Robinson Bradshaw Adds 13 Attorneys

Robinson Bradshaw is pleased to welcome 13 attorneys to the firm. This group of attorneys, including eight new associates, further expands Robinson Bradshaw's capabilities to assist clients in areas including corporate finance, employee benefits and executive compensation, employment and labor, environmental law, litigation and tax.

Grace C. Hearn is a versatile environmental attorney with experience counseling clients in a diverse array of environmental needs both throughout the country and internationally. She advises clients concerning environmental risks, liabilities and obligations associated with complex transactions and business operations, and represents clients in state and federal court in environmental and toxic tort litigation.

Before joining Robinson Bradshaw, Hearn was an attorney with Reed Smith in Houston. She holds a law degree cum laude from the University of Houston, a master's degree in historic preservation from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor's degree from Rice University.

Hiromi Hirayama practices corporate law with a focus on lending and other credit transactions. Prior to joining the firm, she was in-house counsel at a multinational commercial bank in New York City for more than 20 years. Hirayama received her law degree from Rutgers University and her bachelor's degree from Hunter College.

Michael J. Keskonis is a tax attorney with broad experience in tax planning, mergers and acquisitions, post-acquisition integrations, joint ventures, divestitures, financings, private equity and hedge funds, financial products, corporate restructurings and transfer pricing matters. In addition to private practice, he has provided tax advice as in-house counsel to multiple multinational corporations.

Before joining Robinson Bradshaw, Keskonis was an attorney with Baker McKenzie in Dallas. He holds a law degree cum laude from the University of Miami and a bachelor's degree from Georgia State University.

Akya S. Rice focuses her litigation practice on employment disputes and counseling. She has experience in both state and federal courts with employment discrimination and wage-and-hour claims under state and federal statutes including Title VII, the ADA, the FMLA, the ADEA, the FLSA and the NCEEPA. Rice also advises clients on internal investigations, conducts client trainings on diversity and harassment, and drafts employment-related policies and procedures.

Before joining Robinson Bradshaw, Rice was an attorney at Ogletree Deakins. She holds a law degree from Vanderbilt University and a bachelor's degree magna cum laude from the University of Alabama.

Heather Heath Ryan is a seasoned employee benefits and executive compensation lawyer. She counsels clients on all aspects of employee benefits including 401(k), pension, cafeteria, health and welfare plans, and she handles Department of Labor audits and IRS correction submissions. Ryan has extensive experience advising on the benefits and compensation issues involved in corporate transactions, including equity compensation, change in control arrangements, severance and deferred compensation.

Before joining Robinson Bradshaw, Ryan was in-house employee benefits and executive compensation counsel at two publicly held, multibillion-dollar corporations. She holds a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis and a bachelor's degree cum laude from Vanderbilt University.

Hana M. Crandall earned her law degree from the University of Virginia where she was a member of the Virginia Law & Business Review editorial board. She received her bachelor's degree summa cum laude in cognitive studies and communication studies from Vanderbilt University. Prior to joining Robinson Bradshaw, Crandall clerked for Judge Thomas A. Varlan of the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Emma T. Kutteh earned her law degree cum laude from Duke University where she was an articles editor of the Duke Law Journal. She received a bachelor's degree cum laude in finance and a master's degree in accountancy from Wake Forest University. A certified public accountant, Kutteh worked as an audit associate at a national public accounting firm prior to attending law school.

Marisa E. Mariencheck earned her law degree magna cum laude from Wake Forest University, where she was business editor of the Wake Forest Law Review and a member of Order of the Coif. She received her bachelor's degree with honors in psychological and brain sciences and a minor in speech and hearing sciences from Washington University in St. Louis.

Caroline H. Reinwald earned her law degree with highest honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was editor-in-chief of the North Carolina Law Review and valedictorian of her class. She received her bachelor's degree summa cum laude in journalism with a minor in French from the University of Alabama. Prior to law school, Reinwald was a paralegal in Alaska.

Camila M. Rohena-Maldonado earned her law degree with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her bachelor's degree cum laude in political science with minors in Portuguese and educational studies from the University of Florida. Before law school, Rohena-Maldonado joined Teach for America and spent two years teaching high-school Spanish.

Thain D. Simon earned his law degree from Duke University. He received a master's degree with distinction in Social Science of the Internet from the University of Oxford and graduated magna cum laude from Santa Clara University with a bachelor's degree in finance and international studies. Before law school, Simon worked as a product manager at a digital health startup and a national, technology-focused primary care provider. He began his career in finance at a large internet technology company.

Elizabeth C. Smith earned her law degree from Harvard University. She received her bachelor's degree summa cum laude in history and political science from Duke University as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

M. Bennett Wright earned his law degree and an LLM in law and entrepreneurship magna cum laude from Duke University. Wright was a member of the Duke Law Journal editorial board, a Mordecai Scholar and a member of Order of the Coif. He graduated magna cum laude from Baylor University as a Regents' Gold Scholar, earning a bachelor's degree in engineering with a concentration in biomedical engineering and a minor in mathematics. Prior to joining Robinson Bradshaw, Wright clerked for Judge Todd M. Hughes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Crandall, Hearn, Keskonis, Kutteh, Mariencheck, Rice, Rohena-Maldonado, Ryan, Simon and Wright work out of the firm's Charlotte office. Reinwald and Smith work out of the firm's Research Triangle office.