RSHC news

Law360’s annual Diversity Snapshot Report recognizes RSHC as a Top 5 law firm for the most diverse attorney workforce nationwide for firms with 100 or fewer attorneys. RSHC outpaces peers for creating pathways to advancement from all groups and walks of life. Diversity, equity, are core founding principles on which RSHC was built. While we are grateful for the recognition and congratulate the other firms on Law360’s list, we recognize our efforts at improving DEI in the legal profession are only just getting started.

As a named Chambers D&I Awards finalist and noted as “a true diversity and inclusion pioneer for the profession,” RSHC is honored to contribute a Case Study to the tenth annual Chambers Diversity & Inclusion North America Report 2021. This best practice guide features innovative and supportive initiatives that further racial inclusion in the workplace, demonstrate measurable progress, and broaden the cultural shift.

While the economy recovers from the pandemic, regulators in the futures and derivatives industry continue to move forward with significant regulatory and enforcement efforts. Regulators and leading industry professionals will provide guidance and insight regarding current and anticipated issues impacting participants in the futures and derivatives industry. Attorneys who attend can earn two hours of CLE in Illinois and California, free of charge.

We are pleased to announce that RSHC attorney Ariel Wilson has been selected as a 2021 Michigan Rising Star in General Litigation for 3 consecutive years, and Partner Greg Curtner has been selected as a 2021 Michigan Super Lawyer in Antitrust Litigation for 16 consecutive years.

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP (RSHC) welcomes new partner Keyonn Pope to the firm’s intellectual property and litigation practices. Pope, who was recently recognized by Bloomberg Law as one of 40 outstanding young attorneys nationwide, is a tech-savvy litigator relied upon by clients to represent their brands in bet-the-company patent and trademark litigation and other complex and high-stakes commercial disputes. He has tried patent cases in many hotbed jurisdictions including E.D. Va., E.D. Texas, Delaware, and N.D. Cal.

RSHC Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes will be a panelist on the July 29, 2021 ABA Profile of the Legal Profession: Returning to the Law Office … Or Not webinar. After 16 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, a distinguished panel will discuss what comes next, post-pandemic – how to decide, new rules, changes in expectations, and the effect on recruiting.

RSHC congratulates San Francisco Partner Meghan McMeel on her selection as a 2021 Northern California Rising Star, and Partners Steve Hankins, Jeff Williams, and Of Counsel Bruce Wagman on their selection as 2021 Northern California Super Lawyers. Super Lawyers and Rising Stars are highly regarded by their peers for professional achievement and excellence in the practice of law. Super Lawyers represent five percent of the attorneys in the state, and Rising Stars represent 2.5 percent of the attorneys in the state.

RSHC Partner Matthew Kennison explains the significance of the Supreme Court's recent 5-4 ruling on the case: Has a plaintiff suffered a real, concrete, non-abstract harm if there is incorrect and embarrassing information in the plaintiff’s credit file, but that information is never disclosed to a third party? Or, as the Supreme Court put it, “if inaccurate information falls into a consumer’s credit file, does it make a sound?" Last Friday, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court answered no. In doing so, the Court reigned in broad views of the Court’s language in Spokeo, reaffirmed long-standing concepts related to Article III standing, and provided helpful precedent and guidance for defendants defending against future class actions.

RSHC has been listed in the Chambers USA 2021 directory of leading lawyers and firms across the nation. The directory points to our Government Enforcement, Investigations & White Collar Criminal Defense practice as a ‘Band 2’ provider, among the highest-ranked in the country.

RSHC Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes answers five questions about lessons learned during the pandemic.

RSHC’s Bruce Wagman partnered with an elite team from Latham & Watkins, representing the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and other plaintiffs in a groundbreaking lawsuit seeking to permanently remove restrictions on California pet owners’ and veterinarians’ First Amendment rights to use pet telemedicine. This important case asserts that the California state veterinary board limits on telemedicine are unconstitutional and violate the First Amendment.

Brenna Woodley co-authored Trade Secret Remedies and the Inevitable Disclosure Doctrine, which appears in the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education’s 2021 Edition of Intellectual Property Law. The IICLE provides continuing legal education for Illinois attorneys. Brenna’s piece, published on April 20, 2021, discusses the latest developments regarding remedies in cases involving trade secret misappropriation and related claims under state and federal law, including claims under the Illinois Trade Secrets Act and federal Defend Trade Secrets Act.

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila has been recognized by Chambers as “a true diversity and inclusion pioneer for the legal profession.” RSHC has been shortlisted as one of 12 U.S. finalists for the Chambers D&I North America 2021 “Outstanding Firm for Furthering Diversity and Inclusion” award, which aims to recognize a firm that is demonstrating broadly measurable impact in advocating for and implementing an inclusive work environment with originality and deep commitment. The winner will be announced at a June 17 award ceremony.

Bruce Wagman and Erin Gasparka represented Return to Freedom in efforts to stop inhumane and illegal surgeries being performed by the federal government on wild horses. In response to the lawsuit, the Bureau of Land Management has agreed not to begin the controversial and dangerous sterilization surgeries.

Greg Curtner provided commentary on recent arguments in the Supreme Court case that will decide the future of amateurism in college athletics. In his piece "Amateurism Is Not a Horizontal Price Fix," Curtner unpacks what took place during the March 31 arguments, noting that the discussion included a "jumble of half-baked antitrust concepts, polemics rather than facts, and lack of focus on the legitimate issues before the Court."