Pillsbury 2024 Partner Class Reflects Evolving Client Needs, Strong Diversity of Practices

Beyond the varied expertise of the lawyers that comprise the 2024 Pillsbury partner class, the group stands out for its notable diversity. A full 60 percent of the 20 lawyers set for promotion in the new year are diverse under the Mansfield Rule definition, with half women and 25 percent ethnically diverse.

“This accomplished group has consistently delivered for our clients and our law firm,” said Firm Chair David Dekker. “Their vast experience, dedication to their craft, and dogged commitment to exceeding client expectations epitomize the high standards for excellence for which Pillsbury is known. My sincere congratulations to each and every member of the 2024 class.”

The members of Pillsbury’s 2024 partner class are:

Shellka Arora-Cox (Project Development & Finance, New York) advises equity investors, sponsors, developers, lenders, borrowers, development finance institutions and construction contractors on project development, financing and M&A transactions in the energy transition and infrastructure sectors. She has worked on a range of complex and sophisticated transactions across the world, including in the U.S., Latin America, South Asia and Central Europe.

Zachary Atkins (State & Local Tax, Nashville) is a multistate tax practitioner who represents Fortune 500 companies in the technology, energy, financial services, transportation and retail sectors in all phases of multistate tax controversy, from audit to trial to appeals. He also advises clients on state and local tax and federal excise tax planning, policy, compliance and transactions.

Joshua Becker (Tax; Private Client & Family Office, New York) counsels clients in a diverse range of transactional, business and private wealth matters, including the tax and non-tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, investment fund formations, hedge funds, emerging company investments, family office operational and investment structures, and real estate joint ventures and investments. He frequently writes and speaks on issues involving partnership taxation, qualified opportunity funds, blockchain assets and family office structures.

Andrew Caplan (Global Sourcing & Technology Transactions, Washington, DC) advises financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies and tech startups on the structuring and negotiation of technology transactions and other commercial agreements, including software licensing and development, hardware manufacturing and distribution, business process outsourcing, IP licensing, and M&A transition services. He also has significant experience involving various aspects of fintech, including online lending platforms, mobile payments solutions, and consumer reporting products.

Paul Casas (Corporate & Securities, San Francisco) advises entrepreneurs, investors and startups through all stages of their life cycle, including formation, seed and venture capital financings, private equity investments, and mergers and acquisitions. He also advises strategic acquirers and target companies in tender offers, joint ventures and other strategic and complex transactional matters.

Rahman Connelly (Insolvency & Restructuring, New York) represents clients in bankruptcy, restructuring and related litigation, with particular experience in advising ad hoc bondholder groups, official committees of unsecured creditors, chapter 11 debtors, foreign liquidators and administrators in cross–border insolvency proceedings and chapter 15 cases. He sits on the American Bankruptcy Institute’s international committee and serves on leadership committees of the International Insolvency Institute and the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges.

Meghan Doherty (Government Contracts & Disputes, Northern Virginia) represents aerospace and defense, intelligence, energy, information technology and other government contractors in bid protest and claims litigation before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the Government Accountability Office. She also counsels them on complex regulatory issues related to mergers and acquisitions, cybersecurity and data protection.

Evan Hamme (State & Local Tax, New York) advises on all areas of state and local tax, including income, franchise, excise, sales and use tax. He has extensive experience helping clients understand and navigate the state and local tax consequences of corporate structures and transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, and internal restructurings. He has significant experience representing taxpayers in audits, administrative proceedings, litigation and subsequent appeals and has also litigated tax matters in administrative and court proceedings throughout the U.S.

Megan Jones (Private Client & Family Office, Los Angeles & Houston) advises entities, individuals and family offices on complex tax issues, with an emphasis on owners of assets and businesses in multiple jurisdictions. She also regularly assists startup clients with domestic, international and multijurisdictional tax and corporate planning, investment entity structuring, and the acquisition, disposition and restructuring of businesses, corporations and partnerships.

