Meet the Team
Michael Gilligan
Partner, CorporateMichael is particularly known for his skill in structuring and executing domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, private placements, and restructurings, as well as advising on corporate governance, proxy contests, and joint ventures. Michael has led numerous buy-side and sell-side M&A transactions and regularly advises boards and senior executives on corporate finance, governance, and disclosure matters.
Michael holds a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and a B.S. in Biomedical/Medical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
Others in this Department
Christopher S. Harrison
Partner, M&A
Chambers-ranked for M&A, leads M&A practice. Former Co-Head of market-leading Investment Management M&A practice of Schulte Roth and former Cravath associate. Taught Negotiating M&A at NYU Law for 11 years and published a book on M&A with Bloomberg (#1 New Release on Amazon).
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Jeremy L. Goldstein
Partner, Executive Compensation
Former Wachtell Lipton partner. Involved in over $3 trillion of M&A over his career. Leading executive compensation lawyer in Chambers. J.D. from NYU. BA cum laude from Cornell.
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Daniel Cooper
Partner and Head, Private Wealth
Chambers-ranked private wealth lawyer. Former partner at Morgan Lewis. Advises UHNW individuals and families on estate and gift planning, business succession etc. LLM from NYU, JD from Virginia.
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Paul Jebely
Partner and Vice Chair, International
Top global private aviation attorney for UHNW individuals. “Private Aviation & Yachts Lawyer of the Year”, “Private Wealth Lawyer of the Year” and longstanding Band 1 ranking (HNW – Private Aircraft) in Chambers. Lead counsel on $23 billion in aircraft transactions. Founder and Chair of The Hague Court of Arbitration for Aviation.
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Lawrence Waks
Partner, Corporate
Leading corporate lawyer representing A-list celebrities, high-profile individuals and brands on major transactions. Counsel on notable deals including Casamigos Tequila’s $1b sale (representing George Clooney etc.) and $600m sale of Aviation Gin (part-owned by Ryan Reynolds) and Davos Brands. Recognized in Best Lawyers in America and Texas Super Lawyers.
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Kristy Fields
Partner, Executive Compensation
Executive compensation partner with deep experience in M&A and private equity. Previously a partner at Simpson Thacher. Recognized by Super Lawyers (2020-2024).
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Emalee Welsh
Partner and Deputy Head, Private Wealth
Partner and trusted advisor to UHNW individuals, entrepreneurs, and family offices on sophisticated wealth transfer and tax planning. Formerly at Morgan Lewis and a federal law clerk. Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch and a graduate of ACTEC’s Mid-Atlantic Fellows Institute.
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Daniel Carmody
Partner, Tax and Private Wealth
Leading tax advisor on complex domestic and international matters. Former Partner at Morgan Lewis, and served in senior roles at PwC and the IRS Office of Chief Counsel. Recognized in Best Lawyers and Legal 500; adjunct professor in Villanova’s Graduate Tax Program.
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Todd McClelland
Partner, Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, AI and Litigation
Partner in Sterlington’s Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, AI and Litigation practices, focusing on cybersecurity, data privacy and technology law. Formerly Head of Global Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Group at McDermott, Will & Emery. Recognized by The Legal 500 US and The Best Lawyers in America for Privacy and Data Security and named “Lawyer of the Year” in IT Outsourcing Law.
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Brian Slater
Partner and Co-Head, Intellectual Property
IP and Life Sciences Partner and Co-Head of IP practice. Lead trial lawyer in high-stakes IP disputes, including Hatch-Waxman patent litigations. Former Chair of Life Sciences at Kramer Levin and served on the management committee of IP boutique, Fitzpatrick Cella (now Venable LLP). Recognized in: IAM Patent 1000’s The World’s Leading Patent Professionals. LL.M. from the University of Pennsylvania (Thouron Scholar).
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Yvette Teofan
Of Counsel, Investment Management
Investment management and M&A attorney with experience in fund formation and cross-border transactions. Former Cleary Gottlieb partner, in New York and Paris. JD from Yale (law review editor), and BA from Stanford.
