March 28, 2019
FaegreBD Announces 2019 Leadership Transitions
Press Release
Faegre Baker Daniels has announced leadership transitions within the firm’s management board and appellate, environmental, patent, transactional tax, and white collar defense and investigations practice groups. These changes took effect on March 1, 2019.
Management Board
FaegreBD partners Kerry Bundy and Gretchen Miller Busch have been elected to the firm’s management board for their first term, succeeding Terri Combs and George Martin. Mike Kanute was elected to the board for his second term.
Bundy is a business litigation partner with experience advocating in over 25 states and numerous international arbitration venues. She handles complex commercial litigation, franchise and distribution, and trade secret and non-compete matters.
Busch serves as a co-leader of the firm’s national food and agribusiness industry team and is a partner in the real estate group where she advises clients on the complex commercial real estate transactions with special expertise in the agribusiness industry.
Kanute is a product liability and environmental partner and is an experienced trial lawyer with expertise in products liability and toxic torts.
FaegreBD’s 13-member management board is responsible for the strategic direction and policies of the firm.
Appellate
Brian Paul has joined FaegreBD partner Aaron Van Oort as co-leader of the firm’s appellate practice, which is part of the business litigation group. Paul is an experienced and accomplished appellate lawyer who helps clients navigate the complexity of appellate courts, having briefed and argued everything from weighty abstract constitutional issues to concrete dollars-and-cents commercial issues and any number of issues in-between. His name appears on more than 75 decisions, and he has had a direct hand in scores of others.
Environmental
Max Kelln will co-lead the firm’s environmental practice with partner Del Ehrich. The environmental practice is part of the firm’s product liability and environmental group. Kelln lends his energetic brand of client service to develop creative, cost-effective solutions to environmental problems, which has included litigating the scope of federal jurisdiction over waters of the U.S., climate change, and impacts from historical lead contamination. He is the producer and host of FaegreBD’s “Notice and Comment” Environmental Law Podcast.
Patent
Bill Meyers has assumed leadership of FaegreBD’s patent practice—part of the firm’s intellectual property group—from partner Jason Kraus. Meyers partners with clients to build intellectual property portfolios that advance their business objectives. He provides counsel and legal services in all aspects of intellectual property law, including patent portfolio management; risk evaluation related to third party patents; opinions; patent preparation and prosecution; and patent post-grant administrative proceedings. He also co-leads the Indiana section of FaegreBD’s national food and agribusiness industry team.
Transactional Tax
Charles Bybee has assumed leadership of FaegreBD’s transactional tax practice—part of the firm’s corporate group—succeeding Brian Fennerty in that role. Bybee works with corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and hybrid entities to manage business issues and conduct strategic tax planning in connection with the formation, operation, restructuring, acquisition and disposition of such entities. He has extensive experience in the energy sector.
White Collar Defense and Investigations
Nick Klinefeldt leads the firm’s white collar defense and investigations team, which is part of the business litigation practice. Klinefeldt helps clients navigate government investigations, conduct internal investigations, defend complex criminal litigation and develop compliance programs. Formerly the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, he has been on both sides of high-stakes white collar criminal matters. This background gives him the ability to assess exposure, manage crises and media precipitated by investigations, and defend against matters with the government.
Management Board
FaegreBD partners Kerry Bundy and Gretchen Miller Busch have been elected to the firm’s management board for their first term, succeeding Terri Combs and George Martin. Mike Kanute was elected to the board for his second term.
Bundy is a business litigation partner with experience advocating in over 25 states and numerous international arbitration venues. She handles complex commercial litigation, franchise and distribution, and trade secret and non-compete matters.
Busch serves as a co-leader of the firm’s national food and agribusiness industry team and is a partner in the real estate group where she advises clients on the complex commercial real estate transactions with special expertise in the agribusiness industry.
Kanute is a product liability and environmental partner and is an experienced trial lawyer with expertise in products liability and toxic torts.
FaegreBD’s 13-member management board is responsible for the strategic direction and policies of the firm.
Appellate
Brian Paul has joined FaegreBD partner Aaron Van Oort as co-leader of the firm’s appellate practice, which is part of the business litigation group. Paul is an experienced and accomplished appellate lawyer who helps clients navigate the complexity of appellate courts, having briefed and argued everything from weighty abstract constitutional issues to concrete dollars-and-cents commercial issues and any number of issues in-between. His name appears on more than 75 decisions, and he has had a direct hand in scores of others.
Environmental
Max Kelln will co-lead the firm’s environmental practice with partner Del Ehrich. The environmental practice is part of the firm’s product liability and environmental group. Kelln lends his energetic brand of client service to develop creative, cost-effective solutions to environmental problems, which has included litigating the scope of federal jurisdiction over waters of the U.S., climate change, and impacts from historical lead contamination. He is the producer and host of FaegreBD’s “Notice and Comment” Environmental Law Podcast.
Patent
Bill Meyers has assumed leadership of FaegreBD’s patent practice—part of the firm’s intellectual property group—from partner Jason Kraus. Meyers partners with clients to build intellectual property portfolios that advance their business objectives. He provides counsel and legal services in all aspects of intellectual property law, including patent portfolio management; risk evaluation related to third party patents; opinions; patent preparation and prosecution; and patent post-grant administrative proceedings. He also co-leads the Indiana section of FaegreBD’s national food and agribusiness industry team.
Transactional Tax
Charles Bybee has assumed leadership of FaegreBD’s transactional tax practice—part of the firm’s corporate group—succeeding Brian Fennerty in that role. Bybee works with corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and hybrid entities to manage business issues and conduct strategic tax planning in connection with the formation, operation, restructuring, acquisition and disposition of such entities. He has extensive experience in the energy sector.
White Collar Defense and Investigations
Nick Klinefeldt leads the firm’s white collar defense and investigations team, which is part of the business litigation practice. Klinefeldt helps clients navigate government investigations, conduct internal investigations, defend complex criminal litigation and develop compliance programs. Formerly the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, he has been on both sides of high-stakes white collar criminal matters. This background gives him the ability to assess exposure, manage crises and media precipitated by investigations, and defend against matters with the government.
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