A Year in Review: Greenberg Traurig Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA – Jan. 11, 2016 – In 2015, the Philadelphia lawyers of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP again stood out for providing efficient and effective strategic advice and advocacy to firm clients. This past year the office expanded, its lawyers ascended to top leadership positions and ranked highly amongst their peers, community involvement was a priority, and there were numerous impactful engagements.

EXPANDING THE GREENBERG TRAURIG EXPERIENCE

The Philadelphia office made several important new hires and deserved elevations.

Caleb J. Holmes was elevated to shareholder in the Environmental Practice. Holmes focuses his practice on environmental and commercial litigation, with a wide range of experience in environmental transactions and regulatory counseling matters.
Mark L. Mattioli joined as shareholder in the Health & FDA Business Practice. Mattioli provides regulatory, transactional, and compliance guidance to hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers in a variety of areas, including antitrust, health care reform, managed care contracting, reimbursement, fraud and abuse, health information privacy and security under HITECH and HIPAA, and medical staff credentialing.
Grant E. Nichols joined as of counsel in the Environmental Practice. Nichols focuses his practice on environmental law, with an emphasis on managing environmental liabilities associated with larger real estate and corporate transactions.
Nataliya Rymer was elevated to of counsel in the Business Immigration & Compliance Group. Rymer focuses her practice on immigration and compliance with clients in a wide range of employment‐based immigrant and nonimmigrant matters, including professionals, managers, executives, artists and entertainers, treaty traders and investors, immigrant investors, and persons of extraordinary ability.
Jelena Vojinovic was elevated to of counsel in the Public Finance Practice. Vojinovic focuses her practice on public and private financing transactions, and has acted as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, bond purchaser’s counsel, and lender’s counsel in transactions throughout the United States.

LEADING LAWYERS

Each attorney in Greenberg Traurig’s Philadelphia office has at least one active leadership role in a professional or civic organization. New commitments to leadership in Philadelphia include:

For the second consecutive year, Kelly Dobbs Bunting will serve as liaison to the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section of International Law (SIL), as well as sit on the steering committee for International Employment Law.
Robert M. Goldich was appointed as marketing co‐chair of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Labor and Employment Law Section.
Kaitlyn R. Maxwell was elected to the board of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Society of Women Environmental Professionals (SWEP).
Laura McAllister Cox ascended the International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA) board of officers to the role of secretary. She also joined the Drexel University Center for Hospitality and Sport Management Advisory Board.
Nataliya Rymer was elected to the International House Philadelphia (IHP) board of trustees.
Jelena Vojinovic was elected to the board of directors for Ladies First, “the Mid‐Atlantic Women’s Public Finance Forum” where she will serve as co‐chair to the Events and Logistics Programming committees, and will be a member of the Website, Membership, and Public Relations committees.

RANKINGS

The 2016 edition of “Best Law Firms” marks the fifth consecutive year Greenberg Traurig received the most overall first‐tier rankings and the most first‐tier metropolitan rankings in the report published by U.S. News – Best Lawyers. The firm was also recognized as “Law Firm of the Year” for Environmental Law. Forty percent of the firm’s Philadelphia attorneys received recognitions from industry publications. Their noteworthy recognitions include:

James N. Boudreau, chair of the Class & Collective Action Group, named to the “Nation’s Most Powerful Employment Attorneys – Top 100” list for the third consecutive year by Human Resource Executive magazine and Lawdragon.
David G. Mandelbaum, co‐chair of the Environmental Practice, selected as a National Law Journal “Energy & Environmental Trailblazer” for his work resulting in the government’s reliance on orders and coercive litigation where Superfund money cannot be spent.
Laura McAllister Cox named “Top Lateral Hire Runner‐Up” by The Legal Intelligencer for her key contributions to the firm’s Global Gaming Group in the industry’s northeastern epicenter.
Alexander L. Scarola's work for the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority recognized as The Bond Buyer’s “Deal of the Year.” The financing will bring high‐speed Internet to all 120 of Kentucky’s counties in the first non‐transportation P3 to use a tax‐exempt governmental purpose bond structure that achieved full risk transfer.

COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY

Greenberg Traurig was ranked No. 1 for charitable donations by Law360’s “Most Charitable Law Firms” survey in 2015. The Philadelphia office follows the firm’s mission of helping clients navigate change in matters as wide-reaching as human rights and economic development, and as personal as domestic violence, children’s issues, and immigration.

In Philadelphia, the Greenberg Traurig’s Women’s Initiative celebrated their 10-year support of Women’s Way by sponsoring their 2015 Book Prize honoring cultural critic and author Janet Mock for her book, Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More. Michael L. Lehr, the Philadelphia office’s managing shareholder, commented, “We are always pleased to support Women’s Way in its strategic and effective endeavors to engage the community in women’s issues. This year’s Book Prize recognition is especially important to our firm’s initiatives to advance the moral, legal, and business case for LGBT equality.”
In partnership with Greenberg Traurig’s Delaware office, the Philadelphia office sponsored Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Wilmington. Cynthia Giannini, business director of the Philadelphia office, was the 2015 event co-chair and helped the Greenberg Traurig team raise nearly $6,500 for breast cancer research.
Pro Bono Week was celebrated with a presentation on the work of Women Against Abuse from the Philadelphia office’s current Equal Justice Works (EJW) Fellow, Mary Kate Kalinich. The firm has sponsored 134 EJW Fellows since 1999.
David Gitlin was honored by the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy for his contributions to education at their annual “Yom Ha’atzma’ut Torch Ceremony.”
Robert M. Goldich received the Outstanding Leadership Award from Family Services of Montgomery County. “The most significant contribution Bob has made to Family Services over the years is his carefully considered guidance on some of the most sensitive and complex issues our agency has faced during his tenure both as a member of the Board and as President," stated Mark Lieberman, executive director of Family Services.

NOTEWORTHY ENGAGEMENTS

Among the several engagements in 2015, the following were the most impactful:

The Philadelphia office co-hosted “Women of Influence: Power, Politics, and Purpose,” the firm’s 8th annual Women’s Business Forum along with the firm’s Delaware, Northern Virginia, and Washington D.C. offices. Judith L. Lichtman, senior advisor at National Partnership for Women & Families, received the Diana P. Scott Integrity in Action Award for her work in closing diversity and gender gaps as well as outstanding leadership. Other speakers included House of Representatives Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer; Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Linda Sánchez; Her Excellency Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman; Melody Barnes, CEO of MBSquared Solutions LLC; Kim Keenan, president and CEO of Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council; Kerry Hannon, career expert, author and speaker; and many other influential women.
Several Philadelphia attorneys produced “Taste of Law: The Legal Implications of Opening a Restaurant in Philadelphia” for Drexel University’s Center for Hospitality and Sport Management’s Business of Hospitality Education Series. The group included Jillian C. Kirn, Kelly Dobbs Bunting, Rachel Kipnes, Laura McAllister Cox, Christiana L. Signs, and Nataliya Rymer.
The Philadelphia office hosted a reception for the second annual Israeli Digital Health Summit which brought together Israeli digital health companies and industry leaders to explore business and R&D collaborations, market entry in the greater Philadelphia region, and investment opportunities.
Three members of the Philadelphia Environmental Practice presented at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Annual Environmental Law Forum: Caleb J. Holmes presented “Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act (HSCA), and Act 2 Update,” Jillian C. Kirn spoke about “Industrial Water Intake and Wastewater Discharge,” and David G. Mandelbaum was a panelist for “Regulators and Multiparty Negotiations: Fairness, Candor, Side Deals, Coalitions, and Confidentiality.”
James N. Boudreau and Robert M. Goldich were panelists at the American Bar Association’s Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference in Philadelphia. Boudreau discussed “Compensable Time in the Digital Age” and Goldich spoke on “Compensable Time Under the FLSA in the Wake of Busk v. Integrity Staffing Solutions.” Goldich was a member of the conference’s host committee and Greenberg Traurig was a sponsor of the event.
Mark L. Mattioli spoke on several health care topics including “Protecting Patient Data from Breaches and Improper Access: Is Your Practice HIPAA Compliant?,” “Value Based Contracting Under the ACA: What does the Future Hold for Provider and Payer Relationships?,” and “Compliance in Behavioral Health.”
Nataliya Rymer presented a series of immigration workshops for the higher education community. In both the spring and fall semesters she spoke at Temple University on “Immigration Options for Graduates: A Guide to Graduating with a Visa.” Her third presentation was tailored for entrepreneurs and start-ups at Northwestern University’s The Garage.