Overview
(January 4, 2016, Washington, DC) — Steptoe & Johnson LLP today announced the promotion of 10 lawyers in three of its offices. Four lawyers have been elected to the partnership: Alan Feldman, Shehzad Hasan, Jennifer Key and Amanda Varma. Two lawyers have been named managing directors in their respective practices: Leslie Belcher and Pablo Bentes. The firm also named four lawyers as of counsel: Justin Chu, Jeremy Engle, Anthony Rapa and Josh Runyan.
New Partners
Alan Bayless Feldman (Phoenix) focuses his practice on labor relations and employment law. He represents clients nationwide in matters involving collective bargaining, union organizing campaigns, and unfair labor practice allegations. Mr. Bayless Feldman counsels employers regarding employee handbooks and policies, management training, and employee discipline, and defends employers in actions involving wage-and-hour, discrimination, harassment, and other employment-related claims. His general commercial litigation experience includes various matters involving contract disputes and business torts. Mr. Bayless Feldman’s trial experience includes successfully defending clients in unfair labor practice proceedings and receiving favorable decisions in cases involving employee/independent contractor claims and the enforceability of non-compete agreements. He received his J.D., cum laude, from Arizona State University where he was a Pedrick Scholar and note and comment editor for Jurimetrics: The Journal of Law, Science, and Technology.He received his B.S. from the University of Arizona.
Shehzad Hasan (New York) offers clients broad experience in a variety of litigation matters including insurance, complex mass torts, and products liability. His experience includes mass tort cases that focus on asbestos, silica, and welding rod injury matters. Mr. Hasan coordinates all aspects of complex litigation including overall strategy, complicated discovery issues, dispute resolution, and negotiating complex structured settlements. In addition, Mr. Hasan has significant experience handling matters related to toxic torts, tobacco, and securities litigation. Mr. Hasan earned his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, his M.B.A. from City University of New York, and his B.A. from Franklin & Marshall College.
Jennifer Key (Washington) focuses her practice on the representation of electric utilities before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). She advises clients in a wide range of matters, including open access transmission and interconnection service, compliance with various FERC regulations, PURPA, and regulated transactions. Ms. Key’s practice also focuses on the interplay between state and federal regulation, particularly in light of the increase in distributed generation. Ms. Key earned her J.D., with honors, from The George Washington University where she was a member of the George Washington Journal of International Law and Economics. She received her B.A., cum laude, from Dartmouth College.
Amanda Varma (Washington) advises clients on federal income tax matters, with particular focus on international tax planning and controversies. Her practice includes counseling domestic and foreign businesses with respect to cross-border restructurings, acquisitions, and financings, tax treaty matters, tax deferral, and withholding and reporting issues. Ms. Varma is also experienced in representing clients in IRS examinations and appeals, competent authority proceedings, as well as trial court and appellate litigation. In addition, she advises clients with respect to tax policy matters. Ms. Varma is recognized in The Legal 500 US for international tax and tax controversy. Ms. Varma received her B.A. with high distinction from the University of California-Berkeley. She earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan, where she was the executive editor for the Michigan Law Review.
New Managing Directors
Leslie Belcher (Washington) is a member of the Government Affairs & Public Policy Group where she focuses on government relations. Ms. Belcher concentrates on legislative advocacy in the areas of appropriations, tax, trade, energy and healthcare. She has more than 20 years of experience advising members of Congress and directing government relations campaigns. Ms. Belcher served as chief of staff to both Representative Tom Cole (R-OK) and Representative Wes Watkins (D-OK), and as legislative director to Representative Bill Brewster (D-OK). Ms. Belcher received her B.S. in journalism from Oklahoma State University.
Pablo Bentes (Washington) is one of very few practitioners in the world who focuses his practice on representing sovereign states before the dispute settlement mechanism of the World Trade Organization (WTO). He has argued cases before WTO panels and the Appellate Body on a variety of issues, including trade in goods, services, subsidies, trade remedies, and technical barriers to trade, among others. Previously, Mr. Bentes served six years as a legal officer in the WTO’s Appellate Body Secretariat, and headed the international trade practice at a major Brazilian law firm. Along with his native Portuguese, Mr. Bentes speaks English, French, Spanish, and German. He has been recognized in Chambers Global and The Legal 500 US, and in 2015, he was named a Rising Star in International Trade by Law360. Mr. Bentes received his LL.M. in international law from the University of Miami and his M.B.A. and J.D. from the University of São Paulo.
New Of Counsel
Justin Chu (New York) has extensive experience in litigation and counseling in matters involving securities, professional liability, employment, intellectual property, tax, and real estate. His representative clients include securities and commodities exchanges, law firms, financial services institutions, publishers, medical technology providers and their directors, officers, and employees. Mr. Chu has successfully represented clients at trials and appeals in courts and government agencies, and successfully tried numerous arbitrations to conclusion. He also has experience in representing individuals and companies in the negotiation of employment and separation agreements. Mr. Chu received his B.A. from State University of New York at Binghamton and his J.D. from Northeastern University.
Jeremy Engle (Washington) has particular experience in litigating copyright infringement claims and fraud and contract actions on behalf of clients including music publishers, government contractors, telecommunication providers, and hotel owners and operators. He also has experience with SEC enforcement actions and private securities claims. Mr. Engle has litigated in federal and state courts at both the trial and appellate levels. Before joining Steptoe, Mr. Engle was an honors attorney in the Criminal Appeals Tax Enforcement and Policy Section of the Tax Division of the Department of Justice. Mr. Engle earned his B.S. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Washington and Lee University where he was the lead articles editor for the Washington and Lee Law Review and a staff writer for Law News.
Anthony Rapa (Washington) focuses his practice on economic sanctions and export controls including matters arising under US, EU, and UK regulatory regimes. He has extensive experience with counseling clients on complex cross-border transactions, conducting global internal investigations, development of corporate sanctions compliance policies, conducting regulatory due diligence in support of international mergers and acquisitions, and submission of voluntary disclosures and license applications to US regulators. Mr. Rapa previously practiced in Steptoe’s London office, and is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales. He is a frequent contributor to the Steptoe International Compliance Blog, which touches on topics that arise in the world of international regulatory enforcement and compliance. Mr. Rapa earned his J.D., summa cum laude, from Seton Hall University, where he was the comments editor for the Seton Hall Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. He received his B.A., summa cum laude, from Drew University.
Josh Runyan (Washington) counsels companies with respect to regulatory issues and litigation arising from the construction and operation of major infrastructure projects. His clients include pipelines, railroads and energy companies. Mr. Runyan advises such companies with respect to permitting, compliance issues, administrative proceedings, and enforcement defense. He has broad experience in the application of the National Environmental Policy Act, and other environmental laws. He also provides compliance assistance and counseling to food, additive, supplement, drug, and medical device manufacturers regarding requirements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Mr. Runyan earned his B.A. from the University of Wyoming and his J.D., cum laude, from Southern Methodist University where he was the articles editor for The International Lawyer Journal.
About Steptoe
Steptoe & Johnson LLP is an international law firm widely recognized for vigorous advocacy in complex litigation and arbitration, successful representation of clients before governmental agencies, and creative and practical advice in guiding business transactions. The firm has more than 500 lawyers and other professionals in offices in Beijing, Brussels, Century City, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, Phoenix and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.