Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP announces the arrival of a new partner and three lateral associates, including one to its Madison County, Ill. office.

Partner Christy J. Benton joins the firm from John Crane Inc. in Chicago, where she was Associate General Counsel – Litigation. Benton focuses her practice on Asbestos Litigation, Toxic Tort Litigation and Product Liability. She received her J.D. from the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law in 1995 and her B.A. from Michigan State University in 1992.

Associate Kenneth C. Hoffmann joins Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP from Bollinger Connolly Krause LLC, where he was also an associate. He focuses his practice on Medical Negligence and Healthcare, Construction Litigation, and Product Liability. Hoffmann received his J.D from DePaul University College of Law in 2011 and his B.A. from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2008. More >>

Chuhak & Tecson, P.C., is pleased to announce that Kristen Hudson, a highly successful and respected litigator, has joined the firm as a principal.

With a primary focus on representing businesses in complex commercial litigation, Hudson has won high-stakes legal challenges in state, federal and appellate courtrooms across the nation. She comes to Chuhak & Tecson after eight years at a litigation boutique, where she was a partner. More >>

Sedgwick LLP announced that Cinthia Granados Motley joined the firm as a partner in its Chicago office. Motley practices in the areas of cyber security and privacy, ERISA, multi-jurisdiction commercial litigation, and insurance.

“Cinthia’s tremendous experience in cyber security and ERISA will be a great asset to our firm and client teams,” said Sedgwick Chair Michael Healy. “She is an exceptional attorney who adds to the strength of our international practice and will no doubt provide valuable insight to our clients in areas that are of increasing concern to the business community.” More >>

The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP today announced that Theodore T. Eidukas has joined the firm’s Chicago office as a partner in its Energy Practice Group.

Eidukas’ practice focuses on utility regulatory and complex commercial litigation matters, representing clients in all aspects of litigation, including trials, appellate arguments, motion practice, depositions, and other discovery. More >>

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced the expansion of its Labor & Employment Practice Group with partners John “Pete” Morrison and John Roache in Chicago. Together they bring complementary practices counseling and defending multistate and international employers in all types of employment litigation, including class and collective actions. Morrison and Roache also enhance the firm’s significant experience in wage and hour claims, employment discrimination, non-compete and trade secret issues. More >>

Krieg DeVault is pleased to announce that attorney Richard E. Stanley, Jr. has joined the Firm as Partner. Mr. Stanley is a member of the Firm’s Intellectual Property and Technology Practice Group and concentrates his practice on patent prosecution and litigation matters for the firm’s clients.

Prior to joining Krieg DeVault, Mr. Stanley served as a partner at Brinks, Gilson and Lione where his practice involved a wide range of technologies including medical devices, turbine engines, industrial tools, construction equipment, semiconductors, carbon-carbon brake disks, and numerous other technologies. In his 16 years of practicing law, Mr. Stanley has represented plaintiffs and defendants in all stages of patent litigation and has advised clients on every aspect of the patenting process. More >>

Much Shelist recently announced the addition of Jeffrey A. Jung as a principal in the Business & Finance practice group. Scott M. Lapins, principal, and Patrick A. Brennan, associate, also joined the Real Estate practice group.

Jeffrey Jung is a corporate and transactional attorney with more than 20 years of experience representing private and public corporations, financial institutions and investment banks on a variety of securities, finance and general corporate matters. Jung focuses on protecting the best interests of borrowers and lenders engaged in traditional lending, asset securitization and structured finance transactions. He also counsels clients involved in secured financings in a variety of industries, with particular emphasis on health care and technology-focused transactions involving health care royalty, revenue-interest and related hybrid financing structures. Jung earned a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. from Yale University. More >>

Mayer Brown represented Baxter International Inc. on the financing of Baxalta Incorporated, the new public company spun off by Baxter on July 1, 2015 that holds the former biopharmaceuticals business of Baxter. The financing consisted of a Rule 144A/Regulation S offering of $5 billion of senior notes of Baxalta and the concurrent tender offer by Baxter for approximately $3 billion of its outstanding public debt. The transaction also involved establishing new domestic and international credit facilities for each of Baxter and Baxalta. More >>

Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that 24 attorneys and additional staff from the intellectual property law firm of Wong, Cabello, Lutsch, Rutherford & Brucculeri L.L.P (“Wong Cabello”) have joined the Firm in its Houston office, effective June 9, 2015. As a result of these additions, Blank Rome significantly bolsters its IP practice to more than 60 attorneys and broadens its service offering to clients. All 5 name partners are joining, with J. David Cabello serving as co-chair of Blank Rome’s Intellectual Property and Technology group. They bring with them an additional 6 partners, 4 of counsel, 9 associates, and professional staff. More >>

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced the Chicago office increased fourfold to 32 lawyers in 14 months, following the addition of four commercial litigators: National trial lawyer Dean Dickie, a partner in the Litigation Practice Group, along with commercial litigators and partners Jeffrey Mayer and Catherine Miller, who are also members of Akerman’s Restaurant Industry Group. Ryan Williams also joined Akerman’s deep bench of trial lawyers as an associate. Together, they complement Akerman’s strengths in commercial and real estate litigation, as well as the firm’s capabilities for intellectual property and restaurant industry clients involved in business disputes. More >>