K&L Gates Names 24 New Partners Across Four Continents

Pittsburgh - The partners of global law firm K&L Gates LLP have voted to elect the following lawyers from across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia as new partners of the firm, effective March 1, 2019. Nearly 55 percent (13 of 24) of the lawyers in this latest class are women.
 
“We are proud and delighted to welcome such a diverse and talented group of lawyers into K&L Gates’ partnership,” stated James Segerdahl, K&L Gates’ Global Managing Partner. “We look forward to the contributions these lawyers will continue to make – individually as well as collectively – to our firm and the clients we serve.”

Abigail Hemnes and Pablo Man were named partners in the firm’s Boston office, where they both are members of the firm’s investment management practice. Hemnes represents open- and closed-end investment management companies and mutual fund complexes on a variety of regulatory and compliance matters, while Man counsels investment advisers, closed-end funds, alternative open-end funds, and unregistered funds on matters including adviser registration, compliance, and performance advertising.

In Charlotte, Brittany Doolittle and Aaron Rothman have been named partners. Doolittle focuses her practice on corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and general corporate law matters. Rothman advises on corporate finance, mezzanine finance, private equity, and restructuring and insolvency matters.

Devon Beane and Ryan Severson are new partners in the firm’s Chicago office. Beane concentrates her intellectual property practice on patent litigation, appellate litigation, patent licensing, and client counseling, while Severson counsels on a wide range of healthcare regulatory issues, including fraud and abuse compliance, the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, and Medicare and Medicaid enrollment and reimbursement.

In Fort Worth, Tricia Lee has been named partner. Lee practices in the areas of private equity, private fund formation, and general corporate law.

Alex Blomfield and Nicola Ellis were named partners in London. Blomfield centers his practice on the development, construction, and financing of energy-related infrastructure projects worldwide. Ellis advises developers, contractors, and consultants on negotiating and drafting construction documentation, as well as various forms of dispute resolution.

Ruth Delaney is a new partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office, where she counsels domestic and offshore private fund advisers on organizational, regulatory, and compliance issues, including forming hedge funds, negotiating agreements, and structuring of funds.

In Melbourne, Savannah Hardingham and Daniel Knight have been named partners. Hardingham is an intellectual property lawyer with experience in the protection, management, and enforcement of IP rights including trademarks, copyrights, and designs. Knight advises a range of fund managers, banks, financial advisors, FinTechs, and other financial services firms on commercial and regulatory matters.

Vanessa Boato has been named a partner in Milan. Boato focuses on administrative and town planning matters, public procurement and real estate related transactions, and litigation before administrative courts and arbitration boards.

George Kontakis is a new maritime partner in the New York office, where he litigates on a broad range of domestic and international commercial and criminal matters, including investigations, charter party disputes, maritime collisions, spills and casualties, vessel sales and purchases, insurance coverage disputes, and attachment and arrest proceedings.

In Palo Alto, Ranjini Acharya has been named partner. Acharya focuses on complex patent litigation, trade secrets misappropriation, and copyright disputes in federal courts and before the International Trade Commission. "

In Pittsburgh, Jacquelyn Celender and Nicole Stockey have both been named partners. Celender counsels on complex commercial litigation, class action defense, and insurance coverage, while Stockey focuses on commercial and employment litigation, investigations, and compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, as well as other anti-bribery and anti-corruption related laws.

Francisco Gomez Olmedo and Peter Talevich are new partners in the firm’s Seattle office. Olmedo advises technology start-ups and growth-stage companies on formation, venture financing, and general corporate matters. Talevich counsels clients on a broad range of litigation matters including consumer lending litigation, commercial disputes, post-employment covenants, trade secrets, trusts and estates, and constitutional law.

Kamil Ahmed has been named a partner in Singapore. Ahmed focuses his practice on the financing, leasing, and trading of aircraft and equipment assets. He has experience working on a variety of financial products including Japanese operating leases, finance/capital leases, sales and leasebacks, owner trusts, and portfolio sales, acquisitions, and financings.

In Sydney, Kirstie Richards and Lucy Shanahan have been named partners. Richards advises on large-scale projects in the energy, renewables, oil and gas, mining, and infrastructure sectors, while Shanahan has experience dealing with a wide range of employment matters including executive employment issues, performance management, grievances, disciplinary matters, discrimination, and termination of employment.

Theodore Kornobis and Richard Nettles are new partners in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. Kornobis focuses on complex civil and white collar criminal litigation, enforcement actions by various government authorities, and internal investigations. Nettles advises clients on employee benefits, executive compensation, and related disclosure and corporate governance matters.