Pillsbury announced that it has elevated 11 lawyers to partner, effective January 1, 2021. This year’s class reflects the firm’s broad strengths across industries and practices. The newly named partners advise clients in each of the firm’s four core industries—Technology & Media, Energy, Financial and Real Estate & Construction—and handle everything from business-critical financings and transactions to complex regulatory issues and high-stakes litigation.

“During these unprecedented and challenging times, I am especially heartened to welcome our new partner class,” said David Dekker, firm Chair. “Each of these new partners have proven themselves to be superb practitioners, exemplary ambassadors of Pillsbury’s commitment to client service and outstanding colleagues. My sincere congratulations to them all.”

The members of Pillsbury’s 2021 partner class are:

Ben Bernell (Litigation, Austin) Bernell represents technology clients in disputes involving intellectual property, breach of contract and internet-related claims, as well as antitrust and business disparagement matters. He served as a law clerk for Judge John D. Rainey of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and has successfully handled over 100 cases in Texas state courts and in federal district courts across the nation. Bernell earned his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.

Bianca Bowen (Corporate & Securities, New York) Bowen focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private placements and minority investments, joint ventures, strategic alliances, related corporate governance and related corporate and securities law issues. She offers experience across multiple industries, including financial services, technology and software, professional services, energy and natural resources. Bowen earned her law degree from Columbia University School of Law.

Eric Epstein (Litigation, New York) Epstein represents U.S. and international financial institutions in litigation and regulatory matters and is a critical part of Pillsbury’s China-focused Litigation practice, which resolves cross-border disputes in U.S. courts. He has extensive experience in financial services disputes, including defending banks and other financial services providers against individual and class action claims and representing them in regulatory proceedings before the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other government agencies. He earned his law degree from Columbia University School of Law.

Jeremy Erickson (Executive Compensation & Benefits, San Francisco) Erickson provides guidance to company management and boards of directors on compensation and corporate governance issues. He prepares and reviews public company SEC filings, with a focus on executive compensation disclosures, and addresses compensation and benefits issues arising in mergers and acquisitions. Legal 500 has recognized Erickson for having “expertise [that] is exceptional across many disciplines.” Erickson earned his law degree from the J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University.

Eric Gold (Litigation, Washington, DC) With a focus on insurance recovery for construction industry clients, Gold advises clients on the resolution of complex business and contract disputes, often involving engineering and construction defects. He has handled numerous claims involving commercial general liability, professional liability, subcontractor default, commercial property, and directors and officers liability policies, among others, and advises clients concerning insurance and risk management issues that arise outside of litigation. He earned his law degree from American University, Washington College of Law.

Ellen Grady (Corporate & Securities – Technology, Northern Virginia) Grady advises public, private, and nonprofit entities on corporate transactions, principally mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, venture capital and private equity transactions, and corporate governance. Grady has represented numerous buyers and sellers on M&A transactions, principally in the government services, defense and aerospace industries. She previously served as corporate counsel at a NYSE-traded company that provides equity capital to technology and healthcare technology companies. Grady earned her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

James McPhillips (Global Sourcing & Technology Transactions, Washington, DC) McPhillips is a nationally recognized technology attorney, particularly in the growing area of “cloud” services transactions, earning recognition from Chambers USA and The Legal 500. He represents a range of clients on technology matters, including many of the world’s major financial institutions, and once advised on the largest enterprise e-mail cloud migration ever completed. He earned his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law.

Ted Powers III (Corporate & Securities, New York) Powers has a broad practice that covers complex private equity and venture capital investments, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and restructuring matters representing public and private operating companies, private equity and venture capital funds, entrepreneurs, and financial institutions. He has led numerous M&A transactions, with a particular focus on the financial services, technology, manufacturing, and life sciences sectors. Powers earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Dania Slim (Insolvency & Restructuring, Palm Beach) Slim represents debtors, creditors and other parties in interest in bankruptcy cases across a broad range of industries, including aviation, health care, real estate, hospitality and manufacturing. She has a significant focus on Latin America, recently serving as first chair on three Latin American airline bankruptcies. In 2019, Law360 named Slim as a Rising Star in bankruptcy and insolvency and more recently she was recognized as a 2020 American Bankruptcy Institute “40 under 40” Emerging Leader. She earned her law degree from The George Washington University Law School.

Vijay Toke (Intellectual Property, San Francisco) Toke focuses on trademark, copyright and licensing disputes in federal and state courts and before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). He represents technology companies, fashion and luxury brands, wineries, telecommunications companies, design houses, consumer goods manufacturers, food product brands, retailers, restaurants and hospitality companies and has been ranked in the World Trademark Review 1000 every year since 2015. Toke earned his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Timothy Walsh (Energy, Washington, DC) Walsh handles litigation, internal investigations, whistleblower claims and appellate matters for clients in the nuclear power industry. He has unique experience in the sector specialty area of employee concerns and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Employee Concerns Professionals. Walsh earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.