CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thompson Hine LLP has elected new partners, effective January 1, 2017. The new partners, located across five of the firm’s offices, represent a broad range of practice areas including Business Litigation; Business Restructuring, Creditors’ Rights & Bankruptcy; Commercial & Public Finance; Corporate Transactions & Securities; International Trade & Customs; and Product Liability Litigation.
“We are pleased to welcome these attorneys to our partnership. Each of these lawyers exhibits exceptional skill in his or her area of practice, and demonstrates our firm’s commitment to helping clients achieve their business goals through the efficient, transparent delivery of legal services. As future firm leaders, we look forward to the innovative ideas they will contribute to advance our goal of providing enhanced value to clients,” said Deborah Z. Read, Thompson Hine’s managing partner.
The new partners are:
Elizabeth H. Blattner, a member of the Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group in Dayton, focuses on drafting and negotiating a wide range of contracts, including supply management, vendor and customer agreements, distribution agreements, and software, content and mobile application license agreements; advising privately held companies; representing companies in acquisitions and dispositions; and assisting companies with contract management programs. She received her J.D. from The George Washington University National Law Center in 1988 and her B.A. from George Washington University in 1984.
Cassandra W. Borchers is a member of the Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group in Cincinnati. She counsels clients on regulatory and compliance matters, including all aspects of federal and state securities law and related issues, such as registration, regulatory reporting and compliance, private fund, closed-end fund and mutual fund matters. Her practice focuses primarily on securities, fund matters and compliance, finance and venture capital, and corporate representation and governance matters. She has assisted private and public companies, including mutual funds, in securities offerings, private equity issues, formation, and mergers and acquisitions. She has represented both issuing companies and investors in a large variety of transactions and securities offerings. Borchers received her J.D., with honors, from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1995 and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Thomas More College in 1992.
Sarah Chambers, a member of the firm’s Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group in Columbus, counsels clients in a wide variety of areas, including mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations, capital raising and financing activities, executive employment and separations, equity and equity-based compensation, commercial agreements, entity formation, organization and governance. Her experience also includes negotiating and drafting transactional documents, primarily on behalf of private companies, as well as advising on various complex corporate issues, including governance matters. In addition, Chambers regularly works with insurance companies on corporate, regulatory and government relations matters. She has been selected to the Super Lawyers® 2014-2017 Ohio Rising Stars lists. Chambers received her J.D., summa cum laude, from the Capital University Law School in 2007 and her B.S., magna cum laude, from Elon University in 1999.
Stephanie M. Chmiel, a member of the Business Litigation practice group in Columbus, focuses on class actions and complex civil disputes. Her experience involves a broad range of civil litigation matters in state and federal courts including contract, product liability, tort, insurance, environmental, employment and business tort disputes. She has significant class action experience, including defending actions involving consumer products, requests for medical records and trust indentures. Chmiel received her J.D. from Cornell Law School in 2003 and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Miami University in 2000.
Eric S. Daniel is a member of the firm’s Product Liability Litigation practice group in Cleveland. He focuses his practice on a broad range of maritime matters, including personal injury cases alleging negligence under the Jones Act and unseaworthiness under general maritime law. He also has extensive experience representing clients in the defense of maritime and land-based asbestos litigation in federal and state court. He was selected to the Super Lawyers Ohio Rising Stars lists in 2011 and from 2013 to 2017. Daniel received his J.D., summa cum laude, from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 2004 and his B.Mus, cum laude, from Baldwin-Wallace College in 2000.
Jonathan S. Hawkins, a member of the firm’s Business Restructuring, Creditors’ Rights & Bankruptcy practice group in Dayton, focuses his practice on parties’ rights and remedies under the Uniform Commercial Code, Bankruptcy Code and state law, in and out of court. In addition, he assists lenders, buyers and sellers in transactions, frequently in a distressed context, such as receiverships, workouts and bankruptcy proceedings. He has been selected to the Super Lawyers 2015-2017 Ohio Rising Stars lists. Hawkins received his J.D. from the Northwestern University School of Law in 2007 and his B.A. from Miami University in 2002.
