Boston, MA. Global law firm Nixon Peabody LLP is proud to announce its 2022 new partner class, comprising 14 attorneys who represent a wide variety of practice areas, including affordable housing and real estate, corporate transactions and mergers and acquisitions, global finance, healthcare, complex disputes, project finance, and public finance.
The new partner promotions will be effective February 1, 2022. Fifty percent of the new partner class is comprised of women, attorneys of color, and/or LGBTQ+ attorneys, highlighting Nixon Peabody’s deep commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession.
“Each attorney in our new partner class exemplifies the notion of creating positive impact by delivering excellent client service and making meaningful contributions to our firm’s culture,” said Stephen Zubiago, CEO and managing partner of Nixon Peabody. “The group also represents a range of practice areas where we anticipate increased client demand—areas that will greatly benefit from the creative thinking and entrepreneurial spirit these attorneys bring to the table.”
Nixon Peabody’s 2022 partner class
Business & Finance Department
Isaac Figueras, Corporate, Rochester
Isaac is an experienced corporate attorney representing clients in a range of transactional matters, and he serves as general outside counsel to numerous clients at all stages of growth, ranging from family held companies to private equity backed businesses. Isaac frequently advises clients in the negotiation and management of business acquisitions, mergers, and sales, representing both sellers and buyers in a variety of industries, with particular emphasis on the beverage alcohol, healthcare, and security services verticals. He also has experience in assisting early stage companies in all aspects of formation as well as facilitating fund raising through private placements.
Steven Hanton, Global Finance, Boston
Steve represents banks and other financial institutions that provide corporate trust, fiduciary, and agency services in structured finance and capital markets transactions. As a go-to transactional attorney on Nixon Peabody’s Corporate Trust Team, Steve advises trustees, agents, and other fiduciaries in asset-backed securitizations, collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), corporate and public finance transactions, and other alternative structures. He also counsels lenders, emerging companies, and other institutions in negotiating transactions in both debt and equity finance, representing lenders in complex lending arrangements, and emerging companies in different stages of equity financing. Outside of the firm, he mentors junior attorneys and co-founded an LGBTQIA organization focusing on underserved communities in the Boston metro area. Additionally, in 2021, Steve served as the inaugural Rhodium Fellow in International Trade and Economics with the American Mandarin Society.
Harsh Parikh, Healthcare, Los Angeles
Harsh guides stakeholders across the healthcare landscape, including representing both nonprofit and for profit health systems, physician groups, life sciences companies, and other healthcare providers, on a wide range of regulatory, reimbursement, and transactional matters. Among his clients are many of the largest and most innovative healthcare companies in the United States. Harsh is often engaged to provide strategic and legal advice to all types of healthcare and technology clients navigating the dynamic regulatory environment and government healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medi-Cal. Outside of the office, as a past-president of the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California and 2021 Fellow for Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Harsh is committed to enhancing diversity in the legal profession. Harsh also maintains an active pro bono practice, most recently advising in the merger of two large safety net healthcare provider organizations in Southern California.
Joshua Scarborough, Global Finance, Chicago
Josh is known for his unique skillset in various lending arrangements and transactions. He represents borrowers and commercial lending institutions in secured lending and other structured lending transactions across a variety of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, technology, and other service industries. He advises a variety of financial institutions, including commercial banks, mezzanine and junior capital funds, and other capital providers in structuring, negotiating, and documenting commercial finance transactions, including senior and subordinate credit facilities, acquisition financings, and asset-backed and other structured financings.
April Schweitzer, Healthcare, Chicago
April focuses on corporate and regulatory issues affecting hospitals, health systems, physician groups, and federally qualified health centers. She counsels clinical integration networks and accountable care organizations focusing on the transition to value-based care. In corporate healthcare, April advises on transactional matters including M&A and joint ventures as well as corporate governance, licensure, tax exemption, and formation issues. Within her community, April is the chair-elect of a federally qualified health center board of directors. She is also an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she teaches Corporate Transactions in Healthcare.
