Akin Promotes 13 Lawyers to Partnership

(New York) – Akin is pleased to announce the election of 13 new partners, effective January 1, 2024. The lawyers who have been promoted are: Stephanie Bollheimer, Emma Butler, Alexander Cushman, Kate Doorley, Simon Ellis, Hayden Harms, Maka Hutson, David Lee, Mary Lovely, Kaitlin Shapiro, Lauren Talerman, Chris Treanor and Eric Wexler.

“Each of these new partners demonstrates excellence, outstanding judgment and a client-first approach. They are all strong additions to our market-leading practices. I am proud to have them join the partnership and look forward to their continued success," said Kim Koopersmith, chairperson of the firm.

Stephanie Bollheimer (Tax, New York) advises on a wide range of executive compensation & employee benefits matters and has carved out a key role supporting the financial restructuring practice on complex compensation matters. She received her LL.M. from New York University School of Law in 2015, J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 2014 and B.S. from Washington and Lee University in 2009.

Emma Butler (Financial Restructuring, London) represents par and distressed investors on complex domestic and cross-border debt restructurings, debt finance transactions and insolvencies. She has extensive experience advising large noteholder, bondholder and other creditor groups, including in connection with schemes of arrangement and restructuring plans. She received her L.P.C. from The College of Law, London in 2012 and her B.A. from the University of Oxford in 2011.

Alexander Cushman (Corporate, New York) advises special situations funds, private equity funds and strategic investors in connection with the corporate and equity aspects of special situations transactions. He received his J.D. cum laude from Northwestern University School of Law in 2015, his M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in 2015 and his B.A. from Dartmouth College in 2008.

Kate Doorley (Financial Restructuring, Washington, D.C.) represents debtors, creditors, official and unofficial committees, secured lender groups, debtor-in-possession (DIP) lenders, institutional investors, alternative investment management firms and other parties on a wide range of complex financial restructuring matters. She received her J.D. with honors from The University of Texas School of Law in 2011 and her B.A. magna cum laude from Middlebury College in 2006.

Simon Ellis (Investment Management, London) focuses his practice on representing buyers and sellers in connection with complex secondary transactions and has acted on some of the industry’s largest and most formative transactions. He also represents private fund sponsors in fundraisings, with a focus on European mid-market and emerging-market funds. Simon also represents fund sponsors and their investors on a wide range of transactions, with extensive experience in managed accounts, co-investments and fund structuring. He received his L.P.C. from The College of Law, Guildford in 2012, GDL from BPP University Law School in 2009 and B.A. in history from the University of Manchester in 2008.

Hayden Harms (Corporate, Houston) focuses on the development, construction and operation of highly complex power and infrastructure projects. His practice encompasses a range of energy assets, with a focus on the renewable energy and energy transition industries. Hayden received his J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law in 2014 and his B.S.B.A. cum laude from The Ohio State University in 2010.

Maka Hutson (International Trade, Dallas) focuses on federal immigration investigations, particularly those with a national security focus. She works closely with the firm’s international trade and white collar practices on investigations involving visa fraud, sanctions and immigration law violations, and companies’ immigration-related hiring practices. She advises clients on immigration compliance and leads a team that works on immigration matters for companies’ senior personnel. She received her J.D. with honors from The University of Texas School of Law in 2011, her M.A. with honors from The University of Texas in 2001 and her B.A. with honors from Moscow State Linguistic University in 1999.

David Lee (Intellectual Property, Washington, D.C.) advises clients in a wide range of intellectual property (IP) and transactional matters, including complex mergers, asset/stock purchase and transfer matters, cross-border IP and technology licenses and diligence reviews involving global IP portfolios. He is a member of the firm’s artificial intelligence & machine learning group, advising clients on critical IP-related issues concerning their use of artificial intelligence. He is also the lead lawyer handling all trademark and brand protection and enforcement matters. He received his J.D. from Emory University School of Law in 1999 and his B.A. from the University of North Carolina in 1995.

Mary Lovely (Corporate, Houston) focuses on mergers & acquisitions (M&A) in the traditional energy and energy transition sectors, advising on acquisitions, divestitures and strategic joint ventures, including upstream, midstream, downstream and traditional and renewable power transactions. She advises some of the firm’s key private equity fund clients. She received her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 2010 and her B.A. from the University of Virginia in 2007.

Kaitlin Shapiro (Litigation, New York) focuses on funds litigation, representing investment funds, financial institutions, corporations and individuals on matters of regulatory compliance, fiduciary duty and corporate governance issues. She has developed significant experience defending investment fund clients in federal securities actions brought under Section 16. She received her J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2013 and her B.A. summa cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2010.

Lauren Talerman (International Trade, Dubai) advises on export controls, sanctions, anti-corruption, and anti-money laundering laws and regulations for a diverse array of global clients given her central location in Dubai. Lauren also supports clients in conducting internal investigations and risk assessments and represents clients facing government investigations and enforcement actions concerning trade controls, including sanctions regulations administered by the Treasury Department’s OFAC and U.S. export controls, including the ITAR and the EAR. Lauren received her J.D. summa cum laude from American University Washington College of Law in 2015 and her B.A. summa cum laude from Queens College, City University of New York in 2008.

Chris Treanor (Lobbying & Public Policy, Washington, D.C.) has nearly 20 years of experience on Capitol Hill. He works on domestic and international climate, energy and environmental policies and represents clients before the U.S. federal government. He advocates on behalf of clients and advises them on how best to navigate complex policy. His clients include prominent technology, conventional power and clean energy companies, including start-ups and established industry leaders. He received his J.D. cum laude from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in 2012 and his B.A. from Duke University in 2005.

Eric Wexler (Tax, New York) advises clients on tax-sensitive corporate transactions. His practice focuses on the tax and corporate dimensions of joint ventures, M&A and private equity transactions, reorganizations and complex partnership structures. His strategic advice, which combines a sophisticated understanding of tax structuring and corporate law matters, often with cross-jurisdictional elements, is highly valued by clients. He represents family offices, investment funds and businesses, including in the technology and life sciences sectors. He received his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2011 and his B.A. with honors, Phi Beta Kappa, from Johns Hopkins University in 2008.

Akin is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

###