ATLANTA – Southern States Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: SSBK), the holding company for Southern States Bank and CBB Bancorp, the holding company for Century Bank of Georgia, have signed a definitive merger agreement under which Southern States would acquire CBB Bancorp. Upon completion, Southern States expects to merge CBB Bancorp with and into Southern States, with Southern States as the surviving entity. Century Bank would similarly be merged with and into Southern States Bank.

A Troutman Pepper team led by Partner James Stevens and including William Mayo, Caitlin E. Oh, Constance Brewster, and Emily Schifter, among others, served as legal counsel to Century Bank.

Troutman Pepper’s Financial Services Industry Group provides comprehensive support to all types of financial services businesses in today’s challenging and ever-changing environment. The team includes more than 200 attorneys who regularly advise global, national, regional, and community banks, financial technology companies, payments companies, consumer and commercial lenders, and a wide variety of other financial services businesses on the most crucial aspects of their business, from structuring major transactions to dealing with regulatory scrutiny and litigation.

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.

DETROIT – Michigan Lawyers Weekly, an independent newspaper dedicated to providing legal news to enhance the practice of law, has named Troutman Pepper’s Nickolas Guttman and Robert Hertzberg to its 2024 Class of “Up & Coming Lawyers” and “Hall of Fame”, respectively.

Those recognized as “Up & Coming Lawyers” have excelled in the profession and are standouts among their peers in their first 10 years of practice.

At Troutman Pepper, Guttman’s practice focuses on transactions within the real estate, renewable and legacy energy, and commercial industries, in addition to a focus on general corporate law. He regularly represents energy providers and developers, property owners, real estate developers, landlords, and tenants in the acquisition, sale, development, financing, and leasing of commercial real estate properties and energy projects. He is also a graduate of Class XLII of Leadership Detroit hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber.

Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s “Hall of Fame” program recognizes the state’s legal leaders who have been in practice for 30 years for their successful careers and valuable contributions to the community.

With more than 40 years of practicing in the bankruptcy and restructuring field, Hertzberg represented secured lenders, debtors, debtors in-possession, trustees, creditors, and creditors’ committees and handled complex litigation matters in bankruptcy and federal district courts. He is a past president of INSOL International, the leading international organization of bankruptcy professionals, and is a fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy. Additionally, Hertzberg has lectured throughout Europe, Africa, Middle East, the Americas, and the Far East on bankruptcy and restructuring issues.

Troutman Pepper’s Detroit office features more than 20 attorneys who represent clients in complex matters in a range of practice areas, including corporate and securities, construction, environmental law, bankruptcy and reorganization, labor and employment, litigation, real estate, and renewable and legacy energy, among other areas.

A recognition awards luncheon will honor the Class of 2024 on April 26 at the Petruzzello’s Banquet and Conference Center of Troy. Profiles of the honorees will appear in a special section in the April 22 issue of Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

About Troutman Pepper
Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,100 attorneys strategically located in 23 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.

CHICAGO – Molly DiRago, a partner in Troutman Pepper’s Business Litigation and Privacy + Cyber practices, has been recognized among the 2024 Notable Women in Law by Crain’s Chicago Business. The annual list recognizes accomplished women attorneys in the Chicago area for their career achievements, leadership, and impactful work.

In building their list, editors looked for nominees who serve in senior roles within law firms working with clients or on pro bono projects that have measurable impact. Honorees have demonstrated leadership in professional organizations and civic or community initiatives and have been role models and mentors to other attorneys, promoting inclusive practices in the workplace.

At Troutman Pepper, DiRago manages high profile and highly complex litigation in a variety of areas, including redistricting and gerrymandering cases, antitrust, sexual assault cases against institutions, and consumer fraud class actions. She is a member of the Northern District of Illinois’ trial bar and frequently litigates cases through trial. She also has developed a focus in the privacy space, particularly with respect to educating and guiding clients through compliance with Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) and other privacy laws. She is the editor of the firm’s monthly privacy newsletter, More Privacy Please.

DiRago also has an active pro bono practice. Most recently, she notched a win in Illinois State Court, successfully leading a team in their defense of a family accused of fraud connected to their sale of a 100+ year-old house in Albany Park. After years of protracted litigation, just four days before trial was to commence, the team won summary judgment on all counts brought against the family.

Crain’s recognized more than 140 women in its 2024 Notable Women in Law list, which was included as a special editorial feature within the publication’s Feb. 19 print issue and online at ChicagoBusiness.com.

