Global law firm White & Case has expanded several of its practices by hiring several partners.
Melissa Anyetei (Partner in Chicago)
The firm’s Intellectual Property Practice and Global Technology Industry Group was expanded with the addition of Melissa Anyetei as a partner in Chicago.
Melissa has experience counseling clients in matters related to patent litigation, procurement and counseling, and intellectual property transactions across many technologies, including medical devices, pharmaceutical and chemical products, consumer products, software, mobile devices and industrial machinery. And she represents clients in federal district courts, before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
Anyetei follows the recent additions Adam Greenfield and Mark Davies in Washington DC as the latest partner to join White & Case’s growing Intellectual Property Practice. And last year, the group added high-profile joiners, including Global Head of the Practice, Yar Chaikovsky, along with partners Phil Ou, Bruce Yen and David Okano in Silicon Valley, leading ITC practitioner, Jordan Coyle, and trademark, copyright and false advertising specialist Anna Naydonov in Washington, DC, as well as two counsel in Los Angeles and Chicago.
Anyetei is the tenth lateral partner to join White & Case’s US offices in 2024. And her addition continues to expand the Firm’s footprint in Chicago, following the recent arrival of leading Project Development and Finance partner, Nadav Klugman in April. The firm opened its Chicago office in 2018, which has since worked on many of the most high-profile, complex legal matters in the Midwest region, and globally, and has since more than doubled its headcount in the market.
Anne-Sophie Noury (Partner in Paris)
White & Case expanded its Global Financial Restructuring and Insolvency Practice and Global Private Equity Industry Group with the addition of Anne-Sophie Noury as a partner to lead this practice in Paris.
Anne-Sophie is one of the preeminent restructuring lawyers in the French market with extensive experience in distressed LBO transactions and cross-border restructurings. And she is also one of the few restructuring lawyers in France able to handle both high-end out-of-court and in-court restructurings, including chapter 7-like processes. Anne-Sophie has comprehensive knowledge of the restructuring of debtor companies, and has advised distressed funds and corporates on the takeover of French companies via share or asset deals. With almost 20 years of experience, Anne-Sophie joins White & Case from Weil, Gotshal & Manges, where she was a partner and co-head of the Paris restructuring/insolvency practice.
Some significant lateral partner additions in the US during 2024 include leading private equity partner Taurie Zeitzer, who joined in New York from Paul Weiss; leading M&A partner Keith Hallam, who joined in New York from Cravath; white collar partner Ladan Stewart, who joined in New York from the US Securities and Exchange Commission; project development and finance partner Nadav Klugman, who joined in Chicago from Mayer Brown; and M&A partner John Cahill, who joined in New York from Paul Hastings.
In EMEA, some significant lateral partner additions during 2024 include M&A partner Patrick Sarch, who joined in London from Hogan Lovells; capital markets partner Anthony Tama, who joined in London from Cahill; white collar partner Neil Blundell, who joined in London from Macfarlanes; M&A partner Domenico Fanuele, who joined in Milan from Shearman & Sterling; and capital markets partner Oliver Seiler, who joined in Frankfurt from Latham & Watkins.
Alicia Albury (Partner in Sydney)
White & Case expanded its Global Real Estate Industry Group and Global Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Practice with the addition of Alicia Albury as a partner in Sydney.
Alicia advises on a wider range of real estate transactions, including property-related restructuring, turnaround and insolvency matters and energy and resources land tenure issues. And She regularly advises developers, owners and investors on industrial, commercial and major infrastructure and renewable energy projects. Alicia brings more than 25 years of experience and joins White & Case from Maddocks, where she was a partner and led the Sydney real estate team.
Shinsuke Yakura (Partner in Tokyo)
White & Case expanded its global disputes practice with the addition of Shinsuke Yakura as a partner in Tokyo.
Shinsuke advises domestic and foreign companies on cross-border litigation and arbitration, IP and white collar and compliance matters, as well as antitrust and product liability. And He advises on inbound disputes before Japanese courts and on matters under the rules of the Japan Commercial Arbitration Association, as well as outbound disputes before US courts and under institutional arbitral rules in various jurisdictions. Shinsuke brings more than 20 years of experience and joins White & Case from Orrick, where he led the Tokyo office and was head of Orrick Tokyo’s complex litigation and dispute resolution group and intellectual property group.
Shinsuke’s arrival follows the addition in Tokyo of funds partner Eriko Sakata from Linklaters in May 2024.
Key Quotes (Melissa Anyetei):
“Melissa brings extensive experience working with high-profile tech companies on their most significant patent litigation disputes as well as a technical background in engineering, which provides a unique value-add to the diversification of our IP roster. Melissa’s addition will bolster our capabilities to serve existing clients in technology-focused IP disputes, and also generate new touchpoints in the market, as the Firm continues to advise on the most significant and complex intellectual property cases in the technology sector.”
