People & Practices: July 25, 2022

Shumaker & Sieffert has announced Darcy Shukla as its new president and CEO, following the June 30, 2022, retirement of the firm’s founding partners Steve Shumaker and Kent Sieffert.

Shukla steps into this role with a deep knowledge of patent law and 15 years of experience with the firm. In addition to her work at Shumaker & Sieffert, Shukla teaches intellectual property classes at the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering.

This transition also marks a shift in Shumaker & Sieffert’s management structure. Shumaker & Sieffert will be managed by its shareholders, led by an Executive Committee staffed by five of the shareholders: Darcy Shukla, Ben Wutt, Jason Kelly, Matt Evans, and Jessica Kwak Rauckman. Each member of the Executive Committee has extensive experience with the firm, with an average tenure of 15 years.

Client relationships will continue to be managed by the shareholders under this new leadership model, and Shumaker & Sieffert will continue its dedication to high quality work product and exceptional technical acumen.

The firm congratulates Steve Shumaker and Kent Sieffert for their leadership of the firm over the last two decades.

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Andrew Hunstad has joined Jeffrey Sheridan and DeAnne Dulas as a shareholder in the law firm now known as Sheridan, Dulas & Hunstad, P.A. The firm represents clients in criminal defense, divorce, DWI defense, and family law matters. Hunstad focuses his practice on complex, high-asset divorce matters and will continue growing the firm’s family law practice.

Hanna M. Herritz has joined the Trepanier MacGillis Battina P.A. law firm in Minneapolis as an associate attorney practicing in the areas of business, employment, and real estate litigation. She is a 2020 graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School.

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Five attorneys from the Minneapolis office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, have been recognized in the 2022 issue of Super Lawyers Magazine. This list includes three attorneys recognized on the “Super Lawyers” list and two on the “Rising Stars” list.

According to the publication’s website, “Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The patented selection process includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations.” Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis.

The attorneys recognized on the “Super Lawyers” list and their primary practice areas are: Stephen R. Baird (Intellectual Property), Tiffany A. Blofield (IP Litigation), and Craig S. Krummen (IP Litigation).

The attorneys recognized on the “Rising Stars” list and their primary practice areas are: Thomas R. Pack (Personal Injury – Products: Defense) and Draeke H. Weseman (Intellectual Property).

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