A Locke Lord team led by Nina Huerta, Eric Herzog (both of Los Angeles) and Regina McClendon (San Francisco) that secured a 10-2 defense verdict in favor of Farmers Insurance Exchange and certain affiliated entities (Farmers) in a closely watched jury trial involving claims of age discrimination brought by California-based former insurance agents under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act has been honored by the Daily Journal for earning one of the Top Verdicts of 2023. The Daily Journal’s annual feature acknowledges the largest and most significant verdicts and appellate reversals in California.
Following an eight-week trial and just two days of deliberation, the jury ultimately agreed with Farmers that the former insurance agents were independent contractors and were therefore not subject to the employment laws at issue in the case. The trial team also included these key players: Randy Hack, Brian Hays (both of Chicago), Jonevin Sabado, David Rutan (both of Los Angeles), Lindsey Kress (San Francisco) and Akilah Craig (Houston).
Huerta, a member of Locke Lord’s Executive Committee and Managing Partner of the Firm’s Los Angeles office, on the significance of the case: “The case boiled down to the evidence in their contracts, which identified the agents as independent contractors, and the way they ran their agencies, hiring their own employees. It looked like a duck and walked like a duck, and the jury saw that.”
Read the Daily Journal’s Top Verdicts of 2023 (subscription may be required).
Locke Lord Chicago Partners Jennifer Kenedy and Andrea Verney Kerstein have been selected by Crain’s Chicago Business as 2024 Notable Women in Law honorees. They are recognized for their ability to effect change, serve as a role model and mentor to other women lawyers and promote inclusive practices in the workplace.
Kenedy serves as General Counsel of Locke Lord and is a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. Prior to taking the role of General Counsel, she served as a Vice Chair of the Firm 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, Kenedy 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. She also 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. Kenedy has held leadership positions in many additional community and professional organizations, including serving as 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, she concentrates her practice on 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. Kenedy was also named as a Notable Women in Law in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and a Notable Leader in Employment and Labor Law in 2023 by Crain’s Chicago Business.
Kerstein is a member of the Firm’s Board of Directors, Managing Partner of the Firm’s Chicago office and Chair of the Firm’s Health and Managed Care Litigation Practice Group. Her impact extends beyond her notable legal career, dedicating her time to volunteer work throughout her community. Driven by her passion for helping others, Kerstein leads several donation initiatives in her community, providing essential items like clothing and furniture to those in need. Her core values of giving back and community immersion are further reflected in her meaningful mentorship work with the Firm’s Associates. She is often commended for providing a platform for them to shine and feel seen, something that is crucial for cross-jurisdictional practices to thrive. A distinguished public speaker, Kerstein notably blazed a trail in advocating for flexible work hours and championing work-life balance through myriad well-received speaking engagements during the pandemic.
Kerstein has significant experience representing insurers and reinsurers in insurance and health care disputes and arbitrations, primarily in the life insurance and health insurance lines.
Read Jennifer Kenedy’s, Andrea Verney Kerstein’s profiles in Crain’s Chicago Business (subscription may be required).
Allison O’Neil, Co-Chair of Locke Lord’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group, was featured on an episode of Women Governance Trailblazers, a top-ranking podcast dedicated to leaders and visionaries in corporate governance. In the episode, O’Neil discusses the top three things company advisers should be doing right now in light of current SEC enforcement trends. She also notes the evolution of internal investigations, including the increased use of expert testimony and the introduction of AI. As a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee, O’Neil also shares her perspective on how women in the corporate governance field can best add to the current conversation on the societal role of companies, noting the importance of emotional intelligence.
Listen to the Women Governance Trailblazers podcast.
Locke Lord has been ranked among the top law firms in the United Kingdom in the 2024 edition of the World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000. Additionally, Sean Fifield, Glenn Pudelka and Straat Tenney have been recognized among the world’s leading trademark practitioners.
WTR notes that, “Locke Lord is a large, well-established, top-flight U.S. firm, with a particularly good understanding of tech issues,” and “its London base is made up of an exceptionally personable and approachable team who are committed to nurturing meaningful relationships with their clientele.”