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Robert Kantowitz
Partner, Tax
Over 40 years of tax law expertise. Former MD at JP Morgan, Merrill/BofA, UBS, and SocGen, where he focused on deal structuring and new product development. JD from Harvard (executive editor of Harvard Law Review), tax LLM from NYU, and Master’s degree in Physics.
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Ken Lee
Partner, Finance
Partner in Sterlington’s Finance practice, with a focus on asset trading and finance. Former Counsel at Clifford Chance NY. J.D. from Cornell Law. BA in Business Administration and Management from Korea University.
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Michael Smith
Partner, Corporate
Senior international corporate lawyer. Practiced at Clifford Chance and Skadden Arps. Helped to open the New York Office of Patton Boggs and was head of SPAC Advisory Group at Nixon Peabody.
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Gregory Sephton
Partner and Co-Head, Intellectual Property
IP and Life Sciences Partner and Co-Head of Sterlington’s IP practice. Extensive experience in high-stakes patent litigation for pharmaceutical and biotech innovators. Former partner at Kramer Levin and at Fitzpatrick Cella (now Venable LLP). Ph.D. in biochemistry from Brandeis University and J.D. from Suffolk University.
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Ivy Dodes
Of Counsel, Investment Management
Corporate and investment management lawyer. Former COO, GC, and MD of a PE division of Credit Suisse Asset Management. Former associate at what is now Norton Rose Fulbright.
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Mary Messihi
Partner, Trusts & Estates
Trusts & estates lawyer. Ran a multi-billion-dollar single-family office serving more than 200 family members across six generations. LLM from NYU Law.
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Cody Wamsley, CISSP
Partner, Cybersecurity, Data Privacy and Intellectual Property
Partner in Sterlington’s Cybersecurity & Data Privacy and IP practices. Held senior in-house roles at Coinbase, Oracle, American Express, and 3M. Previously senior associate in Dorsey & Whitney’s Cybersecurity & Privacy practice. LL.M. in IP Law from George Washington. J.D. from University of Kansas.
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Jamie Sklar
Of Counsel, Corporate
Corporate attorney. 25 years’ experience managing complex transactions/corporate matters. Emphasis on PE, M&A, JVs, and fund formation matters. Former In-House at Credit Suisse Asset Management. Worked at White & Case and Sidley Austin. LL.B., B.C.L., and M.B.A. from McGill University.
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Geoffrey Raicht
Of Counsel
Of counsel in Sterlington’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring practice. Former partner at Sidley, McDermott, Proskauer, and Haynes and Boone. Recognized by The Legal 500 as a leading lawyer. Earned JD from CUNY Law School, and MPA and BA from NYU.
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Stuart Daroca
Partner, Corporate
Partner in Corporate practice. Former Associate GC at AIG, GC/Chief Legal Officer at B2B real estate firms, Senior Legal Counsel at Citigroup. Former associate at Skadden. JD from Georgetown University Law Center (senior editor of Law and Policy in Int’l Business Journal). BA from UC Berkeley.
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Teresa “Teri” F. Santos
Partner, Employment Law and Head, General Counsel Services
Partner and Head of General Counsel Services practice. Former GC and CCO of both NASDAQ-listed and private equity-owned companies. Former Reed Smith associate. JD from Georgetown.
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Yan Yuan
Partner, Corporate
Partner in cross-border corporate practice, focusing on M&A, private capital, joint ventures, investment and cross-border transactions. Previously a partner at Ashurst and counsel at Clifford Chance. Recognized by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific as a Next Generation Partner and Rising Star. J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
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Tina Lee Jebely
Counsel
Counsel in corporate practice, with a focus on capital markets. Previously at Latham & Watkins and White & Case.
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Evan Coren
Counsel
Counsel focused on finance and corporate transactions and bankruptcy matters. Former clerk for U.S. Bankruptcy Court for District of CT, and associate at Stevens & Lee. JD from Duke University School of Law. BA in PoliSci from University of Chicago (Phi Beta Kappa Honors).
