FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Hope Heyman – (212) 366-5033
publicrelations@culhane.law
Jamal Edwards, Elissa Isaacs, Stephen O’Donnell, Steven Shapiro, and Michelle Skinner Join Rapidly-Expanding, Cloud-Based Law Firm “Disrupting” Conventional Law Firm Business Model
CHICAGO, IL (April 3, 2017) — Underscoring its commitment to serving Chicago-based clients, Culhane Meadows, the fast-growing, cloud-based national law firm has added five new partners, including four litigators, to its Chicago office. Jamal Edwards, Elissa Isaacs, Stephen O’Donnell, Steven Shapiro and Michelle Skinner join seven other partners in the rapidly-expanding office.
Jamal Edwards (jedwards@culhane.law, previously a partner at Kirkland & Ellis’ Chicago office, focuses on Intellectual Property and Technology business litigation, as well as healthcare and real estate matters. In addition to representing major international, Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, and start-ups, Jamal had a distinguished business career at Equifax and served as the CEO of several businesses, including real estate and tech. Named Crain’s Business “40 under 40,” Jamal received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, and his B.S. from Morehouse College.
Elissa Isaacs (eisaacs@culhane.law) joins Culhane Meadows from Steptoe & Johnson, where she was a partner. She represents clients in complex business litigation and arbitration, regularly appearing in federal and state courts throughout the U.S., as well as before the NYSE, NASD, and FINRA in the U.S. and similar venues in London. In addition to handling a wide variety of commercial disputes, including contract, fraud, business tort, securities, employment, trade secret and Lanham Act claims, Elissa has particular expertise in insurance litigation and arbitration, including insurance coverage disputes and bad faith claims. She received her J.D. from the George Washington University School of Law, and her B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University.
Stephen O’Donnell (sodonnell@culhane.law) is a commercial litigation lawyer with significant expertise in commercial insurance dispute resolution, including professional liability, comprehensive general liability, employer’s professional liability, and cyber liability coverage and placement disputes, as well as reinsurance matters. His particular focus is on resolving business disputes through negotiation and settlement, mediation, arbitration, or trial throughout the U.S. and internationally. He joins Culhane Meadows from Steptoe & Johnson, where he was a partner. Stephen received his J.D from the University of Illinois, and his B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis.
Steven H. Shapiro (sshapiro@culhane.law) started his career at Mayer Brown before migrating to senior in-house roles with several publicly-traded bank holding companies and technology companies. He returned to private practice in 2011 and joins Culhane Meadows from Krasnow Saunders, where he was a partner. Steven is a senior transactional lawyer focused on technology transactions, privacy and cybersecurity law, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, banking law, and securities. He received his J.D. from the University of Chicago, and his B.A. in economics from Columbia University.
Michelle Ware Skinner (mskinner@culhane.law), previously counsel at Thompson Coburn, focuses on Intellectual Property (IP) law and Litigation and Dispute Resolution. Michelle works with established, Fortune 500 companies and start-up entities to protect their IP assets and has litigated cases in federal district courts across the country and represented clients before the International Trade Commission. Prior to joining Culhane Meadows, she also served as Chief Counsel at BlackDoctor, Inc. the world’s largest online health resource specifically targeting African Americans. She received her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, her M.B.A. in Operations Management from the University of Cincinnati, and her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio State University. Michelle also volunteers with Chicago’s Center for Conflict Resolution.
“In joining Culhane Meadows, these five great new partners further underscore our commitment to serve Chicago businesses—and in expanding our litigation services to the Chicago market,” says Heather Haughian, managing partner of the Chicago office and a founding member of the firm. “Their considerable experience in preeminent law firms and business brings additional depth to our already distinguished Chicago office bench and adds new opportunities to provide outstanding partner-level legal services more efficiently to major corporations and emerging companies at every stage of growth. They are terrific complements to our growing partnership drawn from many of the largest firms in the country.”
About Culhane Meadows – Big Law for the New Economy®
With nearly 60 partners in seven offices across the country, uniquely structured and cloud-based Culhane Meadows’ Disruptive Law® business platform delivers outstanding, partner-level legal services to major corporations and emerging companies across industry sectors more efficiently and cost-effectively than conventional law firms. Clients enjoy exceptional and highly-efficient legal services provided exclusively by partner-level attorneys with significant experience and training from large law firms or in-house legal departments of respected corporations. U.S. News & World Report has named Culhane Meadows among the country’s “Best Law Firms” in its 2014 through 2017 rankings.