Stacie Kinser (Litigation, San Francisco) advises clients on all aspects of civil litigation, from pre-filing investigation through trial and appeal. Kinser’s practice focuses on government investigations, higher education, commercial real estate and consumer class actions. She has substantial experience in California courts and responding to state and federal agency enforcement actions.

Colleen Lamarre (Executive Compensation & Benefits, San Francisco & Silicon Valley) provides comprehensive advice on executive compensation and employee benefits, providing practical solutions for the design and implementation of equity and incentive compensation plans, deferred compensation arrangements, employment and severance agreements, change in control plans and other compensation agreements. She currently serves as Chair of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity. 

Carol Lee (Litigation, New York) handles a wide array of federal and state commercial disputes. She routinely works with some of China’s largest banks and corporate entities and has successfully represented Chinese conglomerates in obtaining major judgments against U.S. defendants. Fluent in written Chinese and in spoken Mandarin and Cantonese, Lee’s language, litigation and cultural skills have proven invaluable in hearings and depositions involving Chinese-speaking witnesses.

Jessica Lee (Real Estate, Northern Virginia) runs a sophisticated array of commercial transactions from complex joint ventures to acquisitions and dispositions to billion dollar financings for developers, borrowers, private equity funds, real estate investment trusts and U.S. and international investors. Her extensive experience includes numerous public-private partnerships with federal, state and local governments, including multibillion dollar mixed-use, transportation and transit-oriented projects.

Lindsey Livingston (Emerging Companies & Venture Capital, Washington, DC) counsels founders, investors and startups on the complex legal issues ranging from entity formation and early-stage capital raises through eventual sale or other liquidity event. She also advises on M&A and private equity transactions, public and private offerings, and corporate governance matters. Prior to entering law school, she was a senior financial analyst in the Enterprise Risk Management department at Motorola/Motorola Mobility.

Brent Morowitz (Investment Funds, New York) advises fund managers and institutional investors on the formation and operation of private investments funds, particularly on investments in private equity, venture capital and hedge funds. He has advised public pension funds, funds of funds, family offices and high-net-worth investors and others in making hundreds of commingled fund investments ranging in size from less than $1 million to more than $500 million.

Jessica Nyman (Communications, Austin & Washington, DC) focuses on telecom-related regulatory, litigation and transactional matters. She has appeared before the Federal Communications Commission, Department of Labor, Copyright Royalty Board, and state and federal courts, and advises on retransmission consent negotiations, M&A, and information technology outsourcing transactions. She is a primary point of contact for telecom clients on the new ATSC 3.0 “NextGen Broadcasting” standards.

Aaron Ralph (Government Contracts & Disputes, Los Angeles) helps government contractors and grant recipients navigate IP concerns, cost and pricing issues, internal investigations and compliance obligations, bid protests and contract claims litigation. He also advises clients contemplating mergers and acquisitions involving government contractors. Before joining Pillsbury, Ralph served on active duty in the U.S. Army as a Judge Advocate and was an attorney for the U.S. Air Force.

Rebecca Carr Rizzo (Employment Law, Washington, DC) focuses on ensuring compliance in the workplace. She counsels companies on internal investigations, disability accommodation, FLSA compliance, noncompetition agreements, restructurings and reductions in force, difficult terminations, and employment policies and procedures. Rizzo also defends clients in court and in front of administrative agencies and advises on employment issues arising in transactions.

Adam Weaver (Real Estate, Houston & San Francisco) advises purchasers, sellers, borrowers and lenders on all aspects of sophisticated commercial real estate transactions and financings. He has substantial experience with purchase and sale agreements, real estate joint ventures and related contracts for office, multi-family, industrial and mixed-use developments. He is also a core member of the energy transition team and works on large renewable energy projects across the U.S.

Brock Weber (Intellectual Property, San Francisco) is a litigator with extensive first chair experience, concentrating on IP disputes, especially patent and trade secrets litigation. He leverages a background in software engineering, systems analytics and web development to advise clients in high-tech industries such as distributed processing, remote storage, network security, network communications, social media, semiconductor design and fabrication, digital media and medical devices.