Board of Directors and Staff

Timothy Lynch currently serves as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and has been with the Office since 2003.  Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Lynch worked as an associate in the New York Office of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker LLP working in their commercial litigation department.  Mr. Lynch is also a Board Member for the Practicing Attorneys for Law Students Program, Inc. (PALS®), an organization for minorities in the legal profession. Mr. Lynch received his juris doctor in 1999 from Hofstra University School of law where he was the Articles Editor for the Hofstra Law Review.  He did his undergraduate studies at Seton Hall University where he graduated magna cum laude in 1996.

Alison L. Moore is an Executive Director and Assistant General Counsel in Worldwide Securities Services at J.P. Morgan.  Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Alison was a transactional attorney in private practice at several large law firms in New York, beginning her career at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP.  She received her B.A., cum laude, from Harvard University in 1997, and her J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2001, where she served as the Business Managing Editor to the National Black Law Journal. 

Donna Gordon is a partner in the Litigation Department handling complex litigations and internal investigations. Her litigation experience involves a broad range of matters including securities and individual class actions, bankruptcy, insurance defense, contract, fraud, employment, telecommunications, ERISA, and real estate. Ms. Gordon has significant federal and state civil trial and appellate experience.

•             Represented insurer in internal investigation involving executive and employee compensation practices;

•             Represented consumer products company in internal investigation involving predatory practices and breach of contract allegations;

•             Represented financial services company in internal investigation involving marketing and sale of insurance product in NY without requisite prior approvals from NY Department of Insurance;

•             Represented senior officer of multimedia services company in SEC investigation of revenue recognition and accounting issues;

•             Represented construction manager in parallel investigations by New York County District Attorney, U.S. Department of Labor and NYC Department of Buildings relating to East 51st Street crane collapse;

•             Defended financial services company in Lehman Brothers bankruptcy-related proceedings involving assumption and assignment of executory contracts;

•             Defended energy company in securities class action resulting from recategorization of reserves;

•             Defended European insurance-based financial services provider in multidistrict class action litigation involving broker compensation and insurance placement practices;

•             Represented MetLife, Inc. before Connecticut Department of Insurance in Form A hearing regarding its $11.8 billion acquisition of Travelers Life and Annuity;

•             Successfully defended title insurer in breach of contract and consumer fraud action that culminated in three-week jury trial;

•             Defended and favorably settled ERISA litigation against insurer by pension and annuity fund trustees alleging insurer breached fiduciary duties and investment contracts;

•             Defended insurer against claims of fraudulent activities by rogue agent relating to derivative and option contracts with energy companies; and

•             Defended various companies in suits involving insurance coverage, fraud, breach of contract and employment issues.

•             Board of Directors, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (2007 - present)

•             Board of Directors, Practicing Attorneys for Law Students (PALS®) Program, Inc. (2006 - present); Secretary (2010 - present)

•             Board of Directors, Fair Housing Council of Northern New Jersey (2000 - present)

•             Member, The New York Women’s Foundation, Corporate Support Subcommittee (2008-2009)

•             Member, The Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Committee on State Courts of Superior Jurisdiction (2007-2008)

•             Member, Litigation Policy Committee, Dewey & LeBoeuf (2009)

•             Co-Assigning Partner, US Litigation Department, Dewey & LeBoeuf (2009)

•             Co-Chair, Diversity Committee, Dewey & LeBoeuf (2005 - 2007); Chair, Resource Network Taskforce (2007 - present); Member, Diversity Executive Council (2007 - present); Member, Diversity Committee (1999 - present)

Michael C. Banks has extensive experience in domestic and international securities offerings, including SEC-registered and Rule 144A offerings of investment grade and high yield debt, equity, lease securitizations, export receivables, pass-through trust certificates and trade and lease receivables financings. Mr. Banks’s practice consists of capital markets offerings of complex instruments in the infrastructure, project finance and structured finance areas, particularly in the energy and transportation sectors, including innovative capital markets financings of power plants, pipelines, refineries, transportation and infrastructure assets.

Tiffany Lee Christian practices primarily in the area of drug and medical device litigation, with a focus on pharmaceuticals. She is experienced in the complexities of multi-district litigation and is proficient in motion practice in New York and New Jersey.

