Leading global law firm Morrison Foerster announced the election of 21 lawyers to the firm’s partnership, effective earlier this year. The class of 2025 includes lawyers from 16 practice groups.
The following lawyers have been elected partners:
1.) Hila Cohen is a Transactions Department and Private Funds Group member based in New York. And her practice focuses on advising fund sponsors and their management teams in connection with their private fund formations and ongoing fund operations, including upper-tier planning and securities law matters, and advising institutional investors in connection with their investments in private funds across a broad range of investment strategies. Hila received her J.D. from McGill Law School.
2.) Patricia C. Ernst is a member of the Litigation Department and the Investigations + White-Collar Defense Group, based in Berlin, Germany. Her practice focuses on corporate governance, compliance, and internal investigations. She often advises national and international corporations, boards, and c-suite executives on government-facing investigative and regulatory matters and on pursuing and defending claims for damages arising from breaches of compliance requirements. Patricia is a lecturer at the University of Potsdam and Konrad-Wolf-University. She is regularly recognized by legal directories for her compliance practice. Patricia studied law at the University of Connecticut (Hartford) and Freie Universität (Berlin), was a research fellow with UC Hastings (San Francisco), and passed her first and second state exams in Berlin (in 2008 and 2013). After working at another international law firm in Berlin, she obtained a master’s in intellectual property and a Ph.D. in law and passed the prestigious German notary exam.
3.) Tiffani B. Figueroa is a member of the Litigation Department and the Complex Litigation Group, based in the New York office. Her practice focuses on complex litigation, emphasizing class action and commercial litigation. She has extensive experience representing technology firms, financial institutions, and other clients in matters involving a broad range of claims pending before federal courts, state courts, or arbitration tribunals, as well as experience driving strategy on international issues. She received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Hofstra University and her B.A. from Georgetown University.
4.) Jaclyn M. Goldberg is a Transactions Department and the Tax Group member, based in Washington, D.C. Her practice focuses on the U.S. federal income tax aspects of private fund formation and operation. She advises both fund sponsors and potential investors on private funds. She received her executive LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center, J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, and M.B.A. from The George Washington University School of Business.
5.) Jerry Gomez Galvis is a member of the Litigation Department and the Investigations + White-Collar Defense Group, based in New York. Jerry’s practice focuses on conducting internal and government-facing investigations, global compliance exercises, and related civil litigation, with particular experience in Latin American matters. His work on high-profile investigations and white-collar defense matters has earned him recognition by Best Lawyers in the Criminal Defense: White-Collar category. He has also been named on the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s 2024 Top 40 Under 40 list and the Crain’s New York Business 2024 Notable LGBTQ Leaders list for his significant contributions to LGBTQ+ equality in the workplace and larger legal community. Jerry received his J.D. from New York University School of Law.
6.) James R. Hancock is a member of the Litigation Department and the Securities Litigation Group, based in Palo Alto. His practice focuses on high-stakes securities litigation and complex commercial cases. He represents clients across various industries, including technology, life sciences, investment funds, and senior executives of public entities, in disputes in federal court, state court, and international arbitration. He received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.A. from Stanford University.
7.) Philip S. Jaworskyj is a Transactions Department and the Tax Group member, based in New York. Philip advises clients on U.S. federal income tax considerations concerning domestic and cross-border transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, capital markets transactions, derivatives, and other financial products. He regularly represents clients in various industries, including foreign and domestic banks, financial institutions, technology and fintech companies, investment funds, and companies in the consumer and hospitality industries. Philip received his LL.M. (Taxation) from Georgetown University Law Center, his J.D. from Rutgers School of Law–Camden, and his B.S. from Boston University.
8.) Kerry C. Jones is a member of the Litigation Department and the Antitrust Group, based in Washington, D.C. Her practice includes supporting clients across the spectrum of antitrust and competition law matters, such as strategic counseling to manage antitrust risks, Hart-Scott-Rodino premerger notification filings, gun-jumping and merger clearance advocacy, internal investigations, and antitrust litigation. She received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.
9.) Yoshitaka Katayama is a member of the Transactions Department and Real Estate Group, based in Tokyo. His practice focuses on the representation of Japanese and non-Japanese investment banks, private investment funds, financial institutions, and real estate companies in negotiations, structuring, documentation, and arrangements related to property acquisitions, dispositions, developments, operations, and fund formation and management, as well as providing advice relating to various regulatory matters. Yoshitaka also served on a secondment at the Tokyo headquarters of a leading international investment bank, where he was involved in real estate investments and the formation of investment joint ventures. He received his J.D. from Keio University.
10.) Kaleb Keller is a member of the Transactions Department and the Real Estate Group, based in Los Angeles. His practice focuses on representing institutional investors and lenders in complex commercial real estate transactions. He received his J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and his B.S. from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.
