Butzel Long attorneys elected shareholders
1.27.2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DETROIT, Mich. – Continuing its growth in key practice groups and offices, Butzel Long announced that four attorneys have been named shareholders in the firm's Detroit and New York offices – William J. Kohler and Louis Theros in the firm's Detroit office and Zvi Hahn and Robert Sidorsky in the firm's New York office.
Two of the newly-named shareholders, Zvi Hahn and Louis Theros, have recently joined the firm. Mr. Hahn, a tax attorney, was formerly a partner at Cooley Godward Kronish. He has joined Butzel Long's New York office and co-chairs the firm's Tax Law Practice. Mr. Theros, a labor and employment attorney, was previously a Member at Dickinson Wright. He has joined the firm's Detroit office.
William J. Kohler, a corporate and transactional attorney and co-chair of the Global Automotive Practice Group in Detroit, was previously a senior attorney at Butzel Long. Robert Sidorsky, a business and bankruptcy litigation attorney, was previously Of Counsel at Butzel Long and based in the firm's New York office.
Philip J. Kessler, chairman of Butzel Long said: "As our firm continues to grow, we place a premium on attracting exceptional lawyers in key practice areas, in order to provide existing and prospective clients with superior resources and services. This group of talented individuals reinforces and enhances our already significant tax, employment, automotive, bankruptcy and transactional capabilities, and underscores the excellent prospects we look forward to as we continue to expand."
William J. Kohler is a corporate attorney and co-chair of Butzel Long's Global Automotive Practice Group. He joined Butzel Long in 2006 after serving for six years as Vice President and General Counsel of Johnson Controls' automotive operations in North and South America.
Prior to joining Johnson Controls, Mr. Kohler was employed for 10 years at Chrysler Corporation and DaimlerChrysler AG, first as senior counsel on the international legal staff of the Office of the General Counsel, and then in positions of substantial responsibility within the Treasurer's Office and the Finance Department.
Mr. Kohler has extensive transactional experience, including domestic and foreign acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures, international distribution arrangements, supply arrangements, supplier and customer workouts, and intellectual property arrangements such as joint development agreements and technology licensing.
Mr. Kohler is a past board member of the professional editorial board of the International Lawyer, which is the quarterly publication of the American Bar Association's Section of International Law. He is a founding member of the International Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, for which he also served as a council member and as chairperson of the Western European Law Committee. Mr. Kohler is Chair of the Board of Trustee of the Friends School in Detroit, a private inner city school.
Mr. Kohler graduated from the Honors College of the University of Michigan (A.B., 1983, with High Distinction and High Honors in Economics) and the University of Michigan Law School (J.D., 1986). He also earned an MBA from the Eli Broad College of Business of Michigan State University.
Louis Theros concentrates his practice in the areas of employment litigation, labor, advising and counseling clients on statutory employment compliance, and gaming law.
Mr. Theros has over 20 years experience in employment discrimination and harassment matters, including handling large class action employment disputes. He also has extensive experience in handling arbitrations arising from collective bargaining agreements and unfair labor practice complaints. He has served as counsel on various traditional labor issues, including organizational campaigns and collective bargaining agreement negotiations and implementation.
Mr. Theros is listed in Best Lawyers in America and is named in Michigan Super Lawyers, both since 2007. He has received an "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Committed to his community, Mr. Theros actively participates in a variety of organizations. He currently serves on the Grosse Pointe Farms City Council (2001-present), where he was Mayor Pro Tem from 2005-2007. He also is vice president of the Michigan Ice Hawks Youth Hockey Club, and the vice president and secretary of the Senior Citizen Housing Committee for the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) 371. Mr. Theros formerly served on the Board of Governors for the University of Michigan Club of Greater Detroit.
Mr. Theros is a former president of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association (2005-2006), and currently serves as a Trustee of the Association's charitable arm, the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Foundation (2006-present).
Mr. Theros is a graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Law (J.D., 1989), and the University of Michigan (B.A., 1985). He is licensed in Michigan and Illinois.
