Hunton & Williams Elects New Partners
Hunton & Williams LLP, with more than 975 lawyers in 19 offices serving clients worldwide, today announced the election of these lawyers to its partnership, effective April 1.
Rudene Mercer Bascomb, Melinda R. Beres, S. Gregory Cope, Ashley Cummings, Alexandra B. Cunningham, Kenneth L. Dobkin, Eric H. Feiler, Christopher L. Gaenzle, Bradley W. Grout, Cecelia Philipps Horner, Kevin W. Jones, Ryan T. Ketchum, Robert A. King, Christopher G. Kulp, Michael C. McCann, Thomas E. Oney, Jeremy R. Schwer, Jonathan Michael Wilan, Allison D. Wood, and Scott F. Yarnell.
The short profiles below include the nature of each new partner’s practice, which range from intellectual property and complex litigation matters to corporate finance, tax and energy law.
Rudene Mercer Bascomb joined Hunton & Williams in 1999 as a member of the business practice group in the Richmond office. Her practice focuses on asset securitization and general corporate transactions. In 2006, she received the Emerson G. Spies Award from the Virginia Bar Association and was elected to its executive committee of the Young Lawyers Division. Ms. Bascomb, who also received a 2006 Star of the Quarter from the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, currently serves as a district representative for Maryland and Virginia Young Lawyer Division affiliates, for the term 2005-2007. She was recently recognized by publisher Law & Politics as a Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Star for 2007. Ms. Bascomb graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia in 1996 and went on to earn her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1999. She is admitted to practice in Virginia.
Melinda R. Beres is a member of the business practice group in the Charlotte office. Her practice focuses on asset securitization. She has represented clients in a variety of transactions involving a broad range of asset classes, including auto loans, student loans, credit cards and trade receivables. Ms. Beres also has experience representing U.S. and non-U.S. entities in cross-border finance transactions. Ms. Beres received her undergraduate degree from Presbyterian College in 1995 and her masters of law from the University of Sussex (England) in 1997, where she was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. She received her law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1999. Ms. Beres can be reached at (704) 378-4766 or mberes@hunton.com.
S. Gregory Cope is a member of the business practice group in the Richmond office. His practice focuses on securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and general securities and corporate law matters. Mr. Cope has represented clients in various industries with a particular focus on real estate investment trusts and other specialty finance and real estate-related businesses. He received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University in 1995 and his law degree cum laude from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1998. During law school, he was a judicial clerk for the Honorable Houston Goddard, presiding judge of the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Eastern Section. Mr. Cope can be reached at (804) 788-8388 or gcope@hunton.com.
Ashley Cummings is a member of the litigation and intellectual property team in the Atlanta office. Her practice focuses on complex litigation with emphasis on product liability, consumer fraud and class actions. Active in the community, Ms. Cummings runs marathons to raise funding for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s medical research and patient aid programs. She graduated from Florida State University in 1995 and went on to earn her law degree with distinction from Emory University School of Law in 1998. Following law school, she was a judicial clerk for the Honorable Julie E. Carnes of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia. Ms. Cummings can be reached at (404) 888-4223 or acummings@hunton.com.
Alexandra B. Cunningham is a member of the litigation and intellectual property practice in the Richmond office. Her practice focuses on environmental litigation and toxic torts, mass tort litigation and class actions, and multidistrict and general commercial litigation. She served as trial counsel in the largest consolidated trial of asbestos claims in Virginia history. An adjunct faculty member of the University of Richmond School of Law, Ms. Cunningham is the former Committee Chair of the Domestic Violence Safety Project of the Virginia State Bar. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 1996 and received her law degree, with high honors, from Emory University School of Law in 1999. She can be reached at (804) 787-8087 or acunningham@hunton.com.
Kenneth L. Dobkin is a member of the labor and employment team in the Atlanta office. His practice focuses on defense of class actions, mass actions and complex litigation. Since the recent enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Mr. Dobkin has defended a number of companies against whistleblower claims before the Department of Labor, in federal court and in NASD arbitration proceedings. Mr. Dobkin’s practice also includes general client counseling, traditional employment litigation, noncompete litigation and litigation of other employment-related business disputes in state courts, federal courts and arbitration proceedings before the NASD and AAA. Mr. Dobkin graduated from The George Washington University in 1992 and received his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law in 1995. He can be reached at (404) 888-4152 or kdobkin@hunton.com.
