Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP has promoted the following attorneys to Senior Counsel and Counsel, effective January 1, 2016.
The new Senior Counsel are:
Jonathan Cantor (New York) - Jonathan’s area of concentration is federal income tax with a particular emphasis on capital markets transactions, including high yield offerings, note programs, initial public offerings and tender offers. Jonathan also provides tax advice with respect to regulated investment companies and collateralized debt obligation funds. Jonathan received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1997. He earned both his B.A. and his B.S., summa cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1994.
David Elbaum (New York) - David is a member of the Firm’s litigation practice focused on complex commercial cases, including securities, M&A and antitrust litigation. David also represents clients in government investigations involving the DOJ, SEC, CFTC, HUD and other regulatory agencies. Prior to rejoining the Firm in 2014, David was a partner at another law firm. David received his J.D., magna cum laude, from the New York University School of Law in 1995 where he was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as an Executive Editor of the New York University Law Review. He earned his B.A. from Brown University in 1991.
Janet Gochman (New York) - Janet focuses her practice on a variety of complex commercial litigations including securities, ERISA and M&A litigation. Janet has coordinated the response of clients to multiple insider trading investigations by the SEC, FINRA and other regulatory agencies. Janet also represents clients in internal corporate investigations and government investigations. She received her J.D., magna cum laude, from New York University School of Law in 1993 where she was elected to the Order of the Coif. She earned her B.A., cum laude, from Tufts University in 1987.
John Schueller (New York) - John’s practice focuses on securitization transactions, encompassing many different types of asset classes. He represents both underwriters and issuers, as well as parties in acquisitions and other transactions in which securitizations are involved. John regularly advises the managers of collateralized loan obligations and borrowers under securitized leveraged loan funding facilities. John received his J.D., cum laude, in 1997 from the Northwestern University School of Law and his B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1992.
Simona Strauss (Palo Alto) - Simona concentrates her practice on litigation with a focus on securities litigation, M&A litigation, government and internal investigations, and complex commercial disputes. She has significant experience representing issuers and underwriter syndicates in securities class action litigations. Simona received her J.D. with high honors from Duke University School of Law in 1996 and her B.A. with Distinction from Stanford University in 1993.
The new Counsel are:
David Azcue (Tokyo) - David advises sponsors and managers of private investment funds in connection with the structuring, formation, fundraising, governance and operation of their funds. Additionally, he represents investors making substantial investments in private funds and other collective investment schemes. David received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 2003 where he was an editor of the Michigan Law Review. He received his B.A., with Distinction, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993.
Linda Barrett (Palo Alto) - Linda advises clients on all aspects of executive compensation and other employee benefit matters in connection with mergers, acquisitions, spinoffs, IPOs and other transactions, as well as advising and implementing compensation and benefit arrangements for public and private companies and executives. Linda received her J.D. from Rutgers School of Law in 2002 where she was Editor of the Rutgers Law Review. She received her B.A. from Hofstra University in 1994.
Janice Brunner (New York) - Janice is a member of the Firm’s Public Company Advisory Practice. She advises existing and newly-listed public companies and companies preparing to go public on a wide range of corporate governance, executive compensation and disclosure matters under the U.S. securities laws and the listing requirements of the major U.S. exchanges. Janice also counsels clients on a full scope of general corporate law matters including board and committee structures, conflicts of interest, shareholder proposals, proxy advisory firms, crisis management and restatements. Janice received her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and her B.A. from Albion College.
Mark Chorazak (New York) - Mark’s practice focuses on providing strategic bank regulatory advice on a wide range of matters, including new regulatory requirements under the Dodd-Frank Act. He regularly counsels banks, thrifts and other financial services firms in connection with mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions, and represents those institutions before the major financial services regulators. He also counsels private equity investors on investments in banking organizations and other financial institutions. Mark received his J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 2006 where he was Editor of the Duke Law Journal. He earned an MSc from Oxford University in 2002. He earned his B.A. from Syracuse University in 2000, summa cum laude, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
James Connor (London) - James is a member of the Firm’s Corporate Department. He regularly advises private equity firms and corporate clients on a wide range of corporate transactions including public company takeovers and private M&A, as well as equity capital markets and general corporate law matters. James has particular experience in English law and UK regulation applicable to UK listed companies. James received a Diploma in Legal Practice, with Distinction, from Nottingham Law School in 2003 and his M.A., with Honors, from Magdalene College, Cambridge in 2002.