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.

 

PRINCETON, N.J. – Troutman Pepper counseled L2 Capital, a boutique lower middle market private equity firm, in its strategic investment in The iFranchise Group and TopFire Media. Read a company press release about the investment.

L2 Capital specializes in making controlling investments in a diverse range of family and founder-built companies with demonstrated market leadership and unlocked potential for growth. iFranchise, the market leader in franchise consulting, provides strategic consulting services to emerging and established franchise concepts. TopFire Media is a leading, full-service digital marketing and public relations firm that primarily serves the franchising industry.

The multidisciplinary team advising L2 Capital was led by Donald Readlinger, Bruce K. Fenton, and Brandon Raphael and included attorneys Joshua Gelfand (Tax & Benefits), Howard Goldberg (Tax & Benefits), Raffaele Cicala, Brianna Hourihan (Tax & Benefits), Moses Tincher (Labor & Employment), and Monica Vu.

Consistently recognized as a top-tier national practice, Troutman Pepper’s corporate attorneys regularly handle multimillion- and multibillion-dollar transactions. Core areas of service include capital markets transactions and other significant domestic and cross-border transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, securities laws compliance, and corporate finance. The firm has particular expertise in the private equity and private fund services space, advising clients on matters from fund formation to investments and exit transactions.

About Troutman Pepper 
Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,100 attorneys strategically located in 23 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. 

PHILADELPHIA – Melinda Rudolph, an esteemed life sciences attorney who focuses on the commercial and operational issues faced by companies in the life sciences industry, has joined Troutman Pepper’s nationally recognized Health Sciences Transactional Practice Group as a partner.

Making her return to the firm where she started her career, Rudolph is the latest addition to the firm’s Health Sciences Transactional Practice this month, becoming the second partner to join the team. Her arrival closely follows that of Celeste Letourneau, a registered nurse with a unique blend of in-house and private practice experience, who recently joined the Health Sciences team.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mindy back to Troutman Pepper,” said Sean Fahey, chair of Troutman Pepper’s Health Sciences Department. “Her return not only signifies a homecoming but also the addition of a seasoned life sciences attorney to our team. Mindy’s extensive experience in dealing with commercial and operational issues in the life sciences industry will be a significant asset to our practice.”

With over 30 years of large firm and in-house experience, Rudolph focuses on the commercial and operational issues faced by companies in the life sciences industries. She advises companies and service providers on matters relating to licensing, development, and marketing of technology and products, manufacturing and distribution products, university licensing, research and development collaborations, outsourcing of operational activities, clinical studies, and contract research organization agreements. Rudolph has represented companies in both private practice and as in-house counsel, works routinely on multinational transactions, and served as the general counsel of a publicly traded biotechnology company.

“I am delighted to be returning to Troutman Pepper, the firm where my legal journey began,” Rudolph said. “It’s a pleasure to rejoin this talented team and contribute to the growth of the Health Sciences Transactional practice. Troutman Pepper’s integrated, interdisciplinary approach aligns perfectly with my commitment to providing comprehensive counsel to clients at all stages of the health care continuum. I am excited for this next chapter in my career and am eager to contribute to the firm’s continued success.”

Rudolph earned her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

“We are excited to have Mindy Rudolph join our Health Sciences Transactional Practice,” said Deborah Spranger, co-leader of Troutman Pepper’s Health Sciences Transactional Practice. “With her impressive track record in the life sciences sector, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will greatly benefit our clients. Her understanding of the intricacies of licensing, collaborations, and commercialization of technology and products, along with her experience in multinational transactions, will undoubtedly enhance our service offerings. We look forward to the contributions she will make to our team and our clients.”

Troutman Pepper’s leading life sciences and health care practice counsels clients at all stages of the health care continuum – from drug development to clinical care – from emerging biotech to global pharma. The firm takes an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to counsel clients’ complex, evolving needs, providing critical support including intellectual property prosecution and litigation, corporate finance and governance, privacy and cybersecurity, litigation, regulatory, and enforcement.

About Troutman Pepper
Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,100 attorneys strategically located in 23 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.

PRINCETON, N.J. – Troutman Pepper client L2 Capital, a boutique lower middle market private equity firm, recently announced the completion of its acquisition of Robbins Sports Surfaces, a market-leading manufacturer of hardwood basketball floors. Read a company press release about the transaction.

