Rising Stars 2023

Les Boswell

Counsel,
State Farm

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Les Boswell is member of the State Counsel team for State Farm, currently responsible for government and regulatory affairs in New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. He assumed the role of State Counsel in October 2018. He joined State Farm in 2013 as Counsel to the Investment Department, focusing on real estate finance, state and federal compliance issues, and other financial transactions involving State Farm and its affiliates. During his time with State Farm, Les has been extremely involved the Law Department’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, including serving in multiple leadership roles within the Diversity & Inclusion committee.

Prior to joining State Farm, Les practiced at Moore & Van Allen and Kirk Palmer & Thigpen in Charlotte, North Carolina where he focused on real estate, real estate finance and various corporate matters. He also worked in-house with Electrolux North America where he handled an array of commercial matters.

Les received his undergraduate and law degrees from The College of William & Mary in Virginia.

Les and his wife, Jennie, have three daughters, ages 10, 8, and 6.

Julius Chen

Partner,
Akin

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A first-generation Asian American, Julius Chen attended Princeton University, where he graduated magna cum laude with an A.B. in U.S. history. His senior thesis—The Government on Wheels: Fixity, Mobility, and Centrality in Early American Capital Cities—won the Prize in American History.

Mr. Chen was then selected as a California Senate Fellow. Beyond studying pressing policy issues through a graduate-level program sponsored by the Center for California Studies, Mr. Chen staffed education and tax matters for Sen. George C. Runner.

Mr. Chen received his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law. At the end of his first year, he was awarded the Charles Bathgate Beck Prize (for the best first-year examination in real property) and was named to the Columbia Law Review. Thereafter, Mr. Chen was elected editor-in-chief of the Columbia Law Review and graduated with honors as a James Kent Scholar (the law school’s highest academic recognition).

Mr. Chen’s legal writing also garnered broad recognition. His exploration of the potential impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s then-recent decision in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007), on pleading standards in state courts was published in the Columbia Law Review and received LexisNexis’s James William Moore Federal Practice Award for outstanding scholarship in federal civil practice and procedure. In addition, Mr. Chen’s nuanced examination of Asian Americans and “percentage plan” college admission programs was published in the Asian Pacific American Law Journal and won the Asian Pacific American Bar Association Educational Fund’s Robert T. Matsui Writing Competition.

Mr. Chen began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge T.S. Ellis III on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He then served as a law clerk to Judge Judith W. Rogers on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Over the past decade in private practice, and as described in more detail above, Mr. Chen has built an impressive record as an appellate advocate. He has presented Within Akin Gump, Mr. Chen received the Stark Ritchie Pro Bono Counsel Award, which recognizes unyielding commitment to providing free legal services to those in the community who need it most and can afford it least. Mr. Chen has also been named a rising star or otherwise recognized by several publications, including the National Law Journal, Bloomberg Law, Washington Business Journal, Euromoney’s Expert Guide and The Legal 500 United States. And just this year, the Washington Business Journal honored Mr. Chen as a Diversity in Business Leader.

Jomaire Crawford

Litigation Partner,
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

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Jomaire Crawford is a partner in the New York office of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, where she practices complex litigation in state and federal court. Recognized as a “Rising Star” by New York Law Journal for her plaintiff and defense side practice, Jomaire handles a range of high-stakes civil, criminal, and regulatory matters for individuals, non-profits, and corporate clients. Her recent matters include securities and privacy class actions, shareholder derivative suits, contract disputes, and cross-border investigations.

Over the years, Jomaire’s clients have ranged from individuals and non-profits, to public companies, institutional investors, higher-education institutions, and real estate investment trusts. Jomaire has experience in all phases of litigation from pre-complaint investigation to dispositive motion practice, summary judgment, and trial – and has successfully resolved numerous disputes without resort to litigation.

Jomaire’s contributions to the legal profession are not limited to her billable matters. She maintains a robust pro bono practice and has donated her time to community service projects and pro bono cases every year of her legal career. She has partnered with legal service providers like the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), and served as court-appointed counsel through programs facilitated by the Federal Bar Council and the Southern District of New York’s Office of Pro Se Litigation.

