Robins Kaplan LLP Announces 2019 Partner and Principal Promotions

Robins Kaplan LLP is pleased to announce that Melissa D’Alelio, James Kitces, and Oren Langer have been named partners at the firm. Additionally, William Bornstein, Holly Dolejsi, Jason Fair, John Harting, Peter Ihrig, Rayna Kessler, William Manske, Nathaniel Moore, Aaron Sheanin, and Li Zhu have been elected principals. All promotions were effective January 1, 2019.

“We welcome this outstanding group of talented and diverse partners and principals to the partnership,” said Martin Lueck, chairman of the firm’s Executive Board. “This group represents some of the best and brightest litigators from our offices across the country and we look forward to their continued contributions to our clients and our firm as they grow in these new roles.”

Partners:

Melissa D’Alelio (Boston) focuses her practice on complex commercial disputes, including representing insurers in the resolution and litigation of a broad range of liability and property coverage and claims. She is well versed in resolving claims involving catastrophic loss, personal and advertising injury, defective construction, additional and other insureds, priority of coverage, and allocation disputes. Melissa is deeply committed to the advancement of women in the insurance industry and diversity in the legal profession. She co-founded the firm’s Insurance Insight quarterly newsletter, which highlights and features women’s voices in the insurance industry. She also is a leader in the firm’s Diversity Committee, and has been an active member of the Massachusetts Women’s Bar Association (WBA) for over a decade.

James Kitces (Boston) represents large business insurers in first-party coverage and industrial subrogation claims. James also focuses his practice on representing insurers in third-party liability disputes concerning construction defect claims, environmental claims, intellectual property disputes, and other liability matters as well as bad faith claims. James spent 17 years in Atlanta and maintains an active practice in the southeast. He has represented clients through every stage of litigation, from pre-suit evaluations to trial and appeal. He has extensive experience in first-party and third-party insurance litigation arising from fire, explosion, flood, hurricane, mold, construction and design defect, and other losses.

Oren Langer (New York) is a trial lawyer and counselor, whose practice focuses on intellectual property and complex commercial litigation. His intellectual property litigation experience spans various industries including pharmaceuticals (under the Hatch-Waxman Act regulatory framework), chemicals, telecommunications, video gaming, and retail services. Oren also advises his clients on transactional matters, including licensing negotiations and campaigns, and monetizing intellectual property in anticipation of prospective mergers or acquisitions. He is committed to pro bono representation of clients that need legal help but cannot afford or access it. Recently, Oren secured asylum for a Kyrgyz woman and her husband on the basis of religious discrimination after a seven-year court battle.

Principals:

William Bornstein (Minneapolis) is a business litigator who handles a wide range of complex civil disputes, with a focus on efforts to recover sums procured by fraud and other misconduct within the healthcare industry. He also leads the firm’s efforts to help veterans who have been unjustly discharged from the armed services correct their records and gain access to the benefits they have earned.

Holly Dolejsi (Minneapolis) focuses her practice on representing clients in mass tort cases against some of the country’s largest pharmaceutical and medical device companies. She has also been heavily involved in some of the most notable cases handled by Robins Kaplan’s National Mass Tort Group, including the Stryker Rejuvenate/ABG II modular hip litigation, which resulted in a settlement valued at over $1 billion and federal litigation involving Benicar, which recently settled for $358 million. She currently is serving as co-lead counsel in the Farxiga MDL pending in the Southern District of New York, and also actively representing Native American Tribes in the federal opioid MDL.

Jason Fair (Los Angeles) focuses his practice on assisting sureties through complex default matters and litigation. Jason also assists general business clients in the construction, logistics, and warehousing fields. Jason frequently partners with outside agencies to provide pro bono representation to impoverished, abused, and neglected children and youth.

John Harting (Minneapolis) focuses his practice on intellectual property-related litigation. Representing clients on both sides of the “v,” he has helped his clients obtain over $100 million in settlements and judgments while also successfully defending against large-scale patent infringement allegations. John has participated in three patent infringement trials, including second-chairing a four-week patent infringement trial culminating in a successful jury verdict, damages award, and a permanent injunction.

Peter Ihrig (Minneapolis) focuses his practice on complex financial litigation. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants in securities litigation, and also represents bankruptcy trustees in bankruptcy-related adversary proceedings.

Rayna Kessler (New York) is a New Jersey and Pennsylvania attorney in the firm’s National Mass Tort Group, where she primarily represents individuals who have been injured by dangerous drugs and medical devices, medical malpractice, and other catastrophic personal injuries. Rayna was recently recognized as one of the Top Women in Law in 2016 by New Jersey Law Journal, selected by The Trial Lawyer as one of America’s 50 Most Influential Trial Lawyers of 2016, and named a New Leader of the Bar by New Jersey Law Journal in 2018. Rayna also serves as a board member for Public Justice, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization that protects consumers, employees, civil rights, and the environment.

William Manske (Minneapolis) represents individuals and companies on intellectual property matters across a diverse set of industries, including medical device, agribusiness, manufacturing, and financial services. He represents clients in litigation nationwide on complex patent, trade secret, copyright, and trademark matters and advises clients on brand management issues, including trademark acquisition, maintenance, and enforcement. Will also practices in the firm’s Patent Office Trials Group, where he has directed several inter partes reviews, representing both petitioners and patent owners.

Nathaniel Moore (New York) is a trial attorney with a focus in healthcare law, government and internal investigations, and complex business litigation. Nathaniel currently represents healthcare plans in multimillion-dollar litigation with providers involving claims of fraud, breach of contract, and violations of federal and state statutes.  Nathaniel also conducts internal investigations involving compliance and regulatory issues, and has substantial experience representing clients in high-stakes litigation matters.

Aaron Sheanin (Silicon Valley) has extensive experience as an antitrust litigator, taking a leadership role in every aspect of several well-known cartel cases from inception through trial. He has also represented clients in consumer protection securities fraud, corporate governance, telecommunications, employment discrimination, defective product, and bankruptcy matters.

Li Zhu (Silicon Valley) focuses his practice on complex patent and commercial litigation. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants, and advises clients in a variety of markets and technical fields, including computer technology, biotechnology, medical devices, DNA sequencing, and food products. His pro bono trial experience includes advocating for indigent clients in Minnesota state and immigration court.