In December 2021, Dechert welcomed a new partner class, 16 of whom were women. Below we introduce this cohort of new women partners and their practices.
Linda Ann Bartosch, Philadelphia, Global Finance
Ms. Bartosch’s practice encompasses a broad range of real estate finance, structured finance and investment matters. Her expertise includes the purchase, sale, financing and servicing of single-family rental portfolios, residential mortgage loans, bridge loans, mortgage servicing rights and other types of commercial and consumer-facing products related to residential properties, with a particular focus on securitizations.
Claire Bentley, London, Financial Services
Ms. Bentley focuses her practice on investment fund transactions, including advising on the structuring and formation of various alternative investment funds, including private equity, real estate and venture capital funds, secondary transactions, co-investments, carried interest arrangements and management team spin-outs. Ms. Bentley also advises investors on investments into various types of funds.
Julia Chapman, Philadelphia, Litigation
Ms. Chapman represents clients in antitrust, competition, and commercial litigation matters. She has litigated complex cases through all stages of litigation, from early dispositive motions through trial, and has experience handling complex discovery in large-scale litigation. Ms. Chapman also represents clients in government investigations and counsels clients on the antitrust aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures.
May Chiang, New York, Litigation
Ms. Chiang represents clients in complex commercial litigation and white-collar investigations, and has litigated cases in both federal and state courts. She has particular expertise litigating in the New York Supreme Court’s Commercial Division. Ms. Chiang has advised corporations and their executives in complex business disputes involving breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, separation agreements, and clawback.
Nitya Kumar Goyal, Philadelphia, Global Finance
Ms. Goyal focuses her practice in the area of commercial real estate finance. She represents banks, insurance companies, institutional lenders and private equity investors in mortgage and mezzanine loan origination (including construction loans) secured by a wide variety of commercial real estate properties, including office buildings, hotels and retail properties, as well as loan participations, syndications and other co-lender arrangements.
Elizabeth Ann Guidi, New York, Tax
Ms. Guidi focuses her practice on the U.S. tax aspects of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions and private equity fund formation. Ms. Guidi has significant experience representing public and private companies in matters relating to mergers and acquisitions and capital markets. She regularly represents clients across a variety of sectors and across a range of jurisdictions.
Jacqueline Harrington, New York, Litigation
Jacqueline Harrington practices in the area of complex litigation, with a focus on product liability and mass torts. Ms. Harrington has extensive experience handling litigation strategy, including all aspects of motion practice, discovery, expert work, trials and appeals. Her clients have included Fortune 500 companies located nationwide involved in mass tort and other types of litigations in state and federal court.
Jennifer Insley-Pruitt, New York, Intellectual Property
Ms. Insley-Pruitt focuses her practice on trademark and copyright counseling, enforcement and litigation. She has extensive experience with litigation in federal court and before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, with trademark and copyright clearance and prosecution, and with the acquisition, sale, and licensing of intellectual property rights. She frequently advises on right of publicity and advertising issues, including Lanham Act false advertising claims.
Carina Klaes-Staudt, Munich, Corporate
Ms. Klaes-Staudt advises national and international clients on transaction- and restructuring-related corporate, employment and tax matters. She has significant experience in advising institutional investors, private equity companies, family offices and management teams with a special focus on mergers and acquisitions, related tax and labor issues with a particular emphasis on all kinds of management incentive programs, as well as corporate restructuring and reorganizations.
Angelina Liang, New York, Global Finance
Ms. Liang advises asset managers, alternative capital providers and other financial institutions, as well as public strategics, on a broad range of leveraged finance transactions. She regularly represents borrowers and lenders in fund finance transactions involving business development companies and other permanent capital vehicles, and advises on transactions on varying levels of the capital structure, including senior credit facilities, subordinated/mezzanine debt and off-balance-sheet entities.
Melanie MacKay, Chicago, Litigation
Ms. MacKay focuses her practice on the defense of publicly traded companies, and their officers and directors in securities class action litigation, derivative litigation, SEC investigations, corporate governance disputes, mutual fund litigation and other complex commercial litigation. Her experience includes representing Fortune 500 corporations in litigation involving securities and derivatives transactions.
Sarah Milam, New York, Global Finance
Ms. Milam advises clients regarding public and private securitizations, warehouse financing facilities and other structured transactions. She has represented originators, issuers, sponsors, lenders and fund managers in the purchase, sale and financing of variety of assets, including unsecured consumer and small business loans, credit card receivables, auto and equipment loans and leases, single-family rental properties and timeshares.
Sophie Pelé, Paris, Litigation
Ms. Pelé advises in public law and litigation, focusing on life sciences regulatory matters. She also covers foreign investment control in international transactions. Ms. Pelé has substantial experience in clinical trial, development, manufacturing or promotion agreements, licensing and distribution schemes, but also in market access transparency, lifecycle management, as well as public procurement of hospitals.
Anna Tomczyk, New York, Corporate
Ms. Tomczyk represents issuers and underwriters on public and private securities offerings, including IPOs, follow-on offerings and secondary public offerings, as well as Rule 144A and Regulation S offerings. She also advises companies on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, periodic reporting and securities regulation and compliance. Ms. Tomczyk counsels clients in the life sciences, financial services and retail industries, among others.
Lindsay Trapp, Charlotte, Financial Services
Ms. Trapp’s practice focuses on assisting U.S. and European asset managers and sponsors in the formation of private funds and SPVs, including an emphasis on the structuring and establishment of cross-border U.S., European and offshore structures. She provides specialist advice in relation to the structuring, setup and compliance of regulated and unregulated private funds/AIFs globally.
Katherine Unger Davis, Philadelphia, Litigation
Ms. Davis concentrates her practice on product liability and mass tort matters with particular experience in appellate litigation. She has represented Fortune 500 companies in several multi-jurisdictional mass tort actions involving claims of personal injury, consumer fraud, and public nuisance, and in other commercial disputes. Ms. Davis manages all stages of a dispute from discovery to appeal.