Ms. Christian is a member of the New York Office's Recruiting Committee and is heavily involved in the firm's diversity efforts. Her pro bono work has included assisting the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project and the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
 

EDUCATION

• J.D., Georgetown University Law Center 2002
• B.A., Cornell University 1999

Sean C. Doyle is a corporate attorney concentrating in mergers and acquisitions, securities law and general corporate law. Mr. Doyle’s mergers and acquisitions experience includes public and private transactions; negotiated acquisitions and contested takeovers; joint ventures; and other corporate transactions. He has been involved in a number of significant transactions.  Mr. Doyle has also advised several of the firm’s investment banking clients in transactional work and has represented both issuers and underwriters in equity and debt offerings. He has also represented issuers and investment banks in connection with several rights offerings.

Education

J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 1993 (magna cum laude; Order of the Coif; Administrative Editor, The Georgetown Law Journal)

A.B, Georgetown University, 1988

Mr. Drayton has a general litigation practice involving intellectual property, antitrust and complex commercial issues. He has practiced before both state and federal courts as well as the International Trade Commission. Mr. Drayton also counsels clients in all aspects of intellectual property acquisition, transfer, protection and enforcement.

Marcel Florestal is a tax and estate planning attorney/CPA with nearly 11+ years of experience. In addition to tax and estate planning, Mr. Florestal practices business and contract law, probate, nonprofit and elder law. He is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law and is admitted to the Bar of the State of New York and the United States Tax Court.

Mr. Florestal’s unique combinations of communication, legal, and accountancy skills have been strong assets to clients. His skills have been tested in handling some high profile clients and their dealings such as the Reverend Al Sharpton, United States Eastern District Court Judge Sterling Johnson, individuals from the music industry including associates of Roc A Fella Records, and Murder Inc.

Much of Mr. Florestal’s strengths come from his experience in giving back to the community. Accordingly, he is currently a member of various boards – including the One Hundred Black Men of New York.

Prior to Florestal Law Firm, Mr. Florestal was an in-house tax and estate planning attorney with Deloitte & Touche, Tohmatsu, LLP. 

Mr. Florestal also has extensive experience in the entertainment industry. Prior to his position with Deloitte & Touche, Tohmatsu, LLP, he was employed with EMI Capitol Music Group where he handled various royalty contracts, most notably Tina Turner, Garth Brooks, and Hellen Reddy.  

Mr. Florestal has spoken all around the United States as an authority on the topic of tax and estate planning, and has been interviewed by Black Enterprise Magazine as an authority on philanthropic giving and the tax implications thereof.

Mr. Florestal has received various recognition honors, most notably from the United States Attorney’s Office New Jersey District for assisting in the prosecution of white collar crimes.

Keisha-Ann G. Gray is a senior counsel in the Labor & Employment Law Department of Proskauer Rose and co-chair of the Department's Employment Litigation and Arbitration Practice Group.  She is an experienced trial lawyer with a background in both the private and public sectors.  Her practice focuses on civil law with an emphasis on employment discrimination work. Keisha-Ann regularly litigates sexual harassment, age, gender and disability discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination claims before federal and state courts, and counsels Fortune 500 companies including, but not limited to, those in the television/entertainment, banking/finance and consumer products industries on issues pertinent to employment law and complaint prevention. 

Prior to joining Proskauer in 2007, Keisha-Ann served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York.  Among her notable jury trial victories, Keisha-Ann defended the U.S. Postal Service – the largest employer in the United States – against an unlawful termination claim involving allegations of reverse-race and gender discrimination and retaliation.  She also has secured successful defense verdicts and judgments in matters involving allegations of failure to promote, sexual harassment, age, race, national origin and disability discrimination, and constitutional tort.  In addition, Keisha-Ann has written and successfully argued motions before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Prior to having served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Keisha-Ann was a federal law clerk for two years to the Honorable Jaime Pieras Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.  As a result of her clerkship, Keisha-Ann observed first-hand the inner workings of the trial court and gained substantive experience by assisting the Judge in evaluating the numerous single and multiple plaintiff employment discrimination actions that were assigned to his docket. 

In her spare time, Keisha-Ann speaks and lectures regularly on trial practice, employment discrimination matters and diversity and inclusion issues.  She is also the Legal Clinic Columnist for Human Resources Executive Online Magazine.

Keisha-Ann received her B.A., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995, and her J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1998, where she served as a research assistant to Professor Derrick Bell and as staff editor for the Review of Law & Social Change.  Keisha-Ann is admitted to practice in New York State, the District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First and Second Circuits, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. 

Carole Green is a commercial real estate attorney with extensive experience handling real estate leasing, finance, acquisitions, dispositions, development, brokerage and management matters.  She also serves as a securities arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. 

