George Ngengwe
Associate – Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP

Description of field of expertise

George Ngengwe is a partner in Shook, Hardy & Bacon’s Intellectual Property Practice. George focuses his practice on patent prosecution, counseling, litigation and technology transactions. He helps clients acquire, protect, manage and enforce their intellectual property, with a particular emphasis in patent-related matters. George has significant experience in drafting and prosecuting patent applications in a number of diverse technology fields, including artificial intelligence, distributed/cloud computing, cloud security, Internet analytics (search, ads, maps, and social), user interfaces, gaming, complex event and data processing, Internet of Things, medical software, telecommunications, athletic equipment, business methods and mechanical arts. George’s practice also includes analysis of patentability, patent infringement and patent validity, as well as performing patent portfolio evaluations for licensing, assertion and acquisition due diligence.

Before law school, George worked as an analyst and project manager evaluating and implementing various information technology systems. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in Broadcasting, Telecommunications and Mass Media from Temple University, where as a graduate student he undertook various media technology research projects that required designing studies, video-documenting fieldwork and analyzing and interpreting research findings. George’s experiences with computer information systems, project management, and telecommunications and media analysis give him a broad and practical perspective when providing technology-based IP services.

What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?

1. Focus on Legal and Technical Skills: Enhance your legal and technical skills to effectively draft and prosecute patent applications, analyze patentability, assess infringement and validity, and evaluate patent portfolios.
2. Gain Diverse Technical Experience: Develop a strong foundation in diverse technology fields, as it will broaden your understanding and ability to assist clients across various industries.
3. Stay Updated on Industry Trends: Stay informed of emerging technologies and industry trends to provide informed advice to clients and anticipate future legal issues.

Final thoughts…

Seek mentorship from experienced practitioners in the field and actively engage in networking opportunities to build relationships and expand your professional network. Mentorship and networking can provide valuable insights, guidance, and opportunities for career advancement.

Chelsea Mannery
Associate – Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP

Description of field of expertise

Chelsea defends clients in complex product liability and environmental toxic tort actions. She has represented major corporations and product manufacturers in both federal and state court. Chelsea spends a significant amount of her time engaged in various trials across the country. In her practice, Chelsea is involved at all stages of litigation. She develops case strategy, conducts and defends depositions, prepares fact and expert witnesses and collaborates with her team to achieve the best results for their clients. In addition to her corporate defense work, Chelsea has experience in government and municipal law and has served as lead counsel in several adversarial hearings before the Missouri State Tax Commission.

What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?

Always be your own best advocate and tell people your professional goals. People are willing to help you achieve your goals, if they know what they are. Most important, work hard and be prepared so that you are ready to seize the opportunity when it comes your way.

Brice Nengsu Kenfack
Partner – Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP

Description of field of expertise

Brice Kenfack is a partner in Shook, Hardy & Bacon’s General Liability Practice Group. Brice has a nationwide practice defending clients in product liability, construction, insurance, commercial and general liability disputes in state and federal courts. Brice represents a broad range of clients, including pharmaceutical companies, component manufacturers, senior living facilities, health and wellness companies and insurance companies. He represents clients at all stages of litigation from the intake of the case until trial. He develops case strategies; drafts motions involving complex legal issues and defends clients in related hearings, including dispositive and non-dispositive motions; conducts
depositions; including lay and expert witnesses, and represents clients in mediations and arbitrations.  Prior to joining Shook, Brice served as a judicial clerk to the Hon. Brian Miller in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Before attending law school, Brice played NCAA Division I basketball for Creighton University and later for professional leagues in Europe and the Middle East. He now channels the dedication and discipline that helped him succeed in basketball toward serving his clients’ needs effectively and efficiently.

What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?

First determine the type of person and lawyer you want to be and what you are trying to achieve; when you do, try every day to become a better person and lawyer than the day before. But make sure to remain your authentic self throughout this process, if you don’t know what that is, find out.

