Law/Legal
Here's a look at documents from law firms and legal groups
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Littler Issues Commentary: 9th Circuit Finds DHS Overstepped in Terminating TPS
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Jan. 31 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following commentary on Jan. 30, 2026:
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9th Circuit Finds DHS Overstepped in Terminating TPS
By Tasneem Zaman, Shin-I Lowe, and George Michael Thompson
On January 28, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the lower court's decision in National TPS Alliance v. Noem, that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem overstepped her authority by vacating the previously granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Venezuela and terminating early TPS for Haiti, which is
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SAN FRANCISCO, California, Jan. 31 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following commentary on Jan. 30, 2026:
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9th Circuit Finds DHS Overstepped in Terminating TPS
By Tasneem Zaman, Shin-I Lowe, and George Michael Thompson
On January 28, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the lower court's decision in National TPS Alliance v. Noem, that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem overstepped her authority by vacating the previously granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Venezuela and terminating early TPS for Haiti, which isschedule to end on February 3, 2026.
The three-judge panel held that Noem's actions were unlawful as her determination that each country no longer continues to meet the conditions for TPS designation was not reached in accordance with procedures established by Congress under the relevant TPS statue (8 U.S.C. Sec. 1254a). It is crucial to highlight that this ruling is one of several circuit court decisions that have addressed the legal issues central to the ongoing TPS litigation.
Implications of the Ninth Circuit Decision
Although this ruling pertains to the legality of the termination of TPS for Haiti and Venezuela, it is unlikely to have any immediate effect on TPS beneficiaries and thus should not be relied upon as a basis for employers to restore TPS protections for such individuals. This is primarily due to the Supreme Court's October 2025 Order in Noem v. National TPS Alliance, which stayed the district court's previous orders that provided emergency relief to TPS beneficiaries. The DHS secretary's revocation order remains in effect as the legal process unfolds. It is anticipated that the DHS will immediately appeal the Ninth Circuit's decision for Supreme Court review.
Littler will monitor any subsequent legal actions taken regarding TPS and will provide updates as they become available.
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Tasneem Zaman
Senior Counsel
Washington, D.C.
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Shin-I Lowe
Shareholder
Miami
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George Michael Thompson
Special Counsel
Washington, D.C.
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Original text here: https://www.littler.com/news-analysis/asap/9th-circuit-finds-dhs-overstepped-terminating-tps
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Littler Issues Commentary: New Jersey Dramatically Expands Job-Protected Family Leave and Benefits
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Jan. 30 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following commentary on Jan. 29, 2026:
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New Jersey Dramatically Expands Job-Protected Family Leave and Benefits
By Lauren Marcus, Amber Spataro, and Francis Kenny
On July 17, 2026, amendments to the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA) and the laws administering New Jersey Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) and Family Leave Insurance (FLI) benefits will take effect, expanding employer and employee coverage under the NJFLA and potentially increasing protections related to paid benefits from the state. On his way out
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SAN FRANCISCO, California, Jan. 30 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following commentary on Jan. 29, 2026:
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New Jersey Dramatically Expands Job-Protected Family Leave and Benefits
By Lauren Marcus, Amber Spataro, and Francis Kenny
On July 17, 2026, amendments to the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA) and the laws administering New Jersey Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) and Family Leave Insurance (FLI) benefits will take effect, expanding employer and employee coverage under the NJFLA and potentially increasing protections related to paid benefits from the state. On his way outof office, Governor Murphy executed numerous pieces of legislation, including A3451 (the "Act"), which increases the NJFLA's reach to businesses with fewer employees and decreases the eligibility requirements for individual employees seeking FLI benefits.
Employer Coverage Under NJFLA Threshold Drops from 30 Employees to 15
In recent years, there have been many amendments to the NJFLA, increasing reasons for use and the right to take intermittent leave, but until now, the general employer coverage thresholds and individual eligibility requirements remained unchanged. Currently, the NJFLA covers employers with 30 or more employees, and provides protected time off to employees who have been employed for at least 12 months and worked at least 1,000 hours in the 12 months preceding leave.
Under the Act, the NJFLA's employer coverage threshold will decrease from 30 employees to 15 employees anywhere, reflecting a substantial change for small employers, which were previously outside the law's reach. Such employers will now have to comply with NJFLA, which requires up to 12 weeks of unpaid job protected family leave in a 24 month period for eligible employees. Employers newly covered by the statute must implement comprehensive NJFLA processes for the first time, including notice requirements, documentation protocols, anti retaliation protections, and reinstatement obligations before July 17, 2026.
