Dechert Elects 14 New Partners to the Firm

Dechert LLP, a global specialist law firm, announced today that 14 lawyers have been newly elected as partners effective January 1, 2016.

“We congratulate this talented group of individuals and welcome them to the partnership,” said Daniel O’Donnell, the firm’s Chief Executive Officer. “Their unique combination of legal skill and relentless client focus are a tremendous asset to our firm.

The newly elected partners are:

Andrew D. Bloom, (Associate), Tax, New York
Andrew D. Bloom focuses his practice on the tax aspects of financial products, structured finance and investment funds. He advises funds, managers, financial institutions and other clients on a wide range of domestic and cross-border transactions, including corporate finance and securities, private equity investments, and international tax planning. Bloom has extensive experience advising on the foreign account tax compliance provisions of the HIRE Act (FATCA), and has been a frequent speaker in that area.

Stephen T. Cohen, (Associate), Financial Services, Washington
Stephen T. Cohen focuses his practice on the investment management industry, primarily representing mutual funds and their investment advisers and boards with respect to a wide variety of regulatory, compliance and securities law issues. He advises mutual funds on developing, organizing and registering new funds under the federal securities laws; complying with state blue sky registration issues; reorganizing and merging funds; preparing shareholder proxy materials; and seeking SEC exemptive orders and other informal regulatory relief. Cohen also works on a wide range of matters specific to money market funds.

Christopher P. Duerden, (Associate), Finance & Real Estate, Charlotte
Christopher P. Duerden focuses his practice on securitization and capital markets transactions. He has extensive experience with collateralized loan obligations (CLO), leveraged loan warehouse facilities and a variety of asset backed securities transactions. In particular, he has focused on transactions involving the middle market sector but also has significant experience with securitizations of trade receivables. Duerden also focuses on a number of regulatory matters arising in connection with the Volcker Rule and the Dodd-Frank risk retention requirements for sponsors of CLOs. He represents various underwriters and collateral managers in the CLO space, as well as borrowers and lenders in connection with term and revolving warehouse facilities.

Craig G. Falls, (Associate), Antitrust, Washington
Craig G. Falls advises clients on all phases of antitrust merger review, from initial risk assessment through advocacy before the FTC and DOJ, and defends the transactions in litigation as necessary. He guides clients through conduct investigations by antitrust enforcers and defends clients in private antitrust litigation. Falls also provides companies with ongoing antitrust counselling on distribution agreements, trade association activity, and other relationships that involve antitrust risk. He has represented clients in a wide variety of industries, including: energy, transportation, manufacturing, food & agriculture, retail, healthcare, and high-technology.

Richard L. Heffner, (Counsel), Financial Services, London
Richard L. Heffner, a dual-qualified English solicitor and US attorney, focuses on UK and US financial services regulation. In addition to his extensive experience in private practice, Heffner draws on experience gained in-house and with UK and US regulators. He advises UK, European and US clients on a wide range of regulatory issues affecting investment management, including AIFMD, MiFID and the UCITS Directive and on requirements for overseas firms providing services into the UK, as well as the establishment of FCA regulated institutions and FCA authorized funds.

Philip T. Hinkle, (Associate), Financial Services, Washington
Philip T. Hinkle advises registered funds along with their boards and investment advisers on a wide variety of regulatory compliance and corporate matters. He has significant experience with the use of commodities and derivatives and other complex investment products by both U.S. and non-U.S. funds and compliance with the related requirements under the Commodity Exchange Act and the Investment Company Act. Hinkle also regularly provides advice to managers on launching new mutual fund businesses and works on complex fund and adviser merger transactions.

Meghan Rohling Kelly, (Associate), Complex Commercial Litigation, Philadelphia
Meghan Rohling Kelly is a trial lawyer whose practice focuses on complex commercial litigation. She has tried cases across the country with an emphasis on product liability litigation. Her in-court experience includes examining witnesses, arguing motions and evidentiary issues and assisting in the selection of juries. Kelly also has substantial experience developing trial strategy, including preparing fact and expert witnesses for deposition and trial testimony and preparing opening and closing presentations.

Samantha R. Koplik, (Associate), Corporate & Securities, New York
Samantha R. Koplik focuses her practice on leveraged finance transactions for private equity firms, public and private companies, institutional lenders, business development companies, private debt funds and other providers of senior and subordinated debt financing. She advises clients on a broad range of financing transactions, including primary debt offerings in both the private and public markets, refinancings, recapitalizations and restructurings and acquisition financing for domestic and cross-border matters.

Christian A. Matarese, (Associate), Corporate & Securities, New York
Christian A. Matarese focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions and various private equity transactions, with an emphasis on domestic, cross-border, private and public company M&A. He also advises on venture capital and joint venture transactions and a variety of other general corporate and business matters. Matarese represents private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, strategic buyers and sellers and venture capital firms across various industry sectors.

Adam D. Rosenthal, (Associate), Corporate & Securities, Philadelphia
Adam D. Rosenthal advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity transactions and general corporate and business matters. His clients include private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, asset managers and a variety of public and private companies across a wide range of industries.

Eric B. Rubin, (Associate), Employee Benefits, Philadelphia
Eric B. Rubin advises clients in all areas of executive compensation and employee benefits. His representation includes both U.S. and foreign publicly traded and privately held companies, as well as executive officers. Rubin has extensive experience advising clients on mergers, acquisitions and public offerings; designing and implementing equity, phantom equity, bonus and deferred compensation arrangements; negotiating employment and separation agreements; compliance with Sections 162(m) and 409A of the U.S. Tax Code; executive compensation disclosure requirements; and “golden parachute” matters.

Antoine Sarailler, (National Partner), Financial Services, Paris
Antoine Sarailler focuses his practice on asset management law. He advises French and international financial institutions on the structure, documentation and creation of institutional and retail investment funds, as well as on a wide range of regulatory matters. His extensive experience in fund formation includes UCITS funds, private equity funds, REITs, infrastructure funds, debt funds, and onshore as well as offshore hedge funds. His experience also includes advising French and international fund managers, investment firms, credit institutions, insurance companies and other entities on regulatory matters. In addition to advising on EU and French financial regulations, Sarailler assists clients with drafting and negotiating agreements in connection with regulated activities or financial transactions (LPs representation and secondary transactions), and represents clients in court and disciplinary proceedings.

Devin Swaney, (Associate), Finance & Real Estate, New York
Devin Swaney focuses his practice on structured finance and real estate matters, with a particular emphasis on securitization and commercial mortgage-backed securities. He represents issuers, underwriters, mortgage loan sellers, servicers, investors, operating advisors and other sponsors with respect to public and private asset-backed securitizations, and he works on commercial and government sponsored deals collateralized by performing, re-performing and distressed assets. Swaney acts as counsel to registrants with respect to regulatory filings and reporting obligations under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and he represents financial institutions, funds and investors with regard to the creation, sale and purchase of interests and participations in commercial real estate and mezzanine debt.

Rebecca Kahan Waldman, (Associate), White Collar/Securities Litigation, New York
Rebecca Kahan Waldman focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, including banking and financial services, white collar, securities litigation and eDiscovery. Waldman also has significant experience in bankruptcy litigation, as well as in internal, federal agency and state attorneys general investigations.

About Dechert

Dechert is a global specialist law firm focused on sectors with the greatest complexities and highest regulatory demands. We deliver practical commercial insight and judgment to our clients' most important matters. Nothing stands in the way of giving clients the best of the firm's entrepreneurial energy and seamless collaboration in a way that is distinctively Dechert.