Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP

In honor of #WomensHistoryMonth, Kramer Levin co-hosted a Virtual Debt Buyer Defense Legal Clinic with Her Justice to provide limited legal services to women who cannot afford a lawyer and who have consumer debt default judgments against them in civil court. Volunteer attorneys first learned relevant procedural and substantive law needed to prepare orders to show cause to vacate default judgments in consumer debt civil court cases. During the clinic, Her Justice staff attorne...ys Naomi Young and Anna Ognibene supervised the volunteer attorneys as they interviewed their clients and drafted orders to show cause for the clients to file pro se in civil court. Once the volunteers finished their drafts of the documents, Naomi and Anna provided feedback, and helped instruct the clients on how to proceed pro se. Third party debt buyers exploit the country’s growing consumer debt crisis by buying consumer debt from creditors for pennies on the dollar, then pursuing collections against the alleged debtor for the full amount, frequently by suing them. Far too often, defendants in these consumer debt lawsuits are never properly served and only learn about the lawsuits after a default judgment is entered against them. These cases usually have multiple defenses which could result in their dismissal, e.g. personal jurisdiction and standing. However, unrepresented defendants need legal help to vacate the default judgments before they can have their day in court. Thank you to Naomi, Anna, Her Justice and all our attorneys who volunteered for this important clinic!

Meet new Kramer Levin associate Dean M. Yu! Dean has joined our Intellectual Property Department. He graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he served as the articles editor for the North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology and the treasurer of the Veteran Advocacy Legal Organization. During law school, Dean was an intern for the Center for Death Penalty Litigation, an intern for the Honorable Wanda Bryant at the North Carolina Court of Appeals, ...a legal extern at Relias, an intern for the Honorable Cheri Beasley at the Supreme Court of North Carolina, an IP intern for AgTech Accelerator, and an IP extern for SAS Institute. Prior to law school, Dean was a web developer for Jackson National Life Insurance Company, a program manager for LexisNexis, a product manager for Expedia Corporate Travel, a web producer for Aurora Consulting Group, a business analyst for Vertafore and a senior business analyst for Advocate Solutions. Dean graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University with an LL.B., and from Central Michigan University with an M.S. in computer science and an M.A. in economics. https://www.kramerlevin.com/en/people/dean-m-yu.html

We're proud to announce that Litigation associates Rupita Chakraborty, Rachel L. Goot, Erin V. Klewin and Reyhan A. Watson, Environmental associate Julia A. Quigley, and Corporate special counsel Samantha V. Ettari each received the Above and Beyond Award, presented by Her Justice as part of the 2021 Commitment to Justice Awards! The Above and Beyond Award is given to organizations and individuals whose support in the pro bono efforts of Her Justice have gone above and beyon...d the call of duty. Also recognized were former Kramer Levin associates Hannah Seifert and Jessica K. Weigel. https://www.kramerlevin.com//her-justice-recognizes-kramer

We're pleased to introduce Thomas M. Twitchell, one of our new law clerks! Thomas has joined our Litigation Department. He graduated from the New York University School of Law, where he participated in the Supreme Court Forum as president and the Trial Advocacy Society as vice president. During law school, Thomas was a 1L intern for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and a summer associate at Kramer Levin. Prior to law school, Thomas was a legal intern for Yonta La...w, LLC and a legal assistant for Rebenack, Aronow & Mascolo, LLP. Thomas graduated from Rutgers University summa cum laude with a B.A. in Chinese and economics. https://www.kramerlevin.com//peop/thomas-m-twitchell.html

Introducing Kelly Schreiber, one of our new law clerks! Kelly has joined our Employment Department. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she was associate editor of the Journal of International Law and a member of the CSR Faculty Building Committee. During law school, Kelly was a legal intern for Rent the Runway and a summer associate at Kramer Levin. Prior to law school, Kelly worked at the Rory Peck Trust in London, undertaking numerous roles.... Kelly graduated with distinction from McGill University with a B.A. in political science and sociology. Additionally, Kelly graduated with merit from The London School of Economics and Political Science with an M.Sc. in conflict studies. https://www.kramerlevin.com/en/people/kelly-schreiber.html

