Schulte Roth & Zabel Elects Six New Partners and Promotes Nine Special Counsel

Schulte Roth & Zabel (SRZ) is pleased to announce that Laura Angel-Lalanne, Melissa Goldstein, Marnie Grossman, Joseph Reich, Adriana Schwartz and Brian Smith were elected to the firm’s partnership effective January 1, 2022.

SRZ also announces the promotion of Aislinn Affinito, Adam Barazani, Daniel Blumenthal, Dominic De Mello, Drew Miller, Frank Olander, Jessica Romano, John Weldon and Lina Ziurys to special counsel. All are resident in the firm’s New York office with the exceptions of Ms. Goldstein and Ms. Affinito, who practice in Washington, D.C. and Mr. Miller, who is based in London.

“This past year has seen unprecedented activity in the financial services sector, bringing a significant increase in the range of opportunities and the complexity of issues facing our clients,” said David Efron, SRZ co-managing partner and co-head of the Investment Management Group. “Each of these attorneys have been instrumental in helping the firm and our clients stay ahead of these emerging trends and have made significant contributions to their respective industries while maintaining the highest standards of client service,” commented Marc Elovitz, SRZ co-managing partner and chair of the Investment Management Regulatory & Compliance Group. "We could not be more proud of this talented group."

Partners

Laura Angel-Lalanne represents high-net-worth individual clients in the areas of estate planning and trust and estate administration, with an emphasis on charitable planning and the administration of trusts and estates with charitable interests. Laura creates sophisticated estate plans for clients, helping them to balance their sometimes competing objectives, particularly for clients who wish to achieve tax efficiencies, benefit family members and ensure a lasting philanthropic legacy. She also assists individual and corporate clients with the creation, administration and operation of private grantmaking foundations, private operating foundations and other philanthropic vehicles and advises both foundations and individual donors with respect to charitable grants and gifts and social impact investments, including negotiating and drafting agreements for complex grants and gifts to museums, universities and other charitable institutions. Additionally, Laura advises public charities, including educational institutions and many of the firm's pro bono clients, with respect to formation and recognition of tax-exempt status, board governance, best practice policies and procedures, endowment administration, fundraising, corporate sponsorships, planned giving and charitable programs. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Only Make Believe, the Adira Foundation's Advisory Roundtable and the New York Historical Society's Planned Giving Advisory Council and is an affiliate member of the Committee on Non-Profit Organizations of the New York City Bar Association. Laura received her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she co-chaired the HLS ArtsPanel, and received her B.A., with high honors in linguistics, from the University of Michigan.

Melissa G.R. Goldstein focuses her practice on anti-money laundering and sanctions regulatory compliance matters. She advises banks, broker-dealers, investment advisers, funds, insurance companies and money services businesses, including those involved in global e-commerce and virtual currency, on the anti-money laundering and sanctions regulations, rules and related issues governing their investment and business activities. She has particular expertise with issues arising out of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act, the AML Act of 2020 and the Corporate Transparency Act. Prior to joining SRZ, Melissa was an attorney-advisor with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). At FinCEN, Melissa assisted in the development of anti-money laundering regulations and guidance and served as counsel on enforcement actions involving issues such as failure to implement and maintain an adequate anti-money laundering compliance program, failure to register as a money services business and failure to maintain confidentiality of suspicious activity reports. In recognition of her significant accomplishments during her Treasury career, Melissa received the Secretary’s Meritorious Service Award, which honors individuals whose achievements are substantial and significantly advance the Treasury Department’s mission. Melissa is listed in Washington, DC Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star.” Melissa received her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and her B.S., with honors, from Cornell University.

