CHICAGO ― Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP today announced the election of nine new Capital Partners to its offices nationwide. They include:
David G. Asmus (
St. Louis),
Andrew B. Cripe (
Chicago),
Rhonda J. Ferrero-Patten (
Peoria,
Illinois),
Jason J. Kim (
Los Angeles),
Leslie Richards-Yellen (
Chicago),
Clint D. Robison (
Los Angeles),
L. Lee Smith (
Peoria),
H. Keith Thomerson (
Jacksonville), and
Thomas G. Wallrich (
Minneapolis).
“This is an exceptionally talented group of partners who continue to excel within the firm, on behalf of clients, and increasingly in their contributions to firm leadership,” said Hinshaw’s Chairman of 20 years,
Donald L. Mrozek. “We congratulate them on their accomplishments to date and what is yet to come. Hinshaw as a firm is in a strong position now, as we have been in the past, and will continue to be in the future, because of partners like these and their thoughtful and diligent counsel to clients,” he said.
David G. Asmus has more than 25 years of experience in bankruptcy/ reorganizations, commercial transactions, banking and financial services, and environmental law. Based in Hinshaw’s St. Louis office, he represents national, regional and local banks; financial services companies; mortgage banks; and brokerage companies. Mr. Asmus joined Hinshaw in 2005. Previously, he was in-house corporate counsel to banking institutions such as Citicorp/Citibank, and outside counsel with St. Louis area law firms. He earned his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law, and B.A. in Political Science and Literature from St. Ambrose University.
Based in Hinshaw’s Chicago office,
Andrew B. Cripe concentrates his business litigation and counseling practice in the areas of employment law and traditional labor union law. His employment law practice includes representing employers in lawsuits involving class actions, harassment and discrimination claims, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the enforcement of restrictive covenants. Prior to joining Hinshaw in 2003, he was a compensation and employment law attorney at Baker & McKenzie. He earned his J.D.,
cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and B.A. from the University of Minnesota.
Rhonda J. Ferrero-Patten is a litigator in the firm’s Peoria, Illinois, office who focuses her practice on tort defense and insurance coverage litigation, including professional liability, medical malpractice and construction accidents. She has represented hospitals and individual medical professionals in litigation, as well as insurance companies in coverage disputes. Prior to joining Hinshaw in 2003, she practiced with the law firms of Livingston, Barger, Brandt & Schroeder and Robert T. Varney & Associates, both of Bloomington, Illinois. She earned her J.D.,
magna cum laude, from Northern Illinois University College of Law and B.S.,
cum laude, from Illinois State University.
Based in Hinshaw’s Los Angeles office,
Jason J. Kim concentrates his practice in the defense of workers' compensation claims, as well as harassment, discrimination and employment contracts / agreements issues. He serves as lead counsel for Barrett Business Services, Inc., one of the country’s leading human resource companies; and also defends many Fortune 500 companies, including Gannett Company. In addition, Mr. Kim represents numerous professional sporting teams in workers' compensation matters. He earned his J.D. from University of Illinois School of Law, Urbana-Champaign; M.B.A. from the University of Illinois in Champaign; and B.A. in Business Economics from U.C.L.A. He joined Hinshaw in 2002, and is admitted to practice in both California and Illinois. Mr. Kim is an official instructor for the UCLA Attorney Assistant Training Program and has taught several classes in the field of Legal Research. He is also proficient in Korean and takes pride in representing many small Korean business owners regarding various employment related issues.
Based in Hinshaw’s Chicago office,
Leslie Richards-Yellen is an experienced bond attorney focusing her practice in the public finance arena, as both in-house counsel and in private practice. She joined Hinshaw in 2007 as partner and the firm’s first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. She previously was a principal with a leading mutual fund company where she also served as associate general counsel and served on many committees or initiatives, including the diversity leadership and training committees. She earned her J.D. from Cornell Law School and B.F.A. in Speech Communications from Drake University.
Clint Robison is based in the Los Angeles Office, where he leads the firm’s west coast labor and employment practice, serving employers. He provides both counseling and litigation services to public and private companies. Mr. Robison is experienced in all aspects of employment litigation, including wage and hour matters, discrimination claims (race, sex, gender, age, disability, religion, etc.), harassment claims, employment contracts, retaliation claims and related issues. He has successfully tried cases before federal and state juries, and has engaged in more than 100 arbitrations and mediations, including complex and multi-plaintiff matters. He has defended many, high profile public figures. Mr. Robison has authored several employment law articles in the Daily Journal, Employment Management Today, HR Advisor and HR Staffing Journal. He is a frequent speaker and often quoted in newspapers and periodicals regarding issues of importance to employers. He joined Hinshaw in 2005 after previously spending eight years in the Los Angeles office of Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley, where he was a partner. Mr. Robison earned his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law and B.A. in Economics / Political Science from the University of California – Los Angeles.
L. Lee Smith is the partner-in-charge of Hinshaw’s Peoria office, and focuses his practice in federal litigation, representing clients in white-collar criminal defense matters, as well as businesses and individuals against claims of employment discrimination and in complex commercial litigation, including ERISA. He joined Hinshaw in 2001. His previous legal experience included 10 years of service with the office of the United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. Mr. Smith earned his J.D.,
magna cum laude, from Southern Illinois University School of Law, and B.A. in English from the University of Illinois. He also completed intensive training in mediation at Pepperdine University School of Law’s top-ranked Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution in 2005.
Based in Hinshaw’s Jacksonville, Florida, office,
H. Keith Thomerson has a broad litigation practice and specializes in the representation of lenders and loan servicing companies in complex commercial/residential financing disputes. He also has extensive experience in cases involving real estate agent/broker liability, medical negligence, alleged nursing home/assisted living facility abuse, legal malpractice, securities and corporate matters, including defense of shareholder disputes and derivative shareholder actions, and product liability and toxic tort cases. He joined Hinshaw in 1998 and serves as the co-partner-in-charge of the Jacksonville office. Mr. Thomerson earned his J.D. in 1991 from the School of Law at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and B.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1988.
Based in the firm’s Minneapolis office,
Thomas G. Wallrich focuses his practice in bankruptcy, banking and finance, real estate, and commercial litigation. In bankruptcy matters, he represents debtors, creditors, and committees in complex reorganization proceedings and workouts, as well as debt and equity restructurings. He joined Hinshaw in 2007. Mr. Wallrich is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, William Mitchell College of Law, and is co-director, with Hinshaw partner
Steven H. Silton, of its consumer bankruptcy clinic. Named to the 2008 “Super Lawyers” list in the area of Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights by Minnesota Super Lawyers magazine, he earned his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law and B.A. in International Relations from the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis.
Founded in 1934, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is a national law firm with more than 460 lawyers in 24 offices spanning 12 states, including
Arizona,
California,
Florida,
Illinois,
Indiana,
Massachusetts,
Minnesota,
Missouri,
New York,
Oregon,
Rhode Island and
Wisconsin.
Hinshaw offers a full-service practice, with an emphasis in litigation, business law and corporate transactions, environmental, intellectual property, labor and employment law, professional liability defense, estate planning and taxation matters. The firm represents a range of for-profit and not-for-profit clients in industries that include alarm and security services, construction, financial services, health care, hospitality, insurance, legal, manufacturing, real estate, retail and transportation. Hinshaw clients also include government agencies, municipalities and schools.