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John Ngo
Counsel
Former attorney at Reed Smith, Greenberg Traurig, Kelley Drye and Dewey & LeBoeuf. Held senior in-house roles at the Amynta Group and Assurant. J.D. from Georgetown and BA from NYU. Significant experience in ECVC, M&A and corporate transactions.
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Dexter X. Heeter
Associate
Associate in Finance practice, with a focus on asset trading and asset finance. Previously with Clifford Chance in its NY office. J.D. from Columbia Law School. B.A. magna cum laude in Political Science and History from Clark University (Phi Alpha Theta and Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society member).
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Seulbee Lee
Associate
Associate focusing on M&A and general corporate matters. Previously at Skadden and Sidley. JD from Cornell and BA (magna cum laude) from UC San Diego.
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Lauren Cotilletta
Associate
Associate focusing on private funds and corporate and ECVC matters. Previously at Schulte and Perkins Coie. JD from UChicago and BA (hons) from NYU.
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Cordelia Ochis
Associate
Associate focusing on individual and family wealth planning. Previously at Morgan Lewis. JD from Penn Carey Law School.
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Melissa Bressler
Associate
Associate focusing on individual and family wealth planning. Previously at Morgan Lewis. JD from Northwestern Law.
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Octavio Barone
Associate
Associate focusing on corporate matters, including M&A, ECVC and other corporate matters. Fulbright Scholarship recipient. Earned LLM from NYU Law (Deans Graduate Award). LLB summa cum laude graduating 1st in class of 1500+ from National University of Cordoba School of Law.
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Cole Davis
Associate
Associate focusing on corporate transactions. Strong background in M&A, private equity, securities law, ECVC and intellectual property transactions. Previously at Baker Botts and Wilson Elser. JD from SMU Dedman School of Law, summa cum laude and salutatorian.
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Kelvin Yang
Associate
Associate focused on aviation law, and corporate and securities law matters. Previously an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell. JD from Stanford Law School; MA from Stanford University.
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Jing Zhang
Associate
Associate focused on corporate transactional work. Previously at Clifford Chance. LLM with honors from Stanford Law.
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Armando Guio Espanol
Associate
Associate focusing on data protection, technology and AI-assisted work. Former fellow affiliate at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center. LLM with Honors from Harvard Law. MA from Oxford.
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Camilo López Campagnoli
Associate
Associate focusing on transactional and contract matters. Former senior associate at a mid-sized law firm. LLM in Economic Law and Global Governance Studies from Sciences Po in France. Law degree from Rosario University.
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Francisco Cabrera
Associate
Associate in Sterlington's litigation practice with a focus on complex litigation as well as a background in trademark and copyright law. Previously at Foley Hoag. JD (magna cum laude) from University of Puerto Rico and a MA (summa cum laude) from the University of Bristol.
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Juan Diego Jiménez
Associate
Associate in corporate practice. LLM from University of Pennsylvania. Wharton Business and Law Certificate. Worked at E&Y’s Corporate Practice, KPMG’s Legal Counsel Dept., and a mid-sized law firm.
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Stefania Olmos
Associate
Associate in Corporate practice. Previously led the International Affairs team at the Colombian Ministry of Interior. Former associate at Baker McKenzie. LLM from the University of Pennsylvania.
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María Cristina Coffey
Associate
Associate in Corporate practice. 13+ years of experience at mid-sized law firms. Master’s degree in business law from the University of San Andrés.
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John Birkmire
Chief Estate Accountant
Certified public accountant working in Sterlington’s private wealth practice. Previously at Morgan Lewis, Glenmede and Mellon Bank. MS from Philadelphia University and BS from Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science.
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Colleen Flynn
Paralegal
Paralegal in Private Wealth practice. Formerly at Morgan Lewis and Fox Rothschild. BA from Rosemont College.
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Dave Brichler
Paralegal
Paralegal in Corporate practice with +30 years’ experience. Previously at Reed Smith, Foley and Wilson Elser. BA from University of Texas.