– Yar Chaikovsky, Head of White & Case’s Intellectual Property Practice
“Melissa’s proven record of accomplishment in IP tech is significant and will serve to strengthen White & Case’s reputation for counseling global technology companies in their most important IP matters. We are particularly pleased to welcome her to our growing Chicago office as the Firm continues strategically bolster its practices across the US market.”
– Aalok Sharma, Co-Head of White & Case’s Global Technology Industry Group
Key Quotes (Anne-Sophie Noury):
“Over the last 30 years, we have built the White & Case restructuring and insolvency practice into a world leader with a healthy balance of internal promotions and lateral acquisitions. Our aim is to have a truly unique ability to provide our clients with top-level counseling and support, regardless of whether they are a company in, or at risk of being in, financial distress, a creditor of, investor in or potential purchaser of, such a company – regardless of the jurisdictional landscape. The addition of a leading lawyer like Anne-Sophie bolsters our presence in France and the EU. She will be working alongside experienced partner Saam Golshani who also heads our private equity practice on the ground there, and strengthens our ability to service clients on global restructurings that are signature White & Case.”
– White & Case partner Tom Lauria, head of the firm’s Global Financial Restructuring and Insolvency Practice
“Anne-Sophie is a hugely experienced and highly regarded restructuring lawyer in France who advises on significant cross-border and domestic matters, including some of the most important, high-profile French restructurings in recent years, and has worked extensively with Saam and the rest of the team. Her practice is an exciting fit and addition to our top-tier restructuring offering in Paris for a wide range of leading clients, and we look forward to Anne-Sophie’s contribution to the ongoing growth of our role advising on these key matters.”
– Severin Robillard, White & Case Office Executive Partner in Paris
“Anne-Sophie’s arrival continues a string of significant, strategic lateral partner additions in the US and EMEA during 2024 that add further strength in markets and practices that are important to our clients. White & Case is a truly global law firm, and these exciting investments underline our commitment to advising leading clients on their most important, complex, cross-border deals and disputes.”
– White & Case partner and Vice Chair Oliver Brettle
Key Quotes (Alicia Albury):
“Energy transition and infrastructure transactions, greenfield developments, and M&A and restructuring transactions are all expected to continue at pace in the Australian market and real estate expertise is essential for these deals. In addition, the global surge in data center M&A deals, driven by private equity investment, is expected to continue through 2024 and beyond, with Australia and the Asia-Pacific a key market for major investors. The addition of Alicia will help grow our real estate team in Australia and Asia-Pacific to drive forward and support our clients on these transactions.”
– White & Case partner Eugene Leone, Co-Head of the Firm’s Global Real Estate Industry Group
“Alicia is a leading real estate partner in the Australian market and brings with her broad experience across a wide range of real estate transactions and assets that will benefit our clients. Working closely with our project development and finance, M&A, and financial restructuring and insolvency practices in Australia, as well as our Melbourne-based real estate team, Alicia will be an integral part of our deal offering.”
– Kate Perumal, White & Case Office Executive Partner in Sydney
“Alicia’s strong synergies with a number of our global transactional practices and experience in renewable energy transactions make her an important strategic addition to our Australia practice. Looking more widely, we are seeing historic levels of Japanese inbound investment into Australian real estate and Alicia will work closely with recent funds and real estate lateral partner Eriko Sakata, who joined the Firm in May from Linklaters. Additionally, with the recent addition of real estate M&A partner John Cahill in New York and Hong Kong from Paul Hastings, there is increased opportunity to support clients on real estate M&A inflows into the Australian market from the US.”
– White & Case partner and Vice Chair Oliver Brettle
Key Quotes (Shinsuke Yakura):
“Our global disputes practices have long focused on Japan as an important market for clients with international disputes needs. Shinsuke’s practice and experience is an ideal complement to our global team and will bolster our ongoing support of our Japanese corporate clients on their international disputes and our global clients on contentious matters in Japan.”
– White & Case partner Abby Cohen Smutny, Co-Head of the International Arbitration Practice
“Shinsuke is a leading intellectual property and disputes lawyer in Japan, who is unique in the breadth of his disputes experience and his admittance to practice in New York as well as Japan. As we look to build on our long history in Japan by expanding into disputes, Shinsuke’s expertise and client base will complement as well as grow our offering.”
– Jun Usami, White & Case Office Executive Partner in Tokyo
“Japan’s growing economy and legal market make it an important location for a global elite law firm such as White & Case. As our disputes practices continue to be a significant focus for the Firm globally, having experienced disputes partners in key jurisdictions such as Japan is essential to support our clients on their contentious matters wherever they take place.”
– White & Case partner and Vice Chair Oliver Brettle
