Kansas City, Missouri – Laurence R. Tucker, managing attorney of Armstrong Teasdale’s Kansas City and Overland Park offices, has been named as the “Kansas City, MO Best Lawyers Insurance Lawyer of the Year” for 2011. 

A civil trial lawyer, Tucker concentrates his practice on business torts including insurance litigation, product liability, contractual disputes and professional liability. In addition to trial and appellate work, Tucker has appeared before and been a member of arbitration panels. He has also has acted as a mediator in commercial and business cases.

Tucker received his J.D. from Duke University School of Law and his B.A. from Central Methodist College.

After more than a quarter of a century in publication, Best Lawyers designates “Lawyers of the Year” in high-profile legal specialties in large legal communities. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year.”

Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The current, 17th edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2011) is based on more than 3.1 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.

The lawyers being honored as “Lawyers of the Year” received particularly high ratings in our surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity.

About Armstrong Teasdale LLP: Armstrong Teasdale LLP, with nearly 250 lawyers in offices across the U.S. and China, has a demonstrable track record of delivering sophisticated legal advice and exceptional service to a dynamic client base. Whether an issue is local or global, practice area specific or industry related, Armstrong Teasdale provides each client with an invaluable combination of legal resources and practical advice in nearly every area of law. For more information, please visit www.armstrongteasdale.com.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://breakinglegalnews.com/.

Brooks Kushman law firm's Phyllis Golden Morey, shareholder and chief diversity officer (CDO), was recently honored at a luncheon celebrating the "2010 Women in the Law." The event, which was hosted by Michigan Lawyers Weekly and held at the Marriott in Troy, Mich., paid tribute to 20 local female lawyers who are making waves with their energy, ideas, achievements and commitment to excellence.

"We're thrilled that Phyllis was honored for her contributions to the legal community," said Mark A. Cantor, president, Brooks Kushman. "Her dedication to furthering diversity efforts at both a local and national level makes Phyllis the ideal role model for aspiring and established professionals. We're proud of Phyllis and will continue to support her efforts to further positive social change in our profession."

Morey heads Brooks Kushman's Commercial Litigation and Compliance practice groups, where she counsels and represents clients in patent, copyright and trademark infringement cases, as well as in commercial litigation matters. Morey also serves as the firm's CDO, responsible for recruiting, retaining and mentoring minority attorneys, as well as fostering alliances and networks with minority organizations and liaising with clients on diversity issues.

Diversity efforts are especially essential in the area of intellectual property (IP) law, as there are certain hiring prerequisites, such as the technical or science degree required for patent attorneys, that make the potential employee pool significantly smaller than for general attorneys. As a result, outreach programs are critical to identifying and hiring diverse law clerks and attorneys for this area of the legal profession.

Morey has more than 20 years of in-house litigation experience representing clients, such as Ford Motor Co., Lear Corp. and Ameritech Corp. In this role, she managed commercial, IP and other significant complex litigation cases and represented business units and divisions in all aspects of the cases. She also has vast experience in defending corporations in commercial, product liability, insurance coverage and employment disputes while in private practice.

"It's a great honor to be celebrated among such remarkable women," Morey said. "As strong females in the legal community, we need to stand together as positive role models for our aspiring legal professionals. The 'Women in the Law' event is a great platform to highlight some of the accomplished, female legal professionals our local community has fostered."

Morey earned her juris doctor degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville, Tenn. and her bachelor's degree from Memphis State University in Tennessee. After law school, she served as a judicial law clerk to judges on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court in Memphis, Tenn.

She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association and is admitted to practice before the 6th Circuit and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Active in her local community, Morey currently serves as a board member for the Music Hall of Detroit and Black Family Development. She previously served on the board of directors for a variety of community organizations, including the Children's Home of Detroit, Junior League of Detroit, Neighborhood Services Organization and Southwest Detroit Community Mental Health.

Founded in 1983 by five IP attorneys, Brooks Kushman P.C. is a leading IP and commercial law firm based in Southfield, Mich. with an office in Los Angeles. Since its inception, the firm has grown to more than 70 lawyers and patent agents, gaining a reputation both nationally and internationally as a leader in providing cutting-edge, timely and cost-effective IP counseling.

Brooks Kushman counts four U.S. Fortune 100 companies among its clients and is often recognized by peers and leading trade publications. Brooks Kushman is: a Go-To Law Firm® selected by the top 500 companies, according to Corporate Counsel magazine; a "Best at Client Focus" firm, according to large and Fortune 1000 companies surveyed by The BTI Consulting Group; and one of the top IP firms selected by the Fortune 100, according to IP Law & Business. For more information, visit www.brookskushman.com.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

Jon Atzen has joined the Los Angeles/Downtown office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as a partner in the firm's Corporate practice group and member of the Emerging Companies practice.  Atzen most recently was a partner at DLA Piper in Los Angeles.  

Atzen has devoted virtually his entire career to working with leading entrepreneurs and innovators, as well as emerging and established companies, primarily in the southern California region.  He focuses his corporate practice on representing emerging growth and established companies, and venture capital and private equity funds, in such technology sectors as life sciences, semiconductors, wireless communications, internet, software and clean/alternative energy technologies.

