News Release
McGlinchey Adds 8 Litigation Associates Across 5 Offices
Read Time: 4 minsMcGlinchey Stafford is pleased to announce the addition of eight new associates in its Financial Services Litigation and Enterprise Litigation & Investigations practice groups in the last two months of 2022. The litigators join the firm’s Birmingham, Dallas, Cleveland, Houston, and New Orleans offices.
The three following associates have joined the firm’s Financial Services Litigation practice group:
Jon-Kaden Mullen has joined the firm’s Birmingham office. Prior to joining McGlinchey, Jon-Kaden gained litigation experience at a Middle Tennessee firm and clerked for several firms in Alabama throughout law school. He earned his J.D. from Samford University Cumberland School of Law in May 2021. During law school, he clerked for the St. Clair County Circuit Court and interned for the Calhoun County District Attorney’s Office and was named “Runner-Up” in the American Bar Association’s National Arbitration Competition. He is admitted to the bar in Alabama and Tennessee.
Justin Sauls has joined the firm’s Dallas office. He has 20 years of mortgage industry experience and spent 10 years as a mortgage loan originator before attending law school. He earned his J.D. the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in 2010. After law school, Justin worked in the mortgage industry as both in-house and outside counsel for another 10 years. With particular knowledge and experience defending claims brought under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Justin was recognized in 2021 by a publicly traded corporate client for having the most zero-dollar dismissals at his firm over a 12-month period. He is licensed in Georgia and Texas.
Richard Sykora has joined the firm’s Cleveland office. He has represented financial institutions since 2014 when he earned his J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law. During law school, Richard completed internships with the Orange County District Attorney. Richard works on matters brought under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act and other state UDAAP laws, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), and Truth in Lending Act (TILA). He is licensed in Ohio.
“We are excited for Jon-Kaden, Justin, and Richard to join McGlinchey,” said Shaun Ramey, co-chair of the firm’s nationwide Financial Services Litigation practice group. “Their litigation and mortgage experience is a welcome addition to our growing practice, and we know our clients will benefit from their insights.”
The five following associates have joined the firm’s Enterprise Litigation & Investigations practice group:
Alexander Cochran has joined the firm’s Houston office. With trial and multi-district litigation experience, Alex has represented clients in complex matters involving products liability, premises liability, and catastrophic accidents. Alex earned his J.D. from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in 2018, where he served as an articles editor for the International Law Review Association and mentored first-year students in the Student Bar Association. He also interned at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and clerked at two law firms before passing the bar exam in his third year. After law school, Alex gained litigation experience at firms in Dallas and Houston. He is licensed to practice in Texas.
Jaina Green has joined the firm’s New Orleans office, where she focuses on insurance coverage defense. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Southern University Law Center in May 2022. While in law school, she served as senior articles editor for the Southern University Law Review, was a member of the clinical education faculty committee for the SULC Student Bar Association, and served as a learning mentor for the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition. Prior to joining McGlinchey, Jaina clerked for multiple commercial defense firms, interned at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services legal aid center, and worked for the Southern University Board of Student Advisors. She is admitted to practice in Louisiana.
Morgan Kelley serves the maritime and admiralty industry from McGlinchey’s New Orleans office. Having second-chaired multi-million dollar trials, negotiated significant settlements, and won issues that saved clients hundreds of thousands of dollars, Morgan also advises transportation companies and vessel operators on corporate contracts and transactions. She graduated from Tulane University Law School with her J.D. in 2018. While there, she earned a certificate in Admiralty Law, served as notes & comments editor on the Tulane Maritime Law Journal, and clerked for the Admiralty & Aviation Division at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington. Morgan is admitted to practice in Louisiana.
Katherine Kovach has joined the firm’s New Orleans office. She defends clients against liability claims related to insurance coverage, mass torts, and products and premises liability, with previous experience in medical malpractice law. She earned her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans in 2019. Before practicing, Katherine clerked for the Hon. Jay Zainey in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana and for the Hon. Fredericka Wicker in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal. Katherine is licensed in Louisiana.
Gillian Miculek represents businesses in complex civil litigation across Louisiana from the firm’s New Orleans office. She earned her J.D. from Louisiana State University Paul M. Herbert Law Center in 2022. As a first-generation college and law school graduate, Gillian returns to McGlinchey after clerking in the firm’s New Orleans and Baton Rouge offices. During law school, Gillian interned with the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office and served as senior editor of the school’s Journal of Energy Law and Resources. She is admitted to practice in Louisiana.
“We are thrilled to welcome so many talented litigators to McGlinchey. The addition of Alexander, Jaina, Morgan, Katherine, and Gillian gives our growing practice group the talent and support it needs as we grow our services for clients in a range of industries,” said Dan Plunkett, chair of the firm’s Enterprise Litigation & Investigations practice group.
McGlinchey’s litigation practice spans the firm’s 17 offices and serves a variety of industries, including corporate, construction, financial institutions, real estate, commercial lending, insurance, heavy industry, manufacturing, aviation, admiralty and maritime, chemical and energy, automotive, and chemical and mechanical engineering. The firm’s litigators are well-versed in class actions, labor and employment, cyber security, creditors’ rights, bankruptcy, government investigations, patents, and intellectual property.