News

News

SHJ Welcomes Fraser Holmes

We are excited to announce that Fraser Holmes has joined Schiffer Hicks Johnson as an associate. Fraser litigates complex commercial disputes at both the trial and appellate levels, as well as in arbitration proceedings. He has drafted dispositive and non-dispositive briefs, prepared depositions, and conducted discovery for cases in state and federal court involving a wide range of claims, including private equity, healthcare, bankruptcy, and anticompetition.

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Meet Summer Associate Karchen Lhatoo

Karchen is a rising 3L at the University of Chicago Law School, where he participates in the International Law Society and the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association. He also served as the vice president and events director of UChicago Law Effective Altruism, a group that applies an evidence-based approach to helping law students undertake effective public interest and pro bono work. Previously, Karchen was an advocacy fellow with Reprieve, a London-based human rights organization that builds public momentum around high-impact causes like Guantánamo Bay, human trafficking, and drone strikes. He graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.A. in Political Science.

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Three Partners Honored by Benchmark Litigation

Schiffer Hicks Johnson is proud to announce that three partners have been recognized in Benchmark Litigation’s 2024 rankings: Adam Schiffer (Litigation Star), Adam Dinnell (Future Litigation Star), and Varant Yegparian (40 & Under List).

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Meet Summer Associate April Alex

April is a rising 3L at Duke University School of Law, where she serves as staff editor of Law and Contemporary Problems and as a research assistant for the Wilson Center for Science and Justice. Previously, she was a summer associate at a firm in Raleigh, North Carolina, that handles insurance, reinsurance, healthcare regulation, and employment disputes. She graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in Political Science.

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“A Great Place to Exercise Your Creativity”: A Q&A with Senior Associate Lori Arakaki

Lori C. Arakaki joined SHJ as a senior associate in March 2023. She handles complex commercial disputes before federal and state courts at both the trial and appellate levels. Previously, Lori practiced in the litigation group at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP’s San Francisco office. She also spent several years as an associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP’s Los Angeles office.

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“Committed to ‘Paying It Forward’: A Q&A With Appellate Lawyer Katherine Ring

Fewer than 20% of U.S. appellate lawyers who argue high-dollar civil cases are female, according to a 2021 report from the American Bar Association. At SHJ, we’re proud to field a majority-women appellate team with an exceptional track record of success.

Senior counsel Katherine Ring has played a key role in our appellate practice since the firm was founded in 2007. Over the past 15 years, she and her colleagues, Marc Tabolsky and Penny Nicholson, have argued highly significant legal issues before federal courts and handled appeals involving hundreds of millions of dollars. We sat down with Kate to discuss her background, most interesting cases, and commitment to female mentorship in the profession.

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Meet Summer Associate Matthew Hilley

Matthew is a rising 3L at Washington University School of Law, where he serves as an executive articles editor for the Journal of Law & Policy, the vice president of the Federalist Society, and the former vice justice of Phi Alpha Delta. Previously, Matthew worked as a law clerk in the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, General Litigation, and interned at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Texas. He graduated from Georgetown University with a B.A. in Physics and History.  

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Meet Summer Associate Austin Fuller

Austin is a rising 3L at the University of Virginia School of Law, where he participates in the Virginia Journal of Law & Technology and the Extramural Moot Court Team. He also belongs to Lone Star Lawyers, UVA’s networking group for students interested in the Texas legal market. Previously, Austin interned at the Travis County District Attorney’s Office in Austin. He graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Social Studies.

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Schiffer Hicks Johnson Earns 2023 Chambers Ranking

Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business announced today that Schiffer Hicks Johnson (SHJ) has been ranked as a leading law firm in the Texas Litigation: General Commercial practice area for 2023. Less than 1 percent of U.S. law firms receive this important distinction.

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SHJ Names 2023 Diversity Fellows

We are excited to announce that Iesha-LaShay Phillips (Yale Law School) and David Alan Johnson (Penn Carey Law) have been selected as SHJ’s 2023 diversity fellows.

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“SHJ Puts People First”: A Q&A With First-Year Associate Kelly Swanson

Kelly Swanson, a recent graduate of Tulane Law School, returned to SHJ in October 2022 after completing the firm’s 2021 summer associate program. Before earning her J.D., she was a reporter for Global Investigations Review, where she covered government agency and internal corporate investigations. Here, Kelly discusses her favorite assignment to date, how her work is structured, and what kind of support she’s receiving from firm leadership.

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Schiffer Hicks Johnson Fall 2022 Newsletter

This fall, we’re excited to welcome three first-year associates to the team. In addition to profiling the new class, our fall 2022 newsletter contains announcements about our Chambers ranking, upcoming conference sponsorship, recent trial victory, and the spate of legal guidance we’ve published over the past several months.

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“Making a Substantive Contribution”: A Q&A With First-Year Associate Jessica Goodman

Jessica Goodman, a University of Virginia School of Law graduate, previously served as a judicial intern to the Honorable William D. Matthewman in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. She focuses on complex commercial and civil litigation, drawing on her experience in healthcare and construction disputes, mass tort and product liability claims, and corporate governance. Three weeks into her time at SHJ, Jessica joined us to discuss her goals, the firm’s culture, and the most interesting matter she’s worked on so far.

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Meet Project Assistant Gordon Rand

Gordon recently graduated from the University of Mississippi with a major in Political Science and Government. Previously, he served as a legal assistant at a litigation boutique in New Orleans.

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Meet Project Assistant Sean Nail

Sean recently graduated from Rice University with a major in Psychology and a minor in Politics, Law, and Social Thought. His legal experience includes a judicial internship with Judge Andrew S. Hanen of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, an internship with the Houston firm Schwartz Immigration Law, and an executive board position with the Rice Pre-Law Society.

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SHJ Defeats International Fitness Company in Complete Trial Victory

SHJ was engaged to represent a Houston woman who filed suit against SoulCycle after developing rhabdomyolysis – a life-threatening medical condition that occurs when damaged muscle tissue releases its proteins into the bloodstream – several days after her first SoulCycle spin class. The case went to trial, where partners Logan Johnson and Varant Yegparian drew on their extensive commercial litigation skills to craft a compelling narrative that unraveled SoulCycle’s defense. Ultimately, our client was awarded 100% of her claimed damages, a seven-figure amount, along with all recoverable fees and costs.

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