Dentons US LLP announces the elevation of nine new partners and two counsel in the Firm's US offices. The promotions include lawyers resident in six offices throughout the US. Further, nearly 80 percent of the new partners and both counsel are women.

Those promoted to partner are Susan Banks, Alanna Clair, Ashley Cox, Melissa Gomez Nelson, Benjamin Keane, Curtis Stefanak, Kristen Weil and Kelli Wikoff. Julia Beckley and Tiffany Schwartz were elevated to counsel.

"We're extremely proud to reward these bright young lawyers with the promotions they have earned and deserve," said Dentons US CEO Mike McNamara. "Though coincidental, we were pleased to note that the majority of the new partners, and counsel are women."

These lawyers represent a cross section of 10 practice areas including Commercial Litigation, Corporate, Federal Regulatory & Compliance, Health Care, Intellectual Property & Technology, International Dispute Resolution, Product Liability & Complex Torts, Real Estate, Tax and White Collar & Government Investigations.

Elevated to partner:

Susan Banks (Health Care, Washington, DC) advises health care providers and suppliers on a full range of Medicare and Medicaid compliance and reimbursement matters, including coverage, billing and payment rules for various items and services. She helps clients analyze potential overpayment situations and, when necessary, design internal audits, conduct medical documentation and coding reviews, and make appropriate refunds. Banks frequently counsels clients on matters related to the federal civil False Claims Act (FCA), the federal health care program anti-kickback statute, the federal physician self-referral prohibition known as the Stark Law, beneficiary inducement, and related laws and regulations, including state law analogs. She also advises clients on the requirements for participating in the 340B Drug Discount Program.

Alanna Clair (Commercial Litigation, Washington, DC) focuses her practice on professional liability and law firm defense, commercial litigation, and insurance defense. She has experience in high-profile disputes in defending or advising insurers and professionals. Clair is the co-chair of the Attorneys' Liability Subcommittee of the American Bar Association's Litigation Section, which focuses on issues unique to litigators who prosecute or defend claims against attorneys and other professionals. Clair is a prolific writer and speaker on lawyer liability, legal malpractice defense, and ethics and is the co-author of unique and practical articles for attorneys that are published by five different legal media outlets each month. 

Melissa Gomez Nelson (White Collar & Government Investigations, Washington, DC) represents clients in white collar criminal matters and government investigations, with an emphasis on anti-money laundering, cryptocurrencies and fraud matters. She has extensive experience conducting internal investigations, and defending clients in criminal matters from initial grand jury investigations through sentencing hearings. Gomez Nelson's clients include public and private entities, corporate witnesses and individuals in both federal and state criminal matters, spanning many industries including energy, finance, oil and natural gas, food and drug, banking, retail, government contracts, tourism, freight forwarding and logistics, and others.

Benjamin Keane (Federal Regulatory & Compliance, Washington, DC) is a political law attorney who focuses his practice on representing elected officials, political candidates, PACs, Super PACs, political parties, corporations, non-profit organizations and other entities in federal, state and local election law, campaign finance, lobbying, pay-to-play and ethics matters. Keane advises businesses and organizations across the country on the establishment and maintenance of comprehensive political law compliance and public policy engagement frameworks, as well as the legal and regulatory intricacies of engagement with federal, state and local government. He also regularly advises presidential appointees on confirmation matters before the U.S. Senate, and frequently serves as counsel to government officials in connection with investigative and audit matters before the Federal Election Commission, the Office of Congressional Ethics, the US House Committee on Elects, the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, the U.S. Department of Justice, and other federal, state and local investigative and regulatory bodies.

Curtis Stefanak (Corporate, New York) is a member of Dentons' Financial Institutions sector. Stefanak has extensive knowledge of private and registered investment funds, private and public investment managers and advisers and related US government regulations. He regularly counsels domestic and non-US investment advisers on complex issues relating to fund formation and the acquisition of US funds and advisers and the extraterritorial application of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Investment Company Act of 1940. Stefanak lectures frequently on the effect of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act on investment funds and managers.

Kristen Weil (International Dispute Resolution, New York) focuses her practice on domestic and international dispute resolution, including complex commercial litigation and arbitration matters. She has a wide variety of experience with matters involving business torts, contract disputes, insurance and regulatory investigations and proceedings in federal and state courts throughout the United States, and before arbitration tribunals such as the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Kelli Wikoff (Tax, Kansas City) practices primarily in the areas of taxation of mergers and acquisitions, limited liability companies and S corporations as well as the formation and qualification of tax-exempt organizations. Wikoff also represents entities and individuals in a variety of federal and state tax controversies. She actively participates in the Firm’s pro bono program and has assisted numerous nonprofit organizations in a variety of federal and state tax exemption matters.

Elevated to counsel:

Julia Beckley (Product Liability & Complex Torts, Orange County) litigates through all stages of complex torts and products liability cases throughout the country, in state and federal courts. She has significant experience in discovery issues, law and motion, and trial preparation. She has obtained numerous voluntary and involuntary dismissals for clients as a result of strategic motion practice and negotiations. Beckley acts as trial counsel on behalf of local companies and as well as Fortune 500 corporations and has represented a variety of clients including contractors, product suppliers, manufacturers and premises owners.

Tiffany Schwartz (Intellectual Property & Technology, Kansas City) helps clients strategically manage and grow their trademark portfolios; negotiate IP and software licenses; monetize IP assets; and combat counterfeiting and infringement. Schwartz also counsels clients on Internet, privacy, copyright, and franchising issues; guides clients through domain name acquisitions and disputes; and provides strategic advice regarding IP issues in connection with potential mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Her practice spans a number of industries including fashion, finance, consumer products, and food and beverage. Schwartz is known for her dedication to understanding each client’s industry and unique business perspective. She provides practical advice that both accomplishes her clients’ business goals and minimizes legal risk.

About Dentons

Across over 80 countries, Dentons helps you grow, protect, operate and finance your organization by providing uniquely global and deeply local legal solutions. Polycentric, purpose-driven and committed to inclusion, diversity, equity and sustainability, we focus on what matters most to you. www.dentons.com