The WTR 1000 further highlights Farnsworth as “excellent at handling complex trademark filing matters that commonly need careful analysis,” Smith as a “proactive practitioner who addresses problems in a meaningful way,” and Hughes-Jones as a lawyer who does a “fantastic job at managing trademark portfolios and resolving disputes for multinational brands.”
Now in its 14th year, the WTR 1000 identifies the top trademark professionals in key jurisdictions around the globe.
(LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO and ATLANTA) February 14, 2024 – Locke Lord Los Angeles Partner Amin Al-Sarraf has been selected as a member of the 2024 Fellows Program for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), and Chicago’s Abigail Van Hook and Atlanta’s Lou Lou Yan have been named to LCLD’s Pathfinder Program. Both programs aim to identify, train and advance the next generation of leaders in the legal profession.
According to LCLD, its landmark Fellows Program, established in 2011, is one of its most important initiatives. As a Fellow, Al-Sarraf will participate in conferences, in-person training and projects with LCLD’s top leadership that aim to further leadership and relationship skills among lawyers who are committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive legal profession. The Pathfinder Program, now in its ninth year, targets high-performing associates. Pathfinders receive training in critical career development strategies, including leadership and building professional networks.
Head of Locke Lord’s Entertainment Industry Group, Al-Sarraf regularly 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. Deeply committed to his pro bono practice, Al-Sarraf has served in several leadership positions for pro bono committees, working closely with local public interest organizations to provide pro bono assistance in a variety of cases, including domestic violence and immigration cases and at numerous legal clinics throughout Los Angeles.
An Associate in Locke Lord’s Litigation Practice Group, Van Hook is a commercial litigator who represents companies in business disputes of all sizes. Her practice includes internal investigations, government investigations and audits, arbitrations and all phases of trial in both state and federal court. Passionate about using the power of advocacy to advance justice, Van Hook is an active member of the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago and maintains a robust pro bono practice.
Yan is an Associate in the Firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group who focuses her practice on intellectual property, patent and trademark laws as well as general corporate matters. Her practice includes patent prosecution in various fields, including telecommunications, mechanics and electronics. She also assists domestic and international clients in securing trademark rights under U.S. trademark law.
Locke Lord has a long history of support and participation in LCLD initiatives. Previous Fellows include Houston Partner Mia Lorick, Providence Partner Krystle Tadesse, Chicago Partners Ernesto Palomo, Julie Webb and Bilal Zaheer. Chicago Partner Wasim Bleibel and Associate Sky Emison, Boston Associate Natalie Jersak and Los Angeles Associate Jonevin Sabado participated in LCLD’s Pathfinder Program.
Diversity and inclusion is one of the Firm’s five core values and an integral part of Locke Lord’s strategic plan. Locke Lord understands that fostering an inclusive environment results in better decision-making, better outcomes for clients and a firm where team members can be successful and thrive.
###
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 premier, nationally recognized Public Finance Practice Group has again ranked among the leading public finance practices in the nation, ranking No. 9 on The Bond Buyer’s list of top bond counsel in the nation for competitive issues during 2023, with 90 issues totaling more than $2 billion. The Firm also secured some impressive regional top bond counsel rankings in The Bond Buyer’s Northeast Yearend Review, including: No. 2 in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, No. 3 in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont and No. 7 in the Northeast.
Just a few of Locke Lord’s many recent notable public finance matters include the representation of:
- City of Lowell, Massachusetts, in its $70.13 million General Obligation Municipal Purpose Loan of 2023 Bonds
- State of New Hampshire in its $70 million General Obligation Capital Improvement Bonds, 2023 Series A and $16.25 million General Obligation Refunding Bonds, 2023 Series B
- Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency in its $4.1 million Single Family Housing Revenue Bonds, Series 230 (Social Bonds), $90.9 million Single Family Housing Revenue Bonds, Series 231 (Social Bonds) and $64.9 million Single Family Housing Revenue Bonds, Series 232 Federally Taxable (Social Bonds)
- New Hampshire Municipal Bond Bank in its $100.15 million 2023 Series B Bonds
- State of Vermont in its $62.765 million General Obligation Bonds, 2023 Series A and its $27.285 million General Obligation Refunding Bonds, 2023 Series B
- Trustees of Deerfield Academy in its $89.22 million Massachusetts Development Finance Agency Revenue Bonds, Deerfield Academy Issue, 2023 Series
- Texas Natural Gas Securitization Finance Corporation in its $3.5 billion Customer Rate Relief Bonds (Winter Storm Uri), Taxable 2023 Series
- North Texas Tollway Authority in its $577 million System Revenue Refunding Bonds, 2023 Series
- Palm Beach County in its $35.55 million Public Improvement Revenue Bonds (Professional Sports Franchise Facility Project), Tax-Exempt 2023 Series A and $88.15 million Public Improvement Revenue Bonds (Professional Sports Franchise Facility Project), Federally Taxable 2023 Series 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.