Founded in 1894, Robbins is a vertically integrated, multi-generational family business whose customer base spans elementary, middle, and high schools as well as colleges and NCAA and NBA teams. The Company also manufactures hardwood floors for dance and other sports and is the exclusive North American distributor of Pulastic brand synthetic floors. L2 Capital specializes in making controlling investments in a diverse range of family and founder-built companies with demonstrated market leadership and unlocked potential for growth.

The multidisciplinary team advising L2 Capital in the acquisition was led by Donald Readlinger and Bruce K. Fenton, and included attorneys Joshua Gelfand (Tax & Benefits), Cynthia DeLisi (Real Estate), Gregory Narsh (Environmental), Emily Davidson (Tax & Benefits), Leigh McMonigle (Labor & Employment), Samantha Peruto, Madeline Reed, and Howard Goldberg.

Consistently recognized as a top-tier national practice, Troutman Pepper’s corporate attorneys regularly handle multimillion- and multibillion-dollar transactions. Core areas of service include capital markets transactions and other significant domestic and cross-border transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, securities laws compliance, and corporate finance. The firm has particular expertise in the private equity and private fund services space, advising clients on matters from fund formation to investments and exit transactions.

ATLANTA – Troutman Pepper and seven partners have been recognized among the world’s leading national and international trademark practitioners in the World Trademark Review’s 2024 edition of the WTR 1000. The publication is the definitive guide that identifies the top trademark professionals in key jurisdictions around the globe.

Individual practitioners, law firms, and trademark attorney practices qualify for inclusion in the WTR 1000 solely on receiving sufficient positive feedback from market sources. The extensive research process was conducted over a four-month period by a team of full-time analysts and involved over 1,700 telephone interviews with trademark specialists across the globe. According to the review, “the trademark team at Troutman Pepper puts brand protection at the forefront of its practice. From commercialization strategies to enforcement in court and at the TTAB, the outfit prioritizes solutions that secure the business goals of its clientele.”

United States: California

  • Troutman Pepper (Bronze – Firms: Prosecution and Strategy; Bronze – Firms: Enforcement and Litigation)
  • Ben Wagner (Bronze – Individuals: Enforcement and Litigation)
  • Susan Stabe (Bronze – Individuals: Prosecution and Strategy)

United State: Georgia

United States: New York

  • Troutman Pepper (Bronze – Firms: Prosecution and Strategy)
  • Howard Shire (Bronze – Individuals: Enforcement and Litigation)
  • Karl Zielaznicki (Bronze – Individuals: Prosecution and Strategy)

United States: Pennsylvania

  • Paul Kennedy (Silver – Individuals: Prosecution and Strategy)

Troutman Pepper’s nationally recognized Intellectual Property Practice provides the complete range of services for patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets and assists clients with litigation and dispute resolution, licensing, and other transactions. Clients include startups, Fortune 100 companies, academic and research institutes, business incubators, and technology companies in a wide range of industries.

About Troutman Pepper
Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,100 attorneys strategically located in 23 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.

NEW YORK – Troutman Pepper has been recognized with two Deal of the Year M&A Atlas Awards from the Global M&A Network – U.S.A. Deal of the Year (Small Middle Markets), and Retail & Services Deal of the Year. Global M&A Network recognized the achievements of Troutman Pepper and fellow honorees during the 15th Annual Americas and Global Markets M&A Atlas Awards celebrations. 

U.S.A. Deal of the Year (Small Middle Markets)

The U.S.A. Deal of the Year (Small Middle Markets) acknowledged HMP Global’s acquisition of Neuroscience Education Institute, a privately held medical education company and distinguished leader in psychopharmacology-based CNS (Central Nervous System) education. Navagant served as investment banking advisor to Neuroscience Education Institute. Troutman Pepper’s Matthew Greenberg, Brandon Raphael, Raffaele Cicala, Laura Kleinberg, and Monica Vu represented HMP Global, a leading omnichannel health care education and events company, in the acquisition. HMP Global is a portfolio company of Susquehanna Growth Equity and Troutman Pepper has served as counsel to both organizations over the years.

Retail & Services Deal of the Year

The Deal of the Year award for Retail & Services recognized the sale by American Tire Distributors, Inc. (ATD), the world’s largest wholesale tire distributor, of its Canadian subsidiary, National Tire Distributors, Inc., to Groupe Touchette. Troutman Pepper’s Chad Warpula, Mason Bayler, David Carter, Justin Wood, Manny Clark, Chelsea MacArthur, Jackie Bell, Joe Goldman, Dan Anziska, Joel Post, and Howard Goldberg advised ATD in the transaction. The firm has represented ATD since 2015, and Warpula has represented ATD since 1999, including actively serving as ATD’s General Counsel as part of the ATD management team.

