emerging litigation and employment issues for in-house … litcle_bios.pdf · executive...

Speaker Biographies

N O V E M B E R 14, 2017

Yelena M. Barychev Partner, Blank Rome LLP [email protected] 215.569.5737

Yelena Barychev advises management on �� public and private offerings of debt and equity securities, including IPOs, Regulation A, and Rule 144A

offerings�� tender offers�� preparation of proxy statements, Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, and other SEC filings�� cybersecurity risk management�� company website disclosures�� social media policies�� executive compensation matters�� corporate governance issues�� compliance with NASDAQ and NYSE listing requirements�� compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, and the JOBS Act

Ms. Barychev represents U.S. and European companies in connection with business and corporate law matters, including business formation and planning, as well as contract drafting and negotiations. She also counsels nonprofit organizations.

Ms. Barychev writes and speaks frequently on securities compliance and corporate governance issues.

Kate B. Belmont Associate, Blank Rome LLP 212.885.5075 [email protected]

Kate Belmont is a member of our Maritime Emergency Response Team (“MERT”).

Kate Belmont concentrates her practice in the areas of admiralty and maritime law, commercial litigation, and arbitration. Ms. Belmont represents clients in a wide variety of both domestic and international maritime and com-mercial matters, including:

�� maritime casualties, including ship collisions, sinkings, groundings, explosions, and fires�� charterparty disputes, including laytime/demurrage, liability for cargo damage claims and arbitrations

under SMA rules�� maritime limitation of liability actions and vessel arrests

Emerging Litigation and Employment Issues

for In-House Counsel

S P E A K E R B I O G R A P H I E S • PA G E 2

�� COGSA and multi-modal cargo damage claims�� marine insurance coverage disputes�� maritime cybersecurity�� general international and domestic commercial litigation

Ms. Belmont is a member of the Maritime Law Association Cybersecurity Committee. Ms. Belmont currently teaches as an adjunct professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology. Her course, “Information Security & Law,” is an intro-duction to the American Legal System, and is an in depth review of information security issues in various industries and the legal mechanisms that have been developed to address such issues.

Ms. Belmont’s recent publications include the chapter “Maritime Cyber Security: The Unavoidable Wave of Change,” in Issues in Maritime Cyber Security, edited by Joseph DiRenzo III, Nicole K. Drumhiller, and Fred S. Roberts (2017, Westphalia Press, an imprint of the Policy Studies Organization).”

Ms. Belmont was named a “Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Trailblazer,” by The National Law Journal in 2015.

Grant E. Buerstetta Partner, Blank Rome LLP 212.885.5454 [email protected]

Grant Buerstetta is a member of the Finance, Restructuring, and Bankruptcy practice group. He represents financial institutions, asset managers, issuers and investment funds focused on debt and structured securities and serves clients in areas such as: complex structured and asset-backed securities and securitization transactions; alternative investment fund formation and operation; and securities issuances in domestic and international capital markets.

Mr. Buerstetta has significant experience in analyzing and structuring, revising and unwinding asset-backed securi-ties, including private offerings and SEC-registered transactions. He has represented collateral managers, originators, rating agencies, hedge counterparties and major financial institutions in collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) and other securitization transactions. He has extensive experience negoti-ating and documenting interest rate swaps and credit default swaps (including pay-as-go swaps and super senior swaps) on behalf of special purpose vehicles/issuers and financial institutions in structured finance transactions. He has been involved in the analysis, assessment, restructuring and liquidation of numerous distressed transactions. In that context, he has advised parties on the interpretation of their rights under transaction documents and on the innovative restructuring of transactions.

