Dykema Elects 12 New Members

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that its Executive Board elected 12 new members to the firm effective January 1, 2021. Dykema’s new partners, their resident office and practice descriptions are listed below.

Sean M. Buckley – Corporate Finance; Dallas

Buckley’s practice is focused on advertising, technology, and corporate transactions. Representing clients in technology and new media industries, he regularly drafts and negotiates agreements with ad servers, data suppliers and data management companies, measurement and analytics companies, and other ad and technology platforms and providers in connection with a variety of commercial relationships with local, regional and Fortune 500 brand agencies and ad technology companies. Buckley is also a member of Dykema’s multi-discipline dental service organization industry group.

Buckley earned a J.D., cum laude, from Texas Tech University School of Law, and an M.B.A. and B.A. from Texas Tech University.

Charles W. Chotvacs – Business Litigation; Washington, D.C.

Chotvacs focuses his practice on insurance coverage litigation and counseling insurance industry clients on complex coverage issues related to directors and officers, errors and omissions, employment practices, and other professional liability insurance. He has litigated matters in state and federal courts across the country at both the trial and appellate level, as well as before administrative bodies.

Chotvacs earned a J.D. from the University of Denver College of Law and a B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Joseph R. DeHondt – Corporate Finance; Bloomfield Hills

DeHondt advises clients on transactional and corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, equity offerings, venture capital financings, private placements, corporate governance and other general corporate matters. He counsels public companies on securities rules and regulations, including SEC reporting, disclosure and compliance issues. DeHondt also assists clients with technology-related transactions, including joint ventures, outsourcing arrangements, and transactions involving the development, licensing and transfer of software and technology, with a particular focus on representing leading companies in the autonomous vehicle and advanced mobility industries.

DeHondt earned a J.D., cum laude, from University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. from Oberlin College.

Eric D. Jay – Corporate Finance; Ann Arbor

Jay focuses his practice on corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, financings, corporate formation and governance, and negotiating key commercial agreements. He has significant experience representing manufacturers, software developers, and other clients as both customers and vendors in a wide variety of technology and outsourcing transactions, particularly with respect to autonomous vehicle and advanced mobility technologies.

Jay earned a J.D. from Columbia Law School and a B.A., with distinction, from the University of Michigan.

Bonnie K. Kirkland – Commercial Litigation; San Antonio

Kirkland’s wide-ranging practice includes various areas of commercial litigation such as defense of insurance disputes, breach of contract claims and business torts, with a significant focus on first-party insurance defense. She advises and assists clients on all phases of litigation, including all stages of pretrial and trial work in state and federal court. Kirkland’s experience encompasses first-party insurance lawsuits, commercial litigation, federal procurement, banking litigation, and employment-related disputes.

Kirkland earned a J.D., summa cum laude, from St. Mary’s University School of Law and a B.B.A, with honors, from The University of Texas at Austin.

Heidi A. Naasko – Litigation; Ann Arbor

Naasko leads Dykema’s pro bono practice. In addition to directing the practice and mentoring lawyers in various areas of public interest law, she maintains a substantive poverty law practice. Naasko has a broad range of practice areas including representation of immigrants, domestic violence survivors, and those asserting their actual innocence. Naasko directs the firm’s attorney resources to meet a community’s underserved legal needs and consults with corporate legal departments who desire to develop change or expand their internal pro bono practice.

Naasko earned a J.D., cum laude, from Boston University and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Brent H. Olson – Business Litigation; Washington, D.C.

Olson advises insurance companies facing novel and complex coverage issues. His practice includes directors and officers, professional liability, pollution liability, and other specialty lines insurance products. Olson has represented insurers in coverage disputes across the country in both federal and state court and at both the trial and appellate level.

Olson earned a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and a B.S. from the University of Utah.

Kyle A. Owens – Financial Services; Dallas

Owens assists a wide variety of financial-services firms and other businesses with regulatory compliance, litigation, and arbitration. His unique background as former business counsel at a Top 10 bank and as a seasoned litigator enables him to identify risk, provide mitigation advice, and resolve related disputes with customers and third parties. His extensive financial-services experience includes work with banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders, auto-finance lenders, credit-card issuers, loan servicers, and securities firms.

Owens earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.

James T. Pechacek – Intellectual Property; Minneapolis

Pechacek advises clients on their intellectual property portfolio with a focus on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in technology fields including medical devices, semi-conductor devices, and automotive technology. With a background in patent litigation, he also counsels clients on freedom-to-operate, patent infringement and patent validity matters. 

Pechacek earned a J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law, an M.S.E.E. and a B.S. from the University of Saint Thomas.

Cliff P. Riley – Commercial Litigation; Dallas

Riley is an experienced litigator who has been trusted to litigate high-stakes cases in state and federal courts throughout Texas, with an emphasis on business disputes, real estate litigation, and appellate matters, as well as extensive experience in white collar criminal defense. He has served as lead counsel in trial court litigation and has been the lead drafter on winning briefs before the Texas Supreme Court and Texas Courts of Appeals. Several of Riley’s cases have been covered by major media.

Riley earned a J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Dallas.

Tania Shapiro-Barr, M.D. – Intellectual Property; Minneapolis

Shapiro-Barr focuses her practice on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in technology fields including medical devices, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. She has experience prosecuting both foreign and domestic patent applications, as well as counseling clients and drafting opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement, and validity. She also has experience with patent litigation and trademark prosecution.

Shapiro-Barr earned a J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law, an M.D. from University of Wisconsin Medical School and a B.S., Honors Program, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Elizabeth A. Voss – Labor & Employment; Dallas

Voss counsels clients in a variety of industries on all aspects of employment and labor relations. She has represented employers in multiple state and federal courts, as well as in administrative proceedings with Texas Workforce Commission and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Voss navigates clients through discrimination statutes, wage and hour issues, employment policies and agreements, and non-compete, non-solicitation and trade secret litigation.

Voss earned a J.D., magna cum laude, from Baylor University School of Law and a B.A., cum laude, from the New York University, College of Arts and Sciences.