New York – December 18, 2018 – Stroock is pleased to announce the promotion of two lawyers to partner and six lawyers to special counsel, effective January 1, 2019.
"This accomplished team of young lawyers has shown significant leadership within our firm and the broader legal profession, and they have provided an outstanding level of service and dedication to our clients," Stroock co-managing partner Jeff Keitelman said. "We are proud of their accomplishments thus far and look forward to the continued value they bring to our firm and clients."
The new partners and special counsel are:
Alon M. Goldberger (Partner: Financial Restructuring, New York): Goldberger focuses his practice on a variety of complex finance transactions, with an emphasis in debt finance. He represents agents, lenders, public and private borrowers, private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, business development companies, and other providers (bank and non-bank) of senior and subordinated debt financing. He also advises clients across a variety of industries and business structures on a broad range of financing transactions, including first- and second-lien revolving and term-loan credit facilities, asset-based and cash-flow based lending, acquisition financing, unitranche credit facilities, refinancings, recapitalizations and both in-court and out-of-court restructurings. Goldberger is nationally recommended by The Legal 500 United States and has been recognized as a "Rising Star" by IFLR1000. He received his law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Touro College.
Justin R. Steinmark (Partner: Real Estate, Miami): Steinmark focuses his practice on real estate transactions and financial institution matters, representing lenders, borrowers and developers in all aspects of commercial real estate financing. He also has experience with loan restructuring and workout/foreclosure alternatives for distressed loans. His experience ranges across all major real estate asset categories and financing structures, including permanent, bridge, construction and mezzanine financings, as well as the sale, securitization and financing of commercial real estate debt. He received his law degree from Cornell Law School and his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from University of Miami.
Daniel N. Bertaccini (Special Counsel: Financial Services Litigation, Enforcement and Regulation, New York): Bertaccini represents financial institutions and financial services companies in individual and class actions in federal and state court. A former law clerk to the Hon. Loretta A. Preska, Chief U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York, Bertaccini also litigates civil matters at both the trial and appellate level, with a particular emphasis on civil procedure and class action litigation. He also regularly represents companies in matters involving state attorneys general, including defending companies in individual state and multistate investigations, and has substantial experience conducting internal investigations, including in response to shareholder demands. Bertaccini received his law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he served as executive editor of the Cardozo Law Review, and his undergraduate degree from Vassar College.
Christopher R. Fredrich (Special Counsel: Financial Services Litigation, Enforcement and Regulation, Los Angeles): Fredrich focuses his practice on complex civil litigation, with an emphasis in financial services matters and consumer class and individual action defense. He represents banks, lenders, loan servicers, investors and other financial institutions in state and federal court proceedings at both the trial and appellate levels. He has significant experience litigating claims arising under the Truth in Lending Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Telephone Consumer Protection Act, as well as claims based on state laws regulating debt collection, loan servicing, loss mitigation and foreclosure practices. Fredrich has defended multiple actions alleging violations of state consumer protection laws, including California's Unfair Competition Law and Rosenthal Act, and also has significant experience advising clients in regulatory and compliance matters, including conducting comprehensive internal procedure reviews, assessing risk in connection with institutional investment opportunities, and counseling clients on privacy and data breach notification issues. He maintains an active pro bono practice and has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Southern California "Rising Star" for Consumer Law and Civil Litigation Defense. Chris received his law degree from University of California, Hastings College of the Law and his undergraduate degree from University of California, San Diego.
Christopher Guhin (Special Counsel: Financial Restructuring, New York): Guhin has a diverse litigation and corporate restructuring practice focused on providing counsel to banks, private equity funds, hedge funds and large investment managers. He specializes in the analysis of legal rights and obligations under complex contracts and developing strategies to maximize clients' leverage. Guhin is currently representing two investment banks in a contractual dispute with a mutual client who failed to pay fees owed upon consummation of a tender offer, and an investment bank in a contractual dispute with former employees of an Australian subsidiary. He spent part of 2013 and 2014 seconded to the compliance division of a major investment bank. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Brown University.
Patrick N. Petrocelli (Special Counsel: Regulation and Enforcement, Financial Services Litigation, New York): Patrick Petrocelli joined the firm as an associate in 2011 after working as a summer associate in 2009. Patrick's practice focuses on regulatory enforcement and financial services litigation. He has represented corporate and individual clients in investigations before the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, and the New York Attorney General's Office. Patrick has also served as trial and appellate counsel in federal and state courts and before arbitral tribunals. Prior to re-joining Stroock, Patrick served as a law clerk to the Honorable Brian M. Cogan of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. He received his law degree, summa cum laude, from Pace University School of Law and his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Boston University.
Shannon Reaves (Special Counsel: National Security/CFIUS, Washington): Reaves focuses his practice in the areas of Exon-Florio reviews before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), industrial security, including Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) mitigation matters before the U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy, and export control compliance. He represents clients in pre-CFIUS filing analysis, CFIUS reviews and investigations and advising companies regarding FOCI mitigation/negation compliance issues and major defense industry acquisitions. He has also participated in hundreds of CFIUS reviews, has conducted industrial security due diligence for transactions and has investigated export control violations. He has been recognized by Chambers USA as an "Associate to Watch" for his work in the practice area of International Trade: CFIUS Experts. He received his law degree from American University and his undergraduate degree from University of Virginia.
Alisa Taormina (Special Counsel: Financial Services Litigation, Enforcement and Regulation, Miami): Taormina handles complex litigation, including both individual and class actions, with extensive knowledge of state and federal laws relating to debt collection, credit reporting, unfair business practices and other consumer protection statutes. She represents an array of companies, including credit card issuers, mortgage lenders, consumer reporting agencies and student lenders. She has been recognized by Super Lawyers in Florida as a "Rising Star." She received her law degree from University of Miami School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University.