Meet Daria Rae Schieferstein, one of Kramer Levin's new law clerks! Daria has joined our Bankruptcy Department. She graduated cum laude from Fordham Law School, where she was associate editor of the Fordham International Law Journal, a merit scholar, a teaching assistant for the course Torts, a research assistant to Professors Elizabeth Maresca and Elizabeth Cooper, and a member of the Fordham Law Advocates for Voting Rights. During law school, Daria was an intern for the New... York Attorney General’s Office’s Litigation Bureau, a legal intern for Lincoln Square Legal Services, Inc., a legal intern for the U.S. Attorney’s Eastern District of New York Office and a summer associate at Kramer Levin. Prior to law school, Daria was executive assistant to the chief operating officer and general counsel of Cramer Rosenthal McGlynn LLC, co-leader of the Political Action Team for Downtown Women for Change, and a volunteer for the Alumnae/i Association of Vassar College. Daria graduated with honors from Vassar College with a B.A. in political science and a minor in French and francophone studies. https://www.kramerlevin.com//people/daria-rae-schieferstei

In honor of #WomensHistoryMonth, our Diversity & Women’s Initiative Committees co-sponsored a discussion this week with University of Virginia School of Law Professor Naomi Cahn. Professor Cahn discussed her research on the impact of the pandemic based on gender and race and shared some insights on the impact on the legal profession. Professor Cahn is an expert in family law, trusts and estates, feminist jurisprudence, reproductive technology, and aging and the law. Prior to ...joining the University of Virginia faculty in 2020, she taught at George Washington Law School, where she twice served as associate dean. She is the director of UVA Law’s Family Law Center. Professor Cahn is a co-author of casebooks in both family law and trusts and estates, and she has written numerous articles exploring the intersections among family law, trusts and estates, and feminist theory, as well as essays concerning the connections between gender and international law. Read more about Professor Cahn: https://www.law.virginia.edu/faculty/profile/nrc8g/2915359 Thank you to Professor Cahn and to our Diversity & Women’s Initiative Committees!

We're pleased to present one of our new associates, Martha Petrocheilos! Martha has joined our Corporate Department. She graduated with an LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was in the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, an opinion section columnist for Georgetown Newspaper and a participant in the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. She was also on the Dean’s List for Outstanding Pro Bono Contribution. During law school, Martha was a law clerk for the... U.S. Senate Finance Committee and a legal extern for Foley & Lardner LLP. Additionally, Martha was a legal extern at King & Wood Mallesons and a trainee associate with Reed Smith LLP. Martha graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science with her LL.B. https://www.kramerlevin.com//peo/martha-petrocheilos.html

Meet new Kramer Levin law clerk Seal Ortega-Rodriguez! Seal has joined our Intellectual Property Department. He graduated with honors from Emory University School of Law, where he served as vice president of communications for the Latin American Law Students Association. Additionally, Seal was a participant in the Advancing Healthcare Innovation in Africa Workshop, and is a TI:GER Certificate awardee, a recipient of the Dean’s Service Award and a recipient of the Minister Glo...ria Jean Fowler Angel Award. During law school, Seal was a research assistant for Professor Margo Bagley, an admissions fellow for the Emory Law Office of Admissions, a research assistant for the Emory Police Department, a legal intern for the Church’s Chicken Legal Department, a student attorney at the Turner Environmental Law Clinic and a summer associate at Kramer Levin. Seal graduated with honors from New Mexico State University with an interdisciplinary degree focused on biochemistry, genetics and informatics. https://www.kramerlevin.com//sealtiel-ortega-rodriguez.htm

Introducing Adam B. Nowicki, one of our new law clerks! Adam has joined our Bankruptcy Department. He graduated from Washington University School of Law with a J.D./MBA. While attending, he served as executive editor of the Journal of Law & Policy, was a member of the Honor Council Hearing Committee and was awarded the Dean’s Service Award. During law school, Adam also served as a national board member for SlingHealth LLC, an honors intern within the Division of Enforcement f...or the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and a summer associate at Kramer Levin. Adam graduated from the College of William & Mary with a B.A. in international relations, with a minor in finance. https://www.kramerlevin.com/en/people/adam-b-nowicki.html

Congratulations to #IntellectualProperty partner Irena Royzman, named to Crain's New York Business's 2021 list of Notable Women in Law! The annual list recognizes lawyers who have made significant contributions over the past year. https://www.kramerlevin.com//irena-royzman-named-to-crains

We’re pleased to introduce new Kramer Levin law clerk Martin M. McSherry! Martin has joined our Litigation Department. He graduated from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone scholar, served as notes editor on the Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems, participated in the Columbia Business and Law Association, and served in the American Constitution Society as communications director. During law school, Martin was a summer associate at McCabe Coleman V...entosa & Patterson PLLC, a legal intern at The Bronx Defenders, an academic coach at Columbia Law School and a summer associate at Kramer Levin. Prior to law school, Martin was an intern at the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General, a Democracy and Justice intern for The Brennan Center for Justice, and a peer writing preceptor at The George Washington University Writing Program. Martin graduated cum laude from The George Washington University with a B.A. in political communication and a minor in criminal justice. https://www.kramerlevin.com//people/martin-m-mcsherry.html

