Rising Stars 2022

GUETER AURELIEN

Counsel,
Venable LLP

—

Gueter Aurelien’s practice focuses on a broad range of corporate law matters, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, commercial financing, equity investments, securities offerings, commercial contracts, and general business transactions. Gueter advises start-up, emerging growth, and later-stage companies in a variety of industries; financial institutions; specialty lenders; banks; investors; entrepreneurs; and nonprofit organizations. She also regularly represents community development entities and other parties in connection with Federal New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) financing transactions.

In addition to her general corporate practice, Gueter has experience with public finance. She represents municipalities and conduit issuers and borrowers and routinely serves as bond counsel and borrower’s counsel. She has experience advising on general obligation bonds and revenue bonds; competitive, negotiated, and public offerings; private placements; and sophisticated financing, refinancing, and refunding arrangements using tax-exempt and taxable bonds.

Gueter has been recognized in The Daily Record, Super Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America and The National Black Lawyers. She is a former contributor for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and former board member for Boys Hope Girls Hope of Baltimore.

Gueter earned her B.A. from Columbia University, her M.A. in forensic accounting from Florida Atlantic University and her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law.

BRYAN BROWNING

Assistant General Counsel, Head of Global Disputes,
Whirlpool Corporation

—

Bryan Browning is a decisive problem-solver for key stakeholders and C-suite leaders. He is Assistant General Counsel, Head of Global Disputes at Fortune 200 company Whirlpool Corporation, where he manages a large and talented team of attorneys, claims professionals, and staff. Bryan’s team is charged with developing and delivering on successful strategies related to all phases of Whirlpool’s highly-visible and complex disputes portfolio, including product liability, product safety, commercial matters, class actions, intellectual property litigation, privacy and data security related disputes, and governmental investigations. He also proactively leads dispute risk mitigation projects and provides strategic counsel on dispute risks globally to help advance Whirlpool’s strategy and protect the company. In addition, Bryan is also General Counsel for the Hispanic National Bar Association, a national organization that represents the interests of over 65,000 Hispanic legal professionals in the U.S and its territories.

Prior to his time at Whirlpool, Bryan served as Senior Legal Counsel, Commercial and Products Litigation at global technology company, Lenovo. In that role, Bryan managed Lenovo’s material commercial, employment, privacy, consumer, and products litigation globally. He also led all class action defense efforts and provided consultation on global risk management and insurance programs. Before Lenovo, Bryan was a shareholder at Bassford Remele, P.A. in Minneapolis, MN where he focused on product liability, commercial, and class action trial work. Bryan had the honor of being the first Latino shareholder in Bassford’s then 135-year history.

Outside of his work at Whirlpool, Bryan is deeply involved in diversity and inclusion initiatives and organizations that are spearheading the efforts to make a difference. Most notably, he has served as an officer and on the Executive Committee of the Hispanic National Bar Association for many years. Moreover, he has served on various other non-profit boards and committees that share his vision of expanding the diversity pipeline in the legal profession. Specifically, Bryan currently serves on the boards of the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence, the Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy, and the University of Minnesota Office of Equity and Diversity, National Diversity Advisory Board. Bryan was selected by the Hispanic National Bar Association as a recipient of the 2017 Top Lawyers Under 40 Award, and a 2016 Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer. He has been named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers every year since 2012, and has been recognized by a number of organizations for his commitments to the legal profession and greater community.

NAKIMULI DAVIS-PRIMER

Shareholder,
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC

—

Nakimuli primarily focuses her practice on partnering with clients to create respectful workplaces that comply with federal, state, and local laws. A key aspect of this partnership includes assisting clients with developing policies, practices, and procedures that create sustainable inclusive workplace climates. Accordingly, Nakimuli is a Shareholder in Baker Donelson’s Labor & Employment (L&E) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practice groups. Before joining Baker Donelson, she was a law clerk to the Honorable Leslie H. Southwick of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In addition to her practice at Baker Donelson, for the last two years Nakimuli has been an Adjunct Professor at Mississippi College School of Law, where she teaches Employment Law.

Nakimuli has significant experience defending employers in administrative matters and single and multi-plaintiff litigation alleging discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, breach of contract, and violations of various federal, state, and local laws. She routinely identifies and assesses opportunities for clients to reduce legal risk and improve their workplace culture, which includes reviewing and developing policies and handbooks, advising clients on novel employment issues, conducting internal investigations, training employees and leaders on a variety of employment-related topics, and serving as a resource for human resource professionals and in-house counsel tackling employment issues. At the onset of the pandemic, Nakimuli quickly became adept in the changing legal landscape for employers. She counseled and advised employers across numerous industries, including manufacturing, education, banking, health care, and hospitality, on novel issues relating to leaves and accommodations, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), reductions-in-force, furloughs, COVID-19 exposures and diagnosis, hiring, terminations, return-to-work protocols, OSHA compliance, vaccination mandates, and COVID-19 testing issues and concerns. She studied and presented on issues that were important to clients, resulting in thousands tuning in to her webinars on topics such as the FFCRA, employer rights and obligations during the pandemic, and return-to-work protocols. Nakimuli exhibits this same commitment to all issues that concern her clients.

