Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, a national law firm with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, DC, announced the addition of two new partners and a special counsel. Joining the firm are Michael C. Keats, a litigation partner in New York, and Laura Besvinick, an insurance litigation partner in Miami. Julie Nevins, who focuses on complex commercial litigation, has joined the firm as special counsel in Miami.
The continued expansion of the firm includes two recent additions in the Los Angeles office, Steven D. Atlee, a financial services/class action partner in the Litigation Practice Group, and Yousuf I. Dhamee, an investment management partner.
“The addition of these talented and experienced lawyers will bolster the firm’s strong national litigation practice in key practice areas – insurance, securities, commercial litigation and commodities,” said Alan M. Klinger, Stroock’s co-managing partner and co-chair of Stroock’s Litigation Practice Group.
Mr. Keats represents financial institutions and their senior executives in civil litigation and regulatory enforcement proceedings. A former Managing Director in Goldman Sachs’ Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings Group, Mr. Keats is a seasoned litigator with extensive experience both in the courtroom and in-house. He also advises clients on securities fraud and commodities manipulation, intellectual property litigation, complex contract disputes and class action cases. In addition, Mr. Keats has represented clients in investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, the SEC and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
“Michael has an extraordinary breadth of experience as a corporate counsel, trial lawyer and adviser to Fortune 100 companies, as well as their executives, on complex, high-risk securities matters,” said Mr. Klinger.
Mr. Keats received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law, and his B.A. and M.A. from Brandeis University.
Ms. Besvinick’s practice focuses on the representation of insurers in bad faith actions, complex coverage disputes and consumer class actions. She also advises insurers on claims-handling and bad faith issues. In addition, Ms. Besvinick regularly defends accountants and attorneys in malpractice actions, securities class actions and before the SEC, and represents companies in complex commercial disputes in the courts and in arbitration.
“Laura is one of the most respected insurance litigators in the country, and has an extraordinary record of success for her clients in state, federal and appellate courts,” said Michele Jacobson, a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee and a partner in the Insurance Practice Group. “She and Julie will be great assets to our Florida office and national insurance practice.”
Ms. Besvinick received her J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where she was an Editor of the Harvard Law Review, and her A.B. from Harvard-Radcliffe College.
Julie Nevins concentrates her practice on complex business disputes and has over 15 years of experience handling matters in trial and appellate courts and in arbitral and administrative forums. She has broad experience handling insurance coverage, business torts, trademark, trade secret, contract, lender liability, and real property disputes.
Ms. Nevins received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Florida State University College of Law, Order of the Coif, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Florida State University Law Review, and her B.A. from Vassar College.
Source: www.stroock.com
