December 14, 2020 – Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to announce the election of six new partners to the firm, effective January 1, 2021. This class includes attorneys with backgrounds in diverse legal disciplines from across Ulmer’s offices who reflect the firm’s commitment to providing sophisticated advice and counsel.
“We are fortunate to work with these talented attorneys who demonstrate their leadership and commitment to our firm and our clients every day,” said Scott P. Kadish, Managing Partner. “Their dedication to delivering outstanding client service will help Ulmer grow and succeed in the years ahead, and we look forward to seeing their passion and drive help move us forward.”
Brett C. Altier is a real estate attorney in Ulmer’s Cleveland office who assists clients in all aspects of real estate and environmental law, including the development, acquisition, disposition, and leasing of property. In addition to his transactional work, Altier represents clients in litigation to resolve a variety of complex real estate and environmental disputes involving, among other things, property valuation, mineral rights, title issues, and eminent domain. Honored for his skill, Altier has been named to the Best Lawyers® Ones to Watch lists for Environmental Law and Real Estate Law and to the Ohio Super Lawyers list of Rising Stars. He earned his undergraduate degree from Denison University and his J.D. with honors from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University.
Christiane M. McKnight is a business litigator who represents clients in complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts. Her practice includes a broad range of high-stakes contract disputes, as well as trade secret, unfair competition, and fiduciary duty matters. Based in Ulmer’s Chicago office with practices in New York and Washington, D.C., she has significant experience litigating at both the trial and appellate levels. Previously, McKnight clerked for the Honorable Eric L. Clay of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Recognized for her talent, McKnight has been named to the New York Metro Super Lawyers list of Rising Stars. She earned her undergraduate degree with honors from Loyola University Chicago and her J.D. with honors from Northwestern University.
Courtney J. Miller is an intellectual property attorney in Ulmer’s Columbus office who focuses on U.S. and foreign patent procurement, IP portfolio management, patent opinions, technology development and commercialization, technology transactions, and various regulatory issues involving medical devices. A registered patent attorney with more than 20 years of experience, he counsels clients in a wide variety of industries, and has experience in biotechnology, molecular biology, immunology, medical devices, drug delivery systems, welding and joining technologies, and consumer products. Before practicing law, Miller worked as a research scientist in the biotechnology and medical products groups at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio. He earned his undergraduate degree from The College of Wooster and his J.D. and LL.M from Capital University Law School.
Daniela Paez is a business litigator in Ulmer’s Cleveland office who focuses her practice on complex commercial, banking, fiduciary, and broker-dealer litigation. She represents a diverse set of clients ranging from individuals, LLCs, and closely-held corporations to large, multinational companies and financial institutions, in state and federal courts, mediation, arbitration, and international disputes. She is also involved in the firm’s leading immigration practice. Recognized for her successful advocacy and commitment to the community, Paez has been named to the Crain’s Cleveland Business list of “Forty Under 40” and to the Best Lawyers Ones to Watch list for Commercial Litigation, among other honors. She earned her undergraduate degree with honors from San Francisco State University and her J.D. with honors from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Raymond D. Seiler is a real estate attorney in Ulmer’s Cleveland office who represents individuals, businesses, private equity firms, and financial institutions in all phases of commercial real estate lending, acquisition, disposition, management, development, and financing. His practice includes assisting skilled nursing and assisted living facility owners and operators with acquisitions, divestitures, and leases of long-term care facilities, and he has extensive experience representing mineral owners and oil and gas companies in the negotiation of leases and the analysis of mineral title issues. Honored for his skill, Seiler has been named to the Ohio Super Lawyers list of Rising Stars. He earned his undergraduate degree with honors from Ohio University and his J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
Christopher D. Seps is a financial services litigator in Ulmer’s Chicago office who focuses his practice on complex litigation and arbitration in the securities and commodities industries. He represents broker-dealers and registered representatives in customer and industry disputes and regulatory matters, and litigates matters in a variety of forums including FINRA arbitrations and enforcement proceedings, NFA arbitrations, and CFTC reparations proceedings. He also litigates expungement cases on behalf of both registered representatives and broker-dealers, and he has successfully obtained numerous FINRA awards recommending expungement of registered representatives’ CRD records. Recognized for his talent, Seps has been named to the Illinois Super Lawyers list of Rising Stars. He earned his undergraduate degree with honors from Illinois Wesleyan University and his J.D. with honors from the University of Illinois College of Law.