The national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP announced that Alexis Renee Backs has joined the Firm's Chicago office as an associate in the Labor & Employment Group.

Backs' practice focuses on employee benefits and executive compensation. She advises employers and plan sponsors on the design and administration of qualified and nonqualified retirement plans and welfare benefit plans. She routinely counsels clients on regulatory compliance with ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code and represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service in connection with determination letter applications and voluntary compliance program submissions under the Employee Plan Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS). Backs is also actively involved in assisting clients sponsoring group health plans prepare for, and comply with, regulatory changes under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) as well as maintain compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA).

Backs also advises employers on the design and implementation of various non-qualified compensation programs (including Section 409A compliance issues) and has experience negotiating and drafting employment agreements, change-in-control agreements, severance agreements and separation and release agreements.

She received her law degree from the University of Chicago Law School and her undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Southern California.

Quarles & Brady LLP

Clifford Law Offices has hired two new associates, both recent graduates of DePaul University College of Law.

Kristofer S. Riddle and Sarah F. King have been hired as associate attorneys at Clifford Law Offices, a nationally renowned Chicago-based personal injury firm.

Riddle worked as a clerk at the firm for the past three years. Prior to attending law school, Riddle worked for the General Counsel’s Office of the New York City Council, for Former New York Congressman Major R. Owens and for Duke University’s School of Public Policy. Riddle received his undergraduate degree from the City University of New York’s City College, majoring in Political Science where he was a McNair Scholar, a Rosenberg/Humphrey fellow and named to the Dean’s List.

Also hired was Sarah F. King who graduated summa cum laude from DePaul Law School, being in the top five percent of her graduating class in May. She was on DePaul Law Review and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. For the past two years, King has served as a law clerk to partners Keith Hebeisen and Susan Capra at Clifford Law Offices.

King also received the CALI Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy II, Legal Writing III and Commercial Paper. She was on the Dean’s List. King attended Loyola University of Chicago where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Women’s Studies.

Stellato & Schwartz, Ltd. is pleased to announce the addtion of Kevin B. Lahm. He is a graduate of Chicago-Kent College of Law and will be working in the firm's Chicago office.

Perkins Coie has announced that Marcelo Halpern has joined the firm as Partner in the Licensing & Technology practice in Chicago. He joins the firm from Latham & Watkins.

Halpern, the co-founder and former chair of Latham & Watkins’ Technology Transactions practice, focuses his practice on transactional, strategic and corporate representation of software, consulting, internet, e-commerce and technology companies, as well as non-technology companies on technology and intellectual property related matters. 

“Marcelo is an experienced technology licensing lawyer who will strengthen our technology licensing capability in the Chicago office, the East Coast and nationally,” said Chris Wilson, Chicago Office Managing Partner.

Halpern has extensive experience structuring and negotiating technology and intellectual property-oriented strategic alliances and joint ventures, IT and business process outsourcing, and counseling on digital strategy concerns including open source licensing, data security, data use and privacy issues, including HIPAA, GLB and cross-border data privacy issues. He also works on Internet advertising and sponsorship agreements and intellectual property and technology issues arising in the context of mergers and acquisitions, financing and bankruptcy transactions.