Consistently recognized as a top-tier national practice, Troutman Pepper’s corporate attorneys regularly handle transactions ranging in size from tens of millions of dollars to multibillion dollars. Core areas of service include private equity, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions (including cross-border transactions and corporate carve-outs), capital markets and corporate finance, corporate governance, and securities laws compliance. The firm also has particular expertise in advising clients on matters involving fund formation and fund management.

About Troutman Pepper
Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,100 attorneys strategically located in 23 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.

NEW YORK – A new report from Troutman Pepper explores key developments and trends across the privacy, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI) landscape from the past year while offering actionable insights for companies navigating the evolving areas. The 2023 Privacy Year in Review, released today, highlights the following:

  • New U.S. State Comprehensive Privacy Laws Gaining Momentum at 13 and Counting
  • Increased Scrutiny of Lead Generation Activities and Data Brokers Impacting Marketing for All Companies
  • New Restrictions, Enforcements and Class Action Liabilities for Cookies and Other Tracking and AdTech
  • Companies Stop Panicking and Develop AI Safeguards Leveraging Adjacent Privacy Controls
  • New and Evolving Global Privacy Laws
  • Ransomware and Wire-Transfer Fraud Continues Amid Heightened Scrutiny And Obligations

“It was an explosive year in privacy, security, and artificial intelligence, with new technologies, regulations, and obstacles to navigate. Our privacy report zeroes in on the key trends and developments we believe will shape the year and future ahead,” said Partner Jim Koenig, co-leader of the firm’s Privacy + Cyber Practice.

“We also spotlight notable cases with a particular focus on emerging technologies and U.S. state attorneys general enforcement and litigation,” said Partner Stephen Piepgrass, co-leader of the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice. “Many challenges and opportunities lie ahead – with preparation and the right team, companies will be well-positioned to achieve their business goals.”

The report is a collaboration between the firm’s Privacy + Cyber and RISE practices. Troutman Pepper’s national Privacy + Cyber team extends the range of privacy and cyber services traditionally offered by law firms, drawing upon its unique combination of global expertise in keys areas such as privacy program creation and implementation, licensing, financing and M&A transactions, incident response, litigation, and regulatory investigations and enforcement.

The RISE practice counsels clients in a wide range of legal and public policy matters. For businesses in heavily regulated industries, such as financial services, advertising and marketing, health care, insurance, telecommunications, alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis, the team offers guidance on compliance and reporting as well as, when necessary, litigation and administrative appeals of regulatory enforcement actions.

About Troutman Pepper
Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,100 attorneys strategically located in 23 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.

NEW YORK – For the tenth consecutive year, Troutman Pepper has been ranked among the top US-based Law firms for its Canadian Capital Markets Deals. This according to the latest league table ranks by Refinitiv, a data analytics provider.

“Our Canadian Practice Group has once again demonstrated its consistent strong performance, concluding the year with a robust fourth quarter,” stated Partner Tom Rose. “While our position in the league tables is noteworthy, what truly defines our success is the complexity of the deals we complete and the significant work we do for our clients on a daily basis.”

Notably, the firm’s Canadian Practice Group has achieved top rankings in the United States. It landed in the No. 1 US-based law firm spot as a legal advisor for issuers, and the No. 2 US-based law firm spot as a legal advisor for managers, specifically for Canada equity and equity-related deals. Rankings:

Refinitiv – Global Capital Markets Legal Review 2023

Canada Equity & Equity-related (CAL4) # of Deals Issuer Legal Advisor

#2 (#1 US Ranked Firm)

Canada Equity & Equity-related (CAL4) # of Deals Manager Legal Advisor

#6 (#2 US Ranked Firm)

Troutman Pepper’s Canadian Practice Group represents Canadian companies with respect to their U.S. legal needs. The Canadian Practice Group includes lawyers with experience in the areas of securities and corporate finance; mergers and acquisitions; energy regulation; energy trading; intellectual property; immigration; tax; government contracts; and complex litigation. The team regularly acts as counsel on U.S. public and private equity and debt offerings for Canadian issuers, Canadian and U.S. underwriters or agents and Canadian and U.S. investors, including assisting Canadian companies with U.S. exchange listings and U.S. periodic reporting obligations.

About Troutman Pepper
Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,100 attorneys strategically located in 23 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.