For her work inside and outside of the courtroom, Jomaire has earned numerous awards and recognitions, including from The New York Law Journal, the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP), and the American Bar Association Business Law Section. Jomaire was also named to the Power 100 List of Influential Black Attorneys and the Lawyers of Color “Hot List” in 2022, and will receive the Professional Achievement award from the Association of Black Women Attorneys (ABWA) at this year’s Ruth Whitehead Whaley Luncheon. For a U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief that Jomaire co-authored with leading appellate advocate and Quinn Emanuel name partner Kathleen Sullivan in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, No. 19-123 (argued Nov. 4, 2020), Quinn Emanuel also received the “Pro Bono Champion” award by the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance.

Jomaire earned her law degree from Yale and graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English and double minors in Philosophy of Law, and Rhetoric and Public Address.

TaCara Harris

Partner,
King & Spalding

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TaCara Harris is a Partner in the Atlanta office of King & Spalding and a member of the firm’s Trial and Global Disputes practice area. She is an experienced litigator and budding first-chair trial lawyer who represents the world’s most sophisticated pharmaceutical and medical device companies—including Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Boehringer Ingelheim, Coloplast, Pfizer, and Eisai—in nationwide product liability litigation. TaCara handles all aspects of large-scale, high-stakes mass tort litigation across the country in state court consolidated proceedings and in multidistrict litigation from early case assessment, through discovery, and on to summary judgment, trial, settlement, and appeal. Through early case assessment and meticulous preparation, TaCara develops case strategy tailored to the litigation while prioritizing and aligning clients’ business needs and goals; understanding and helping to develop the company story through witnesses and documents; and building the scientific case through a review of the record evidence and preparation of world-class experts. Having actively participated on successful teams in eight multi-week, high-stakes product liability jury trials, TaCara handles each matter with a view toward trial, considering how to communicate effectively to a jury a host of complex scientific, technical, and regulatory issues.

Prior to joining King & Spalding, TaCara graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies. She then earned her J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School with honors in 2013, where she was the recipient of multiple prestigious scholarships. While attending law school, TaCara served as a law clerk at the Office of the General Counsel of Vanderbilt University and as a summer associate at Maynard Cooper & Gale, LLP, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, LLP, and Baker Donelson. Upon graduation from law school, she worked as a general litigation associate for Baker Donelson in Nashville, Tennessee.

Since joining the Trial and Global Disputes practice at King & Spalding, TaCara has emerged as a zealous advocate and young leader in the life sciences space and served as National Coordinating Counsel in hundreds of product liability cases. For example, she was an integral part of the team serving as national coordinating and trial counsel for GlaxoSmithKline in litigation alleging in utero injuries caused by the prescription antidepressant Paxil, which culminated in favorable resolution of all plaintiffs’ cases.
Likewise, for an international medical device company, TaCara recently led a cross-office team of 16 associates and partners and 4 paralegals in preparing for trial—developing the case theory; leading client and team meetings; managing a trial budget; and overseeing all critical pre-trial and trial tasks. Following a two-week trial, a federal jury awarded the plaintiff only $500,000 in compensatory damages and no punitive damages—a fraction of the $2.5 million plaintiff’s counsel had requested.
Just recently, TaCara was asked to help lead a large, multi-office team defending TikTok in a newly formed MDL in Northern District of California and in state courts across the country. These high-profile lawsuits involving underaged users of the content-sharing platform and claims of “social media addiction” implicate cutting-edge issues of Internet law, as well as novel theories of product liability.

At a young age, TaCara has emerged as a thought leader in her field. Even during the pandemic, she creatively developed best practices for maximizing effectiveness in remote depositions and hearings and tracked the pandemic’s impact on jury composition and attitudes. Leveraging this research, she and three colleagues presented to clients on best strategies for “Litigating in a Pandemic.” Because of her expertise and commitment to excellence in the profession, this year, she was appointed as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Vanderbilt Law School.

In addition to her litigation practice, TaCara has leveraged her skillset to help lead significant investigations. For example, in October 2022, the U.S. Soccer Federation retained former deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct an investigation into allegations of abuse in women’s professional soccer. TaCara led one of three primary workstreams for an all-female team; developed findings and recommendations for corrective action; and drafted a significant portion of a 172-page public investigative report. Released October 3, 2022, it has garnered substantial media coverage, nearly 300,000 downloads, and praise for its breadth, boldness, and impact. In fact, U.S. Soccer recently announced that it intends to implement all of the report’s recommendations to ensure soccer players across the county have a safe place to learn, compete, and grow.