 Carole is a cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College and a graduate of the Harvard University School of Law, where she was a Legal Methods Instructor and a teaching assistant.  She was associated with Kaye Scholer LLP and Richards & O'Neil, and was Counsel to Petrie Stores Corporation and Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. before becoming a contract attorney in 1996.

 Carole was a founding member of Practicing Attorneys for Law Students Program, Inc. and currently serves on its Board of Directors.  She is also a member of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, where she chaired a subcommittee of the Committee on Career Advancement and Management.

 Carole is admitted to practice in the State of New York.

Adam Hemlock is a partner in the firm’s Antitrust practice. He represents clients in a variety of antitrust, intellectual property, commercial litigation, and other legal matters, and has particular experience in the antitrust/intellectual property and international antitrust areas. Mr. Hemlock also has extensive experience working with Japanese clients on a wide variety of litigation, transactional and counseling matters.

Taja-Nia Henderson received her A.B. from Dartmouth College, her M.A. from New York University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, where she was a MacCracken Fellowship recipient, and her J.D. from New York University School of Law, where she was a Dean’s Scholar, senior notes editor of the N.Y.U. Law Review, and recipient of the Gary E. Moncrieffe Graduation Award. She was a postgraduate teaching fellow in constitutional law with Visiting Professor Derrick Bell at NYU School of Law and also clerked for Hon. Consuelo B. Marshall, U.S. District Court, Central District of California.

Before joining the Rutgers faculty in 2010, Professor Henderson was an associate in the litigation practice group of Arnold & Porter LLP in New York, where she focused her practice on complex commercial litigation. Her teaching and research interests are local government law, mass incarceration and prisoner reentry, land use/property, and consumer protection and advocacy. She is a member of the board of directors of Practicing Attorneys for Law Students Program, Inc., and a member of the New York City Bar Association’s Civil Rights Committee and Committee for the Advancement of Minorities in the Profession.

Dennis Hopkins is a Partner at Chadbourne & Parke LLP.  Mr. Hopkins focuses his practice on all aspects of intellectual property, with an emphasis on patent, copyright and trade secret litigation. Mr. Hopkins has significant experience in all phases of IP litigation, including mediations, trials and appeals. In addition, Mr. Hopkins' practice includes counseling clients on issues relating to litigation strategies and intellectual property management. His IP experience also includes drafting and negotiating agreements and licenses, preparing written opinions, and providing general IP counseling to clients, including counseling on patent, copyright, trade secret and trademark matters.

Education

• U.S. Military Academy at West Point, B.S., 1988

• Rutgers University School of Law, J.D., 1998

Blossom Kan graduated from Yale with a BA in English and History in 1995.  She then went to NYU Law School.  After graduation, she worked as an associate at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe for 2 years. In 2001, she moved to Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.  In 2007, she went in-house to the Litigation Section of MetLife.  She has co-authored two novels: China Dolls (2007) and Young, Restless and Broke, which was published in May 2010.

Brad S. Karp has achieved national prominence as both a litigator and corporate adviser. Mr. Karp is the co-chair of the firm's Litigation Department and the newly elected chair of the firm and a member of the firm's Management Committee.  Mr. Karp has extensive experience handling and trying a broad range of matters, with particular emphasis defending financial institutions and corporations in complex securities and commercial matters as well as representing financial institutions and other clients before the SEC, the Department of Justice and federal and state regulatory authorities. Mr. Karp will begin his term as chair on January 1, 2009.

In 2003, Mr. Karp was profiled in The American Lawyer as one of the 45 leading lawyers in the United States under the age of 45. Mr. Karp was profiled by Chambers (2004-07) as one of the leading securities litigators in the United States, by Lawdragon (2005-08) as one of America’s leading lawyers, by Best Lawyers in America (2005-07) as one of the leading lawyers in the United States handling "Bet the Company" litigation, by Legal 500 (2007) as one of the leading litigators in the United States, and by Benchmark/Institutional Investor (2008) as one of the litigation “stars” in the United States. Mr. Karp's successful representation of Citigroup and other clients in complex litigations and regulatory matters was featured in a January 2006 American Lawyer cover story, "The Lifesavers," in which Paul, Weiss was selected as the best litigation firm in the United States.

Currently, Mr. Karp is lead counsel for Citigroup in numerous matters, including, among others, its subprime-related litigations and regulatory matters; its Enron-related litigations and regulatory matters; its Parmalat-related litigations; its auction rate securities litigations; the litigations arising out of the activities of former Salomon Smith Barney research analyst Jack Grubman (in connection with his coverage of WorldCom, Global Crossing, AT&T, Qwest and other issuers); and a nationwide employment discrimination class action.

