Lateral Partners Bring Experience in Labor and Employment, Commercial Litigation to Office
Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced the growth of its Atlanta office with the addition of Sul Kim, Erica Mason, Anthony Morris and Peter Spanos. The four new partners continue the firm's strategic expansion in Atlanta, raising the headcount to 11 lawyers in the 10 months since the office opened. Kim, Mason and Spanos enhance the firm's labor and employment capabilities, while Morris expands the commercial litigation bench.
"Sul, Erica, Anthony and Peter each bring skills and experience that meet the complex and growing needs of our clients," said Andrew Smulian, Akerman Chairman and CEO. "We are moving closer to our goal of expanding our Atlanta service offerings with a multidisciplinary team of lawyers that reflects our core areas of strength and that can address our clients’ business priorities.”
Akerman expanded into the Atlanta market, establishing the firm's 24th office, as part of a national growth strategy to meet increasing client demand in major financial centers across the United States. Healthcare Partners Jeremy Burnette, Amy Jeon McCullough and Sidney Welch, who serves as office managing partner, established the office in late 2018. Corporate Partners William "Bill" Ide and Amanda Leech, and associate Hunter Carpenterjoined in 2019, bringing substantial corporate transactional and governance experience. Atlanta's talent diversification is a direct reflection of the growing needs of the office.
"Atlanta is a vital market for many of our clients, and it is home to a broad range of sectors that benefit from our experience," said Welch. "We will continue to expand the office to meet the demand of our clients, and reflect the core industries in the city."
Sul Kim, Partner, Labor and Employment Practice Group
Kim joins from Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP. She represents employers of all sizes in matters involving union organizing campaigns, National Labor Relations Board proceedings, workplace safety and health issues, race, national origin, age, disability, religion and sex discrimination and harassment claims, and wage and hour claims. Kim has deep experience with foreign-based international companies, especially those in the automotive and manufacturing sectors.
Erica Mason, Partner, Labor and Employment Practice Group
Mason joins from Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP. She is a seasoned litigator and advisor whose highly diverse, multilingual team, which includes members fluent in Chinese, Spanish, Korean and Tagalog, offers a strategic advantage to clients with increasingly multicultural and globalized workforces. As national and regional employment counsel for her clients, she routinely defends employment claims before state and federal courts and agencies across the country, including successfully litigating five sexual harassment class actions against the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and dozens of class and collective actions against privately represented individuals and groups.
Anthony Morris, Partner, Litigation Practice Group
Morris joins from Dentons US LLP. He focuses his practice on business litigation, in addition to professional ethics and entertainment. He represents some of the world’s largest companies, with an emphasis on multinational insurance companies, in complex litigation matters, including class actions. Morris litigates high dollar coverage claims with insureds and handles all types of coverage disputes, with a particular focus on those alleging bad faith, and has experience in the substantive law regarding first-party property loss. He also defends corporate directors and officers in negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and securities fraud claims, attorneys in malpractice claims, and entities in sexual misconduct claims involving their personnel. He also routinely represents clients in appellate courts.
Peter Spanos, Partner, Labor and Employment Practice Group
Spanos joins from Barnes & Thornburg LLP. He has decades of experience representing clients in all major areas of labor and employment law, including federal and state employment law guidance and litigation, wage and hour law compliance and claims, trade secrets, unfair competition, and non-competition matters. In addition, Spanos provides legal counsel pertaining to collective bargaining, union organizing, elections, unfair labor practices, grievances and strikes
Associate Ana Dowellalso joined the Atlanta office from Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart. She represents employers in a variety of employment law matters, including alleged violations of Title VII, ADA, FMLA, and FLSA.
The new additions further expand the national footprint of Akerman’s Labor and Employment and Litigation Practice Groups. Since the start of 2019, Akerman has attracted 14 commercial litigators and 10 lawyers experienced in employment law. Notable additions includelitigation partners Paul Douglasand Michael Kelly from Hogan Lovells in Washington D.C., Ferdose al-Taie from Dykema PLLC in Dallas, as well as labor and employment partnersMichael Gallion and David Van Pelt from Kelley Drye & Warren LLP in Los Angeles, and Damien DeLaney from Jackson Lewis P.C. in Los Angeles.
Within five years, Akerman has opened seven offices, including Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans and San Antonio, and most recently in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In Chicago, the firm has more than doubled the size of its office space to accommodate its rapid growth, raising headcount from eight lawyers when the office opened in 2014 to more than 50 today. Headcount in Texas has grown to nearly 60 litigation and transactional lawyers in four offices.
About Akerman
Akerman LLP is a top 100 U.S. law firm recognized among the most forward thinking firms in the industry by Financial Times. Its more than 700 lawyers and business professionals collaborate with the world’s most successful enterprises and entrepreneurs to navigate change, seize opportunities, and help drive innovation and growth. Akerman is known for its results in middle market M&A and complex disputes, and for helping clients achieve their most important business objectives in the financial services, real estate and other dynamic sectors across the United States and Latin America.