Eleven lawyers from Locke Lord’s Chicago office were named to the Super Lawyers® 2024 Illinois Rising Stars list.
The Illinois Rising Stars list recognizes the state’s top attorneys age 40 and younger, or who are in their first 10 years of practice. Illinois Rising Stars are selected through a process of nomination, independent research and peer evaluation. Only 2.5 percent of eligible lawyers in the state are selected to the list each year.
The lawyers in Locke Lord’s Chicago office recognized in this year’s list are:
Tom Bohac
Sky Emison
Alyssa Gregory
Michael Kind
Victor Metroff
Hannah Oswald
Jorden Rutledge
Mark Silverman
Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson, a Partner in Locke Lord’s nationally recognized Public Finance Practice Group, was voted as President of the Republican Mayors Association (RMA) by the National Board at its most recent meeting.
“After a successful 2023 election cycle for Republican mayors across the country, the RMA is heading into 2024 with a full head of steam, eager to work to bring the principles of fiscal conservatism, public safety, and smaller, more accountable government to more of America’s urban areas,” said Mayor Johnson. “Our country cannot be great without great cities, and today’s announcement is the RMA’s next step toward helping to preserve, protect, and defend the American Dream, one city at a time. I am honored that so many Republican mayors have expressed an interest in serving in RMA leadership positions, and I am confident that with this founding core, together we will grow the Republican Party and expand opportunity for millions of Americans who live in our nation’s cities.”
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.
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) January 25, 2024 – Josh Kaplowitz, who most recently served as Vice President for Offshore Wind at the American Clean Power Association (ACP), has joined Locke Lord’s Washington, D.C., office in the Firm’s Energy and Infrastructure Practice Group and Renewable Energy Section. His practical experience in regulatory, policy, contractual and litigation matters related to offshore wind and other forms of renewable energy will continue to strengthen and expand the Firm’s renewable energy capabilities.
Kaplowitz led ACP’s offshore wind advocacy efforts, working to advance the organization’s policy, legislative and regulatory priorities for offshore wind, with a particular emphasis on its engagement with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), other key federal agencies and Capitol Hill. He also facilitated ACP’s collaboration with state and local governments, stakeholders and the public.
“Josh brings to Locke Lord years of experience on a wide range of strategic renewable energy legal and policy issues in both the private and public sectors,” said Ben Cowan, Chair of Locke Lord’s Renewable Energy Section. “Despite some recent challenges, the case for offshore wind in the United States remains strong, and our Firm is bullish on the long-term prospects for the industry. Josh’s addition will benefit our existing offshore wind clients as they navigate the complex permitting and commercial issues their projects face, and will enable us to further enhance and expand our administrative law and policy capabilities to better serve our full range of renewable energy and energy transition clients in an increasingly complex political and regulatory environment.”
Kaplowitz further bolsters Locke Lord’s robust offshore wind capabilities, building on other recent additions, including Emily Huggins Jones, a Partner in the Firm’s Washington, D.C., office focusing her practice in maritime and port development issues, such as the Jones Act, vessel solutions and subsea cable installation and Toyja Kelley, a litigation Partner in the Firm’s Washington, D.C., office representing offshore wind developers, who recently obtained a jury verdict in favor of US Wind in a trial involving breach of contract and tortious interference against the installation contractor for its Maryland offshore wind project.