Zvi Hahn co-chairs the firm's Tax Law Practice. Mr. Hahn has a broad tax practice covering international tax planning for U.S. and foreign corporations and individuals, international financing and derivative transactions, financial instruments, Subpart F and PFIC issues and U.S. real estate investments. He has advised multinational groups with respect to structuring and restructuring of their international operations and with respect to cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and financing transactions. Mr. Hahn has also advised numerous investment funds and hedge funds in connection with various tax matters relating to their formation, operations and investment and trading activities. He has significant experience representing high net-worth individuals and families with respect to international tax planning, including with respect to immigration to, or expatriation from, the United States.
Prior to joining Butzel Long, Mr. Hahn was a partner at the New York office of the law firm Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, a partner at the New York office of the law firm of Coudert Brothers LLP and prior to that he worked in Israel at the law firm Gornitzky & Co.
Mr. Hahn is an adjunct professor of law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University, where he has taught the course International Tax since 2003.
Mr. Hahn is admitted to practice in New York. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, American Bar Association and the New York City Bar Association – Committee on Taxation of Business Entities.
Mr. Hahn earned a J.S.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science) in 2002 and an LL.M. (Taxation) in 1996 from New York University School of Law. He received his LL.B., magna cum laude, in 1993 from Tel Aviv University School of Law. He also received a B.A. in economics, magna cum laude, in 1993 from Tel Aviv University School of Social Sciences.
Robert Sidorsky has practiced for 25 years in the area of complex commercial litigation. His practice is concentrated in the areas of accountants' liability, securities litigation, director and officer liability, and bankruptcy-related matters.
Mr. Sidorsky has represented corporations, lenders, bankruptcy trustees, governmental agencies, investors, and accounting firms in a number of high profile cases arising out of fraudulent financial reporting. He also has acted as litigation and conflict counsel in significant bankruptcy matters. He has represented both domestic and international clients in a wide variety of commercial litigation, including claims of officer and director liability, securities fraud, fraudulent conveyance claims, lender liability, RICO, breach of contract and tortious interference, and misappropriation of trade secrets.
Mr. Sidorsky frequently publishes articles and was the Chair of "Legal Risks for Accountants: Managing Exposure in a Challenging Market," the Incisive Media Conference held in December 2008, at which he presented "Litigation Risks: Update on Legal Developments." His speaking engagements include: "Let He Whose Executives Were Without Sin Cast the First Stone: Using Management Wrongdoing to Bar Suits by Corporate Plaintiffs and Debtors," panelist, New York State Bar Association 2009 Annual Meeting (Commercial and Federal Litigation Section), New York, New York, January 28, 2009 "Accounting Fraud Case Studies," AICPA/BAI Bank Financial Executives Conference, May 2006 and "Pre-Trial Discovery in the United States," Winter Seminar, Union International des Avocats, March 2006. Mr. Sidorsky has been a member of the Board of Advisors of the Securities Reform Act Litigation Reporter and is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, New York State Bar Association and American Bar Association.
Mr. Sidorsky has been a member of the Board of Advisors of the Securities Reform Act Litigation Reporter and is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, New York State Bar Association and American Bar Association.
Mr. Sidorsky graduated from Columbia Law School (J.D., 1982) where he was Managing Editor of the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law (1982), and Harvard College (B.A., magna cum laude, 1979).
About Butzel Long
Butzel Long is one of America's leading law firms, with 240 attorneys and offices in Detroit, Bloomfield Hills, Lansing and Ann Arbor, Michigan, New York City, Washington, D.C., Boca Raton and Palm Beach, Florida, as well as Alliance offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Mexico City and Monterrey. The firm is also a member of the Washington, D.C. law firm Butzel Long Tighe Patton. Butzel Long represents clients from diverse industries on a regional, national and multi-national level and is a member of Lex Mundi, a global association of 160 independent law firms. Visit the Butzel Long website at www.butzel.com.
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Media Contact: Maribeth Farkas at Caponigro Public Relations Inc., (248) 353-3030, ext. 214.