Meet new Kramer Levin law clerk Shannon P. Gillespie McComb! Shannon has joined our Intellectual Property Department. She graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where she served as staff editor of the Hastings Environmental Law Journal, and was a member of the Lefkowitz Trademark Moot Court Team, a representative for ASUCH, student researcher for LexisNexis, and a Tony Patino fellow-elect. During law school, Shannon was a law clerk for Hers...h & Hersh, an extern for the California Supreme Court under the Honorable Justice Goodwin Liu, law clerk for the Google Summer Legal Institute and student associate for Startup Legal Garage. Prior to law school, Shannon was a team member of the Sierra Club, a facilitator for Rotary International and a researcher of biomaterials in the area of cardiovascular and neonatal health. Shannon graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. in biomedical engineering with a concentration in biomaterials and a minor in science, technology and society. https://www.kramerlevin.com//shannon-p-gillespie-mccomb.ht

Another great round of on-campus interviews in the books! We enjoyed meeting (virtually) with some of the best and brightest law students in the country. Thanks to our fantastic recruiting team and to the Kramer Levin attorneys who gave their time to represent the firm!

Though it's been a challenging year, one thing remains true: We loved meeting (virtually!) law students from schools across the nation this fall. We appreciate everyone who attended and our Legal Recruiting team who made these unique events happen. And a big thanks to all our attorneys who gave their time to participate in workshops, panels and interviews: Chris Auguste, Pam Capps, Aaron Frankel, Hillel Goldstein, Mariya Khvatskaya, Lisa Kobialka, Sam Koch, Mike Martinez, Seth Niedermayer, Greg Proctor and Rey Watson. Learn more about our Summer Program here: https://www.kramerlevin.com/en/careers/law-student/

We're pleased to welcome Daniela C. Manzi, one of our new law clerks! Daniela has joined our Litigation Department. She graduated cum laude from Fordham University School of Law, where she was a member of the Fordham Law Review, a Ruth Whitehead Whaley scholar, a Betty Santangelo Merit scholar and the vice president of training for the Unemployment Action Center. During law school, Daniela was a legal intern for Christie’s Inc. and a summer associate at Kramer Levin. Prior ...to law school, Daniela was an intern to the Honorable William J. Martini at the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, an intern for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, an intern for the King’s County District Attorney’s Office, a legal assistant for the Law Offices of Matthew L. Levine PLLC and a commercial litigation paralegal for Holwell Shuster & Goldberg LLP. Daniela graduated from Hamilton College with a B.A. in government and a minor in art history. https://www.kramerlevin.com/en/people/daniela-c-manzi.html

We’re pleased to share our reflections on the many things there are to be thankful for this holiday season. Happy Holidays from Kramer Levin!

We're pleased to announce the election of Alice J. Byowitz, Jonathan D. Goodman and Michael H. Lee to partner positions in the firm! Alice, Jon and Michael are tremendously talented and creative lawyers who are deeply committed to helping our clients solve problems and achieve their objectives, said Kramer Levin co-managing partners Paul H. Schoeman and Howard T. Spilko. We congratulate our new partners on their achievement and wish them continued success as they enter an exciting new phase of their careers. https://www.kramerlevin.com//kramer-levin-names-three-new-

As part of our Pro Bono Week celebration, we were pleased to host a presentation from our Equal Justice Works Fellow, Courtney Yadoo, on her project working with families of students with disabilities within the special education landscape in New York City. Equal Justice Works is a national legal nonprofit whose mission is to mobilize the next generation of attorneys committed to justice. They do this by partnering with the nation’s leading law firms, corporations, legal services organizations, and law schools to provide a continuum of programming to law students and new lawyers. Equal Justice Works runs the nation’s largest postgraduate legal fellowship program. Kramer Levin has been a proud sponsor of Equal Justice Works Fellows since 1998, making us one of the most committed, longstanding law firm sponsors of this program.

We were proud to conduct another virtual legal clinic recently in partnership with the Harlem and Morningside Heights offices of NYC Business Solutions, aimed at assisting small businesses. The monthly clinic, in support of our Racial Justice Initiative, includes Kramer Levin lawyers on hand to provide pro bono consultation for small business owners in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. Corporate partner Colin Bumby and associate Eva Tanna spearheaded the effort with NYC Business Solutions.

We were honored to receive the Hon. Vito J. Titone Award from Staten Island Legal Services (SILS), presented at the Eighth Annual Hon. Vito J. Titone Awards Luncheon, held virtually, on September 25th. The firm was recognized for its work with SILS on an impact litigation project to benefit L’Unicorns, the first Latinx LGBTQ group on Staten Island. The annual awards celebrate individuals and programs that improve the quality of life for all Staten Island residents.

