[Not a valid template]Carney’s chief of staff moves to law firm
Gov. John Carney announced changes to his senior staff in the Office of the Governor.
Doug Gramiak – who has served as Chief of Staff since Governor Carney took office in 2017 – will leave the Governor’s office on November 1 to join the Wilmington office of Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, where he will provide consulting services for firm clients.
Sheila Grant – who has served as the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff since he took office – will replace Gramiak as Chief of Staff. Policy Director Albert Shields and Communications Director Jonathan Starkey will assume Deputy Chief of Staff roles focused on policy and external affairs.
From 2015-2016, Grant, a Wilmington native, served as Chief of Staff in Governor Carney’s Congressional office. She had previously served as then-Congressman Carney’s Legislative Director and Communications Director, and as a legislative aide for U.S. Senator Tom Carper.
Gramiak previously worked at Young Conaway Public Strategies LLC, and as a former executive director of Education Voters of Delaware, a nonprofit advocacy group created to build community support for public education.
Military spouses to get limited legal practice option in Delaware
The Delaware Supreme Court adopted Supreme Court Rule 55.4 to permit military spouses to apply for a Certificate of Limited Practice in Delaware.
In adopting this rule, the Delaware Judiciary joins 34 other States and the U.S. Virgin Islands who have made life a little easier for military families by allowing the spouse of a service member to continue with their legal career in the state where their spouse is posted. Normally an attorney from outside of a state would have to pass the bar exam in that state to practice, or be eligible for admission by meeting other state specific practice requirements.
Specifically, under the rule, military spouses may engage in the limited practice of law in Delaware under the terms set forth in the Rule for a period not to exceed three years.
Richards, Layton & Finger top merger firm in state
Richards, Layton & Finger is again first in The Deal’s third-quarter rankings of Delaware law firms, posting more M&A transactions valued at or above $100 million than all the other listed Delaware firms combined. Richards Layton has led the state as Delaware counsel in these high-value deals for more than 25 years.Richards, Layton & Finger is Delaware’s largest law firm.
Washington named chief legal officer for WSFS
Lisa Washington, an experienced legal executive and corporate officer, as well as a long-time resident of Philadelphia, has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of WSFS Bank, the primary subsidiary of WSFS Financial Corporation
Washington brings more than 25 years of legal experience to this new role with expertise in corporate governance and public company compliance.
She joins WSFS Bank from Philadelphia based Atlas Energy Group, LLC, where she served as Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary.
Ms. Washington holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, an M.B.A. in Public Policy and Finance from The Wharton School, and an A.B. in Comparative Literature from Princeton University.
Former law clerks joins Morris, Nichols
Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP announced that three judicial law clerks have joined the firm as attorneys.
“Judicial clerkships are an invaluable professional experience, offering perspective on the inner working of the court,” said recruiting committee chair R. Jason Russell. “We are delighted to welcome these talented individuals and hope their experience will be beneficial to our clients and support the firm’s continued leadership in Delaware law.”
Adam T. Nyenhuis re-joins the Corporate & Business Litigation group following a clerkship with the Honorable Karen L. Valihura of the Delaware Supreme Court. Adam earned his J.D. (2017) cum laude from Wake Forest University School of Law; and B.A. (2011) with distinction in political science from the University of Minnesota.
Michelle Streifthau-Livizos joins the Intellectual Property Litigation group. Prior to joining the firm, she served as a law clerk to Christopher J. Burke, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.
Michelle earned her J.D. (2018) magna cum laude, Order of the Barristers from Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law; and B.S. (2004) in Animal Science with a Pre-Veterinary Concentration, and Chemistry from the University of Delaware.
Jennifer A. Ward re-joined the Intellectual Property Litigation group following a clerkship at the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, where she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Colm F. Connolly and the Honorable Maryellen Noreika. She earned her J.D. (2017) magna cum laude, Order of Coif from Villanova University School of Law; and B.A. (2014) summa cum laude in history and sociology from Mount St. Mary’s University.
Spitelli joins Morris James
Daniella C. Spitelli joined the law firm of Morris James’ Professional Liability Litigation Practice Group. Her practice focuses on the defense of medical malpractice and legal malpractice claims.
Spitelli was a Judicial Extern to Paul R. Wallace in the Delaware Superior Court and served as a Judicial Law Clerk to Carl C. Danberg and the Robert H. Surles in the Delaware Court of Common Pleas.
Spitelli graduated from Widener University Delaware Law School, cum laude, in 2018 after receiving a B.A. from the University of Delaware in 2011. She was admitted to practice law in Delaware in 2018.
