NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP announced yesterday that it has elected ten attorneys as members of the Firm effective January 1, 2014. The new partners are:
Atif Azher (Corporate – Palo Alto) – Mr. Azher specializes in mergers and acquisitions, corporate and securities laws and corporate governance. He advises public and private companies and private equity firms in acquisitions, dispositions, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures and other direct investments. He also has extensive experience representing public companies in unsolicited transactions and investment banks in connection with M&A transactions. Mr. Azher received a J.D. and an M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004 and a B.S. and B.S.B.A. from the University of Arizona in 2000.
Jason M. Bussey (Litigation – Palo Alto) – Mr. Bussey’s practice focuses on intellectual property matters, with an emphasis on patent litigation. Mr. Bussey has also represented clients in connection with price-fixing conspiracies involving Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Displays (TFT-LCDs). He received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2003 and his B.A. with high departmental honors from the University of California at Berkeley in 2000.
Jonathan Goldstein (Tax – New York) – Mr. Goldstein advises clients on the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, tax matters regarding financial institutions, private investment fund formation, financing transactions, corporate restructurings and bankruptcies, cross-border tax matters, and partnerships and other joint ventures. Mr. Goldstein also regularly provides advice with respect to the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. Mr. Goldstein received his J.D., with high honors, from George Washington University in 2003 where he was elected Order of the Coif and his B.A., with distinction, from the University of Rochester in 2000. Mr. Goldstein earned an L.L.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law in 2005.
Karen Hsu Kelley (Corporate – New York) – Ms. Kelley is a member of the Firm’s Public Company Advisory Practice, which advises U.S. and non-U.S. public companies on all aspects of their compliance with the U.S. securities laws and the listing requirements of the major U.S. exchanges. Ms. Kelley advises clients with respect to corporate governance and other general matters. She received her J.D. in 2002 from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and her B.A., cum laude, from Princeton University in 1997.
Andrew Lacy (Litigation – Washington, D.C.) – Mr. Lacy specializes in antitrust related issues, including regulatory approval of mergers and acquisitions, class actions and other complex antitrust litigation, civil and criminal government investigations, and antitrust counseling on strategic business practices. He has represented clients in Department of Justice grand jury proceedings and participated in trials and hearings before federal and state courts and international arbitration tribunals. Mr. Lacy received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2002, where he was Managing Editor of the Journal on Law and Policy in International Business. He received his B.A. in Economics from American University in 1997.
Edgar J. Lewandowski (Corporate – New York) – Mr. Lewandowski focuses his practice on capital markets, securities and corporate governance matters. He has experience representing a variety of issuers, investment banks and investors in a broad range of securities transactions, including IPOs and other equity offerings, high yield and investment grade debt offerings, convertible bond offerings, exchange offers, and liability management transactions. He received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2003 and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Columbia University in 2000.
Christopher R. May (Corporate – Houston) – Mr. May concentrates his practice on mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions, with a particular focus on the energy sector. He regularly represents private equity firms and corporations in a variety of public and private acquisition and divestiture transactions. Mr. May also has extensive experience advising clients on corporate and securities laws and corporate governance matters. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2002 and his B.S. from Wake Forest University, summa cum laude, in 1999. Mr. May was a Counsel at the Firm prior to his election as partner.
Krista Miniutti (Real Estate – New York) – Ms. Miniutti represents private equity firms in commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures and financings. She has represented clients on a broad range of domestic and international real estate transactions including public to private transactions, securitized and mezzanine financings and portfolio acquisitions. She received her J.D., cum laude, from St. John’s University in 1996 and her B.A. from the University of Scranton in 1993. Ms. Miniutti was a Counsel at the Firm prior to her election as partner.
Anthony F. Vernace (Corporate – New York) – Mr. Vernace represents private equity firms and corporations in a wide range of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other corporate transactions. He also advises clients on corporate and securities laws and corporate governance matters. Mr. Vernace received his J.D. in 2005 from Columbia Law School where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and he received his B.S. from Fordham University, summa cum laude, in 2002.
Craig S. Waldman (Litigation – New York) – Mr. Waldman represents clients in a broad range of high-stakes litigation including securities litigation, insurance coverage, international arbitration and general contract disputes. He also has extensive trial experience and has represented clients in Congressional testimony, SEC investigations and other governmental investigations. Mr. Waldman received his J.D., cum laude, from Cornell Law School in 2004 and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Tufts University in 2001. He completed a clerkship with the Honorable Richard M. Berman in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 2006.
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