In addition to the matters he is handling for Citigroup, Mr. Karp currently is lead counsel for Bear Stearns in the litigations and regulatory matters arising out of its March 2008 collapse. Mr. Karp also is representing several syndicates of Wall Street underwriters in securities litigation arising out of $25 billion of GM/GMAC bond offerings, and is representing JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Deloitte, MacAndrews & Forbes, Bear Stearns, Ericsson, Scottish Power, Eton Park and Repsol YPF, S.A., among others, in significant securities, commercial and regulatory matters, and is handling a range of litigations and special projects for the National Football League, Sotheby's, Alcoa and ING.

Mr. Karp is a frequent lecturer and writer, having published more than 350 articles on business litigation and securities law issues. For the past 23 years, Mr. Karp has written a monthly column for the New York Law Journal, titled "Second Circuit Review," which analyzes developments in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Active in the community, Mr. Karp is a Director of the Legal Action Center, a Trustee of the Riverdale Country School, a member of the Institute of Judicial Administration, a Director of Practicing Attorneys for Law Students Program, Inc., a Director of American Friends of The Hebrew University, a Fellow of the New York Bar Foundation, a member of the Program Advisory Board of the Brennan Center for Justice, and a member of the Federal Bar Council Second Circuit Inn of Court. Recently, Mr. Karp was awarded the Torch of Learning Award by the American Friends of Hebrew University and The Arthur Liman Public Interest Award by The Legal Action Center.

Tom Lin is an assistant professor of law at the University of Florida.  He was previously an instructor of law at Brooklyn Law School in New York.  Prior to entering academia, Professor Lin practiced law at the New York State Attorney General’s Office, Davis Polk & Wardwell, and Dewey Ballantine.   He is a graduate of New York University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he served as an advanced legal writing instructor and senior editor of the Journal of Constitutional Law and the Journal of Law and Social Change.

Roy G. Locke, Jr., principal of the Law Offices of Roy Locke, is a general practitioner in the City of New York with a focus on corporate transactions relating to the formation and governance of business entities (primarily corporations and limited liability companies), mergers and acquisitions and strategic business combinations (joint ventures, revenue sharing arrangements, etc.). Groomed in one of the country’s leading national law firms (Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, LLP), Mr. Locke is able to bring a legal perspective consistent with, and in the best interest of, his clients’ business objectives. He has assisted many clients with their SEC and corporate filings, has drafted numerous purchase and sale transaction documents and has advised companies on strategies relating to the acquisition or sale of their companies.

In addition to his corporate practice roots, Mr. Locke also has a general practice in the areas of personal injury, real estate transactions and criminal defense. The firm anticipates growing its practice over the next seven years in order to expand the firm to a full service firm for its expanding client base.

Seema Misra is a litigation partner who represents clients in a wide variety of business disputes, before state and federal courts, as well as arbitral tribunals. She has particular expertise in the areas of commercial disputes, insolvency related litigation, and insurance and reinsurance disputes. Ms. Misra's commercial litigation experience has involved prosecuting and defending a wide variety of claims, relating to commercial contracts, lender liability, fraud and other business torts.

Meredith Moore, Director, Global Diversity, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, is responsible for overseeing the Firm's diversity initiatives globally including diversity education and training, affinity groups, and supplier diversity programs.

Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Moore launched the Office for Diversity at the New York City Bar Association. In that capacity, she led the City Bar in its extraordinary accomplishments in highlighting diversity issues and worked with major legal employers (law firms, in-house legal departments and government legal employers) to foster more diverse and inclusive work environments.

Ms. Moore previously served as Director of Research and Information Services at Catalyst, the leading research and advisory organization working with businesses and professions to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women at work. During her seven years at Catalyst, Ms. Moore was instrumental in many of Catalyst's significant accomplishments, including the groundbreaking US study, "Women in the Law," and on the global front, a study of female and male leaders in European business and a practical guide for increasing the number of women in global business. Ms. Moore is also a specialist on workplace flexibility and mentoring.

Ms. Moore is currently an adjunct assistant professor at New York University's Wagner School and was previously adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. She received her master’s in Public Policy and Administration from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the State University of New York College at Geneseo.

