Locke Lord Chicago Partner Ernesto Palomo has been honored by Hispanic Lawyers of Illinois (HLAI) with the 2024 Latino Lawyer of the Year Award, recognizing his significant contributions to the Hispanic community, service to the legal profession and the administration of justice. Palomo will be recognized at the 2024 HLAI and HLAI Charities Annual Black Tie Gala, Installation Ceremony and Awards Dinner on October 4.

As former Co-Chair and a current member of Locke Lord’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, he has co-led activities focusing on recruitment, retention, equal advancement opportunities and initiatives supporting equal justice and civil rights organizations. Palomo serves on the Board of Directors for numerous organizations, including the LatinoJustice Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Greater Chicago Legal Clinic and Just the Beginning — A Pipeline Organization, which is dedicated to developing and nurturing interest in the law among young persons from socioeconomic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds underrepresented in the legal profession. Additionally in his practice, Palomo has devoted considerable time to pro bono matters through the National Immigrant Justice Center, Center for Disability and Elder Law and Chicago Volunteer Legal Services.

An affiliate of the Hispanic National Bar Association, HLAI is a not-for-profit corporation formed to promote high standards of competence, professionalism and integrity with and among Hispanic attorneys and the Hispanic communities within the state of Illinois.

Locke Lord Hartford Associate Brianna Dally and Atlanta Associate Noah Mason have been selected as 2024-2025 Fellows of the National Bar Association’s (NBA) Associate Advancement Academy for Excellence. Dally and Mason join the prestigious ranks of only 20 Fellows chosen for the initiative, which is designed to help Black associates in large law firms advance their careers. The program fosters a pipeline for current and future NBA members in Am Law 200 firms through its four foundational pillars: education, networking, mentoring and pro bono work/community service. Fellows will meet throughout the year, taking part in courses on the anatomy of a Big Law firm, navigating a law firm, working with firm professionals, the art of business development, learning a client’s business and building a personal brand both internally and externally. The Academy also offers monthly educational and networking sessions, check-ins with mentors and a range of NBA events.

Dallas Associate Louisa Karam has been chosen for the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers 2024 Leadership Class. Now in its 28th year, the program connects young lawyers who want to grow their leadership skills and make a difference within their community and the bar. As a participant, Karam will have opportunities to learn about the City of Dallas and develop relationships with local leaders. The program also promotes leadership development within the bar association as well as local nonprofit and civic communities, providing a forum for identifying the many ways to give back to North Texas.

Locke Lord’s premier, nationally recognized Public Finance Practice Group has again ranked among the leading public finance practices in the nation, ranking No. 4 on The Bond Buyer’s list of top bond counsel in the nation for competitive issues during H1 2024, with 72 issues totaling approximately $1.66 billion — the most issues of any firm in the Top 10. The Firm also secured some impressive regional top bond counsel rankings in The Bond Buyer’s Northeast Midyear Review, including: No. 1 in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont, No. 2 in the Northeast and No. 5 in New Hampshire. Just a few of Locke Lord’s many recent notable public finance matters include the representation of:

  • City of Boston, Massachusetts, in its private placement of $250 million General Obligation Bonds, 2024 Series A
  • City of Quincy, Massachusetts, in its approximately $10 million General Obligation Roadway and Sidewalk Bonds (Digital Debt Service Issue), the first in the nation municipal bond issue utilizing a proprietary blockchain-based depository platform
  • State of New Hampshire in its $60 million‎ General Obligation Capital Improvement Bonds, 2024 Series A
  • State of Vermont in its $70.79 million General Obligation Bonds, 2024 Series A and its $36.86 million General Obligation Refunding Bonds, 2024 Series B
  • Massachusetts Development Finance Agency in its approximately $797 million Revenue Bonds, Children’s Hospital Issue, Series T, Series U and Series V, 2024
  • Commonwealth of Massachusetts in connection with its issuance of $1.045 billion General Obligation Bonds, Consolidated Loan of 2024, Series A and $837.3 million General Obligation Refunding Bonds, 2024 Series A
  • Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency in its $124.8 million Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency Single Family Housing Revenue Bonds, Series 233, 234 and 235
  • Pawtucket Redevelopment Authority in connection with the issuance of its $54.28 million Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency Designated Baseline Taxes Appropriation Revenue Bonds (Tidewater Landing Phase 1A Project), Series 2024 A
  • North Texas Tollway Authority as Bond Counsel, Disclosure Counsel and Issuer’s Counsel for the North Texas Tollway Authority ‎System Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2024, including a tender offer for outstanding taxable bonds
  • Greater Texas Cultural Education Facilities Finance Corporation in its $120.7 million Revenue Bonds (Texas Biomedical Research Institute Project), Series 2024 A and Series 2024 B

