Professional Responsibility Lawyers Michael McNamara and Kirsten Hicks Spira Join Jenner & Block as Partners in Los Angeles

Mr. McNamara and Ms. Spira handle a broad range of complex commercial cases, with a focus on professional liability matters, advising many of the largest law firms in the United States. He has extensive experience handling a range of complex litigation matters involving malpractice, securities, fraud, RICO, antitrust, intellectual property, insurance, class actions, breach of contract, real estate and employment. She also has vast experience representing clients in business, employment, entertainment and shareholder disputes at trials, arbitrations and governmental administrative hearings.

"We are thrilled to have Mike and Kirsten join the team and build on the firm's tradition of handling complex commercial litigation and professional liability matters," Jenner & Block Managing Partner Terrence J. Truax said. "As leading lawyers in the California bar, their arrival to the firm also further strengthens our ability to handle litigation matters from coast to coast."

A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), Mr. McNamara has been consistently recognized as a leading litigator by Chambers USA, which has described him as "energetic and sophisticated" and a "clever, hardworking, and trustworthy trial lawyer." He has achieved a long list of favorable verdicts, judgments and settlements for his clients. Among other wins, he obtained a $122 million verdict from a federal court jury in Intertainment v. Franchise, one of the largest plaintiffs' verdicts in 2004. Mr. McNamara and Ms. Spira also have considerable experience handling arbitrations, including securing a $40 million award for a client in the real estate industry.

Ms. Spira has tried, arbitrated and litigated a variety of complex cases. Recently, she won a trial verdict in a CERCLA action awarding her client tens of millions of dollars in future clean-up costs and successfully arbitrated a high-profile dispute between partners in a large real estate development.

The two litigators come to Jenner & Block from Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where Mr. McNamara served as the national practice group leader of the Professional Liability and Malpractice Group.

"Jenner & Block's reputation for handling professional liability matters is well known in the legal profession," firmwide Litigation Chair Craig C. Martin said. "Mike and Kirsten are established complex commercial litigators whose commitment to excellence for their clients is in perfect alignment with the direction of our platform, our culture and our work ethic. Their experience as trial lawyers also further complements our deep bench of first-rate litigators. We are delighted that they have joined us and that Mike is assuming a leadership role in the firm."

Mr. McNamara will co-chair the firm's Professional Responsibility Practice with Partners Terri L. Mascherin, John R. Storino and Norman M. Hirsch. With Mr. McNamara's arrival, the practice group has four Fellows of the American College within its ranks; the other Fellows are Partners Jeffrey D. Colman, William D. Heinz and Ms. Mascherin.

Ms. Mascherin said, "Mike and Kirsten are great additions to our Professional Responsibility Group.  I look forward to working with them as we expand the footprint of our practice to the West Coast."

Rick Richmond, managing partner of Jenner & Block's Los Angeles office, said, "The firm's Los Angeles office highlights our litigation capabilities, and the arrival of Mike and Kirsten will further strengthen our reach not just within the regional market but also nationally." The Los Angeles office is home to more than 40 lawyers.

"Kirsten and I are excited to be joining Jenner & Block's powerhouse litigation practice," Mr. McNamara said. "There are many synergies between the firm's platform and our current practices, and we look forward to further expanding the firm's well-established Professional Responsibility Practice."

Mr. McNamara currently serves as the Secretary of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL).  He received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of California, Hastings College of Law and a B.A., with distinction, from Stanford University. Ms. Spira received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law where she was a member of the California Law Review, and a B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley.

ABOUT THE PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY PRACTICE
For more than 40 years, our practice has represented individual clients and law firms in significant legal malpractice cases involving claims of attorney misconduct. We have represented more than 75 law firms across the United States.  We have represented lawyers and law firms in many types of malpractice and related claims in diverse substantive areas, including real estate, environmental contamination, tax and corporate transactions, securities issues and commercial litigation. Our practice has experience with malpractice claims arising from patent prosecution and litigation matters, particularly claims of attorney negligence relating to clients' international and domestic patent portfolios.  We also have experience defending lawyers in state disciplinary proceedings, civil and criminal contempt hearings and sanctions litigation. Lawyers and law firms facing criminal allegations and government investigations turn to us for representation in pre-litigation counseling and trials involving fraud, regulatory violations and other charges. Four members of our practice are Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

ABOUT JENNER & BLOCK
Jenner & Block (www.jenner.com) is a law firm with global reach, with more than 500 lawyers and offices in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, DC.  The firm is known for its prominent and successful litigation practice and experience handling sophisticated and high-profile corporate transactions.  Firm clients include Fortune 100 companies, large privately held corporations, financial services institutions, emerging companies and venture capital and private equity investors.  In 2015, The American Lawyer magazine named Jenner & Block as the Number One Pro Bono Law Firm in the United States for the sixth time in eight years.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160404/351008

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160404/351009

SOURCE Jenner & Block

Related Links

http://www.jenner.com