Akin Gump to Add Partners in Dallas

October 11, 2012 (Dallas, TX) – Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is pleased to announce that a seven-partner team will be joining the firm’s Dallas office. Soon to join the firm’s corporate practice are Tom Yang, Garrett DeVries and Matt Zmigrosky, who will continue their focus on strategic mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and securities, including private equity transactions. Soon to join the firm’s litigation practice are Marty Brimmage Jr., Mike Warnecke, Arnold Spencer and Sarah Teachout, who will continue their focus on white collar, government investigations, antitrust, false claims matters, bankruptcy litigation and commercial litigation. All seven are partners in the Dallas office of Haynes and Boone, LLP

“This is an extraordinary group of lawyers entering the prime of their careers. Their arrival will be a tremendous step forward for Akin Gump in Dallas and will greatly enhance our core strengths in corporate and litigation work,” stated firm chairman Bruce McLean. “It is a rare opportunity to welcome a top-tier team with such a broad range of skills to our firm, and I’m thrilled that they will be joining us.”

Added Ken Menges, co-head of Akin Gump’s firmwide corporate practice and partner in charge of its Dallas office, “The Dallas market is a critical hub of activity for many of our clients, and it is crucial to be able to provide them with robust levels of service across the areas that are key to their businesses. The addition of this team will greatly enhance our service offerings. Marty, Garrett, Arnold, Sarah, Mike, Tom and Matt are a truly accomplished team, and both our firm and our clients will benefit immensely from their arrival.”

About the Team

Marty L. Brimmage Jr. has a diverse commercial litigation, bankruptcy litigation and trial practice. Licensed in both Texas and New York, Mr. Brimmage has tried cases in both federal and state courts and in arbitration proceedings all over Texas and throughout the country. Mr. Brimmage has experience representing plaintiffs and defendants in complex business litigation matters and debtors, secured lenders, creditor committees and equity holders in a wide range of bankruptcy-related matters. After receiving his J.D. from the University of Houston, cum laude, he served as the law clerk for the Honorable Robert C. McGuire, Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Texas. Prior to that, he received his M.B.A. from the University of North Texas, magna cum laude, and his B.B.A. from the University of North Texas, magna cum laude.

Garrett A. DeVries focuses his practice on capital markets, securities and M&A and has completed transactions and represented clients in a broad range of matters and industries. Mr. DeVries serves as lead corporate securities counsel for a number of public companies and has an extensive track record handling capital raising and strategic M&A matters. A frequent author on corporate topics, Mr. DeVries has been involved in the ABA Negotiated Acquisitions Committee task forces on revisions to the ABA Model Stock Purchase Agreement as well as the ABA Federal Regulation of Securities Committee. Mr. DeVries received his J.D. from the University of Chicago and his B.S. in management from the Georgia Institute of Technology, with highest honors.

Arnold Spencer concentrates his practice on defending white collar grand jury investigations and criminal prosecutions and has successfully defended several companies and executives accused of fraud and financial mismanagement. Mr. Spencer is a former Assistant United States Attorney, where he prosecuted cases involving significant corporate fraud and misconduct, including securities and financial fraud, money laundering, environmental crimes, public corruption, health care fraud, computer crimes and immigration fraud. He has appeared before every district court judge in the Eastern District of Texas. Mr. Spencer received the John Marshall Award, the highest award presented to a Justice Department attorney for contributions and excellence in legal performance, for his work with the Environmental Crimes Section. Before embarking on a career in law, Mr. Spencer gained extensive experience with securities and financial institutions as an investment banker. Mr. Spencer received his J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law and his B.A. from Amherst College, cum laude.

Sarah Teachout focuses her practice on the defense of corporations and executives in complex civil and criminal cases, internal corporate investigations and government investigations. Ms. Teachout has extensive experience defending companies in False Claims Act cases brought by qui tam relators or the Department of Justice. She has successfully litigated FCA cases in district and appellate courts involving health care, defense procurement, energy, education and federal grant fraud. Ms. Teachout has written and spoken on a wide variety of topics, with a focus on False Claims Act investigations and litigation, and has also served as an adjunct professor of environmental law at Texas Christian University. Ms. Teachout received her J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude, and her B.A. from the University of Iowa, with highest distinction.

A. Michael Warnecke is an experienced litigator who represents clients in a broad range of internal investigations, criminal matters, civil litigation and similar “bet the company” matters. Mr. Warnecke maintains a particular focus in representing clients, both national and global, in matters related to government investigations and prosecutions. Mr. Warnecke is an active member of The Sedona Conference, the nation's premier eDiscovery think tank, and consults regarding electronic discovery and information management issues. He is a senior editor of the recently published The Sedona Conference Cooperation Guidance for Litigators & In-House Counsel (2011) and is a co-author of State Antitrust Practice and Statutes, Ch. 48, (Texas), ABA Section of Antitrust Law ed., 4th ed. 2009. Mr. Warnecke received his J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, with honors, and his A.B. from Dartmouth College, magna cum laude.

Thomas H. Yang represents clients in matters related to strategic mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and securities, including a particular focus in private equity M&A. Mr. Yang is the recipient of a number of regional and industry recognitions, including his selections, both in 2011, as one of six top M&A dealmakers by Dallas Business Journal and by D Magazine as one of the best corporate lawyers in Dallas. Mr. Yang is active in the Asian-American community and is a former president of the Dallas Asian-American Bar Association. He received his J.D. from Columbia University in the City of New York and his B.A. from Columbia University in the City of New York.

P. Matt Zmigrosky has significant experience representing companies and private equity firms on transactional matters, including mergers, acquisitions, venture capital/private equity investments, distressed M&A transactions, reorganizations and other strategic transactions in a broad range of industries. Mr. Zmigrosky is a member of the working group that compiles the widely recognized "Deal Points Study," a study of negotiated M&A terms that has been adopted by the Committee on Mergers and Acquisitions of the American Bar Association. He received his J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, cum laude, and his B.S.M. from Tulane University, cum laude.

Founded in 1945, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 850 attorneys in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.