Ice Miller Announces New Leadership Roles
Kristine Bouaichi and Stephen Farris
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIce Miller LLP has announced Kristine Bouaichi (pictured) begins a new leadership role as a managing partner. Her primary practice concentrations are in trust and estate planning and administration, wealth succession counseling and charitable giving. In addition, Bouaichi consults with clients about integrating retirement plan benefits and other complex assets into their estate plans. She has served as chair of the Trusts, Estates and Private Wealth Group and is a past member of the Diversity, Retirement Plan and Professional Development Committees. Bouaichi currently chairs the Women’s Initiative Steering Committee.
Stephen Farris (pictured), a patent agent, has joined the firm’s intellectual property group. He previously worked as a patent agent at two previous law firms, where he specialized in drafting and prosecuting patent applications primarily in the electrical and mechanical arts. Farris also previously worked at General Motors as an engineer. Over the course of 17 years, he acted as a product development team lead engineer, a design release engineer and a design validation engineer in the Hybrid Power Electronics Hardware Release Center, developing power electronics for hybrid electric vehicles.
Attorney Angela Della Rocco has joined the firm’s litigation practice. She has experience in civil litigation and has represented health care providers in the defense of medical malpractice claims, a retail pharmacy client in the defense of pharmacy claims and individuals and businesses in the defense of personal injury and construction claims. In 2010, Della Rocco earned her juris doctor, cum laude, from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. During law school, she was a legal intern with the city of Bloomington Legal Department, a summer associate with a California law firm specializing in education law, an AmeriCorps VISTA summer associate with the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic and a caseworker for Stone Belt ARC.
Marilee Springer begins a four-year term as chair of the firm’s strategic planning committee. She concentrates her practice on representing tax-exempt organizations, donors and governmental entities and affiliates.
The firm has named new partners: Aaron Aft , Alice Kelly, Ben Kitto, Sebastian Smelko, Meghan Supino, Greg Touney and George Weems.
Aft works with investment firms, banks, developers, brokers, management companies, non-profits, public and private companies and entrepreneurs. He helps his clients navigate the complex legal issues and challenges associated with acquisitions, dispositions, development, financing and leasing of real estate across the country.
Kelly handles all aspects of trademark law and global brand management, from global clearance and registration to enforcement of those rights through litigation. She has tried cases in federal, state and arbitral forums and routinely handles matters before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Kitto serves as bond counsel and underwriter’s counsel in connection with tax-exempt bond financings for 501(c)(3) organizations. Representative transactions include locally- and multistate program-issued tax-exempt and taxable bonds and loans for charter schools, independent schools, college and universities, senior living communities, nursing homes and long-term care facilities, hospitals and cultural facilities.
Smelko focuses on economic development matters and governmental and public affairs. He has a varied government relations practice that combines public affairs advocacy, traditional legal skills and strategic policy and political guidance.
Supino focuses her practice on regulatory compliance, commercial agreements, international trade and business litigation. She regularly advises clients on legal issues involving consumer product law, recalls and reporting to federal and state agencies.
Touney advises and represents clients in all areas of real estate transactions. He focuses his practice on acquisitions and dispositions, development projects, leasing and financing, while representing a wide range of clients including developers, investment advisers, real estate investment trusts, public utilities, nonprofit organizations, colleges and universities, and family businesses.
Weems concentrates his practice in commercial real estate, real estate related litigation and general corporate matters. He adds value through obtaining development and relocation based incentives, municipal entitlements, state-based incentives and real estate tax incentives.
The new principals are: Lesa Dietrick, Anne Doran and Carl Drummer.
Dietrick is a registered lobbyist, concentrating on local, state and federal government procurement, public and government relations issue management, association management and other special projects.
Doran is a seasoned legislative advocate with a wealth of experience representing corporate, municipal and trade association clients before the Indiana General Assembly and state and local regulatory agencies.
Drummer lobbies in Indiana and Washington, D.C. He has lobbied for major matters in Indianapolis such as the Citizens Energy Group water purchase, the city’s parking meter deal, soccer stadium and mass transit.