Hassia Diolombi​
Partner – Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP

Description of field of expertise

Hassia Diolombi is a partner in Shook, Hardy & Bacon’s Product Liability Practice Group. Hassia’s practice involves defending Fortune 500 clients in complex litigation across a variety of industries and fields, concentrating on cases involving mass torts and class action product liability claims and employment litigation matters, from EEOC claim investigations through trial preparation of diverse employment matters. Her experience includes handling and managing cases from the filing of initial pleadings, through discovery, trial and post-trial practice.

Hassia is also a selected trial counsel for several firm clients and is able to identify and develop successful pre-trial and trial case strategy, including strategically positioning cases for dismissal or early resolution or settlement.

Notably, Hassia currently serves as one of several lead trial counsel for Philip Morris USA in tobacco litigation currently pending throughout the state of Florida. For nearly two decades, she has assisted with the firm’s defense of Philip Morris USA in smoking and health cases pending in numerous jurisdictions.

Before joining Shook, Hassia represented Fortune 500 companies and government entities in a diverse range of matters, including litigation involving national, multidistrict class action lawsuits involving RICO, antitrust and consumer fraud issues; labor and employment law disputes; and a broad spectrum of general contractual corporate and partnership disputes involving derivative lawsuits, franchise agreement disputes, and financial and reorganizational business matters.

What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?

New lawyers who dream of becoming trial lawyers should stay hungry to learn and expand their knowledge-base. One never knows where a career will take one, but staying up to date on current events, fueling your passions, and engaging with the world at large, even simple conversations with strangers while waiting for a cup of coffee, can give you the type of real-word perspective and insight that informs cases and one’s ability to connect and engage with jurors.

Final thoughts…

Our profession is, unfortunately, overly adversarial at every level at times. This has meant that the best advice I ever got in my practice that translates well to everything I do is simply to have fun with what I’m doing. Making sure to have fun fuels my creativity in approaching case strategy without being uptight and blindsided by being too rigid and not seeing new ways to resolve cases. It also allows me to relax and focus on what’s truly important to advancing my client’s needs and achieving positive results for those clients.

Traci V. Bransford​​
Partner and Industry Team Lead – Parker Poe

Description of field of expertise

Entertainment, media, and sports clients turn to Traci Bransford for strategic counsel on the full range of their legal needs. She is the leader of Parker Poe’s Sports & Entertainment Industry Team and has over 30 years of experience.

Traci focuses her practice on transactional law with an emphasis on clients in music, television, film, literary publishing, and sports. She serves as outside general counsel in those industries and others, including retail, education, and health care. She guides her clients through many aspects of their businesses, including intellectual property management, contract negotiation, and brand strategy. Her clients benefit from her multi-jurisdictional experience from California to New York, and most recently Georgia and Minnesota, as well as her commitment to the tenets of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This background allows her to offer comprehensive solutions to key legal challenges.

Traci regularly speaks before national audiences about entertainment, media, sports, and celebrity philanthropy. She is a member of leading sports and entertainment law associations and serves on several nonprofit boards.

Earlier in her career, Traci served as general counsel to the world-renowned performing artist Prince and served as the chief executive for the legal affairs of his corporate entities, including Paisley Park Enterprises. That experience shaped much of her work ethic in serving high-profile entertainment clients and meeting their specific legal needs. It continues to inform her work today as she negotiates agreements for entertainers, athletes, and leading media companies.

Traci earned her Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College in Atlanta and her Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law. 

What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?

My advice to new attorneys that are interested in sports and entertainment law is to definitely try to attend as many sports and entertainment related law conferences and seek shadowing opportunities with attorneys in the field if possible. I also advise new attorneys to seek experience in corporate,  employment, real estate, immigration, trademark and copyright and tax trust and estates law as many of those areas will be useful in representing your clients so that you are not so narrowly focused in your experiences.  If you are working in private practice, do not hesitate to consult with a more senior sports and entertainment attorney who may have handled a deal that may be unfamiliar to you and co-counsel with them.  Use the opportunity to expand your circle in the industry as well as a teaching moment to get firsthand training while still maintaining the client relationship. 