DETROIT, Mich. – Continuing its growth in key practice groups and offices, Butzel Long announced that four attorneys have been named shareholders in the firm's Detroit and New York offices – William J. Kohler and Louis Theros in the firm's Detroit office and Zvi Hahn and Robert Sidorsky in the firm's New York office.
Two of the newly-named shareholders, Zvi Hahn and Louis Theros, have recently joined the firm. Mr. Hahn, a tax attorney, was formerly a partner at Cooley Godward Kronish. He has joined Butzel Long's New York office and co-chairs the firm's Tax Law Practice. Mr. Theros, a labor and employment attorney, was previously a Member at Dickinson Wright. He has joined the firm's Detroit office.
William J. Kohler, a corporate and transactional attorney and co-chair of the Global Automotive Practice Group in Detroit, was previously a senior attorney at Butzel Long. Robert Sidorsky, a business and bankruptcy litigation attorney, was previously Of Counsel at Butzel Long and based in the firm's New York office.
Philip J. Kessler, chairman of Butzel Long said: "As our firm continues to grow, we place a premium on attracting exceptional lawyers in key practice areas, in order to provide existing and prospective clients with superior resources and services. This group of talented individuals reinforces and enhances our already significant tax, employment, automotive, bankruptcy and transactional capabilities, and underscores the excellent prospects we look forward to as we continue to expand."
William J. Kohler is a corporate attorney and co-chair of Butzel Long's Global Automotive Practice Group. He joined Butzel Long in 2006 after serving for six years as Vice President and General Counsel of Johnson Controls' automotive operations in North and South America.
Prior to joining Johnson Controls, Mr. Kohler was employed for 10 years at Chrysler Corporation and DaimlerChrysler AG, first as senior counsel on the international legal staff of the Office of the General Counsel, and then in positions of substantial responsibility within the Treasurer's Office and the Finance Department.
Mr. Kohler has extensive transactional experience, including domestic and foreign acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures, international distribution arrangements, supply arrangements, supplier and customer workouts, and intellectual property arrangements such as joint development agreements and technology licensing.
Mr. Kohler is a past board member of the professional editorial board of the International Lawyer, which is the quarterly publication of the American Bar Association's Section of International Law. He is a founding member of the International Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, for which he also served as a council member and as chairperson of the Western European Law Committee. Mr. Kohler is Chair of the Board of Trustee of the Friends School in Detroit, a private inner city school.
Mr. Kohler graduated from the Honors College of the University of Michigan (A.B., 1983, with High Distinction and High Honors in Economics) and the University of Michigan Law School (J.D., 1986). He also earned an MBA from the Eli Broad College of Business of Michigan State University.
Louis Theros concentrates his practice in the areas of employment litigation, labor, advising and counseling clients on statutory employment compliance, and gaming law.
Mr. Theros has over 20 years experience in employment discrimination and harassment matters, including handling large class action employment disputes. He also has extensive experience in handling arbitrations arising from collective bargaining agreements and unfair labor practice complaints. He has served as counsel on various traditional labor issues, including organizational campaigns and collective bargaining agreement negotiations and implementation.
Mr. Theros is listed in Best Lawyers in America and is named in Michigan Super Lawyers, both since 2007. He has received an "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Committed to his community, Mr. Theros actively participates in a variety of organizations. He currently serves on the Grosse Pointe Farms City Council (2001-present), where he was Mayor Pro Tem from 2005-2007. He also is vice president of the Michigan Ice Hawks Youth Hockey Club, and the vice president and secretary of the Senior Citizen Housing Committee for the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) 371. Mr. Theros formerly served on the Board of Governors for the University of Michigan Club of Greater Detroit.
Mr. Theros is a former president of the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association (2005-2006), and currently serves as a Trustee of the Association's charitable arm, the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Foundation (2006-present).
Mr. Theros is a graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Law (J.D., 1989), and the University of Michigan (B.A., 1985). He is licensed in Michigan and Illinois.