Locke Lord’s Public Finance Practice Group has one of the largest bond counsel practices in the country. For more than 135 years, the Firm has been involved in the law of public borrowing and the federal tax and securities aspects of public debt obligations. The Firm’s public finance lawyers have extensive experience nationwide serving as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriters’ counsel, issuer’s counsel, borrower’s counsel, bank counsel, special tax counsel and trustee’s counsel for governmental and quasi-governmental issuers, special purpose entities, tax-exempt organizations and other entities and financial institutions.

Locke Lord Houston Counsel Helen Turner has been selected as a member of The Bretton Woods Committee, an invitation-only preeminent nonprofit organization dedicated to effective global economic and financial cooperation. Members consist of leaders in business, finance, academic and nonprofit sectors, including many industry CEOs, as well as former presidents, cabinet-level officials and lawmakers, who share the belief that international economic cooperation is essential and best served through strong, effective international financial institutions (IFIs). As a member, Turner will help the organization champion global efforts to spur economic growth, alleviate poverty and improve financial stability.

(CHICAGO) August 13, 2024 – Locke Lord General Counsel and Executive Committee Member Jennifer Kenedy has been selected as a lifetime member of The Chicago Network, an invitation-only prestigious group comprising the city’s most influential women leaders at the forefront of business, professional, cultural, nonprofit and educational communities. The organization is dedicated to empowering women to lead, fostering relationships for personal and professional growth and positively impacting local businesses and communities. Members are nominated and selected by a committee after a thorough vetting process for leadership as well as active, civic engagement in the region.

Prior to taking the role of General Counsel, Kenedy served as a Vice Chair of Locke Lord from 2018-2024, Deputy General Counsel from 2017-2024 and was the first female Managing Partner of the Firm’s Chicago office from 2010-2018. Dedicated to leadership and advocacy, she spearheads a wide range of corporate initiatives and philanthropic programs, including co-founding the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law and Locke Lord’s Women’s Initiative. Kenedy Chairs the Firm’s Flexible Work Arrangement Committee and founded and led its Business Transformation Task Force, ensuring the Firm leads in transforming legal services post-pandemic. She is also Co-Chair of Locke Lord’s Artificial Intelligence Industry Group, helping clients leverage the benefits of AI while managing business and legal risks. Kenedy has held leadership positions in many additional community and professional organizations, including serving as an Executive Board Member at Girls, Inc., of Chicago, which delivers programs to help girls thrive in school and life. She is also an Executive Board Member to the Patrick Williams Foundation, a nonprofit started by Chicago Bull Patrick Williams that provides support and resources to socioeconomically disadvantaged minority women entrepreneurs and their small businesses.

A trial lawyer with more than 30 years’ experience, Kenedy concentrates her practice on complex commercial litigation, including trade secret misappropriation and other intellectual property litigation, contractual disputes, employer restrictive covenant counseling and litigation, catastrophic product liability, labor and employment and real estate litigation. She has arbitrated and tried cases nationwide. Kenedy was recently named a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of 1 percent of American lawyers chosen based on effectiveness, accomplishment and ethical reputation. She serves as a Board Member of Business Counsel, Inc., an international network of trial firms and is a member of the Sedona Conference on Trade Secrets. She has been named as a Notable Women in Law honoree five times and a Notable Leader in Employment and Labor Law by Crain’s Chicago Business.

###

About Locke Lord LLP
Locke Lord is a full-service law firm with global reach and 20 offices designed to meet clients’ needs in the United States and around the world. The Firm has a history that spans more than 135 years and is a leader in the middle market arena. Locke Lord focuses on providing the highest levels of commitment, quality and service to clients across its five Key Sectors: Energy and Infrastructure; Finance and Financial Services; Insurance and Reinsurance; Pharmaceutical; and Private Equity. In addition, the Firm advises clients across a broad spectrum of other industries, including fund formation, venture capital, health care, public finance, real estate, technology, cybersecurity and white collar, while providing a wealth of experience through its complex litigation, intellectual property, tax, regulatory and transactional teams.

