Law Firm News

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Law Firm News

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Lane Powell PC

Trant Joins Lane Powell's Intellectual Property Team
Deborah G. Trant joins Lane Powell as an associate in the Firm’s intellectual property practice group.

Prior to joining Lane Powell, Trant worked as in-house counsel at Kettle Foods Inc. and previously as the trademark affairs coordinator.

She received her J.D. from Willamette University School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Portland.

03-01-2007

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Kramer, Levin, Naftalis & Frankel, LLP

Kramer Levin Obtains Asylum for Gay Man Who Fled Persecution in Colombia
A Kramer Levin team has obtained asylum for a gay man who fled Colombia to escape severe persecution because of his sexual orientation and his pro-gay rights civil activism. Our client was the victim of verbal and physical death threats, physical assaults, extortion, theft, and threats of rape by Colombian police forces, assaults by members of the Colombian military, housing discrimination, and severe mental traumatization. He fled Colombia after barely escaping a police roundup where several gay men were taken to a remote forest area and executed. The Kramer Levin team was able to convince the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services that our client was entitled to asylum based on its documentation of the extensive persecution of homosexuals in Colombia and collection of affidavits and documentary evidence corroborating our client's claims. Aaron Frankel, Mital Gondha, Gregory Dolin, then-summer associate Oliver McKinstry, and paralegals Hana Lee and Matt Keating all worked on this case. The matter was referred by Immigration Equality.

03-01-2007

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Kramer, Levin, Naftalis & Frankel, LLP

Kramer Levin Chosen to Receive ABA's John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award
The ABA Section of Litigation has selected Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP as recipient of the 2007 John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award. The Wisdom Award will be presented to Kramer Levin at the Section of Litigation’s annual meeting in San Antonio on April 12. Kramer Levin is the first New York-based firm ever to win this prestigious national award.

Kramer Levin was singled out for the award based on its outstanding and varied pro bono achievements in 2006, which included serving as co-counsel in League of Women Voters v. Cobb, which struck down Florida’s restrictive voter registration law, and Hernandez v. Robles, the New York case seeking equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. The award also recognizes Kramer Levin's longstanding commitment to policies that encourage all of its lawyers to participate in pro bono and public service work.

“This award was created to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the quality of justice in their communities, ensuring that the legal system is open and available to all. Kramer Levin truly exemplifies the best of our profession. Every member of the firm should be proud of their accomplishments and our section is proud to honor them by recognizing their work on behalf of those in need,” said Section of Litigation Chair Kim Askew of Dallas.

Named for renowned Fifth Circuit judge and civil rights pioneer John Minor Wisdom, the award recognizes lawyers who have made a significant contribution to the quality of justice in the legal profession and in their communities by making legal assistance accessible to the poor, the disenfranchised, and other underrepresented groups. The award honors lawyers from all areas of practice, including career public interest lawyers, lawyers from private firms, and corporate counsel. Entire law firms have been given the award only four other times since it was created in 1990.

“We have always believed that giving back to the community and helping make the legal system work for all are the responsibilities of every lawyer and law firm,” said Kramer Levin Managing Partner Paul S. Pearlman. “We are pleased to receive this acknowledgement of our hard work in living up to that obligation.

03-01-2007

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King & Spalding

King & Spalding, Chaffe McCall Help Katrina Victims Overcome Regulatory Barrier to Food Stamp Assistance
King & Spalding obtained a significant victory today on behalf of low-income Hurricane Katrina victims in Louisiana whose Federal Emergency Management Agency benefits were improperly counted as a basis for denying federal food stamp assistance.

In November 2006, King & Spalding agreed to represent Paul Lala, a disabled resident of Chalmette, Louisiana, whose home and personal property were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. In 2005, Lala received disaster assistance payments from FEMA to rebuild his home and replace personal property. Like many other Louisiana residents, Lala has not yet spent his disaster assistance funds to repair his home due to contractor shortages and uncertainty surrounding the rebuilding effort in the Gulf Coast region. Therefore, he deposited the funds into his personal checking account.