Final thoughts…

Enjoy your practice as it has a lot of opportunities for high profile and exciting deals but never forget that the client is the sports or entertainment figure or media or sports company and you are a vital part of their team but you should remain behind the scenes for the most part unless you are as  requested by the client or the circumstances require you to be in front of the camera. In short, it is never about you and you would be well served to always check your ego at the door and encourage those attorneys also on the deal, or opposing your client, to do the same.

Jennifer Brooks ​​
Managing Partner – Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel, LLP​

Description of field of expertise

Jennifer Brooks f/k/a Miller is an experienced litigator and trial lawyer. She is a founding partner of Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel, L.L.P., a Martindale Hubbell® AV rated® minority certified law firm consistently ranked among the top ten most diverse law firms in South Florida by the Daily Business Review. She is the Managing Partner of the firm’s U.S. Virgin Island satellite office and one of its founding members. Ms. Brooks is AV rated® by Martindale Hubbell®, is recognized as Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women, named as a Top 250 Power Leaders by the South Florida Business Journal, recognized as a Best Lawyers in America in Admiralty and Maritime Law, and recognized as a Florida Super Lawyer in Personal Injury General: Defense among other awards. 

Jennifer Brooks has dedicated over 20 years of her practice to civil litigation, defending major insurers and corporations in a wide variety of industries including retail, restaurants, product manufacturers, distributors, cities and municipalities, international businesses, doctors and other medical professionals, the world’s largest passenger cruise lines, and major marine domestic and international underwriters in claims of personal injury and wrongful death, automobile and trucking claims, transportation, personal premises liability and negligent security, insurance coverage and bad faith, labor and employment, medical and professional malpractice, admiralty and maritime, commercial litigation, hospitality, and product liability. 

Her practice includes transactional work including the drafting of concessionaire agreements, maritime employment contracts, passenger tickets, terminal agreements, maritime collective bargaining agreements, docking contracts, bills of lading, towing agreements, charter contracts, salvage agreements, marine transportation agreements, storage agreements, and marine service contracts of all types.

What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?

I recommend that newly licensed attorneys find a mentor.  A mentor is essential to the professional development of a young attorney just starting out and can provide valuable guidance and advice based on their own experiences in the courtroom, handling conflict resolution with opposing counsel, managing client relationships and all other aspects that encompass the practice of law.

A mentor can help new attorneys navigate challenges and make informed decisions regarding case development and trial strategies. Moreover, a mentor can help them identify strengths and weaknesses and provide guidance on how to improve skills and advance their careers. More importantly, a mentor can introduce new attorneys to other professionals in the field and help them expand their network which can be beneficial for their future growth.

Final thoughts…

In my over 20 years as a licensed attorney, I have found that an essential element for establishing a lasting and successful career in the legal field is building a reputation of utmost professionalism and courtesy with your colleagues, clients, opposing counsel and the court.

Olivia Silvermann
Partner
Foley & Lardner LLP

Description of field of expertise

Olivia Singelmann is a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP. She is based out of the Washington, DC office and is a member of the firm’s Government Enforcement Defense & Investigations, Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Securities Enforcement & Litigation, and Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Practice Groups.

Olivia’s practice includes litigation matters, with a focus on representing clients in investigations and/or enforcement proceedings by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). Olivia has experience representing companies and individuals in government and internal investigations relating to: the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and U.S. sanctions (OFAC) in both English and Spanish; public company accounting; compliance with public company audit standards; and criminal antitrust matters. Olivia also has experience representing businesses in a broad range of complex litigation matters before state and federal courts.