Zvi Hahn co-chairs the firm's Tax Law Practice. Mr. Hahn has a broad tax practice covering international tax planning for U.S. and foreign corporations and individuals, international financing and derivative transactions, financial instruments, Subpart F and PFIC issues and U.S. real estate investments. He has advised multinational groups with respect to structuring and restructuring of their international operations and with respect to cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and financing transactions. Mr. Hahn has also advised numerous investment funds and hedge funds in connection with various tax matters relating to their formation, operations and investment and trading activities. He has significant experience representing high net-worth individuals and families with respect to international tax planning, including with respect to immigration to, or expatriation from, the United States.
Prior to joining Butzel Long, Mr. Hahn was a partner at the New York office of the law firm Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, a partner at the New York office of the law firm of Coudert Brothers LLP and prior to that he worked in Israel at the law firm Gornitzky & Co.
Mr. Hahn is an adjunct professor of law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University, where he has taught the course International Tax since 2003.
Mr. Hahn is admitted to practice in New York. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, American Bar Association and the New York City Bar Association – Committee on Taxation of Business Entities.
Mr. Hahn earned a J.S.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science) in 2002 and an LL.M. (Taxation) in 1996 from New York University School of Law. He received his LL.B., magna cum laude, in 1993 from Tel Aviv University School of Law. He also received a B.A. in economics, magna cum laude, in 1993 from Tel Aviv University School of Social Sciences.
Robert Sidorsky has practiced for 25 years in the area of complex commercial litigation. His practice is concentrated in the areas of accountants' liability, securities litigation, director and officer liability, and bankruptcy-related matters.
Mr. Sidorsky has represented corporations, lenders, bankruptcy trustees, governmental agencies, investors, and accounting firms in a number of high profile cases arising out of fraudulent financial reporting. He also has acted as litigation and conflict counsel in significant bankruptcy matters. He has represented both domestic and international clients in a wide variety of commercial litigation, including claims of officer and director liability, securities fraud, fraudulent conveyance claims, lender liability, RICO, breach of contract and tortious interference, and misappropriation of trade secrets.
Mr. Sidorsky frequently publishes articles and was the Chair of "Legal Risks for Accountants: Managing Exposure in a Challenging Market," the Incisive Media Conference held in December 2008, at which he presented "Litigation Risks: Update on Legal Developments." His speaking engagements include: "Let He Whose Executives Were Without Sin Cast the First Stone: Using Management Wrongdoing to Bar Suits by Corporate Plaintiffs and Debtors," panelist, New York State Bar Association 2009 Annual Meeting (Commercial and Federal Litigation Section), New York, New York, January 28, 2009 "Accounting Fraud Case Studies," AICPA/BAI Bank Financial Executives Conference, May 2006 and "Pre-Trial Discovery in the United States," Winter Seminar, Union International des Avocats, March 2006. Mr. Sidorsky has been a member of the Board of Advisors of the Securities Reform Act Litigation Reporter and is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, New York State Bar Association and American Bar Association.
Mr. Sidorsky has been a member of the Board of Advisors of the Securities Reform Act Litigation Reporter and is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, New York State Bar Association and American Bar Association.
Mr. Sidorsky graduated from Columbia Law School (J.D., 1982) where he was Managing Editor of the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law (1982), and Harvard College (B.A., magna cum laude, 1979).
About Butzel Long
Butzel Long is one of America's leading law firms, with 240 attorneys and offices in Detroit, Bloomfield Hills, Lansing and Ann Arbor, Michigan, New York City, Washington, D.C., Boca Raton and Palm Beach, Florida, as well as Alliance offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Mexico City and Monterrey. The firm is also a member of the Washington, D.C. law firm Butzel Long Tighe Patton. Butzel Long represents clients from diverse industries on a regional, national and multi-national level and is a member of Lex Mundi, a global association of 160 independent law firms. Visit the Butzel Long website at www.butzel.com.
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Media Contact: Maribeth Farkas at Caponigro Public Relations Inc., (248) 353-3030, ext. 214.
