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CLEVELAND - January 8, 2013 - Thompson Hine LLP has elected six lawyers to the firm's partnership effective January 1, 2013. The new partners, located in the firm's Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland and New York offices, represent a broad range of practice areas including Business Litigation; Business Restructuring, Creditors' Rights & Bankruptcy; Environmental; Product Liability Litigation; and Real Estate. 

"Each of these lawyers has exceptional legal acumen and has demonstrated our firm's commitment to client service excellence by continually bringing value to clients. We welcome them to our partnership," said Deborah Z. Read, Thompson Hine's managing partner. 

The new partners are:

Rebecca Brazzano (Business Litigation - New York) has extensive experience litigating complex commercial, employment and IP matters across a variety of industries including financial services, health care, manufacturing, telecommunications, hospitality, medical devices, Internet technology and media. She has tried cases before courts and arbitral panels around the country and has assisted clients to resolve business disputes short of trial in efficient and creative arrangements where it has been consistent with our clients' goals. Brazzano received her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 1995 and her B.A., with distinction, from Queens College, City University of New York in 1992.

Susan C. Cornett (Real Estate - Dayton) focuses on real estate matters, particularly mortgage and mezzanine financing, commercial real estate purchases and sales, commercial leasing, and solar energy facility leasing and purchases. Cornett represents both borrowers and lenders in mortgage financing transactions. She was selected by Ohio Super Lawyers magazine as an Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2012. Cornett earned her J.D. and M.B.A. in 2004 and her B.S. in 2001, all from the University of Cincinnati.

Heather M. Hawkins (Business Litigation - Cincinnati) focuses her practice on construction, general commercial and intellectual property litigation in federal and state courts across the country. She has extensive first- and second-chair experience in multimillion-dollar jury trials and arbitrations. She was selected by Ohio Super Lawyers magazine as an Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star for Construction Litigation in 2011 and 2012 and named a YWCA Rising Star in 2007. Hawkins received her J.D., cum laude, from The University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law in 2004 and her B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Louisville in 2001.

Emily S. Huggins Jones (Environmental  - Cleveland) focuses her practice on environmental counseling and litigation, environmental compliance and regulatory analysis, planning for business transactions, toxic tort and product liability litigation, and maritime litigation and counseling. She was selected by Ohio Super Lawyers magazine as an Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2012 and was one of only 10 lawyers named as "Who to Watch in Law" for 2012 by Crain's Cleveland Business. In addition, she was honored with the YWCA Women of Professional Excellence Award in 2011. Jones received her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 2004 and her B.A., with distinction, from the University of Virginia in 2000.

Jared E. Oakes (Real Estate - Cleveland) represents a broad range of public and private investors, developers and owners of commercial real estate, with a particular focus on retail/shopping center assets. He advises on the acquisition and sale of commercial properties, repositioning troubled assets, entity planning, leasing, development, asset management, commercial lending and debt restructuring. Oakes also devotes a significant portion of his practice to providing strategic counseling on corporate real estate matters and complex real estate litigation. He has been recognized as a leading real estate lawyer in Ohio by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business each year since 2010, and was selected by Ohio Super Lawyers magazine as an Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2012. He also has been recognized nationally by The Legal 500. Oakes received his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2005, his M.B.A. from Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management in 2005 and his B.A. from Mercyhurst University in 2000.

Curtis L. Tuggle (Business Restructuring, Creditors' Rights & Bankruptcy - Cleveland) focuses his practice on commercial and creditors' rights, bankruptcy (primarily Chapter 11 reorganizations), workouts, preference action litigation, commercial litigation, Uniform Commercial Code controversies and other commercial law cases including secured transactions. He has significant experience representing indenture trustees and secured lenders in major bankruptcy and cross-border insolvency proceedings and workouts. Tuggle was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013. He also was selected for inclusion in 2012 Ohio Super Lawyers and recognized in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Ohio) in 2011 and 2012. Tuggle received his J.D. from The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law in 2004 and his B.S., with distinction, summa cum laude, from The Ohio State University in 2001.
 

About Thompson Hine LLP

Established in 1911, Thompson Hine is a business law firm dedicated to providing superior client service. The firm has been recognized for ten consecutive years as a top law firm in the country for client service excellence in The BTI Client Service A-Team: Survey of Law Firm Client Service Performance. With offices in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, New York and Washington, D.C., Thompson Hine serves premier businesses worldwide.