Chad Peterman is a Counsel at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP. His practice focuses on patent and antitrust litigation with an emphasis on the electrical engineering and pharmaceutical arts. He has been involved in all phases of litigation, including pre-suit investigation, trial, and appeal. He has represented major pharmaceutical companies in complex ANDA and antitrust litigations, and major software, telecommunications, semiconductor, fiberoptic and medical equipment companies in patent litigations. In addition to litigation, Mr. Peterman also represents companies in intellectual property transactional matters, including rendering patent opinions and negotiating a variety of intellectual property agreements.  Mr. Peterman received his B.S.E., Princeton University, and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Education Information

Amherst College, BA, 1995, Major:  English and Film Studies
Pepperdine University, JD, 2000, Pepperdine Moot Court Appellate Team, 1999-2000;  Pepperdine Moot Court Board, 1999-2000;  First Place Team Award,  Interschool Appellate Competition, 2000;  First Place, 1999 ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers) Nathan Burkan Memorial Essay Competition – “The Unauthorized Fixation of a Person’s Otherwise Unfixed Speech:  Copyright Implications of the Monica Lewinsky Tapes”

 

Paul Roberts has practiced as a corporate attorney for the past 12 years. He has worked in the areas of structured finance, securitization, derivatives, insurance and real estate. Most recently, he held the position of Counsel with the Alston & Bird New York office. Prior to that he spent time at Clifford Chance US LLP; Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP; MBIA Insurance Corporation; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Berman Rennert Vogel & Mandler, P.A . Mr. Roberts received his J.D. in 1996 from Northeastern University and his B.A. in History in 1991 from Dartmouth College. Mr. Roberts is also a member of the Board of Directors of Practicing Attorneys for Law Students (PALS).

Richard Ross is a corporate attorney concentrating in mergers and acquisitions, securities law and general corporate law. Mr. Ross has extensive experience representing clients in public and private transactions; negotiated acquisitions and contested takeovers; joint ventures; spin-offs and other corporate transactions. Prior to joining Chadbourne & Parke LLP, Mr. Ross was at Goldman Sachs as the lawyer for the Infrastructure Investment Group.  Prior to joining Goldman, Richard was a mergers and acquisitions attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.  Richard received his JD/MBA from Cornell University, M.A. from Stanford University and B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley.   

Julian currently works at the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation providing legal advice to several business lines including the DerivSERV and MarkitSERV platforms and the Warehouse Trust Company Derivative Trade Information Warehouse. He routinely advises his clients on regulatory matters and corporate governance.

Julian's experience at Wells Fargo includes structuring, negotiating, and documenting public and private ABS/MBS securitization transactions, secured lending facilities, municipal bond swap programs and evaluating legal risks associated with capital markets transactions. He also has experience drafting and negotiating ISDA Master Agreements and CSA’s as well as advising clients on netting and unwinding issues. In addition, Julian has partnered with clients to identify risks associated with new business transactions and has worked closely with senior management, internal risk management and accounting groups to obtain transaction approval. During his time with Wells Fargo, Julian regularly engaged outside counsel on specific legal issues as well as drafted and reviewed transaction/securities documentation and opinions. Julian has also counseled business units on risk management/disclosure issues related to publicly filed documents and private marketing materials and developed successful loss mitigation strategies.

In addition, Julian has advised his clients on federal securities laws and regulations. His experience also includes monitoring legal and regulatory developments and responding to ratings and regulatory agency requests.

He has directly supported and communicated with senior business line managers, transaction managers, sales staff, and traders and has a demonstrated commitment to teamwork. Julian served as the founding Co-Chair of the Legal Group Diversity Council for three years and was integral in the development and implementation of the diversity program within the Wells Fargo Legal Group.

Prior to joining Wells Fargo Bank, Julian was an associate in the New York office of McKee Nelson LLP in the structured finance group and as an associate in the New York office of White & Case LLP.

Mr. Stapleford received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law and a B.S. from Carnegie Mellon University. He is admitted to practice in New York and before the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Timothy A. Wilkins is a partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in New York. He is currently based in the New York office and has worked for over 11 years in Tokyo. His practice focuses on cross-border mergers, private equity investments and joint ventures. His clients include U.S. and European multinationals as well as major Japanese corporations. Mr. Wilkins is a graduate of Harvard College (magna cum laude) and a JD/MBA graduate of Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School. He was awarded the Ford Foundation Fellowship in Public International Law and served as an Editor of the Harvard International Law Journal. In Japan, Mr. Wilkins was a member of the Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association and served as the Vice-Chair of the Legal Services Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Wilkins lectures frequently on M&A topics at Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, the Japan Society and Hitotsubashi Graduate School. Mr. Wilkins currently serves on the Boards of PALS and the Opportunity Agenda as well as the Advisory Board of Legal Outreach.  He is the first African American partner at Freshfields.  Mr. Wilkins is a member of the New York bar and speaks Japanese.