Thirteen Attorneys Join Pillsbury's Litigation and Public Practices Groups

All of the attorneys, including entertainment litigator Kathy A. Jorrie, who joined Pillsbury on May 1, arrive from McKenna Long & Aldridge, where Jorrie was the managing partner of McKenna’s Los Angeles office until earlier last month. Jorrie is widely recognized as being among the top lawyers representing the entertainment industry. The litigation partners joining Jorrie are Michael H. Wallenstein and Thomas F. Winfield III.

The four new partners joining Pillsbury’s government contracts team are James J. Gallagher, Michael R. Rizzo, Kevin J. Slattum and Todd J. Canni. Canni will practice in Pillsbury’s Washington, DC, office, but intends to ultimately be based in the firm’s Los Angeles office.

“These dynamic attorneys are truly world-class additions to our Pillsbury team,” said partner Jim Rishwain, Jr. “All seven partners have extensive experience and knowledge across industries that will serve Pillsbury’s clients well. At the same time, our firm’s strong platform will well serve their existing relationships in the Los Angeles business community.”

The three seasoned litigators have handled numerous complex commercial disputes and trials, both domestically and internationally, in industries ranging from entertainment to transportation to real estate.

“The addition of Kathy, Tom and Michael demonstrates our dedication to serving Southern California’s leading companies and industries,” said Kirke Hasson, co-leader of Pillsbury’s litigation practice. “The arrival of this group not only significantly raises our profile in the entertainment industry, it also shares synergies with and enhances our industry-leading environmental and real estate practices.”

The four government contracts partners all have deep experience in government contracts, including bid protests, disputes, litigation and compliance. They constituted a substantial part of McKenna’s large national Government Contracts practice, which was Chambers USA Tier 1 ranked.

“The addition of Jay, Mike, Kevin and Todd represents a strong opportunity for us to significantly grow both our firm-wide government contracts group and our current offerings in Los Angeles and California,” said Nancy A. Fischer, leader of Pillsbury’s public practices and public policy sections. “It will make Pillsbury one of the few law firms in the country with a Government Contracts practice on both coasts, and will expand our ability to serve West Coast clients.”

Details about each new partner are below.

Kathy A. Jorrie has 30 years of experience handling high-stakes intellectual property, entertainment and unfair competition matters. She has been lead counsel in numerous jury trials in a variety of complicated commercial cases. Her career highlights include successfully handling many trademark infringement matters for clients ranging from live entertainment promoters to motion picture and television producers, a major motion picture studio, and a television satellite platform, as well as manufacturers of cosmetics and professional hair care products. Jorrie also has extensive experience as a deal lawyer. She has negotiated and prepared promotion and production agreements for national and international music tours, music festivals, such as Coachella and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and museum touring exhibitions, such as “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaoh. She earned her J.D. from Hastings College of the Law in 1985 and a B.A. from University of California, Los Angeles, in 1982. She has been recognized by the Daily Journal as among California “Top 100 Attorneys” and has been named a Top Lawyer in Media and Entertainment, and a Top 40 Entertainment Lawyer by the Los Angeles Business Journal, among other accolades.

Michael H. Wallenstein has substantial trial experience, and has argued cases before the California Courts of Appeal and the California Supreme Court. His 265-day trial, spanning four years, involving a railroad real property dispute, resulted in one of the five largest judgments of 2012 in California, and spawned three separate appeals. He has most recently been involved in cutting edge litigation resulting from the dissolution of redevelopment agencies. His clients have included railroads, financial institutions, developers, entertainment companies, public entities and individuals. He has represented both defendants and plaintiffs in real estate valuation, eminent domain, railroad disputes, business torts, Truth in Lending Act claims, wrongful foreclosure, civil rights defense, municipal tax, construction defect, municipal tort liability, contract and land use disputes. He began his legal career in 2001 as an associate at Brown Winfield & Canzoneri. He received his J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law in 2000 and a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1985. Wallenstein is a conservatory-trained actor and, prior to his law career, appeared in various theatrical, film and television productions.

Thomas F. Winfield III has dealt with virtually all aspects of the real estate and development industry, including real estate development and associated litigation in all of its facets, including representing government entities or those dealing with government. His clients have hailed from the railroad industry to major homebuilders, as well as commercial and industrial real estate developers. He has handled land valuation litigation in all of its forms, and has substantial experience in land use planning and processing, including CEQA compliance and litigation for both public and private clients. He was a founding partner of Brown Winfield & Canzoneri from 1974 until its merger with McKenna in 2009. In 2012, he represented the plaintiff in one of the “Top Plaintiffs’ Verdicts by Dollar Amount,” as recognized by the Daily Journal. He received his J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law in 1967 and a B.S. from Rutgers University in 1964.