Marnie S. Grossman concentrates her practice on representing high net worth individuals in the areas of estate planning, trust and estate administration, family law and charitable giving. Marnie represents her clients in all aspects of their estate planning, with the goal of reducing wealth transfer tax and ensuring that wealth passes in accordance with clients’ wishes. In the area of estate planning, Marnie works with clients to prepare wills, revocable trusts and life insurance trusts, as well as more sophisticated tax structures such as dynasty trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts and qualified personal residence trusts. Marnie also represents fiduciaries and beneficiaries in all aspects of estate and trust administration. As a personal planning attorney, Marnie has had significant experience representing multigenerational families, focusing on developing estate plans uniquely designed to meet her clients’ wealth transfer and charitable objectives. Marnie received her J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School and her B.A., summa cum laude, from Duke University.

Joseph Reich focuses his practice on advising private investment funds and public companies on the tax aspects of complex domestic and cross-border transactions, including taxable and tax-free mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, spinoffs, bankruptcies and restructurings, planning in connection with the preservation and use of tax losses, SPAC transactions, private equity fund structuring, public offerings and other financings. Joseph received his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yeshiva University.

Adriana Schwartz practices in the securities law, regulatory and compliance and shareholder activism areas. She counsels clients on a broad range of issues, including in the regulatory areas of Sections 13 and 16, Rule 144, insider trading, order marking and Regulation M/Rule 105. She also represents clients in private investments in public and private companies, including private investments in public equity (PIPEs), registered direct offerings, convertible 144A offerings, special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and Regulation S offerings. Adriana earned her J.D., cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School and her B.A., cum laude, from the University of Rochester. 

Brian G. Smith focuses his practice in the areas of estate and tax planning, estate and trust administration, litigation, family law and charitable giving for high net worth individuals. In the estate planning area, Brian represents clients in implementing complex tax-planning strategies, including, but not limited to, dynasty trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, qualified personal residence trusts and life insurance trusts, to reduce the wealth transfer tax paid as a result of transferring wealth to future generations. He also creates traditional wills, revocable trusts and limited liability companies, among other estate planning and corporate vehicles and structures, with respect to his clients’ estate plans. In the estate and trust administration area, Brian supervises fiduciaries and beneficiaries in all aspects of the administration of estates and trusts, including representing clients in audits of their estate tax returns and gift tax returns. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Soul Ryeders and is a former co-chair of the New Members Committee of the Trusts and Estates Law Section of the New York State Bar Association. Brian received his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law, where he was Articles Editor of the St. John’s Law Review, and his B.A. from Duke University.

Special Counsel

Aislinn K. Affinito focuses her practice in the areas of white collar criminal and civil defense, government and internal investigations and commercial litigation on behalf of privately and publicly held companies and their directors and officers, as well as other individual defendants. Aislinn’s practice includes advising clients on white collar and securities compliance, including advising on pre-acquisition and vendor due diligence and corporate compliance programs in connection with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practice Act and MNPI securities requirements. Aislinn also has significant experience representing private investment funds, investment managers and financial institutions in litigation concerning the life settlement asset class. Aislinn received her J.D., cum laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center, a Masters of Environmental Management from Yale University and her B.A. from Duke University.

Adam J. Barazani focuses his practice on the regulation, acquisition and sale of financial services providers, including money transmitters, payment processors and fintech companies. Adam represents and advises leading payments companies and private equity firms in transactional matters and provides guidance to clients on compliance with federal and state banking and consumer finance laws, including multi-state licensing requirements. He also provides guidance on regulatory issues associated with payments products and services, including remittance transfers, prepaid access, digital currencies and internet- and mobile-based payment products and services. In addition, he has experience advising state and federally chartered depository institutions on regulatory, corporate and transactional matters. Adam received his J.D., cum laude, from St. John's University School of Law, where he was Senior Articles Editor of St. John’s Law Review, and his B.A. from Emory University.

Daniel J. Blumenthal focuses his practice on the representation of private funds (including hedge funds, private equity funds and hybrid funds) and investment advisers in connection with their structuring, formation and ongoing operational needs and on regulatory and compliance matters. Dan has a diverse practice advising private fund managers that employ a variety of investment strategies and also has broad experience structuring and negotiating seed and strategic investments, advising investment managers regarding the structure and sale of their businesses and structuring and negotiating joint ventures, co-investment vehicles, managed accounts, “funds of one” and other strategic relationships. Dan was named a 2021 “Rising Star” for Investment Funds by Expert Guides and was shortlisted as an IFLR1000 “Rising Star” (Investment Funds) in 2020. Dan previously served on the firm’s Associate Committee. Dan received his J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was Associate Editor of University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law, and his B.A., summa cum laude, from The George Washington University.

