Clark Hill Opens Atlanta Office With 8 Laterals From Taylor English
New Members Join Corporate, Labor & Employment, and Real Estate Practices; Atlanta Office is Firm’s 29th
International law firm Clark Hill today announced expansion into the Atlanta market with the addition of eight lawyers from Taylor English Duma LLP effective July 29. For Clark Hill, which has offices in Mexico City, Dublin, and across the U.S., the Atlanta office will be the firm’s 29th location and the second U.S. office addition in 2024, having opened an office in Boulder, Colorado in April.
“Our long-stated growth strategy is to be where our clients need us and to deepen our talent in key practice areas,” said John Hensien, CEO of Clark Hill. “Atlanta has been in our sights for a considerable time. We are thrilled that our patience paid off in terms of finding the right team. Our new colleagues are exceptional professionals whose practices and experience align with our current offerings, and will expand and enhance the support we provide to clients doing business in the Southeast.”
Of the eight lawyers joining the Clark Hill Atlanta office, seven will come on board as Members and one as Senior Counsel. One senior attorney, one paralegal, and a legal administrative assistant round out the additions to the firm’s new office.
“Joining Clark Hill is an outstanding opportunity that we couldn’t pass up,” said Christina Moore, former co-chair of the Taylor English Real Estate practice group and new Member-in-Charge of the Atlanta office. “As a group, we were looking for a firm with a national platform that wanted to establish a presence in Atlanta and has a culture with the same values as ours. Not only did Clark Hill check those boxes, but also the firm’s dynamic leadership, international presence, and broad array of practices will enable us to provide our clients with access to more services in more places. We’re ready to get to work and are excited to establish and grow Clark Hill’s Atlanta office.”
For the immediate future, Clark Hill’s Atlanta attorneys will work in a flexible office space model while determining the long-term real estate and office solution to drive business growth in Atlanta.
The additions will reinforce Clark Hill’s corporate, real estate, international, and labor & employment practices and bring new resources to its industry-specific teams. Further enhancing the firm’s offerings, Clark Hill is broadening its Fractional General Counsel practice, chaired by Allen W. Nelson in the Atlanta office.
“In learning about Clark Hill’s business units and business leaders, it is clear Clark Hill eliminates barriers to easily connect clients with other services the firm has to offer both nationally and internationally,” said Manori de Silva, Clark Hill Member and former chair of the Taylor English Employment practice group. “I have no doubt that our clients across the globe will benefit immensely from the function of these business units to emphasize Clark Hill’s expansive platform as well as the variety and breadth of the firm’s practices.”
Clark Hill’s Atlanta Lawyers
Clark Hill’s initial Atlanta Members bring diverse talents and experience. They include the following attorneys:
Corporate
Bob J. Goldberg advises clients on an array of corporate, commercial, and regulatory issues, including commercial transactions, mergers & acquisitions, corporate governance, and capitalization matters. He brings extensive experience in the technology, staffing, telecommunications, and hospitality industries. Bob is the former chair of the Corporate & Business Practice Group at Taylor English and the former General Counsel of a private financial technology services provider.
Allen W. Nelson, Chair of Clark Hill’s Fractional General Counsel practice, is a trusted adviser to in-house counsel, boards of directors, management teams and investors of public and private companies. As former GC, Corporate Secretary and Chief Administrative Officer of NYSE-traded Crawford & Company, the world’s largest publicly-traded claims management firm, he is a recognized leader with significant experience coordinating global teams. He is a former Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Atlanta Ballet, a former Vice President of the global Duke Alumni Board and a senior lecturing fellow at Duke University School of Law, among his other affiliations. He is also the Chair of Board Development of Tech Alpharetta.
Ryan Owens advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, sales to and the use of Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP). He works hand-in-glove with clients in a General Counsel role, at all stages of their development, from formation, through acquisitions and divestitures, and ultimately to succession planning and liquidity events, such as ESOP sales and sales to strategic and private equity buyers.
Kent Webb represents clients in venture capital and private equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property portfolio management to enhance their growth and value. He represents many companies involved in the technology industry in a wide range of transactions. He also provides general outside counsel to many private companies regarding corporate governance and compliance matters. A longtime Board Member of the Georgia Technology Authority, he is the former Chair of the Board of Visitors of the Stetson-Hatcher School of Business, Mercer University.
Labor & Employment
Manori de Silva, Deputy Chair of Clark Hill’s Transatlantic Practice, advises U.S. and international clients on critical commercial and employment issues. Conversant in Dutch and French, she acts as a bridge for clients, providing efficient solutions that enable global businesses to expand their reach. She is the Vice-President of the Netherlands-American Chamber of Commerce for the Southeastern United States.
Steven Whitehead joins Clark Hill as Senior Counsel. A former General Counsel of an international staffing company, he has significant experience advising clients regarding the legal issues involved in the employer-employee relationship.
Real Estate
Mark Florak is a leader in the retail commercial real estate industry. He advises national and local developers through all stages of development, from site acquisition through construction and leasing.
Christina Moore, Member-in-Charge of Clark Hill’s Atlanta office, represents clients in the full range of commercial real estate transactional, financing, and contractual issues. Her deep experience across the array of issues that touch on real estate development enables her to advise clients from start to finish, helping them achieve their goals. She also worked extensively to help clients with the Paycheck Protection Program and has continued to support and represent clients across all industries in post-payment reviews and investigations by the Small Business Association and Department of Justice.
About Clark Hill
At Clark Hill, our value proposition is simple. We offer our clients an exceptional team, dedicated to the delivery of outstanding service. We recruit and develop talented individuals and empower them to contribute to our rich diversity of legal and industry experience. With 29 locations and more than 700 lawyers spanning the United States, Ireland, and Mexico, we work in agile, collaborative teams, partnering with our clients to help them reach and exceed their business goals. Please visit the firm’s website at http://www.clarkhill.com or follow the firm on social media @ClarkHillLaw.
Clark Hill. Simply Smarter.