The Top 25 Professional Services Attorneys of 2025

Attorney Intel is pleased to announce The Top 25 Professional Services Attorneys of 2025. These attorneys operate within a niche that demands not only technical legal skill but fluency in the operational models of their clients—consulting partnerships, real estate advisory firms, logistics providers, financial services firms, and others whose value is rooted in expertise and client trust. Their work includes structuring acquisitions of investment banks and healthcare consultancies, drafting complex service agreements and operating documents, and defending professionals in high-stakes malpractice and regulatory actions. In each case, the legal issues at hand are inseparable from business continuity and reputation.

The attorneys recognized this year demonstrate a command of legal and business mechanics across disciplines—mergers, licensing, risk allocation, employment, and governance. They are often called on early, not just to resolve disputes or paper deals, but to weigh in on strategic decisions that will shape the trajectory of a firm. Their impact is most visible in moments of inflection: an acquisition, a restructuring, a crisis, or a major investment. This group reflects the depth and range of legal judgment required to serve the professional services sector with precision and consequence.

Among this year’s awardees is Jordan Kaplan, Partner at Fox Rothschild, who represents a broad range of businesses—including professional services firms—in high-stakes commercial litigation, with a focus on partnership disputes, fraud claims, and regulatory exposure. John Flannery, Managing Partner at Wilson Elser’s White Plains office, is recognized for his counsel to private companies across toxic torts, commercial disputes, and civil rights and employment issues, as well as his work guiding professional services clients through complex business disputes and strategic transactions. Brad Schoenfeld, Partner at KO Law, brings decades of experience structuring commercial contracts for professional services organizations, including consultants, economists, and financial investigators, navigating everything from technology licensing to procurement and outsourcing arrangements.

This year’s awardees were selected for their proven track records advising professional services firms on complex transactions, regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation. Their work reflects both technical precision and a clear understanding of the legal risks these businesses navigate. Please join us in celebrating The Top 25 Professional Services Attorneys of 2025.

 

1. Michael Ciatti
Partner, King & Spalding

Mike Ciatti is a Partner at King & Spalding, having first joined the firm in 1999. King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 1,300 lawyers across 25 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The firm has handled matters in more than 160 countries on six continents.

Ciatti specializes in civil litigation and investigations involving a broad range of administrative, constitutional, statutory, and common law issues. As a partner in their Contracts and Business Torts practice, Ciatti represents clients in a variety of industries, including financial services, automotive, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare. He has also defended a professional services firm in lawsuits brought in various federal and state courts alleging, among other things, fraud, malpractice, and RICO violations. Ciatti is also the Deputy Office Managing Partner for the firm’s Washington, D.C., office and chairs the firm’s Associate Evaluation Committee.

Ciatti earned a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Virginia.

 

2. Jodi Lopez
Partner, Sidley Austin

Jodi Lopez is a Partner at Sidley Austin. Lopez represents accounting firms and their professionals, public companies and their D&Os, private equity firms, fund managers, and investment advisers globally in high-stakes financial reporting, accounting, and disclosure matters. Her areas of focus include complex civil litigation and regulatory matters with an emphasis on shareholder suits, SEC and PCAOB investigations and enforcement actions, M&A litigation, and disputes arising out of private equity deals. She also represents companies, audit committees, and boards of directors in connection with internal investigations and special committee investigations. She has served as a lead trial attorney in a five-week arbitration and as a trial team member representing a Big Four accountant in a two-week hearing before an SEC Administrative Law Judge.

Lopez’s clients benefit from her dual ability to handle both the litigation and regulatory issues they face, and her pragmatic style that focuses on cost-effective and creative solutions to complex issues. She prides herself on her deep understanding of each client’s business needs and objectives in order to achieve results for her clients. 

Lopez’s experience spans a variety of substantive areas, including claims brought under the federal Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Securities Act of 1933, and state securities laws, derivative suits involving breach of fiduciary duty claims, and cases involving professional negligence, common law fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of contract. She has also handled numerous state board of accountancy investigations in multiple states. Her matters have involved a broad range of financial reporting and accounting issues, including, among others, revenue recognition, loss reserves, allowance for loan losses and expected credit losses, goodwill impairment, material weaknesses in internal controls, securitizations, derivatives, hedging, auditor independence, and insider trading.

Lopez also counsels and litigates for private equity firms and their portfolio companies in connection with a variety of post-closing disputes, including purchase price adjustments, working capital disputes, earnouts, indemnification claims, and breaches of representations and warranties. She brings to bear her accounting knowledge in handling these matters successfully for her clients. Lopez holds a JD and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.

 

3. Jennifer Breen
Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

Jennifer Breen is a Partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. Breen represents domestic and multinational businesses, large partnerships, high-net-worth individuals, and family offices on tax controversy and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) administrative matters. She also counsels professional services firms, investment fund managers, and private equity firms on partnership tax issues. With decades of experience spanning government service, a Big Four public accounting firm, and in-house as the director of tax controversy for a large multinational corporation, Breen offers a rare perspective in her invaluable ability to see tax issues from multiple vantage points.

Breen regularly advises professional services firms, investment fund managers, and private equity clients on partnership tax issues and tax controversy matters. Her ability to anticipate and navigate complex tax issues stems from her experience within the IRS Office of Chief Counsel, in-house at Mattel, and as a practitioner at PwC. This perspective allows her to guide clients through audits, appeals, and enforcement actions with a clear understanding of risk and process. She also supports clients in resolving matters through private letter rulings, technical advice requests, and other administrative avenues.

Breen first got her start in 2001 as an attorney at the Internal Revenue Service. From there, she went on to PwC, before eventually rising to director of tax controversy at Mattel, her most recent position prior to joining Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. Breen graduated from the University of Houston Law Center with a JD and from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in political science and government.

 

4. Daniel Bath
Partner, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith

Daniel Bath is a Partner at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith. With more than 30 years of civil litigation experience, Bath regularly represents public agencies, railroads, professionals, financial institutions, and other industries on a broad range of commercial, real estate, insurance, and business litigation issues.

Bath was the lead trial attorney in the precedent-setting commercial decision Arriaga v. CitiCapital Commercial Corporation, in which the California Court of Appeal held for the first time that a finance lessor not engaged in the business of distributing goods to the public cannot be held strictly liable for personal injuries based on a theory that it was instrumental in placing the product into the stream of commerce.

Bath also was the lead defense attorney in the ground-breaking insurance “bad faith” decision Chateau Chamberay Homeowners Association v. Associated International Insurance Company, holding an insurer denying or delaying payment of policy benefits due to a genuine dispute over the existence of coverage liability is not liable for tortious breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

Bath first got his start in 2003 as an assistant executive dean at Semester At Sea, before eventually rising to partner at Cummins & White, LLP, his most recent position prior to joining Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith. Bath graduated from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law with a JD and from UC Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature.

 

5. Rahul Soni
Partner, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen and Loewy

Rahul Soni is a Partner at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen and Loewy. One of Soni’s primary focuses is on high-net-worth (HNW) and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) clients across the United States and EMEA, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Soni’s deep experience with managing HNW and UHNW clients globally ensures a seamless and comprehensive service experience tailored to their unique needs. He frequently works with firm leadership on an array of strategic business development and relationship initiatives for the firm, including in the HNW and UHNW space.

In addition to his focus on HNW and UHNW clients, Soni is instrumental in managing high-profile corporate clients in a variety of sectors, including financial services, technology, and luxury brands. He works with top companies in industries ranging from high-end fashion and cosmetics to leading financial institutions and cutting-edge tech firms. His ability to navigate these diverse industries positions him as a versatile and strategic advisor for clients with complex challenges. Soni also has experience in emerging industries such as biotech and artificial intelligence, advising both companies and individuals in these rapidly evolving sectors.

Further, Soni is known for his knowledge of EB-5 immigration and global citizenship and residency by investment, helping clients secure permanent residency in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. Sought after for his ability to expedite green card approvals in record time, Soni’s strong connections with EB-5 contacts and strategic guidance on investment decisions allow clients to navigate the complex process quickly and effectively. His tailored approach ensures clients invest in the right opportunities, positioning them for a smooth and expedited immigration experience.

Before joining Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen and Loewy, Soni was an associate attorney at Loke Walsh Immigration Law and, before that, a law clerk at WR Immigration. Soni graduated from the University of Southern California with an LLM and from the London School of Economics and Political Science with an LLB.

 

6. Kris Ritter
Partner, Kirkland & Ellis

Partner, Fox Rothschild

Jordan Kaplan is a Partner at Fox Rothschild, where he concentrates his practice on commercial litigation and regulatory defense. He represents a range of businesses—from major corporations to closely held entities—facing disputes involving partnership and shareholder conflicts, trade secrets, employment matters, unfair competition, consumer fraud, and complex contract claims. His clients span industries including financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, telecommunications, publishing, and professional services. 

Notable engagements include defending a building contractor against claims under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, obtaining summary judgment for a wholesale distributor in a product-related dispute, and securing the dismissal of a $300,000 lawsuit against a healthcare facility.

Beyond his litigation practice, Kaplan serves as an adjunct professor at Rutgers Law School, where he teaches negotiations. He is also an active member of the legal community, contributing to the Union County Bar Association’s Civil Practice Committee and the Essex County Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Executive Committee. Kaplan joined Fox Rothschild as a summer associate and returned after graduating from Rutgers School of Law – Newark with his JD. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and business from Lafayette College.

Jordan Kaplan's Insight

Practicing law is professionally fulfilling in so many ways. I am able to provide assistance for people’s most pressing needs, consistently engage in intellectual debate, and I get to explore areas of the law that have not previously been tested. Every day is a new adventure.”

 

8. Robert Blaisdell
Partner, Husch Blackwell

Robert Blaisdell is a Partner at Husch Blackwell. Blaisdell has nearly 25 years of experience advising healthcare clients. He has represented hospitals and healthcare systems, physicians and physician groups, and nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and he previously worked on-site at a large hospital client for several years. He understands the internal dynamics of healthcare providers and medical staff members, as well as the needs of their staff and administrators.

Blaisdell primarily serves clients as their primary outside counsel and first point of legal contact, providing day-to-day advice on a variety of regulatory compliance issues, including vendor contracting, HIPAA, medical staff credentialing and peer review, healthcare fraud and abuse including Anti-Kickback, Stark Physician self-referral and False Claims Act analysis, employment law and personnel issues, and nursing home and assisted living facility-specific matters including discharges, evictions, and plans of correction.

Blaisdell's goal is to provide his clients with more than just answers to their legal questions and to offer legal advice. He prides himself on serving his clients as a true business partner, evaluating their business situation from a legal perspective honed throughout his quarter century in the industry. He understands that a legal problem is inherently a business problem, and he offers advice that will not only solve the problem but also help the organization successfully move forward.

Before joining Husch Blackwell, Blaisdell was a partner at Barrett & Singal and, before that, an associate at Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP. Earlier in his career, he worked with the Massachusetts Labor Relations Commission as a law clerk. Blaisdell graduated from the Boston University School of Law with a JD and from Salem State University with a bachelor’s degree.

 

9. Peter Kinsella
Partner, Perkins Coie

Peter Kinsella is a Partner at Perkins Coie. Kinsella has significant experience structuring and negotiating domestic and international agreements. His work spans numerous areas, including cloud and software as a service, outsourcing, product development, software development, semiconductor manufacturing, automation systems, medical equipment, technology transfer, aerospace, consulting services, and telecommunications. He also advises on data sharing, complex procurement arrangements, product distribution and sales, manufacturing arrangements, marketing and advertising services, content creation and distribution, and various types of patent, trademark, and copyright licenses. 

Kinsella understands and regularly counsels clients on cutting-edge technology matters, such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and data use issues. He routinely handles sophisticated technology, data, and intellectual property (IP) issues in public and private company mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures, including several transactions valued at several billion dollars.

Kinsella first got his start in 1984 as a television broadcast engineer at WDAY. He then went on to serve as a partner at Faegre & Benson LLP, his most recent position prior to joining Perkins Coie. Kinsella is a registered patent lawyer and holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from North Dakota State University and a JD from the University of Minnesota Law School.

 

10. John Flannery
Managing Partner, White Plains, Wilson Elser

John Flannery is a Managing Partner at Wilson Elser, White Plains,  having first joined the firm in 1999. Flannery is a member of Wilson Elser’s Executive Committee. He defends claims involving toxic torts, commercial disputes, civil rights, employment, including sexual harassment and abuse claims against businesses, government agencies and schools, and municipal and product liability. He also handles various commercial matters, as evidenced by his representation of a well-known spirits manufacturer in its successful sale to a London-based multinational.