Employee NJFLA Eligibility Threshold Reduced to Three Months and 250 Hours
The amendments also significantly reduce the requisite length of employment and number of hours worked by an employee to become eligible for NJFLA leave. Instead of the previous 12 month and 1,000 hours worked thresholds, employees will be eligible for NJFLA leave upon completing only three months of employment and 250 hours worked for the employer in the preceding 12 month period. This major shift is expected to increase the number of employees who qualify for protected leave, particularly in industries with part time workforces or higher turnover. Employers should anticipate greater utilization of NJFLA leave and must ensure that internal systems reflect these revised eligibility standards.
Amendments Regarding TDI and FLI Benefits
The Act also amends the TDI and FLI laws, which provide partial wage replacement benefits to eligible employees otherwise on leave for qualifying reasons. As clearly stated on the state's website, eligibility for TDI or FLI benefits is currently completely separate from an employee's right to protected time off, and receipt of benefits does not guarantee job protection. This comes into play when an employee is eligible for FLI benefits but not NJFLA, due to the lower eligibility requirements for FLI. The Act adds language that covered individuals who receive TDI or FLI benefits "shall" be restored to the same or equivalent position following their leave, but also says: "nothing [herein] shall be construed as increasing, reducing or otherwise modifying any entitlement provided to a worker by the provisions of the 'Family Leave Act' [ ] to be restored to employment by the employer after a period of family disability leave," making it unclear as to whether these amendments do, in fact, actually change anything. These amendments are in the statute governing benefits, and not the NJFLA, so it is unclear to what "leave" it refers.
The TDI and FLI laws were also amended to provide that eligible employees who have available earned sick leave under New Jersey's Earned Sick and Safe Leave Law have the option of, but are not required to, use earned sick leave and may select the order in which they use earned sick leave and/or TDI or FLI benefits. Employees are not eligible to receive earned sick leave and/or TDI or FLI benefits at the same time, so earned sick leave may not be used to "top off" benefits received from the state.
Implementation Timeline and Looking Ahead
Because the amendments take effect on July 17, 2026, employers should use the coming months to confirm coverage under the reduced 15 employee threshold, update handbooks and internal policies, revise HRIS and payroll systems to capture the new eligibility rules and train supervisors and HR personnel on expanded protections. Employers newly covered by the NJFLA will need to build full leave administration processes, while those already covered should incorporate the revised eligibility and into existing systems. Once in effect, the Act is expected to increase leave utilization and accelerate the pace at which employees qualify for job protected leave, underscoring the importance of preparing now.
Bottom line: with sweeping changes ahead and a July 17 deadline, employers that plan early will be best positioned to manage compliance smoothly and minimize risk.
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Authors
Lauren J. Marcus
Shareholder
Newark
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Amber M. Spataro
Shareholder
Newark
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Francis A. Kenny
Of Counsel
Newark
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Original text here: https://www.littler.com/news-analysis/asap/new-jersey-dramatically-expands-job-protected-family-leave-and-benefits
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]
Litigator of the Week Runners-Up and Shout-Outs
CHICAGO, Illinois, Jan. 30 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Kirkland and Ellis, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Litigator of the Week Runners-Up and Shout-Outs
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Sandra Goldstein, Kevin Neylan, Austin Norris, Mark Holscher, Ned Hillenbrand, Maisie Allison, Jordan Metoyer and Jamie McLaughlin received a shout-out for The American Lawyer Litigation Daily's "Litigator of the Week" for their work for CrowdStrike.
"... Shout-out to a securities litigation team at Kirkland & Ellis that has been defending CrowdStrike against claims that the company and executives misled investors
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CHICAGO, Illinois, Jan. 30 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Kirkland and Ellis, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Litigator of the Week Runners-Up and Shout-Outs
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Sandra Goldstein, Kevin Neylan, Austin Norris, Mark Holscher, Ned Hillenbrand, Maisie Allison, Jordan Metoyer and Jamie McLaughlin received a shout-out for The American Lawyer Litigation Daily's "Litigator of the Week" for their work for CrowdStrike.