11.) Nathanael Kurcab is a member of the Litigation Department and National Security Group, based in Washington, D.C. His practice includes diligence, advisory, investigation, and enforcement matters involving U.S. national security issues, focusing on advisory and investigation matters related to compliance with U.S. sanctions. Before joining Morrison Foerster, he served in the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Defense Intelligence Agency. He received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
12.) Seth W. Lloyd is a nationwide appellate litigator in the Litigation Department and the Appellate and Supreme Court Group, based in Washington, D.C. Seth has particular experience in Federal Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court patent appeals. He has presented oral arguments in 12 appeals, including in the Federal, Seventh, Ninth, and D.C. Circuits, and briefed over 100. Seth’s patent appeals span technologies from medical devices to pharmaceuticals to computer hardware and software, with wins for patentees and defendants alike. Before joining Morrison Foerster, he clerked on the Federal Circuit for Judge Richard G. Taranto. Seth received his J.D. from Stanford Law School and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford.
13.) Kwan Park is a Litigation Department and Global Employment and Labor Group member, based in San Francisco. His practice focuses on defending clients in litigation. In particular, he litigates complex actions, including putative class, collective, and representative (e.g., under the California Private Attorneys General Act) actions. Throughout his career, Kwan has defended clients against various employment and labor claims, such as alleged wage and hour violations, misclassification, unfair labor practices, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in court and before government agencies. Kwan is a graduate of Stanford Law School, where he was an articles editor of the Stanford Law Review. He received his B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University.
14.) Derik Rao is a member of the Litigation Department and the Investigations + White-Collar Defense Group, based in Shanghai. Derik’s practice primarily focuses on investigations, compliance, sanctions, export controls, and white-collar matters. He represents multinational companies in financial, health care, technology, professional services, telecommunications, and other industries. Corporate clients based in the United States, China, Japan, and Europe benefit from Derik’s extensive experience handling complex investigations and sanctions risks and his deep understanding of doing business in Greater China. He received his J.D. from Washington University School of Law.
15.) Michael P. Santos is a member of the Transactions Department and the Mergers + Acquisitions and Social Enterprise + Impact Investing Groups based in San Francisco. His practice focuses on representing a broad range of investors, including institutional investors, private foundations, and public charities, deploying capital in early-stage and late-stage financings, mergers, acquisitions, asset purchases, and sales. He advises companies on structuring for impact, including through perpetual purpose trusts, hybrid or “tandem” arrangements between nonprofit and for-profit entities, and other corporate governance mechanisms. He earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.S. from Santa Clara University.
16.) Brittany Scheinok is a member of the Litigation Department and Complex Litigation Group, based in San Diego. Brittany represents clients in complex class action and commercial litigation. She is a consumer class action specialist with deep experience in product defects, false advertising, unfair competition, and privacy class action matters. Brittany defends clients in all stages of litigation and regularly advises on litigation strategy. She received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law.
17.) Matthew R. Stephens is a member of the Litigation Department and the IP Litigation Group based in San Diego. His practice involves a range of IP matters, including patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret litigation in district court, the Federal Circuit, and before the International Trade Commission. He received his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law.
18.) Marijn Storm is a member of the Litigation Department and the Privacy + Data Security Group based in Brussels. Marijn advises clients on the intersection of artificial intelligence and data protection, focusing on the EU AI Act and its implications for providers and deployers of AI tools and systems. He has extensive experience navigating regulatory challenges related to new technologies, including compliance with the GDPR, responsible AI deployment, and managing risks when training large language models. He frequently supports organizations by training teams on various AI topics, conducting AI impact assessments, ensuring transparency in AI systems, and aligning their strategies with the requirements of the EU AI Act, such as risk classification and governance obligations. Known for a practical and business-focused approach, Marijn helps clients develop compliant and innovative AI solutions while minimizing regulatory risks.
19.) Yoshiya Usami is a Litigation Department and Antitrust Group member based in Tokyo. His practice focuses on antitrust/competition law, including cartel defense, investigation of unilateral conduct, and antitrust compliance. He received his LL.B. from Tokyo Metropolitan University and LL.M. from Cornell Law School.
20.) Nathan S. Vogler is a member of the Transactions Department and the Patent Group, based in Boston. His practice concentrates on domestic and international patent prosecution, IP due diligence, counseling, portfolio management, and litigation support, including adversarial proceedings before the USPTO. Nathan also heads the Patent Group’s Materials Science and Energy Storage practice. He has experience in various technology areas, including polymer chemistry, composite materials, industrial processing, batteries, catalysts, nanotechnology, and consumer electronics. He received his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School and his B.S. in Chemical Engineering, with a minor in chemistry, from Purdue University.
21.) Jeff Xu is a Transactions Department and Finance Group member based in New York. He represents financial institutions, private credit funds, public and private companies, and other borrowers and lenders in financing transactions, including secured and unsecured, syndicated, acquisition, subscription line, asset-based lending, trade, debtor-in-possession, and other complex financings. Jeff’s pro bono practice primarily advises elderly and low-income New Yorkers on their essential life-planning documents. He received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and his B.A. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University.
KEY QUOTE:
“I am proud to welcome our 2025 class of attorneys to the partnership at Morrison Foerster. Each of these attorneys has consistently demonstrated exceptional skill, dedication, and a strong commitment to our clients and colleagues. I look forward to seeing their continued growth and the success of our partnership as we move forward together with such talented individuals.”
– Eric McCrath, chair of Morrison Foerster
