NVLSP

Ben Block, Co-Chair

Partner,

Covington & Burling LLP

Ben Block was named Co-Chair of the Board of Directors in June 2021. He has served as a member of the Board since 2014. He is an experienced civil litigator, having served as first chair in federal and state court trials and appeals, as well as in numerous arbitrations.  He has considerable experience representing sports entities, including the NFL, with regard to a range of matters. He has also represented clients in insurance coverage, patent, and administrative law matters.

Prior to joining Covington, he was a law clerk to the Honorable A. Raymond Randolph of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Ben received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and served five years in the U.S. Army as an armor officer.

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Amy E. Schuh, Co-Chair

Partner,

Morgan Lewis

Amy Schuh was named Co-Chair of the Board of Directors in June 2021. She has served as a member of the Board since 2011. She is passionate about pro bono work and has worked to personally recruit many attorneys to donate their time to help veterans. Ms. Schuh recently returned to Morgan Lewis as partner.   Ms. Schuh will address clients’ multi-jurisdictional compliance and ethics-related legal needs as part of the nearly 1,000-member global litigation team.  Ms. Schuh had previously worked at Morgan Lewis as a white-collar and complex class action litigation associate. Prior to retuning to Morgan Lewis, Ms. Schuh was senior vice president and chief ethics compliance officer at Cognizant. Preceding that, Ms. Schuh was Chief of Staff in the Office of the General Counsel at Hewlett-Packard (HP) where she was responsible for driving strategic and operational excellence across the department. She co-founded and co-chaired HP’s Pro Bono Program. HP partnered with NVLSP to counsel veterans through the benefits claims process participating in the Sabo v. United States class action lawsuit, that assisted veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). HP’s attorneys and legal support staff also directly represent active-duty service personnel and veterans in legal proceedings. Previously, she served as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of Investigations in Litigation where she managed a global team of lawyers and human resource professionals responsible for conducting internal investigations into alleged violations of HP’s Standards of Business Conduct and managing government investigations. Ms. Schuh has also served as Compliance Vice President, where she was responsible for enhancing HP’s legal and regulatory compliance infrastructure by developing and enforcing processes, procedures, policies, and standards to ensure HP’s compliance functions were effective in identifying and addressing legal and regulatory risks. Ms. Schuh began her career at HP as a General and Antitrust Litigation Manager, where she managed all aspects of complex commercial litigation and government investigations.

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Chris T. Antoniou, Member

Retired Vice President & Deputy General Counsel,

Verizon

Chris Antoniou retired as vice president and deputy general counsel of Verizon Global Wholesale (VGW), the firm’s wholesale business unit. He is responsible for managing all legal issues affecting VGW. This includes negotiating agreements with competing carriers, developing VGW’s policy positions, settling disputes and representing VGW in arbitrations and other fora. Antoniou joined Verizon (then Bell Atlantic) in 1998 and supported the wholesale business unit on a variety of matters before undertaking his current responsibilities in 2006. Prior to joining Verizon, Antoniou was an attorney with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. His practice focused on commercial transactions, particularly project financings of sports facilities and power plants. Before attending law school, Antoniou was a United States Army officer, serving as a platoon leader, executive officer and strategic debriefer. He is the co-editor (with W. Michael Reisman) of The Laws of War: A Comprehensive Collection of Primary Documents on International Laws Governing Armed Conflict (Vintage Books 1994). Antoniou received his law degree from Yale Law School in 1992 and his undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy in 1984.

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Alison Atkins, Member

Chief Technology and Cyber Counsel and Vice President/Assistant General Counsel,

U.S. Bank

Alison Atkins is the Chief Technology and Cyber Counsel and Vice President/Assistant General Counsel at U.S. Bank and is home-based in Eagle, Colorado.  Alison is the primary legal adviser to U.S. Bank’s Chief Technology Officer and the Chief Information Security Officer, and their senior executives, focusing on cyber incident response, regulatory and legal compliance relating to technology and data/information security, contract negotiations and escalations, and third-party risk management. Prior to joining U.S. Bank, she was a member of the Capital One’s Cyber Legal Team, serving as Senior Counsel/Senior Manager. 