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Thomas A. Russo
Strategic Advisor
Former GC of AIG. Named most innovative GC in North America by the FT. Former management committee member of Cadwalader. Authored several books and articles on financial market regulation. Former member of the Board of Governors of FINRA, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York International Advisory Committee.
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Christopher S. Harrison
Partner, M&AChambers-ranked for M&A, leads M&A practice. Former Co-Head of market-leading Investment Management M&A practice of Schulte Roth and former Cravath associate. Taught Negotiating M&A at NYU Law for 11 years and published a book on M&A with Bloomberg (#1 New Release on Amazon).
Jeremy L. Goldstein
Partner, Executive CompensationFormer Wachtell Lipton partner. Involved in over $3 trillion of M&A over his career. Leading executive compensation lawyer in Chambers. J.D. from NYU. BA cum laude from Cornell.
Daniel Cooper
Partner and Head, Private WealthChambers-ranked private wealth lawyer. Former partner at Morgan Lewis. Advises UHNW individuals and families on estate and gift planning, business succession etc. LLM from NYU, JD from Virginia.
Paul Jebely
Partner and Vice Chair, InternationalTop global private aviation attorney for UHNW individuals. “Private Aviation & Yachts Lawyer of the Year”, “Private Wealth Lawyer of the Year” and longstanding Band 1 ranking (HNW – Private Aircraft) in Chambers. Lead counsel on $23 billion in aircraft transactions. Founder and Chair of The Hague Court of Arbitration for Aviation.
Lawrence Waks
Partner, CorporateLeading corporate lawyer representing A-list celebrities, high-profile individuals and brands on major transactions. Counsel on notable deals including Casamigos Tequila’s $1b sale (representing George Clooney etc.) and $600m sale of Aviation Gin (part-owned by Ryan Reynolds) and Davos Brands. Recognized in Best Lawyers in America and Texas Super Lawyers.
Kristy Fields
Partner, Executive CompensationExecutive compensation partner with deep experience in M&A and private equity. Previously a partner at Simpson Thacher. Recognized by Super Lawyers (2020-2024).
Emalee Welsh
Partner and Deputy Head, Private WealthPartner and trusted advisor to UHNW individuals, entrepreneurs, and family offices on sophisticated wealth transfer and tax planning. Formerly at Morgan Lewis and a federal law clerk. Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch and a graduate of ACTEC’s Mid-Atlantic Fellows Institute.
Daniel Carmody
Partner, Tax and Private WealthLeading tax advisor on complex domestic and international matters. Former Partner at Morgan Lewis, and served in senior roles at PwC and the IRS Office of Chief Counsel. Recognized in Best Lawyers and Legal 500; adjunct professor in Villanova’s Graduate Tax Program.
Todd McClelland
Partner, Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, AI and LitigationPartner in Sterlington’s Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, AI and Litigation practices, focusing on cybersecurity, data privacy and technology law. Formerly Head of Global Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice Group at McDermott, Will & Emery. Recognized by The Legal 500 US and The Best Lawyers in America for Privacy and Data Security and named “Lawyer of the Year” in IT Outsourcing Law.
Brian Slater
Partner and Co-Head, Intellectual PropertyIP and Life Sciences Partner and Co-Head of IP practice. Lead trial lawyer in high-stakes IP disputes, including Hatch-Waxman patent litigations. Former Chair of Life Sciences at Kramer Levin and served on the management committee of IP boutique, Fitzpatrick Cella (now Venable LLP). Recognized in: IAM Patent 1000’s The World’s Leading Patent Professionals. LL.M. from the University of Pennsylvania (Thouron Scholar).
Yvette Teofan
Of Counsel, Investment ManagementInvestment management and M&A attorney with experience in fund formation and cross-border transactions. Former Cleary Gottlieb partner, in New York and Paris. JD from Yale (law review editor), and BA from Stanford.
