Harter Secrest & Emery LLP, a full-service business law firm with offices throughout New York, is pleased to announce that five of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized in the 2018 Legal Elite list published by Buffalo Business First and the Buffalo Law Journal. The list annually recognizes and highlights the top legal professionals practicing in Western New York, as nominated by their peers in the legal community.
The attorneys from Harter Secrest & Emery who were recognized on the 2018 Legal Elite list are Kenneth W. Africano, Amy L. Hemenway, Kayla E. Klos, Anthony D, Mancinelli, and Sheldon K. Smith.
“We are incredibly proud that Ken, Amy, Kayla, Tony and Sheldon have been recognized by their peers in the Western New York legal community as among this year’s Legal Elite,” said John G. Horn, partner in charge of the Buffalo office of Harter Secrest & Emery. “Each of them daily exemplifies Harter Secrest & Emery’s core tenets: exceptional legal work, passionate advocacy, and sacrifice on behalf of clients and colleagues.”
A partner in the firm’s Litigation practice, Africano focuses his practice primarily in the areas of complex commercial litigation, intellectual property litigation, and unfair competition claims. He has handled a wide variety of commercial litigation cases including general breach of contract claims, shareholder disputes and corporate dissolutions, antitrust suits, securities fraud claims, and unfair competition matters. In addition, Africano served as lead litigation counsel for a major motion picture studio in the defense of a copyright infringement action and also represented three major motion picture studios on a copyright infringement action venued in the Central District of California. He has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2019 in the area of Commercial Litigation, and he has been selected to the Upstate New York Super Lawyers® list each year since 2010.
Hemenway is a partner in Harter Secrest & Emery’s Labor & Employment practice. She counsels non-union and union employers and management on all aspects of employment and labor law, including developing and administering workplace policies, providing advice regarding discrimination and harassment issues, ensuring compliance with wage and hour laws, managing leaves of absence, implementing discipline and termination decisions, and conducting workplace investigations. Hemenway also represents clients in civil litigation in federal and state courts, as well as administrative proceedings and audits before federal and state agencies. She has been selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2019 in the area of Litigation – Labor and Employment, and has been selected to the Upstate New York Super Lawyers® list each year since 2013.
Klos is counsel in the firm’s Securities and Capital Markets practice, where she provides advice on compliance with securities laws, including disclosure and reporting requirements, insider trading issues, corporate governance, and the requirements of applicable stock exchanges. She represents both public and private companies and has participated as counsel to companies in merger, acquisition and sale transactions, including stock and asset purchases. Her work with public companies includes negotiated and hostile takeovers, tender-offers and going-private transactions. In addition, Klos assists clients with capital raising, including the registration of securities offerings, private placements, exempt securities offerings and venture capital financings.
A partner in the firm’s Corporate practice, Mancinelli has practiced for more than 40 years, concentrating in all areas of corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and private and public finance. His wide-ranging experience also includes working with clients on issues related to complex commercial lending, taxable and tax-exempt bond financing, lease transactions, and not-for-profit organizations. He has been recognized in Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers in Business for Corporate/M&A, selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the areas of Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Public Finance Law, and Real Estate Law. In addition, he was named Best Lawyers® Banking and Finance Law “Lawyer of the Year” in 2018, Best Lawyers® Corporate Law “Lawyer of the Year” in 2017, Best Lawyers® Banking and Finance Law “Lawyer of the Year” in 2016, and Best Lawyers® Mergers and Acquisitions Law “Lawyer of the Year” in 2013. Mancinelli has been selected to the Upstate New York Super Lawyers® list each year since 2009 and he is AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
Smith is a partner in Harter Secrest & Emery’s Litigation practice. He handles complex and often high-profile business contract, valuation, trade secret, and other matters for financial institutions, medical providers, commercial property owners, energy companies, real estate developers, and manufacturers. He regularly represents clients in federal and state courts and before arbitration tribunals. Smith has been recognized in Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers in Business in the field of Litigation, and he has been selected to the Upstate New York Super Lawyers® list.
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