Flannery served as Defendants’ Co-liaison Counsel for nearly 1,500 personal injury claims brought by off-site workers injured during the World Trade Center clean-up, representing Battery Park City Authority through 15 years of litigation. He regularly handles municipal matters involving the Civil Rights Act, police misconduct, and employment-related claims, including discrimination, wrongful discharge, and sexual harassment. He has advised clients on employment counseling, conducted investigations into workplace misconduct, and handled administrative hearings before the EEOC and the New York State Human Rights Commission.

Flannery gives freely of his time and talent to his local community. He served for 12 years on the board of trustees of the New York State Interest on Lawyer Account Fund (IOLA), which helps low-income people with civil legal problems, and is active in Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, a like-minded organization with similar objectives, where he served on the board for six years. He was recently named to the Board of Directors of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation, a public-private resource for businesses seeking to relocate or expand within the Hudson Valley, and, for several years, has sat on the Board of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network. Flannery earned a JD from Penn State University and a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University.

John Flannery's Insight

“I’m honored to receive this recognition. For almost 30 years, I’ve had the privilege of advising clients across a broad range of industries—including professional services, life sciences, software/SaaS, technology, and consumer products—on complex commercial and strategic transactions. From early-stage startups to global public companies, I’ve been committed to delivering practical, business-focused legal counsel. It’s been incredibly rewarding to support my clients as they grow and innovate, and I look forward to helping them continue to navigate the evolving business landscape.”

 

11. Chuck Cox
Partner, Alston & Bird

Chuck Cox is a Partner at Alston & Bird. Cox’s practice concentrates on complex business disputes, including securities class actions, derivative litigation, fiduciary duty, and other cases resulting from mergers and acquisitions, corporate control disputes, and commercial litigation. Cox has tried more than a dozen cases to get a verdict or arbitration award.

Cox’s clients span many industries, as well as financial institutions and professional services firms. Cox has represented clients across the country in federal and state court proceedings, arbitration, and courts of appeal. Cox is a member of the National Council of the Federal Bar Association and sits on the boards of the Disability Rights Legal Center, Strength in Support, and the St. Paul the Apostle School Foundation. 

Cox has deep experience representing professional services firms in high-stakes litigation, including defending Arthur Andersen in securities class action litigation related to its audit work for Enron and representing Ernst & Young in similar litigation involving The Williams Companies. He has also represented financial advisors and investment banks, including Moelis & Co., in stockholder litigation relating to an acquisition. His experience extends to arbitration and governance matters involving partnerships, executive compensation, proxy contests, and fiduciary issues, making him a trusted advisor to firms navigating reputational and structural risk.

Before joining Alston & Bird, Cox was a partner at Latham & Watkins and, before that, a naval submarine officer in the U.S. Navy. Cox graduated from the University of Michigan with a JD, from Georgetown University with a master’s degree in government and national security studies, and from the United States Naval Academy with a bachelor’s degree.

 

12. Jonathan Pompan
Partner, Venable

Jonathan Pompan is a Partner in Venable LLP's Washington, D.C. office. He is chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Practice Group and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Task Force. Pompan focuses his practice on providing comprehensive legal advice and regulatory advocacy to a broad spectrum of clients, including for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations, and trade and professional associations. 

Pompan also counsels clients in the areas of consumer financial products and services, including matters under the jurisdiction of the CFPB and the Federal Trade Commission. He helps his clients develop creative approaches to meet their objectives while complying with applicable regulatory frameworks. Pompan is a frequent speaker and author on legal and regulatory issues of significance to providers of consumer financial products and services, advertisers and marketers, and nonprofit organizations.

Pompan has extensive experience counseling nonprofit organizations and trade and professional associations in consumer financial services and other regulated markets. He advises on compliance with consumer protection and financial services laws, including advertising and marketing regulations, and represents clients in investigations and enforcement actions by the CFPB, FTC, and state regulators. Before joining Venable, he served as in-house associate counsel at one of the nation’s largest industry trade associations, where he handled contracts, intellectual property, antitrust, and regulatory advocacy.

Pompan first got his start in 2001 as an in-house counsel at a trade association, his most recent position prior to joining Venable. Pompan graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a JD and from The George Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

 

13. Brad Schoenfeld
Partner, KO Law

Brad Schoenfeld is a Partner at KO, having first joined the firm in 2005. Schoenfeld is a transactional partner who represents start-ups to large public companies in a wide variety of complex commercial transactions and related matters. His clients include pharmaceutical and medical device companies, software vendors, hardware manufacturers, professional services organizations, telecommunications companies, consumer packaged goods companies, and a wide variety of e-commerce and Internet-related businesses.