Because of his desperate situation, in June 2006 Lala applied to the Louisiana Department of Social Services for federal food stamps assistance. Even though Lala’s only income consists of monthly SSI/SSDI payments and he otherwise met all the other eligibility requirements for food stamps, LDSS denied his food stamps application on the grounds that the FEMA funds were still sitting in his checking account. Federal law prohibited Lala from spending those very same funds—which were intended solely for home repairs—on food.

LDSS based its denial on an obscure federal regulation under the Food Stamps Act that prohibits “commingling” disaster payments with other funds in a personal checking account for more than six months. In a ruling that LDSS itself characterized as “harsh,” LDSS told Lala that he would have to “spend down” his disaster funds before he could reapply for food stamps.

“The state’s interpretation of the commingling regulation placed Lala in a Catch-22,” said Shelby S. Guilbert, Jr., a King & Spalding lawyer who represented Lala. “He could use the money he received from FEMA to rebuild his home, buy new kitchen appliances, or purchase new pots and pans, but under the Stafford Act, he couldn’t use that same money to buy food. And because of the slow pace of the rebuilding effort and the state’s interpretation of the commingling regulation, the FEMA money that was supposed to be helping him get back on his feet was preventing him from receiving food stamps. This result is not what Congress intended when it passed the Stafford Act.”

King & Spalding had reason to believe that the commingling regulation was affecting other Louisiana residents. In November 2006, Lala filed a complaint on behalf of himself and other similarly situated individuals in Louisiana against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, LDSS and named government officials in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (Lala v. Williamson, et al. Case No. 06-10513). The complaint alleged that the commingling regulation was contrary to the clear intent of Congress as expressed in both the Stafford Act and the Food Stamp Act, and was therefore invalid. The complaint sought a declaratory judgment that the commingling regulation was invalid, and an injunction restoring benefits that were wrongfully withheld.

Several weeks after the complaint was filed, USDA, the federal agency that oversees the food stamps program, agreed to waive application of the commingling regulation as it applies to FEMA aid recipients through March 2008 for the entire state of Louisiana. Shortly thereafter the parties reached a settlement agreement that provides, among other things, that Louisiana will:

* apply the USDA waiver of the commingling regulation to Lala and all other similarly situated Louisiana residents;
* provide Lala with retroactive food stamp benefits that were wrongfully withheld;
* notify food stamp applicants who were denied based on disaster assistance funds of the waiver and restore retroactive benefits to those eligible to receive them; and
* pay a portion of Lala’s attorney’s fees.

Lala’s counsel has announced that it will donate the attorney’s fee award to New Orleans Legal Assistance, who had assisted Lala with his food stamps appeal in LDSS. The Atlanta-based King & Spalding legal team that successfully represented Lala and the class in this case included partners William E. Hoffmann, Jr., and Stephen B. Devereaux, and associates Guilbert, Tomesha L. Faxio and Regina Lennox. Lala was also represented by K. Eric Gisleson and Peter J. Rotolo, III, of Chaffe McCall.

03-01-2007

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King & Spalding

King & Spalding Advises Ashmore Energy International In Two Deals in Panama and Peru
King & Spalding, a leading international law firm, represented Ashmore Energy International (AEI) in an agreement to sell its 51 percent indirect stake in Bahía Las Minas Corp. (BLM), a Panamanian generation company, to France’s Suez Energy International.

As part of the transaction, Suez is selling its entire interest in Peruvian natural gas distributor Cálidda to AEI and Colombian natural gas company Promigas. AEI owns 52.88 percent of Promigas.

AEI is an owner and operator of essential energy infrastructure in emerging markets. The company manages interests in a group of 20 energy assets located in 13 countries with more than US $2 billion in revenue and 8,300 employees.

Additional details about the transactions can be found here:

* www.ashmoreenergy.com/newsflash/newsflash.asp?Mode=View&articleid=10&Category=All
* www.ashmoreenergy.com/newsflash/newsflash.asp?Mode=View&articleid=11&Category=All

The King & Spalding legal team representing AEI consisted of partner George E. (Ned) Crady and associate Maria Angelica Espinosa.