Mr. Buerstetta has formed and advises numerous alternative investment funds. These clients have adapted hedge fund and private equity fund elements into hybrid structures to accomplish their investment objectives. These funds benefit from Mr. Buerstetta’s experience with and knowledge of various structured credit products and securities law exemptions. In addition, based on his background in structured capital markets, Mr. Buerstetta advises these funds in crafting sophisticated provisions relating to investor rights and cashflow allocations. These representations draw on Mr. Buerstetta’s broader corporate and securities skills as well as in-depth knowledge of complex transaction structuring. Mr. Buerstetta advises clients involved in a range of industries, including clients focused on the digital currency and Blockchain technology space.

Mr. Buerstetta has been recognized by Chambers USA and Chambers Global as a leading banking and finance lawyer. Clients call him “pragmatic and even-keeled” and go on to say that he “is able to resolve difficult issues.”

Jayme Butcher Partner, Blank Rome LLP 412.932.2801 [email protected]

Jayme Butcher concentrates her practice in the area of complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts throughout the country.

Ms. Butcher has handled matters in diverse areas of litigation, including trade secret and non-compete law, employment law, pharmaceutical, class actions, personal injury, breach of contract, oil and gas, products liability, construction, First Amendment, and general commercial litigation. She has also led commercial arbitrations at the American Arbitration Association and at FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Ms. Butcher also has experience in bankruptcy proceedings.

She has represented numerous employers and employees in litigating and defending covenants not-to-compete and restrictive covenants, and confidentiality agreements in trade secret matters in various state and federal courts throughout the country. She has also been involved in successful actions to enjoin clients’ former employees who have misappropriated manufacturing, technology, or corporate trade secrets, from working and/or competing in the applicable industry. Her trial experience has taken her into courts across Pennsylvania as well as North Carolina, Arkansas, New Mexico, Washington, and Ohio.

Ms. Butcher is a member of Blank Rome’s Trade Secret and Non-Compete Litigation Group. While in law school, she was a contributing editor for the Case Western Reserve Law Review.

Leigh Ann Buziak Partner, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5386 [email protected]

CHAIR, LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE GROUP

Leigh Ann Buziak concentrates her practice in the area of complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts throughout the country. She has significant experience in managing electronic discovery and forensic analysis of electronic evidence.

Ms. Buziak was recognized by The Legal Intelligencer as an “unsung hero” for her pro bono work on a case involv-ing attempts to expunge the criminal record of the first Pennsylvania citizen released from prison on the basis of after-acquired DNA evidence. She also was selected as one of Pennsylvania’s “Lawyers on the Fast Track” and a “Rising Star.”

Ms. Buziak serves on the Firm’s Recruitment and Retention Committee and co-chaired the Summer Associate Program in 2007, 2008 and 2011.

Stephanie C. Chomentowski Partner, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5344 [email protected]

Stephanie C. Chomentowski focuses her litigation practice on complex civil litigation, business and intellectual prop-erty disputes, and white collar criminal defense. She has successfully tried a number of cases and is experienced with all aspects of state and federal litigation, including discovery, negotiating settlements, trial, and appeals. Stephanie is experienced in complex contract, construction, and banking litigation, conducting internal investigations, federal grand jury investigations, and litigating patent disputes. She also is experienced with foreign bank account reporting (FBAR) obligations and the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).



Scott F. Cooper Partner, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5487 [email protected]


Scott Cooper’s practice involves litigation and counseling businesses and government entities. He Co-Chairs the Firm’s Labor and Employment group. He was previously elected to six terms on the Firm’s Partner Board and he is a founder of the Trade Secret Protection, Employee Defection, and Unfair Competition initiative. He draws upon a unique blend of courtroom experience, work for members of the judiciary, and political and civic involvement in advising clients.

Mr. Cooper is a nationally recognized trial attorney in complex disputes in federal and state courts and before various government agencies. He has appeared in more than two dozen state and federal courts, and is a member of the Bar of numerous courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States. He also has negotiated business agreements and collective bargaining agreements. He has a diverse client base, representing large publicly traded corporations, start-ups, partnerships, and government entities. Mr. Cooper is the former President/Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association and a former Member of Temple University’s Board of Trustees and President of its Alumni Association. Mr. Cooper is rated by Chambers & Partners as one of the nation’s top labor and employment attorneys, has consistently received the coveted A/V rating by Martindale for superior lawyering and ethics and is consistently rated as a Super Lawyer. He is the Chair of his Township’s Ethical Standards Board.

