Maisa Nikkola

Chris Douglas is active in Alston & Bird’s pre-grant and post-grant patent practice areas. Chris represents both petitioners and patent owners in post-grant proceedings and is recognized as one of the more active post-grant practitioners nationwide. Chris remains one of the few practitioners to tout confirmation of all claims in an inter partes review in a final written decision on behalf of a patent owner. In addition, he maintains a robust pre-grant patent prosecution practice. Hi...

Joseph Schouten is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Intellectual Property. Joseph, who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Joseph is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

BACKGROUND Tim Boller's practice focuses on electrical patent prosecution and intellectual property litigation. He graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering (1986) and received a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center (1994). EXPERIENCE After receiving his J.D., Tim was a judicial clerk to U.S. District Court Judge J. Thomas Marten and was a research attorney for the Kansas Court of Appeals. He has extensive research and legislative assistant experience...

Sharon Schneier is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Media Law. Sharon, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sharon is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Anita Pelletier is Counsel in Nixon Peabody's nonprofit practice group. She advises nonprofit organizations in matters relating to legal requirements and best practices in connection with governance and operational matters. I focus my practice on three main areas, building on over 10 years of experience assisting nonprofit clients to operate as effectively and efficiently as possible. Nonprofit Corporate Governance and Board Disputes I’ve represented organizations ranging from the very ...

Brian S. Chacker is a seasoned, elite trial attorney. Brian has earned an extraordinary representation as a passionate fighter for his clients. With verdicts reaching $14 Million+ and other top-100 annual verdicts/settlements in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Brian has a well-known and well-earned reputation for results . As he has achieved multi-million-dollar results for clients, Brian’s verdicts and settlements for clients, along with quotes from Brian, have headlined legal newspa...

Florida attorney, Jay Cohen focuses his practice in Plaintiff Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice. As a senior partner at Cohen, Blostein & Ayala, P.A. , he represents individuals and families who have suffered catastrophic loss due to the negligence of others. His experience and professionalism have earned him membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates, peer recognition from Super Lawyers, Florida’s Legal Elite and The Best Lawyers® in America, and an AV Preeminent...

Walter J. Brand heads the Employment and Labor Practice Group at Watkins & Eager PLLC, where he has defended employment litigation for more than twenty years. Walter approaches his practice with the view that successful defense of employment claims begins long before a lawsuit is filed and requires three essential components: (1) fair, accurate and documented handling of personnel actions based on updated employer policies; (2) cogent explanation of employer action before administrative a...

Al Holifield is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and Litigation - ERISA. Al, who practices law in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Al is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Tom Ludwiski counsels clients in finance and tax-related issues involved in real estate and economic development transactions. He represents developers in the allocation and monetization of state and local tax credits and investors in the acquisition of credits. He also advises clients investing in projects located in Qualified Opportunity Zones and forming Qualified Opportunity Funds in order to finance those projects. He serves as bond counsel, borrower’s counsel and issuer’s co...