Our Diversity Committee was proud to sponsor a CLE discussion this week in honor of Native American Indian Heritage Month with Angela R. Riley, UCLA Professor of Law and Director, MA/JD Joint Degree Program in Law and American Indian Studies. Professor Riley’s discussion, "Indigenous Peoples and Cultural Appropriation," shared insights on her research. Learn more about Professor Riley: https://www.law.ucla.edu/fa/faculty-profiles/angela-r-riley... Thank you to our Diversity Committee for organizing this important event, and to Professor Riley for her presentation!

A big thank you to Laura E. Gomez, UCLA Professor of Law & Faculty Director, Critical Race Studies Program, who joined us recently in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month to discuss her book, Inventing Latinos: A New Story of American Racism, and to share some insights from her research, including the implications for Latinos in the 2020 census results and beyond. And thanks to our Diversity Committee for organizing this fascinating discussion! You can read more about Laura on her UCLA Law bio: https://curriculum.law.ucla.edu/Guide/Biography/206

We're very proud to participate in We The Action's Election Protection Hotline, to help ensure that everyone has equal access to the ballot box this November. One of the fundamental areas of our Racial Justice Initiative is voting rights and we're grateful to all of our lawyers who have volunteered to be involved in this important work. Learn more: https://electionprotection.wetheaction.org

As part of our Racial Justice Initiative, we're proud to announce we're a supporting firm for Neighborhoods Now, an initiative launched by the Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute connecting four neighborhoods hit hard by the #COVID19 pandemic (Bed-Stuy, Washington Heights, Kingsbridge and Jackson Heights) with law firms, design professionals and community health experts to develop safe and effective reopening strategies this summer. Please read more about the initiativ...e and the organizations involved here: Urban Design Forum: https://urbandesignforum.org/review/neighborhoods-now/ Van Alen Institute: https://www.vanalen.org/projects/neighborhoods-now/

Thank you to Cecilia Loving, Deputy Commissioner and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Fire Department of New York City, who joined our Women’s Committee recently for a virtual discussion entitled "Some Ways to Support Racial Healing." Cecilia was recently profiled for an ABC7 New York "First Responder Friday" segment, detailing a bit of her background and her work with the FDNY.

A Kramer Levin team, including Litigation partners Jeffrey S. Trachtman and Norman C. Simon and special counsel Tobias B. Jacoby and Jason M. Moff, with assistance from associate Benjamin Neuhaus, filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of mainstream religious organizations and hundreds of individual faith leaders in an important LGBT rights case, Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. The case addresses the claimed right of a foster care agency to refuse, on relig...ious liberty grounds, to certify otherwise-qualified same-sex couples as foster parents, notwithstanding antidiscrimination provisions in the agency’s contract with the City of Philadelphia. The Kramer Levin brief in Fulton documents the growing support among mainstream U.S. religions for fair and equal treatment under the law for LGBT individuals and their families.

Meet Kramer Levin partner Eliza A. Kaiser! Eliza's practice focuses exclusively on employment law litigation and advisory matters, representing employers in federal and state courts, administrative and agency proceedings, and arbitrations and mediations. Learn more about her in the Q&A below! What was the first live music performance you attended? ... A Billy Joel concert when I was in middle school. The best part of the story is that we had nosebleed seats, but Billy Joel would apparently give tickets on the floor to some lucky concertgoers in the nosebleed section, and we were picked and given seats around the 10th row. It was incredibly memorable. If the day were 25 hours long, what would you do with the extra hour? Depending on the day, like most parents of young children, I would sleep or try to find an hour of peace and quiet! If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you be? A novelist. I love writing and language, and could happily spend hours a day immersed in words and stories. Who or what inspires you? My mother. She is a formidable person very tall and redheaded and clear about what she wants and who she is. She is driven by her values and has always been a role model for me, balancing a rewarding, full career with an unwavering focus on family. What is something about you that your colleagues might be surprised to learn? I grew up outside Rochester, NY, in a 150-year-old farmhouse that had been my great grandparents’ country home. We had chickens and 30 acres of land ripe for adventure and imagination. What is one of your favorite movies or a book that influenced you? She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, the two New York Times reporters who broke the Harvey Weinstein story. I was so inspired by the bravery of the reporting and of the many women who spoke up and refused to be silenced anymore. The book also dovetails with what I do for a living and crystallizes many of the issues with which we grapple all the time, such as workplace power dynamics and allegations of harassment that arise from decades earlier I devoured it! What are you doing to maintain your sanity while working remotely? Staying informed, spending a lot of time in nature and embracing this unexpected time with my children (ages eight, six and two) holding them close when things get tough and making sure I have a deep roster of babysitters!

