Richards Layton & Finger announce promotions
Richards, Layton & Finger, Wilmington, announced that it has elected Mark Kurtz and Joshua Novak as directors of the firm and Jennifer Veet Barrett, Kenneth Jackman, and Cory Kandestin as counsel.
“We are very proud to promote these outstanding lawyers,” said Robert Krapf, president of Richards, Layton & Finger, “and we’re confident that they will ad-vance our firm’s reputation for exceptional client service and top-notch legal counsel.”
Kurtz focuses his practice on commercial transactions involving mergers and acquisitions, financings, and cross-border transactions. He has substantial experi-ence with the sale and acquisition of businesses (including bankruptcy 363 sales and MLP drop-down transactions), the formation and use of Delaware business entities, and advising on UCC transactions.
Kurtz received a B.A. from Colgate University, an M.B.A. from Washington University Olin School of Business, and a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, where he was an associate editor of the Washington University Global Studies Law Review.
Novak provides advice on a wide range of transactions involving Delaware partnerships and limited liability companies, including mergers and acquisitions, hedge fund and private equity fund transactions, and structured finance transac-tions.
He also advises on fiduciary duties, contract interpretation, IPOs of master limited partnerships, and other governance and transactional issues. Novak earned a B.A., with distinction, from Iowa State University, and a J.D., with dis-tinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law, where he served on the edi-torial board of the Journal of Corporation Law.
Barrett focuses her practice on transactional matters involving Delaware cor-porations, including entity formation, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. She also has experience in corporate litigation in the Delaware S-preme Court and Court of Chancery. Barrett received a B.S., summa cum laude, from King’s College, and a J.D., cum laude, from Temple University School of Law, where she was a member of the International and Comparative Law Journal.
Jackman focuses his practice on transactional and advisory matters involving publicly traded limited partnerships and limited liability companies. He provides advice to boards of directors and board committees on a wide variety of matters, including governance, mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, and sales of assets.
Jackman earned a B.S., cum laude, from Washington and Lee University, and a J.D., magna cum laude, from Temple University School of Law.
Kandestin focuses primarily on bankruptcy litigation, handling large fraudu-lent transfer actions, contested plan confirmations, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and solvency/insolvency litigation.
He graduated first in his class in law school, where he served as an associate editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review.
Kandestin received a B.A., with distinction, from McGill University, and a J.D., Founder’s Medal for First Honors, Order of the Coif, from Vanderbilt University Law School.
Former assistant AG Ahern joins Eckert Seamans
The national law firm of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC welcomed associate Brian Ahern to the firm’s Wilmington of-fice. He focuses his practice on mass tort and general litigation.
Prior to joining private practice, Ahern served as a judicial law clerk for Alex J. Smalls in the Court of Common Pleas for the State of Delaware.
He also served as a deputy attorney general at the Delaware Department of Justice.
Ahern received his J.D. from Widener University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Delaware.
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC has more than 350 attorneys lo-cated in 14 offices throughout the United States.
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