Barnes & Thornburg Welcomes New Attorneys and Legal Professionals

Barnes & Thornburg has added government and public finance, intellectual property, litigation, and labor and employment attorneys and legal professionals to its Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus, Fort Wayne, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Raleigh and Washington, D.C., offices. 

An of counsel in the Columbus office, Theodore Adams advises some of the largest companies in the world by helping them navigate the crossroads of commercial, legal, policy, and regulatory challenges. Adams helps clients build strategies related to business development, market expansion, and economic development in domestic and international markets. He earned his J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1991, his M.A. in sports management and administration from The Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology in 1992 and his B.A. in political science from Wittenberg University in 1988.

Alana Baird, an intellectual property assistant in the Raleigh office, works with the firm’s Intellectual Property team to support clients on a range of matters relating to patents and trademarks. She is well-versed in preparing and e-filing domestic and international patent applications, assisting in the maintenance of existing patents, and performing intellectual property searches for trademarks. Baird earned her B.A. in psychology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and her A.A. in general studies from Louisburg College.

An associate in the Fort Wayne office, Mitchell Berry focuses his practice on labor and employment litigation and education law. He represents employers facing employment litigation, including disputes over the disclosure of confidential information and violations of restrictive covenants (e.g., non-compete agreements and non-solicitation agreements), as well as in Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)-related issues. Berry earned his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School in 2020 and his B.A. in political science from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne in 2017.

A staff attorney in the Washington, D.C., office, Brian Chorney is an experienced litigator who assists clients in navigating complex litigation matters. His experience includes representing clients in complex commercial and civil litigation matters, as well as False Claims Act litigation. He earned his J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2012 and his B.B.A. in business administration and management from Stetson University in 2009.

John Gustav-Wrathall, a paralegal in the Minneapolis office, assists in the preparation and filing of patent applications. He is well-versed in client and foreign counsel correspondence and database and docket management. Gustav-Wrathall facilitates patent filings in the U.S. and internationally, maintains patent dockets and monitors patent prosecution in collaboration with attorneys, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, international counsel, and various foreign patent offices. He earned his Ph.D. in American history from the University of Minnesota in 1994 and his B.A. in history from Northern Michigan University in 1987.

An associate in the Los Angeles office, Lauren Hancock focuses her practice on transactions and litigation, leveraging her knowledge of government affairs and the entertainment industry. Having served as counsel in the U.S. Senate and as in-house counsel for a technology firm, she brings considerable knowledge about risk management to help clients advance their business endeavors where they involve policy matters, government procurement, and disputes. Hancock earned her J.D. from Mercer University School of Law in 2014 and her B.S. in management from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2011.

Linda Kuczma, of counsel in the Chicago office, supports clients through the prosecution, counseling and litigation of trademark, copyright and patent matters. She joins the firm from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where she served as an administrative trademark judge. Kuczma earned her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1981 and her B.A. in biology from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in 1978.

A paralegal in the Atlanta office, Marina Mejia has experience in both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas and petitions, including I-140 (Employment-based, O-1, NIW), H-1B, L-1 and TN. She has also provided support on family-based petitions, including I-130, DACA, TPS, U-visas, consular processing and naturalization. Mejia earned her immigration law certificate from the University of Georgia Lawrenceville in 2016.

Priya D. Sunkara, an associate in the Chicago office, is a litigator who focuses on advocating for her clients in product liability, toxic tort, and complex litigation on the local and national levels. Her experience includes representing clients both in court and at depositions and analyzing complex product liability and IP matters. Sunkara also has experience managing large-scale discovery using e-discovery software. She earned her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2018, her M.A. in public policy and administration from Northwestern University in 2015 and her B.A. in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University in 2008.

With more than 800 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from offices in Atlanta, Boston, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, South Florida, Texas, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.