03-01-2007

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Jackson Walker L.L.P.

Jackson Walker Expands San Antonio Office with 10 Attorneys From Jenkens & Gilchrist
Jackson Walker L.L.P., one of Texas' oldest and largest law firms, announced today the addition of 10 attorneys to the San Antonio office. All attorneys are moving to Jackson Walker from Jenkens & Gilchrist, including J. Scott Rose, Managing Partner of Jenkens' San Antonio office. Accompanying Rose as partners are Robert L. Soza, Seagal V. Wheatley, and Julia Mann. Charles L. Smith will be Of Counsel at the firm. New associates are Margaret Hopson, Mark Fassold, Steve Ramon, Marc Rietvelt, and Toni Price.

Patrick B. Tobin, Managing Partner of the San Antonio office of Jackson Walker, stated, "We are so pleased to have this talented group of attorneys join our office. With their combined experience in several practice areas including customs and international trade, we are able to enhance and expand our international business and dimension of the firm. In addition, their expertise in complex litigation and bankruptcy proceedings will enable us to add depth to our already considerable strength in those areas."

Scott Rose said, "Jackson Walker provides us an exceptional opportunity to expand our client service here in San Antonio and around the state. We feel very fortunate to join such a leading Texas firm and to be a part of its continued growth that will advance the interests of all our clients."

Now with a total of 39 attorneys, based on the San Antonio Business Journal's 2007 Book of Lists, Jackson Walker's local office is the fifth largest law firm in San Antonio.

Scott Rose comes to Jackson Walker with twenty-two years of experience in bankruptcy proceedings and financial transactions. He has worked in corporate, partnership, and individual reorganization proceedings and bankruptcy-related litigation, representing national banking and investment institutions as well as debtors and court-appointed creditors' committees. With extensive experience in commercial lending transactions and corporate debt restructuring, Mr. Rose has also represented many clients in acquiring distressed companies during bankruptcy proceedings.

Robert Soza's practice focuses on environmental and administrative advocacy and international trade matters. He has experience in compliance and litigation relating to CERCLA, RCRA, NEPA, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and Mexican environmental laws. As a licensed U.S. Customs Broker, Mr. Soza has represented clients in international trade matters, ruling requests, compliance audits, defense of penalty assessment, and export control compliance. He also has experience in international arbitration of commercial disputes.

Seagal Wheatley brings additional experience in corporate litigation to Jackson Walker. Mr. Wheatley has represented major national, regional and local corporate clients in public and private corporations. Mr. Wheatley is a former United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas. He is currently President of the 5000-member Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit.

Julia Mann's practice focuses on environmental and commercial litigation. This includes private party environmental enforcement proceedings seeking remediation cost and penalties under both federal and state statutes, common law claims for property damages and personal injuries, contractual disputes, business entities formation, and shareholder disputes. Ms. Mann has extensive experience with complex commercial litigation, including shareholder class action suits and multi-million dollar business disputes. She has also defended toxic tort claims and professional negligence claims involving environmental contamination and remediation.

Charles L. Smith brings over fifty years of litigation experience to Jackson Walker. Mr. Smith focuses on state and federal litigation and has represented businesses in complex litigation, including difficult securities, antitrust matters, and first party insurance disputes. Mr. Smith is a Fellow in the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers. He served as President of the State Bar of Texas, the San Antonio Bar Association and has been involved in state, regional and national legal associations throughout his career.

03-01-2007

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Hagens, Berman, Sobol & Shapiro, L.L.P.

Steve W. Berman named to "America's Leading Lawyers"
Steve W. Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro was named as one of America’s 500 leading lawyers by a national legal publication. The award cited Berman’s $92.5 million settlement with Boeing, and his role in the $292 million settlement involving Louisiana Pacific siding. In the award, the publication notes that Berman is the lawyer that “plaintiffs in the Northwest call on.”

The award was given by Lawdragon, a legal trade publication dedicated to reporting on trends, developments and talent within the nation’s legal community.

03-01-2007

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