Alison began her legal career in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate Corps, serving in South Korea, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Germany, and throughout the United States. She held various roles including Legislative and Investigative Counsel, Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, Chief of Military Justice, Prosecutor, and Special Victim Prosecutor, where she was one of 25 elite prosecutors responsible for sexual assault, digital exploitation of children, and felony domestic violence cases.

Ms. Atkins is a graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law and the United States Military Academy. She also holds a Master of Laws in Military Law from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. She is also deeply involved in community service as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for the 5th Judicial District, representing children in dependency and neglect cases, and continues to provide pro bono representation for veterans seeking discharge upgrades in front of the appropriate boards of jurisdiction. Alison was selected as a Leadership Counsel on Legal Diversity (LCLD) fellow in 2022 and is the global board Chief of Staff for U.S. Bank’s Military and Veteran Business Resource Group, Proud to Serve.

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Alan W. Avery

Retired Partner,

Latham & Watkins

Alan W. Avery is a partner in the New York office of Latham & Watkins. Mr. Avery is a member of the Corporate Department and the Financial Institutions Group and heads the firm’s US bank regulatory practice. He concentrates on federal and state regulation of banking organizations, advising domestic and foreign banking institutions concerning the impact of US federal and state banking laws on their global operations. Additionally, he advises domestic and foreign banks on regulatory issues, including Bank Holding Company Act (BHCA) and anti-money laundering issues and investigatory matters, as well as related transactional and litigation matters. Mr. Avery also advises domestic and foreign financial institutions and other parties on a wide range of matters related to US regulation of financial technology.

Prior to joining Latham in 2011, Mr. Avery was a Partner at Arnold & Porter and White & Case. Mr. Avery earned his JD from Pace University School of Law, summa cum laude, and his BS from the United States Military Academy, Distinguished Cadet (Top 5%) with honors. 

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Paul W. Browning, Ph.D

Partner,

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP

Paul Browning, Ph.D., is a first chair litigator focusing on patent litigation and appeals, primarily in the chemical and pharmaceutical areas, including Hatch-Waxman litigation.

He has tried cases before judges in various U.S. district courts and has handled arbitrations and mediations. He also advises on patent portfolio strategy with an eye toward success in litigation.

Paul’s broad litigation experience includes taking and cross-examining witnesses at trial, briefing and arguing dispositive motions, drafting appellate briefs, and arguing cases on appeal. He has also managed day-to-day litigation activities in actions involving multiple parties. In addition to his litigation practice, Paul advises clients on a variety of patent matters, including strategic development of their patent portfolios and coordination of prosecution and U.S. and foreign litigation strategy and related proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).

Paul frequently lectures on various topics in chemical patent law and has been recognized as a litigation star by Benchmark Litigation. He designed laser systems and conducted spectroscopy of small molecules while earning master’s and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Chicago.

Paul devotes a portion of his practice to pro bono matters and previously led the firm’s pro bono committee. He represents military personnel seeking enhanced compensation for injuries received while serving in the military, including injuries received in combat. He also represents veterans in cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

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Cynthia Bright, Member

Deputy General Counsel Worldwide Litigation,

HP Inc.

Cynthia Bright is the Deputy General Counsel Worldwide Litigation for HP Inc.  Cynthia joined HP in 2009, and became the Vice President of IP Litigation in 2012.  Before joining HP, Cynthia was the Director of Litigation for Atmel Corporation, a semiconductor company based in San Jose, California. Prior to joining Atmel, Cynthia was in private practice at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Cynthia graduated from the Georgetown Law Center, and also received her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University.

