Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP announces that the following 12 attorneys have been elected to the firm’s partnership:

• Elizabeth E. Babbitt / Litigation / Chicago
• Carolyn A. Davis / Labor & Employment / Columbus
• E. Chase Dressman / Environmental / Cincinnati
• Matthew R. Godfrey / Business & Finance / Chicago
• Aaron H. Kaplan / Private Client / Cincinnati
• Payal Keshvani / Business & Finance / Chicago
• Zachary E. Klutz / Business & Finance / Indianapolis
• Jonathan D. McPike / Business & Finance / Indianapolis
• Nick J. Pieczonka / Litigation / Cincinnati
• Brianna M. Skelly / Litigation / Chicago
• Jeffrey D. Stemerick / Environmental / Indianapolis
• Brandi N. Weekley / Business & Finance / Cleveland

Elizabeth E. Babbitt represents municipalities, corporations and public utilities in complex litigation. She regularly advises clients in matters prior to the filing of a lawsuit and manages cases through trial and appeals. Babbitt also regularly advises businesses regarding employment discrimination, unfair business practices, trade secrets, restrictive employment covenants and civil rights violations. She received her undergraduate degrees in finance and business administration, cum laude, from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law.

Carolyn A. Davis counsels clients in all areas of labor and employment including employee hiring and termination, employment agreements, personnel policies, harassment, workplace investigations, discrimination, wage/hour issues, ADA, FMLA, NLRA, EEOC and workers’ compensation. Her passion for employer-side legal issues and seasoned investigative instincts have helped make her an invaluable asset for companies needing litigation or negotiation assistance. Davis received her undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University and her J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. She has been named an Ohio Rising Stars 2019 honoree.

E. Chase Dressman provides clients with a full range of environmental services, including regulatory compliance assistance, environmental transactional guidance and all facets of environmental litigation. He meets the legal needs of a diverse range of clients, including chemical manufacturers and processors (with particular experience in the pesticide industry), retail and wholesale distributors, utilities, industrial manufacturers and automotive and transportation businesses. Dressman received his undergraduate degree from Xavier University and his J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law. He has been named an Ohio Rising Stars honoree every year since 2015.

Matthew R. Godfrey focuses his practice on general corporate, transactional, securities and gaming matters with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, the representation of emerging companies in securities and corporate governance matters and private placements of securities. In mergers and acquisitions matters, Godfrey focuses on the buy-and-sell side of transactions involving emerging and middle-market companies. Godfrey received his B.A. from Washington and Lee University, magna cum laude, and his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

Aaron H. Kaplan focuses his practice on estate planning, probate administration and trust administration, providing counsel to individuals, families, small businesses and tax-exempt organizations. He has worked with estate planning clients on matters such as dynasty trusts, trusts for children with special needs, planning for international clients who may be new to Cincinnati or to the United States, the minimization of estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes, business succession planning for small businesses and privately held entities, charitable trusts, Ohio Legacy Trusts and related wealth transfer issues. Kaplan received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Payal Keshvani focuses her practice on general corporate and transactional matters. She represents business clients in mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, regulatory matters and debt and equity issuances. Keshvani received her B.S., cum laude, from New York University and her J.D. from Emory University School of Law.

Zachary E. Klutz focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions along with public and private financings. His mergers and acquisitions experience includes representing public and private companies in negotiated acquisitions and divestures. In addition, he regularly represents financial institutions with respect to complex loan and credit facilities. Klutz also serves as bond, bank and issuer counsel on a variety of tax-exempt and taxable financings. Klutz received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University, Fort Wayne and his J.D. from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

Jonathan D. McPike serves as the chair of Taft’s Investment Funds Group where he focuses his practice on representing private equity, venture capital, real estate and hedge fund sponsors and managers in connection with the formation and operation of investment funds and in the acquisition and disposition of their respective portfolio companies, properties and other investments. He received his undergraduate degree from American University and his J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law—Bloomington.

Nick J. Pieczonka focuses his practice on litigation, real estate and construction, product liability and personal injury matters. As a member of Taft’s Litigation practice, he represents individual and business clients in all aspects of the litigation process, including trials, arbitration and mediation. Pieczonka received his undergraduate degree from Thomas More College and his J.D. from Salmon P. Chase College of Law—Northern Kentucky University. He has been named an Ohio Rising Stars 2019 honoree.

Brianna M. Skelly represents creditors, businesses and individuals in litigation arising from commercial transactions, employment matters and warranties. She also represents middle market regional banks in commercial foreclosures, collections, bankruptcy and workout-related litigation. Skelly received her undergraduate degree from Loyola University, Chicago and her J.D. from The John Marshall Law School.

Jeffrey D. Stemerick focuses his practice on defending clients in complex environmental, construction and business litigation at both the trial and appellate level. In addition to his litigation practice, he also advises clients on a variety of environmental compliance, permitting and enforcement issues. Stemerick received his B.S. from Indiana State University, magna cum laude, and his J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law—Bloomington.

Brandi N. Weekley focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital transactions. She counsels private equity funds, venture capital funds and emerging growth companies on all aspects of acquisitions, dispositions, capital formation and private placements. Weekley received her B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University and her J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.