Frank A. Dante Partner, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5645 [email protected]

Frank Dante concentrates his practice in the area of complex commercial litigation with an emphasis on mass torts, product liability, environmental, and class action litigation.

In 2009, Mr. Dante was selected by a panel of judges for the Legal Intelligencer and the Pennsylvania Law Weekly as one of Pennsylvania’s “Lawyers on the Fast Track,” a recognition given to only 30 lawyers throughout Pennsylvania under the age of 40 as the future leaders of the legal community.

Leeza Garber Corporate Counsel & Director of Business Development,Capsicum Group, LLC 202.772.5963 [email protected]

Ms. Garber is Corporate Counsel & Director of Business Development at Capsicum Group, LLC, a digital forensics, cybersecurity, and technology consulting company. She is an attorney specializing in cybersecurity and privacy law. Ms. Garber provides expert commentary for Fox News, Fox Business, CBS, HLN, OAN, and others regarding a vari-ety of legal and tech issues, including segments on hacking, cybercrime, mobile payment systems, the use of social media as evidence, and terrorist use of communications technology. Ms. Garber has been published in The Legal Intelligencer and Law Technology Today, and her commentary has been featured in Forbes, The Christian Science Monitor, and The New Jersey Law Journal. She also lectures on issues related to cybercrime, digital forensics, and social media, and has presented for the Association of Corporate Counsel, Philadelphia Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, SecureWorld, and American Bar Association, amongst other venues. Ms. Garber is an alumna of Bryn Mawr College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.


Michelle Ann Gitlitz Partner, Blank Rome LLP 212.885.5068 [email protected]

212.885.5068

[email protected]

Michelle Gitlitz splits her practice between the areas of corporate litigation/white collar criminal defense and investi-gations, and counseling registered and unregistered investment companies and investment advisers. In her litigation practice, she represents corporate and individual clients in civil matters, including general business, contract, secu-rities, banking and shareholder disputes before trial and appellate courts as well as in connection with regulatory investigations by government entities throughout the country. In her investment company and advisory practice, she represents investment companies and independent Boards of Directors/Trustees in regulatory and compliance mat-ters as well as in Securities and Exchange Commission Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations inquiries, and enforcement actions.

Ms. Gitlitz also has knowledge and experience helping clients navigate the legal landscape for the vast and diverse uses of Blockchain technology, including smart contracts and digital currencies. She has knowledge of forming funds to invest in digital technologies and currencies (including Bitcoin), and can provide guidance on regulations applicable to participants engaged in creating, obtaining, distributing, exchanging, accepting, or transmitting digital currencies (including initial coin offerings) and the general use of blockchain technology. Ms. Gitlitz speaks at con-ferences on blockchain technology, has participated in the MIT Legal Forum for Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, and is a member of the Accord Project which develops technical standards for legal smart contracts.

Matthew A. Homyk Associate, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5360 [email protected]

Matthew Homyk concentrates his practice in intellectual property matters and related business issues confronting companies and individuals in many industries, ranging from fashion, e-commerce, social networking, insurance, and musical instruments. Mr. Homyk uses his experience in web design, social networking, web analytics, and search engine optimization (“SEO”) to provide high-level Internet business counseling to clients in conjunction with tradi-tional patent, trademark, and copyright services.

Mr. Homyk is the Adjunct Professor of Trademark Law at Villanova University School of Law. He is also a member of the Law Firm Committee of the International Trademark Association (“INTA”) and the Radnor Township Zoning Hearing Board.

