Firm Life

Jennifer T. Nijman and Susan M. Franzetti formed Nijman Franzetti, which will handle environmental law and litigation. Nijman was chair of Winston & Strawn’s environmental law practice group, and Franzetti, formerly a partner at Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, had been with the Franzetti Law Firm.

Susan Franzetti (left) and Jennifer Nijman. Photo by David Durochik

DLA Piper named William A. Rudnick managing partner of the firm’s Chicago office, succeeding Louis S. Cohen. Rudnick is the grandson of Harry L. Rudnick, who co-founded Rudnick & Wolfe in 1936. DLA Piper is the successor firm of Rudnick & Wolfe.

Nixon Peabody has named Richard F. Langan, Jr. as chief executive officer and managing partner. Langan will succeed Harry P. Trueheart III, in May.

Dykema has appointed Thomas R. Hill, former group leader of the litigation practice group, to office managing member of the firm’s Chicago and suburban Chicago (Joliet and Lisle) offices. The firm also appointed Richard E. Gottlieb as leader of its financial institutions team.

Grantland G. Drutchas has become managing partner at McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff, succeeding Matthew J. Sampson.

Lawrence J. Casazza has been elected to the executive committee of Vedder Price.

Chapman and Cutler has named Timothy V. McGree and M. John Trofa as co-chairs of the firm’s public finance department, replacing Daniel L. Johnson, who was named the firm’s chief operating partner.

Gil M. Soffer, a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman, has been appointed counsel to the deputy attorney general of the United States. Soffer resigned from the partnership in January, under the requirements of the appointment.

Manish K. Mehta, an associate at Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, has been appointed
a vice president of the Indian-American Bar Association of Chicago.

Richard Lipton, a partner at Baker & McKenzie, was elected chair of the American College of Tax Counsel. And John A. Biek, a partner at Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg, has been elected a Fellow to the ACTC.

Olson & Hierl has changed its name to Olson & Cepuritis.

Susan E. Kamman opened Susan E. Kamman & Associates, in Barrington. The new firm focuses on matrimonial and parentage matters.

Longwell Associates has changed its name to Longwell & Blair Associates, reflecting Deanna R. Blair’s elevation to partnership.

Jonathan Strauss opened The Law Offices of Jonathan Strauss, a downtown law office dedicated to business law and finance. The office is at 55 E. Monroe St., Suite 3910.

Gordon & Rees opened an office in Chicago at 1 N. Franklin St. The new office focuses on commercial liability, insurance, and professional liability. Michael P. Tone, a former partner at Ross, Dixon & Bell, serves as managing partner.

Katten Muchin Rosenman has been selected by the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms as the committee’s new home until 2010. The committee had been housed at Reed Smith since 2006.

Kirkland & Ellis has named 16 law students as recipients of its 2008 Diversity Fellowship Program. The two local students are Jacqueline M. James and Sanjay M. Nangia, both from Northwestern University School of Law.

The family of Allen J. Hoover, the patent lawyer killed in a shooting rampage in December 2006, has established the Allen J. Hoover Memorial Award. The $5,000 award, which is funded by Hoover’s family and his law firm, Wood Phillips, will be given to a third-year DePaul University law student who is expected to make the greatest contribution to intellectual property law.

The Center for Disability & Elder Law announced its new slate of officers: Immediate Past President, Peter J. Mone; President, Addison Braendel, Baker & McKenzie; Vice President, Erin M. Maus, Baker & McKenzie; Treasurer, Nicole Wells, FTI Consulting; and Secretary, Robert Johnson, McDonald’s Corporation.

> Partners

Baker & McKenzie has elected four new partners in its Chicago office: Elizabeth P. Fahey, corporate and securities; Lisa Parker Gates, intellectual property; Stephen M. Griesemer, corporate and securities; and Edward J. West, corporate and securities.

Wildman Harrold has named five new attorneys to the partnership: Alison C. Conlon, complex litigation and arbitrations; Matthew M. Garrett, product liability and mass tort defense; Jamie Rubin, intellectual property, advertising, marketing and promotions; Gregory M. Smith, intellectual property; and David P. Vallas, restructuring and insolvency.

Howrey has promoted 15 attorneys to partnership, including two in its Chicago office: Thomas Jenkins, intellectual property; and Steven Yovits, intellectual property.

Duane Morris has named 10 associates to partnership, including one in its Chicago office: Jeffrey Hamera, construction.

Ross, Dixon & Bell has elected David F. Cutter, insurance coverage and commercial litigation, as a partner in the firm.

Schopf & Weiss has named William B. Berndt, complex contractual disputes and business torts, a partner in the firm.

DLA Piper promoted 69 attorneys to partnership, including five in Chicago: David B. Allswang, real estate; Joseph E. Collins, complex commercial litigation; Gina L. Durham, domestic and international intellectual proprety; Robyn Goldman Koyner, corporate and securities; and Micah R. Onixt, business, corporate collaborations, life sciences, biotechnology, and information technology.

Hoeppner Wagner & Evans has named Sean E. Kenyon, civil litigation, insurance coverage, and employment; and Michael E. Tolbert, insurance defense, civil litigation, and employment law, partners in the firm.

