FisherBroyles, LLP is pleased to announce that the number of members in its New York office has doubled to over twenty partners in just six months’ time. The new partners include Terry Brennan, Hollace Cohen, Andrew Gonsalves, Joan Hon, Jonathan Evan Goldberg, José M. Jara, Joseph Manak, Timothy Parlatore, Donia Sawaan, and Christina Bost Seaton. These attorneys bring a wealth of new expertise and clients to the firm and increase its depth in a variety of areas including white collar defense, bankruptcy, entertainment, intellectual property, ERISA, commercial litigation, employment, startups, technology, securities, regulatory compliance, and internal investigations.
“Our New York office is at the forefront of the firm’s rapid growth and we will continue to expand in this crucial market,” said James Fisher, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of FisherBroyles. Kevin Broyles, the firm’s other Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner, observed that “our rapid expansion in New York and across the country demonstrates once and for all that Law Firm 2.0 is not only here to stay but represents a better way to deliver quality legal services to clients while ensuring quality of life for lawyers.”
Terry Brennan
Terry Brennan is a practical and creative legal advisor to established and emerging enterprises in transactions that reward innovation and capital risk. He has extensive experience in the structuring and negotiation of transactions involving the protection, licensing, financing, and commercialization of technology, digital media, intellectual property, entertainment, and financial assets.
Terry provides clients with technical and common sense guidance in transactions involving the merger, acquisition, divestiture, and financing of companies with exceptional technology, as well as transactions involving the development and marketing of innovation in the manufacturing, biotechnology, and transportation sectors.
Drawing on his extensive experience with both technology and the arts, Terry also advises clients in the structuring and negotiation of entertainment transactions involving the production, distribution, and performance of musical, theatrical, cinematic, and digital content.
Michael Cone, Managing Partner of the firm’s New York office, commented that “Terry’s dual experience as a General Counsel of a significant health technology company and as a partner at national law firms adds significant strength to FisherBroyles’ corporate and technology transactional practice. We are pleased that Terry’s existing client base in both Florida and New York will simultaneously extend the firm’s practice reach in two important markets.”
Hollace Cohen
Hollace Cohen has practiced in the bankruptcy and corporate restructuring areas for over 40 years representing clients of all sizes. Her experience includes representation of virtually every constituency in bankruptcy cases including creditors’ committees, secured and unsecured lenders, bondholders, indenture trustees, debtor-in-possession lenders, debtors, lessors and lessees of real and personal property, and trade creditors.
Hollace has represented parties in some of the largest and most complex bankruptcy cases including the Enron and Lehman Brothers proceedings. In addition to representing counterparties of Lehman and its affiliates in the Lehman chapter 11 proceedings, Hollace also represented customers and creditors of Lehman Brothers and MF Global in their SIPA proceedings. She has also represented financial institutions in the avoidance actions brought against stockholders and custodians in the Tribune Company fraudulent conveyance litigation and Lyondell Chemical Company’s chapter 11 case.
Hollace possesses special expertise with respect to the safe harbor provisions applicable to qualified financial contracts under various state and federal laws. She has also put her corporate and securities background to use in numerous out-of-court restructurings and is knowledgeable of the latest developments relating to the application of the Trust Indenture Act.
Hollace’s experience in bankruptcy and restructurings spans a wide variety of industries including energy, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and transportation. Michael Cone noted that “in addition to her impressive pedigree and experience, Hollace is a go-getter and a team player. She fits the FisherBroyles mold perfectly and we are excited to watch our bankruptcy practice grow in tandem with her efforts.”
Jonathan Evan Goldberg
For over 20 years Jonathan has represented businesses, non-profits, board directors, officers, executives, law firms, and individuals in all aspects of complex commercial litigation, employment litigation, and arbitration. Jonathan has litigated cases in federal and state courts throughout the United States involving claims of retaliation, discrimination, wrongful termination, fraud, defamation, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract, as well as civil RICO, ERISA, trade secrets and restrictive covenants, corporate governance disputes, minority shareholder disputes, partnership disputes, advancement and indemnification proceedings, and whistleblower actions. Jonathan is a seasoned trial and appellate attorney, a skilled mediator, and a frequent public speaker.
In addition to handling his thriving practice, Jonathan co-founded and serves as the President and Chairman of the Board of Cherub Improv, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that performs free comedy shows and workshops for underserved communities.
James Fisher explains that “Jonathan adds significant strength to our national litigation and employment law benches. We are very excited to have found such an accomplished, energetic, and creative attorney who also makes community service a high priority.”
Andrew Gonsalves
Andrew Gonsalves joins FisherBroyles with nearly 20 years of experience in patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. As a molecular biologist and registered patent attorney, Andrew has spent much of his career drafting, prosecuting, and assessing patents in the life sciences, biotechnology, and chemical fields. He also routinely prosecutes patents in a variety of other fields including medical devices, lasers, optics, electrostatic imaging, aeronautics, robotics, and mechanical devices. Andrew also assists clients with IP licensing, due diligence, and commercialization efforts.
