LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - February 8, 2011) - Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is pleased to announce that the firm has elevated seven of its attorneys to partner. The seven new partners are Jason W. Kearnaghan (Los Angeles/Downtown), Robb J. Klein (Los Angeles/Century City), Jenny Liu (Shanghai), Christopher M. Loveland (Washington, D.C.), Jason Northcutt (Washington, D.C.), Eric Raphan (New York) and Keith R. Szeliga (Washington, D.C.).
Jason Kearnaghan, in the firm's Labor and Employment practice group in the Los Angeles/Downtown office, represents employers in state and federal courts with respect to all facets of employment law including wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, and hostile work environment. A significant portion of Kearnaghan's practice is devoted to the defense of complex wage and hour class action litigation. He has considerable experience representing employers in union grievance proceedings. Kearnaghan also represents clients before state and federal administrative agencies, such as the Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, and the National Labor Relations Board. He received his J.D. from University of San Diego School of Law in 1999 and his undergraduate degree from University of California at Santa Barbara in 1995.
Robb Klein is a member of the firm's Entertainment, Media and Technology practice group and based in the Los Angeles/Century City office. Klein specializes in all aspects of entertainment, media and communications law, particularly film and television financing, production and distribution, merchandising and the licensing of rights and new media. He has worked on the financing and production of numerous feature films, from small independent movies to studio blockbusters. Klein has also worked on numerous deals utilizing tax incentives around the world, and specializes in structuring international co-productions. He represents producers, rights owners, banks, entrepreneurs, tax funds and hedge funds, often involving secured lending and complex multi-party financing arrangements. Admitted to practice in both the UK and California, Klein was a partner at a large European firm, based in London, before relocating to the U.S. to join Sheppard Mullin. Klein graduated, with honors, from Chester College of Law (UK) in 1990 and received his undergraduate degree, with honors, from Manchester University in 1989.
Jenny Liu, in the firm's Corporate practice group in the Shanghai office, represents Chinese emerging growth companies in a variety of issues including restructuring, drafting and negotiating licensing agreements, addressing employment law issues, and establishing public company reporting to the United States Securities Exchange Commission. Liu counsels companies on the adoption of various incentive plans including stock option plans for Chinese employees and assisting with legal compliance. Her other areas of practice include legal research and interpretation, general advice on corporate acquisitions, offshore and onshore restructuring analysis, and review of opinions issued by Chinese and offshore counsel. Liu received her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 2000, and her M.S. and her B.S., magna cum laude, from Golden State University in 1997 and 1995 respectively.
Chris Loveland is a member of the firm's Business Trial practice group and based in the Washington, D.C. office. Loveland represents corporate and individual clients in all phases of complex civil and criminal litigation in federal and state courts throughout the country. He has extensive litigation and appellate experience involving a wide range of issues, including commercial contract and partnership disputes, securities and accounting fraud, government contracts, and intellectual property. Additionally, Loveland has substantial experience representing clients in connection with investigations by government agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Offices of the Inspector General. He also conducts internal investigations of public companies and privately held entities regarding various issues, including allegations of accounting irregularities, fraud, and potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the False Claims Act. Loveland received his law degree from Boston University School of Law in 2000 and his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from La Salle University in 1997.
Jason Northcutt, in the firm's Corporate practice group in the Washington, D.C. office, regularly counsels companies, founders and investors in transactional matters including mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital and corporate finance. Northcutt assists both publicly and privately held companies structure and manage complex transactions in many diverse industries; advises entrepreneurs and investors on raising and investing capital; and aids in the development of creative and effective financing techniques. He handles acquisitions and divestitures, equity and debt structurings, leveraged buy-outs, joint ventures and strategic partnerships for clients ranging from emerging business enterprises and well established entities to venture capital firms and institutional lenders. Northcutt received his J.D., cum laude, from Boston College Law School in 2000 and his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Vanderbilt University in 1997.
Eric Raphan is a member of the firm's Labor and Employment practice group and based in the New York office. Raphan's practice encompasses a wide range of labor and employment matters, including the defense of single plaintiff and class action discrimination, wrongful discharge and wage/hour claims, in addition to employment contract, non-competition, whistleblower, sexual harassment and related claims. He regularly represents clients in labor and employment litigations in federal and state courts, and in proceedings before various administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor and various state and local agencies. Raphan also represents clients in collective bargaining negotiations and all stages of the labor election process, including election campaigns and hearings before the National Labor Relations Board. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School in 2001 and his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Binghamton in 1998.
Keith Szeliga, in the firm's Government Contracts and Regulated Industries practice group in the Washington D.C. office, has extensive counseling and litigation experience in a broad range of government contracts matters. Szeliga represents government contractors in high profile bid protest litigation before the Government Accountability Office and the Court of Federal Claims, as well as in investigations relating to allegations of defective pricing, bribery, gratuities, kickbacks and fraud, including potential violations of the False Claims Act. He also counsels clients regarding compliance with the full spectrum of statutes and regulations applicable to government contractors and subcontractors, including, for example, those pertaining to organizational conflicts of interest, post-government employment restrictions, mandatory disclosure obligations, written ethics policies and procedures, the allowability and allocability of incurred costs, and the protection of rights in technical data and computer software. Szeliga received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2002 and his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from Wake Forest University in 1999.
About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
Sheppard Mullin is a full service AmLaw 100 firm with 550 attorneys in 11 offices located in the United States and Asia. Since 1927, companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions. In the U.S., the firm's clients include more than half of the Fortune 100. For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com.
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CONTACT:
Guy Halgren
(619) 338-6605
Ralph Richardson
(213) 617-5542