Patrick Dowd (London) - Patrick is a member of the Firm’s real estate practice. He has extensive experience in commercial real estate acquisitions and other transactions for private equity clients. Patrick is currently based in the New York office and will transfer to the London office in February. Patrick earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2006 and his M.A. from the University of Chicago in 2000. He received an A.B., magna cum laude, from Cornell University in 1998.
Crystal Frierson (Washington, D.C.) - Crystal is a member of the Firm’s private funds practice. She focuses on the organization, structuring and operation of a wide range of private funds, including buyout funds; real estate funds; debt/credit funds; and energy/infrastructure funds. Crystal also counsels sponsors on separately managed account and co-investment vehicle arrangements, internal economic arrangements and corporate transactions involving private investment funds. Crystal received her J.D. from the University of California Berkeley School of Law in 2007. She earned her M.P.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in 2007 and a B.A., magna cum laude, from Howard University in 2003.
Jennie Getsin (New York) - Jennie advises a wide range of the Firm’s corporate clients on compliance with Blue Sky laws and FINRA regulations. She earned her J.D. magna cum laude, from New York Law School in 2000 and her B.A. from New York University in 1997.
Dov Gottlieb (New York) - Dov is a member of the Firm’s Public Company Advisory Practice. He advises public company clients on corporate governance, compliance with U.S. federal securities laws, listing requirements of the major U.S. stock exchanges and various other corporate law matters. Dov earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2006. He received a Certificate in Business and Public Policy from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 and a B.S., magna cum laude, from Yeshiva University in 1997.
Lucy Jenkins (London) – Lucy is a member of the Firm’s banking and credit practice. She advises clients on an array of credit transactions and financial instruments, as well as on cross-border finance issues. Lucy received a Postgraduate Diploma in Law, with Commendation, in 2000, and a Diploma in Legal Practice, with Distinction, in 2001, from the College of Law in London. She received her BSc with Honors from the University of Bristol in 1998.
Xavier Kowalski (New York) - Xavier’s practice is focused on capital markets. He represents both issuers and investment banks in initial public offerings, high yield financings and other domestic and international capital raising transactions. He received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2006 and his B.S. from the University of Florida in 2003.
Kevin Lehpamer (New York) - Kevin concentrates his practice on merger and acquisition transactions and corporate governance matters. He advises both corporate clients and private equity firms. He received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 2003 and his B.A. from Georgetown University in 1998.
Tom Lloyd (London) - Tom is a member of the Firm’s banking and credit and real estate practices. He advises clients on an array of credit transactions and financial instruments, as well as cross-border finance issues, with a focus on sponsor driven real estate transactions. Tom received a Diploma in Legal Practice, with Distinction, in 2005 from Nottingham Law School and his LL.B. from the University of Sheffield in 2004.
Heather Shaffer (New York) -Heather is a member of the Firm’s litigation practice, where she focuses on government and internal investigations. She also has significant experience in securities litigation matters and complex commercial disputes. Heather earned her J.D. with high honors and Order of the Coif from George Washington University Law School in 2006, where she was Book Review Editor of The George Washington International Law Review. She received her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002.
Ellen Smiley (New York) - Ellen is a member of the Firm’s Public Company Advisory Practice. She advises public company clients on corporate governance, compliance with U.S. federal securities laws, listing requirements of the major U.S. stock exchanges and various other corporate law matters. She received her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 2003 and her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin in 1991.
Joshua Tod (London) - Joshua focuses his practice on private investment funds. He advises on the establishment and operation of a wide variety of funds, including private equity, infrastructure, real estate and debt funds. Joshua earned his Diploma in Legal Practice, with Commendation, from the BPP University Law School in London in 2004, and a B.A. from the University of Durham in 1998.