On top of these efforts, TaCara co-leads the firm’s Women’s Health Initiative—a business development effort intended to help K&S become the leading firm representing companies whose products target or disproportionately impact women. In her role, TaCara has created a multi-disciplinary working group that follows trends in women’s health and educates clients about the firm’s capabilities in this space. She regularly speaks and publishes thought leadership pieces noting the increased focus on women’s health in the government, marketplace, and media, and recently helped land an engagement with a newly formed global women’s health company.

As a result of TaCara’s outstanding legal talent, leadership abilities, and standing in the profession, she has already made herself integral to the most significant clients and laid the foundation for amassing a robust book of business. For example, while still an associate and after a competitive nationwide vetting process, TaCara was selected by Pfizer for its Raising the Bar Initiative as preferred counsel, an exclusive group of only 10 lawyers, including seven partners and one counsel. The program is designed to increase the participation of minority attorneys in Pfizer matters. TaCara has also been recognized as a Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Star and as a member of the “Top 40 Under 40” class by National Black Lawyers.
From these experiences and many others, TaCara has honed her talents as a litigator with robust trial experience, early-career business development victories, strong interpersonal skills, and a proven track record as an enthusiastic, visible leader in her firm and in the profession. These qualities and accomplishments, along with her charismatic personality, positioned TaCara to be promoted to partner after only eight years of practice.

Mia Lorick

Partner,
Locke Lord LLP

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Mia Lorick is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in civil appellate law ‎and concentrates her practice on commercial litigation, real estate litigation, energy litigation ‎and civil appeals. She handles jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations as well as appellate ‎briefing and oral argument, and she has argued before the Texas Supreme Court.‎

In addition to her practice, Mia has been an advocate for a more equitable legal profession, ‎having founded and directed her former firm’s diversity and inclusion initiative. She regularly ‎speaks on diversity and inclusion panels, most recently for the American Bar Association. Mia ‎is also the founder of the Suited for Success Scholarship, which awards law students with a ‎business suit for interviewing.‎

Mia’s representative experience includes:‎

Tried a jury trial and obtained a unanimous jury verdict on a commercial real estate ‎dispute.‎
Received result in favor of a land owner in a bench trial on a real estate transactions ‎dispute.‎
Tried a jury trial and obtained a unanimous jury verdict on a breach of contract dispute.‎
Briefed and argued appeal in favor of client to the Fourteenth Court of Appeals on the ‎lack of derivative standing for nonprofit corporations under the Texas Business and ‎Organizations Code.‎
Briefed and argued appeal in favor of client to the First Court of Appeals in a legal ‎malpractice case.‎
Briefed and argued appeal in favor of client to the Fifth Court of Appeals on a motion to ‎show authority.‎
Handled appeal in favor of client to the First Court of Appeals on a breach of contract ‎and declaratory judgment dispute.‎
Briefed and argued appeal in favor of client to the Thirteenth Court of Appeals on a ‎motion for sanctions under the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 10.‎
Handled mandamus in favor of client to the First Court of Appeals on the expungement ‎of a Lis Pendens.‎
Briefed and argued appeal to the Seventh Court of Appeals on a fraud and tortious ‎interference dispute.‎
Handled interlocutory appeal in favor of client to the Ninth Court of Appeals on an ‎Anti-SLAPP Motion to Dismiss.‎
Briefed interlocutory appeal to Eleventh Court of Appeals on temporary injunction.‎
Briefed and argued appeal to the Texas Supreme Court on interpretations of the Texas ‎Property Code.‎

