McGuireWoods Elects Largest-Ever Class of New Partners for 2022

November 15, 2021

McGuireWoods elected 23 new partners effective Jan. 1, 2022, its largest-ever class of new partners. The class spans nine of the firm’s U.S. offices and McGuireWoods London and covers a range of practice areas.

  • Trey Andrews (Healthcare, Century City) represents private equity funds, family offices and institutional co-investors, independent sponsors, public and private companies, and executives in healthcare transactional and regulatory matters.
  • Brett W. Barnett (Business & Securities Litigation, Chicago) focuses on matters involving the False Claims Act, payor-provider disputes, restrictive covenants, shareholder and partnership disputes, and contract disputes. He co-founded McGuireWoods’ False Claims Act blog, The FCA Insider.
  • McKenzie Carson (M&A and Energy Transactional, Richmond) represents public and private companies and private equity funds in transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, venture capital investments, securities offerings and corporate governance matters. She counsels clients across industries, including consumer packaged goods, retail, finance, insurance and manufacturing.
  • Amanda L. DeFord (IP Litigation & Transactions, Richmond) handles intellectual property litigation, with an emphasis on trademarks, copyrights, domain names and unfair competition. She also represents clients in M&A litigation.
  • Gregory J. DuBoff (Business & Securities Litigation, Richmond) represents companies in complex commercial litigation and arbitration, product liability and personal injury matters. He sits on the steering committee for the firm’s Appellate Justice Initiative.
  • Timothy J. Fry (Healthcare, Chicago) advises healthcare providers, private equity sponsors and other investors on healthcare transactional and regulatory matters, including the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law, Medicare policy, state fraud and abuse laws, and state licensure and certificate of need rules, among other regulatory schemes.
  • Nicholas J. Giles (Antitrust, Trade & Commercial Litigation, Richmond) focuses on antitrust law and class-action defense. His experience spans multiple industries and a range of substantive allegations. His recent engagements include representation of a building products client in a class action alleging price-fixing and a transportation industry client in a class action alleging a nationwide no-poach conspiracy.
  • Benjamin F. Hantz (Corporate & Private Equity, Pittsburgh) represents private equity funds, independent sponsors, mezzanine finance funds, family offices and institutional co-investors, public and privately held companies, and executives in transactional matters, including acquisitions, divestitures, equity investments and recapitalizations.
  • Charles C. Harris (Healthcare, Richmond) advises physician practice management platforms, investors, payors and other companies in the healthcare sector on transactional and regulatory matters, including corporate practice of medicine, fraud and abuse, and operational issues.
  • Karl Hemingway (M&A and Energy Transactional, London) focuses on UK and international mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, private equity, corporate reorganizations, corporate governance, partnerships and joint ventures in industries including healthcare, life sciences, telecommunications, retail, energy and natural resources.
  • Nicholas J. Hoffman (Products, Environmental & Mass Torts Litigation, Los Angeles) handles product liability, mass tort, intellectual property, unfair competition, business tort and other complex commercial disputes in industries including technology, biotech, medical devices, consumer products and entertainment.
  • John B. Hoke (Securities & Capital Markets, Charlotte) counsels on securities law compliance, capital raising and public-company governance matters. He advises public and private companies, private equity funds, family offices and independent sponsors on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and growth equity, venture capital and other financing investments.
  • Brandi Howard (Government Investigations & White Collar Litigation, Washington, D.C.) defends clients against allegations of False Claims Act violations and represents clients in internal investigations and enforcement actions involving healthcare fraud, antitrust issues and anti-money laundering issues.
  • Samuel F. Kettering (M&A and Energy Transactional, Richmond) advises utilities, project sponsors and investors in the development and financing of energy and infrastructure projects. Kettering also counsels on joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and energy regulatory filings and proceedings.
  • Yoojin Lee (Debt Finance, Los Angeles) represents financial institutions in domestic and international secured lending transactions with an emphasis on asset-based lending. She works on syndicated credit facilities, acquisition financing transactions and debtor-in-possession financing transactions.
  • Sarah Bosse Martin (Corporate & Private Equity, Charlotte) focuses on mergers and acquisitions and private equity investments representing public and private companies and private equity funds and their portfolio investments. She also handles general corporate matters.
  • Ashley B. Matthews (Regulatory & Compliance, Charlottesville) advises retailers and financial institutions on consumer financial services, privacy and security, and governance matters. She is a board member of the Virginia Equality Bar Association.
  • Wolfgang McGavran (Business & Securities Litigation, Washington, D.C.) represents clients in commercial disputes and trade secret, financial, environmental and energy litigation. He serves clients in industries including technology, energy, banking and manufacturing. 
  • Emilie J. McNally (M&A and Energy Transactional, Richmond) represents buyers, sellers and developers on transactional and advisory matters in energy-related projects and transactions. She has experience in the renewable energy, power, and oil and gas sectors.
  • Richmond McPherson III (Financial Services Litigation, Charlotte) represents businesses in banking and financial services matters; product liability claims; and other government enforcement and regulatory issues, including compliance with laws governing banks and their consumer lending and collection activities.
  • Summer L. Speight (Labor & Employment, Richmond) counsels employers in employment-related litigation, labor law and ERISA litigation. She advises on issues such as discipline, discharge, reduction in force, and leave and accommodation, and on drafting or revising employee handbooks, policies and agreements.
  • Chloe S. Steele (Business & Securities Litigation, London) represents clients in commercial disputes. She handles UK proceedings — often with an international dimension — in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, county courts, tribunals and London Court of International Arbitration.
  • John E. Thomas Jr. (Labor & Employment, Tysons) represents employers in disputes involving misappropriation of trade secrets, covenants not to compete, breaches of contract and defamation, as well as wage-and-hour, leave and discrimination laws. He is the author of An Employer’s Guide to D.C. Employment Statutes.

“Our new partnership class reflects the depth of talent in our litigation and corporate practices throughout the U.S. and in London,” said J. Tracy Walker IV, McGuireWoods’ managing partner. “These talented lawyers have impressed us all with their abilities and commitment to client service excellence, and we are proud to welcome them as partners.”