New York, December 14, 2010 – Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP is pleased to announce that, effective January 1, 2011,
Nicolas Commandeur,
Daniel C. Glazer,
Joshua A. Goldberg and
Irena Royzman will become partners of the firm and
Matthew J. Shepherd,
Edward H. Smoot and
Carrie A. Syme will become counsel.
Robert P. LoBue, Patterson Belknap’s Co-Chair and Managing Partner, stated “We are very proud to promote such a significant number of outstanding men and women, each of whom has contributed to the success of the firm through their dedication and commitment to the firm's values and our clients."
Nicolas Commandeur practices in the areas of complex commercial litigation, legal malpractice defense and cases implicating First Amendment protections. Mr. Commandeur has handled cases in various state and federal courts, at both the trial and appellate level. He is currently representing several financial guaranty insurers asserting billions of dollars of claims against major financial institutions relating to losses on mortgage-backed securities transactions. He has successfully represented a Fortune 500 company in a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against the company’s former auditor for losses suffered as a result of fraudulent accounting. As part of the firm’s law firm defense team, Mr. Commandeur has also successfully represented major national law firms in defense of allegations of legal malpractice. He received his J.D. from New York University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Florida.
Daniel C. Glazer focuses his practice on intellectual property and technology transactions, including intellectual property licensing, software licensing and development arrangements, technology outsourcing and other services arrangements, sponsorship, marketing and distribution arrangements, and the intellectual property and technology aspects of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and other complex corporate transactions. His practice also includes trademark and copyright counseling, enforcement and prosecution. He also is nationally recognized in the field of sports law and is co-chair of the firm’s Sports Group. Mr. Glazer advises clients, including numerous Fortune 50 corporations, on high-profile matters in a range of industries, including telecommunications, financial services, sports, consumer products, food and beverage, media, and entertainment. Mr. Glazer received his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his A.B. from Dartmouth College,
summa cum laude.
Joshua A. Goldberg is a litigator in the firm’s white collar defense and investigations group. He joined the firm in 2009 after serving eight years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, most recently as a member of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. In this role, Mr. Goldberg investigated and prosecuted complex white-collar cases under the federal securities laws involving securities fraud, accounting fraud, market manipulation, investment adviser fraud, insider trading and commercial bribery. In 2010, Mr. Goldberg received a Prosecutor of the Year award from the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation for his investigation and prosecution of former executives of Monster Worldwide Inc. for securities fraud arising out of a multi-year scheme to backdate stock options and report false financial information. He received his J.D. from New York University School of Law,
magna cum laude, Order of the Coif and served as Associate Editor of the
New York University Law Review. He received his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin.
Irena Royzman is an intellectual property litigator, focusing her practice on cases involving biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device products and represents both plaintiffs and defendants in all aspects of patent litigation, including patent appeals. Her experience includes cases brought under the Hatch-Waxman Act. She defends false patent marking actions and advises clients on patent infringement, validity and contractual issues. Ms. Royzman holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is skilled in molecular biology, cell biology and genetics. She received her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law,
magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, and her B.A. from the University of Chicago.
Matthew J. Shepherd is a litigator who represents clients in all aspects of commercial litigation in federal and state court, with a focus on complex commercial matters, law firm defense, intellectual property, and advertising disputes. Mr. Shepherd's recent experience includes the representation of a financial guaranty provider in a breach-of-contract and fraud litigation against a major financial institution stemming from the current mortgage crisis. His law firm defense experience includes defending several major law firms and lawyers in malpractice and related cases, as well as intra-firm disputes. His advertising experience includes traditional litigation, initiating and defending network and NAD challenges, as well as advising clients regarding their advertising practices. Mr. Shepherd's experience also includes securities litigation, contract and corporate disputes, probate contests, trade dress litigation, criminal appellate work, and alternative dispute resolution. He earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center,
magna cum laude, Order of the Coif and was a member of the
American Criminal Law Review. He received his M.P.M. from Carnegie Mellon University,
cum laude, and his B.M. from Florida State University,
cum laude.
Edward H. Smoot is a corporate attorney who represents public and private companies as well as individuals in matters including mergers, acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, commercial agreements and employment contracts. His practice includes all aspects of the formation, operation, financing, disposition and acquisition of businesses, including purchase and sale transactions, debt and equity financings and employment and severance agreements. Mr. Smoot also represents public companies in securities offerings, disclosure and regulatory compliance and corporate governance matters. Mr. Smoot earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School and served as Editor-in-Chief of the
Columbia Human Rights Law Review. He received his M.I.A. from Columbia University and his B.A. from Harvard University.
Carrie A. Syme practices in the areas of complex commercial litigation, false advertising, trade dress, and intellectual property law. She handles all aspects of disputes in state and federal court, as well as in domestic and international arbitration. Ms. Syme currently represents several of the world’s largest bond insurance companies in a series of contract and fraud litigations stemming from the 2008 economic crisis. Her false advertising, trade dress and intellectual property clients include a leading consumer health publication company, a major medical device manufacturer, a major soft drink company and a packaged sweetener company. Ms. Syme earned her J.D. from the New York University School of Law,
cum laude, and her B.A. from Yale University,
magna cum laude.
About Patterson Belknap
Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, founded in 1919, is a law firm based in New York City with approximately 200 lawyers delivering a full range of services across more than 20 practice groups in both litigation and commercial law. The firm highly values public service and has consistently ranked at or near the top of The American Lawyer’s pro bono survey. For more information about Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, please visit www.pbwt.com.