IBA Toronto 2025

James E. Abbott is Co-Head of Seward & Kissel’s Corporate M&A Practice and joined the firm as a partner in 2007. He advises public and private companies, investment funds, and financial institutions on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital, and other corporate matters. Jim has been recognized by The M&A Advisor, The National Law Journal, Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and Lawdragon 500. He is a frequent speaker and author on M&A topics and has contributed to numerous legal publications and events. 

Jim earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Colgate University and his J.D. from NYU School of Law. He is admitted to practice in New York.

Jay Baroody joined the firm in 2012 and is a partner in the Investment Management Group.  He primarily advises sponsors and managers of private funds, including hedge funds, private equity funds and fund-of-funds, on the formation, structuring and ongoing management of such funds. Jay also advises clients on a variety of regulatory and compliance matters, including Securities Exchange Act filings.

He received a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, with high honors, Phi Beta Kappa, and attained his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, cum laude.

Keith Billotti is Head of Seward & Kissel’s Capital Markets Practice. He advises domestic and foreign clients on corporate and U.S. securities law, including public and private offerings, SPACs, dual listings, M&A, joint ventures, and private equity financings. He also counsels on corporate governance, securities compliance, and disclosure obligations. Recognized by Chambers and The Legal 500 for his work in the maritime sector, 

Keith is known as a go-to attorney for complex finance matters. He frequently speaks at global industry events and contributes to Seward & Kissel’s Maritime Blog.

James C. Cofer is Seward & Kissel’s Managing Partner and Chair of the Tax, ERISA, and Trust & Estates Group. He advises private investment funds and mutual funds on tax structuring, exempt investor issues, financial instruments, and deferred compensation, including Section 409A. Jim also counsels fund managers on management company tax planning and incentive arrangements. In the maritime sector, he advises shipping companies on Section 883, cross-border transactions, restructurings, and public offerings.

He holds a B.A. from Rutgers (with high honors), a J.D., and an LL.M. in Taxation from NYU School of Law.

Nick Katsanos is Chair of Seward & Kissel’s Corporate Group and Co-Head of the Private Equities Practice. He advises public and private companies, private equity firms, and financial institutions on U.S. and cross-border M&A, private equity, and joint ventures across industries including shipping, financial services, media, and tech. Prior to joining the firm, Nick worked in-house at UBM, a global media company, on international transactions. He serves on the Board of the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce and is an editor for IM Deals®. 

Nick is recognized by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, IFLR, and others for his practical, strategic deal advice. He holds a B.S. from NYU Stern and a J.D. from NYU School of Law.

Danielle Lemberg is a partner in Seward & Kissel’s Business Transactions Group. She advises private companies, investment firms, and business owners on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital, joint ventures, and general corporate matters. Her work includes entity formation and drafting key agreements such as shareholder and operating agreements. The Legal 500 named Danielle a “Next Generation Partner,” noting she is “extremely effective.” 

Danielle earned her B.A., summa cum laude, from Macaulay Honors College at Baruch and her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where she was Executive Editor of the Journal of Business Law.

Brian Maloney is a partner in the Litigation & Investigations Group. He represents clients in commercial litigation, regulatory investigations, and enforcement matters across sectors including banking, maritime, and securities. He has written and spoken extensively on shipping litigation and coordinates U.S. actions related to the collapse of O.W. Bunker on behalf of its secured lender. Brian regularly advises on U.S. sanctions and co-authored Lexology’s Panoramic: Sanctions 2024 – USA. He contributes to the Maritime Blog and the Marshall Islands Law Blog. Chambers USA highlights his deep knowledge and strategic insight in shipping disputes. 

He earned his A.B. from Dartmouth and J.D. from Boston College Law School, both cum laude.

Bruce G. Paulsen is a partner and former co-head of Seward & Kissel’s Litigation and Investigations Group, and head of the Sanctions Practice Group. He was named to Legal 500’s “Hall of Fame” in 2023 and one of the global Top 10 Maritime Lawyers by Lloyd’s List in 2020. Bruce handles complex commercial and maritime disputes, including finance and securities litigation, lien claims, environmental matters, and arbitration enforcement. He has deep expertise in international trade sanctions and piracy issues. Chambers USA 2024 noted his work in shipping finance and securities litigation, and Legal 500 USA 2024 called him “the best pair of hands in US shipping litigation.” Bruce frequently writes and lectures on litigation, arbitration, bankruptcy, piracy, and sanctions, and is actively involved in nonprofit governance.

Patricia A. Poglinco is a partner and Co-Chair of Seward & Kissel’s Investment Management Group. She joined the firm in 1986 and has been a partner since 1994, also serving on the Management Committee. Pat advises investment advisers on regulatory compliance and represents private investment partnerships, group trusts, offshore vehicles, and registered investment companies. Her work includes CFTC registration, fund formation, and advising managers, underwriters, and service providers. She also handles general securities and corporate matters. Pat is a frequent speaker at industry events in the U.S. and abroad and has been recognized by Chambers as a leading attorney in the investment management industry.

Anthony is Head of the Blockchain and Digital Assets Practice and a member of the Capital Markets and Securities and Investment Management Groups, based in Seward & Kissel’s Washington, D.C. office. He advises clients on token structuring and registration, custody, crypto ETPs, NFT platforms, and crypto asset investments. With over 20 years of capital markets experience, he counsels clients from formation through public offerings. He is a leading expert on physical precious metals funds and has represented issuers and underwriters in FINRA filings. 

Anthony received his B.A. from California State University, Fullerton, and his J.D. from Harvard Law School. He has served as President of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area and as Secretary of the D.C. Bar. He is fluent in German and contributes to Seward & Kissel’s Cryptocurrency and Blockchain blog, SKrypto. In 2022, he was named a Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, and Fintech Trailblazer by The National Law Journal.

Walter Van Dorn is a partner in Seward & Kissel’s Capital Markets Group. He advises issuers, underwriters, and financial institutions on IPOs, public and private offerings of equity, debt (including sovereign debt), asset-backed securities, and exchange and tender offers. He counsels clients on U.S. securities laws, including the Securities Act, Exchange Act, Investment Company Act, Investment Advisers Act, Sarbanes-Oxley, Dodd-Frank, JOBS Act, and FCPA. Walter has practiced in New York, London, Hong Kong, and Washington, D.C., and frequently lectures on securities law. Earlier, he served at the SEC as Special Counsel in the Office of International Corporate Finance, where he worked on cross-border offerings, MJDS filings, and rulemaking initiatives. 

He received a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D., cum laude, from Boston University School of Law.

Edward A. Vergara is the Co-Head of Seward & Kissel’s Trusts & Estates Practice. He advises individuals, fiduciaries, and closely held businesses on tax optimization and succession planning, with a client base of founders, executives, fund principals, and investors. Ed ensures clients have core estate planning in place, then focuses on maximizing efficiency in transactions, ownership structures, and succession events. Many clients have cross-border interests; Ed assists with foreign asset management, residency changes, and coordination across jurisdictions. He also advises fiduciaries and beneficiaries of foreign trusts and foundations on U.S. tax and reporting matters.