Richard E. Helm is a member of the firm’s Commercial & Public Finance practice group in Dayton. He advises both banks and corporate borrowers on secured and unsecured commercial loan transactions, including the negotiation and drafting of loan agreements and related security documents, as well as the authorizing corporate documentation of the borrower. Such matters have included financing arrangements for term and revolving lending. He also has experience in the area of public finance, representing issuers, borrowers and credit enhancers in connection with the issuance of tax-exempt bonds and taxable obligations. Helm received his J.D. from The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law in 2008 and his B.S., magna cum laude, from Susquehanna University in 2005.
William M. Henry, a member of the Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group in Cleveland, has extensive experience in middle-market M&A transactions, having negotiated and closed transactions ranging in value from less than $1 million to over $500 million, with an aggregate value exceeding $3 billion over his career. His clients include private equity firms as well as privately held and publicly traded Fortune 1000 companies. Henry has assisted clients in the drafting and negotiation of complex commercial agreements, ranging from purchase and supply agreements to long-term partnership and joint venture agreements. He also advises on day-to-day corporate governance matters, including employment, consulting and separation agreements. He has been selected to the Super Lawyers 2017 Ohio Rising Stars list. Henry received his J.D. with honors from The University of Texas School of Law in 2007 and his B.A., summa cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University in 2004.
Eric N. Heyer, a member of the Business Litigation practice group in Washington D.C., has extensive experience advising clients and litigating cases relating to actions by federal government agencies under the Administrative Procedure Act. He advises manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers in the electronic cigarette and tobacco alternative industries on regulatory compliance issues and represents those clients in a diverse range of litigation matters. He has also advised and represented many clients in the financial services industry, including captive insurance companies, mutual funds, national banks, mortgage servicers and investment bankers. Heyer’s litigation experience encompasses a broad range of matters including contract disputes, business torts, employment matters, insurance claims, trademark and copyright litigation, and representation of federal government employees. He was selected to the Super Lawyers 2014-2017 Washington, D.C. Rising Stars lists. Heyer received his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School in 2006 and his B.A., summa cum laude, from Marquette University in 2003.
Conor A. McLaughlin is a member of the Product Liability Litigation practice group in Cleveland. He defends clients in state and federal courts throughout the country, including manufacturers of automobiles, commercial food processing equipment, aircraft components, building products, pharmaceuticals, and other commercial and consumer products in mass torts, putative class actions, injuries to persons and property, premises liability and consumer-related actions. He was selected to the Super Lawyers Ohio Rising Star list each year from 2012 to 2017. McLaughlin received his J.D., cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2007 and his B.S. from Miami University in 2004.
Samir D. Varma, a member of the International Trade & Customs practice group in Washington, D.C., advises multinational corporations on export controls, economic sanctions and customs, and counsels individuals and corporations on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption laws. He represents clients in enforcement actions before U.S. regulatory agencies and conducts corporate internal investigations. He received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 2007, his M.B.A. from Fordham University Graduate School of Business in 2007 and his B.A. from University of Michigan in 1999.
About Thompson Hine LLP. Thompson Hine LLP, a full-service business law firm with approximately 400 lawyers in 7 offices, is ranked number 1 in the category “Most innovative North American law firms: New working models” by The Financial Times. For 4 straight years, Thompson Hine has distinguished itself in all areas of Service Delivery Innovation and is one of only 7 firms noted in the BTI Brand Elite for “making changes to improve the client experience.” The firm’s commitment to innovation is embodied in Thompson Hine SmartPaTH® – a smarter way to work – predictable, efficient and aligned with client goals. For more information, please visit ThompsonHine.com and ThompsonHine.com/about/SmartPaTH.