A growing aspect of Nakimuli’s practice involves partnering with clients to develop Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) plans and initiatives, which includes creating and evaluating cultural audits and employee surveys to ground and inform DEI initiatives and goals, social media policies, DEIA related policies and practices, and communication strategies surrounding issues relating to DEIA. Nakimuli partners with clients to create ongoing training programs that raise awareness of, identify tools and strategies for, and reinforce best practices to create sustainable inclusive workplaces. These measures are critical to increasing employee engagement and reducing legal risk, particularly the risk of harassment and discrimination claims. Nakimuli develops training programs for leaders, management level, and non-management level employees on topics ranging from implicit bias, inclusive leadership, increasing employee engagement, and navigating multigenerational workforces to discrimination, harassment, conflict resolution, and leave and accommodation requests. In addition to her L&E and ESG practice, Nakimuli represents clients on commercial litigation matters, specifically including breach of contract, fraud, and premises liability. She also has significant experience representing insurers on bad faith breach of contract claims and litigating federal condemnation actions.

Nakimuli has earned numerous recognitions for her community involvement and leadership. In 2013, she was named to Lawyers of Color’s inaugural “Hot List”, recognizing her as one of 100 early to mid-career minority attorneys under 40 from the South who are excelling in the legal profession. She was first-named by the National Black Lawyers as a Top 100 Attorney in 2015, with multiple recognitions thereafter. In 2020, she was recognized by the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division as a 2020 On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyer, and by the Mississippi Business Journal as a Top 10 Finalist on their Top 50 Under 40 List. She has been named a Mid-South Rising Star by Mid-South Super Lawyers (2014 – 2021); and was recognized as one of the top 10 up-and-coming attorneys in the Jackson metro area by Portico Magazine (2015). Nakimuli was listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Business Lawyers as a leading Labor & Employment lawyer in Mississippi (2022) and recently was recognized by Bloomberg Law as a 2022 They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40 honoree. She has received the Outstanding Service Award for two local bar organizations as well as other recognitions and honors for her volunteer service. Nakimuli is a Barrister in the Inn of Court, Charles Clark Inn and is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She is also a Board of Trustee for the Mississippi Museum of Art (MMA) and provides pro bono counsel to the MMA regarding personnel matters.

RONAK D. DESAI

Of Counsel, Litigation,
Paul Hastings LLP

—

Ronak D. Desai is Of Counsel in the Investigations and White Collar Defense practice at Paul Hastings LLP and serves as firm-wide co-leader of its Congressional Investigations practice.

A seasoned international investigations, enforcement defense, and compliance attorney, Mr. Desai has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors. He advises clients on a broad range of complex investigative, compliance, crisis management, and public policy matters. Prior to joining Paul Hastings, Mr. Desai served as investigative counsel to a high-profile Select Committee on Capitol Hill. In addition to his Congressional work, Mr. Desai is a recognized expert on India and the Subcontinent, and draws upon his deep understanding of the region to help U.S. and other multinational clients navigate the unique legal and policy challenges arising in the course of their cross-border operations. He also counsels Indian companies conducting business abroad, including in the United States. Mr. Desai serves as pro bono General Counsel and independent Board Director to the Partnership for a Secure America, a DC-based foreign policy think tank that seeks to promote bipartisanship on Capitol Hill through its flagship Congressional Partnership Program. In 2016, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser appointed Mr. Desai to her Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). He recently completed his second three-year term. He also serves as Member of the Board of the South Asian Symphony Foundation and a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a frequent author, speaker, and commentator. He is a regular contributor to Forbes and Bloomberg Law, and a host of publications in the Asia-Pacific. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The National Law Journal, The Hill, Foreign Policy, The Huffington Post, and has been cited by The Congressional Research Service. He has been previously recognized by the South Asian Bar Association, the National Law Journal, and the American Bar Association for his white collar, Congressional investigations, and India-related legal work. Mr. Desai earned joint public policy and law degrees from the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Law School from which he graduated magna cum laude.

JUSTIN T. JOHNSON

Senior Counsel, Global Affiliate Governance,
AbbVie Inc.