August 15, 2024 – Locke Lord is pleased to announce 179 lawyers from 15 U.S. offices have been recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, and 45 lawyers from 12 offices were recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. In addition, four of the Firm’s lawyers were recognized under the special designation of Lawyer of the Year, an honor earned by just one lawyer in each practice area and metropolitan area.

Lawyer of the Year Recipients:

  • Lori A. Basilico (Providence) – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Christopher D. Graham (Providence) – Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • Daryl J. Lapp (Boston) – Education Law
  • Stephanie H. Massey (Boston) – Public Finance Law

The full list of Locke Lord lawyers listed in the 2025 editions of The Best Lawyers in America®and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch follows below.

Atlanta

  • Brian T. Casey – Insurance Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Reinsurance Law
  • Bryan G. Harrison – Litigation – Intellectual Property
  • Noah J. Mason – Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

Austin

Boston

Chicago

Cincinnati

Dallas

  • Caroline H. Boone – Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation
  • Stuart Bumpas – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Nonprofit / Charities Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates
  • E. Philip Bush – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Tax Law
  • Paul E. Coggins – Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
  • Michael H. Collins – Arbitration, Commercial Litigation, Energy Law
  • Claire L. Cook – Ones to Watch: Labor and Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Kyle Davis – Real Estate Law
  • Brendan P. Gaffney – Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • David C. Gair – Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law
  • Don M. Glendenning – Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • W. Scott Hastings – Appellate Practice, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Oil and Gas Law
  • Van M. Jolas – Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • C. Scott Jones – Aviation Law, Commercial Litigation
  • Christopher J. Larson – Ones to Watch: Real Estate Law
  • Taylor Levesque – Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation
  • Thomas F. Loose – Appellate Practice
  • Paula G. Lynch-Griffith – Real Estate Law
  • Elizabeth E. Mack – Environmental Law
  • Jennifer McCoy – Ones to Watch: Labor and Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • John B. McKnight – Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • Kip Mendrygal – Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • Harriet Miers – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Government Relations Practice
  • Robert T. Mowrey – Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance
  • Paul G. Nason – Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Charles E. Phipps – Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent
  • Geoffrey Polma – Tax Law
  • Michael V. Powell – Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation
  • Susan M. Rainey – Environmental Law
  • Seth M. Roberts – Commercial Litigation
  • Robin G. Shaughnessy – Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Robb P. Stewart – Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Real Estate Law
  • David L. Swanson – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation
  • Cynthia Timms – Appellate Practice
  • Kevin L. Twining – Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Public Finance Law
  • Bradley C. Weber – Antitrust Law, Litigation – Antitrust
  • Katherine Wright – Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation
  • Thomas G. Yoxall – Commercial Litigation

