Michael Best is pleased to announce the addition of four attorneys promote to the Firm’s Equity Partnership. The newly named partners are Aaron W. Barker, Bernard A. Brown II, Ph.D., Courtney D. Tedrowe, and Leah Hurtgen Ziemba.
Aaron W. Barker, Venture Best, Austin
Barker advises clients on a range of corporate and transactional matters. He specializes in equity and debt financing transactions, private equity and venture capital investments, and a wide variety of strategic transactions such as mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, spin-outs, and buying and selling assets, as well as general corporate law and governance matters. He has also assisted public companies with public offerings, SEC compliance and reporting obligations. Barker counsels technology, life science, consumer brands, and other emerging growth companies and their boards from incorporation through exit.
Bernard A. Brown II, Ph.D., Intellectual Property, Raleigh
Brown assists clients protect and leverage their biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical innovations. He has expertise in a variety of life sciences technologies including molecular biology, immunology, biosimilars, biochemistry, medical devices, diagnostics, blood products, agriculture, plants, and small molecule pharmaceuticals and their formulations. Brown provides comprehensive patent prosecution, portfolio management, and commercialization counsel. He handles U.S. and foreign prosecution; patentability, freedom-to-operate, and prior art analysis; invalidity and non-infringement opinion work; and reexamination requests. He also assists clients with licensing their technologies, overall portfolio strategy, and navigating the FDA regulatory process. Additionally, Brown advises clients on pre-litigation Hatch-Waxman and Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA) strategy, inter partes review proceedings, and Patent Trial and Appeal Board and Federal Circuit appeals.
Courtney D. Tedrowe, Labor & Employment Relations, Chicago
Tedrowe is an experienced commercial, business, and employment litigator with a lengthy record of success in bench and jury trials. He represents employers, companies, executives, and officers in a broad range of industry sectors. Tedrowe’s clients have included hedge funds, their founders and valued employees, private equity firms, property managers, major food producers, manufacturers, retailers, and fine art collectors, among others.
Leah Hurtgen Ziemba, Regulatory, Madison
Ziemba takes a big-picture approach in advising clients as they face challenges on environmental, food safety, and regulatory compliance issues. She draws on experience gained in cases involving the EPA, FDA, and other public agencies. Ziemba’s success as a counselor, litigator and negotiator reflects her combination of subject matter expertise, industry knowledge, and creativity.