People & Practices: July 17, 2023

Fish & Richardson names Huang as managing principal

Fish & Richardson principal Jennifer J. Huang has been named the managing principal of the firm’s Minneapolis office, which serves as Fish’s administrative hub and is home to more than 30 lawyers and 350 administrative staff.

“Jenny is a native Minnesotan with deep ties to the legal and business community,” said John C. Adkisson, president and CEO of Fish. “Jenny’s natural talent for leadership, innovative thinking, and collaborative nature will be a perfect fit with our culture and commitment to professional excellence.”

Huang’s practice focuses on patent prosecution and patent post-grant proceedings. With a background in electrical engineering, her work covers a breadth of technology areas. She is a diversity and inclusion leader at Fish, previously co-chairing the firm’s Asian Affinity Group and launching a firmwide mentoring program during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure continued career development. She is also a mentor in Fish’s EMPOWER women’s group. In addition, Huang serves on Fish’s 1L Diversity Program Selection Committee. Outside her work for the firm, Huang also maintains an active pro bono practice and is dedicated to nonprofit work in her community, including serving as a trustee for a local school district’s foundation.

In 2022, Huang was named an “Attorney of the Year” by Minnesota Lawyer for her successful work at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board representing an automotive manufacturer against claims of patent infringement. Huang is vice chair of the PTAB Bar Association’s Communications Committee and a member of the Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the Minnesota Intellectual Property Association.

Webster elected chapter chair of immigration group

Fredrikson senior immigration attorney Matthew P. Webster has been elected chapter chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) for Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Webster practices in the field of employment-based immigration and nonimmigrant visas for diverse employers of all sizes, with a special focus on immigration strategies for health care organizations, international physicians, and medical device manufacturers. Webster also assists clients with family, naturalization, asylum, humanitarian immigration matters and federal immigration litigation. With extensive experience in employment law, Webster has expertise in immigration compliance issues, including structuring and implementing policies and training on I‑9 compliance.

AILA is the national bar association of attorneys and law professors who practice and teach immigration law.

James Rieke joins Merchant & Gould as partner

Merchant & Gould P.C., a national technology and trial law firm, has announced that James P. Rieke joined as a partner on June 26, adding his design patent specialization to the firm’s IP platform and expanding its capabilities in patent prosecution. He also co-chairs the Design Patent & Trade Dress Group and is a member of Merchant & Gould’s Mechanical Practice Group.

Rieke brings more than 20 years of domestic and international experience with a focus on patent preparation, prosecution, and strategic IP portfolio management. His background in design patents, a rapidly growing niche area that helps inventors and companies with patents related to the way products look, is extremely specialized. Rieke has handled an extensive volume of design patent cases over the years, representing companies from growth-state to Fortune 500 across a broad range of innovative industries. His cases blend a deep understanding of design issues globally with traditional IP issues.

Rieke earned his law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, after earning his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University in Ames.

Jackson, Tareen complete board training program

Fredrikson shareholders, Mercedes McFarland Jackson and Asmah Tareen, recently graduated from the third cohort of a board training program established by Women Corporate Directors’ Minnesota Chapter. Jackson and Tareen participated in workshops and networking events designed to prepare BIPOC women for board presence among for-profit companies.

Jackson specializes in debt finance transactions and advises clients on compliance matters under financing and corporate governance documents. Jackson has represented corporate borrowers, private equity groups and financial institutions in connection with secured and unsecured commercial lending transactions, including acquisition financings, senior, second-lien and mezzanine financings, secured bond offerings, debt restructurings and debtor-in-possession financings.

Tareen helps clients implement strategies to develop, protect, acquire and commercialize technology products and services. Tareen works extensively with clients in the medical device, life sciences, software, IT, retail, renewable energy and agricultural industries. With more than 20 years of experience, Tareen brings a practical and collaborative approach to helping entrepreneurs, start-ups and private and public companies accomplish their business goals through IP portfolio development and management, strategic transactions, licensing, development, collaboration, manufacturing, supply and distribution agreements.

Women Corporate Directors (WCD) is a global community that has served as the place where the most powerful and influential women in the world have convened for more than 20 years. WCD provides excellent opportunities for women directors to connect with and learn from each other on a local, regional and global level.

7 Henson Efron attorneys named North Star Lawyers

Henson Efron is proud to announce attorneys Christopher Burns, Katy Graves, Anne Haaland, Sarah Hewitt, Scott Neilson, Brigitt Orfield and Lloyd Stern have been recognized as 2022 North Star Lawyers by the Minnesota State Bar Association.

The MSBA recognized over 685 North Star Lawyers who, in 2022, certified that they provided at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services annually to low-income people at no fee and without expectation of a fee. North Star Lawyers provided over 71,000 total hours of pro bono service with an estimated value of $17 million in free legal advice. Honorees were featured in the June publication of Bench & Bar of Minnesota.

The attorneys are graduates of Syracuse University College of Law (Burns); University of Minnesota Law School (Graves, Hewitt and Neilson); State University of New York at Buffalo Law School (Haaland); William Mitchell College of Law (Orfield) and New England School of Law (Stern).

Thomas Revnew rejoins Littler in Minneapolis

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has added Thomas R. Revnew as a shareholder in its Minneapolis office. Revnew, who was an attorney with Littler from 2000 to 2003, joins the firm from Peters, Revnew, Kappenman & Anderson.

“With more than three decades of experience in labor and employment law – particularly in the traditional labor arena – I have no doubt that Tom will be a terrific complement to our team,” said Erin Webber, Littler’s managing director and president. “I’m excited to welcome him back to the Littler family.”

Revnew’s practice focuses on labor management relations, with an emphasis in the construction industry sector. He regularly advises on matters arising under the National Labor Relations Act, defends unfair labor practice charges, negotiates collective bargaining agreements and handles high-stakes arbitrations.

“With several changes to Minnesota law affecting all employers taking effect this summer and into next year, Tom’s broad labor and employment law experience will be extremely valuable,” said Susan Fitzke, Minneapolis office managing shareholder. “His approach to client service, which is rooted in taking proactive measures to address workplace issues and avoid litigation before it arises, will be of great benefit to our clients.”

Revnew’s experience also includes defending clients in state and federal courts, as well as before administrative agencies. He has represented employers in a wide range of matters, including drug and alcohol testing; OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Act) compliance; unfair competition and trade secrets; wage and hour compliance; and against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful discharge.

Revnew received his J.D. from the Marquette University Law School and his B.B.A from the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

People & Practices is a lightly edited compilation of news releases from law firms and other organizations. Minnesota Lawyer welcomes news about hires, promotions and other activities in the legal profession. Send releases (and photos if desired) to [email protected].