Mia’s Awards Include:‎

Recipient, Steven C. Haley Best Speaker Award, Texas State Bar’s ‎Advanced Real ‎Estate Law Course (2018)‎
Named. Rising Star, Houston Association of Women Attorneys ‎Foundation
Named, Woman to Watch, Houston Business Journal
Named, Rising Star, University of Houston Law Center
Named, Top Lawyer, Houstonia Magazine
Named, Super Lawyers® Texas Rising Star, Appellate (2019-2022)‎
Named, Top 50 Women Lawyers, National Diversity Council (2019)‎
Named, Top 100, National Black Lawyers (2019)‎
Named, Top Women Lawyers, Texas Diversity Council (2021)‎
Recognized, Best Legal Article, Houston Bar Foundation (2021)‎
Recognized, Best News Article, State Bar of Texas (2021-2022)‎

Mia’s Professional Affiliations Include:‎

Treasurer, Houston Bar Association Litigation Section
Council Member, State Bar of Texas Appellate Section
Member of the Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
Member of the CLE committee for the State Bar of Texas

Jon Mehta

Legal Director, Litigation & Investigations,
Johnson & Johnson

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Jonathan Mehta is the Legal Director, Litigation & Investigations – Asia Pacific at Johnson & Johnson. In his capacity, Mr. Mehta has led the cross-functional APAC Investigations Team, where he developed an innovative approach to manage internal investigations including: 1) partnering with several law firms to develop a set of best practices related to investigations; 2) creating an internal cloud database and dashboards to track key data points; and 3) developing consistent standards and fee structures with both panel law firms and eDiscovery providers to ensure Johnson & Johnson was receiving the highest value and efficiency given the volume of investigations that his team was handling.

Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Mehta was a New York-trained Senior Associate at Alston & Bird where he gained extensive experience conducting large-scale cross-border investigations. He spent three years as a secondee at Credit Suisse in Hong Kong, where he worked on APAC and MENA litigation and investigations. Experience during his secondment includes:

Investigations:

Obtained favorable resolutions with the US SEC and US DOJ in parallel multi-year FCPA investigations of hiring practices in the Asia-Pacific region. Primary responsibilities included overseeing regulatory submissions, preparing witnesses for testimony, providing regional regulators and management updates on the investigation and managing document review teams in Hong Kong, India and the US.
Managed internal investigations relating to activity identified by Compliance and whistleblower letters relating to (1) potential FCPA violations in the PRC and India; (2) insider trading in Hong Kong and Australia; and (3) research report front-running in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Thailand.
Managed global cross-border investigations relating to potential breaches of regulations on research report disclosures and foreign financial service provider licensing conditions.
Managed criminal investigation by the Indonesian Police relating to transactions associated with a hedge fund that was under investigation for allegedly facilitating a Ponzi scheme valued at US$1 billion.

Litigation:

Managed affirmative disputes and directly negotiated favorable settlements, exceeding US$40 million, with a Hong Kong-listed counter-party in relation to defaulted convertible bonds, and a Taiwan-listed counterparty in relation to a defaulted total-return-swap.
Negotiated a favorable settlement on a multi-year US$500 million negligence action in Hong Kong relating to CS’s role as a financial advisor to a US-listed company that allegedly defrauded investors.
Managed dispute to ensure that a US$50 million subscription in a US IPO was settled following attempts by a Hong Kong-based client to refuse an allocation post-closing of the IPO.
Acted as APAC lead on several US class action lawsuits relating to CS’s role as underwriter in the capital-raising activities of US-listed companies that are based in the PRC.

Operations:

Developed a regional matter-management dashboard used to generate management reports tracking matters, trends, recoveries and legal spend.
Developed an e-Discovery playbook to standardize the electronic discovery review process.

Mr. Mehta also served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Nicholas G. Garaufis in the U.S. District Court for the E.D.N.Y.

Mr. Mehta earned his J.D. from Cornell Law School in 2012, where he was the general editor of Journal of Law and Public Policy and was involved in the Latin American Law Students Association. He earned his B.A. from North Carolina State University in 2009.

Nicholas Meza

Partner,
Quarles & Brady LLP

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Nick Meza advises healthcare businesses, including retail, independent, mail-order and specialty pharmacies, pharmacy benefits managers (PBM), pharmacy hubs, wholesale drug distributors, and drug and device manufacturers. Nick’s clients also include hospitals, physician/oncology groups and integrated behavioral health practices. With a master’s degree in public health, policy and administration and prior clinical work experience, Nick brings broad knowledge of the healthcare industry to the legal advice he provides. He focuses on:

Healthcare regulatory compliance
Healthcare transactions
Representing licensed professionals and entities before administrative boards

Clients rely on the responsiveness and collegiality that Nick and his team bring to the legal solutions they develop. Nick is known for providing practical legal and business solutions for healthcare clients. He is effective at building meaningful relationships with business partners and regulators to arrive at creative and compliant business solutions.