Robert Kantowitz
Partner, TaxOver 40 years of tax law expertise. Former MD at JP Morgan, Merrill/BofA, UBS, and SocGen, where he focused on deal structuring and new product development. JD from Harvard (executive editor of Harvard Law Review), tax LLM from NYU, and Master’s degree in Physics.
Ken Lee
Partner, FinancePartner in Sterlington’s Finance practice, with a focus on asset trading and finance. Former Counsel at Clifford Chance NY. J.D. from Cornell Law. BA in Business Administration and Management from Korea University.
Michael Smith
Partner, CorporateSenior international corporate lawyer. Practiced at Clifford Chance and Skadden Arps. Helped to open the New York Office of Patton Boggs and was head of SPAC Advisory Group at Nixon Peabody.
Gregory Sephton
Partner and Co-Head, Intellectual PropertyIP and Life Sciences Partner and Co-Head of Sterlington’s IP practice. Extensive experience in high-stakes patent litigation for pharmaceutical and biotech innovators. Former partner at Kramer Levin and at Fitzpatrick Cella (now Venable LLP). Ph.D. in biochemistry from Brandeis University and J.D. from Suffolk University.
Ivy Dodes
Of Counsel, Investment ManagementCorporate and investment management lawyer. Former COO, GC, and MD of a PE division of Credit Suisse Asset Management. Former associate at what is now Norton Rose Fulbright.
Mary Messihi
Partner, Trusts & EstatesTrusts & estates lawyer. Ran a multi-billion-dollar single-family office serving more than 200 family members across six generations. LLM from NYU Law.
Cody Wamsley, CISSP
Partner, Cybersecurity, Data Privacy and Intellectual PropertyPartner in Sterlington’s Cybersecurity & Data Privacy and IP practices. Held senior in-house roles at Coinbase, Oracle, American Express, and 3M. Previously senior associate in Dorsey & Whitney’s Cybersecurity & Privacy practice. LL.M. in IP Law from George Washington. J.D. from University of Kansas.
Jamie Sklar
Of Counsel, CorporateCorporate attorney. 25 years’ experience managing complex transactions/corporate matters. Emphasis on PE, M&A, JVs, and fund formation matters. Former In-House at Credit Suisse Asset Management. Worked at White & Case and Sidley Austin. LL.B., B.C.L., and M.B.A. from McGill University.
Geoffrey Raicht
Of CounselOf counsel in Sterlington’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring practice. Former partner at Sidley, McDermott, Proskauer, and Haynes and Boone. Recognized by The Legal 500 as a leading lawyer. Earned JD from CUNY Law School, and MPA and BA from NYU.
Stuart Daroca
Partner, CorporatePartner in Corporate practice. Former Associate GC at AIG, GC/Chief Legal Officer at B2B real estate firms, Senior Legal Counsel at Citigroup. Former associate at Skadden. JD from Georgetown University Law Center (senior editor of Law and Policy in Int’l Business Journal). BA from UC Berkeley.
Teresa “Teri” F. Santos
Partner, Employment Law and Head, General Counsel ServicesPartner and Head of General Counsel Services practice. Former GC and CCO of both NASDAQ-listed and private equity-owned companies. Former Reed Smith associate. JD from Georgetown.
Yan Yuan
Partner, CorporatePartner in cross-border corporate practice, focusing on M&A, private capital, joint ventures, investment and cross-border transactions. Previously a partner at Ashurst and counsel at Clifford Chance. Recognized by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific as a Next Generation Partner and Rising Star. J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Tina Lee Jebely
CounselCounsel in corporate practice, with a focus on capital markets. Previously at Latham & Watkins and White & Case.
Evan Coren
CounselCounsel focused on finance and corporate transactions and bankruptcy matters. Former clerk for U.S. Bankruptcy Court for District of CT, and associate at Stevens & Lee. JD from Duke University School of Law. BA in PoliSci from University of Chicago (Phi Beta Kappa Honors).
John Ngo
CounselFormer attorney at Reed Smith, Greenberg Traurig, Kelley Drye and Dewey & LeBoeuf. Held senior in-house roles at the Amynta Group and Assurant. J.D. from Georgetown and BA from NYU. Significant experience in ECVC, M&A and corporate transactions.
