D. Guidubaldi, in the Corporate Practice, focuses his practice on the acquisition and financing of privately held and publicly held companies, including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital investments and public and private securities offerings. He received a B.S. degree in Finance and Business Economics from Miami University in 1994, and a J.D. degree, cum laude, in 1997 from Boston College Law School.
Joni S. Jacobsen, in the Litigation Practice, addresses a wide variety of general commercial litigation matters, a large part of which involves securities and director-and-officer litigation and counseling, anti-fraud counseling and corporate governance disputes. In addition, she has been involved with a number of commercial litigation matters, including contract disputes and consumer fraud actions. She received a B.A. degree in History from the University of Utah in 1991, and a J.D. degree from the University of Chicago in 1997.
John Krol, in the Structured Finance Practice, concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial lending and reorganization. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1994 with a B.A. degree in Finance with departmental distinction, and received a J.D. degree from DePaul University College of Law in 1997.
Ram Padmanabhan, in the Corporate Practice, concentrates his practice in securities and merger and acquisition matters, including representing issuers and underwriters in public offerings of debt and equity securities and advising clients in complex corporate transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, tender offers and restructurings. He also counsels sports-related and other clients on a variety of promotional, sponsorship and licensing matters, including naming rights agreements, media contracts, promotional events and general corporate sponsorship activities. He received a B.A. in Economics in 1990 with distinction from McGill University and a J.D. degree, cum laude, in 1993 from Northwestern University School of Law.
Joseph A. (Jay) Venzon, in the Real Estate Practice, has represented clients in commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions, including retail, office and multifamily properties, and has represented borrowers and lenders in mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, construction loans and secured and unsecured credit facilities. He received a B.A. degree, magna cum laude, in Economics from Harvard University in 1994, and a J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern University in 1997.
In New York:
Neil V. Carbone, in the Trusts and Estates Practice, focuses on estate planning, administration and litigation, including issues pertaining to taxation, business organizations, property rights, estate plans, wills, trusts, insurance trusts, living wills, health care proxies and powers of attorney. He has an extensive background in trust and estate litigation and in Surrogate's Court matters and procedures. Prior to entering private practice, he was a Senior Court Attorney at the New York Court of Appeals. He received a B.A. degree in 1990 from St. John’s University, and a J.D. degree, cum laude, in 1995 from St. John’s University School of Law.
Jay W. Freiberg, in the Litigation Practice, concentrates on complex commercial litigation matters, as well as securities, tax, and trust litigation. In 1997, Mr. Freiberg clerked for the Hon. Diane Weiss Sigmund, United States Bankruptcy Judge, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He earned a B.A. degree with distinction in 1990 from State University of New York at Binghamton, and a J.D. degree with honors in 1993 from George Washington University Law School, where he was a member of the Law Review.
Brian S. Myers, in the Intellectual Property Practice, concentrates in the area of domestic and international patent matters. The focus of his practice is complex electronics and communications. He has an extensive engineering background in the data communications industry. He earned a B.S.E.E.T. in 1984 with honors, an M.S.E.E. in 1987 from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a J.D. degree in 1991 from Seton Hall University School of Law.
Philip A. Nemecek, in the Litigation Practice, focuses on commercial litigation, with an emphasis on insurance coverage disputes. He has broad experience in complex coverage litigation involving multiple layers of insurance and joint defense teams. He regularly counsels clients regarding insurance, including analysis of their existing coverage and evaluation of their prospective insurance needs. In addition to representing clients at trials, arbitrations and mediations, he has appeared frequently before state and federal appellate courts. He earned a B.A. degree, cum laude, in 1987 from Georgetown University, and a J.D. degree in 1991 from New York University School of Law.
In Los Angeles:
D. John Hendrickson, in the Entertainment and Media Practice, concentrates on all aspects of advertising law. With more than 20 years experience in the advertising industry, he represents advertisers and advertising agencies in storyboard and copy review, handling claims substantiation, and celebrity endorsement agreements; celebrity talent in negotiations for spokesperson and endorsement agreements; and direct response companies in negotiations for acquisition of products and talent, in negotiations with vendors. After receiving a B.A. degree with distinction from Stanford University in 1977, he earned his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1981.