Schoenfeld specializes in structuring, drafting, and negotiating diverse commercial contracts related to clinical trials, manufacturing and supply, product sales and distribution, research and development, technology licenses and transfers, reseller and distributor relationships, consulting and professional services, procurement, outsourcing, hosting, e-commerce, partnering, and real estate leases. 

Prior to joining KO Law, Schoenfeld spent more than six years as in-house legal counsel for General Electric Company (GE) and Siemens Corporation. While at GE, Schoenfeld served as general counsel for a $1 billion division of GE Energy. Prior to his in-house roles, he was an associate with Troutman Sanders in Atlanta, Georgia. Schoenfeld graduated from Duke Law School with a JD and from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in applied economics and business management.

Brad Schoenfeld's Insight

“I’m honored to receive this recognition. For almost 30 years, I’ve had the privilege of advising clients across a broad range of industries—including professional services, life sciences, software/SaaS, technology, and consumer products—on complex commercial and strategic transactions. From early-stage startups to global public companies, I’ve been committed to delivering practical, business-focused legal counsel. It’s been incredibly rewarding to support my clients as they grow and innovate, and I look forward to helping them continue to navigate the evolving business landscape.”

 

14. Simon Willis
Partner, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe

Simon Willis is a Partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. Willis focuses on commercial disputes, often involving financial and professional services institutions, contentious regulatory work, and professional negligence. Willis has wide experience in acting for major financial institutions, companies, and professional firms in complex litigation, investigations, and proceedings by domestic and overseas regulators, professional disciplinary proceedings, ad hoc governmental inquiries, and internal investigations. 

In particular, Willis has acted for those subject to investigations by a wide range of regulatory bodies, including the Financial Reporting Council, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Prudential Regulation Authority, the Serious Fraud Office, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, and others. He has considerable experience in advising clients on risk management and reputational risk arising from contentious matters.

Before joining Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, Willis was a partner at Mayer Brown and, before that, a partner at Barlow Lyde & Gilbert. Willis graduated from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom with an LLB degree.

 

15. Julia Braun
Partner, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani

Julia Braun is a Partner at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani. Braun focuses her practice on litigation, defense of high-exposure claims, employment-related matters, and provides a comprehensive range of legal services required by all participants in the construction industry: architects, engineers, design professionals, owners, developers, general contractors, and other affiliated consultants and service providers.

Braun is often called upon to analyze complex claims and provide innovative legal strategies to effectively serve her clients when disputes arise. She is on the cutting edge of the legal field, representing clients in the gig economy and helping them to navigate emerging legal issues. Her clients include major transportation providers, colleges and universities, construction companies, technology companies, restaurant and gym chains, and Fortune 500 companies.

Braun has significant experience defending corporate clients in the areas of premises liability, general liability, product liability, employment discrimination, and professional liability. She represents employers in handling individual and class-type related lawsuits involving all types of employment and discrimination cases. Braun also represents educational institutions in lawsuits involving injuries, bullying, defense of Title IX claims, and employment disputes.

Braun first got her start in 2010 as an attorney at Wilson Elser, her most recent position prior to joining Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani. She graduated from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University with a JD and from Marist University with a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature.

 

16. Stephen Barrett
Partner, Wilson Elser

Stephen Barrett is a Partner at Wilson Elser, having first joined the firm in 2014. Barrett is an accomplished intellectual property attorney with a wealth of experience in prosecuting and defending complex commercial and IP actions. His prowess in copyright, trademark, trade dress, false advertising, cybersquatting, and data privacy law has made him a trusted adviser to clients across a range of industries. Barrett represents clients in a variety of fields, including entertainment, fashion, media, technology, and consumer goods and services.

As a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology Practice, Barrett has developed a reputation for excellence in all aspects of litigation. He is skilled in developing prosecution and defense strategies, managing investigation and discovery, drafting and arguing substantive motions, and taking tough depositions.

Barrett’s experience extends beyond litigation to counseling clients on a range of legal compliance issues. He regularly provides strategic advice and counseling to entrepreneurs and multinational corporations on questions regarding the protection, exploitation, and enforcement of intellectual property and other content, and on the application of intellectual property and related laws to evolving technologies, business activities, and branding initiatives. Barrett is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US), which enables him to offer clients invaluable insights into data privacy compliance and risk management.

