Rob Evans, a Partner in Locke Lord’s New York office and Chair of the Firm’s Capital Markets Practice Group, and New York Associate Ryan Last were featured on TheCorporateCounsel.net’s Timely Takes podcast. Public companies are exempt from Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) filings, but in the podcast Evans and Last explain why public company counsel should pay attention to the CTA and related Financial Crimes Enforcement Network rules. They highlight key compliance dates, activities and transactions that may have implications for public companies under the statute and actions public companies should take to ensure compliance with the statute moving forward.
Evans says, “A ‘public company’ has two meanings: To investors, managers and company counsel it means the whole business, but under the CTA only the SEC reporting company is exempt as a public company, and the CTA applies to each corporation, partnership or LLC that files documentation with a Secretary of State.”
“Public companies with wholly owned, 100%-owned direct or indirect subsidiaries are exempt,” Last adds. “This means companies should check for any joint ventures or other equity investments where the public company owns more than 25%.”
Listen to TheCorporateCounsel.net’s Timely Takes podcast (subscription may be required).
Locke Lord Partners Amin Al-Sarraf, Emily Huggins Jones and Alan Levin were selected as members of Law360’s Editorial Advisory Boards for 2024. As members, they will provide feedback and share insight on how best to shape this year’s reporting at Law360 within their areas of practice.
Al-Sarraf, Head of Locke Lord’s Entertainment Industry Group and Partner in the Firm’s Los Angeles office, was selected to serve on the Media & Entertainment Editorial Advisory Board. He advises and regularly represents public and private companies, media entities, investment funds, talent agencies and individuals in the entertainment industry on a wide variety of civil disputes and complex litigation.
For the second consecutive year, Washington, D.C., lawyer Huggins Jones was selected to serve on the Transportation Editorial Advisory Board. She advises maritime companies on the full spectrum of marine legal issues. She also provides comprehensive maritime counsel to offshore wind developers and service companies, and vessel owning and operating companies in the renewable energy and telecommunication sectors.
Vice Chair of the Firm’s Executive Committee and Deputy Managing Partner of Locke Lord’s New York office, Levin was selected to serve on the Insurance Authority General Liability Editorial Advisory Board. Levin advises clients across all sectors of the insurance and reinsurance industry, including domestic, foreign and overseas insurers and reinsurers.
Read the full list of 2024 Law360 Editorial Advisory Board members (subscription may be required).
Locke Lord has been recognized in the World Intellectual Property Review (WIPR) UK Trademark Rankings 2024, achieving recommended status in the contentious and non-contentious categories. In addition, London’s Giovanni Visintini was recognized as a notable practitioner in the non-contentious category.
According to WIPR, the inaugural rankings detail law firms and lawyers at the forefront of their industry, navigating the impact of technological innovation on trademarks practice, the challenges of domestic and international protection and the ever-demanding contest of representing clients in the courtroom. Rankings are based on a robust assessment of the UK intellectual property market that includes market analysis, reviews of submissions and interviews with firms, clients and other leading individuals.
16 lawyers from Locke Lord’s Austin, Dallas and Houston offices were named 2024 Texas Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers®. In addition, Houston’s Mia Lorick was named to the Up-and-Coming 50 Women list, and Lorick and Houston Partner Andrew Reed were named to the Up-and-Coming 100: 2024 Texas Rising Stars list, for lawyers who ranked top of the list in the 2024 Texas Rising Stars nomination, research and blue ribbon review process.
The Texas Rising Stars list recognizes the state’s top attorneys age 40 and younger or who are in the first 10 years of practice. Texas Rising Stars are selected through a process of nomination, independent research and peer evaluation. Only 2.5 percent of eligible Texas lawyers are selected to the list each year.
The Locke Lord lawyers recognized in this year’s list are:
Austin
Nicole Olvera Cook
Daniel Durell
Dallas
Henry Benton
Taylor Levesque
Jennifer McCoy
Houston
Lani Blake
Elizabeth Corey Raber
Ryan Cunningham
Mia Lorick
Tiffany Minks
Sagar Patel
Christian Perez
Andrew Reed
Olivia Rousseau
Deanna Markowitz Willson
Locke Lord has been named by BTI Consulting Group to its list of Law Firms Best at Meeting Novel, New and Strategic Needs as part of its recently released report BTI Leading Edge Law Firms 2024: Law Firms Creating the Future with and for Clients. Based on in-depth interviews with general counsel, the list recognizes firms that are serving as the source of new ideas; developing brand new strategies and thinking; bringing tech savvy in delivering services; using and understanding key aspects of generative AI; and offering creative interpretations of existing rules and regulations.
Previously, the Firm was named by BTI to its Client Service A-Team, recognizing firms that have demonstrated exceptional performance in client service. In addition, BTI named Locke Lord among its Most Recommended Law Firms, recognizing firms that top legal decision makers recommend above all others.
Thomson Reuters has recognized 18 Locke Lord lawyers as Stand-out Lawyers. As part of Thomson Reuters’ Sharplegal study, more than 2,000 senior legal buyers around the world are asked to nominate up to three lawyers they have worked with within the last 12 months who have stood out to them above all the other lawyers they interact with. These Stand-out Lawyers are recognized for their ability to improve client satisfaction, increase client advocacy, grow share of wallet, strengthen their firm’s brand, enhance people engagement and increase profits per partner.
