© 2012 The Texas Lawbook.
By Natalie Posgate
Staff Writer for The Texas Lawbook
Thompson & Knight is exploring the Wild West. The Dallas-based law firm announced Wednesday that it is opening its 11th office in Los Angeles on Oct. 1.
Dallas employee benefits partner Shelly Youree and financial litigator Bruce Zabarauskas, who is joining the firm as counsel from Washington, D.C.-based Crowell & Moring, will launch the firm’s new office.
“The opening of a California office and the addition of Bruce further strengthen our geographic reach, enhance the services we provide, and demonstrate our commitment to current and prospective clients located in or doing business in California,” said Emily A. Parker, managing partner of Thompson & Knight’s Dallas office.
According to Youree, starting an office in Los Angeles will also help build a national presence in Thompson & Knight’s litigation and real estate practice areas and expand the firm’s oil and gas and energy practices.
Youree will lead the new office as relationship manager and will represent clients in tax, executive compensation, employee benefits and equity and incentive plans both within and beyond the Sunshine State. Her practice includes tax and ERISA issues involved in executive compensation and benefits issues in mergers and acquisitions; and consulting, design, drafting and implementation of executive and employee compensation and benefit arrangements.
Zabarauskas’ legal experience involves representing institutional lenders in commercial real estate foreclosure actions and Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, including national banks, special servicers and investment banks. He also has experience litigating corporate breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, defamation and First Amendment issues in both trial and appellate courts.
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