Boston, MA. Nixon Peabody LLP is proud to announce the firm’s 2025 new partner class, a mix of litigators and transactional attorneys from a range of practice areas.
Each of this year’s six new partners is being elevated from counsel, underscoring the integral nature of Nixon Peabody’s counsel program as a stepping-stone to partner. The firm’s counsel program offers training and mentoring for lawyers to develop strengths in areas key to partnership success.
“Our new partners exemplify our firm’s dedication to providing exceptional client service, and we are honored to welcome them to our partnership,” said Stephen D. Zubiago, Nixon Peabody CEO and managing partner. “Each attorney delivers positive results to our clients, demonstrates leadership within our firm, and embodies our core values in the communities where we work.”
The new partner promotions take effect February 1, 2025. This year’s class comprises attorneys from coast to coast and represents various practice areas, including affordable housing and real estate, community development finance, complex disputes, and privacy and technology.
Nixon Peabody’s 2025 Partner Class
Litigation
Paul Downs, Complex Disputes, New York
Focusing his practice on a wide array of industries, including banking and finance, biotech/pharma, real estate, renewable energy, environmental, food and beverage, entertainment, gaming, and technology, Paul has distinguished himself as a go-to New York litigator. His skill in navigating high-stakes legal disputes is an asset to clients of all sizes, from Fortune 500 companies to high-net-worth individuals. Paul is also active in the legal community. He serves as the editor of the New York Commercial Division Practice Guide, part of Bloomberg Law’s Litigation Practice Portfolio series, a New York Law Journal columnist, an adjunct professor of law at Fordham University, and the co-chair of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Commercial Division Committee.
Eric Ferrante, Complex Disputes, Rochester
Eric is a highly skilled litigator with extensive experience representing nationally recognized public and private companies in all types of commercial litigation, including contract disputes, business torts, and other commercial and financial matters. Eric’s practice encompasses commercial litigation across a range of industries and subject matters, including land use, renewable energy, banking, food and beverage, and healthcare. He also has developed a practice in federal alcohol licensing and regulatory guidance, advising clients across the alcohol beverage space on federal permitting and compliance issues and devising innovative solutions that position his clients for success. Outside his immediate practice, Eric maintains an active pro bono practice and serves as co-chair of the Monroe County (New York) Bar Association’s Litigation Section. He was selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2025 in the fields of alternative dispute resolution, appellate practice, and commercial litigation.
Christina Kurow, Complex Disputes, Chicago
Christie is a commercial litigator representing clients in state and federal courts and arbitrations nationwide. Her practice encompasses litigation involving breaches of contract, trade secret misappropriation, tortious interference, restrictive covenants, fraud, fiduciary duty claims, and product liability. She is also a highly regarded thought leader on fiduciary/ethical obligations in the attorney/law firm context. Within the firm, Christie leads the Chicago Women’s Resource Group and serves on the firm’s Professional Personnel Committee, which focuses on mentorship and career development initiatives, in addition to distinguishing herself as a leader of the firm’s DEI and pro bono initiatives. She has been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch since 2024.
Andrew Winetroub, Privacy & Technology, San Francisco
In his national practice, Andrew represents clients—ranging from iconic global brands to emerging startups—in complex intellectual property, trade secret, and high-end business litigation. With deep industry knowledge related to the data privacy space, he has also been at the forefront of defending clients in significant data breach class-action cases. He has been recognized at Nixon Peabody as a Pro Bono Champion, which has involved work with Ukrainian families and others seeking asylum in the United States. He was selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2024 in the field of commercial litigation and recommended in The Legal 500 for intellectual property–trade secrets.
Project Finance, Infrastructure, and Real Estate
Rebecca Simon, Affordable Housing & Real Estate, Washington, DC
Rebecca leverages her public-sector experience to counsel clients as they navigate regulatory matters in the multifamily affordable housing space. She represents developers, owners, public housing authorities, management agents, and other clients in the development, rehabilitation, and preservation of vital affordable housing across the country. In addition to representing clients on affordable housing matters and applications before the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the US Department of Agriculture, Rebecca assists clients facing federal enforcement actions related to the ownership and management of affordable housing properties. Outside of the firm, she serves on the board of the Women’s Bar Association of DC and the junior board of the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project.
Justin Fitzgerald, Community Development Finance, Boston
Justin’s community development finance practice focuses on the use of low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) and new markets tax credits (NMTC) to help fund high-impact development projects. Justin works with a wide variety of investors, lenders, and developers to use critical tax credits that draw private capital into underserved communities. He works with clients to structure transactions that finance projects across the United States, including the development, construction, and rehabilitation of affordable housing, hospitals and health clinics, educational facilities, and large-scale mixed-use developments. Justin also represents institutional tax equity investors in both proprietary and multi-investor investments in LIHTC and NMTC funds and projects. He was selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2024 in the field of real estate law.