"... Shout-out to a securities litigation team at Kirkland & Ellis that has been defending CrowdStrike against claims that the company and executives misled investorsabout the cybersecurity company's software testing and quality assurance procedures before a July 2024 outage that crashed more than 8 million Microsoft. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman in Austin, Texas, granted CrowdStrike's motion to dismiss, going so far as to call certain allegations the plaintiffs made "borderline sanctionable." This week, plaintiffs counsel filed a notice with the court indicating that they don't intend to amend their complaint. The Kirkland team includes Sandra Goldstein, Kevin Neylan, Austin Norris, Mark Holscher, Ned Hillenbrand, Maisie Allison, Jordan Metoyer and Jamie McLaughlin."
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Original text here: https://www.kirkland.com/news/in-the-news/2026/01/itigator-of-the-week-runners-up-jan-30
Greenberg Traurig Named a Leading Trademark Firm in WTR 1000 2026 Edition
MIAMI, Florida, Jan. 30 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Greenberg Traurig, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Greenberg Traurig Named a Leading Trademark Firm in WTR 1000 2026 Edition
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NEW YORK - Jan. 30, 2026 - Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has been nationally and regionally recognized by the World Trademark Review (WTR) in the 16th edition of the WTR 1000. In addition to the firmwide rankings, WTR recommended 30 attorneys in Greenberg Traurig's Trademark & Brand Management Group. The WTR 1000 also ranked Greenberg Traurig nationally in the United States and regionally
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MIAMI, Florida, Jan. 30 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Greenberg Traurig, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Greenberg Traurig Named a Leading Trademark Firm in WTR 1000 2026 Edition
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NEW YORK - Jan. 30, 2026 - Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has been nationally and regionally recognized by the World Trademark Review (WTR) in the 16th edition of the WTR 1000. In addition to the firmwide rankings, WTR recommended 30 attorneys in Greenberg Traurig's Trademark & Brand Management Group. The WTR 1000 also ranked Greenberg Traurig nationally in the United States and regionallyin California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, and Texas.
WTR 1000 is a directory exclusively dedicated to recognizing the world's leading trademark legal professionals and firms, according to the publication. Based on extensive research in more than 80 key markets worldwide, the WTR 1000 highlights the top go-to law firms and attorneys in the trademark field.
The publication named the following attorneys as "leading practitioners" in the trademark industry, with specialty in select states:
* Joseph Agostino : New Jersey
* Stephen Baird : National -Prosecution and Strategy; Minnesota -Enforcement and Litigation, Prosecution and Strategy
* Ian C. Ballon : California -Enforcement and Litigation
* Tiffany A. Blofield : Minnesota -Enforcement and Litigation, Prosecution and Strategy
* Nina D. Boyajian : California -Enforcement and Litigation
* Ed Chansky : Nevada
* Jeffrey P. Dunning : Illinois -Prosecution and Strategy
* Joel Feldman : National -Prosecution and Strategy; Georgia
* Mark R. Galis : Illinois -Enforcement and Litigation, Prosecution and Strategy
* Susan L. Heller : National -Prosecution and Strategy; California -Prosecution and Strategy
* Alexandra A. Holt : Georgia
* Candice E. Kim : California -Prosecution and Strategy
* Amy L. Kramer : Colorado
* Craig S. Krummen : Minnesota -Enforcement and Litigation
* Rob LeBlanc : Texas
* Eric J. Maiers : Illinois -Prosecution and Strategy
* Dwayne L. Mason : Texas
* Cameron M. Nelson : Illinois -Enforcement and Litigation
* Bina Palnitkar : Texas
* Bobby Rosenbloum : Georgia
* Daniel I. Schloss : New York -Prosecution and Strategy
* Jamie Nordhaus Shipp : Georgia
* Alan N. Sutin : Florida; New York -Prosecution and Strategy
* Lauri S. Thompson : Nevada
* Marc H. Trachtenberg : National -ICANN and Domain Names; Illinois -Enforcement and Litigation, Prosecution and Strategy
* Mark G. Tratos : Nevada
* Sabina A. Vayner : Georgia
* Steven J. Wadyka, Jr. : D.C. Metro Area -Enforcement and Litigation
The guide also recognized the following attorneys as "Next Generation Partners" in the trademark industry:
* Jacqueline Brousseau : Illinois
* Molly R. Littman-Johnson : Minneapolis
