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On the Docket 6-18
Coffey Modica adds partners for complex defense litigation
Leading defense litigation firm Coffey Modica LLP has brought on two new partners for its 14 Wall Street office, who aim to increase the practice’s ability to represent businesses and insurance companies in various matters.
Christopher Delamere Clarke has been a trial attorney for more than 30 years with experience arguing appeals in the Appellate Divisions, First and Second Departments, and the United States Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit. His practice is focused on negligence, transportation, trucking, civil rights, construction, medical malpractice, complex litigation, abuse, and mass tort matters.
Clara Villarreal, meanwhile, also has a lengthy 35-year legal career, including more than 100 jury trials and verdicts. Her practice focuses largely on high-exposure, multi-million-dollar, complex litigations across a range of areas, including construction accidents, emergency response, premises liability, product liability defense, trucking and transportation, and municipal liability.
“Christopher Clarke and Clara Villarreal each have decades of experience leading high-stakes litigation on behalf of clients, and have distinguished themselves with an absolutely sterling reputation among both clients and members of the Bar Association,” said Michael Coffey, Founding Partner. “Together they make up a significant addition to the Coffey Modica practice.”
Clarke is a member of the New York Bar Association, New York County Trial Lawyers Association, and Suffolk County Bar Association. He earned his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School after obtaining a B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany.
“Throughout my legal career, I have had the privilege of going up against some of the litigators at Coffey Modica and believe them to be formidable in the courtroom,” said Clarke. “The team the firm has built in just five years is impressive and I am delighted to now join the partnership.”
Villarreal was admitted to practice in the US District Court for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York and previously acted as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of New York. She attended St. John’s University as an undergraduate before obtaining her J.D. from New York Law School.
“Coffey Modica has some of the top talent within the legal industry, many of whom I have grown to respect throughout my career,” said Villarreal. “I look forward to joining as a partner and further propelling the legal standard for excellence on which the firm has focused for the past five years.”
Sidley adds Sumita Ahuja to deepen financial law bench
New Sidley partner Sumita Ahuja.Sidley
Sidley’s New York office has welcomed Sumita Ahuja, formerly of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz LLP, to its Global Finance practice.
In her new role, Ahuja is focusing on representing private equity sponsors, corporate borrowers, lead banks, and financial institutions across a broad range of domestic and cross-border financing transactions. She has extensive experience advising on syndicated and direct lending transactions, as well as secured and mezzanine financings, acquisition and bridge financings, refinancing facilities, and other bespoke capital solutions.
“Sumita’s track record advising on complex, high-stakes financing and restructuring matters makes her a natural fit for our global finance practice. Her experience with sophisticated clients and transactions should allow for an immediate and seamless integration,” said Brian Fahrney, Sidley’s executive committee chair. “Following Jeff Ross’s recent arrival, adding another senior New York-based partner of this caliber further deepens our bench and strengthens our ability to scale the platform both in New York and across the firm.”
Ahuja’s arrival follows Sidley’s addition of more than a dozen Global Finance partners in the last 24 months. The firm is consistently recognized as having one of the world’s leading finance practices, with more than 200 lawyers practicing across a wide variety of industries.
King & Spalding adds former antitrust prosecutor to practice
Ryan Tansey, former chief of the Washington Criminal Section of the U.S. Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, is now a partner at King & Spalding for its New York office.King & Spalding
Ryan Tansey, former chief of the Washington Criminal Section of the U.S. Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, is now a partner at King & Spalding for its New York office.
The firm says Tansey is part of its business litigation practice and brings “significant experience” in a wide variety of areas, including transportation, pharmaceuticals, financial services, technology, construction, real estate, energy, and defense.
“Ryan’s arrival demonstrates our continuing investment in enhancing the Firm’s antitrust capabilities,” said Damien Marshall, co-leader of the firm’s Business Litigation practice group. “Ryan Is a leading practitioner and his DOJ experience, both trying cases and leading investigations, will be invaluable to our clients facing increasingly active antitrust enforcement.”
At King & Spalding, Tansey will represent clients in criminal and civil antitrust matters, follow-on class action litigation, and broader commercial disputes.
“King & Spalding offers a compelling platform for me to build a practice that bridges criminal and civil antitrust work,” said Tansey. “The firm’s strength in complex litigation and its cross-practice collaboration create opportunities to deliver comprehensive solutions to clients facing government investigations and related civil and criminal exposure, and I look forward to working with colleagues across the firm to expand this work.”
Tansey joined the DOJ in 2017 and served in multiple roles, including 4 1/2 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Earlier in his career, he was in private practice at another international law firm where he focused on civil and criminal antitrust litigation. He received his J.D. from the University of Virginia and his B.A. from the University of Connecticut.
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