Ten Partners Honored as 2016 MVPs

Ten Latham & Watkins partners have been named 2016 MVPs by Law360 in its annual recognition of leading lawyers across a range of practice and industry areas. Law360 reviewed more than 1,000 individual submissions to select lawyers who “distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals” during the past year, according to the legal news service.

The Latham MVP honorees include:

• Gary Axelrod, a Chicago corporate partner and global Co-chair of the Hospitality, Gaming & Leisure Industry Group, who was a repeat honoree in the Hospitality category. According to Law360, Axelrod “is regularly ranked as a top real estate and leisure and hospitality attorney, especially when it comes to transactions.” 
• David Brown, a Washington, D.C. corporate partner and global Co-chair of the Private Equity Practice, who was selected in the Private Equity category. Law360 highlighted his recent work “guiding a plethora of private equity transactions, together worth nearly US$6 billion for clients including the Carlyle Group and Platinum Equity.” 
• Gregory Garre, a Washington, D.C. litigation partner and global Chair of the Supreme Court & Appellate Practice, who was selected in the Appellate category. He was particularly recognized for serving as lead counsel for the University of Texas in its successful U.S. Supreme Court defense against a challenge to the school’s race conscious admissions policy.
• Robert Howard, a San Diego litigator and local Chair of the firm’s Environment, Land & Resources Department, who was recognized in the Environmental category. Law360 noted his recent efforts “as lead national counsel for Monsanto Co. in eight cases where West Coast cities allege the agrochemical giant polluted various waterways with polychlorinated biphenyls and raise unprecedented public-nuisance issues.” 
• Douglas Lumish, a Silicon Valley litigation partner and global Vice Chair of the Litigation & Trial Department, who was honored in the Technology category. Law360 cited Lumish’s recent representation of the cybersecurity company Symantec Corp. in a high-profile patent infringement case, enabling him to “utilize his skills in breaking down complex technology concepts to a jury.” 
• John Manthei, a Washington, D.C. corporate partner and global Co-chair of the Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice, who was honored in the Life Sciences category.  Law360 noted his recent role in a dispute that prompted a rare formal withdrawal of a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning letter that had been issued to a client.
• Daniel Meron, a Washington, D.C. litigation partner and global Co-chair of the Healthcare Services & Providers Industry Group, who was named in the Health category. Law360 highlighted his “major victory for the University of Massachusetts Medical School when the First Circuit granted it immunity in a False Claims Act suit,” among other notable efforts. 
• Kenneth Parsigian, a Boston litigation partner and local Chair of the Litigation & Trial Department, who was selected in the Product Liability category. In particular, Law360 noted that Parsigian recently defeated a groundbreaking medical-monitoring class action brought by a class of healthy smokers that was “one of first impression in Massachusetts.” 
• David Raab, a New York partner and former global Chair of the firm’s Tax Department, who was honored in the Tax category. Law360 cited his work during the past year ”structuring tens of billions of dollars’ worth of mergers and acquisitions in deals that spanned semiconductors, aviation services, telecommunications and shampoo in the most tax-friendly way possible.” 
• Russell Sauer, a Los Angeles litigation partner and local Chair of the Litigation & Trial Department, who was named in the Sports category. He earned particular recognition for his recent representation of the US Soccer Federation in a series of high-stakes labor disputes and other matters, having served as “the go-to attorney for the national governing body for soccer in the U.S. for more than 15 years.”