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Original text here: https://www.gtlaw.com/en/news/2026/01/press-releases/greenberg-traurig-named-a-leading-trademark-firm-in-wtr-1000-2026-edition
Greenberg Traurig Litigators Prevail for Dale Swanberg as SEC Dismisses Civil Securities Fraud Charges
MIAMI, Florida, Jan. 30 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Greenberg Traurig, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Greenberg Traurig Litigators Prevail for Dale Swanberg as SEC Dismisses Civil Securities Fraud Charges
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MIAMI and MINNEAPOLIS - Jan. 30, 2026 - A team of Greenberg Traurig attorneys led by Global Litigation Practice Co-Chair William Michael, Jr. secured a victory for Dale Swanberg on Jan. 30 when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dismissed its civil securities fraud charges against him. This dismissal of all charges with prejudice brings Swanberg's journey
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MIAMI, Florida, Jan. 30 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Greenberg Traurig, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Greenberg Traurig Litigators Prevail for Dale Swanberg as SEC Dismisses Civil Securities Fraud Charges
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MIAMI and MINNEAPOLIS - Jan. 30, 2026 - A team of Greenberg Traurig attorneys led by Global Litigation Practice Co-Chair William Michael, Jr. secured a victory for Dale Swanberg on Jan. 30 when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dismissed its civil securities fraud charges against him. This dismissal of all charges with prejudice brings Swanberg's journeyto clear his name and preserve his integrity and legacy to a successful conclusion.
"The SEC's decision to dismiss all of the charges against Mr. Swanberg, which came after a full review of all the facts and the realization that the original allegations they brought had no basis, is tremendously rewarding, as it proves that Mr. Swanberg's reputation and legacy for honesty is validated," said Michael, who also co-chairs Greenberg Traurig's Trial Practice Group. "This matter, involving several years of cost forecasting for 12 mega construction projects across the country, required a huge team within the firm, which was critical to proving what we told the SEC from day one: Our client was innocent of their allegations, and they could either dismiss the case or try it."
Swanberg, an experienced senior leader in the heavy civil construction field, had been recruited to Granite Construction in 2017 to oversee its Large Projects Group, which worked on projects including dams, bridges, and highways with costs over several billion dollars. The construction industry has historically faced significant challenges in forecasting costs on these large projects due to the complexity and thousands of cost codes associated with each project and the inherent uncertainty and subjectivity of the costs. In 2021, Granite restated its financial statements for 2017-2019, largely based on revisions to the forecasts associated with the Large Projects Group.
The SEC opened a civil investigation related to Granite's restatement and settled with the company. Swanberg refused to settle, as everything he had done had been transparent and reviewed and approved by Granite's senior leadership and outside auditors. The SEC elected to bring a civil securities fraud case against Swanberg as the sole individual. After three years of discovery, the review of millions of pages of documents, sworn depositions of dozens of key individuals, and a forensic review of the forecasting on multiple large projects, as well as obtaining access to the work papers of the outside auditor, the senior staff of the SEC's Enforcement Division allowed Greenberg Traurig to make a detailed presentation on why there was no liability on the part of Swanberg. This detailed analysis showed the SEC that Granite had used different standards and hindsight in determining the reasonableness of cost forecasts when restating the relevant financial statements. It also showed that Swanberg had been completely transparent and all forecasts were approved by Granite's senior leadership. In addition, the presentation showed that the outside auditors were fully aware of the forecasts -asking detailed questions at the time -and were satisfied that those forecasts were appropriate.
SEC enforcement staff, after an objective review of all the discovery, as well as a reevaluation of its original position based upon the defense presentation, agreed that a voluntary dismissal was appropriate, and the SEC Commission agreed to dismiss the matter.
Greenberg Traurig's team in the matter comprised more than 75 attorneys.