Eric H. Feiler is a member of the litigation and intellectual property team in the Richmond office. His corporate litigation practice focuses on securities class actions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, business torts and commercial contract disputes. Mr. Feiler received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in 1991 and his masters degree from Georgetown University in 1993. He received his law degree cum laude from the University of Michigan School of Law in 1999. Mr. Feiler can be reached at (804) 788-7341 or efeiler@hunton.com.
Christopher L. Gaenzle is a member of the litigation and intellectual property team and is currently engaged in a one-year secondment with the litigation department of Pfizer Inc. in New York. His practice focuses on complex litigation with an emphasis on product liability, including tobacco and pharmaceuticals. Active in the pro bono community, Mr. Gaenzle represented a mother of two before the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund and helped her receive among the top five percent of all awards. He earned his undergraduate degree from Colgate University in 1989 and his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law in 1994. Mr. Gaenzle was also a visiting student at Washington & Lee University School of Law. Mr. Gaenzle can be reached at (212) 733-3329 or cgaenzle@hunton.com.
Bradley W. Grout is a member of the litigation and intellectual property team in the Atlanta office. His practice focuses on intellectual property litigation, intellectual property counseling and complex commercial litigation. He has represented numerous clients in patent and trademark disputes, including trial, mediation, arbitration and proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. In 2005 and 2006, he was named a Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Star by Atlanta magazine in its annual listing. Mr. Grout graduated from Princeton University in 1994 and earned his law degree magna cum laude from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1997. He can be reached at (404) 888-4283 or bgrout@hunton.com.
Cecelia Philipps Horner is a member of the tax and ERISA team in the Richmond office. Her practice focuses on the federal income tax aspects of asset securitization and other capital markets transactions. Her experience includes representation of collateralized debt obligations offerings, other securitized debt offerings, specialty finance companies, derivative transactions, REMICs, and other financial products and transactions. Ms. Horner graduated magna cum laude from Washington and Lee University in 1990 and received her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1998, where she served as an articles editor of the Virginia Law Review. She can be reached at (804) 788-7394 or chorner@hunton.com.
Kevin W. Jones is a member of the energy and project finance practice in the Richmond office. His practice focuses on regulatory, finance, and wholesale market design and administration matters for domestic and international energy sector clients. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee in 1995, where he was Phi Beta Kappa, before earning his masters degree from the University of Kentucky in 1997. Mr. Jones received his law degree magna cum laude from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1999. He can be reached at (804) 788-8731 or kjones@hunton.com.
Ryan T. Ketchum is a member of the energy and project finance practice in the Richmond office. His global practice focuses on the development, financing and privatization of infrastructure projects worldwide, and on electricity sector restructurings. Mr. Ketchum has served as counsel to governments, project developers and financial advisors on the development of independent power producers, hydroelectric projects and other infrastructure projects; and on the related restructuring of electricity sector participants, most recently in Africa. He graduated magna cum laude with distinction from James Madison University in 1995 and received his law degree from the William & Mary School of Law in 1998. Following law school, Mr. Ketchum was a judicial clerk for the Honorable Henry H. Whiting of the Supreme Court of Virginia. He can be reached at (804) 788-8241 or rketchum@hunton.com.
Robert A. King is a member of the litigation and intellectual property team in the Atlanta office and is a registered patent attorney. His practice focuses on patent law, with an emphasis on client counseling, patent prosecution and complex patent litigation. He has extensive experience in the areas of microprocessor architecture, software and internet applications, storage systems, digital signal processing, and wireless communication, among others. Mr. King graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1991 with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering, and served in the U.S. Army as an Armor officer, obtaining the rank of Captain. Following his military service, Mr. King earned his law degree cum laude from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in 1999. He can be reached at (404) 888-4136 or rking@hunton.com.
Christopher G. Kulp is a member of the capital finance and real estate team in the Richmond office. His practice focuses on public finance with an emphasis in the areas of traditional municipal bond law, securities law, state and local government law, secondary and higher education finance, and public-private partnerships. He has served as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, counsel to state and local government issuers, and counsel to colleges and private secondary schools. In 2006, Mr. Kulp was listed in Best Lawyers in America for public finance law. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1988, where he was an Echols Scholar, and earned his law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1992. Mr. Kulp can be reached at (804) 788-8742 or ckulp@hunton.com.