Michael A. Iannucci Partner, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5543 [email protected]

Michael Iannucci concentrates his practice in complex commercial and class action litigation matters, serving both corporate and individual clients in business disputes in a variety of industries, including financial services, banking, real estate, insurance, retail, computer software and technology, mortgage services, oil and propane, franchising, pharmaceutical, and healthcare.

Mr. Iannucci has also been involved in numerous mediations, arbitrations, and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to limit clients’ expenses and exposure. In addition, he frequently publishes and lectures on class action litigation and federal court practice.


In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Iannucci is a member of Blank Rome’s Recruiting and Retention Committee, Alumni Committee, and Litigation Department’s CLE Planning Committee. He is currently serving as a co-chair of the Firm’s 2016 Summer Program, and previously served as co-chair in 2014.

Brooke T. Iley Partner, Blank Rome LLP 202.772.5816 [email protected]


counsels and defends domestic and foreign corporations in all areas of employment and labor law compliance and litigation, including wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage and hour class and collective actions, trade secret disputes and data protection, and alleged fiduciary breaches. She represents clients in negotiations, litigations and arbitrations nationally in these areas.

Ms. Iley also creates compliance, internal audit, and investigation programs to support public and private company operations, workforce management, and corporate governance. Through proactive management training programs and thoughtful review of corporate programs and policies, Ms. Iley is successful in limiting employers’ exposure to legal actions, increasing workplace efficiencies and retention.

She is a trusted advisor to companies providing practical and proactive risk management advice, such as draft-ing and negotiating key executive agreements, restrictive covenants agreements, and providing employment expertise during transactions related to due diligence, purchase agreements, employee transfers, and workforce management.

Evan Lechtman Partner, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5367 [email protected]

CHAIR, GENERAL LITIGATION PRACTICE GROUP

Evan Lechtman is a partner in Blank Rome’s commercial litigation practice group and co-chair of its class action defense team. Mr. Lechtman routinely represents a wide array of public and private companies in federal and state courts throughout the country in class actions involving securities fraud, consumer protection, RICO, deceptive trade practices and breach of contract.

Mr. Lechtman has represented corporations, officers, directors, audit and special committees of boards of directors, and financial institutions and advisors in all aspects of securities and shareholder litigation. He has significant expe-rience in arbitrations and mediations before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) as well as other self-regulatory organizations. Mr. Lechtman also represents real estate firms in connection with their development, use and management of commercial real estate.


Sophia Lee Partner, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5641 [email protected]

Sophia Lee concentrates her litigation practice in the energy industry, handling commercial, environmental, products liability, and toxic tort matters.

Ms. Lee has experience managing a national docket of over 500 toxic tort matters, including asbestos, benzene, silica, and NORM, while monitoring case development, litigation, and scientific trends; managing government inves-tigations and inquiries; and developing litigation and information management policies and best practices, including e-discovery protocols.

Prior to rejoining Blank Rome, Ms. Lee served as chief litigation counsel at Sunoco, Inc., and in the litigation depart-ment of an Am Law 100 firm. She also held an adjunct assistant professorship at Temple University’s School of Tourism and Hospitality Management affiliated with the Fox School of Business.

Keith B. Letourneau Partner, Blank Rome LLP 713.632.8609 [email protected]

VICE CHAIR, MARITIME INDUSTRY TEAM

Keith Letourneau is a member of our Maritime Emergency Response Team (“MERT”).

Keith Letourneau focuses his practice on maritime and energy transactions and litigation matters. His contract expe-rience includes shipyard bid protests, labor standards disputes, appeals of contracting officers’ final decisions before boards of contract, as well as solicitation and bid reviews and evaluations. He has also defended document-intensive shipyard and oil rig repair contract disputes.

Mr. Letourneau has a deep understanding of digital currency and Blockchain technology. He has published recent articles about the industry, specifically as it relates to maritime.