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Richard E. Coe, Member

Partner,

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Richard E. Coe is a member of the Commercial Litigation, Antitrust, Securities & Corporate Governance, and White Collar Criminal Defense & Corporate Investigations Groups.  His practice focuses on complex commercial disputes with an emphasis on those involving antitrust and corporate governance issues.  Richard routinely handles class action cases where he has challenged class certification in a variety of contexts.  He has particular expertise in the pharmaceutical, telecommunications, and financial services industries.  In addition, Richard has an active pro bono practice.  He represented a prison newspaper in one of the first lawsuits under Pennsylvania’s new Open Records law, argued a prisoner civil rights case before the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit that resulted in a precedential opinion granting new rights to prisoners, and convinced the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to vacate a VA decision denying benefits to a Gulf War veteran.Richard is also active in the community. 

He is on the board of the Trinity Cooperative Daycare Nursery and was selected for the Philadelphia Leadership Class of 2013 and the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Leader’s Circle in 2013.  He completed the MS City-to-Shore Ride in 2013.  Richard is also a current member of the University of Pennsylvania’s Inn of Court, past co-chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Military Affairs Committee, and leads the firm’s participation in the Philadelphia Reads Program. Before law school, Richard served as an officer in the United States Navy for five years.  He was a surface warfare officer on the USS John Paul Jones, a destroyer, and a nuclear engineer on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, an aircraft carrier.  Richard received his law degree from Harvard Law School and his undergraduate degree from the United States Naval Academy.

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Nathaniel F. Emmons, Member

Retired Partner, Wiley Rein LLP,

Washington, DC

Nat Emmons has been a member of the NVLSP Board of Directors since 2002. Now retired, he was a partner in the Washington DC law firm Wiley Rein LLP, specializing in communications law. He was active in the Federal Communications Bar Association, serving at various times as co-chair of the Mass Media Practice Committee, co-chair of the Adjudicatory Practice Committee, and co-chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee. From 1967-1970 he served on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, achieving the rank of captain, with a year of service in Vietnam. Before entering the private practice of law in 1973, he worked for three years as Executive Assistant to U.S. Representative Ogden R. Reid, with responsibility for staff administration and legislative drafting. In addition to his work with NVLSP, he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Deerfield Academy Alumni Association.

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Ronald S. Flagg, Member

President,

Legal Services Corporation

Ron Flagg stepped down as Chair in June 2021 but continues as a Member of the Board.  He served as chair of the Board of Directors for NVLSP since 2005 and served on the board for more than twenty years. He was instrumental in starting NVLSP’s Lawyers Serving Warriors® program, has recruited other attorneys to volunteer to help veterans, and has personally donated hundreds of pro-bono hours to helping veterans. Mr. Flagg is President of Legal Services Corporation. He previously practiced commercial and administrative litigation at Sidley Austin LLP for 31 years, 27 years as a partner.  He chaired the firm’s Committee on Pro Bono and Public Interest Law for more than a decade.  Flagg served as president of the District of Columbia Bar in 2010-2011 and on the Bar’s Board of Governors in 2007-2009. He has also served as chair of the District of Columbia Bar Pro Bono Committee, chair of the Governing Board of the AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly, as a member of the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates, on LSC’s Pro Bono Task Force, and as a member of the board of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. 

Flagg graduated with honors from the University of Chicago and cum laude from Harvard Law School.  He began his career as a law clerk to Judge Myron L. Gordon, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and as attorney-advisor in the United States Department of Justice, Office of Intelligence Policy.

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Greg Harris

Managing Associate General Counsel, Compliance,

Verizon

Greg Harris is Managing Associate General Counsel in the compliance organization at Verizon.  His team is responsible for risk management, data analytics, training, and communications.  Prior to joining Verizon in 2008, Mr. Harris practiced securities litigation and corporate crisis management at Latham & Watkins and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Northern Virginia and clerked for the Hon. Terrence W. Boyle, Chief Judge of the Eastern District of North Carolina. 

Mr. Harris is a member of Verizon’s pro bono committee and focuses on veterans’ issues, including work with NVLSP’s pro bono program, Lawyers Serving Warriors®, assistance for veterans with combat-related special compensation (CRSC) claims, and support for George Mason University’s Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic. 

