Firm elects eight new partners, promotes eleven to special counsel

NEW YORK, July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelley Drye & Warren LLP is pleased to announce the election of eight new partners. Victoria Anderson, Amaad Bhatti, Wendy Clarke, Kristin Elliott, Glenn Graham, Joe Green, Steven Humphreys, and James Saylor began their tenure as partners effective July 1, 2022. In addition, eleven lawyers were promoted to special counsel, including Jennifer Barks, Maria Biaggi, Rebecca Blake, Courtney Kleshinski, Joshua Morey, Randall Morrison, David Reap, Katie Rogers, Allison Schenkman, Genna Steinberg, and Jennifer Wong.

"The size and diversity of this year's class of new partners and special counsel is reflective of Kelley Drye's commitment to elevating talent from within our ranks," said Dana Rosenfeld, firm managing partner. "These attorneys embrace innovative approaches to client service, bring unique skills to the table, and have the legal acumen to serve our clients with distinction."

The newly elected Kelley Drye partners serve clients in the following areas of practice:

Victoria Anderson (New York – Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation): Victoria's practice focuses on employee benefits and executive compensation – namely, qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, deferred compensation arrangements under 409A, 457 plans, 403(b) plans, and health and welfare plans. She represents public and private companies on benefits issues related to mergers and acquisitions, with an emphasis on post-transaction plan integration, golden parachute analysis (280G), and executive compensation issues (e.g., 409A). Victoria also has thorough knowledge of HIPAA's Privacy and Security Rules and provides practical advice on HIPAA compliance and breach notification issues. Victoria is a member of the New York Bar.

Amaad Bhatti (New York – Real Estate):  Amaad's practice concentrates on commercial real estate transactions throughout the United States, with a focus on real property acquisitions and dispositions, joint venture developments, net lease transactions, leasing, mortgage and mezzanine financing and refinancing. Amaad has experience involving various types of commercial real estate assets, including office, hotel, condominium, multifamily, retail, residential, industrial, mixed-use, and distressed assets. He has represented major financial institutions, developers, REITs, commercial landlords and tenants, and other investors and owners of real estate. Amaad is a member of the New York Bar.

Wendy Clarke (Stamford – Corporate): Wendy's practice focuses on a wide range of corporate transactions, including domestic and international investments, private and public securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances and venture capital financings. Wendy's experience also includes representing sponsors and borrowers in finance transactions, including asset-based and cash-flow lending, acquisition financings, and secured and unsecured debt structures. In May 2022, Wendy was named by the Governor of the State of Connecticut, Ned Lamont, to the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Foundation Solutions Indemnity Co., Inc. In addition, she currently serves on The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority and the Securities Advisory Council to the State of CT Department of Banking. Wendy is a member of the Connecticut and New York Bars.

Kristin Elliott (New York – Bankruptcy): Kristin represents creditors in complex chapter 11 cases throughout the country. She regularly represents indenture trustees in billion dollar restructurings and helps creditors' committees and individual trade creditors maximize their interests in bankruptcy matters spanning a wide range of industries including restaurant, retail, shipping, telecommunications and consumer products. Kristin also represents plan administrators and liquidating trustees charged with administering confirmed chapter 11 plans, including through the pursuit of litigation to increase creditor recoveries. Kristin is a member of the New York and New Jersey State Bars.

Glenn Graham (Parsippany – Litigation): Glenn's practice focuses on all aspects of civil litigation.  His experience includes consumer class action defense, commercial litigation and contract disputes, and law enforcement investigations involving consumer protection and data privacy.  Glenn is a Certified Information Privacy Professional – United States (CIPP/US) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Prior to joining Kelley Drye, Glenn served as a deputy attorney general with the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Fraud Prosecution section, where he led the agency's data privacy and cybersecurity efforts. Glenn is a member of the California, New Jersey, and New York Bars.

Joe Green (Washington, D.C. – Environmental): Joe advises on complex environmental regulatory matters for large and small corporate clients and national trade associations. He is particularly skilled in translating complex business and technical issues into effective positions and advocacy, and in counseling on matters involving regulatory development, compliance and enforcement. Experienced with the range of federal environmental laws and state regulatory programs, as well as with European Union and international requirements, Joe has particular knowledge in the area of chemicals, antimicrobial pesticides, and toxic substances regulation. He also provides counsel regarding California Proposition 65 and the safety of consumer products. Joe is a member of the Virginia and Washington, D.C. Bars. 

Steven Humphreys (Parsippany – Environmental): Steven's practice focuses on environmental law and related counseling of businesses seeking to protect a wide variety of interests that intersect with environmental law, regulation and policy. He advises on regulatory compliance and management of environmental risk in matters arising under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and various other federal, state, and local environmental laws.  He represents both private and public entities in litigation matters arising under U.S. and foreign environmental laws. Steven offers particular skill in developing strategies for the identification, management and allocation of environmental risk in business transactions. Steven is a member of the New Jersey Bar. 

James Saylor (New York – Litigation): James' practice focuses on the defense of consumer class actions under various state and federal laws regulating deceptive trade practices and telemarketing. He also focuses on counseling major corporations facing issues in advertising and represented such corporations before private regulatory bodies. James has managed complex litigations and arbitration for a diverse breadth of firm clients, including national brick and mortar and online retailers, internationally-recognized brands, tech startups, entertainment companies, and international contractors, among many others. James has provided solutions that have led to favorable outcomes for firm clients at all stages of the adversarial process from informal dispute resolution and early motion practice to discovery, class decertification, summary judgment, trial, and appeal. James is a member of the New York Bar.

Founded in 1836, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP is home to skilled practitioners in the areas of  litigation, regulatory, real estate, corporate and bankruptcy A powerhouse firm with the heart of a boutique, the firm's attorneys provide legal counsel carefully connected to their client's business strategies.  Among the firm's recent awards:  Named to the BTI "Client Service A-Team"; recognized by CLOC for "Legal Innovation and Design Excellence in Legal Operations"; Chambers USA identified seven practice areas as "Leaders in Their Field"; Law360 named the Consumer Protection Group and International Trade practices as Groups of the Year; and Kelley Drye was named one of "America's Best Law Firms" by U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firms, with a "Tier 1" national ranking in Communications, Environmental Law, Environmental Litigation, Information Technology, and Real Estate.

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SOURCE Kelley Drye & Warren LLP