Barrett is also adept at negotiating and drafting commercial agreements, such as master services agreements, employment separation agreements, and copyright and trademark transfers and licenses. Through his extensive experience, Barrett has developed a deep understanding of the legal issues facing businesses today. His ability to navigate complex legal challenges and provide strategic guidance has made him a valuable asset to clients seeking to protect their intellectual property and manage legal risk.

Previously, Barrett was an associate at Callan Koster Brady & Brennan, LLP. He earned a JD in law from Brooklyn Law School and a bachelor’s degree in English and American literature and philosophy from Brandeis University.

 

17. Cynde Munzer
Partner, Blank Rome

Cynde Munzer is a Partner at Blank Rome. Blank Rome is a firm with 16 offices and more than 750 attorneys and principals who provide comprehensive legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. The firm’s professionals have built a reputation for their leading knowledge and experience across a spectrum of industries and are recognized for their commitment to pro bono work in their communities. 

Munzer concentrates her practice on handling complex financing and business transactions for many of Chicago’s major financial institutions, publicly held corporations, and other businesses. Known for providing straightforward counsel and staying focused on the big picture during negotiations, Munzer has significant experience navigating large, sophisticated financing transactions, and in the last couple of years has led teams in handling billions of dollars in loans. A considerable amount of her practice is focused on the private equity area, including the structuring and documenting of loan facilities for the financing of capital calls.

Before joining Blank Rome, Munzer was a member at Dykema and was a partner at Aronberg Goldgehn. Before that, she was a partner at Arnstein & Lehr LLP. Earlier in her career, she worked with the Illinois Appellate Court as a law clerk to Justice Robert Chapman Buckley. Munzer graduated from the Chicago-Kent College of Law with a JD and from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications.

 

18. Charles Vargo
Partner, Winston & Strawn

Charles Vargo is a Partner at Winston & Strawn. Winston & Strawn LLP is an international law firm with more than 975 attorneys in key financial centers around the world. The firm brings an understanding of the global and industry-specific legal and business issues its clients face in transactions, disputes, and regulatory/enforcement-related matters. It litigates cases and closes transactions, serving as a shrewd adviser and trusted business partner to its clients.

Vargo is a corporate partner with a primary focus on private equity transactions and mergers and acquisitions. He is an experienced private equity and M&A attorney, representing clients in deals ranging from multi-billion-dollar acquisitions to carve-out divestitures and to add-on transactions. Vargo also focuses on structuring and negotiating investments in professional service businesses, including financial service firms, investment banks, registered investment advisors, healthcare consultancies, and management consulting firms.

Vargo’s representative matters include representing RLH Equity Partners in the sales of Chartis and ClearView, both leading advisory firms in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. He has represented Stout Risius Ross in its sale to Audax Private Equity and in multiple follow-on acquisitions of consulting and analytics firms, including The Claro Group, Genova Group, and HealthCare Appraisers. His work with CW Advisors and Core and Value Advisors further demonstrates his experience guiding transactions in the investment advisory space.

Vargo first got his start in 2014 as an associate at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, his most recent position prior to joining Winston & Strawn. He graduated from Notre Dame Law School with a JD and from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

 

19. Anne Madonia
Partner, Cozen O'Connor

Anne Madonia is a Partner at Cozen O'Connor, having first joined the firm in 2001. Madonia concentrates her practice in business and corporate law with an emphasis on domestic and international acquisitions and divestitures, corporate mergers, debt and equity financings, private placement offerings, private equity and venture capital transactions, and emerging businesses. 

Madonia has represented clients across industries such as professional services, logistics, shipping, and investment advisory in matters involving M&A, debt financing, and contract negotiation. Her experience includes advising on credit facilities, equipment loans, and stock offerings, structuring and negotiating service, supply, licensing, and loan agreements, and counseling on corporate governance, formation, and exit strategies. She regularly assists clients ranging from entrepreneurs and startups to middle-market and Fortune 500 companies.

Madonia is involved with the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and is a member of Philadelphia's ACG Women's Committee. She is currently on the board of the Widener University Delaware Law School Alumni Association. She was the 2007-2008 chair of the Philadelphia Chamber's Young Professionals Network, and was the chair of the 2003 ImPAct Young Professionals Statewide Conference. Madonia also served on the board of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce in 2007. 

