Vorys Elevates Seven Attorneys to Partner
Vorys is pleased to announce that Cory Catignani, Brent Craft, Blake Finney, Liam Gruzs, Rex Miller II, Sachiyo Peterson and Anthony Spina became partners on January 1, 2020.
Cory Catignani is a member of the labor and employment group in the Columbus office. He represents employers in a variety of industries on a wide range of employment matters, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, the Family and Medical Act Leave, Title VII, state anti-discrimination and retaliation laws, as well as noncompetition, Trade Secret Law and other restrictive covenants. Cory also provides training and counseling on daily workplace issues, including hiring decisions and disciplinary issues, employment agreements, handbooks, workplace policies and noncompetition, nonsolicitation and confidentiality agreements.
Brent Craft is a member of the litigation group in the Cincinnati office. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, cybersecurity and data privacy, qui tam and federal False Claims Act cases, ERISA, government procurement law, intellectual property law, and internet defamation. Brent has represented large corporations and individuals in both state and federal courts. Brent has presented on the issues of data security, privacy and data breach, and legal ethics in the area of cybersecurity to various groups, organizations, and governmental bodies, including the Kentucky legislature, the Kentucky Bar Association, the Kentucky appellate judiciary, the Association of Corporate Counsel, and the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives.
Blake Finney is a member of the technology and intellectual property group in the Cincinnati office. His practice focuses on brand protection, product diversion and Vorys eControl. He handles matters related to helping manufacturers and brands address the problems and harness the opportunities created by e-commerce and the rise of online marketplaces. Blake’s experience involves the development of custom programs for companies confronting unauthorized sales on the internet and then implementing and enforcing such programs. Blake has significant experience developing strategies to assist companies with product distribution issues, including pricing, product diversion, unauthorized importation of grey market goods, and counterfeit sales.
Liam Gruzs is a member of the health care group in the Columbus office. His practice focuses on advising health care industry clients on legal, regulatory, and business issues impacting their operations. He brings in-house health care industry experience, which enables him to understand client expectations and apply a unique perspective to his practice. Liam regularly advises a variety of providers — including hospitals, pharmacies, home health care agencies, behavioral health care providers, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and physician practice groups — at all stages of the compliance life cycle, including strategic counseling, developing effective policies and procedures, and vigorously defending government audits.
Rex Miller II is a member of the technology and intellectual property group in the Columbus office. His practice is focused on protection of intellectual property rights through patents, trademarks and trade secrets. Rex has experience preparing and prosecuting U.S. and foreign patent and trademark applications. His experience also includes freedom to operate analysis, patent post grant practice, counseling/portfolio management and contract negotiation. In addition, Rex assists clients with advertising agreements and he has significant litigation representing accused infringers in the defense of patent, trademark and copyright claims.
Sachiyo Peterson counsels and assists clients in the highly complex area of immigration, nationality, and employer sanctions (I-9) law. She focuses her practice on employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visas for her clients’ global workforces. She helps clients maintain seamless business processes, including the attraction and the retention of international talent. Her practice spans various industries, including manufacturing, retail, universities, health care, agriculture and other corporations. At times, she also assists in family-based immigration matters.
Anthony Spina is a member of the corporate group in the Columbus office. He handles regulatory and transactional matters for all types of insurance companies and entities regulated by the Ohio Department of Insurance, including captive insurance companies, insurance agencies (including managing general agencies), multiple employer welfare arrangements (MEWAs), fraternal benefit associations and health insuring corporations. Anthony also regularly works with other state insurance regulators resolving that state's required filings and specific insurance law requirements.
About Vorys: Vorys was established in 1909 and has grown to be one of the largest Ohio-based law firms with nearly 375 attorneys in seven offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Akron, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; Houston, Texas; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Vorys currently ranks as one of the 200 largest law firms in the United States according to American Lawyer magazine.
