BakerHostetler announced today that 12 lawyers have been elected to the partnership. The new partners are in six of the firm’s 14 offices and represent clients in the practice areas of Business, Employment and Labor, Intellectual Property, Litigation and Tax.

New partners in the firm’s Atlanta office:

•  Ian K. Byrnside is a member of the firm’s Litigation Group and an experienced trial lawyer, focusing his practice on complex commercial litigation and health care litigation. He also has a significant media law practice in which he represents news media and other content providers in various types of litigation, including First Amendment and defamation matters. Byrnside earned a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2008 and a B.A. from Duke University in 2005.
• Michael J. Riesen is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Group, focusing his practice on patent prosecution, including preparing and prosecuting domestic and international patent applications, managing patent portfolios, and providing patentability and freedom-to-operate opinions. He graduated cum laude with a J.D. from the University of Toledo College of Law in 2008. He also earned an M.S. in 2008 from the University of Toledo and a B.S. in 2002 from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

New partner in the firm’s Cleveland office:

• Alexis C. Beachdell, a member of the firm’s Business Group, is a seasoned bankruptcy and commercial law attorney with experience representing trustees and liquidating trusts, secured lenders and financial institutions, buyers and sellers of distressed assets, creditors of distressed or insolvent businesses, and nonprofit entities. She graduated summa cum laude in 2008 with a J.D. from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and earned a B.S. from Bowling Green State University in 2004.

New partner in the firm’s Denver office:

• Samantha M. White is a member of the firm’s Tax Group, counseling individuals, high-net-worth families and closely held businesses in the areas of tax-advantaged trusts, business succession planning, estate administration and charitable giving. She earned an LL.M. in taxation and a J.D. from the University of Denver in 2007 and a B.S. from the University of Wyoming in 2003.

New partners in the firm’s New York office:

• Esterina Giuliani, a member of the firm’s Litigation Group, is an experienced general litigator with a focus on complex commercial litigation. Giuliani is a former law clerk for the Honorable Victor Marrero, Southern District of New York, and the Honorable Sandra Feuerstein, Eastern District of New York. She earned her J.D. magna cum laude from St. John’s University School of Law in 2006 and graduated with a B.A. from Hofstra University in 2002.
• Melissa L. Kosackis a member of the firm’s Litigation Group, focusing her practice on commercial litigation, securities and regulatory enforcement, and white collar defense. She earned her J.D. from Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2005, where she graduated cum laude and as a member of the Order of the Coif, and graduated with a B.A. from Cornell University in 2002.
• Melinda L. McLellan is a member of the Privacy and Data Protection team in the firm’s Intellectual Property Group. Her practice focuses on privacy, cybersecurity and information governance and includes advising clients on complex technology transactions, cross-border data protection, security incident response and regulatory compliance. She earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2005 and graduated with a B.A. from Rice University in 2000.
• James A. Shereris a member of the firm’s Litigation Group and chair of the Information Governance team. His work focuses on litigation, information and data governance, discovery management processes, enterprise risk management, data privacy, artificial intelligence, technology integration issues and related merger and acquisition diligence. He earned an M.B.A. from Central Michigan University in 2009, a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2002 and an A.B. from the University of Michigan in 1999.

New partner in the firm’s Philadelphia office:

• Eric A. Packelis a member of the firm’s Chambers USA-ranked Privacy and Data Protection team and focuses his practice on data security and technology issues, including counseling clients involved in privacy incidents. He also represents clients in regulatory investigations brought by state attorneys general and federal agencies arising from data security incidents. Packel earned his J.D. from Villanova University School of Law in 1987 and his B.S. from Muhlenberg College in 1984.

New partners in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office:

• W. Barron A. Avery is a member of the firm’s Business Group and leads the firm’s Government Contracts team. He counsels and represents government contractors and subcontractors in a wide range of matters involving all aspects of federal government procurement. Avery graduated cum laude with a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2007 and earned his B.A. from Hampden-Sydney College in 2001.
• Peter G. Fischer is a member of the firm’s Employment Group, focusing his labor and employment litigation practice on the hospitality and food service industries. He provides strategic advice to owners and management companies nationwide on labor relations, employment litigation and regulatory compliance. Fischer graduated from Emory University School of Law in 2003 and earned his B.A. from Emory University in 2000. Before private practice, he served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps with combat service in Afghanistan.
• Tayan B. Patel is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Group, focusing his practice on strategic client counseling, global IP portfolio management, licensing and litigation. Patel earned his M.S. in electrical engineering from Drexel University in 2012, his J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law in 2006 and his B.E. in chemical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2003.