In addition, Nick focuses on:

Advising pharmacy clients on practice of pharmacy compliance, automated dispensing systems, supply chain, controlled substance (both DEA and state controlled-substance acts) and business licensing, including change of ownership (CHOW), change of location (CHOL) and change of officer (CHOO) requirements.
Providing strategic advice and contractual support to pharmacy clients seeking to enter into complex shared services arrangements, including central fill, prescription order processing and remote pharmacy models.
Advising behavioral health entities on regulatory compliance and transaction matters.
Counseling wholesale drug distributors, drug and device manufacturers, and repackagers on regulatory compliance, including assisting drug wholesalers with the development of federal and state-controlled substance monitoring and suspicious order reporting programs.
Providing state regulatory and licensure advice for entities engaged in the dispensing and distribution of investigational drug products.
Advising software and technology companies both currently operating in and entering the health space on scope of practice compliance and related operational business needs.
Assisting national oncology and specialty physician practices with the development of specialty drug programs and in-office dispensing (IOD) operations.
Defending health care facilities and licensed health care professionals against regulatory and licensing board investigations and complaints.

He was named one of Az Big Media’s “Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona” in 2023, has been named to Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” (Health Care Law) each year since 2021 and Southwest Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” (Healthcare) each year since 2018.

Prior to joining Quarles, Nick served as a judicial extern for the Honorable David K. Duncan in the United States District Court, District of Arizona. He also was a legal intern at PetSmart Inc. and the Arizona State University Office of General Counsel.

Nick earned a B.S. in health sciences and master of public health, policy and administration from the University of Arizona and a J.D. from the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Nick was a recipient of MCCA’s Lloyd M. Johnson Jr. Scholarship.

Karl Riley

Partner,
Cozen O’Connor

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Karl is an experienced commercial litigator and the Las Vegas Office Managing Partner (OMP) of Cozen O’Connor, a 775-lawyer law firm. Karl joined Cozen O’Connor in September 2020, becoming one of the first African-American OMPs of an Am Law 100 firm in Nevada.

Karl focuses his practice high-stakes commercial disputes, employment litigation, and consumer class actions, and is now leading efforts to build a sophisticated regional appellate practice. He represents Fortune 50 financial institutions, hotels, casinos, real estate owners and developers, insurance companies, and multi-billion dollar investment and timeshare companies. As a commercial litigator, he defends client in disputes regarding breach of contract claims, judgment recoveries, insurance coverage, commercial leases, land sales, receiverships, deficiencies, and frequently obtains injunctive, declaratory, and extraordinary relief. In the employment context, Karl defends employers in discrimination, wrongful termination, and wage-and-hour suits.

Immediately prior to joining Cozen O’Connor as partner, Karl completed a two-year clerkship for the Honorable Johnnie B. Rawlinson for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Ninth Circuit). He conducted crucial legal research and analysis and assisted in formulating decisions. Having already practiced law for nearly eight years before doing the clerkship, Karl brought an unusual degree of legal experience to his appellate work.

Karl practiced as an associate in the Litigation Department of the Las Vegas office of Snell & Wilmer. One of his most formative experiences from those early years was second-chairing a federal cross-border breach of contract case with then-partner Aaron Ford, now Nevada’s Attorney General. Karl combed through thousands of pages of documents, depositions, and filings to draft motions and prepare for trial, ultimately helping secure a bench trial verdict of in his client’s favor.

He also served as litigation and appellate counsel in Pac. W. Bank v. Eighth Jud. Dist. Ct., 383 P.3d 252 (Nev. 2016), a case that changed Nevada’s legal landscape by allowing judgment creditors to execute against out-of-state accounts maintained by a Nevada garnishee. He also successfully defended an airline from a hostile takeover/receivership bid by one of the airline’s investors and a board of directors from a breach of fiduciary duty claim based on the sale of their company. The bulk of his work focused on defending Fortune 30 banks in hundreds of cases involving wrongful foreclosure and various consumer fraud claims, protecting the banks’ interest in significant real estate assets. Further, Karl defended these same banks and a television production company in employment discrimination claims.