Banner & Witcoff has elected 11 new principal shareholders and shareholders, including three in its Chicago office: principal shareholders Paul J. Nykaza and Richard S. Stockton; and shareholder Michael J. Harris.

McDermott Will & Emery has promoted 16 lawyers to partner in its Chicago office: Catherine A. Battin, state and local tax; Philip J. Castrogiovanni, health law; Sandra M. Di Varco, hospitals and health systems; Timothy J. Eloe, mergers and acquisitions; Ashley Mc Kinney Fischer, health care; Aron J. Frakes, complex commercial litigation; Jocelyn D. Francoeur, civil litigation; John P. Hammond, corporate; Ryan M. Harding, sophisticated wealth transfer and estate planning; Ryan D. Harris, mergers and acquisitions, securities; Nicole K. Mann, private client; J. Christian Nemeth, trial; John P. Schetz, mergers and acquisitions; Edward B. Tuerk, corporate finance; Jamie A. Weyeneth, employee benefits; Stephen Y. Wu, antitrust.

Stahl Cowen Crowley has elevated Lauane C. Addis to name partner. The firm is now known as Stahl Cowen Crowley Addis.

Querrey & Harrow has named Cynthia E. Garcia, corporate, a shareholder.

Nixon Peabody has elected William D. Pegg, technology and intellectual property, to partnership.

> Moves

To Foley & Lardner: partners Harold L. Kaplan and Mark F. Hebbeln, both business reorganization, from Drinker, Biddle & Reath.

To Holland & Knight: partner Robert H. Lang, litigation, from Quarles & Brady.

To Reed Smith: counsel Michael M. Geoffrey, intellectual property, from USG Corp.; and partners James M. Davis, insurance recovery, and Paul R. Walker-Bright, insurance recovery; and associate Evan T. Knott, insurance recovery, from Anderson Kill & Olick.

To Loeb & Loeb: partner Elizabeth L. Majers, corporate, from McDermott Will & Emery.

To McDermott Will & Emery: partner Eric D. Hargan, health law, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he was acting deputy secretary.

To Schiller DuCanto and Fleck: partner Elizabeth Wells, retirement benefits, from her solo practice.

To Mayer Brown: partner Ray A. Dybala, tax controversy and transfer pricing, from Motorola, Inc., where he served as senior vice president and director for worldwide tax.

To Pasulka & White: new associates Lindsay M. Keenan and Erin R. Doyle, both in family law.

To Goodsmith Gregg & Unruh: senior counsel Steven N. Wayland, general commercial, from Debevoise & Plimpton.

To Katten Muchin Rosenman: partner Neal Wolf, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, from Dewey & LeBoeuf.

To Scandaglia & Ryan: associate Seth Remy Yohalem, commercial litigation, from Kirkland & Ellis.

To Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal: national client services manager John T. Podbielski Jr., from Schelbe & Podbielski.

To Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith: partners Timothy J. Young and P. Chauncey Cassidy; and associates Joseph W. Substalae, Garry B. Zak, Ronald W. Payne and Dallas J. O’Day, all in general liability practice, from Chilton Yambert Porter & Young.

To Latherow Law Office: associate Bridget Duignan, personal injury, from the Illinois House of Representatives, where she was assistant counsel to House Speaker Michael J. Madigan.

To Perkins Coie: partner David M. Neff, bankruptcy and workouts, from DLA Piper.

To SmithAmundsen: partner Michael G. Cortina, financial services, in the firm’s Woodstock office, from The Law Office of Michael G. Cortina.

To Kenneth M. Sullivan & Associates: trial attorney Dennis F. Esford, commercial litigation, from Lawyer-Link, where he was director of business development.

To Banner & Witcoff: associate Louis Di Santo, from Wildman Harrold; and new associates Katie L. Becker, Katherine L. Fink, Dima N. Moussa, Timothy J. Rechtien, and Bradley J. Van Pelt.

To Shefsky & Froelich: associates Michelle L. Clauss, real estate, from Sugar, Friedberg & Felsenthal; and Roger J. Kiley, litigation, from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

To Kinnally Flaherty Krentz & Loran: associates Rorry Kinnally Bonifas and Nicholas A. Bonifas.

To Pircher, Nichols & Meeks: counsel Brett D. Smith, real estate, from Katten Muchin Rosenman.

To Wildman Harrold: partner W. Allen Woolley, commercial and environmental litigation, from Kirkland & Ellis.

To Thompson Coburn Fagel Haber: partner Mark Lenz, public finance and real estate, from Dykema.

To Belongia & Shapiro: partner Kelly A. Saindon, commercial and civil litigation, from Zagotta Saindon Law Offices.

> Changes

John H. Stroger, the first black president of the Cook County Board, died at age 78 on Jan. 18. Stroger was head of the board from 1994 to 2006.

Harry G. Comerford, who served as chief judge of the Cook County Circuit Court during the Greylord corruption investigation, died at age 86 on Jan. 29, of pulmonary fibrosis. Comerford was a judge for 34 years, and was chief judge from 1978 to 1994.

Operation Greylord, which started in 1980, culminated in the bribery and tax fraud convictions of 15 judges and more than 40 lawyers.

David I. Herbst, a partner at Butler Rubin Saltarelli & Boyd died Feb. 3, at age 67, following a nine-month fight against leukemia.