Mr. Harris is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School.

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Bill Hayden

Chief Compliance Counsel (Microsoft Federal) & Asst. General Counsel,

Microsoft Corporation

In his current role he leads the Federal Compliance, Governance & Operations Legal Team charged with driving a culture of compliance and ethics, implementing internal controls, policies, and procedures to ensure compliance with federal laws and regulations, as well as managing audits and investigations into regulatory and compliance issues arising out of Microsoft’s work related to National Security issues and mission critical cloud procurements by the U.S. Government. Previously, he was responsible for legal compliance for Microsoft’s Public Sector Enterprise/Office 365 Offerings to the US Government and the accreditation of Microsoft’s classified clouds, Microsoft’s data centers worldwide. Prior to Microsoft, he was in-house with General Electric Company’s Industrial Systems Division focusing his practice on software licensing and commercial transactions involving electrical transmission equipment and device sales to the US Government.

A Veteran of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Desert Storm, he served in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer on active duty and reserves for over 20 years retiring as a Commander.  He graduated from Suffolk University Law School, and holds an MBA in Management from the University of Rhode Island, and he received his undergraduate degree from Norwich University, the Military College of Vermont.  

Bill serves on the Norwich University Board of Fellows for the Senator Leahy School of Cybersecurity & Advanced Computing. He is the past Chair of the Microsoft Legal Department Veterans Diversity & Inclusion Employee Network. He has served as the Association of the United States Navy (AUSN) Legislative Liaison for Washington State; he is a past Vice President, Board of Directors for LifeWire, a domestic violence prevention non-profit serving East King County WA and is a past Trustee of the Eastside Legal Assistance Program.

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Donald J. Kassilke

Global Trade Compliance Counsel ,

Arrow Electronics, Inc.

Mr. Donald J. Kassilke is Global Trade Compliance Counsel at Arrow Electronics, Inc. where he leads an international team responsible for import/export policy development, risk management, data analytics and training. Prior to joining Arrow, Mr. Kassilke was a partner in the law firm Cozen O’Connor where he advised U.S. and international transportation companies, manufacturers, and exporters on a wide variety of matters relating to international trade, commercial transactions, and regulatory compliance. He has particular expertise with the U.S. Export Administration Regulations, International Traffic in Arms Regulations, economic sanctions and embargoes (OFAC), foreign investment (CFIUS), and customs regulations. 

Mr. Kassilke has a degree in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in political science from Auburn University at Montgomery.  He is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air War College and received his law degree with honors from the George Washington University School of Law. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Kassilke served on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations. He also previously served as a naval flight officer and has amassed nearly 3,000 hours in various aircraft.

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Stephen B. Kinnaird, Member

Partner,

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, LLP

​Mr. Kinnaird is a partner in the Litigation practice of Paul Hastings and co-chair of the Appellate practice. He is based in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. He has represented clients in numerous cases in the United States Supreme Court, the federal courts of appeals and district courts, and state appellate courts.A highly experienced appellate lawyer, Mr. Kinnaird has handled matters involving energy, transportation, intellectual property, antitrust, environmental, telecommunications, administrative, criminal, and constitutional law. Specifically, Mr. Kinnaird has handled cases involving the Communications Act, the Interstate Commerce Act, the Federal Power Act, the Federal Railroad Safety Act, the Federal Employer’s Liability Act, the Social Security Act, the Sherman and Robinson-Patman Acts, the Lanham Act, the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts, CERCLA, the Patent and Trademark Acts, ERISA, the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, and the Civil Rights Act; the Commerce, Due Process, and Takings Clauses; and the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Tenth, and Eleventh Amendments. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Kinnaird served as a law clerk to Justice Anthony M. Kennedy of the United States Supreme Court, and to Judge John M. Walker, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Mr. Kinnaird argued Padilla v. Kentucky in the United States Supreme Court in 2009. In a historic decision, the Court ruled in favor of Mr. Padilla in holding that the Sixth Amendment imposed duties upon defense counsel to advise criminal defendants of the deportation consequences of criminal convictions. 