Here are details about the four new partners in Public Practices:

James J. Gallagher is a former Co-Chair of McKenna Long & Aldridge and has over 40 years of experience representing government contractors, including some of the world’s largest aerospace and defense companies including Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, Rockwell Collins and General Motors. He has been lead counsel for contractors regarding claims against the federal government that totaled over $5 billion in the past 25 years. Gallagher received his J.D. from Georgetown Law Center in 1965, and his B.B.A. from Notre Dame in 1961. He worked as a trial attorney for the IRS from 1966 until 1970 and then went into private practice at Sellers, Conner & Cuneo, which is a predecessor firm of McKenna. He became a partner at McKenna in 1974 and during his tenure he served as Managing Partner, Co-Chair and as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He is recognized by Chambers USA 2014 as one of the nation’s leading government contracts lawyers. He is admitted to practice in California.

Michael R. Rizzo served as McKenna’s California Executive Partner until last month, where he had responsibility over operations, client service and growth initiatives in California. Rizzo also formerly served as the Chair of McKenna’s Government Contracts Department and served on its Board of Directors. He focuses on helping clients avoid disputes and government investigations. He designs government contracts compliance programs that, once implemented, reduce legal department expenditures on disputes and litigation in future years. He has prepared and litigated successful claims against the Departments of Defense, Energy and NASA for contract changes, defective specifications and delay and disruption arising from the government’s administration of major weapon systems and infrastructure contracts. He received his J.D. from Georgetown Law Center in 1992 and his B.S. from Georgetown in 1989. Rizzo has twice been named to the BTI Client Service All-Star Team for Law Firms, where he is recognized as one of the 300 nationwide that excel in client service. He had spent his entire 23-year legal career at McKenna and made partner in 2000. He is admitted to practice in California.

Kevin J. Slattum has extensive experience resolving contract disputes, cost allowability issues, business system determinations, Cost Accounting Standards questions, Defense Contract Audit Agency challenges, subcontract disputes, contract terminations and fraud/false claims defenses. He has litigated cases totaling more than $500 million involving a diverse mix of government agencies, including DCAA, Army, Navy and NASA, and arising in a variety of contexts, including high technology space and satellite procurements, construction, smart weapons and other high-technology manufacturing issues. He has particular experience in the areas of government cost and accounting. He has successfully challenged DCAA cost allowances and unfavorable accounting and internal controls systems determinations. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Pepperdine University in 1998, where he served as an associate editor of the Pepperdine Law Review. He received his M.A. from College of William and Mary in 1984, and his B.A. from California Lutheran University in 1981. He is admitted to practice in California.

Todd J. Canni, who will practice in Pillsbury’s Washington, DC office, helps clients navigate the complex government contracting environment and is known for developing innovative and pragmatic solutions to achieve his client’s goals. He focuses his practice on government contracts counseling, performance disputes and terminations, contractor disclosures under the Mandatory Disclosure Rule, internal and government investigations, developing ethics and compliance programs and internal controls, suspension and debarment matters, and litigation and protests involving fraud, suspension and debarment, de facto debarment, and non-responsibility determinations. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in 2004, where he served as an associate editor of the Law Review. He received an L.L.M. from the George Washington University Law School in 2009, and his B.A. from Hofstra University in 2001. Todd was an associate at Miles & Stockbridge from 2004 to 2005, and a Judicial Law Clerk at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims from 2005 to 2006. He joined McKenna in 2006 as an associate and left in 2010 to join the Office of General Counsel for the Department of Air Force until 2013, when he returned to McKenna and made partner in 2015. He holds a security clearance and is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and Maryland.

About Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Pillsbury is a full-service law firm with an industry focus on energy & natural resources, financial services including financial institutions, real estate & construction, and technology. Based in the world's major financial, technology and energy centers, Pillsbury counsels clients on global business, regulatory and litigation matters. We work in multidisciplinary teams that allow us to understand our clients’ objectives, anticipate trends and bring a 360-degree perspective to complex business and legal issues—helping clients to take greater advantage of new opportunities, meet and exceed their objectives and better mitigate risk. This collaborative work style helps produce the results our clients seek.