Arent Fox Announces 2020 Promotions to Partner and Counsel

The new Partners include Sarah H. Cohn, M. Douglas Flahaut, Kirsten A. Hart, Katie Heilman, Eva J. Pulliam, Asra Syed, and James M. Westerlind. The new Counsel promotions include Jeff Leung and Lee A. Pepper.

“We are proud of this talented and diverse class of newly promoted Partners and Counsel,” said Firmwide Managing Partner Cristina A. Carvalho. “On behalf of our Partners, I congratulate each of these attorneys on this hard-earned achievement and look forward to working with them for many years to come.”

Sarah H. Cohn represents clients in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including the financing, acquisition, disposition, and leasing of a broad range of commercial real estate assets in the Washington, DC area, and nationally. Ms. Cohn has experience representing banks, institutional investors, and private equity funds in their real estate financing transactions, including senior and mezzanine loans, syndications and co-lender transactions, and preferred equity financing. Prior to joining Arent Fox, Ms. Cohn was an Associate in the Northern Virginia office of a large international law firm where her practice focused on real estate transactions.

M. Douglas Flahaut focuses on business reorganizations, representation of Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 trustees, representation of creditors, preference litigation, and related business litigation matters. Mr. Flahaut is certified as a Business Bankruptcy Specialist by the American Board of Certification. In 2008 and 2009, Mr. Flahaut served as a judicial law clerk to Judges Peter H. Carroll and Robert N. Kwan of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. Mr. Flahaut also served as a staff attorney for the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel.

Kirsten A. Hart’s practice has an emphasis on business, securities, and intellectual property litigation. She typically litigates matters involving breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty, as well as shareholder derivative claims. Ms. Hart is also a member of Arent Fox’s Cannabis industry group and counsels clients on a myriad of issues related to that industry. Additionally, Ms. Hart takes on a variety of pro bono matters and has successfully assisted clients through IRAP (the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Program) and through Public Counsel to gain legal entry and maintain legal status within the United States. Ms. Hart has successfully tried cases in state and federal court and before arbitrators and administrative law judges. In 2018, she was selected to participate in the Arent Fox Fellows leadership program and she has a leading role in AFWomen, the firm's women’s development initiative, which meets to set the agenda and develop goals for the women lawyers in the Los Angeles and San Francisco offices.

Katie Heilman specializes in managed care litigation, environmental litigation and regulatory matters, and fashion and retail law with a focus on intellectual property. Ms. Heilman has been involved in litigation matters in state and federal court, as well as arbitrations, and is experienced in all phases of litigation, including discovery, motion practice, trials, and appeals. Prior to joining Arent Fox, Ms. Heilman clerked for the Honorable Beth P. Gesner, United States Magistrate Judge, in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.

Jeff Leung handles a variety of commercial, patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and business tort disputes in federal district courts, state courts, and federal agencies throughout the US and before the Federal Circuit and Second Circuit Courts of Appeals. As a USPTO registered patent attorney and former software engineer, Mr. Leung assists companies and individuals with securing patent rights and routinely advises high-tech clients, startups, and entrepreneurs on how to protect and enforce their intellectual property rights. Prior to joining Arent Fox, Mr. Leung served as a Law Clerk to Judges Eileen Bransten and Richard B. Lowe, III, in the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court.

Lee A. Pepper is a seasoned litigator in Arent Fox’s New York office focused on complex commercial litigation. He advises companies, c-suite executives, and high-net-worth individuals across a broad array of industries, including financial services, fashion, real estate, construction, sports, insurance and reinsurance, automotive, healthcare, and energy. Mr. Pepper has successfully litigated disputes related to mergers and acquisitions, securities, corporate governance, trademark infringement, business torts, and other commercial actions. Prior to joining Arent Fox, Mr. Pepper was a litigation Associate in the New York offices of two nationally recognized law firms.

Eva J. Pulliam concentrates her practice on all things e-commerce with a particular focus on counseling clients all over the world on data privacy and cybersecurity, advertising and marketing, and intellectual property. As a growing leader in the privacy practice, Eva counsels clients regarding data collection, use, and transfer, as well as the development of appropriate internal and external-facing policies to govern such practices. Eva also reviews advertising materials and advises clients on federal and state laws, including unfair and deceptive trade practice regulations enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. Her work in the intellectual property group includes policing, clearing, registering, and enforcing clients’ trademarks. With a presence in both California and Washington DC, Eva focuses heavily on counseling clients in the tech, gaming, automotive, retail, and consumer products industries. Prior to joining Arent Fox, Eva served as a judicial intern for Judge Reggie B. Walton, US District Court for the District of Columbia, and as a Law Clerk for the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Asra Syed focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation and has substantive experience handling matters in the private equity and alcohol beverage industries. Ms. Syed often appears before federal and state courts and in domestic and international arbitration. Before beginning her legal career, Ms. Syed was an award-winning journalist for the Austin, Texas National Public Radio affiliate KUT 90.5 FM, where she reported on local and state news until joining the station’s Texas Music Matters department. While there, she produced feature stories and documentaries, and a weekly show dedicated to Texas music.

James M. Westerlind is a trial lawyer who focuses on insurance and reinsurance matters, insurance coverage issues, and auto dealer franchise disputes. He also advises clients on cyber insurance and data breach issues. Mr. Westerlind has substantial litigation and trial experience in both state and federal trial courts within and outside of New York, as well as administrative proceedings, primarily concerning insurance, auto dealer franchise, and product liability disputes. Prior to joining Arent Fox, Mr. Westerlind was with a large law firm in its New York City office.