New York Partners Alan Clement, Chair of Locke Lord’s Intellectual Property Department; Peter Fill, Co-Chair of the Firm’s Patent Strategies Practice Group; and Mark Hannemann; and Chicago Partner Steven Trybus; Houston and Austin Partner Charles Baker and Dallas Partner Charles Phipps, Co-Chairs of the Firm’s IP Litigation Practice Group; and Atlanta Partner Tim Xia, Co-Chair of the Firm’s International Transactions Practice Group, have been recognized in the 2024 edition of IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals. They are included among the leading patent services providers in prosecution, litigation and licensing.
In addition, Locke Lord has been recognized among the leading IP litigation firms again in Illinois and in New York.
Published by Intellectual Asset Management, the IAM Patent 1000 identifies top patent professionals in key jurisdictions from around the globe. The guide is compiled following an extensive research process. Over a period of five months, the IAM research team conducted thousands of extensive interviews with in-house counsel and lawyers around the world to identify the leading players in the field.
(DALLAS) May 20, 2024 – Isreal J. Miller has joined Locke Lord’s Dallas office as a Partner in the Firm’s Private Wealth Practice Group. Miller’s robust tax and estate planning background will further enhance Locke Lord’s complex tax capabilities and add depth to the Firm’s burgeoning Private Wealth and Tax Controversy teams.
Prior to joining Locke Lord, Miller was a partner at Atwood & McCall. He advises clients on how to minimize estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes as well as how to implement and administer complex estate planning structures. Miller is double Board Certified in Tax Law and Estate Planning & Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
“Isreal’s diverse tax and estate planning practice combined with his vast network of connections will be integral to expanding the Firm’s presence in the Dallas market,” said Locke Lord Dallas Office Managing Partner Elizabeth Mack. “His deep roots in the region and strong commitment to client service will fit perfectly with our collaborative culture here at Locke Lord.”
Prior to working in private practice, Miller served for five years as a trial attorney for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, where he handled over 1,700 cases, including more than 850 cases litigated at the State Office of Administrative Hearings. He has extensive experience working with taxpayers, taxpayer representatives, auditors and other agency personnel to resolve disputed state tax issues and claims related to Texas franchise tax and sales and use tax. He also has experience in a variety of other state administrative matters involving the Texas Comptroller.
“Having worked closely with Isreal for years, I have long respected and admired his exemplary work ethic, thoughtfulness and focus on helping clients achieve their goals efficiently,” added David Gair, Chair of Locke Lord’s Tax Controversy Practice Group and Partner in the Firm’s Dallas office. “I look forward to working side by side on cross-selling prospects to continue to grow the Firm’s tax controversy work.”
Miller is a Board Member and President-Elect of the Dallas Chapter of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is also a Fellow with the Houston Bar Foundation and a Life Benefactor Fellow with the Dallas Bar Foundation. In addition, Isreal has dedicated a portion of his valuable time to pro bono activities. In 2021, he was honored to receive the Nikki DeShazo Pro Bono Award given by the Probate, Trusts and Estates Section of the Dallas Bar Association.
“Beyond Locke Lord’s full-service platform, what drew me to joining the Firm is the people and the supportive culture that will help me grow my practice,” said Miller. “I am thrilled to continue working collaboratively with outstanding colleagues and to expand Locke Lord’s already impressive tax and private wealth practices.”
Locke Lord’s estate planning lawyers offer a sophisticated, efficient approach to the full range of wealth transfer planning for high-net-worth individuals. From moderate to billion-dollar estates, the Firm’s lawyers understand the complex and dynamic tax laws and the latest issues that impact clients’ wealth transfer and estate planning goals. Locke Lord’s lawyers quickly analyze complex issues and help clients identify and understand planning options so they can effectively maintain and pass on wealth.
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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.
Locke Lord’s nationally recognized Public Finance Practice Group has again ranked among the leading public finance practices in the nation for Q1 2024, ranking No. 5 on The Bond Buyer’s list of Top Bond Counsel for Competitive Sales, with 28 issues totaling more than $687 million. The team also ranked No. 7 on The Bond Buyer’s lists of Top Bond Counsel and Top Bond Counsel for Full Credit, with 34 issues totaling more than $3.5 billion, as well as ranking No. 7 on the Top Bond Counsel for Negotiated Sales list, with six issues totaling more than $2.9 billion.
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.
(CHICAGO) May 28, 2024 – Chicago Locke Lord Partner Matt Furton has been selected as a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA). The LCA is a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. Fellows are selected and invited into Fellowship after being evaluated for effectiveness and accomplishment in litigation and trial work, along with ethical reputation.