Dominic A. De Mello practices in the areas of estate planning and administration, trusts, charitable giving and sophisticated gift and estate tax planning. In addition to representing fiduciaries and beneficiaries on trust and estate matters, Dominic regularly prepares wills, revocable trusts, dynasty trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, life insurance trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, other types of trusts and certain entities.  Also, Dominic represents high-net-worth individuals in the negotiation of prenuptial, postnuptial and separation agreements. Dominic received his J.D. from Harvard Law School, LL.M from New York University School of Law and A.B., cum laude, from Princeton University.

Andrew R. Miller focuses his practice on private investment funds. He represents European and U.S. investment managers and private funds in connection with formation, transactions and compliance. Drew also provides advice to clients on European and U.S. securities law and regulatory matters affecting private funds and their advisers, including compliance with SEC rules and marketing in the United States. Drew received his B.S. from the University of South Carolina and his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was Executive Notes Editor for The Georgetown Law Journal and a moot court advocate on the Barristers Council.

Frank W. Olander practices in the areas of complex commercial, real estate, bankruptcy and securities litigation in federal and state courts and a variety of alternative dispute resolution venues, including AAA and JAMS arbitrations. Frank has represented public companies, private companies, individuals and financial services industry clients, including financial institutions, hedge funds and private equity funds in a wide range of commercial disputes involving claims for breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and fraudulent transfer. Frank regularly represents lenders, owners/operators and investors in commercial real estate disputes. He also advises clients in the areas of shareholder activist litigation, M&A litigation and corporate control disputes. Frank received his J.D. from University of Pennsylvania, where he was Senior Editor of University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and his B.A., magna cum laude, from University of Pennsylvania.

Jessica Romano focuses her practice on providing guidance to money transmitters, payments companies and other financial institutions on a variety of regulatory issues, including compliance with federal and state banking and consumer finance laws and multi-state licensing requirements, as well as transactional matters. She also advises private equity firms on transactional matters related to the acquisition and sale of payments companies and money transmitters. In addition, she has experience advising investment advisers and private funds on regulatory matters. Jessica received her J.D., summa cum laude, from St. John's University School of Law, where she was Associate Managing Editor of St. John’s Law Review, and her B.S. from Long Island University.

John J. Weldon IV focuses his practice on the representation of private funds (including hedge funds, private equity funds, hybrid funds and funds of funds) and investment advisers in connection with their structuring, formation and ongoing operational needs, general securities laws matters and regulatory and compliance issues. His experience includes structuring and negotiating seed and strategic investments and structuring and negotiating co-investment vehicles, managed accounts, “funds of one,” joint ventures and other strategic relationships. John was named a 2021 “Rising Star” for Investment Funds by IFLR, a 2021 “Rising Star” for Investment Funds by Expert Guides and was shortlisted as a 2020 IFLR1000 “Rising Star” (Investment Funds). John received his J.D., cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law, where he was a member of the Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce, his M.A. in International Finance and Economics from Brandeis University International Business School and his B.A. from Brandeis University.

Lina E. Ziurys focuses her practice on advising private investment funds and investment advisers in connection with their structuring, formation and ongoing operational needs, as well as on general securities law, regulatory and compliance matters. She advises on all aspects of fund formation, including seed and strategic investments, offering materials and operating agreements, side letters, co-investment vehicles, managed accounts and "funds of one". Lina represents both institutional and entrepreneurial investment managers of a range of private funds, including hedge funds, private equity funds, credit funds and funds of funds. Lina received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School, where she was Executive Articles Editor of the Brooklyn Law Review, and her B.A. from Connecticut College.