Our Diversity Committee was proud to sponsor a discussion with Vincent Southerland, Executive Director of the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at NYU Law, about race and the American criminal legal system. Read more about Vincent and his work: https://www.law.nyu.edu/cent/race-inequality-law/leadership Thank you, Vincent!

Congratulations to our 2020 winners of the Marvin Frankel Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Contributions! Individual Attorney Award: Elise Funke for her overall commitment to pro bono, including zealous representation of two clients for whom she secured parole for unjust sentences. Team Award: The Her Justice Team, which includes Jessica Weigel, Erin Klewin, Alan Friedman, Pamela Badolato, and former associate Ross Peyser for their dedication to representing a victim of domesti...c violence in contested child support, custody/visitation, and family offense proceedings. Individual Staff Award: For the first time, we are recognizing an individual staff member for extraordinary efforts in helping our pro bono program. Ines Dominguez has served as an interpreter on more than a dozen pro bono matters and has volunteered her time in many of our on-site clinics. Judge Marvin Frankel led by example in devoting a considerable amount of his time to pro bono legal causes he found important most prominently as a founder and longtime chairman of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (now Human Rights First). Judge Frankel promoted this kind of public service here at Kramer Levin. To honor his memory and encourage the continuation of this important legacy, the Annual Marvin Frankel Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Contributions was created. At our virtual event this year, we also recognized those who rose to meet the firm’s Pro Bono Challenge milestones for 100+, 50+ and 20+ hours of pro bono and community service, including board service, as well as staff who dedicated their time to assist with pro bono. Thank you to the 2020 Selection Committee: Chris Auguste, Anna Thea Bridge, Samantha Ettari, Aaron Frankel, Jamie Porco, Robert Schmidt, Gary Tarnoff and Jeff Trachtman.

In support of our Racial Justice Initiative, we’re proud to announce that Kramer Levin, together with the Harlem and Morningside Heights offices of NYC Business Solutions, recently launched a monthly virtual legal clinic to help low and lower income entrepreneurs in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx as they start, restart, maintain and grow their businesses. https://www.kramerlevin.com//kramer-levin-collaborates-wit

Introducing Virginia Wright, one of our new 2020 Summer Associates! Virginia completed her second year at Harvard Law School, where she serves as Professional Co-Chair of Lambda and Article Editor and Executive Technical Editor of the Journal of Law and Gender. This past year, she also interned at Sherin Lodgen LLP, where she assisted with plaintiff employment litigation, and with the Honorable Jackie Cowin of the Suffolk County Superior Court, working mostly in the Criminal ...Motions session. Last summer, Virginia was a legal intern at both Bradley Arant LLP and Lightfoot, Franklin, and White LLP in her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. Prior to attending law school, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama in 2017. She earned a B.A. in Classics, specializing in Latin Translation. She also worked as a Corporate Case Assistant at Cooley LLP in New York City.

Meet 2020 Summer Associate Kathleen Telfer! Kathleen completed her second year at Columbia Law School, and will serve as the Senior Articles Editor of the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law and the Interim Vice President of External Relations for the Public Interest Law Foundation in the fall. This past year, Kathleen participated in Columbia’s Sexuality & Gender Law Clinic, where she created a report on sentencing mitigation for survivors of domestic violence accused of r...elated crimes. She also held an externship with the Environmental Protection Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office, and spent last summer as an intern in the Appeal Division of the New York City Law Department. Prior to law school, Kathleen was a Litigation Assistant for the Natural Resources Defense Council. She provided paralegal and administrative support to NRDC’s Litigation Team, represented the Team in the organization’s Information Technology Action Committee, and served as a co-chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Kathleen graduated from the University of Michigan in 2013 with a B.F.A. in dance and a minor in chemistry.

Learn about 2020 Summer Associate Nicole Sweeney! Nicole completed her first year at Fordham University School of Law, where she is a member of the Courtroom Advocates Project and a Disability Note-taker. Prior to law school, Nicole was a bankruptcy paralegal at Kramer Levin from 2017-2019, where she assisted with the successful restructuring of Seadrill Limited on the team representing the Unsecured Creditors’ Committee. She also supported the team representing the Ad Hoc Noteholder Group in the FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. restructuring and supported the team representing the major secured creditor in a small real-estate bankruptcy and subsequent personal bankruptcy. Nicole graduated from Fordham University in 2017 with a B.S. in Engineering Physics and a concentration in Mechanical Engineering.