Locke Lord Elects 12 New Partners From 8 Offices and Key Practice Groups

November 10, 2021 – Locke Lord has promoted 12 lawyers representing the Firm’s Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, Providence and West Palm Beach offices to Partnership level, effective Jan. 1, 2022. The lawyers are members of the Firm’s Corporate and Transactional, Intellectual Property, Litigation and Real Estate Practice Groups.

The new Partners are:

In Austin:

Brian O'Reilly practices in the area of transportation, administrative and public law, focusing on the development of major infrastructure projects by public and private entities. He advises clients on procurement matters and legal issues related to the planning, construction, financing and operation of infrastructure projects.

In Boston:

Megan Foscaldi advises public and private companies and private equity funds in a broad range of corporate matters, including securities offerings and complex strategic transactions. She represents clients in a wide range of industries, including technology and media, energy and biotech.

In Chicago:

Wasim Bleibel counsels pharmaceutical, biotechnology, beverage, and digital and media technology clients on intellectual property litigation, portfolio strategy, brand enforcement and regulatory compliance. He has significant experience in patent infringement litigation arising under the Hatch-Waxman Act, proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and counseling clients on compliance with TTB, FDA, and FTC laws and regulations.

Nina Vachhani concentrates her practice on complex intellectual property litigation and regulatory matters, with a primary emphasis on large-scale pharmaceutical patent actions under the Hatch-Waxman Act. As a registered patent attorney, her IP practice extends to patent preparation and prosecution. Vachhani also represents companies in the seed and agricultural biotechnology industries with regulatory, liability and transactional matters.

In Dallas:

Brandan Montminy provides counsel to clients in a wide array of litigation matters as well as in privacy, data protection, cybersecurity compliance, and incident preparedness and response. He represents clients across multiple industries, including banking and finance, commercial, construction, health care, insurance, professional services, real estate and technology.

In Houston:

Rachel Fitzgerald practices corporate law, focusing primarily on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate restructurings, joint ventures and matters related to corporate governance and compliance. She has a particular focus in energy — including midstream, oilfield services, renewables and storage facilities — insurance and media.

Andrew Reed represents employers in litigation, including claims for breach of restrictive covenant agreements, misappropriation of trade secrets, wage and hour violations, claims of employment discrimination and retaliation. Board certified in labor and employment law, he has first-chair trial experience in federal court, state court and arbitration.

In New York:

Christopher Fontenelli is a litigator focusing on complex commercial litigation and labor and employment. He represents commercial litigation clients in class and collective actions, commercial contractual disputes, and product liability and mass tort actions. He also represents and counsels employers on a variety of labor and employment matters relating to discrimination, sexual harassment, employment agreements, wage and hour violations and more.

H. Straat Tenney counsels clients on an array of intellectual property matters, including U.S. and international trademark strategy and portfolio management, trademark enforcement and anti-counterfeiting actions. His domestic and international clients range from major manufacturing companies to startups in such industries as food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and luxury brands.

In Providence:

Michael Serra focuses in the representation of private equity funds in their investment activities, including leveraged acquisitions and sale processes, and helps navigate clients through the deal process from start to finish. His practice also includes general corporate counseling, including corporate governance, employment and incentive equity matters.

Krystle Tadesse has a broad business litigation and counseling practice and represents clients in complex disputes across a number of industries in state and federal courts throughout the Northeast as well as in matters before the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration and their state equivalents.

In West Palm Beach:

Dale Evans is a commercial litigator whose practice focuses on complex and class action lawsuits in the areas of business litigation, construction, labor and employment, financial services and securities. He represents companies in numerous industries, including financial institutions, property developers, insurers, managed care organizations and beauty retailers.

###

About Locke Lord LLP
Locke Lord is a full-service law firm with global reach and 20 offices designed to meet clients’ needs in the United States and around the world. The Firm has a history that spans more than 130 years and is a leader in the middle market arena. Locke Lord focuses on providing the highest levels of commitment, quality and service to clients across its five Key Sectors: Energy and Infrastructure; Finance and Financial Services; Insurance and Reinsurance; Pharmaceutical; and Private Equity. In addition, the Firm advises clients across a broad spectrum of other industries, including fund formation, venture capital, health care, public finance, real estate, technology, cybersecurity and white collar, while providing a wealth of experience through its complex litigation, intellectual property, tax, regulatory and transactional teams.