Drinker Biddle Names New Partners, Counsel

Philadelphia – Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP has named five new partners of the firm and appointed two lawyers as counsel.

“The election of new partners and appointment of counsel is one of the most important events in the life of any firm,” said Drinker Biddle Chairman Alfred W. Putnam, Jr. “We are fortunate to have these excellent lawyers, and look forward to our continued efforts to provide our clients with unparalleled service.”

Brief biographies of our new partners follow:

Kathryn E. Deal is a member of the firm’s commercial litigation group practicing in the Philadelphia office. Kathryn’s litigation experience extends to a variety of complex commercial matters, including products liability suits, trademark infringement and unfair competition claims, contract disputes, consumer class actions, employment and discrimination cases, and corporate governance matters.

Elizabeth A. Diffley, a corporate and securities lawyer in the Philadelphia office, concentrates her practice on securities law compliance, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. She joined Drinker from Sullivan & Cromwell in Paris, where her practice primarily involved cross-border securities offerings and compliance with U.S. securities laws and reporting obligations.

Frederick P. Marczyk, a litigator in the Insurance Practice Group in the Philadelphia office, counsels insurers with respect to exposures under general liability, public entity liability, directors’ and officers’ liability, and umbrella and excess liability policies. He also litigates coverage disputes and extracontractual liability claims in state and federal courts throughout the country. (PH/Insurance Coverage)

Gregory J. Star is also a member of the Insurance Practice group in the Philadelphia office. Greg has appeared in numerous state and federal courts where he has presented oral arguments on motions, conducted evidentiary hearings, and successfully obtained injunctive and other relief on behalf of his clients.

Kenneth M. Vorrasi focuses on antitrust and complex commercial litigation out of the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. Ken’s antitrust practice focuses on litigation, merger and conduct investigations before the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission and state enforcement authorities, and counseling on a variety of antitrust issues, with an emphasis on matters at the intersection of antitrust and intellectual property. Ken’s practice includes representing clients in complex litigation in federal and state court, representing clients in government investigations, and appearing before the federal antitrust agencies to obtain clearance of mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures.

Biographies for the two new counsel follow:

Thuy T. Bui, a products liability lawyer in the New York office, represents major pharmaceutical and medical device companies in federal and state court cases alleging personal injury related to prescription and over-the-counter medications and medical devices. She also represents clients from various industries in cases alleging personal injury from exposure to asbestos-containing products.

John P. Mitchell is a member of the Commercial Litigation Practice Group in the firm’s Princeton office, focusing on construction, real estate/land use litigation and insurance defense/structured settlement litigation. He has experience litigating actions in lieu of prerogative writs challenging zoning ordinances and challenging and defending municipal actions concerning development applications, commercial and residential foreclosure actions, and construction disputes. John also has extensive involvement in a number of large environmental lawsuits relating to soil and groundwater contamination.