Daniel S. Morris Associate, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5411 [email protected]

Daniel Morris represents corporate and individual clients in a wide variety of commercial and corporate litigation matters nationwide. He is a member of the Trade Secret Protection, Employee Defection, and Unfair Competition team and has extensive experience litigating trade secret, non-compete, non-solicitation, raiding, and other restric-tive covenant matters in numerous industries including medical device, telecommunications, financial services, and pharmaceuticals. Along with prosecuting and defending employment mobility issues in state and federal courts nationwide, he regularly counsels corporate clients on the scope and enforceability of restrictive covenant agreements.

Mr. Morris serves on Blank Rome’s Recruitment and Retention Committee and co-chaired the Summer Associate Program in 2014 and 2016.


Grant S. Palmer Partner, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5578 [email protected]

CHAIR, LITIGATION DEPARTMENT

Grant S. Palmer, Chair of Blank Rome’s 300 attorney Litigation Department, is a nationally recognized trial law-yer with significant trial experience and a proven track record of developing unique strategies and solutions to achieve favorable results on behalf of clients. He represents businesses and individuals in a wide range of areas, including defense of class actions and consumer class actions, cybersecurity, construction, corporate and shareholder litigation, employment, restrictive covenants, bad faith, RICO, patent and intellectual prop-erty, fraud, unfair trade practices, personal injury, products liability, and trade secrets. Chambers USA notes that “a grateful client describes him as a ‘problem solver,’ and values Palmer’s ability to ‘really understand how corporations operate.’”

Jason E. Reisman Partner, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5598 [email protected]

Jason E. Reisman concentrates his practice on all aspects of labor relations and employment law, with a particular focus on wage and hour matters, including providing training and guidance on overtime and exemption issues, handling Department of Labor audits, and defending collective and class action litigation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and similar state statutes. He is a member of the Wage & Hour Defense Institute.

Mr. Reisman has extensive experience in equal employment opportunity matters, including harassment, discrimination and retaliation claims, in federal and state courts as well as before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and similar state and local agencies. He also possesses in-depth experience with union collective bargaining negotiations and handles representation case and unfair labor practice case proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board. Additionally, he regularly assists his clients in the preparation and litigation of executive employment/severance agreements, including non-competition and other restrictive covenants.

Daniel Rhynhart Partner, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5371 [email protected]

CHAIR, COMMERCIAL LITIGATION PRACTICE GROUP

Dan Rhynhart provides strategic counsel to executives in a variety of industries, including software and tech-nology, telecommunications, financial services, banking, and real estate.

Mr. Rhynhart is chair of the Commercial Litigation practice group, ranked by U.S. News and World Report as National Tier 1 and Philadelphia Tier 1 in its “Best Law Firms” rankings for 2017. Mr. Rhynhart is ranked as a leader in the field of commercial litigation by Chambers USA.

For the last three years, Mr. Rhynhart has been leading a litigation cybersecurity initiative to track filings, rulings and verdicts arising from cyber hacks and breaches. The shifting ground of “reasonable” conduct by corporations, and the increasing responsibilities of in-house counsel in protecting their companies’ data, have been a particular focus.


Jeremy A. Rist Partner, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5361 [email protected]

Jeremy Rist’s practice focuses on the resolution of disputes related to business transactions - including merg-ers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and divestitures - ongoing business relationships, commercial controversies implicating constitutional rights and unconstitutional state action, corporate governance, securities regula-tion, and antitrust law. He also has a robust practice counseling clients in the antitrust aspects of transactional activity, including mergers and acquisitions, the formation of joint ventures, joint development agreements, licensing arrangements, and the exchange of information among competitors and within vertical associations.

William H. Roberts Partner, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5632 [email protected]

William Roberts serves as General Counsel of Blank Rome LLP and concentrates his practice in the field of antitrust litigation and counseling, and complex commercial litigation, including class actions, trials and appeals in federal and state courts principally in the following areas: antitrust litigation and counseling, inter-national cartel litigation, defamation and First Amendment issues, and professional responsibility and legal malpractice.