—

Justin joined AbbVie in January 2021 where he serves as the principal attorney for the governance oversight of AbbVie Inc.’s 300+ affiliates, leads the global legal integration of Allergan Limited following its acquisition by AbbVie Inc. in spring 2020, and oversees the Global Affiliate Governance Team in the day-to-day management of AbbVie Inc.’s subsidiary governance. Justin serves on AbbVie’s HBCU Legal Career Promotion Committee, which seeks to enrich the pipeline of diverse talent from HBCU’s in the legal profession, including professions in the health care industry. Justin is also a member of AbbVie Inc.’s Corporate Legal, Governance, and Operations 1L Legal Internship Committee, where he serves as a mentor to first year law students, a fundamental component of the summer internship program.

Prior to joining AbbVie, Justin worked at Rush University System for Health (RUSH) where he most recently served as its Senior Corporate Counsel, Senior Associate General Counsel, Managing Director of Corporate Development, and Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees. Justin was the principal attorney for major corporate health care transactions such as: the formation and expansion of RUSH, significant asset acquisitions and dispositions, and RUSH’s tax-exempt bond issuances, re-financings, and disclosures. Justin developed and managed the RUSH Deals Team, an interdisciplinary group consisting of system senior leadership which tracked, evaluated, prioritized, and implemented all major external growth opportunities and transactions. Justin was an Assistant Professor of Rush University’s Department of Health Systems Management, where he co-directed its Health Law and Ethics course. Additionally, Justin served as a member of RUSH’s Institutional Conflict of Interest Committee, the Diversity Leadership Council, and as the Co-Chairperson of the Demographic Strategy Team.

In his volunteer time, Justin serves as a member of the Citizens Police Oversight Committee of the Village of Oak Park, a committee charged with evaluating complaints about police conduct and interpersonal/community relations.

Justin recently served as an Adjunct Professor for Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, were he established and lead two courses covering the topics of health care law, ethics, and bioethics.

Justin attended Princeton University and received his law degree from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.

JULIUS M. REDD

Principal,
Beveridge & Diamond PC

—

Julius is a litigator and counselor who maintains a national practice.

He represents clients in various industries in complex civil litigation, enforcement actions, and administrative regulatory proceedings. Much of his litigation practice is focused on environmental issues, representing clients in matters related to contaminated property; toxic tort; contractual disputes; and complex commercial litigation. His ability to connect with clients and learn the intricacies of their businesses allows Julius to align his legal counsel with targeted actions to advance clients’ goals.

Handling cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States, his multifaceted experience in resolving conflicts enables him to achieve favorable results that satisfy both practical and economic objectives for the firm’s clients.

Environmental Justice

Julius also co-founded and co-chairs B&D’s Environmental Justice (EJ) practice group. He advises clients on EJ issues, evaluates EJ operational risks, designs and implements comprehensive EJ strategies, and proactively implements EJ considerations in project development. Julius regularly speaks and writes on EJ issues and is routinely quoted on EJ developments in publications such as Law360, Bloomberg, InsideEPA, and E&E News. He also frequently hosts episodes of Groundtruth, an EJ-focused podcast series created in partnership with the Environmental Law Institute.

Environmental Compliance Counseling

Additionally, Julius is a trusted advisor who provides strategic advice to C-suite executives and operational personnel on various environmental compliance and emerging ESG risks. He counsels clients on developing and implementing environmental compliance programs, and helps clients test the effectiveness of programs through environmental audits.

Civic Involvement and Pro Bono Legal Service

Julius maintains an active civic volunteer profile. He is a founding member of the Men of Color Project (MoCP), an organization designed to build leaders in the legal sector, facilitate intergenerational support, and encourage community service and civic engagement amongst men of color in the legal profession. He is also involved in prisoner advocacy, having spearheaded the firm’s participation in the Clemency Project, where attorneys assisted low-level, non-violent federal inmates in obtaining executive clemency via an Obama Administration initiative.

Since law school, Julius has been committed to providing pro bono representation, which included his work that secured the release of an inmate who was wrongfully convicted of murder after he had served 24 years in prison. Additionally, has represented pro bono clients in various areas of the law, including immigration, education, and landlord/tenant matters, to name a few.

Julius is also a board member of Unity Christian Fellowship, a STEM-focused non-profit youth development organization.

HELEN L. RESPASS

Senior Legal Editor & Global Pro Bono Co-Chair,
Thomson Reuters

—

Helen Respass is a Senior Legal Editor at Practical Law, Thomson Reuters, where she creates legal know-how on topics such as commercial and cross-border transactions, employment, anti-corruption, corporate governance, compliance, and non-profit organizations. At Thomson Reuters, Helen was also seconded to the Employment Practice Group of the General Counsel’s Office, where she provided legal advice on a broad range of employment issues.