Andrew’s clients include university technology transfer offices, large multinational corporations, web-based retailers, sports and fitness companies, biotech and life sciences companies, university spinouts, high tech start-ups, and individual inventors.
Andrew’s decision to join FisherBroyles was motivated in part by a desire to increase the integration of his diverse talents and personal interests into his law practice. Andrew holds a black belt in Taekwondo and actively competes in the sport. He is well positioned to assist combat sport athletes, fight promoters, agents, and athletic commissions with the legal issues affecting their business. Moreover, as a musician and singer-songwriter with over 100 musical compositions, Andrew will split time between the firm’s New York and Los Angeles offices to grow his entertainment law practice in the music, television, film, and theater industries.
“While Andrew continues to provide the same high quality IP services to clients, we are excited to integrate him into our Entertainment and Sports practice group in light of his intimate knowledge, experience, and talent in those areas. Practicing law and actively pursuing your interests in life should not have to be mutually exclusive,” said Kevin Broyles.
Joan Hon
Joan’s practice is focused on international complex commercial litigation involving securities and regulatory matters, white collar crime, and internal investigations. Though she is a native New Yorker, for several years Joan lived and practiced law in Hong Kong where she is also admitted to practice. Typically, her clients’ matters involve cross-border issues and multi-national parties with a nexus to Hong Kong.
While practicing in Hong Kong, Joan gained direct experience with various regulatory agencies including the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). She has also represented clients before the Market Misconduct Tribunal, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Center, and Hong Kong’s highest court, the Court of Final Appeal. While in Hong Kong, Joan was also able to develop working competence in both Mandarin and Cantonese.
A graduate of MIT and NYU law school, Joan also possesses broad-based U.S. experience. She has handled matters involving the Financial Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Department of Justice (DOJ) inquiries and investigations. She has taken and defended depositions and litigated a wide variety of matters including accounting fraud, RICO conspiracy, and contract disputes. She also has experience with Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) matters and audits.
As Kevin Broyles noted, “Joan’s high-end Hong Kong securities and regulatory practice adds a unique asset to our growing international practice. She takes great pride in providing her clients with a sense of security when the stakes are high and we are very proud to have her.”
José M. Jara
José Jara joins the firm with over 20 years of experience in employee benefits law. José routinely advises corporate executives, boards of trustees, and fiduciaries of corporate or multiemployer sponsored defined benefit and defined contribution (401(k)) plans on compliance, fiduciary duties, and governance matters. He is also an avid writer and speaker on a variety of employee benefits law topics.
José began his career with the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, as an investigator in the Office of Enforcement and then as a senior pension law specialist in the Office of Exemption Determinations.
Thereafter, at various large law firms José handled numerous complex ERISA class action litigations, defending executives and fiduciaries against claims of breach of fiduciary duty and imprudence. Most recently, as a complex claims director at AIG he learned that working with insureds and their insurance carriers presents challenging litigation dynamics and which require significant skill to successfully resolve.
As James Fisher commented, “José earned his LLM in Employee Benefits Law at Georgetown and regularly publishes in the field. He is a scholar as well as an accomplished private practitioner and we are delighted to have him on our team.”
In addition to his legal practice, José has been recognized for his dedication to public service. He serves as the Board President of Leake & Watts, a New York non-profit agency founded in 1831 which helps children and families confronting poverty, disabilities, and a lack of access to education. He also serves as a Board Member of the Center for Family Support, which provides assistance to individuals with developmental disabilities and the family members who care for them.
Joe Manak
Joe Manak is an experienced attorney, litigator, and trial lawyer who concentrates in patent and other intellectual property matters, anti-counterfeiting, antitrust, and unfair competition law.
Joe practices in the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), numerous federal courts, and the U.S. International Trade Commission, and has instructed foreign counsel on patent matters before courts and patent offices throughout Europe and Asia. Joe also specializes in Hatch-Waxman cases, USPTO appeals, and patent-antitrust law. Joe has a five-star AV Martindale Hubble rating and was recognized as a New York – Metro Super Lawyer in 2014 and 2015. Kevin Broyles observed that “Joe delivers more assets to our deep IP litigation bench and is a core component of our recently assembled anti-counterfeit team. Plus, it’s always nice to add another recognized Super Lawyer to the firm’s roster.”
Joe’s patent and IP practice spans a broad range of technologies and industries including software and algorithms, computer-implemented and Internet technologies, pharmaceuticals and small molecules, genomics and proteomics, biometrics, drug metabolism, medical devices and testing, enzyme targets, financial products, electronic and mechanical devices, fibers, drug delivery systems, aerospace and defense, fashion, and consumer products. Joe also handles anti-counterfeiting and domain name disputes as well as Digital Millennium Copyright matters.
Joe’s practice includes information technology, software, and biotechnology transactional matters. For these clients he negotiates and drafts licenses, distribution and service agreements, joint research and collaboration agreements, and software development agreements. Joe also advises clients on open-source issues and handles IP due diligence and other matters arising in mergers, acquisitions, and financing.