Hartford

Houston

  • John K. Arnold – Energy Regulatory Law
  • Charles S. Baker – Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Intellectual Property
  • Lani Blake – Ones to Watch: Labor and Employment Law – Management
  • Elizabeth Corey – Ones to Watch: Administrative / Regulatory Law, Energy Law
  • M. Benjamin Cowan – Environmental Law
  • Akilah F. Craig – Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation, Labor and Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Ryan A. Cunningham – Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction
  • Jon W. Daly – Securities / Capital Markets Law
  • Nick Dickerson – Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • Emma T. Doineau – Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation
  • Ryan E. Dornberger – Ones to Watch: Intellectual Property Law, Litigation – Intellectual Property
  • Lauren Doughty – Trusts and Estates
  • Chris Dove – Appellate Practice
  • Monika Dziemianczuk – Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation
  • Philip Eisenberg – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Cesar Escalante – Ones to Watch: Labor and Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Laura L. Ferguson – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Tory L. Finley – Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation
  • David M. Gregory – Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Kathleen Grossman – Ones to Watch: Labor and Employment Law – Management
  • Elizabeth Guffy – Banking and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • David E. Harrell Jr. – Arbitration, Commercial Litigation, International Arbitration – Commercial, Litigation – Construction
  • Gerald D. (Jerry) Higdon – Environmental Law
  • Mark Jacob – Trusts and Estates
  • Stephen C. Jacobs – Real Estate Law
  • Taneska L. Jones – Ones to Watch: Labor and Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers
  • Eric Larson – Tax Law
  • Thanh Le – Ones to Watch: Insurance Law
  • Brandon Lobb – Derivatives and Futures Law
  • Christopher L. Martin – Insurance Law
  • Simon Mayer – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Jason T. McCloskey – Ones to Watch: Corporate Law, Energy Law
  • Mark Miller – Derivatives and Futures Law
  • Robert D. Miller – Government Relations Practice
  • Ryan Morgan – Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law
  • Daniel G. Nguyen – Litigation -Patent
  • Tammi S. Niven – Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law
  • Hanna Norvell – Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Chelsea H. Overhuls – Trusts and Estates
  • Sagar Patel – Ones to Watch: Corporate Law
  • Jonathan Pelayo – Commercial Litigation
  • Gerald J. Pels – Environmental Law
  • J. Christian Perez – Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation, Construction Law
  • Joe Perillo – Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • Kevin Peter – Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • Mike Peters – Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • Paul M. Pruett – Real Estate Law
  • Terry Radney – Energy Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Oil and Gas Law
  • Edward A. Razim III – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Tax Law
  • Ann Ryan Robertson – Arbitration, International Arbitration – Commercial, International Arbitration – Governmental
  • J. Michael Rose – Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Buddy Sanders – Tax Law
  • Shannon Schroeder – Ones to Watch: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • Hunter Summerford – Oil and Gas Law
  • Bill Swanstrom – Energy Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Oil and Gas Law
  • David Taylor – Corporate Law, Securities / Capital Markets Law
  • Case Towslee – Ones to Watch: Corporate Law
  • Chris Verducci – Litigation – Construction

Los Angeles

  • Alfred M. Clark – Real Estate Law
  • Sean C. Fifield – Insurance Law
  • Nina Huerta – Commercial Litigation
  • David S. Kupetz – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • William C. Mullen – Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation, Entertainment and Sports Law, Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • David Rutan – Ones to Watch: Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Jonevin Sabado – Ones to Watch: Labor and Employment Law – Management
  • Katy Spillers – Corporate Law, Tax Law
  • William B. Ticknor II – Real Estate Law

New Orleans

New York

  • Andrew Braunstein – Ones to Watch: Commercial Litigation
  • Rob Evans – Securities / Capital Markets Law
  • Sean A. Feener – Ones to Watch: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Alan J. Levin – Insurance Law, Reinsurance Law
  • Chelsey Rosenbloom List – Ones to Watch: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Richard Reibstein – Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Eric C. Strain – Product Liability Litigation – Defendants
  • Stephanie Wickouski – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Newark

Providence

San Francisco

Stamford

Washington, D.C.

West Palm Beach

  • Mark-David Adams – Public Finance Law
  • Steven J. Brotman – Ones to Watch: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Bankruptcy
  • Thomas J. Cunningham – Commercial Litigation
  • Richard J. Miller – Public Finance Law

###

About Locke Lord LLP
Locke Lord is a full-service law firm with global reach and 20 offices designed to meet clients’ needs in the United States and around the world. The Firm has a history that spans more than 135 years and is a leader in the middle market arena. Locke Lord focuses on providing the highest levels of commitment, quality and service to clients across its five Key Sectors: Energy and Infrastructure; Finance and Financial Services; Insurance and Reinsurance; Pharmaceutical; and Private Equity. In addition, the Firm advises clients across a broad spectrum of other industries, including fund formation, venture capital, health care, public finance, real estate, technology, cybersecurity and white collar, while providing a wealth of experience through its complex litigation, intellectual property, tax, regulatory and transactional teams.

Los Angeles Partner Amin Al-Sarraf, a business litigator and Head of Locke Lord’s Entertainment Industry Group, was named to the 2024 Benchmark Litigation 40 & Under List, the guide recognizing the nation’s most notable up and coming litigation attorneys in the United States. Honorees were selected based on a combination of their recent casework, peer review and client feedback.

Al-Sarraf advises and represents large corporations, financial institutions, entertainment studios, talent agencies, investment funds, small businesses, government agencies and individuals in a wide variety of civil disputes and complex litigation, including employment, commercial and entertainment matters.