Prior to joining Thomson Reuters, Helen was Assistant General Counsel for the Americas region at Sojitz Corporation of America, a global trading company. Among her responsibilities, Helen handled corporate, M&A, commercial, and employment matters, developed and oversaw the global ethics and compliance program, and managed the Trade Compliance Unit.

Helen started her legal career at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP and Linklaters LLP in the corporate and employee benefits practices. While an associate, Helen led and trained attorneys at Kelley Drye to represent refugees in asylum proceedings in partnership with Human Rights First, and served as Co-Chair of the Linklaters New York Pro Bono Committee.

Helen is passionate about pro bono and diversity, equity, and inclusion. At Thomson Reuters, she currently serves as the Co-Chair of Global Pro Bono, where she oversees the global pro bono program, coordinates with internal teams to align pro bono initiatives with corporate goals, and supports and organizes pro bono opportunities and training for employees. Helen is also an executive committee member of diverse business resource groups at Thomson Reuters, including Women @ Thomson Reuters and the Asian Affinity Network, and an ally member of the Global Allyship Community and Black Employee Network.

In 2020, Helen received the Cornerstone Award from Lawyers Alliance for New York, which recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions through pro bono legal services to nonprofits. In 2016, she received the Outstanding Volunteer Award from Open Hands Legal Services, honoring her exceptional commitment and kindness to clients at the organization’s legal aid desks.

Helen received an A.B. from Princeton University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a three-time recipient of Outstanding Pro Bono Work awards.

RICHARD C. ROSALEZ

Vice President, Litigation,
Samsung Electronics America

—

Rich Rosalez is the Vice President, Litigation at Samsung Electronics America, Inc., the US subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., one of the largest electronics and high-tech manufacturing companies in the world. As a leader in the legal department, Rich manages the company’s litigation docket, pre-litigation, investigations, responses to enforcement matters, and related activities. Since joining Samsung in 2011, Rich has been actively involved in some of the most followed and influential legal matters in the US, and he has counseled the company and its leaders through fourfold growth. Rich regularly advises Samsung on significant strategic issues, competition, brand protection, and public relations matters, including serving as a company spokesperson with numerous leading media outlets. Long passionate about DEI, Rich is a founding member, mentor, and executive sponsor of Unidos, Samsung’s Latino/Hispanic employee resource group, and he serves on the company’s DEI Advisory Council.

Outside of the office, Rich is active in the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association (In-House Committee), and the Hispanic National Bar Association (Deputy Regional President), where he has recently focused on mentoring programs, and he previously held numerous positions over several years with the American Bar Association’s trial practice committee (newsletter, website, membership, and diversity subcommittees). Rich has also served as an adviser to a leading DFW charter school, an adventure guides leader, a youth sports coach many times over, and a school and community volunteer. Rich has won a number of awards for his professional and community endeavors, ranging from the DFW Association of Corporate Counsel/D CEO Magazine Outstanding In-House Counsel of the Year Award, to the Hispanic National Bar Association Top Lawyers Under 40 Award, and a City of Dallas Service Award. Rich has been featured on the cover of Modern Counsel magazine’s Resilience Issue, and twice been highlighted in Hispanic Executive magazine.

Prior to joining Samsung, Rich practiced white collar, government enforcement, antitrust, intellectual property, and complex commercial litigation at Jones Day in Dallas, and Latham & Watkins in New York. Originally from rural Ohio, Rich attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Columbia Law School.

GUETER AURELIEN

BRYAN BROWNING

NAKIMULI DAVIS-PRIMER

MATT DEPAZ

PAST MCCA RISING STARS

Pin It on Pinterest

GUETER AURELIEN

BRYAN BROWNING

NAKIMULI DAVIS-PRIMER

MATT DEPAZ

RONAK D. DESAI

JASON G. DOWNS

CHARLENE A. BARKER GEDEUS, ESQ.

CHRISTOPHER GRANT

SHANELLE HENRY

NAOMI K. HILLS

TENNILLE HOOVER

MICHAEL J. HUI

PAUL HUMPHREYS

VANESSA JACKSON

JUSTIN T. JOHNSON

JOHN KIM

MICHELLE MARTINEZ

EVA J. PULLIAM

JULIUS M. REDD

HELEN L. RESPASS

CHRISTOPHER R. RIAÑO

RICHARD C. ROSALEZ

CHRISTINE N. SWIFT

NIKOLAS TAKACS

SUE XIA