Ana Tagvoryan Associate, Blank Rome LLP 424.239.3465 [email protected]

Ana Tagvoryan has over a decade of experience defending consumer class action claims in and out of the courtroom across the nation. Her complex corporate litigation practice concentrates on consumer fraud, data privacy, online and telephone marketing, false advertising, e-commerce, and regulatory and statutory com-pliance issues. Ms. Tagvoryan is also the Chair of the consumer privacy and TCPA class action defense group, which handles privacy-related class actions involving autodialing, telemarketing, call recording, data sharing, and other consumer privacy matters. Her team also routinely advises clients with respect to data privacy and compliance with federal and state consumer laws across various industries. Her clients regard her as strate-gic and creative; they trust her common sense approach to problem-solving and appreciate her professional dedication.

Robert Weaver Chief Information Security Officer, Blank Rome LLP 215.569.5579 [email protected]

As the Chief Information Security Officer for Blank Rome, Rob provides strategic information security risk program leadership relative to information governance, technology, meeting client obligations, compliance, policy, business continuity, crisis response, physical security, privacy, and other areas. As a subject matter expert, he also provides substantive technical support to our attorneys regarding cybersecurity issues.

Rob has over 25 years of experience in the IT field, with the majority of that time dedicated to security. He has extensive experience developing and managing enterprise security risk management programs in regu-lated industries, such as financial services and pharmaceuticals.


Rob holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Lebanon Valley College, and an MBA from Penn State. He main-tains the CISSP and ISSMP professional certifications from ISC2, and serves as an adjunct professor at Immaculata University and a board committee member for the Philadelphia Youth Network. Rob also serves as a frequent speaker on security topics at industry events.

Shawn M. Wright Partner, Blank Rome LLP 202.772.5968 [email protected]

CHAIR, WHITE COLLAR DEFENSE AND INVESTIGATIONS PRACTICE GROUP

Shawn M. Wright concentrates her practice in the area of white collar criminal litigation, with a specific focus on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and international anti-corruption laws; criminal antitrust; public corruption; and government contracts matters. She represents corporations, Boards of Directors, and corporate executives in a wide range of internal and government investigations, audits and risk assessments, parallel proceedings, complex civil litigation, and before enforcement agencies and bodies such as the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and other authorities.

Ms. Wright’s practice includes internal compliance program development for the FCPA including establish-ing workplace compliance policies and procedures, due diligence in mergers and acquisitions, third-party relationships and other transactions. She conducts internal investigations and provides counsel on violations of the International Traffic in Arms (“ITAR”) and the Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”).

Additionally, she has substantial experience in defending high-profile clients against criminal and civil charges in federal and state courts throughout the country involving alleged violations of fraud, securities, healthcare, public corruption, and other criminal statutes. She also represents companies and nonprofit corporations, and their Boards of Directors, in criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings arising from corporate gover-nance, compliance, and internal controls issues.

Jared Zola Partner, Blank Rome LLP 212.885.5209 [email protected]

Jared Zola is a partner in Blank Rome’s policyholder-only insurance recovery practice, formerly the insurance practice of Dickstein Shapiro LLP. Mr. Zola has helped clients secure more than one billion dollars in insur-ance recoveries. Mr. Zola is a frequent analyst for NBC News, CBS News, Business Insurance, and Law360. He publishes on a wide range of issues impacting insurance coverage and is regularly asked to speak at events, seminars, and legal education programs across the country.

Mr. Zola has litigated cases across the country for corporate clients as well as individuals and religious institutions. He has handled matters involving nearly every line of coverage including political risk, maritime, product contamination, media liability, cybersecurity, fidelity, employment practices liability, professional indemnity, directors and officers, builders risk, commercial property, and general liability.

Mr. Zola is also a member of Blank Rome’s Pro Bono Committee.

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