After working in private practice as an environmental, toxic tort and commercial litigator, Kaplowitz served for five years in the Office of the Solicitor at the U.S. Department of the Interior as legal counsel for BOEM’s Office of Renewable Energy Programs and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. During his tenure, Kaplowitz helped revise BOEM’s offshore wind regulations and defend BOEM against legal challenges to its permits and leases. Kaplowitz then moved to an in-house position with GE’s offshore wind business unit.
“Having worked closely with Locke Lord lawyers during my time leading ACP’s offshore wind advocacy, I have a high regard for the Firm, and I am grateful for this opportunity,” said Kaplowitz. “It’s an exciting time in the offshore wind energy space as the first major projects are built and states continue to progress toward their clean energy goals, and I am confident Locke Lord’s national platform and broad capabilities in the renewable energy space afford me the best opportunity to build my practice and provide our clients the highest level of service.”
Kaplowitz is a frequent speaker and writer on offshore wind law and policy. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University College of Law where he teaches offshore wind law to second- and third-year law students.
Locke Lord is one of the world’s preeminent energy law firms. The Firm has built one of the nation’s leading practices representing developers, investors and lenders in the development, sale, purchase, financing and operation of renewable energy projects of all types across North America. In addition, the Firm regularly represents major and independent oil and gas companies, midstream and pipeline companies, power generation companies, refineries and petrochemical operations, oil and gas service companies and other energy-related companies, both domestically and internationally.
###
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.
PHILADELPHIA – Troutman Pepper has been awarded the Philadelphia Bar Foundation’s 2024 Pro Bono Award for creating The Pepper Center for Public Service. The Center draws on the talents of Pepper Center Fellows, the firm’s distinguished retired or senior Troutman Pepper partners and counsel, to resolve the toughest challenges facing local communities. Most recently, The Center has focused its efforts, among other ways, on non-partisan election protection work and efforts to protect democracy, a law and justice mentoring program with public school students, and representing immigrants who are seeking asylum, challenging removal, or otherwise trying to acquire legal status in the United States.
“This award recognizes that the Center has moved from an idea to a reality. We now have 55 Fellows, working with community partners, helping to tackle serious problems facing our communities, and in the process of doing so, developing meaningful relationships with each other and others in our communities,” said Amy Ginensky, Senior Counsel at Troutman Pepper and President and CEO of The Pepper Center for Public Service. “The Pepper Center is such a gift from the Firm as it has provided us with the platform, not only to do meaningful work, but to enrich our own lives in so many ways.”
Founded in 2015, The Center was established by Troutman Pepper to address critical community needs through pro bono services, consulting, partnerships with local non-profits, and support for individuals in the areas of public education, civics, and immigration. Under the leadership of Ginensky, a former President of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, Pepper Center Fellows, along with Troutman Pepper associates and partners, study, analyze, and work to resolve problems that affect the lives of people in the communities in which they work and live.
Troutman Pepper received the Pro Bono Award during the Philadelphia Bar Foundation’s Philly Justice Ball on November 9, 2024, an event that raises awareness and support for access to legal resources across Philadelphia. The Award is presented annually to a law firm or corporate legal department that provides invaluable volunteer legal services and significantly contributes to innovative legal service strategies.
“We are honored to receive this recognition for the impact The Center has made across Philadelphia, and beyond,” said Sara Richman, partner, and chair of pro bono at Troutman Pepper. “The Center is a unique organization that allows us to draw on the time and talent of our senior counsel and retired partners, significantly increasing the impact we can make in our communities through pro bono and community service work. I hope other firms will replicate this model.”
Each year, Troutman Pepper attorneys dedicate thousands of pro bono hours in support of nonprofits, immigrants, military veterans, children, the wrongfully convicted, civil rights and social justice initiatives, and so many more. Learn more at troutman.com/pro-bono.
About Troutman Pepper
Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,100 attorneys strategically located in 20+ U.S. cities. The firm’s litigation, transactional, and regulatory practices advise a diverse client base, from startups to multinational enterprises. The firm provides sophisticated legal solutions to clients’ most pressing business challenges, with depth across industry sectors, including energy, financial services, health sciences, insurance, and private equity, among others. Learn more at troutman.com.