Press Release

Ballard Spahr Elevates 12 Attorneys to Partner, Of Counsel

January 15, 2025

Ballard Spahr announced today that five attorneys have been elected to the firm partnership and seven have been elevated to of counsel. The attorneys of the 2025 promotions class hail from four of the firm’s five departments and are based in the firm’s Philadelphia, Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. offices.

“These lawyers embody the qualities that set Ballard apart: a commitment to excellence in legal services, an unwavering client focus, and a spirit of collegiality and collaboration,” firm Chair Peter Michaud said. “They have played a crucial role in our firm's achievements, and we are proud to celebrate their well-earned promotion.”

The attorneys of the 2025 promotions class are:

J. Thomas “Tad” Bashore II, Partner, Business and Transactions, Baltimore: Tad has more than 20 years of experience assisting real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other publicly traded and privately held companies with a variety of corporate law matters. His practice focuses on entity formation and organization, corporation law and corporate governance, board responsibilities, mergers and acquisitions, asset dispositions, public offerings and private placements of debt and equity securities, and other corporate transactions. As Maryland corporate counsel, he regularly advises public REITs and numerous private REITs operating independently or as elements of equity funds, as well as mutual funds and closed-end funds, regarding matters of Maryland corporation law and Maryland real estate investment trust law.

Adam J. Chelminiak, Of Counsel, Business and Transactions, Philadelphia: Adam is a transactional attorney, focusing his practice on corporate and securities matters. He advises businesses in merger and acquisition transactions, capital-raising transactions, joint ventures, equity and debt financings, and general corporate matters. In addition, Adam works with entrepreneurs and new companies in forming, starting, and funding businesses. Prior to his legal career, Adam was an accountant at a Big Four public accounting firm.

Nima Darouian, Partner, Litigation, Los Angeles: Nima represents employers in all areas of employment litigation, with an emphasis on defending companies against wage-and-hour class and representative actions, including under the Private Attorneys General Act. He regularly defends employers in the full range of wage-and-hour and classification issues. Nima has defended some of the biggest companies in the country against challenges to their compensation structures. He also defends employers in single-plaintiff cases involving allegations of misconduct, wrongful termination, defamation, breach of contract, invasion of privacy, and unfair competition. He advises clients on best practices regarding personnel policies and practices.

Spencer I. Eldred, Of Counsel, Real Estate, Los Angeles: Spencer focuses on real estate development and transactional matters. He represents developers, affordable housing agencies, and other commercial property owners in a wide range of land use and zoning issues. Spencer has extensive experience in due diligence, processing entitlements, California Environmental Quality Act review, Surplus Land Act matters, and real estate and land use litigation. He is an integral member of the firm's Affordable Housing and Community Development Group. He has represented private developers, public housing authorities, investors, and other stakeholders in negotiating and transacting many of the most complex affordable housing and community development transactions nationwide, which involve complicated entitlements, unique political timelines, and diverse funding sources.

Jennifer L. Feden, Of Counsel, Real Estate, Philadelphia: Jennifer has a wide-ranging real estate practice through which she assists clients with all aspects of their transactional real estate needs, with a particular focus on both landlord- and tenant-side leasing work across the retail, office, and industrial sectors. She has represented businesses, real estate investors, developers, and lenders in all stages of real estate transactions, including the acquisition, disposition, financing, and development of retail, industrial, office, multifamily, and condominium properties. Jennifer also has experience representing clients with the real estate aspects of corporate transactions, including large, high-profile mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Jennifer has served in an outside general counsel capacity for corporate clients, providing advice, counseling, and legal support for their day-to-day operational real estate needs.

Thomas J. Gallagher IV, Of Counsel, Litigation, Philadelphia: Thomas practices complex commercial litigation with experience in antitrust, civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, breach of contract, fraud, business tort, consumer class action, bankruptcy, and legal malpractice disputes. He also is a member of the firm's Antitrust and Competition Group and Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group.

Brad Gershel, Of Counsel, Litigation, New York: Brad focuses his practice on advising corporate and individual clients in white collar civil and criminal matters, including government and internal investigations and securities enforcement. He also focuses on complex commercial litigation and has extensive experience representing clients in New York state and federal courts, handling matters ranging from trade secret misappropriation disputes (on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants) to sophisticated commercial disputes and professional ethics matters.

Zachary Gorman, Partner, Business and Transactions, Philadelphia: Zach is a corporate attorney who represents public and private companies, private equity firms, family offices and non-profits in a range of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestments, investments, capital raising, joint ventures, licensing and general corporate matters. Zach’s experience with such transactions extend to a variety of industries and businesses, including life sciences, medical device, healthcare, software, clean energy, project development, business services and manufacturing. In addition, Zach serves as corporate counsel to a number of clients (including portfolio companies) and, in that role, provides assistance in the structuring and negotiation of a variety of commercial transactions, including joint ventures, operating agreements, stockholders’ agreements, equity incentive plans and commercial contracts.

Maxwell S. Mishkin, Partner, Litigation, Washington, D.C.: Max is an experienced media lawyer who works with journalists, news organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other creative professionals in a wide range of matters. In state and federal courts across the country, Max regularly defends clients against defamation, privacy, and other content-related claims. He is often sought out to obtain access to government records under the Freedom of Information Act and to court records and proceedings under the First Amendment and common law. In addition, Max frequently conducts pre-publication review for press organizations and entertainment companies and opposes subpoenas for sources and other information protected by the reporter’s privilege.

Emmy Parsons, Of Counsel, Litigation, Washington, D.C.: Emmy represents media and entertainment clients in defamation and access litigations around the country. In addition, she regularly counsels clients on pre-publication concerns and represents the interests of newsgatherers in regulatory proceedings related to drones before government agencies. Prior to joining Ballard Spahr, Emmy served as assistant general counsel for the National Association of Broadcasters. In that role, she advocated on behalf of television and radio broadcasters before federal government agencies, educated broadcasters on relevant rules and regulations, and managed outside counsel in federal litigation and regulatory proceedings regarding music licensing, copyright royalties, and broadcast regulations.

Maraya N.I. Pratt, Partner, Litigation, Baltimore: Maraya focuses on consumer financial services litigation. She regularly assists banking clients in disputes involving deposit accounts and other payment methods, and has experience defending financial institutions in actions involving state and federal lending statutes. Her diverse commercial litigation experience also includes representing commercial landlords in both collection and breach of contract actions. Maraya further advises a range of clients regarding compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act in a variety of contexts, including ensuring compliance with website accessibility standards. She has experience in conducting internal investigations of sexual misconduct allegations and other discrimination claims arising under Title IX, and advises colleges and universities of their obligations under Title IX in applying relevant policies and procedures.

John C. Wheatley, Of Counsel, Finance, Washington, D.C.: John represents public and private entities, and financing parties, on infrastructure and real estate transactions, with a particular emphasis on public-private partnership (P3) infrastructure and other alternative delivery platforms. John's recent experience includes acting as counsel for public entities on design-build, progressive design-build, CMGC, DBF, and DBFOM alternative delivery infrastructure procurements and contract negotiations (to include transportation, energy, and social infrastructure), as well as representing well-known public entities on post-execution servicing matters. John’s experience includes the drafting and review of procurement, project agreement, and financing documentation, in addition to working with tax-exempt bonds and other innovative financing structures. He also has a robust pro bono practice focused on local economic development and nonprofit corporate management in the District of Columbia.

For media inquiries, please contact Will Ashenmacher at 612.371.5792.

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