Tim Parlatore
Tim Parlatore practices in the areas of white collar defense, criminal defense, civil litigation, and military law. He also works closely with law enforcement unions and fraternal organizations to represent their members.
A former partner of legendary defense attorney Bruce Cutler, Tim has built an impressive track record of legal victories in state and federal courts across many jurisdictions and is known for his legal acumen, thoroughness, compassion, strong presence, and fierce advocacy.
Tim has successfully litigated many high profile cases and has a proven track record of managing media attention to ensure the integrity of the litigation process and to protect his clients’ reputations. While Tim has appeared on NBC Nightly News, ABC Good Morning America, and CBS Evening News, he particularly prides himself on “low-profile” victories, successfully handling cases that never become public.
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Tim possesses broad experience in both civilian and military law. In military courts he has defended military members accused of everything from minor disciplinary infractions to major crimes. When he represents military members in civilian courts his experience enables him to factor potential collateral consequences in the military into any plea negotiations and trial strategies.
Michael Cone remarked that “Tim lives for litigation and the courtroom. Beneath his disarming personal style lies an advocate with steely determination and an uncanny ability to persuade judges and juries alike.”
A veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, Tim continues to serve as the Director of Officer Education for the New York National Guard, where he holds a commission as a Major in the Judge Advocate General Corps. Tim serves as a Board Member of the Danny Dietz Memorial Fund which was established in honor of a Navy SEAL who perished in Afghanistan, and he performs significant fundraising efforts for the SEAL/NSW Family Foundation. Tim also finds time to provide low-cost legal services to military members lacking financial resources.
Donia Sawaan
For over a decade Donia has advised and counseled high-profile clients throughout the country on all aspects of employment law, labor relations, and human resources issues. She represents employers throughout the United States in federal and state courts and in various administrative tribunals in cases alleging sexual harassment, race, national origin, gender, disability, and age discrimination, breach of contract, violation of public policy, tort, non-competition, and wage & hour claims. Donia also regularly counsels employers on various employment, human resources, wage & hour and traditional labor-related issues. In addition, she has been recognized for her ability to establish and create innovative and practical solutions to various employment disputes and provide clients with superior litigation avoidance strategies.
Donia drafts and revises personnel manuals, employee handbooks, employment policies, employment contracts, non-competition agreements, and separation agreements. She also conducts client training on topics including sexual and other types of harassment, FMLA leave, and compliance with the ADA and state anti-discrimination laws.
Donia’s extensive experience has enabled her to streamline and refine her clients’ human resources functionality while helping them maintain maximum compliance. “The New York office has developed a particularly strong labor and employment practice and we are very pleased that Donia has worked hard to become an essential member of that team in very short order,” said Michael Cone.
Christina Bost Seaton
Christina Bost Seaton is a business litigator with a broad-based and varied practice. She has experience in restrictive covenants and trade secrets, employment law, securities litigation, derivative litigation, accountants’ liability, real estate matters (REITs, private real estate funds, commercial landlord-tenant, foreclosures, Yellowstone injunctions, zoning disputes), and all types of commercial disputes.
She also advises clients in matters related to safeguarding their intellectual property, privacy and data security, including data breaches, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and related employment policies, social media policies, attorney-client privilege issues for in-house counsel, the fiduciary duties of directors, and electronic discovery.
Christina regularly appears in New York state and federal courts, frequently writes and speaks about her areas of expertise, and has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in Business Litigation for the New York Metro area every year since 2011. James Fisher reflected that “Christina is a gregarious lawyer who has developed an extensive professional network due to her frequent speaking engagements, pavement pounding efforts, and community service. She has already recruited another outstanding lawyer to FisherBroyles and we are excited to watch her book of business flourish under our entrepreneurial model.”
Christina serves as the President of the New York Chapter of the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law, the Secretary of her graduating class from Yale, and a member of both the Council and the Activities Committee of the Yale Club of New York City.
WHAT IS FISHERBROYLES? VIRTUAL PLATFORM. REAL LAW FIRM™
FisherBroyles, LLP is a law firm. A rapidly growing law firm partnership as real as any of the BigLaw firms from which around 140 partners in 20 offices nationwide have escaped. The major difference is the virtual platform from which our partners practice. Our platform is in the cloud, not in expensive office buildings and other unnecessary overhead that BigLaw passes on to clients through ever-increasing billable rates. Instead, we leverage technology to create a variable cost structure, replacing fixed assets and unnecessary overhead that do not add value to our clients. Our ultra-efficient model enables us to charge our clients significantly less and still pay our partners significantly more. This allows FisherBroyles to attract BigLaw’s top talent, who in turn provide our clients with the highest quality of work at significantly lower rates. Founded in 2002, FisherBroyles was the first and is the largest nationwide, full-service, cloud-based law firm in existence. How can we help your business? Visit us at www.fisherbroyles.com.
© 2016 FisherBroyles LLP. These materials have been prepared for informational purposes only and are not legal advice. This information is not intended to create an attorney-client or similar relationship. Please do not send us confidential information. Whether you need legal services and which lawyer you select are important decisions that should not be based on these materials alone.
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