Boston, MA. Nixon Peabody is pleased to announce the promotion of 12 attorneys to counsel, representing each of the firm’s three legal departments and a wide variety of practice areas.
“The attorneys in our new counsel group have distinguished themselves through collaboration, an entrepreneurial spirit, outstanding legal and business acumen, and excellent client service,” said Stephen Zubiago, CEO and Managing Partner of Nixon Peabody. “This group represents our deep bench of talent, as well as our firm’s core values. I’m proud to announce their promotions and I look forward to their continued growth within the firm.”
Business & Finance Department
Pierce Han, Corporate, Washington, DC
Pierce represents public and private clients on a broad range of corporate matters, including federal securities laws, mergers and acquisitions, and international commercial transactions. Pierce is an active member, and former vice president of membership and board member, of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area, Inc. (APABA-DC). He was also recently selected as a 2019 Fellow of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s Leadership Advancement Program for the 2019–2020 year.
Litigation Department
Ravi Braich, Intellectual Property, Boston
Ravi leverages his doctoral degree in chemistry to help clients devise and pursue effective strategies for protecting their breakthrough technologies in the areas of chemicals, diagnostics, therapeutics, and pharmaceuticals. He focuses his practice on U.S. and foreign patent prosecution; opinion work; and counseling clients in the areas of chemicals, diagnostics, therapeutics, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and life sciences. Most recently, he has represented regional and national clients seeking patent protection for COVID-19 testing and treatment proposals. Outside the firm, Ravi is a member of the South Asian Bar Association and a variety of professional and community groups.
Erik Goergen, Complex Commercial Disputes, Buffalo
Erik represents regional, national, and international clients in complex commercial litigation in health care, employee benefits, aviation, and real estate, among other areas. He also has significant experience in appellate litigation, drawing upon his unique experience of clerking at both the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the New York State Court of Appeals. Outside the firm, Erik is an editor and author for the Defense Research Institute’s Appellate Advocacy Committee newsletter, and active in the New York Pro Bono Appeals Program. Erik is also involved in Western New York politics, and serves as an elected member of the Erie County Democratic Committee.
Kacey Houston Walker, Complex Commercial Disputes, Boston
Kacey represents clients in a range of complex commercial disputes in state and federal courts across the country. She guides clients through pre-suit problem-solving and advocates for their interests through every phase of litigation, including trial and appeal. Kacey focuses her commercial practice on trade-secret claims, partnership disputes, and land-use litigation. In addition, Kacey is a member of the firm’s Higher Education team and draws from her past experience in higher education administration to help colleges and universities approach and respond to the legal issues they face. She also maintains an active pro bono practice.
Jessica Jewell, Labor & Employment, Providence
Jessica works with national and regional clients on labor and employment matters, with a special focus on employment law and counseling. She has extensive experience in industries such as restaurants and food service, health care, technology, and nonprofit organizations, with a regional concentration across New England. She regularly defends employers against discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and whistleblower claims before federal and state courts and before administrative agencies. Jessica was recently named to the Providence Business News’ “40 Under Forty” list and was named by Rhode Island Lawyer’s Weekly as an “Up & Coming” attorney”.
William Kirby, Complex Commercial Disputes, Chicago
Bill represents clients in a wide variety of complex commercial litigation matters and business disputes. He focuses on developing and implementing comprehensive and aggressive defense strategies for clients facing wide-scale product liability actions throughout the U.S. Bill’s practice also includes representation of banks and financial industry regulators in complex financial services litigation, and prosecuting and defending trade secret misappropriation and restrictive covenant disputes on behalf of corporations and other business entities. When not working, Bill can be found playing sports with his kids, golfing, and (during the pandemic) watching Netflix with his wife.
David Tauster, Labor & Employment, Long Island
David focuses his practice on all aspects of labor and employment law, advising national and regional clients. He has significant experience in representing employers in all types of employment litigation—in state or federal court or before various administrative agencies. David also represents both small and large employers in connection with collective bargaining, grievance arbitrations, and proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board. As part of the firm’s nationwide team analyzing leave implications for the firm’s clients under the recently passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act, David quickly acclimated to New York’s separate COVID-19 legal scheme.
Elizabeth Zamora Meraz, Complex Commercial Disputes, Chicago
Elizabeth is an experienced litigator in both state courts and arbitrations. She represents clients in medical device and pharmaceutical cases, as well as real estate litigation. Her areas of focus include Medicare compliance arbitrations, pharmacy payor and payee disputes, and breach of contract and fraud claims involving health care companies regulated by Medicare and HIPAA. In real estate litigation, Elizabeth’s practice covers a variety of areas, from advising institutional lenders on the foreclosure of commercial properties to representing parties in disputes over easements and zoning to disputes between contractors in residential real estate development projects. Elizabeth is also a member of the firm’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Committee and Deputy Leader of the Litigation Department’s Medical Device, Pharmaceuticals, and Diagnostic Health team.
Project Finance, Infrastructure & Real Estate Department
Julia Casteleiro, Affordable Housing & Real Estate, New York City
Julia represents for-profit and nonprofit developers of multifamily housing with leasing, acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, and financing throughout the country, with a focus on the New York metropolitan area. While Julia has a background in general real estate, she enjoys focusing on affordable housing as she is driven by the social impact of the field and the understanding that stable, quality, affordable housing is an essential right. Julia is a member of Nixon Peabody’s LGBTQ Resource Group and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Committee. Outside of work, Julia stays active in politics, volunteering with candidates who focus on advocacy for underrepresented communities.
Abby Patterson, Affordable Housing & Real Estate, New York City
Abby represents affordable housing owners and developers, both nonprofit and for-profit, large organizations, and small family businesses in all aspects of the development process, from acquisition and construction loan closings to operations, regulatory matters, and dispositions. She has extensive experience in utilizing federal, state, and municipal affordable housing programs, with a particular emphasis on tax-exempt bonds, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and tax exemptions and abatements. Her enduring fascination with cities and urban planning means that Abby finds the public-private nature of affordable housing transactions, and their consequent complexity, interesting and meaningful. Abby is a member of the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on Housing and Urban Development and of Women in Housing and Finance of New York City.
Alex Rosso, Affordable Housing & Real Estate, Boston
Alex represents clients in real estate transactions involving all aspects of affordable housing development, especially those that include financing insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). He regularly works on projects that involve mixed financing comprised of equity and debt funding sources, typically receiving Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and tax-exempt bond proceeds. Alex helps developers leverage resources for the acquisition, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable housing. Alex has in-depth knowledge of regulations from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and FHA, in addition to extensive experience in working with loans securitized by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Michael Webb, Affordable Housing & Real Estate, Long Island
Michael’s practice encompasses all areas of real estate. He handles a broad array of commercial transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, complex financings, mezzanine financing, and leasing. His clients include landlords, tenants, buyers, and sellers of commercial, retail, and industrial properties around the country, in addition to investors and stakeholders in both simple and complex property transactions. Michael frequently manages the real estate aspects of non-real estate deals, working closely with the firm’s Health Care, Corporate, and Project Finance and Public Finance practices. Michael is also passionate about pro bono service.