Michael C. McCann is a member of the business practice group in the Richmond office. His practice focuses on the representation of public and private companies in connection with mergers and acquisitions, public and private securities offerings, and general corporate governance matters. Mr. McCann graduated from the College of William & Mary in 1992 and earned his law degree magna cum laude from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1998. Following law school, Mr. McCann was a judicial clerk for the Honorable A. Christian Compton of the Supreme Court of Virginia. He can be reached at (804) 788-8715 or mmccann@hunton.com.
Thomas E. Oney is a member of regulated industries and government relations team in the Dallas office. His practice focuses on legislative and regulatory matters for energy clients, which he has represented in matters before the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regarding issues such as electricity market restructuring, wholesale electricity market design, generation resource adequacy and licensing, market power and market power mitigation. In addition, Mr. Oney counsels energy clients on legislative matters affecting them in the Texas Legislature and the United States Congress and counsels the Department of Energy regarding the licensing of the Yucca Mountain Project before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Active in the bar and the community, Mr. Oney serves on the Board of Directors for the Dallas Housing Crisis Center and is active in his church. He graduated from Baylor University in 1996 and earned his law degree cum laude from Tulane University Law School in 1999. He can be reached at (214) 979-3091 or toney@hunton.com.
Jeremy R. Schwer is a member of the energy and project finance team in the Washington office. He represents clients in the electric power sector in major domestic and international transactions, and advises a variety of U.S. and European companies, private equity funds and foreign governments in connection with equity and asset acquisitions and sales, project finance, and infrastructure development transactions. Mr. Schwer has substantial experience in multiple asset, multiple jurisdiction auctions and dispositions. In addition, he has experience with electric power, pipeline and other energy facilities. He graduated cum laude from Wake Forest University in 1995 and received his law degree magna cum laude from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in 1998. He can be reached at (202) 955-1697 or jschwer@hunton.com.
Jonathan Michael Wilan is a member of the litigation and intellectual property team in the Washington office. His practice focuses on complex litigation, class actions and internal investigations, including particular experience in matters involving the insurance industry. Recent representations include a leading insurance broker in multidistrict class action litigation and multistate regulatory investigations, a Fortune 250 financial services firm in responding to federal subpoenas related to the municipal bond industry, and several large companies on strategic planning and response to new Federal e-discovery rules. Mr. Wilan graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maryland in 1994 and received his law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1997. He can be reached at (202) 955-1991 or jwilan@hunton.com.
Allison D. Wood is a member of the resources, regulatory and environmental law team in the Washington office. Her practice focuses on environmental and administrative law, with an emphasis on air issues, including global climate change, emissions trading, the establishment and implementation of national ambient air quality standards, and general and transportation conformity. A well-known and established speaker in her field, Ms. Wood also serves as Director of the Environmental Markets Association, which promotes market-based trading solutions for environmental control. She graduated from California State University Northridge in 1993 and received her law degree with honors from George Washington University Law School in 1998, where she was Editor-in-Chief for The Environmental Lawyer. Ms. Wood can be reached at (202) 955-1945 or awood@hunton.com.
Scott F. Yarnell joined Hunton & Williams in 2000 and is a member of the litigation and intellectual property team in the McLean office. He has extensive experience in intellectual property counseling, procurement and litigation. He is a registered patent attorney and appears before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences in appeals and contested cases. He provides counsel to clients on a variety of technologies, including biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, conducts due diligence investigations and renders opinions on patent infringement, validity and freedom to use. Active in the community, Mr. Yarnell serves as Chair of Lawyers for Children’s Hospital. He graduated cum laude from Drexel University in 1994 and received his law degree from George Washington University Law School in 1997. Mr. Yarnell is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
About Hunton & Williams
Hunton & Williams LLP provides legal services to corporations, financial institutions, govern‧ments and individuals, as well as to a broad array of other entities. Since our establishment more than a century ago, Hunton & Williams has grown to more than 975 attorneys serving clients in 100 countries from 19 offices around the world. While our practice has a strong industry focus on energy, financial services, and life sciences, the depth and breadth of our experience extends to more than 100 separate practice areas, including bankruptcy and creditors rights, commercial litigation, corporate transactions and securities law, intellectual property, international and government relations, regulatory law, products liability, and privacy and information management. For more information about Hunton & Williams, visit our website at www.hunton.com.