With an exceptional litigation track record and the Ninth Circuit clerkship, Karl arrived at Cozen O’Connor well positioned to build a regional appellate practice in the Las Vegas legal market, with its still-nascent state court of appeals system and comparatively small Am Law 100-level appellate bar.

Karl has handled several major appeals since joining the firm. He successfully led oral arguments before the California Court of Appeals and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on procedural questions stemming from an asbestos exposure litigation. He won both appeals, which affirmed the lower court’s summary judgment determination in his client’s favor. Karl also led briefing in a matter before the Washington State Court of Appeals concerning the proper venue for litigation with co-defendants in two different states.

Karl has had more than 20 federal and state decisions published in online databases and has had articles posted through the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation Employment and Labor Relations.

Pritesh Shah

Partner,
Davis Polk & Wardwell

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IP and Tech Transactions partner Pri Shah joined Davis Polk in 2008 and was elevated to partner after only seven years, making partner at the age of 31. Pri currently serves as the firm’s Corporate Hiring Partner, one of the youngest in recent history, and co-head of the Recruiting Committee. Pri has advised on some of the firm’s most important and high-profile transactions over the last decade, including for clients such as Comcast/NBCUniversal, IHS Markit, PwC, Freeport, Reliance, Tencent, Brookfield and TPG.

Pri structures, negotiates and advises on complex IP and tech-focused M&A transactions, carve-outs, spin-offs and joint ventures, including a broad spectrum of standalone and bespoke commercial agreements. Pri also negotiates and advises on IP and tech-focused PE investments, financing, capital markets transactions and restructurings. His clients span industries, including telecommunications, media and technology, consumer product and fashion, fintech, cleantech, sports and PE and other investors, including SPACs.

Pri gives back to his community as a member of the firm’s Asian/South Asian/Middle Eastern affinity group and serves on the Board of Directors of iCivics and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. He serves as Davis Polk’s Corporate Hiring Partner, where he helps shape and drive the firm’s recruiting strategy and summer program and evaluates the success of our hiring process.

A sought-after thought leader, Pri is invited to speak at industry events, including TechGC’s 2022 “Blockchain & Web3 Virtual Forum,” and has authored articles in Lexology Getting the Deal Through: Private M&A 2023 and Practical Law on data privacy and cybersecurity as well as articles regarding the interaction of the metaverse and NFTs in M&A transactions.

Pri graduated from Columbia Law School where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and the Managing Editor of the Columbia Journal of Law & the Arts. He graduated from New York University magna cum laude and previously interned at MLB, McGraw-Hill, ABC and MTV Networks.

He was named a “Rising Star” by the New York Law Journal in 2019, a “Next Generation Partner” in Technology Transactions by Legal 500 U.S. and is ranked “Up and Coming” in Technology, New York by Chambers USA.

Representative matters include:

Tech, Media & Telecom
• Taboola and Yahoo 30-year commercial agreement
• Facebook investment in Reliance Industries’ Jio Platforms unit
• Google investment in Reliance Industries’ Jio Platforms unit
• Industrial Media acquisition by Sony Pictures Television
• Emerson acquisition of Aspen Technology in $11B transaction
• Qualcomm and SSW Partners $4.5B acquisition of Veoneer

Consumer Products & Retail
• Victoria’s Secret spin-off and separation from Bath and Body Works
• Ferrero $2.8B acquisition of Nestlé’s U.S. confectionary business
• Spectrum Brands’ $4.3B sale of its Hardware & Home Improvement segment
• Heineken’s strategic partnership with China Resources to join forces in China

Fintech
• IHS Markit’s $44B merger with S&P Global and joint venture with CME Group
• cxLoyalty Group Holdings’ sale of Global Loyalty to JPMorgan Chase
• MoneyLion’s $2.4B combination with Fusion Acquisition and acquisition of Even Financial
• PwC’s sale of Global Mobility Tax and Immigration Services to CD&R