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Original text here: https://www.gtlaw.com/en/news/2026/01/press-releases/greenberg-traurig-litigators-prevail-for-dale-swanberg-as-sec-dismisses-civil-securities-fraud-charges
Goodwin Guides Repertoire Immune Medicines on a Strategic Collaboration with Lilly to Develop Tolerizing Therapies for Autoimmune Diseases for $85 Million Upfront, Up to $1.84 Billion in Milestones, and Potential Tiered Royalties
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Jan. 30 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Goodwin, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Goodwin Guides Repertoire Immune Medicines on a Strategic Collaboration with Lilly to Develop Tolerizing Therapies for Autoimmune Diseases for $85 Million Upfront, Up to $1.84 Billion in Milestones, and Potential Tiered Royalties
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The Life Sciences team guided Repertoire Immune Medicines on entering a strategic collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company ("Lilly") to develop tolerizing therapies for multiple autoimmune diseases. The collaboration aims to develop treatments
... Show Full Article
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Jan. 30 [Category: BizLaw/Legal] -- Goodwin, a law firm, issued the following news release:
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Goodwin Guides Repertoire Immune Medicines on a Strategic Collaboration with Lilly to Develop Tolerizing Therapies for Autoimmune Diseases for $85 Million Upfront, Up to $1.84 Billion in Milestones, and Potential Tiered Royalties
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The Life Sciences team guided Repertoire Immune Medicines on entering a strategic collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company ("Lilly") to develop tolerizing therapies for multiple autoimmune diseases. The collaboration aims to develop treatmentsthat restore immune homeostasis and provide patients with durable remission of their disease without the generalized immune suppression that is common with currently available therapies. Repertoire will lead collaboration activities until development candidate nomination, and Lilly will lead clinical development, manufacturing, regulatory affairs and commercialization of tolerizing therapies developed under the collaboration.
Under the terms of the agreement, Repertoire will receive an upfront payment of $85 million and up to an additional $1.84 billion for achieving certain development and commercial milestones, as well as tiered royalties on net sales.
Repertoire Immune Medicines is discovering the unique immune codes that determine how we maintain health and respond to disease. Repertoire's proprietary DECODE(tm) platform uniquely elucidates the entire immune synapse, providing a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between T cell receptors and their cognate antigenic epitopes. Repertoire is translating these insights into new and potentially transformative T cell-targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases via a wholly owned pipeline and via partnerships with Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Pfizer and Eli Lilly and Company. Repertoire was founded in 2019 by Flagship Pioneering. Its team operates from sites in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Zurich.
The Goodwin team was led by Shane Albright and Kingsley Taft, and included Stephanie Richards, Minji Kim and Carrie Clowney.
For more information on the deal, please read the press release.
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Original text here: https://www.goodwinlaw.com/en/news-and-events/news/2026/01/announcements-lifesciences-goodwin-guides-repertoire
Dentons Canada Welcomes 10 Lawyers to the Partnership in 2026
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 -- Dentons, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Dentons Canada welcomes 10 lawyers to the partnership in 2026
Dentons, Canada's Global Law Firm, is pleased to announce the admission of 10 exceptional lawyers to the partnership, effective February 1, 2026.
"Our new partners exemplify the values that define our Firm: legal and business acumen, integrity, collaboration and an unwavering focus on client service excellence," said Tim Haney, CEO of Dentons Canada. "Their partnership admissions reflect more than individual achievement--they represent our ongoing investment
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 -- Dentons, a law firm, issued the following news:
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Dentons Canada welcomes 10 lawyers to the partnership in 2026
Dentons, Canada's Global Law Firm, is pleased to announce the admission of 10 exceptional lawyers to the partnership, effective February 1, 2026.
"Our new partners exemplify the values that define our Firm: legal and business acumen, integrity, collaboration and an unwavering focus on client service excellence," said Tim Haney, CEO of Dentons Canada. "Their partnership admissions reflect more than individual achievement--they represent our ongoing investmentin leadership, innovation and delivering outstanding value to our clients across Canada and around the world. I look forward to the continued impact they'll have at Dentons and in the communities we serve."
The newly admitted partners for 2026 are:
Corporate
* Matthew Bennett, Calgary
* Dan Cerchia, Calgary
* Sabrina Mach, Montreal
Employment and Labour
* Simmy Sahdra, Toronto
Litigation and Dispute Resolution
* Mark A. Glynn, Toronto
* Steven Latos, Calgary
* Jaclyn Vanstone, Vancouver
Real Estate
* Jenna Weinkauf, Edmonton
* Jeff Wong, Vancouver
Regulatory
* Sean Stephenson, Toronto
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About Dentons
Redefining possibilities. Together, everywhere. For more information visit dentons.com
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Original text here: https://www.dentons.com/en/about-dentons/news-events-and-awards/news/2026/january/dentons-canada-welcomes-10-lawyers-to-the-partnership-in-2026
[Category: BizLaw/Legal]