Furton’s practice focuses on commercial and intellectual property litigation and includes representation of both plaintiffs and defendants, from pre-suit investigation through trial and appellate proceedings. His commercial litigation experience includes handling claims for breach of contract, fraud, RICO violations, securities fraud, antitrust violations, shareholder derivative actions and various business torts. Furton’s trial work includes handling jury and bench trials in state, federal and bankruptcy courts, obtaining and avoiding injunctive relief, obtaining, enforcing and vacating arbitration awards. His appellate work includes leading appeals in six different appellate courts. He also handles domestic and international arbitrations. On multiple occasions, he has been hired to represent the interests of an entire industry that needs to challenge a state statute or the actions of a government agency.
Furton has also held several leadership positions within Locke Lord and the community. He served as Co-Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Department for several years. He was the Co-Chair of the Chicago Bar Foundation’s Fall Benefit in 2021 and recognized as Volunteer of the Year by Chicago Volunteer Legal Services in 2019. Furton serves on the Board of Directors for several community organizations, including the Public Interest Law Initiative. He is often invited to be a guest lecturer on risk management and litigation/arbitration topics at leading law schools, including the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Indiana University Maurer School of Law, where he recently served as the President of the Alumni Board of Advisors, and Florida State University School of Law. He is also a member of the Advisory Council for the DRI’s Center for Law and Public Policy.
Fellowship in the LCA is highly selective and by invitation only. Fellows are selected based upon excellence and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation. The LCA is aggressively diverse in its composition. Established as a trial and appellate lawyer honorary society reflecting the American bar in the twenty-first century, the LCA represents the best in law among its membership. The number of Fellowships has been kept at an exclusive limit by design, allowing qualifications, diversity and inclusion to align effectively, with recognition of excellence in litigation across all segments of the bar. Fellows are generally at the partner or shareholder level, or are independent practitioners with recognized experience and accomplishment. In addition, the LCA is dedicated to promoting superior advocacy, professionalism and ethical standards among its Fellows.
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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.
Houston Partner David Harrell, FCIArb, Co-Chair of Locke Lord’s Litigation Department and Chair of the Firm’s International Arbitration Practice Group, was sworn in as the 2024-2025 President of the Houston Bar Association (HBA), and Houston’s Akilah Craig was selected as a recipient of a 2024 President’s Award for Outstanding Service at the HBA Annual Dinner on May 14.
As HBA President, Harrell will focus on building community among Houston lawyers, educating HBA members about important legal developments and expanding opportunities for members to serve their community. An active HBA member, he has served on its Board of Directors for the past seven years. Harrell has also served as Board Chair of Houston Volunteer Lawyers, the largest provider of pro bono legal services in Harris County and the surrounding areas, and is the immediate Past Chair of the SBOT ADR Section and past Chair of the Dispute Resolution Center. He is a member of the Houston International Arbitration Club Incorporated and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Law Center. Harrell has extensive first and second-chair trial and arbitration experience in the areas of energy litigation, commercial litigation and land use/permitting litigation. His energy litigation experience includes representations of operators, producers, transporters, marketers and royalty owners.
Craig was recognized for her leadership as a 2023-2024 HBA Gender Fairness Committee Co-Chair and service to the HBA’s initiative to increase lactation facilities in the Harris County Court Complex, including the Civil Courthouse, Juvenile Courthouse, Family Law Center and Jury Assembly building. She is active in the legal community and serves as a Trustee and Fellow of the Houston Young Lawyers Foundation and serves as a Fellow on the Texas Bar Foundation. Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Craig has represented employers in and before federal and state courts and administrative agencies on a wide variety of issues, including claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation and failure to accommodate, wage and hour disputes as well as defense and enforcement of covenants non-compete and non-solicitation agreements.
(NEW YORK) May 15, 2024 – Gregory T. Casamento, Co-Chair of Locke Lord’s Litigation Department, Co-Chair of the Firm’s Business Technology Group and former Managing Partner of the Firm’s New York office, has been selected as a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA). Casamento graduated from the Boston University School of Management in 1992, received his Juris Doctor degree from the Boston University School of Law in 1996 and a Command and Staff Diploma from the Naval War College in 2000.
Casamento started his practice as a U.S. Navy Judge Advocate, where he litigated jury trials and administrative discharge boards from 1997-2000. Casamento received the Navy Achievement Medal as a Defense Counsel and the Navy Commendation Medal as a Trial Prosecution Counsel. He joined Locke Lord in 2003, was named a Partner in 2007, and has focused his practice on complex commercial litigation, business litigation and arbitration matters. Many of his clients are in the financial service and fintech areas, and the matters he handles for these clients are bet-the-company class actions and antitrust litigations. As the most senior trial lawyer in the Firm’s New York office, Casamento often represents the Firm’s clients in their most complex matters. His clients include investment, commercial and retail banks, insurance companies, structured finance-related entities, Fintechs and other financial services companies.
