Dinsmore Announces 8 New Partners
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP is pleased to announce eight attorneys have been named partner. Ryan P. Aiello, Brittany E. Kirk, Drew B. Millar, Mary K. Newman, John M. Spires, J. Tanner Watkins, Matthew J. Wiles and Anthony M. Zelli were elected to partnership effective January 1, 2017.
“Our newest partners share a passion for the practice of law and a commitment to serving our clients that we value at Dinsmore. I am pleased to welcome these talented attorneys to the partnership and I look forward to watching them continue to develop their practices,” said George H. Vincent, Dinsmore Managing Partner and Chairman.
Ryan P. Aiello – Columbus, OH
A member of the Corporate Department and Commercial Finance Group, Ryan is
a transactional attorney whose practice focuses primarily on real estate financing,
acquisitions and dispositions, and development. Ryan has handled matters
relating to a wide variety of real estate, including vacant land, shopping centers,
hotels, gas stations, office buildings, marinas, industrial properties, warehouses,
mixed-use projects, residential developments and condominium projects.
In terms of financing, Ryan has vast experience representing banks, mezzanine
lenders and other private lenders on all aspects of lending transactions. Over the
last seven years, he has closed over $400 million in loan transactions for a
variety of clients. In addition to his financing practice, Ryan frequently represents
buyers and sellers on the purchase and sale of real estate and also represents
real estate developers on all aspects of development. He has closed over $200
million in purchase and sale transactions and was responsible for coordinating title
and survey matters in connection with the $1 billion sale of one of the
largest private homebuilders in the U.S.
Ryan earned his J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
Brittany E. Kirk – Chicago, IL
A member of the Litigation Department, Brittany concentrates her practice on
financial services litigation. She represents lenders and servicers in actions
arising under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Telephone Consumer Protection Act,
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Truth in Lending Act and Real Estate Settlement
Procedures Act, along with state law consumer fraud and fiduciary duty claims.
Brittany also leverages her experience representing bankruptcy trustees to
defend these clients against alleged violations of the automatic stay and discharge
injunction and to provide advice regarding credit reporting where a bankruptcy is
involved.
Outside of the financial realm, Brittany has extensive experience litigating closely
held corporation shareholder disputes and claims involving non-compete
agreements and other restrictive covenants. Brittany has also represented clients
in general commercial and contract litigation, product liability matters and
personal injury claims.
Brittany earned her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.
Drew B. Millar – Lexington, KY
A member of the Labor and Employment Department, Drew's practice focuses on
the representation of both public and private employers in issues related to the
workplace. He has significant experience in handling wage and hour matters.
Drew has represented a wide variety of clients in cases brought by the U.S.
Department of Labor, as well as a number of state labor boards.
Outside of wage and hour disputes, Drew also has extensive experience with
defending cases and administrative complaints involving Title VII, the Americans
with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and other state and
federal employment statutes and regulations. He has also represented several
clients in proceedings under the National Labor Relations Act including assisting
with collective bargaining, dealing with strikes and defending against unfair labor
practice charges.
Drew earned his J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law.
Mary K. Newman – Cincinnati, OH
A member of the Corporate Department, Mary represents both public and private
clients in a wide variety of corporate transactions. Her practice focuses on
mergers, acquisitions and dispositions of all sizes. Mary enjoys getting to know
the business goals of her clients, enabling her to provide practical advice from a
commercial perspective that helps her clients close deals quickly and efficiently.
Mary has extensive transactional experience with companies of all sizes, from
start-up entities to family businesses to Fortune 100 companies. Mary’s practice
includes corporate formation, ongoing governance advice, capital raising,
securities transactions, public company disclosure issues and commercial
contracts.
She earned her JD from Harvard Law School.
John M. Spires – Lexington, KY
A member of the Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group, John has experience
representing both creditors and debtors in complex bankruptcy cases and
workouts outside of the bankruptcy system, and he has litigated a number of
contested matters arising in bankruptcy cases. He has also successfully defended
clients on claims ranging from demands for the return of alleged preferential and
fraudulent transfers to claims for breach of the automatic stay.
In addition to his bankruptcy practice, John also has extensive experience in the
commercial litigation context. He has specifically represented clients in cases
involving claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, violation of the
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and other business-related issues. John has
practiced before Kentucky's federal and state trial courts, the Kentucky Court of
Appeals, the Kentucky Supreme Court and United States Bankruptcy Courts in
multiple states.
John earned his J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law.
J. Tanner Watkins – Louisville, KY
A member of the Litigation Department, Tanner focuses his practice on business
and fiduciary litigation, banking litigation, personal injury litigation, and product
liability litigation. He has spent much of his career representing a wide range of
companies, from small local businesses to well-known brands in the logistics,
agricultural manufacturing, pharmaceutical, banking, trust, insurance and
investment banking industries. Tanner has represented a number of clients,
including banks, in Fair Credit Reporting Act and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
cases. He also has experience in natural resources litigation, including
defending nationwide energy companies.
Tanner handles trials, injunction hearings, and appeals in state and federal courts.
Understanding that every client has unique circumstances, Tanner places a
premium on thoroughly analyzing each matter before crafting a strategy that
meets his client’s objectives, whether it’s negotiating a settlement or building a
defense for trial, which enables him to quickly tailor his approach to fit each
client’s needs.
Tanner earned his J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law.
Matthew J. Wiles- Columbus, OH/ San Diego, CA
A member of the Litigation Department, Matt has extensive experience
advocating on behalf of clients in federal and state courts and before
administrative bodies. He also serves as outside general counsel to clients,
partnering with them to establish business and strategic direction and assisting
them with employment, contractual, and day-to-day corporate matters.
Matt’s litigation experience includes successful bench and jury trials and covers
cases in multiple areas of the law, including business, construction, transportation
and employment disputes. He has also provided strategic guidance to start-up
companies and clients in initial growth phases. Matt is licensed to practice in both
Ohio and in California and has been named an Ohio Rising Star by Super Lawyers
Magazine, a recognition achieved by only 2.5 percent of the attorneys in the state.
Matt earned his J.D. from the University of Dayton School of Law.
Anthony M. Zelli – Louisville, KY
A member of the Litigation Department, Tony represents clients in Kentucky and
Indiana state and federal courts in a wide array of matters, including cases
involving complex business and commercial matters, products liability, personal
injury, copyright and trademark, insurance coverage, administrative and criminal
matters.
Tony has significant experience representing clients in multiple stages of litigation,
including discovery, motion practice and alternative dispute resolution. He has
tried numerous cases to verdict. Tony has also obtained restraining orders and
permanent injunctions on behalf of multiple clients in restrictive covenant, trade
secret and breach of fiduciary duty litigation. In addition, he provides counsel on
general corporate matters to clients in a variety of industries, including hospitality
and alcoholic beverages, telecommunications, banking and public utilities. Tony
also has significant experience representing individuals and business before state
and local administrative agencies, particularly with respect to alcoholic beverage
licenses.
Tony earned his J.D. from Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville.