Wiley Announces Partner and Of Counsel Promotions for 2024

December 11, 2023

Washington, DC – Wiley Rein LLP, a preeminent DC law firm, is pleased to announce the election of new partners – Vesna K. Harasic-Yaksic, Margaret T. Karchmer, William K. Lane III, Madeleine M. Lottenbach, Cara L. Sizemore, and Wesley E. Weeks, effective January 1, 2024. In addition, the firm has promoted Jacqueline F. “Lyn” Brown, Jessica N. Gallinaro, Emily S. Hart, and Krystal B. Swendsboe to of counsel.

The promotions range across several of the firm’s key practice areas, including Government Contracts, Insurance, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Telecom, Media & Technology, and White Collar Defense & Government Investigations.

“Congratulations to our six new partners and four new of counsel,” said Wiley Managing Partner Peter D. Shields. “These individuals have demonstrated client excellence and leadership consistently throughout the years. Their focused mindset and collegiality have propelled them to the next level in their careers.”

The Firm’s Newest Partners:

• Vesna Harasic-Yaksic, formerly an associate, is a member of the White Collar Defense & Government Investigations Practice. She represents corporate clients in government and internal investigations, civil enforcement matters, asset forfeiture proceedings, criminal investigations alleging false claims, financial institution fraud, securities fraud, health care fraud, money laundering, and public corruption. Vesna previously served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in both the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia.

• Margaret Karchmer, formerly an associate, is a member of the Insurance Practice. Maggie represents U.S. and European insurers in connection with coverage issues and disputes and monitors complex claims arising under a variety of insurance policies, including directors and officers, professional liability, media and technology, employment practices liability, lawyers malpractice, and cyber. In addition, Maggie also defends insurance claims against lawyers and other professionals.
• William Lane, formerly an associate, is a member of the Litigation Practice. He advocates on behalf of corporate and individual clients in a broad spectrum of appellate, constitutional, regulatory, and complex commercial litigation, focusing largely on administrative and constitutional law, contract disputes, and False Claims Act claims. William has represented parties before the U.S. Supreme Court and has argued significant matters before appellate and trial courts. William previously held positions at the Department of Justice and the U.S. Senate.
• Madeleine Lottenbach, formerly an associate, is a member of the Telecom, Media & Technology Practice. Madi counsels clients in the technology and telecommunications sectors on domestic and international communications matters, including spectrum policy, service licensing, equipment authorization, and tower, antenna, and earth station siting. Her representation includes some of the largest and most successful satellite operators, wireless providers, equipment manufacturers, and industry trade associations before U.S. and international agencies including the Federal Communications Commission and the International Telecommunication Union.
• Cara Sizemore, formerly an associate, is a member of the Government Contracts Practice. She advises government contractors on legal issues spanning the entire lifecycle of government contracts, from bid protests and contract compliance to claims and disputes and terminations. Cara has significant experience with domestic preference rules, including the Buy American Act and Trade Agreements Act. She also regularly assists commercial item contractors and GSA Schedule contractors in navigating their unique legal challenges.
• Wesley Weeks, formerly of counsel, is a member of the Intellectual Property and Litigation practices. He is a first-chair trial lawyer who represents government contractors, pharmaceutical companies, and technology companies in patent litigation, licensing, and trade secret, and data rights disputes, and as well as in other complex matters. He also provides strategic counseling on novel, high-stakes issues affecting his clients’ operations.

The Firm’s Newest Of Counsel:

• Jacqueline “Lyn” Brown, formerly special counsel, is a member of the Telecom, Media & Technology Practice. She advises clients on a wide range of cybersecurity, national security, and privacy issues as well as compliance with lawful process requests in criminal investigations or national security matters. Lyn specializes in helping clients prepare for and respond to cyber-attacks and other forms of information security incidents or data breaches, frequently interacting with federal law enforcement and homeland security agencies. She retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after 26 years of service where she also held senior positions at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and the White House.
• Jessica Gallinaro, formerly an associate, is a member of the Insurance Practice. She represents insurers in connection with complex coverage issues and disputes arising under a variety of insurance policies, including directors and officers, professional liability, media and technology, and cyber. Jessica also litigates coverage and bad faith actions at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts around the country.
• Emily Hart, formerly an associate, is a member of the Insurance Practice. She represents insurers in litigation involving professional liability, director and officer liability, and transactional liability insurance issues before state and federal courts and arbitration tribunals nationwide. Emily also advises and serves as monitoring counsel for insurers in connection with directors and officers and other professional liability policies.
• Krystal Swendsboe, formerly an associate, is a member of the Litigation Practice. She represents and advises clients in a variety of complex litigation and appellate matters in state and federal courts. She serves clients in a variety of fields, including government contracts, telecommunications, and election law, and has extensive litigation experience ranging from pre-complaint investigations and discovery disputes to critical motions practice, trial preparation, and appeals. Krystal clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia before joining the firm.