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Richard D. Klingler, Member

Litigation Partner,

Ellis George LLP,

Richard D. Klingler is a litigation Partner at Ellis George Cipollone O’Brien Annaguey LLP, based in the Washington, D.C., office. Previously, Mr. Klingler was a Partner in the U.S. Supreme Court/Appellate and Complex Litigation groups at Sidley Austin LLP. He served from 2006-2007 as the General Counsel and Legal Adviser on the National Security Council staff, advising senior government officials on intelligence, defense, foreign policy, litigation, and investigatory matters. From 2005-2007, he served in the Office of the Counsel to the President, concluding as Special Assistant and Senior Associate Counsel to the President. His work focused on litigation, Congressional investigations, and issues before the Departments of State and Homeland Security. He worked from 1997-2002 as an investment banker with Credit Suisse First Boston on equity capital market and M&A  in the telecommunications, energy, and finance sectors. From 1994-96 he worked in Australia (while a Sidley lawyer) as Regulatory Advisor and then Regulatory Counsel for Telstra Corp. Mr. Klingler has been an Adjunct Fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, addressing counter-terrorism legal issues, and, from 1993-94, was Guest Scholar at The Brookings Institution, which published his book, The New Information Industry: Regulatory Challenges and the First Amendment (1996). He has testified several times before Congress on Constitutional, counter-terrorism, and sovereign immunity issues, and has written on public policy matters for various national publications. Mr. Klingler served as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (1989-90) and Judge Kenneth W. Starr of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (1988-89). He obtained law degrees from Oxford University, which he attended as a Rhodes Scholar, and from Stanford Law School, where he was Senior Articles Editor of The Stanford Law Review and a member of Order of the Coif.

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Barry McCoy, Member

Associate Vice President,

Merck & Co., Inc.

Barry McCoy is an Associate Vice President in the compliance organization at Merck & Co., Inc.  Before joining Merck & Co., Inc. in 2014, he worked at Hewlett-Packard Company, where he held numerous positions including Vice President & Associate General Counsel, Supply Chain, and Corporate Strategic Alliances & Antitrust.  Prior to going in-house, he was an Associate in the litigation departments at Drinker Biddle & Reath and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Philadelphia. Barry received his B.A in Political Science and Communications from the University of Pittsburgh and earned his law degree from Villanova University. He joined the NVLSP Board of Directors in March 2018.

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Gianni Minutoli, Member

Partner,

DLA Piper LLP

Gianni Minutoli is a partner at DLA Piper and works on the prosecution of US and International Patent applications and patent litigation matters. With his extensive background in electrical and software engineering Gianni provides counseling regarding the patentability of new inventions. He also supervises his firm’s nationwide CRSC pro bono projects seeking additional compensation for veterans suffering from combat-related injuries. Before joining DLA Piper in 2013, Gianni was a partner at Dickstein Shapiro primarily practicing patent law, but also working on pro bono matters to obtain VA benefits for retired veterans. Before becoming an attorney, Gianni was an engineer at Northrop Grumman Norden Systems Inc on Long Island. He received his Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and earned his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law.  

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Nancy Morrison O’Connor, Member

Adjunct Professor of Law,

University of Notre Dame

Nancy Morrison O’Connor currently serves as Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Notre Dame. Previously, Ms. O’Connor served as General Counsel for The Catholic University of America where she handled all University legal matters, including management of litigation, internal investigations, transactions, compliance with legal obligations, providing legal guidance on operations, and served on the Board of Trustees and the executive officers of the University.

Ms. O’Connor’s legal experience spans more than four decades. She was elected to equity partnership at Fulbright & Jaworski (now Norton Rose LLP) and Bracewell LLP.  Ms. O’Connor served as Deputy General Counsel and Vice President for Human Resources and Employee Benefits at Allbritton Communications Company in Washington, D.C.  She was appointed Litigation Specialist for the HHS Office of Research Integrity in managing the litigation over NIH scientists’ claims of isolation and growth of the AIDS retrovirus and development of the first commercially feasible blood test for AIDs.