"Jon has an impressive emerging growth company background, which includes private practice and corporate counsel for both a tech company and a venture capital firm.  His practice dovetails well with our existing emerging growth/venture capital practices throughout California, while broadening our existing corporate practice capabilities in Los Angeles," said Guy N. Halgren, chairman of the firm. 

In addition to private practice, Atzen previously held the positions of Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. 

"I am excited about joining Sheppard Mullin, a top-notch full service firm with a strong corporate practice in Los Angeles and throughout the state," Atzen commented.  "I am impressed with firm management's dedication to growing the Corporate practice group, and excited to be part of a partnership that values teamwork and fosters collegiality."  

In addition to his venture capital and private equity practice, Atzen provides corporate and strategic counsel to publicly-traded companies with respect to securities offerings including initial public offerings, secondary offerings, PIPEs and spin-offs, and reporting and compliance matters under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  He also has significant experience in public and private company mergers and acquisitions.

Atzen received a J.D. from Loyola Law School Los Angeles in 1990 and a B.A. from University of California at Santa Barbara in 1987. 

Sheppard Mullin has 200 attorneys based in its Los Angeles offices.  The firm's Corporate practice group includes 100 attorneys firmwide. 

In April, Kevin Rooney joined the firm's Silicon Valley office as a partner in the Corporate practice group.  Rooney most recently practiced at Hayden Bergman & Rooney in San Francisco, as a name partner.  Previously, Rooney was an attorney with Wilson Sonsini in Palo Alto and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineburg in Toronto.  

About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Sheppard Mullin is a full service AmLaw 100 firm with 550 attorneys in 11 offices located in the United States and Asia.  Since 1927, companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions.  In the U.S., the firm's clients include more than half of the Fortune 100.  For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com. 

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

United States Attorney David R. Dugas announced Wednesday he will step down from his position effective April 24.

Dugas said he will join a national private law firm which has offices in Baton Rouge.

He called serving as U.S. attorney "the greatest honor and most rewarding experience" of his professional career.

Dugas was appointed by President George W. Bush and took office October 17, 2001, only five weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP is pleased to announce that the firm's chairman of the executive committee, Guy N. Halgren, has been re-elected to a fourth consecutive, three-year term leading the firm.  Halgren was first elected to this management role in 2001.  Halgren is the first Sheppard Mullin chairman to hold this position for four terms.  

"Our partnership is very fortunate to have Guy at the helm for another term.  He's smart, fair and forward-thinking," said Benjamin R. Mulcahy, New York-based partner and member of the executive committee.  "Guy has been instrumental in growing the firm in terms of size, locations, and practice areas, while preserving Sheppard Mullin's tradition of collegiality and entrepreneurship."  

Sheppard Mullin has experienced significant growth in the past nine years.  The number of attorneys is now more than 500, which is more than 70% greater than the firm's attorney headcount in 2001.  During the same time period, the firm has geographically grown from a California firm, to a national firm with locations in New York and Washington, D.C., to an international firm with an office in Shanghai.  The firm currently has a total of eleven offices, having significantly expanded from four locations in 2001.

Comparing 2001 to 2009, gross revenue has climbed from $149 million to $361 million.  Practice area growth has occurred in a number of ways, including the establishment of an institutional entertainment and media practice in 2003, the significant growth of the firm's Intellectual Property practice group in recent years, and the strengthening of signature practices: Antitrust, Corporate, Finance & Bankruptcy, Government Contracts, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Real Estate/Land Use and Tax.  

Additionally, Sheppard Mullin's Business Trial practice group co-chair, Robert S. Beall, has been re-elected as the firm's managing partner for another three-year term.  He has held this firm management position since 2005.  Beall, based in the firm's Orange County office, has also been re-elected to the firm's executive committee for another three-year term. 

"I'm very pleased that Robert has agreed to serve as the firm's managing partner for another term.  Our talents complement each other.  The firm could not have made the tremendous progress it has without Robert's contributions,"  Halgren commented.

Partner Judy V. Davidoff has been elected to the executive committee for a three-year term.  Davidoff, based in the San Francisco office, has served as Real Estate/Land Use practice group co-chair and also as one of the firm's alternative fee czars.

About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Sheppard Mullin is a full service AmLaw 100 firm with 550 attorneys in 11 offices located in the United States and Asia.  Since 1927, companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions.  In the U.S., the firm's clients include more than half of the Fortune 100.  For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com. 

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

A battle is intensifying in the Senate over the appeals court nomination of Goodwin Liu, a law professor at the University of California at Berkeley whom some Democrats consider a potential nominee one day to the Supreme Court.

Democrats vowed Wednesday to press ahead with plans for an April 16 Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. A day earlier, the GOP demanded a delay and suggested that Liu's nomination might be in jeopardy because he had not provided enough information to the panel.

Activists on both the left and right view Liu's nomination as a practice run for the next Supreme Court vacancy, which could come as soon as this year if Justice John Paul Stevens retires.

On Tuesday, Liu sent 117 items to the committee, a "supplement" to an earlier questionnaire he filled out about his record, including articles he wrote and events in which he participated, but did not include in his original submission.

The committee's seven Republicans -- led by ranking member Jeff Sessions (Ala.) -- responded with a scathing letter to panel Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.).

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.

Originally posted at Breaking Legal News. Please visit http://www.breakinglegalnews.com/.