Prior to joining Foley, Olivia participated in the Georgetown University Law Center Domestic Violence Clinic where she represented domestic violence victims in Temporary Protection Order and Civil Protection Order proceedings in D.C. Superior Court. She also served as a summer associate in Foley’s Washington, D.C. office where she assisted attorneys in general litigation matters relating to securities enforcement, white collar defense, and business dispute resolution.

Senayt Rahwa
Partner
Foley & Lardner LLP

Description of field of expertise

Senayt G. Rahwa’s practice focuses on advising clients in complex structured finance deals, with a primary concentration on solar, wind, and energy storage transactions. She works extensively with clients in the energy industry, counseling developers and investors in the acquisition, sale, and financing of renewable energy facilities.

More recently, in the wake of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, Senayt has focused on helping clients navigate the various novel pathways for transferability of tax credits and in the fourth quarter of 2023 successfully closed nearly US$500 million in tax credit sales to third-parties from partnership-flip transactions (officially now known as “T-Flips”).

Prior to joining Foley, Senayt was an associate in the general counsel’s office of Sol Systems LLC, where she advised the company on legal issues regarding the development, construction, financing, and ownership of energy projects. Senayt began her legal career in the D.C. office of an AmLaw 100 firm, where she was co-leader of the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Team and represented major financial institutions, developers, and community development entities leveraging NMTC financing to support community revitalization efforts nationwide.

Byron McLain
Partner
Foley & Lardner LLP

Description of field of expertise

Byron McLain is a Los Angeles-based litigator and white-collar criminal defense lawyer skilled at helping clients avoid investigations and prosecutions or discretely minimizing the negative impact when they do occur. He is a partner in the firm’s Government Enforcement Defense & Investigations, and Securities Enforcement & Litigation Practices, as well as a member of the Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Team.

Byron investigates, litigates, and tries complex criminal and civil cases, including those involving government investigations. He also conducts corporate internal investigations, often successfully persuading the government not to pursue investigations of his clients. He is widely recognized for his ability to address clients’ concerns quickly and efficiently, providing concrete solutions addressing not only the legal issues involved, but also the potential impact on a client’s business. He is strongly adept at articulating complex issues in layman’s terms across industries and at humanizing corporate clients, so they are relatable as witnesses during interviews and at trial.

As a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, Byron has leveraged his extensive knowledge and broad network of relationships to achieve the best results for his clients in a very discrete manner. He also advises clients concerning the distribution and marketing of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrencies to best avoid these assets from being construed as securities by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He works closely with the firm’s Health Care, Cannabis, and Sports & Entertainment Industry Teams, and serves as co-chair of the Racial Justice and Equity Practice Group.

Natasha Allen
Partner
Foley & Lardner LLP

Description of field of expertise

Natasha Allen is a strategic advisor, supporting companies in all stages of growth in complex decision making across a broad range of corporate matters. She is a partner with the firm, serving as Co-Chair for Artificial Intelligence within the Innovative Technology sector, Co-Chair of the Venture Capital Committee, and a member of the Venture Capital, M&A, and Transactions Practices. She also serves as Pro Bono chair for the firm’s Silicon Valley office.

Natasha has a significant background advising startups, emerging companies, and late stage companies on debt and equity financing, venture capital financing, commercial matters, and general corporate matters including formations, corporate governance, structuring, and share issuances across a variety of industries including Artificial Intelligence, FinTech, robotics, and life sciences. Natasha’s robust transactional experience includes mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, including domestic and cross-border buy-side and sell-side transactions in Augmented/Virtual Reality, software, cybersecurity, telecommunications, and healthcare industries. She also regularly advises Canadian startups looking to establish themselves in the United States on structure, financing, and other issues as they enter this market.

Prior to joining Foley, Natasha was a founding partner at a corporate and transactional law firm, as well as managing counsel at a technology enabled law firm where she acted as external general counsel for clients. She draws on the depth of experience she has developed in a combination of law firms, business consulting firms, and startups in both Canada and the United States to help her clients navigate complicated transactions in the United States and abroad.