Arent Fox Announces 2019 Promotions to Partner

The new partners include Alison L. Andersen, Taniel E. Anderson, Beth M. Brownstein, Amal U. Dave, Amy E. McFarland, Jo-Ann Marchica, Frank R. Petrilli, Alexander H. Spiegler, and Karen N. Van Essen.

“This talented group of attorneys has been an important part of Arent Fox,” said Firmwide Managing Partner Cristina A. Carvalho. “Each of our new partners has demonstrated a commitment to learning our clients’ business and their industry, an essential principle at our firm. On behalf of our Partners, I congratulate each of these attorneys on this hard-earned achievement and look forward to working with them for many years to come.”

Alison Lima Andersen’s work is primarily in the areas of ERISA and other employee benefits litigation, health care litigation, and complex commercial litigation. Her recent litigation work includes representing medical providers seeking reimbursement from commercial health plans and insurers; defending companies and retirement plans against breach of fiduciary duty claims; and defending several defendants accused of violating the Medicare Secondary Payer Act. She also has recent experience in municipal and corporate bankruptcy; as well as in class action cases involving claims of government lending and disability discrimination. Prior to joining Arent Fox, Ms. Andersen was an attorney at a mid-sized labor law firm in Washington, DC. She began her legal career as a Legal Fellow for National Appleseed, a non-profit network of public interest justice centers located throughout North America, and she then became an intern at the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Taniel E. Anderson is a trial attorney focusing on complex, technical litigation in Washington, DC. Mr. Anderson has represented clients in matters involving a variety of technologies in courts throughout the country. His litigation experience ranges from technical areas such as pharmaceutical products to software to bulk welding wire. He has successfully litigated and tried cases in US District Courts, the US International Trade Commission, the US Court of Federal Claims, state courts, and the OSH Review Commission. Tan’s litigation experience spans all phases of litigation, including counseling, pleadings, discovery, experts, hearings, trials, and appeals. Growing up in Brazil, Mr. Anderson’s language skills have allowed him to communicate directly with Brazilian clients in Portuguese. In addition to civil cases, Mr. Anderson has also handled criminal cases involving technological issues, such as exporting nuclear technology and theft of trade secrets. Prior to joining Arent Fox, Mr. Anderson was an intern for the Honorable Wallace W. Dixon, Middle District of North Carolina (2008 – 2009) and the Honorable J. Douglas McCullough, North Carolina Court of Appeals (2008). Before law school, Mr. Anderson was a nuclear submarine officer, completing five strategic-deterrent patrols aboard USS Nevada (SSBN-733G).

Beth M. Brownstein represents committees of unsecured creditors and retired employees, secured creditors, indenture trustees, bondholder and noteholder groups, DIP lenders and other entities in chapter 11 proceedings and out-of-court restructurings, including in indenture trustee enforcement litigation. Over the last several years, Ms. Brownstein has played a lead role in some of the most significant corporate reorganizations in the United States including the chapter 11 cases of Caesars Entertainment Operating Company, Inc., Claires Stores Inc., Cenveo Inc., Vantage Drilling Company, Cengage Learning Inc., and Eastman Kodak Company.   Immediately prior to joining Arent Fox, Ms. Brownstein served as law clerk to the Honorable Allan L. Gropper and to the Honorable Prudence Carter Beatty, both United States Bankruptcy Judges for the Southern District of New York.

Amal U. Dave’s practice focuses on advising companies and investors on strategic transactions such as mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and debt and equity financing transactions, across a variety of industries, including restaurants and hospitality, alcoholic beverages, airport concessions, and banking and financial services. Additionally, Mr. Dave advises public and private companies on commercial agreements and corporate governance matters. Drawing on his experience as a business analyst in Capital One’s Marketing and Analysis division, Mr. Dave emphasizes commercial objectives as the driver of legal decisions and identifies practical solutions to complex transactional problems. As a result of his consistent dedication to his clients’ commercial objectives, Mr. Dave was named a national leader in the field of mergers and acquisitions in the 2018 edition of Legal 500 US.

Amy E. McFarland works with clients on a wide range of intellectual property matters, including trademark, copyright, right of publicity, and domain name disputes. She has particular experience in the fashion, sports, and media and entertainment industries. Ms. McFarland routinely handles the IP aspects of corporate transactions, and has been the lead IP attorney on several asset purchase agreements, stock purchase agreements, naming rights agreements, joint venture agreements, and complex licenses. She also manages the due diligence process and post-closing recordations for such matters and handles day-to-day IP agreements, including settlement agreements, co-existence agreements, right of publicity releases, and licenses. Prior to joining Arent Fox as a summer associate, Ms. McFarland served as a law clerk for the US Department of Justice, US Attorney’s Office in Washington, DC. Ms. McFarland also worked as a legal intern in the Government Affairs Office for Comcast Cable, working on a wide variety of telecommunications and intellectual property issues.

Jo-Ann Marchica concentrates her practice in the area of health care law, with particular emphasis on transactional and regulatory compliance counseling for a variety of long term care and senior living clients, including owners, operators, REITs and private equity investors. Ms. Marchica has extensive experience managing the regulatory aspects of complex, multi-state corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, stock purchases, internal corporate restructurings, new developments and financing transactions. She also provides her clients with day-to-day regulatory counseling related to operational and compliance matters.

Frank R. Petrilli is a trusted adviser to his clients on all matters related to entitlement strategy, land use and land use litigation, and compliance under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). He helps his clients obtain entitlements for complex and controversial developments; negotiate and draft agreements with local governments; and resolve problems at all stages in the development process from early planning through construction. He focuses on identifying the key issues facing a project, and developing creative solutions to efficiently deliver on the outcomes that matter most. He also helps build entitlement teams from the ground up, while providing thoughtful, strategic advice based on his strong political instincts, technical expertise, and intuitive understanding of how local government works in practice. Frank was named a “Northern California Rising Star” by Super Lawyers magazine in 2016, 2017, and 2018 (awarded to the top 2.5% of California attorneys under 40). The 2017 and 2018 editions of Legal 500 also recognize Frank as a Recommended Attorney, noting that clients describe him as “easy and enjoyable to work with,” and able to “find solutions to difficult problems.”

Alexander H. Spiegler is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property group in New York and advises companies of all sizes in the chemical & life sciences fields. He was an examiner in the US Patent & Trademark Office, and has been recognized by Legal 500 as a leading lawyer in patent prosecution. Mr. Spiegler co-authors the firm’s Chemical & Life Sciences Year in Review, is a guest lecturer in a graduate level business school course involving the legal aspects of biotechnology, and routinely speaks in Europe regarding US patent law. Prior to joining Arent Fox, Mr. Spiegler was an associate in the Washington, DC and New York offices of a global law firm.

Karen Van Essen has litigation experience in state and federal courts and international arbitration proceedings. She has counseled clients under investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office, the United States Department of Justice, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and the California Attorney General’s Office, and worked with foreign counterparts on cross-border government investigations. Ms. Van Essen has conducted internal corporate investigations, advised clients on compliance with anti-corruption laws, and served on an independent consultancy to assess entity compliance with the US sanctions regime, anti-money laundering laws, and corporate governance.  She also has represented clients in appellate matters before the California Courts of Appeal, the California Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to joining Arent Fox, Ms. Van Essen served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Milan D. Smith, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Ms. Van Essen also was a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Michael W. Mosman of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.