Kristin L. Holland, in the Litigation Practice, concentrates in commercial, real estate and intellectual property litigation. A substantial portion of her current practice focuses on complex real estate disputes as well as entertainment litigation, including disputes relating to creative credit, royalty accounting and copyright ownership. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1992 with a B.A. degree in Political Science with distinction and honors, and a J.D. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in 1996.
Daniel A. Platt, in the Litigation Practice, focuses on commercial litigation and is experienced in the areas of aviation, entertainment, partnership disputes, contracts, banking, real estate, healthcare and employment. Immediately prior to joining the Firm, he was Executive Vice President, President and Director of two joint venture projects with United Technologies Corporation, which collectively managed the largest transitioning fleet of commercial aircraft in the world. He received a B.S. degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University in 1984, and a J.D. degree from Fordham Law School in New York in 1987.
In Washington, D.C.:
Brian H. Corcoran, in the Litigation Practice, focuses on commercial and business litigation. He also has substantial experience in the fields of First Amendment, Intellectual Property, and Antitrust law, and has also handled significant pro bono employment discrimination litigation for the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. He graduated cum laude, with additional high honors in his major, from Dartmouth College in 1988, and received a J.D. in 1991 from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Sylvia D. Davis, in the Intellectual Property Practice, focuses on intellectual property counseling and management, trademark prosecution and litigation, domain name disputes, and copyright infringement counseling. Her litigation experience includes assisting in actions before the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and matters before federal courts across the country. She received a B.S. degree from George Washington University in 1988 and a J.D. degree from Georgetown University in 1996. After graduation from Georgetown, she served two years as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Inez Smith Reid, Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
Lisa-Marie C. Monsanto, in the Corporate and Aviation practices, concentrates on corporate finance transactions. She represents manufacturers, financial institutions and borrowers in commercial finance transactions, encompassing a wide range of credit facilities and financial products. She also represents issuers, credit enhancers and trustees in connection with the issuance of domestic and international capital markets debt and structured finance transactions. She received a B.A. degree in Economics from McGill University in 1987, an M.B.A. degree with a concentration in Finance from Rutgers University in 1992, and a J.D. degree from Columbia Law School in 1996. She is a member of the bars of the State of New York and the District of Columbia.
John D. Muir, in the Real Estate Practice, has worked on a wide range of commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, tax-deferred exchanges, financing and leasing and development of office buildings, hotels, shopping centers, multifamily residential and mixed-use projects. He has represented national institutional investors, lenders and asset advisors, as well as investor groups and individual owners. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. degree in European History, and a J.D. degree from Brooklyn Law School.
In Charlotte:
Russell M. Black, in the Corporate Practice, concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate, transactional and employment law, representing business entities throughout all phases of their evolution. Mr. Black counsels and represents business entities and their owners with regard to formational issues and agreements and with regard to a broad range of transactions between business entities and third parties. He has extensive transactional experience in all aspects of the acquisition, sale or merger of business entities, and provides comprehensive planning and representation with regard to federal and state employment law. Mr. Black earned a B.S. degree with honors in 1985 from the University of Tennessee, and a J.D. degree in 1988 from Vanderbilt University School of Law.
Carlton A. Shannon, Jr., in the Real Estate Practice, handles a broad range of real estate and general commercial matters, including the review, negotiation and preparation of contracts, leases, conveyance documents, easements, financing documents and other commercial documentation; general title examination and review; representation of lenders, servicers and borrowers in secured loan transactions, with a special emphasis on loan defeasance transactions; representation of real estate developers; as well as other general commercial transactions. He earned a B.A. degree with honors in music in 1982 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a J.D. degree with honors in 1985 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.
Katten Muchin Zavis Rosenman (www.kmzr.com) is a national, full-service law firm with offices in the nation's largest centers of business, government, finance and technology. The Firm’s 600 attorneys in more than 50 practice areas provide timely and cost-effective counsel to clients in numerous industries. They serve as advisors and advocates for a wide range of public and private companies - from entrepreneurial, emerging-growth, and middle market firms to global Fortune 100 corporations - as well as government entities, non-profits, and charitable and cultural organizations.