Industrials
• Freeport on a number of technology development, licensing and joint venture arrangements
• Technip Energies spinoff from TechnipFMC
• FirstGroup’s $4.6B sale of First Student and First Transit to EQT
• General Electric’s $11.1B merger of GE Transportation and Wabtec

Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Signify Health’s acquisitions of PatientBlox and Caravan Health
• American Well’s strategic partnership with Google Cloud
• TPG Capital’s acquisition of Convey Health Solutions and related financing

Juliette Stancil

Assistant General Counsel, Data Privacy,
Intuit

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Juliette currently serves as Assistant General Counsel, Privacy at Intuit, where she supports the organization’s mission to Power Prosperity Around the World by providing pragmatic and tailored guidance on navigating the complex and ever changing data protection legal and regulatory landscape in the United States and abroad. Juliette primarily focuses on supporting Intuit’s largest business unit by revenue, the Consumer Group, which comprises its industry-leading TurboTax product as well as supporting global teams on marketing and advertising privacy.

In addition to her in-depth engagement with the business teams she enables, Juliette is active in Intuit’s goals of creating a Stronger Together culture through its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These DEI initiatives focus on providing an environment for the top, diverse talent to do the best work of their lives at Intuit. In this capacity, Juliette has served as co-chair of its African Ancestry employee resource group, and actively supports the legal department’s DEI efforts as a member of its summer intern program serving in the past as a manager, mentor and buddy to 1L law students who choose to spend their summers learning the ins-and-outs of corporate legal teams at Intuit. Juliette has been an active driver DEI priorities aimed at creating an environment for the identification, support and development of ready now leaders within the department.

Prior to joining Intuit, Juliette spent the majority of her career in healthcare, serving as privacy and compliance officer and counsel for a variety of healthcare organization. She was most recently Corporate Counsel at iRhythm Technologies, Inc., a rapidly growing healthcare technology company that manufacturers remote cardiac monitoring devices and provides related healthcare services. At iRhythm, Juliette was responsible for building and managing the organization’s global data privacy, ethics and compliance program through a period of rapid global growth and international expansion.

Outside of her engagement at work, Juliette has served as board member for various community organizations aimed at providing resources to the disadvantaged and underserved, including community health provider PCC Wellness, and youth services non-profit Alternatives Inc, both based in Chicago. Specific to her desire to support the diversity of the legal profession, Juliette serves on the privacy group for Black Girls in Cybersecurity, a nonprofit organization focused on helping women of color transition into entry level roles in cybersecurity, privacy and STEM careers. She has also served on the planning committee for state diversity bar associations, supporting efforts to create communities and safe spaces for diverse legal professionals.

A native of North Carolina, Juliette received her bachelors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, W.H. Bowen School of Law, and a master of law (LL.M) in Health Law from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Juliette holds certifications in healthcare privacy compliance, healthcare compliance, and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US).

Demetrius Warrick

Partner,
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates

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Demetrius Warrick is a corporate attorney focusing on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, securities and general corporate law. Mr. Warrick regularly advises public and private clients in a variety of corporate matters, including strategic acquisitions, divestitures, auctions, strategic investments, reorganizations, financial advisor engagements and joint ventures. He also has represented many companies with respect to shareholder activism, takeover preparedness, unsolicited proposals, contested proxy solicitations and other contests for corporate control. In addition, he has advised clients in designing and implementing shareholder rights plans and other corporate protective measures.

Examples of Mr. Warrick’s experience include representation of:

NextGen Acquisition Corp. in connection with its business combination transaction with Xos Inc.
Dentsply Sirona in connection with various matters, including its acquisitions of Byte and Propel Orthodontics
CoreLogic Inc. in connection with its activist defense and proxy contest against Senator Investment Group and Cannae
Mars, Incorporated in connection with various matters, including its acquisition of one of the largest privately owned chains of freestanding veterinary hospitals in the U.S.
Hg in connection with various matters, including its acquisition of Litera Microsystems and its investment, alongside TA Associates, in Insight Software
ECI Software Solutions, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of Shoptech Industrial Software Corp.
Intel Corporation in connection with its joint venture with TPG Capital, L.P. to form an independent cybersecurity company called McAfee
Social Finance in connection with various matters, including its acquisition of a U.S. technology company
Navient Corporation in its proxy fight and settlement with Canyon Capital Advisors
Pier 1 Imports, Inc. in connection with various matters, including its adoption of a shareholder rights plan and activism defense in response to activist shareholder Alden Global Capital LLC
PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab in connection with its participation in an investor consortium for purposes of acquiring InterPark, the largest owner-operated parking infrastructure in the U.S.
The Howard Gilman Foundation in connection with its sale of the operations of the Gilman Companies to West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals in connection with its successful proxy contest against dissident ILJIN SNT
Lumber Liquidators in connection with various matters, including its response to a threatened unsolicited proposal from a dissident and its response to a threatened proxy contest by dissident shareholders
Fox Sports Network in connection with various matters, including several joint venture agreements with Major League Baseball, and its acquisition of a U.S. sports technology platform
Harland Clarke Holding Corp. in connection with various matters, including in connection with its sale of Faneuil, Inc. to ALJ Regional Holding
Dean Foods Company in connection with its sale of its Morningstar Foods division to Saputo Inc.
Thomas Properties Group Inc. in connection with its stock-for-stock merger with Parkway Properties Inc.

Mr. Warrick has been a member of Skadden’s Black and African American Affinity Network since joining the firm in 2011 and served as a member of the Steering Committee from 2015-18.

Sheila Willis

Partner,
Fisher Phillips, LLP

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Sheila Willis is committed to finding practical, real world solutions to her clients’ employment law needs. She represents companies—large and small—as they navigate employment issues related to hiring, discipline, investigations, employment discrimination, unemployment, and other related issues. Sheila provides guidance to higher education institutions on Title IX Compliance and investigations. She has extensive experience providing compliance advice to federal contractors on affirmative action and OFCCP regulations and audits. Sheila also has extensive experience working on collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and class actions under wage and hour state laws. Sheila also provides training for supervisors and managers on harassment, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) compliance, the Family Medical Leave Act, diversity and inclusion, and many other areas.

Sheila is involved in various professional and community activities. She is a past president of both the South Carolina Women Lawyers’ Association (SCWLA) and the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers (SCYLD) Division. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Columbia – Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the board of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations. Sheila is active in the Richland County Bar, American Bar Association, and is a member of the Junior League of Columbia.

Prior to attending law school, Sheila was a member of store leadership for a Fortune 500 retail company, providing employee supervision and managing a variety of employee issues related to wage and hour, workers’ compensation, discrimination issues, performance management, and other personnel issues.

Sheila is a 2019 recipient of the Silver Compleat lawyer Award from the University of South Carolina School of Law Alumni Association. This award recognizes alumni who have made significant contributions to the legal profession and who exemplify the highest standard of professional competence, ethics, and integrity.

She has also been named to the Columbia Regional Business Report’s list of 2018 Women of Influence, Columbia Business Monthly’s 2018 Best and Brightest 35 and Under, Columbia Business Monthly’s Legal Elite of the Midlands in 2017 and the American Bar Association’s On the Rise – Top 40 under 40 in 2018. She is also a 2018 South Carolina Super Lawyers – Rising Star and a 2019 recipient of the Leadership in the Law award. She was awarded the Johnathon Jasper Wright Award by The Honorable Matthew J. Perry Chapter of the Black Law Students Association at the University of South Carolina School of Law, is a three-time recipient of the President’s Award a and a four-time recipient of the Start of the Quarter award from the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers’ Division.

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Michael Brown

Carmen Chan

Julius Chen

Jacqueline Chung

Jomaire Crawford

Melissa Crespo

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Les Boswell

Michael Brown

Carmen Chan

Julius Chen

Jacqueline Chung

Jomaire Crawford

Melissa Crespo

Diana Dessources

Rodney Dillard II

Sebastian Fain

Roger Gousse

Stephanie Green

Ernest Hammond III

TaCara Harris

Morgan Hollins

Marshall Jackson

Karen Jordan

Mia Lorick

Jon Mehta

Nicholas Meza

Natasha Newberry

Ephraim Pierre

Karl Riley

Heidi Ruckriegle

Pritesh Shah

Sainabou Sonko

Juliette Stancil

Ruth Tisdale

Demetrius Warrick

David Williams

Sheila Willis