Litigation Department
Elizabeth Zamora Meraz, Complex Disputes, Chicago
Elizabeth represents healthcare companies, financial institutions, and LLCs in a wide range of disputes that are resolved in courts and arbitrations throughout the country. She contributes deep industry knowledge to the firm’s Medical Device, Pharmaceuticals, and Diagnostic Health team, as its deputy leader. She advises on issues related to commercial properties, residential development projects, easements, and zoning. While she frequently resolves disputes through negotiation, Elizabeth is also skilled in successfully arguing cases at trial.
Christopher Queenin, Complex Disputes, Boston
Chris is an experienced litigator who helps clients navigate the biggest threats to their businesses. His clients include public companies, small startups, and individuals across a wide array of industries, including telecommunications, financial services, gaming, data security, transportation, and healthcare. Chris has argued and won cases for clients at various stages of litigation, including dispositive motions, arbitration, and regulatory hearings. He also assists clients in highly regulated industries in responding to federal and state inquiries and related civil litigation. He has particular experience defending qui tam lawsuits brought under the False Claims Act, and has advised clients on nationwide litigation strategies to defend such lawsuits and protect their business interests.
Project Finance, Infrastructure & Real Estate Department
Lori Bowman, Affordable Housing & Real Estate, Rochester
Lori focuses her practice on real estate finance. She represents institutional lenders, owners-developers, and other debt-providers in commercial real estate lending transactions, including mortgage and mezzanine financing, construction and bridge loans, and project finance projects. She has experience with syndicated, agented, and participated loan transactions, revolving credit facilities, and intercreditor and co-lender agreements. In addition to her finance experience, Lori represents owners and developers in the acquisition, development, and disposition of real estate.
Matthew Carrigg, Affordable Housing & Real Estate, Rochester
Matt advises on all aspects of commercial real estate matters and transactions. He has substantial experience with complex financings of affordable housing developments, including tax-exempt bonds, low-income housing tax credits, and often other federal, state, and local government subsidies. Matt also advises on all facets of acquisition, disposition, leasing, and mergers and acquisitions. He represents taxpayers and not-for-profits on real estate tax appeals and other real property tax matters, and real estate tax exemptions and tax abatements for not-for-profits and housing companies.
Alexander Rosso, Affordable Housing & Real Estate, Boston
Alex represents real estate developers in transactions involving all aspects of affordable housing development, including the acquisition, financing, construction, and preservation of multifamily housing. This work typically involves mixed financing comprised of equity and debt funding sources, and these projects often receive funding from federal, state, or local programs. His experience closing hundreds of multifamily real estate transactions insured by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has given him substantial knowledge and understanding of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance programs as well as related HUD regulations. Alex devotes pro bono time to the Urban Farming Institute, an organization that acquires urban land for farming use, and works with various organizations dedicated to increasing affordable housing.
Julie Hancock Stande, Affordable Housing & Real Estate, Boston
Julie represents developers, landowners, and investors in a variety of general real estate and affordable housing transactions. She assists clients on several aspects of the acquisition and disposition of multifamily properties, including developments financed with low-income housing tax credits and historic tax credits. Julie has deep connections in the Boston affordable housing space through her work with numerous affordable housing developers in the Boston area. She has also worked in the seniors housing sector, particularly through her longtime involvement and work with the National Investment Center (NIC), where she previously served on the Future Leaders Council.
Joel Swearingen, Project Finance and Public Finance, Washington, DC
Joel’s practice focuses on the needs of issuers, underwriters, and borrowers involved in public finance transactions. He also works with clients to comply with information reporting and withholding responsibilities associated with payments made to non-employees, both internationally and domestically. Joel is involved at all stages of financing to ensure that a project is eligible to be financed with tax-advantaged bonds, that the terms pursuant to which such bonds are issued do not jeopardize the tax-advantaged status of the bonds, and that the bonds continue to qualify as tax-advantaged following the issue date of the bonds. He represents issuers in traditional governmental financings, conduit borrowers, and underwriters—all in connection with the issuance of tax-advantaged bonds.