Ms. O’Connor received her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame where she served as an editor on its law review. She received her B.A. in Political Science from Gettysburg College.  She was an international Scholar at the University of Wales (Gwynedd) under a Rotary Foundation grant.  She is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, where she has taught Intensive Trial Advocacy since 2004.

She is an elected Fellow of the College of Labor & Employment Lawyers and has served on its D.C. Circuit Credentials Committee.  She has served as Chair of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Commission on Human Rights and its Case Review Board.

Since 2014, Ms. O’Connor has proudly served on the NVLSP Board.

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Thomas E. Riley, Member

Partner, Dispute Resolution,

Herbert Smith Freehills

Thomas Riley has personally volunteered his time and legal expertise alongside NVLSP’s staff to assist Vietnam veterans coping with illnesses and disabilities medically linked to their exposure to Agent Orange while serving in the military. Mr. Riley has more than 30 years of experience in complex litigation, ranging from general commercial disputes to regulatory matters, investigations and product liability. He has extensive experience coordinating the defense of products liability cases, including complex matters such as class actions, and has successfully defended manufacturers in trials throughout the United States. His practice also focuses on cross-border litigation and advice to defendants in courts around the world.

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Stephen Ryan, Member

Vice President,

TechnipFMC

Steve Ryan is the Vice President, Global Litigation and Investigations for TechnipFMC plc. Prior to joining TechnipFMC in June 2018, he was a trial lawyer in private practice with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.  From 2011-2015, while Of Counsel with DLA Piper LLP, he led DLA’s Combat-Related Special Compensation Project in partnership with NVLSP, in which he oversaw more than 100 volunteer attorneys assisting combat veterans to obtain life-changing CRSC benefits. 

Steve was commissioned in the US Air Force in 1988. As a B-52 navigator/electronic warfare officer, he flew combat missions over Iraq and Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. In 1997, he became an Air Force judge advocate, and prosecuted courts-martial and served as counsel to command on a variety of legal matters. In 2002, Steve left active duty for the Texas Air National Guard, where he has variously served as the chief legal officer of an F-16 fighter wing, chief legal officer of the Texas Air National Guard, legal advisor to the Air Force Inspector General for Air National Guard issues, and the principal Air National Guard liaison to the Air Mobility Command Staff Judge Advocate. 

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Howard M. Shapiro, Member

Partner,

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP

Howard Shapiro is the chair of the Litigation/Controversy Department at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP. Mr. Shapiro, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, has 20 years of courtroom experience as a trial lawyer in civil and criminal matters, and has been repeatedly recognized as one of Washington’s leading lawyers. Formerly, Mr. Shapiro served as the General Counsel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1993 to 1997. In 1997, Mr. Shapiro was awarded the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal by the Director of Central Intelligence. He was previously a much-decorated Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York. Mr. Shapiro and several attorneys at his firm have assisted veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who needed pro-bono legal help.

