Kramer Levin Announces Newly Elected Partners

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP today announced the election of Matthew S. Dunn, Dani R. James, Erica D. Klein, Douglas H. Mannal and Robin M. Wilcox as partners, effective June 1, 2010. The newly elected partners represent multiple practice areas including Litigation, Bankruptcy, Immigration, Intellectual Property and White Collar Defense.

Paul Pearlman, Managing Partner of Kramer Levin, said, “We are very pleased to welcome these five exceptional attorneys to our partnership. Their depth and diversity of experience and their expertise in their respective practice areas enhance our firm’s overall capabilities and the value we provide our clients.” The new partners are:

Matthew S. Dunn (Immigration). Mr. Dunn has a national reputation in immigration law, especially in the areas of finance, health care and technology. He is Co-Chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Immigration and Nationality Law Committee and a member of the New York City Bar Association’s Immigration and Nationality Law Committee. Mr. Dunn is a past chair of the 1,000-member American Immigration Lawyers Association’s (AILA) New York Chapter and was also a member of AILA’s governing board of directors. Additionally, he served as an Assistant District Counsel for the Immigration and Naturalization Service and as an Assistant District Attorney in Suffolk County, New York. Mr. Dunn received his B.S. from Cornell University, and his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.

Dani R. James (Litigation). Ms. James is an experienced litigator whose practice focuses on white collar criminal defense and complex civil litigation. From 1999 to 2003, Ms. James served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where she prosecuted numerous criminal trials to verdict and conducted grand jury investigations involving RICO, money-laundering, and other offenses. She also has experience conducting internal investigations and defending clients in securities class-action and derivative suits. Ms. James received her B.A., summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University, and her J.D. from Yale University.

Erica D. Klein (Intellectual Property). Ms. Klein specializes in trademark and copyright law, and also focuses her practice on issues relating to e-commerce, internet law, domain names, rights of publicity, and unfair competition. Ms. Klein regularly counsels clients concerning brand development, licensing, and protection and enforcement of intellectual property, both in the U.S. and as part of a global strategy. Her practice covers a wide range of industries, with primary expertise in the entertainment, broadcasting, fashion, hospitality, food/beverage, and consumer goods industries. Ms. Klein serves on the Executive Board of the Intellectual Property Section of the New York State Bar Association, and is also an active member of the International Trademark Association. Ms. Klein received her B.A., cum laude, from Dartmouth College, and her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

Douglas H. Mannal (Corporate Restructuring and Bankruptcy). Mr. Mannal represents creditors’ committees, bank agents, ad hoc bondholder groups, indenture trustees and other parties in all aspects of bankruptcy cases, out-of-court restructurings, debtor-in-possession financings, acquisitions, rights offerings and other distressed situations. He also advises hedge funds and financial institutions regarding investments in distressed companies with complex corporate and capital structures. He previously clerked for the Honorable Conrad B. Duberstein of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of New York. Mr. Mannal earned his B.A. from Lafayette College and his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.

Robin M. Wilcox (Litigation). Ms. Wilcox specializes in white collar criminal defense, as well as complex securities and commercial litigation. She represents individuals and corporations in federal and state criminal cases, regulatory, civil and forfeiture proceedings, grand jury investigations, inquiries by governmental agencies and internal investigations. She serves as Special Master in In re Visa Check/MasterMoney Antitrust Litigation, No. 96-5238 (E.D.N.Y.), an antitrust class action the settlement of which resulted in the creation of a $3.05 billion settlement fund. From 1998-1999, she clerked for the Honorable Dennis Jacobs of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, and from 1997-1998 she clerked for the Honorable John Gleeson of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York. Ms. Wilcox earned her B.A., summa cum laude, from Cornell University and her J.D. from New York University School of Law, where she was Executive Editor of the Law Review.