Akerman Continues Los Angeles Growth

LOS ANGELES — Dec. 19, 2016 — Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, has attracted veteran trial lawyer Mark Riera from DLAPiper in Los Angeles, where he served as co-chair of the Antitrust Energy Sector Practice Group. He joins Akerman as a partner in the Litigation Practice Group and bolsters one of the leading trial teams in the United States.

Riera is the eighth lateral partner to join Akerman's Los Angeles office this year, growing headcount twofold to 27 lawyers and real estate professionals since 2015. Recent additions include land use Partners Ellen Berkowitz, Lisa Kolieb and Brady McShane from Gresham Savage; real estate transactional Partner William "Bill" Ellisfrom Reading International; corporate Partner Mark Liu from Amicorp Ltd.; labor and employment Partner Rachel Schumacher from Katten Muchin Rosenman; and litigation Partner Michael Weiss from Lewis Brisbois.

"Mark is known for representing corporations in high-stakes litigation. His experience, particularly in the energy and financial services sectors, adds important depth to our national trial team and Akerman's rapidly expanding Los Angeles office," said Lawrence Rochefort, chair of Akerman's Litigation Practice Group.

Riera is a civil trial and appellate lawyer, who has broad experience representing clients in complex antitrust and commercial litigation matters, with an emphasis in the energy sector. He has significant experience handling securities fraud, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), False Claims Act (FCA), criminal defense, condemnation and eminent domain, and wage and hour class action matters. Riera's practice crosses an array of sectors, including global oil and gas, banking, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, hospitality, transportation, and motor vehicles. He has handled multidistrict litigation and opt out cases in 23 state courts, federal courts and the United States Supreme Court. Among them, Riera represented the Securities Investor Protection Corporation in a landmark securities fraud and RICO action in the District Court, Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He also has represented clients in Latin America, Japan, Europe, Canada and Australia.

Riera has served as vice chair of the California State Bar Antitrust and Unfair Competition Section and a former editor of the Section's official publication Competition. He is also a member of the American Bar Association's Private Antitrust Litigation Committee. He holds a B.A. from Pomona College and a J.D. from Stanford law, and he pursued a Ph.D. at Cornell University.

Riera's arrival underscores Akerman's client-driven growth in the energy sector. This year, Akerman welcomed 16 lateral partners with practices dedicated to clients operating in all segments of the sector, including oil and gas, coal, petrochemicals and renewables. The firm's trial team also experienced unprecedented growth with more than 50 litigators joining in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami, among other markets.

About Akerman LLP

Akerman LLP is a leading transactions and trial law firm known for its core strengths in middle market M&A, within the financial services and real estate industries, and for a diverse Latin America practice. With more than 650 lawyers and government affairs professionals and a network of 24 offices, it is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the United States by The American Lawyer (2016). Akerman also is ranked among the top 60 law firms for diversity in The American Lawyer's Diversity Scorecard (2016).

Akerman's Litigation Practice Group has vast experience in a wide range of civil and criminal litigation, including class action defense, securities and corporate litigation, banking, white collar crime and government investigations, insurance, and real estate. The team is recognized nationally by U.S. News – Best Lawyers in several categories including Commercial Litigation and Appellate.

More information can be found at akerman.com or twitter.com/akerman_law.