Shook, Hardy & Bacon Names 17 New Partners

Shook, Hardy & Bacon named 17 attorneys to partnership from the firm’s Chicago, Kansas City, Miami, Orange County, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Tampa offices, effective Jan. 1, 2016.

Chicago:
Anna Knight is a member of Shook’s Business Litigation group; she has worked extensively on matters involving breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duties, employment law, professional liability, intellectual property, fraud and insurance coverage. Knight received her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School (2007) and her B.A. from Emory University (2002).

Kansas City:
Adrienne Byard is a member of the firm’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation group; her practice focuses on defending manufacturers of consumer goods, respiratory and patient monitoring devices, women's health products and animal health products. Byard is frequently called upon to provide liability forecasting analysis and has experience defending clients' e-discovery and document preservation and production practices. Byard received her J.D. from New York University School of Law (2008), where she served as an associate editor and staff editor for the Review of Law & Social Change. She received her B.A., cum laude, in English and Spanish from the University of Kansas (2005).

Ryan Dykal is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation group; his practice focuses on patent and copyright litigation involving telecommunication, semiconductors, medical devices and various software fields. He is a registered patent attorney. Dykal received his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law (2008), where he was a member of the UMKC Law Review and Moot Court board. He received his B.A. in physics from Washington University in Saint Louis (2003).

Gabriel Egli is a member of the firm’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation group; he defends pharmaceutical and medical device companies in individual and multidistrict product liability litigation in state and federal courts across the country. He also briefs complex legal issues such as federal preemption in the context of medical devices. Egli received his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law (2006), where he served as literary citation editor of Pepperdine Law Review, and his B.A. in institutions and policy from William Jewell College (2002).
 
Aaron Hankel is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property group; his practice focuses on managing complex patent litigation matters for presentation at trial. He also advises clients on a variety of other intellectual property issues outside of litigation, including procurement, product design and licensing. Hankel received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Washington University School of Law (2008) and his B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Missouri (2005).
 
Jennifer Stonecipher Hill is a member of the firm’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation group; her practice focuses on the defense of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers engaged in product liability litigation. She also advises clients on issues governed by the Food and Drug Administration, including product labeling, recalls, regulatory compliance, and risk evaluation and management. Hill received her J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law (2008) and her B.A., cum laude, from Drury University (2004).
 
Jason Howard is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property group; his practice focuses on helping clients build patent portfolios by capturing internal inventive efforts and assessing the strength of patents available for acquisition. He has also drafted or supervised approximately 200 patent applications covering inventions in a number of different information technology areas. Howard received his J.D., summa cum laude, from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law (2006) and his B.S. in civil engineering from Purdue University (1996). Before law school, Howard worked as an engineer for a chemical manufacturing corporation.
 
Stephanie Sankar is a member of the firm’s Global Product Liability group; her practice focuses on the defense of consumer product manufacturers in complex tort and product liability litigation. Sankar received her J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law (2008), where she served as a note and comment editor of Kansas Law Review. She received her B.A., summa cum laude, from Bethel College (2004).
 
Jason Scott is a member of the firm’s Tort group; his practice focuses on claims for wrongful death, personal injury, significant property damage, and complex issues involving insurance and indemnity for companies engaged in product liability litigation throughout the United States. Scott received his J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law (2008), where he was a staff member of UMKC Law Review. He received his B.A. in history and religion, cum laude, from Texas Christian University (2005).
 
Rick Shearer is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation and Corporate Services section; his practice focuses on representing corporations and other business entities in complex commercial litigation involving a broad spectrum of business disputes in state and federal courts, including design and construction,  breach of contract, fraud and fiduciary duty litigation, joint venture and partnership disputes, creditor’s rights and counterclaim defense. Shearer received his J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law (2004) and his B.S. from the University of Kansas (1999). Rick is a graduate of the National Trial Advocacy College at the University of Virginia School of Law.
 
Emily Sullivan is a member of the firm’s Tort group; she primarily works for a Fortune 500 company that uses an alternative fee arrangement and oversees a docket of 40 to 50 matters involving claims of wrongful death, personal injury and property damage. She handles or supervises all phases of her matters and works hand-in-hand with clients to formulate strategic case solutions to suit their business needs. Emily received her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School (2003) and her B.A. from Tufts University (2000).
 
Miami:

James Daniel Gardner is a member of the firm’s Global Product Liability group. Gardner received his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law (2008), where he served as articles and comments editor for the University of Miami Business Law Review. He received his B.S.B.A., cum laude, from Ohio State University (2004).

Orange County:
Lael Awong is a member of the firm’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation group; her practice focuses on managing all facets of litigation from day-to-day case management, motion writing, and court appearances to depositions and fact and expert witness development. Awong received her J.D. from the USC Gould School of Law (2006) and her B.S. in business administration, cum laude, from the University of Southern California (2002).

Philadelphia: 
April Byrd is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation group; she advises corporate clients on compliance programs and regulatory issues and manages internal investigations and government enforcement actions on their behalf. She is also experienced in tort litigation including deposing fact and medical witnesses, developing expert witnesses, conducting evidentiary hearings and dispositive motions practice. Byrd received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Villanova University School of Law (1995), where she served as a managing editor for the Villanova Law Review. She received her B.A., cum laude, from Swarthmore College (1991).

San Francisco:
Andrew Chang is a member of the firm’s Global Product Liability group; his practice focuses on individual, mass tort and class actions involving automotive, pharmaceutical, medical device and other consumer products. He has also represented companies in business, environmental and employment litigation related to consumer fraud, contract disputes, copyright infringement, overtime and Employee Retirement Income Security Act benefits. Chang received his J.D. from Duke University School of Law (2002) and his B.A. from the University of California - Davis (1999).

Rachael Smith is a member of the firm’s Global Product Liability group; her practice focuses on commercial, product liability and complex litigation matters in the pharmaceutical, tobacco, automotive, insurance and mortgage industries. She also counsels companies on how to defend their online environments and protect their customers through the civil litigation system. Smith received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Southwestern Law School (2008), where she was a notes and comments editor of the Southwestern Law Review. She received her B.S. in zoology, summa cum laude, from North Carolina State University (1999).

Tampa:
Kristopher Verra is a member of the firm’s Global Product Liability group; he represents companies involved in individual and complex tort and product liability matters in industries including chemical manufacturing, construction, pharmaceutical and medical device, alarm services and life safety and tobacco. Verra received his J.D., summa cum laude, from Stetson University College of Law (2006). He received both his Master’s and B.S. in accounting, with high honors, from the University of Florida Fisher School of Accounting (2002).