Prior to private practice, Madonia was a corporate attorney for the H.J. Heinz Company in Pittsburgh. While in law school, Madonia served on the editorial board of The Delaware Journal of Corporate Law. Madonia earned a JD from the Widener University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Manhattanville University.

 

20. Patrick Taylor
Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton

Patrick Taylor is a Partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, having first joined the firm in 2014 as international counsel. Taylor’s practice focuses on commercial and investment treaty arbitration, with particular experience in the oil and gas, energy, life science/pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and professional services sectors. 

Qualified in England & Wales and Ireland as a solicitor-advocate, Taylor has advised and represented clients in disputes throughout the world, most frequently in Africa, Eastern Europe, the CIS, and, increasingly, in Latin America. Taylor has acted in arbitrations under the rules of ICSID, the LCIA, the ICC, UNCITRAL, SIAC, the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, the Nigerian Arbitration and Conciliation Act, and the Milan Chamber of Arbitration. 

Taylor’s practice is geared towards advising clients in the most high-stakes, complex and valuable disputes, and he has developed particular experience in advising on investment protection and investment dispute settlements in high-risk jurisdictions, shareholder/joint venture disputes, production sharing disputes, post-M&A disputes, general commercial contract disputes, distribution and licensing disputes, and complex damages analysis.

Taylor sits regularly as an arbitrator and is a highly regarded advocate in arbitration and arbitration-related court cases. Previously, Taylor was an associate at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. He earned an LPC in law from Nottingham Law School and a bachelor’s degree in law from Cambridge University’s Downing College.

 

21. Michael O'Mara
Managing Partner, Stradley Ronon

Michael O’Mara is a Managing Partner at Stradley Ronon. With more than 25 years of trial experience across federal and state courts and private arbitration, O’Mara has developed a sharp understanding of how to frame arguments that persuade judges, juries, and board members alike.

As Stradley’s managing partner, O’Mara serves on and works closely with the firm’s management committee and board of directors in articulating and implementing the vision and direction of the firm. He oversees the firm’s practice groups, administrative operations, and leads various initiatives related to strategic growth and practice development. Prior to his role as Managing Partner, O’Mara also spent a decade chairing Stradley Ronon’s litigation department.

O’Mara’s advocacy encompasses a broad array of complex, high-exposure commercial litigation, including defending and prosecuting financial services cases, merger and acquisition disputes, intellectual property litigation, restrictive covenants, class actions, ERISA claims, trust and estate disputes, insurance, and commercial real estate matters. In professional liability cases, he frequently represents professional services firms, including law firms and publicly traded insurance intermediaries. O’Mara also counsels sophisticated nonprofit organizations, including religious, educational, and healthcare organizations, on litigation-related matters.

O’Mara is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. He graduated from Penn State Dickinson Law with a JD and from James Madison University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and English.

 

22. Peter Spanos
Partner, Taylor Duma

Peter Spanos is a Partner at Taylor Duma, having first joined the firm in 2020. Spanos represents a variety of local, regional, national, and international employers on complex employment law issues across numerous industries, including technology, manufacturing, healthcare, professional services, nonprofits, real estate, transportation, pharmaceuticals, construction, and consulting. He handles trials in federal and state courts, cases before the NLRB, the EEOC, the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA and state agencies, arbitrations, mediations, and appeals. 

Spanos is experienced in traditional labor law, including matters such as collective bargaining, union organizing, union elections, unfair labor practices, grievances, and strikes. He also has specialized knowledge of the intersection of antitrust law and labor law. Throughout his career, Spanos has worked in all facets of employment law, including employment discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, handbooks and policies, wage and hour compliance and collective actions, trade secrets, unfair competition, post-employment restrictive covenants, whistleblower claims, mergers and acquisitions, shareholder employees, corporate governance, occupational safety and health, employment agreements, severance agreements, non-disclosure agreements, independent contractors, and compensation.

In addition to his labor and employment practice, Spanos regularly represents non-profits in the areas of general governance, the duties and responsibilities of directors and officers, litigation, and amicus briefs, often acting as outside general counsel. He provides guidance to both the professional staff and the members of non-profit boards of directors regarding complex legal issues, including employment law, corporate law, membership law, the special considerations of non-profit taxation, federal legislation and lobbying, federal and state regulation of various industries, sports organizations, state regulation of fundraising and gambling, relations between national organizations and state affiliates, codes of ethics for members, meetings, trade shows and conventions, and antitrust compliance.