(CHICAGO) July 31, 2024 – J.P. Hong and James Shreve have joined Locke Lord as Partners in the Firm’s Chicago office in the Regulatory and Transactional Insurance and Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Groups, respectively.

Joining Locke Lord from Sidley, Hong is an insurance lawyer focusing on a variety of corporate, securities and regulatory matters relating to the insurance and financial services industry. He represents sponsors, issuers, underwriters and investors in connection with insurance-linked securities offerings, corporates in connection with their captive insurance and reinsurance programs and financial institutions in connection with stable value transactions.

“J.P.’s vast international insurance-linked securities experience, which is a strategic growth area for us, will be an incredible asset to our current and prospective clients,” said Jon Biasetti, Co-Chair of Locke Lord’s Regulatory and Transactional Insurance Practice Group.

Previously partner and chair of Thompson Coburn’s cybersecurity practice, Shreve is a trusted adviser to clients facing complex cybersecurity and privacy issues, particularly those in the country’s most highly regulated industries. He advises all types of companies on the myriad legal concerns surrounding confidential information and how such information is stored and transmitted. Applying the law to rapidly changing technology and software capabilities, Shreve provides clients with a profile of their potential risk, then works closely with executive leadership, legal, IT and compliance information security teams to develop a comprehensive and practical plan for risk avoidance and responding to cyber and data-related issues.

“Jim’s impressive experience guiding clients through challenging privacy and cybersecurity issues and thousands of data security incidents, coupled with his deep understanding of the regulatory environment for privacy and security specific to financial services and fintech, securities and other industries, make him an invaluable addition to our team,” said Ted Augustinos, Co-Chair of Locke Lord’s Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group.

Andrea Verney Kerstein, Managing Partner of Locke Lord’s Chicago office, added: “J.P.’s and Jim’s practices both intersect across an array of diverse industries. Their additions will help further expand Locke Lord’s strong presence in the Midwest and grow our capabilities in key practice areas, both in Chicago and Firmwide.”

In addition to being sought-after thought leaders, Hong and Shreve have both been recognized for their contributions to their respective legal fields. Hong was recently named to the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list, and Shreve has been recognized as a Next Generation Lawyer in Cyber Law by Legal 500.

“Locke Lord is well regarded for its substantial group of corporate lawyers with deep insurance regulatory knowledge and extensive transactional experience, and I am thrilled to join such an accomplished bench,” said Hong.

“I was drawn to Locke Lord for its far-reaching national platform,” said Shreve. “Cybersecurity and data privacy touch every sector, and I am excited to leverage the Firm’s extensive resources to help our clients navigate these complex challenges.”

With more than 100 years of experience serving all segments of the insurance industry, Locke Lord helps its insurance industry clients meet today’s challenges while preparing for the opportunities of tomorrow. The Firm’s deep experience in insurance regulation enables it to provide enhanced value and insight into many issues associated with mergers, dispositions and acquisitions of insurance companies or their insurance-related assets and liabilities through various forms of reinsurance and the sale of renewal rights.

Locke Lord’s Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group guides clients in meeting legal, regulatory and contractual obligations concerning the collection, use, transmission, storage and destruction of data, and in mitigating cybersecurity risks. With a range of backgrounds in insurance, finance, retail, health care, energy, IP and litigation (among others), Locke Lord lawyers provide advice that takes into account the standards and practices of the industries and legal frameworks in which its clients operate, as well as laws and regulations of countries worldwide.

###

About Locke Lord LLP
Locke Lord is a full-service law firm with global reach and 20 offices designed to meet clients’ needs in the United States and around the world. The Firm has a history that spans more than 135 years and is a leader in the middle market arena. Locke Lord focuses on providing the highest levels of commitment, quality and service to clients across its five Key Sectors: Energy and Infrastructure; Finance and Financial Services; Insurance and Reinsurance; Pharmaceutical; and Private Equity. In addition, the Firm advises clients across a broad spectrum of other industries, including fund formation, venture capital, health care, public finance, real estate, technology, cybersecurity and white collar, while providing a wealth of experience through its complex litigation, intellectual property, tax, regulatory and transactional teams.

Mark A. Silverman was interviewed on the July 22, 2024 Be That Lawyer podcast episode, “Make It Happen Consistently.”