DALLAS – Jan. 26, 2016 – Continuing its strategic growth in Texas, the global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has added a team of three prominent attorneys in the Texas legal market. Karen M. Kennard joined the firm as a shareholder in the Government Law & Policy Group in Austin, while Barry W. Cowan and Labry Welty will anchor the Tax Practice in the Dallas office.
“Two of the founding fathers of Greenberg Traurig’s Austin office, Thomas J. Bond and Demetrius G. McDaniel, are leaders in our highly-regarded Government Law & Policy Practice,” said Darrell R. Windham, managing shareholder of the firm’s Austin office. “Karen's distinguished career includes deep experience in representing municipalities, which will expand our capabilities and strengthen our offerings to our governmental affairs clients.”
“We are so pleased to welcome this talented duo of lawyers to our team,” said Joseph F. Coniglio, managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s Dallas office. “Our firm is committed to continued growth in Texas for the purpose of expanding the breadth and depth of quality legal services to our clients in this region and we know our clients will benefit from the addition of Barry and Labry.”
Cowan focuses his practice on employee benefits, ERISA, and compensation matters. He represents clients in a broad spectrum of sophisticated employee benefit issues. Cowan is experienced representing clients before the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation on voluntary compliance, plan reporting, plan termination, and government investigation matters. Cowan also represents clients in complex ERISA litigation matters, including fiduciary breach issues. He works on a variety of employee benefits matters pertaining to mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy, executive compensation, health and welfare, and all aspects of qualified and nonqualified plan design matters for both publicly traded and privately held companies. Cowan received his J.D. from the South Texas College of Law and his B.A. from Texas Tech University.
Kennard focuses her practice on government law, policy, and regulatory matters with an emphasis on municipal local government issues. Her experience spans more than two decades and includes positions as City Attorney for a large city and General Counsel for the largest municipal league in the country. Prior to joining the firm, Kennard served as City Attorney for the City of Austin, Texas, where she was instrumental in leading several high-profile initiatives, including four large municipal bond elections, the transition from at-large council district election system to single member district elections, settlement of two U.S. Department of Justice pattern and practice investigations, negotiation and drafting of major Chapter 380 economic development agreements, and the sale and transfer of large tracts of publicly owned property for redevelopment purposes. Kennard received her J.D. from the Texas Tech University School of Law and her B.A. from Southern Methodist University.
Welty focuses his practice on federal, multistate, and local tax planning and implementation for entrepreneurs and their businesses. He has worked on numerous highly complex transactions affecting a wide variety of business interests, including the real estate industry, the hospitality industry, the restaurant industry, the healthcare industry, services, retail, manufacturing, and private equity. Welty possesses wide-ranging experience and knowledge of multistate and local tax issues. He has advised clients with regard to income, franchise, sales and use, ad valorem taxes, and tax and business incentives throughout the country. Welty received his J.D. from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and his B.B.A. from West Texas A&M University.