In the Marketplace

Seyfarth Shaw LLP has announced that David M. Bizar has joined the firm's Boston office as a partner in the Commercial Class Action Defense and Commercial Litigation Practice Groups. He was previously a partner with McCarter & English LLP in Boston. Bizar represents national banks, financial services companies, and other businesses in high-stakes disputes in the civil courts and before government authorities challenging the legality of their products and services, corporate practices, and regulatory adherence. Bizar also prosecutes and defends creditor and debtor's rights suits in and outside of bankruptcy.

Shearman & Sterling LLP has announced that partner Mitchell Menaker has been named chair of the Federal Tax Committee of the Washington-based Equipment Leasing and Finance Association. Menaker, who has served on ELFA's Federal Tax Committee for the past 20 years, will now lead the association's efforts in connection with federal tax matters, including issues concerning the tax aspects of investment in renewable energy equipment and facilities.

Dechert LLP has named M. Holland West as a partner in the financial services practice group in the New York office. Holland was previously at Shearman & Sterling LLP, where he was the head of its global hedge fund, private equity, derivatives, and structured finance practices. He was also previously a partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, where he was the head of its asset management and derivatives practices, and an assistant general counsel at Goldman, Sachs & Co., advising its capital markets, derivatives, and commodity businesses. This hiring follows Dechert's addition in June of a three-partner team in Washington, DC, from Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, including Thomas P. Vartanian, who had chaired Fried Frank's financial institutions transaction group.

Key Equipment Finance of Superior, CO, has appointed Patti Ann Sullivan as vice president, corporate aviation finance. In this role, she will lead corporate aviation originations in the eastern United States. Previously, Sullivan was director of business development, structured aviation finance for Aviation Resource Group International, which followed positions as director of business development for Daimler Chrysler Capital Services and sales manager at Textron Financial Corp.

Seyfarth Shaw LLP has announced that David M. Bizar has joined the firm's Boston office as a partner in the Commercial Class Action Defense and Commercial Litigation Practice Groups. He was previously a partner with McCarter & English LLP in Boston. Bizar represents national banks, financial services companies, and other businesses in high-stakes disputes in the civil courts and before government authorities challenging the legality of their products and services, corporate practices, and regulatory adherence. Bizar also prosecutes and defends creditor and debtor's rights suits in and outside of bankruptcy.

Shearman & Sterling LLP has announced that partner Mitchell Menaker has been named chair of the Federal Tax Committee of the Washington-based Equipment Leasing and Finance Association. Menaker, who has served on ELFA's Federal Tax Committee for the past 20 years, will now lead the association's efforts in connection with federal tax matters, including issues concerning the tax aspects of investment in renewable energy equipment and facilities.

Dechert LLP has named M. Holland West as a partner in the financial services practice group in the New York office. Holland was previously at Shearman & Sterling LLP, where he was the head of its global hedge fund, private equity, derivatives, and structured finance practices. He was also previously a partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, where he was the head of its asset management and derivatives practices, and an assistant general counsel at Goldman, Sachs & Co., advising its capital markets, derivatives, and commodity businesses. This hiring follows Dechert's addition in June of a three-partner team in Washington, DC, from Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, including Thomas P. Vartanian, who had chaired Fried Frank's financial institutions transaction group.

Key Equipment Finance of Superior, CO, has appointed Patti Ann Sullivan as vice president, corporate aviation finance. In this role, she will lead corporate aviation originations in the eastern United States. Previously, Sullivan was director of business development, structured aviation finance for Aviation Resource Group International, which followed positions as director of business development for Daimler Chrysler Capital Services and sales manager at Textron Financial Corp.