HOUSTON — On Jan. 1, Norton Rose Fulbright promoted 14 lawyers to partner in the United States. The new partners are: Neely Agin, Antitrust and Competition; Mark Emery, Appellate; Tarifa Laddon, Commercial Litigation; Natasha Khan, Corporate, M&A and Securities; Shafeeqa Watkins Giarratani, Employment and Labor; Jeffrey Webb, Energy and Infrastructure; Bryon Farnsworth, Anna Lee and Daniel Tristan, Finance; Mark Faccenda, Healthcare Transactional; Daniel Leventhal, IP Disputes; Nicholas Morrow, Mass Tort and Product Liability; and Robert Morris and Ron Scharnberg, Tax.
Linda Addison, US Managing Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright, said:
“We are pleased to welcome this talented and driven group of partners. These lawyers have dedicated themselves to Norton Rose Fulbright and our clients. Each of them has valuable experience in their areas of practice as well as industry knowledge covering a wide range of sectors from energy to healthcare to financial institutions.”
Antitrust and Competition
Neely Agin focuses on antitrust and competition matters, regularly representing national and international clients in Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice investigations as well as challenges of mergers and acquisitions. Practicing in Norton Rose Fulbright’s Washington, DC office, Ms. Agin has guided hundreds of transactions in a wide range of industries through the US and international antitrust merger review process. She earned her JD from the Case Western Reserve School of Law and her BA from Emory University.
Appellate
Mark Emery centers his practice on appellate and dispute resolution matters. He has briefed cases to the US Supreme Court and has argued cases in numerous other federal and state appellate courts. He began his career in the San Antonio office and moved to the Washington, DC office in 2009. Mr. Emery earned his JD from Notre Dame Law School, his PhD from Yale University and his BA from Michigan State University.
Commercial Litigation
Tarifa Laddon concentrates her practice on a diverse range of complex business litigation matters, including pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, toxic tort, financial services litigation, unfair business practice claims, business torts and wage and hour and consumer class action defense. Ms. Laddon, who is based in Norton Rose Fulbright’s Los Angeles office, received her JD from the University of Michigan School of Law and her BA from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Corporate, M&A and Securities
Natasha Khan centers her practice on mergers and acquisitions, securities law and general corporate matters. Practicing in Houston, she has represented domestic and international clients in a variety of industries in connection with initial public offerings, public and private issuances of equity and debt securities, exchange offerings, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions and dispositions. Ms. Khan received her JD from the Tulane University School of Law and her BA from the University of California at Berkeley.
Employment and Labor
Shafeeqa Watkins Giarratani handles employment and labor, commercial litigation and appellate matters. She represents employers in federal and state court and before administrative agencies and regulatory agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Texas Workforce Commission, and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Ms. Giarratani earned her JD and BA from Harvard Law School and from Harvard University, respectively, before joining Norton Rose Fulbright’s Austin office.
Energy and Infrastructure
Jeffrey Webb concentrates his practice on complex and high-stakes litigation, including energy (oil and gas), product liability and commercial litigation. Based in San Antonio, Mr. Webb’s litigation experience includes all aspects of pretrial and trial work. He has tried several bench and jury trials to verdict, including litigation involving alleged damages in excess of $1 billion. He received his JD from The University of Toledo College of Law and his BS from The Ohio State University.
Finance
Bryon Farnsworth focuses on complex conduit bond representations and healthcare financings as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel and borrower’s counsel. Working in Norton Rose Fulbright’s Denver office, he regularly works on a variety of transactions, including multistate healthcare system issuances, master trust indenture amendments and restructurings, interest rate exchange agreements, private placements and variable rate products. Mr. Farnsworth received his JD from Harvard Law School and his BA from The College of Idaho.
Anna Lee focuses her practice on public finance matters. She serves as primary bond counsel for a number of public power, water and waste municipal issuers in connection with numerous utility financings. Ms. Lee, who practices in Norton Rose Fulbright’s New York office, has also acted as underwriter’s counsel, disclosure counsel and credit enhancer’s counsel in connection with conduit financings for industrial development and higher education. She earned her JD from Cornell University and her BA from Columbia University.
Daniel Tristan advises borrowers and financial institutions in connection with domestic and international financing transactions, including working capital credit facilities, asset-based financings, acquisition financings, project finance and commercial paper programs. Based in Houston, Mr. Tristan assists companies in securities law reporting and disclosure, corporate governance and hedging transactions. He earned his JD from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law and his BA from Harvard University.
Healthcare Transactional
Mark Faccenda centers his practice on healthcare services matters, pharmaceutical and medical device disputes and clinical integration initiatives. He has represented healthcare industry clients on regulatory and transactional matters. Practicing in Washington, DC, Mr. Faccenda’s clients include pharmaceutical manufacturers, academic medical centers, health systems and physician groups. He received his JD and MHA from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and his BS from Pennsylvania State University.
IP Disputes
Daniel Leventhal concentrates his practice on patent litigation and counseling, with a focus on telecommunications, electronics and Internet matters. Practicing in Norton Rose Fulbright’s Houston office, Mr. Leventhal assists companies with intellectual property transactions and disputes in district courts, before the International Trade Commission, with the US Patent Office and in licensing negotiations. He received his JD from The University of Texas School of Law and his BS from The University of Texas at Austin.
Mass Tort and Product Liability
Nicholas Morrow is a trial lawyer who has handled a variety of business and personal injury disputes, ranging from nine-figure breach of contract cases to catastrophic mass tort lawsuits. Representative clients include banks, common carrier airlines, commercial tenants, energy companies, liability insurers, maritime transport companies, offshore drillers and product manufacturers. Mr. Morrow, who practices in Norton Rose Fulbright’s Houston office, earned his JD from The University of Texas School of Law and his BA from The University of Texas at Austin.
Tax
Robert Morris represents clients in all phases of tax controversies: during examinations, in administrative appeals and in litigation. Mr. Morris routinely represents clients before the US Competent Authority and has handled matters involving allegations of tax fraud and potential criminal tax charges. He earned his JD, Masters and BS from Brigham Young University and his LLM from Georgetown University Law Center. Practicing in Norton Rose Fulbright’s Houston office, Mr. Morris is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Ron Scharnberg centers his practice on a wide range of tax matters, with particular emphasis on the federal tax planning and structuring of domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, tax-free reorganizations, spin-offs and divestitures, joint ventures, restructurings, financial instruments and financing transactions. Mr. Scharnberg received his JD from The University of Texas School of Law and his BBA from Texas A&M University prior to joining Norton Rose Fulbright’s Houston office.
