K&L Gates has expanded its real estate team with the addition of Jennifer Degotardi as a partner in the Sydney. Degotardi joins the firm from Henry Davis York, where she led the real estate practice. Michelle Moran has also joined the firm, resident in London as a partner in the investment management, hedge funds and alternative investments practice. Previously she was at Ropes & Gray.
Darlene Alt and Stephanie Sheridan have joined Steptoe & Johnson as partners. Sheridan has also been named chair of the firm’s retail industry practice and managing partner of the firm’s San Francisco office. Alt is based in the Chicago office.
Cozen O’Connor has recruited Amanda K. DiChello as a member. Based in Philadelphia, she joins the private client services practice group. DiChello was previously a partner at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr, where she co-chaired the private client services group.
Angela Richards has joined Sidley Austin as partner in the firm’s capital markets and M&A practices, resident in the Houston office.
Morgan Lewis has recruited Susan Feigin Harris and Donna S. Clark to join the firm as partners on its healthcare team, resident in Houston. The firm has also hired Alice Huang as a partner in its Hong Kong office; her practice focuses on the financial services sector.
Ama Adams has joined Ropes & Gray as partner in the business and securities litigation practice, based in Washington, D.C. Previously she was a partner in the international trade practice group of Baker Botts.
Reed Smith has recruited Peggy Heeg to join the firm as a partner in its global energy and natural resources group, resident in the firm’s Houston office. Previously Heeg was a partner in the Houston office of Norton Rose Fulbright. Reed Smith also recently recruited Xiaoyan Zhang to its global Information technology, privacy and data security group. Zhang joins from the Hong Kong and Shanghai offices of Mayer Brown JSM
Crystal Nix-Hines has rejoined Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan as a partner in the Los Angeles office after leaving to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Holland & Knight has added Marne S. Sussman as a partner in its West Coast land use and environmental practice, based in San Francisco. Previously she was counsel at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, San Francisco.
Emily P. Gordy, who managed enforcement operations at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and served as chief regulatory counsel for the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer, has joined McGuireWoods’ commercial litigation practice as a partner in Washington, D.C. The firm has also expanded its global real estate practice with the addition of Partner Alice Youngbar, who joins the New York office from Cassin & Cassin.
Katten Muchin Rosenman has recruited Kate Ulrich Saracene as a partner in the employee benefits and executive compensation practice, resident in the New York office.
Una A. Dean has joined Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson as a partner in the white collar defense and government investigations practice, based in New York. Previously she was at the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York where she worked as an assistant US attorney.
Littler has added Kathryn S. McConnell as a shareholder in the Atlanta office. She joins Littler from Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton.
Delia A. Isvoranu and Lori A. Mills have joined Duane Morris as partners. Isvoranu is resident in San Francisco. She joins the employment, labor, benefits and immigration practice from Sedgwick. Mills is resident in the Cherry Hills, N.J., office. She joins the energy, environment and resources practice group from Drinker Biddle & Reath.
Venable has recruited Cynthia (Cindy) M. Lewin and Belinda Martinez Vega to join the firm as partners. Lewin joins the nonprofit organizations practice as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office. She previously served as AARP’s executive vice president and general counsel. Vega joins its commercial litigation practice, based in the Los Angeles office.
Debbie A. Klis and Teri H.P. Nguyen have joined Polsinelli. Klis joins the securities and corporate finance practice, resident in Washington, D.C.. Nguyen joins the intellectual property practice as a principal, resident in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco offices.
Boies Schiller Flexner has recruited Quyen Ta as a partner in its Palo Alto and Oakland offices. Previously she was at Keker, Van Nest & Peters.
Kristen Schneck has joined Fox Rothschild as a partner in the immigration practice, resident in the Pittsburgh office. Previously she was a name partner at Schneck & Harley Immigration Law Group.
Barnes & Thornburg has launched a family law practice. It is being chaired by Partner Karen Schreiber, who was previously at Lindquist & Vennum. Also joining the practice as partners are former Lindquist & Vennum lawyers Sonja Trom Eayrs, Brittany Stephens Pearson and Gloria Myre. All are resident in the firm’s Minneapolis office.
Michelle Scheffler has joined Haynes and Boone as a litigation partner in the firm’s Houston office. Previously she was at Andrews Kurth Kenyon.