Dexter X. Heeter
AssociateAssociate in Finance practice, with a focus on asset trading and asset finance. Previously with Clifford Chance in its NY office. J.D. from Columbia Law School. B.A. magna cum laude in Political Science and History from Clark University (Phi Alpha Theta and Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society member).
Seulbee Lee
AssociateAssociate focusing on M&A and general corporate matters. Previously at Skadden and Sidley. JD from Cornell and BA (magna cum laude) from UC San Diego.
Lauren Cotilletta
AssociateAssociate focusing on private funds and corporate and ECVC matters. Previously at Schulte and Perkins Coie. JD from UChicago and BA (hons) from NYU.
Cordelia Ochis
AssociateAssociate focusing on individual and family wealth planning. Previously at Morgan Lewis. JD from Penn Carey Law School.
Melissa Bressler
AssociateAssociate focusing on individual and family wealth planning. Previously at Morgan Lewis. JD from Northwestern Law.
Octavio Barone
AssociateAssociate focusing on corporate matters, including M&A, ECVC and other corporate matters. Fulbright Scholarship recipient. Earned LLM from NYU Law (Deans Graduate Award). LLB summa cum laude graduating 1st in class of 1500+ from National University of Cordoba School of Law.
Cole Davis
AssociateAssociate focusing on corporate transactions. Strong background in M&A, private equity, securities law, ECVC and intellectual property transactions. Previously at Baker Botts and Wilson Elser. JD from SMU Dedman School of Law, summa cum laude and salutatorian.
Kelvin Yang
AssociateAssociate focused on aviation law, and corporate and securities law matters. Previously an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell. JD from Stanford Law School; MA from Stanford University.
Jing Zhang
AssociateAssociate focused on corporate transactional work. Previously at Clifford Chance. LLM with honors from Stanford Law.
Armando Guio Espanol
AssociateAssociate focusing on data protection, technology and AI-assisted work. Former fellow affiliate at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center. LLM with Honors from Harvard Law. MA from Oxford.
Camilo López Campagnoli
AssociateAssociate focusing on transactional and contract matters. Former senior associate at a mid-sized law firm. LLM in Economic Law and Global Governance Studies from Sciences Po in France. Law degree from Rosario University.
Francisco Cabrera
AssociateAssociate in Sterlington's litigation practice with a focus on complex litigation as well as a background in trademark and copyright law. Previously at Foley Hoag. JD (magna cum laude) from University of Puerto Rico and a MA (summa cum laude) from the University of Bristol.
Juan Diego Jiménez
AssociateAssociate in corporate practice. LLM from University of Pennsylvania. Wharton Business and Law Certificate. Worked at E&Y’s Corporate Practice, KPMG’s Legal Counsel Dept., and a mid-sized law firm.
Stefania Olmos
AssociateAssociate in Corporate practice. Previously led the International Affairs team at the Colombian Ministry of Interior. Former associate at Baker McKenzie. LLM from the University of Pennsylvania.
María Cristina Coffey
AssociateAssociate in Corporate practice. 13+ years of experience at mid-sized law firms. Master’s degree in business law from the University of San Andrés.
John Birkmire
Chief Estate AccountantCertified public accountant working in Sterlington’s private wealth practice. Previously at Morgan Lewis, Glenmede and Mellon Bank. MS from Philadelphia University and BS from Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science.
Colleen Flynn
ParalegalParalegal in Private Wealth practice. Formerly at Morgan Lewis and Fox Rothschild. BA from Rosemont College.
Dave Brichler
ParalegalParalegal in Corporate practice with +30 years’ experience. Previously at Reed Smith, Foley and Wilson Elser. BA from University of Texas.
Thomas A. Russo
Strategic AdvisorFormer GC of AIG. Named most innovative GC in North America by the FT. Former management committee member of Cadwalader. Authored several books and articles on financial market regulation. Former member of the Board of Governors of FINRA, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York International Advisory Committee.