The Locke Lord lawyers recognized as Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers are:
Jon Biasetti
Brian T. Casey
Roger B. Cowie
Nick Elwell-Sutton
Don M. Glendenning
David E. Harrell Jr.
W. Scott Hastings
Patrick J. Hatfield
Alan J. Levin
Robert T. Mowrey
Gerald J. Pels
Kevin Peter
Edward A. Razim
Benjamin P. Sykes
Ann Marie Walsh
Steven T. Whitmer
Thomas G. Yoxall
February 7, 2024 – Locke Lord has elected Alan Levin (New York/Hartford) as a Vice Chair of the Firm’s Executive Committee, replacing Jennifer Kenedy (Chicago) after she recently became the Firm’s General Counsel. Kenedy will remain on the Executive Committee. In addition, Megan Foscaldi (Boston) and Ziwen Zhu (Atlanta) have joined the Firm’s Board of Directors.
Locke Lord also announced Andrea Verney Kerstein as Managing Partner of the Firm’s Chicago office. Kerstein, who serves as a member of Locke Lord’s Board of Directors and as Chair of the Firm’s Health and Managed Care Litigation Practice Group, has significant experience representing insurers and reinsurers in insurance and health care disputes and arbitrations, primarily in the life insurance and health insurance lines. Joining Kerstein on the leadership team of the Chicago office is Rusty Perdew, who will serve as Deputy Managing Partner.
In addition, Brandan Montminy has joined Dallas Office Managing Partner Elizabeth Mack on the leadership team of the Dallas office serving as Deputy Managing Partner.
Remaining on Locke Lord’s Executive Committee with Kenedy and Levin are: Firm Chair David Taylor (Houston); Vice Chair Bill Swanstrom (Houston); Vice Chair Thomas Yoxall (Dallas); David Grant (London); Nina Huerta (Los Angeles); Paul Mahoney (Providence); Richard Manley (Boston); Kip Mendrygal (Dallas); Paul Nason (Dallas); Allison O’Neil (Boston); Joe Perillo (Houston); Tai Tran (Austin); and Steve Whitmer (Chicago).
Locke Lord’s Board of Directors helps direct the Firm’s vision and strategy and collaborates on other Firm-wide initiatives. The Board reports to Taylor and the Executive Committee. Remaining on the Board of Directors with Foscaldi and Zhu are: Co-Chairs Perdew; John Arnold (Houston); Kyle Davis (Dallas); John Emmanuel (New York); Sean Fifield (Los Angeles); Lauren Fincher (Austin); Bill Foley (New York); Dave Foster (Austin); Doug Gray (Providence); Denise Hanna (Washington, D.C.); Greg Heath (Houston); Ben Henry (Chicago); Andrew Hughes (Providence); Kerstein; Mack; Jenn Mendonça (Boston); Hanna Norvell (Houston); Ben Sykes (Chicago); Adrienne Walker (Boston); and Scott Wofsy (Stamford).
New members of Locke Lord’s Board of Directors:
- Foscaldi advises public and private companies and private equity funds on corporate and securities law matters, including public and private securities offerings and complex strategic transactions. She also advises clients in a range of industries on matters of corporate governance and compliance with SEC reporting obligations.
- Zhu focuses her practice on general corporate representation, international business transactions and intellectual property. She represents U.S. and foreign companies in establishing business operations across borders, selling and acquiring business interests and protecting companies’ intellectual property rights.
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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.
Elizabeth Mack, Gerry Pels and Susan Rainey, Partners in Locke Lord’s Environmental Section, have been recognized as standout lawyers in the Lawdragon Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law list. The list is created based on a combination of journalistic research, nominations and vetting with peers and environmental law experts, according to Lawdragon.
Locke Lord’s environmental team includes dedicated practitioners who understand the many dimensions of environmental law and the different ways these laws affect businesses and individuals. The Firm’s extensive environmental experience helps clients navigate and respond effectively to regulatory compliance issues, environmental liability concerns, civil and criminal enforcement actions and citizen complaints.
Gerry Pels, Terry Radney and Bill Swanstrom, Partners in Locke Lord’s Houston office and Energy and Infrastructure Group, have been recognized as outstanding elite advisors in Lawdragon’s 2024 list of 500 Leading Energy Lawyers. The list is created based on a combination of journalistic research, nominations and vetting with peers and environmental law experts, according to Lawdragon. Pels was also recently recognized in the Lawdragon Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law list.
Locke Lord’s Energy and Infrastructure Group represents clients throughout the Americas, and in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia across the energy industry, at every link in the value chain. The Firm is deeply involved with exploration and production; natural gas, oil and product gathering, processing, storage and pipeline transmission; refining; oilfield services; conventional and renewable power generation; energy commodity trading and marketing; infrastructure; and all parts in between.
Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson, a Partner in Locke Lord’s nationally recognized Public Finance Practice Group, has been recognized as the recipient of the 2024 Republican National Committee Trailblazer Award.
The annual award honors a Black Republican who has worked to advance conservative legislation, helped elect Republicans or committed themselves to growing the Republican Party. Mayor Johnson serves as Chairman and President of the Republican Mayors Association.
First elected in June 2019, Mayor Johnson was re-elected in May 2023 with 98.7% of the vote, breaking a 114-year-old record for the highest vote percentage garnered by a mayoral candidate facing any opposition in Dallas history.
Throughout his legal career, Mayor Johnson has developed extensive experience representing major issuers of municipal securities as well as national and regional investment banking firms that underwrite municipal securities.