Crowell & Moring Elects Seven New Partners and Promotes 22 Attorneys to Counsel Positions

Washington, D.C. – January 26, 2012: Crowell & Moring LLP is pleased to announce it has elected seven attorneys to the firm’s partnership effective January 1, 2012. The firm has also promoted 22 associates to the position of counsel. The new partners and counsel have been promoted from within the ranks of the firm’s Washington, D.C., New York, Orange County, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Brussels and London offices.

We are extremely proud to recognize this exceptional group of attorneys for their contributions to our clients, our firm, and our communities. They reflect the future of our firm, having distinguished themselves as innovative thinkers with an unflinching focus on client service,” said Kent A. Gardiner, Crowell & Moring chairman. “These promotions also speak to the deep and growing footprint our firm has through the U.S. and Europe as our offices grow and we expand in key practice areas, ranging from antitrust to litigation to corporate.”

The newly elected partners are:

Sean-Paul Brankin is an Antitrust Group partner and resident in the firm's Brussels office. He focuses his practice on issues involving EU and UK antitrust law, including merger control and counseling.  He has extensive experience counseling clients on issues relating to the intersection of intellectual property and antitrust and potential concerns relating to dominance. He received a first class law degree from the University of Cambridge in 1991 and an LL.M. from the University of Virginia in 1992. Before joining Crowell & Moring, Brankin was a Legal Director at the UK Office of Fair Trading.

Matthew W. Cheney is a partner in the Financial Services Group and Bankruptcy and Restructuring practice in the firm's Washington, D.C. office. He has broad experience as a business bankruptcy and creditors' rights lawyer. His practice includes bankruptcy, creditors' rights litigation (including receiverships and foreclosures), commercial transactions, loan workouts, and other distressed debt situations. Cheney received his B.A. from Michigan State and his law degree from Ohio Northern University College of Law.

David D. Cross is a partner in the firm’s Litigation and E-Discovery & Information Management groups in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. His practice includes antitrust, intellectual property, health care, securities, and general commercial litigation, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state courts, as well as arbitration. His patent litigation experience includes representing complainants and respondents in fast-paced Section 337 actions before the U.S. International Trade Commission. Cross received his B.A. from Furman University and his law degree from Columbia Law School.

Kelly G. Howard is a partner in the firm's Corporate Group in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Her practice primarily involves securities transactions, securities reporting and compliance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and general corporate counseling. Her clients include public companies, private corporations, investment funds, limited liability companies, joint ventures, venture capital companies and non-profit corporations. She received her B.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Van-Dzung Vu Nguyen is a partner in the firm’s Litigation Group and resident in the Orange County office. Her practice focuses on complex litigation, including representing clients in class actions and mass consolidated/coordinated actions in federal and state courts. She has represented clients in matters involving health care, antitrust, product liability, unfair competition, fraud, intellectual property, and general commercial litigation. She received her B.A. from the University of California, Irvine, and her law degree from the University of Southern California Law Center.

Aryeh S. Portnoy is partner in the firm’s Litigation Group and resident in the Washington, D.C. office. He specializes in complex cross-border and domestic litigation in U.S. state and federal trial and appellate courts. He has counseled and represented corporate, non-profit, and individual clients as well as foreign and domestic government agencies and officials in all phases of litigation. His practice includes securities, healthcare, and general commercial litigation, and he specializes as well in “public” litigation involving domestic and foreign governments and agencies. He has litigated extensively under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), Alien Tort Statute, and the Act of State Doctrine on behalf of both private and governmental entities. He received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and his law degree from New York University School of Law.

Ryan C. Tisch is a partner in the firm's Antitrust Group and resident in the Washington, D.C. office.  His practice focuses on antitrust business counseling, domestic and international merger control, and government investigations of both horizontal and vertical antitrust conduct. He has significant experience representing clients undertaking major mergers and acquisitions and representing clients in relation to investigations by federal, state, and international antitrust authorities. He also has deep experience in counseling clients in matters related to distribution law. He received his B.A. from Yale College and his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.

Firm associates promoted to counsel are: Jeffrey Ahdoot (Washington, D.C.); Scott L. Bittman (New York); Michael T. Carolan (Washington, D.C.); David Chung (Washington, D.C.); Adelicia R. Cliffe (Washington, D.C.); Christian Dekoninck (Brussels); Derek A. Hahn (Orange County); Sean E. Jackson (New York); Michael Kao (Los Angeles); Ann M. Mace (Washington D.C.); Shamiso Maswoswe (New York); Stephen J. McBrady (Washington, D.C.) Queena Mewers (Orange County); Jennifer A. Ray  (Washington, D.C.); Karen A. Rosenthal (Washington, D.C.) April Nelson Ross (Washington, D.C.) Joel D. Smith (San Francisco); Chahira Solh (Orange County); Kassi D. Tallent (Washington, D.C.); Suzanne C. Walts (Washington D.C.); David Willbe  (London); Joel D. Wood (Washington, D.C.).

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with nearly 500 lawyers representing clients in litigation and arbitration, regulatory, and transactional matters. The firm is internationally recognized for its representation of Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes litigation, as well as its ongoing commitment to pro bono service and diversity. The firm has offices in Washington, DC, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, Anchorage, London, and Brussels.