Athanasia G. Tsene

Brett Crane has served as the Firm’s Managing Partner since 2008. His practice concentrates in the areas of corporate law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financing, securities, private equity and emerging businesses, venture capital transactions, family-owned businesses and succession planning, and counseling with respect to business issues, compliance and contract negotiation. He has extensive experience representing clients in various industries and servi...

Eric Fisher is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Eric, who practices law in Miami, Florida, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Eric is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jim Marrow is an experienced trial lawyer and appellate specialist. He has developed cases and arbitration matters from beginning to end, including appeal. Jim has tried cases on both sides of the docket, winning judgments for plaintiffs and defendants, and has handled civil appeals and mandamus proceedings in state and federal courts. Jim has extensive appellate experience and has successfully obtained several appellate reversals and writs of mandamus for his clients. Jim also has particular...

Frank makes it a goal to close his complex deals on his client's desired timeline. To accomplish this, he keeps a rigorous focus on the end game. He emphasizes his client's key objectives without wasting time negotiating irrelevant provisions. That approach allowed him to close a large portfolio loan of 10 assets in just 15 business days for one of the world's largest banks. Executing the deal in such a short timeframe was all the more impressive because it was his client's first deal with th...

Carolyn Shellman is a highly skilled attorney, an excellent communicator, and an effective leader. She is experienced at developing regulatory and legislative policy strategies for renewable and disruptive technologies in the energy industry and provides advice on complex energy transactions. Carolyn is also experienced with governance and compliance issues and possesses deep subject matter expertise in the electric utility industry and in navigating energy market issues. She helps market par...

Jodi H. Epstein is a partner in Ivins, Phillips & Barker's Employee Benefits practice. She focuses on qualified plans, with particular expertise in integrations after acquisitions, setting up benefit platforms, and advising qualified plan committees regarding their fiduciary duties. Jodi’s practice includes day-to-day compliance issues, such as assisting with implementation of new legislation and regulations, filing determination letter applications for qualified plans, trouble-shoo...

Area of Emphasis Rick Wiedman is a shareholder in the Environmental Group of Babst Calland. Mr. Wiedman has concentrated his practice in the areas of environmental business counseling and environmental litigation since 1980. He represents clients before federal and state environmental agencies, counsels clients on regulatory compliance issues, and advises on environmental considerations in a variety of business transactions. He also devotes significant time to the negotiation and prosecution ...

Donald R. McMinn litigates a variety of complex civil matters. He has considerable experience defending clients involved in MDL proceedings, from the petition for MDL status through the trial or settlement of “bellwether” plaintiffs. He leads both Firm attorney teams and local counsel teams in implementing a unified and consistent strategy across multiple jurisdictions in which simultaneous litigation is proceeding. He conducts depositions, develops expert testimony concerning cau...

Katherine G. Karres is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Katherine G., who practices law in Indianapolis, Indiana, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Katherine G. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

John is the managing partner of the firm’s Capital District Offices in Albany and Saratoga Springs. He advises clients on various legal and regulatory issues. For example, as part of the Energy Team, John successfully represented the owners of nuclear and coal-fired electric generating facilities before the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) in connection with securing three reliability support services agreements (RSSA) with two upstate utilities. He also represents a natio...