Atlanta/Washington D.C. (October 17, 2018) – Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP has elected eight attorneys to the partnership. The selection of eight lawyers to become partners at the start of 2019 represents the largest group of partners-elect in the firm’s 42-year history.
The new partners and their practice areas are, in alphabetical order:
- Meredith Caiafa – Employment & Employee Benefits and Litigation
- Larkin Ellzey – Corporate
- Aresh Homayoun – Tax and Real Estate Capital Markets
- Eric Larson – Commercial Litigation
- Brett Lavoie – Commercial Real Estate Development & Finance
- Austin Mills – Corporate Technology, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency
- Stephen Vaughn – Commercial and Intellectual Property Litigation
- Scott Wagner – Employment & Employee Benefits and Tax
“This is our largest partnership class ever,” said MMM Managing Partner Louise Wells. “We are proud that we have so many qualified candidates. Please congratulate them on this career achievement.”
Seven are based in the firm’s Atlanta office. Homayoun is based in Washington, D.C. The attorneys will officially become partners on January 1, 2019.
“The firm will continue its focus on strategic growth in the coming year,” added Managing Partner-Elect Simon Malko, who will succeed Wells upon her retirement. “The firm has hired roughly 50 attorneys this year, including five partners we actively recruited from other firms. The election of these eight new partners means we have added 13 new partners this year alone, which is in line with our strategic plan.”
Caiafa represents corporate clients with respect to employment, executive compensation and restrictive covenants. In particular, she helps her clients achieve their business goals by providing legal advice and analysis regarding federal and state employment laws, human resources issues, and executive compensation in connection with corporate mergers and acquisitions.
Ellzey’s primary areas of concentration are mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital, strategic investments, franchise relationships and general corporate matters. He also has experience providing general transactional services including drafting, reviewing and negotiating various business agreements.
Homayoun focuses on federal income taxation issues for business, including the tax aspects of real estate investment trusts (REITs) and their operating partnerships, regulated investment companies, corporate taxation and taxation of flow-through entities. He also represents taxpayers in tax controversy work and IRS practice and procedure matters.
Larson’s broad litigation experience includes commercial, products liability, bankruptcy, construction, internal investigations, insurance coverage and employment issues. He has represented clients from a variety of industries in litigation including drafting motions, managing discovery practices, preparing witnesses and experts, taking and defending depositions and insurance coverage.
Lavoie represents clients in the acquisition, disposition, financing, development and leasing of office, industrial, retail, multifamily and mixed-use properties. His experience includes representing owners, investors and developers in structuring, negotiating, and documenting acquisitions, dispositions, and joint ventures. He also has significant experience drafting and negotiating leases.
Mills launched and chairs the firm’s Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Practice. His areas of concentration also include technology transactions, payments, financial technology, regulatory compliance and privacy and security. He has also advised clients in connection with token sales (also known as Initial Coin Offerings, or ICOs) and other cryptocurrency-related initiatives.
Vaughn represents businesses involved in commercial and intellectual property disputes. Before joining MMM, he was assistant general counsel for a publicly-traded Fortune 500 facilities services company, and served as commercial transaction and litigation counsel for its technical and aviation services divisions.
Wagner focuses on counseling clients on matters relating to the design, drafting and administration of defined benefit and defined contribution tax-qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, including cash balance plans, 401(k) plans, ESOPs, health and welfare plans, top-hat plans, 403(b) and 457(b) and (f) plans, as well as equity awards, executive compensation, and 409A issues.
About Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP
Morris, Manning & Martin (www.mmmlaw.com) is an Am Law 200 law firm with national and international reach. We dedicate ourselves to the constant pursuit of our clients’ success. To provide our clients with optimal value, we combine market-leading legal services with a total understanding of their needs to maximize effectiveness, efficiency and opportunity. MMM enjoys national prominence for its real estate, corporate, litigation, technology, healthcare, intellectual property, energy & infrastructure, capital markets, environmental, international trade, and insurance practices. MMM has offices in and around Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Savannah and Washington, D.C. The firm also has a business development office in Beijing, China.
Media Contact for MMM: Terri Thornton, (404) 932-4347, Terri@TerriThornton.com
