Comings and Goings
► Greenberg Traurig: J. David Bournazian is joining the firm’s Litigation, Trial, Real Estate Litigation, Construction Law, and Retail Practices as a shareholder in the Orange County office. Bournazian previously worked as a partner for Troutman Sanders. “David’s experience in both the public and private sectors further enhances our capabilities and complements key practice areas,” Lori G. Cohen and Jeff E. Scott, the firm’s Litigation Practice co-chairs, said in a joint statement. “His addition is in keeping with our ongoing strategic growth and commitment to provide clients with high-level, sophisticated service across our platform.”
► Fisher Phillips: Spring Taylor joined the firm as an associate in its Kansas City office, where she will represent clients in employment litigation. She focuses on harassment claims, wrongful termination, retaliation, discrimination, misappropriation of trade secrets and noncompete litigation, and has experience with FMLA interference and retaliation claims.
Awards and Honors
► McDermott Will & Emery: Children’s Law Center, a Washington, D.C., based nonprofit, is honoring the firm as a “Pro Bono Champion” for its work on more than 80 pro bono matters with the center. “Health, education, family. For more than a decade, the McDermott team has partnered with Children’s Law Center to advocate for DC children – and they have done so with a passion for every aspect of our mission,” Judith Sandalow, CLC’s executive director, said in a press release. “From their pro bono work to piloting our first special education program, they have been trusted partners in child advocacy. We’re proud to name McDermott our 2018 Children’s Pro Bono Champion.”
► Reed Smith: The firm was recognized with Mansfield Certification on August 20, one of just over 40 firms to receive the designation since completing its one-year pilot. The Mansfield Certification measures a firm’s success in hiring and promoting female attorneys and attorneys of color. Reed Smith is now tracking its hiring and promotion processes to ensure that a diverse range of candidates are being considered. Per Reed Smith’s press release on the certification, “Diversity Lab has also announced that it has launched the 2.0 iteration of the Mansfield Rule, which runs from July 2018 to July 2019, with 65 law firms. New for this version, Mansfield 2.0 will include LGBTQ+ lawyers, as well as women and attorneys of color, as part of the diverse candidate pool”
In the Headlines
► Stoel Rives: Andrew J. Pieper, who represented the homeowners in a suit against the City of Mahtomedi, won a $750,000 settlement over stormwater flooding in the Glenmar neighborhood. The city did not admit to fault but did agree to pay the settlement figure and plans to undergo a project which will divert 75 percent of the stormwater, according to the Star Tribune.
The fault of the city lay partially on what were originally plans to alleviate the flooding. Homeowners claimed that, following the completion of a $1.5 million draining improvement project, the flooding on their properties had only grown worse. In response, “the homeowners filed a lawsuit against the city in November 2016 on claims of negligence, trespass, and nuisance, as well as unlawful takings without just compensation in violation of the Minnesota and U.S. constitutions,” Stoel Rives wrote in a press release on the settlement’s win.
The five homeowners involved in the lawsuit will go towards the property damage they have suffered from the flooding. Additionally, the city will pay for five years of their flood insurance premiums. The drainage improvement project is expected to be completed by 2023.
“I’m very pleased with the results that we achieved for my clients,” Pieper said in the release. “This settlement helps to make the current homeowners whole for their property damages, and will result in a significant repair to help them or others in the area avoid this situation in the future.”