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Eric A. Shumsky, Member

Partner, Supreme Court and Appellate,

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Eric Shumsky is an appellate litigator in Orrick’s Washington, D.C., office, where he represents clients in high-stakes appeals across the country. He has particular experience presenting cutting-edge issues of intellectual property to the Federal Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. Eric has served as appellate counsel to numerous leading companies, including, recently, AT&T, GlaxoSmithKline, LG Electronics, KPMG and Norfolk Southern. Across an array of industries, Eric has briefed and argued issues as diverse as patent and copyright, labor and employment, preemption, punitive damages, environmental law, national security, and foreign sovereign immunity. He has been a primary author of more than 75 briefs in the Supreme Court alone, with clients praising his briefs as “beautiful” and “a pleasure to read.” Eric’s practice focuses heavily on intellectual property, especially patent appeals in the Federal Circuit. He has litigated patents ranging from semiconductor construction, computer architecture, and genetic sequencing to tobacco curing, keyboard trays and electrical junction boxes. Eric has been praised by clients for his deep knowledge of the Federal Circuit, and repeatedly has been called upon to handle cases at the leading edge of changes in patent law. These include major cases for Fortune 500 clients, and smaller companies litigating their most important patents against their most significant competitors. Eric serves as co-chair of the Amicus Committee of the Federal Circuit Bar Association, the leading bench/bar organization focused on the Federal Circuit, and in that capacity evaluates opportunities for friend-of-the-court filings in the Federal Circuit and the Supreme Court. In addition to traditional appellate work, Eric has significant experience developing legal strategy in trial courts. Trial teams repeatedly have called on Eric to brief and argue key legal issues in particularly high-profile and complex cases. Eric has handled this role in high-stakes multi-district litigation, criminal trials, and civil litigation involving critical dispositive motions.Prior to joining Orrick, Eric was a partner in the Appellate Practice Group at Sidley Austin LLP. He previously worked as a law clerk for the Honorable M. Margaret McKeown of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Honorable Wm. Matthew Byrne, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

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Erik F. Swabb

Partner,

Wilmer Hale

Erik Swabb represents defense companies and other clients in investigations related to government contracting, national security and geopolitical issues. He also advises on regulatory compliance, congressional oversight, public policy and crisis management. He has extensive experience efficiently resolving high-stakes challenges, mitigating reputational harm, disruption to business operations and damage to customer relationships.

Clients rely on Mr. Swabb’s understanding of the unique challenges faced by the defense sector as a critically important, highly regulated and politically sensitive industry. He previously served as General Counsel of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Special Adviser to the Legal Adviser of the Department of State.

Prior to his legal career, Mr. Swabb served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps from 2002 to 2006. He led a light armored reconnaissance platoon on combat operations in Iraq and supervised unit training as the second-in-command of a company. After law school, he returned to active duty from 2009 to 2010 to serve in the UN Mission in Liberia. He directed multinational operations for information collection in a remote border region and managed the drawdown of the UN peacekeeping force.

Mr. Swabb maintains an active pro bono practice representing military veterans seeking Combat-Related Special Compensation and other benefits to which they are entitled.

Mr. Swabb is a graduate of Columbia University (B.A. Political Science, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa) and he received his law degree from Harvard Law School.

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Wayne Smith, Member

Vietnam Veterans Advocate,

During the Vietnam War, Wayne spent eighteen months as a combat medic in Vietnam, where he also worked with the Vietnamese people. After his tour of duty, he became a leading voice in addressing the legacy of the war. In 1998, Wayne returned to Vietnam and was one of 20 U.S. veterans who met with 20 Vietnamese former enemy soldiers on a mission of peace and reconciliation. Together, they bicycled the 1,200 miles from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Wayne has worked with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and served as president of the Black Revolutionary War Patriots Foundation. As executive director and president of the Justice Project, he helped change U.S. attitudes about the death penalty.

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Emily Wexler

Pro Bono Counsel,

Emily Wexler is Pro Bono Counsel for Sidley Austin LLP. Ms. Wexler is the Coordinator of Sidley’s Veterans Advocacy Project, which provides legal services to veterans seeking benefits from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. A member of the National Organization of Veterans Advocates and the Association of Pro Bono Counsel, Ms. Wexler has also been an invaluable pro bono partner to NVLSP’s Lawyers Serving Warriors® (LSW) program over the past decade. In 2018, she received the LSW Excellence Award for her work at the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the Board of Veterans Appeals and her authorship of training materials used by NVLSP lawyers. 

Prior to coordinating the Veterans Advocacy Program, Ms. Wexler worked as a litigation associate at Sidley. She also held a clerkship with Judge Alan C. Kay at the U.S. District Court of the District of Hawaii. Ms. Wexler is a graduate of Northwestern School of Law and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame.

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