For additional information, please see Casamento’s bio.
The LCA is a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. Fellowship in the LCA is highly selective and by invitation only. Fellows are selected based upon excellence and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation. The LCA is aggressively diverse in its composition. Established as a trial and appellate lawyer honorary society reflecting the American bar in the twenty-first century, the LCA represents the best in law among its membership. The number of Fellowships has been kept at an exclusive limit by design, allowing qualifications, diversity and inclusion to align effectively, with recognition of excellence in litigation across all segments of the bar. Fellows are generally at the partner or shareholder level, or are independent practitioners with recognized experience and accomplishment. In addition, the LCA is dedicated to promoting superior advocacy, professionalism and ethical standards among its Fellows.
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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.
Locke Lord’s Federal Public Law and Policy Practice Group, Chaired by Washington, D.C., Partner Jason Zanetti, ranked as one of Bloomberg Government’s 2023 Top-Performing Lobbying Firms by revenue.
Locke Lord’s Public Law and Policy Practice Group provides a full array of legislative, regulatory and legal services. Its professionals form a unique and diverse public law and policy team with extensive political contacts at every level of government and knowledge of how public processes work. The group’s issue areas of measured experience include health care, hospitality, gaming, high technology, financial services, international relations, energy, natural resources, judiciary, education, appropriations and political law. The Firm’s team works closely with senior business executives across a diverse group of companies to advance their respective policy and political objectives in Washington.
Locke Lord has been named again by BTI Consulting Group to its annual Client Service A-Team, which is based solely on objective feedback from corporate counsel and recognizes firms that have demonstrated exceptional performance in client service. This year, corporate counsel ranked the Firm No. 54 in client service performance, leaping from No. 210 last year, making Locke Lord one of only approximately 60 firms improving its client service faster than all other law firms.
BTI recently named Locke Lord to its list of Law Firms Best at Meeting Novel, New and Strategic Needs as part of the report BTI Leading Edge Law Firms 2024: Law Firms Creating the Future with and for Clients. Previously, Locke Lord was named to BTI’s list of Most Recommended Law Firms, recognizing firms that top legal decision makers recommend above all others. In addition, BTI recognized Locke Lord among law firms that Fortune 1000 clients said are best at developing and implementing alternative fee arrangements and as a firm that was “winning in the COVID-19 world” for committing to clients’ fluctuating needs amidst the pandemic.
Locke Lord’s Health Care Practice Group has again been named to Modern Healthcare’s Largest Health Care Law Firms list, ranking No. 28 in the most recent edition, based on the number of health care lawyers at the end of 2023. The Health Care Practice Group is co-chaired by Washington, D.C., Office Managing Partner Denise Hanna and Austin Partner Tammy Ward Woffenden.
Locke Lord’s Health Care Practice Group represents health industry businesses in regulatory matters, transactions and litigation. The Firm has extensive experience in multistate and federal regulatory compliance, deal work, including private equity investment, M&A, joint ventures and other strategic alliances, government relations, enforcement matters and litigation. Locke Lord’s clients range from hospital systems, health plans, health industry intermediaries and health information technology companies to investors and strategic buyers.
WildFire Energy’s $1.425 billion acquisition of Chesapeake Energy Corporation’s Brazos Valley region of its Eagle Ford asset, for which Locke Lord served as buyer’s counsel, won the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Houston’s 2023 Deal of the Year award and E&P Upstream Deal of the Year award at the seventh annual ACG awards ceremony on April 24. Celebrating Houston’s booming middle-market deal community, the awards honor the deals and dealmakers who drive middle market growth and their success in generating job growth, capital formation and the advancement of meaningful business relationships in the Houston community.
The transaction, which closed March 20, 2023, significantly expanded WildFire’s resources, including related property, plant and equipment. WildFire acquired approximately 377,000 net acres and approximately 1,350 wells in the Brazos Valley region of its Eagle Ford asset from Chesapeake Energy Corporation and expanded operation to approximately 2,000 gross wells on approximately 600,000 net acres in the eastern Eagle Ford encompassing Burleson, Brazos, Robertson, Madison, Lee, Washington, and Grimes counties of Texas.
The Locke Lord deal team was led by Kevin Peter, Jennie Simmons, Hunter Summerford and Terry Radney (all of Houston) and assisted by Lauren Richter, Case Towslee, Niha Ali, Elizabeth Guffy, Jerry Higdon, Sara Longtain, Ed Razim, Chris Verducci, Janet Militello, Kathleen Laird (all of Houston), Peter Wynacht (Chicago), Van Jolas, Geoffrey Polma (both of Dallas) and Andrew Capalbo (Providence).