Previously, Spanos was a partner at Akerman LLP and, before that, a partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP. Earlier in his career, he worked with Littler Mendelson as a partner. Spanos earned a JD from the University of Michigan Law School and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Harvard University.

Peter Spanos's Insight

“Practicing law is professionally fulfilling in so many ways. I am able to provide assistance for people’s most pressing needs, consistently engage in intellectual debate, and I get to explore areas of the law that have not previously been tested. Every day is a new adventure.”

 

23. Phillip Salerno
Partner, Clingen Callow & McLean

Phillip Salerno is a Partner at Clingen Callow & McLean. Salerno is a trusted advisor to individuals and privately held companies throughout a wide range of industries and market positions. He applies his legal and accounting experience, judgment, and practical approach to meet his clients’ legal needs. Clients rely on him in matters affecting strategic planning, conflict management, financing transactions, customer and partner contracts, real estate matters, and merger and acquisition activity. 

Salerno’s clients include family offices, information technology service providers, and consulting firms, among others. He counsels clients on entity formation and tax classification, the design and drafting of shareholder and operating agreements—including buy-sell planning—and the negotiation of business contracts such as master services agreements, statements of work, and independent contractor agreements. His practice also includes advising on mergers and acquisitions, financing transactions, and internal governance matters across a range of industries and business stages.

Before joining Clingen Callow & McLean, Salerno was an associate at Deutsch, Levy & Engel Chartered and, before that, a store director at an independent food retailer. Earlier in his career, he worked with Deloitte as an audit and tax associate. Salerno graduated from the University of Illinois, Chicago School of Law with a JD and from Northern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in accountancy.

 

24. Mallory Chase
Partner, Wingert Grebing Brubaker & Walshok

Mallory Chase is a Partner at Wingert Grebing Brubaker & Walshok, where she focuses her practice on professional liability defense, business litigation, and complex civil litigation. A Certified Specialist in Legal Malpractice Law by the State Bar of California, Chase has successfully represented attorneys in defense of legal malpractice actions and State Bar claims arising from numerous underlying practice areas, including business disputes, transactional matters, civil litigation, family law actions, and trust and estate services and litigation. Her work reflects deep experience with the legal issues that arise within professional services contexts, particularly in high-risk advisory and litigation settings.

Since earning her law degree from the California Western School of Law, Chase has built her career at Wingert Grebing. During law school, she served as Executive Lead Articles Editor of the California Western Law Review, completed a judicial externship with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, and interned with several San Diego law firms and public agencies.

Chase holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, San Diego, and a JD from the California Western School of Law. She is admitted to practice in California and before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

 

25. Jordan Leahey
Partner, CM Law

Jordan Leahey is a Partner at CM Law, having first joined the firm in 2022. CM Law (formerly Culhane Meadows) is the largest national full-service women-owned and managed business law firm in the U.S. and a member of the National Association of Minority and Women-Owned Law Firms. Leahey serves as an advisor who counsels clients about business needs and accomplishing overall goals. The role requires a balance between transactional work, enforcement, and litigation.

The transactional side of her practice focuses on contracts, risk analysis, due diligence, and IP prosecution, such as applying for trademarks, copyrights, and other protections for Intellectual Property. Leahey has experience drafting, analyzing, and negotiating complex technology- and intellectual property-related commercial contracts, including software licenses, SaaS/ASP, e-commerce, professional services, software development, privacy, cybersecurity, advertising, marketing, promotion agreements, and compliance matters.

On the adversarial side, Leahey has years of experience with formal litigation and administrative enforcement of Intellectual Property rights. She oversees the enforcement and litigation of commercial, intellectual property, internet, and domain name disputes. Leahey has functioned for many years as outside general counsel in the healthcare IT field, handling hundreds of transactions involving software licensing, data protection, and risk mitigation, working daily with CEOs, CFOs, and in-house counsel on deals requiring immediate turnaround.

Previously, Leahey was a partner at Partridge Partners and, before that, an intellectual property associate at Pattishall McAuliffe Newbury Hilliard & Geraldson LLP. Earlier in her career, she worked with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck as an intellectual property associate. Leahey earned a JD from Vanderbilt University Law School and a bachelor’s degree in sociology, journalism, and mass communications from New York University.