KD Promotes Three to Equity Partner & Two to Partner, Elevates Four to Counsel, From Six Offices

(March 26, 2021, Woodbury, NY) — Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck LLP (KD), today announced that nine attorneys have been promoted, three to equity partner, two to partner and four to of counsel, in six offices. 

Ashley Klein (San Francisco), Erik Ortmann (Woodbury, NY) and Iram Valentin (Hackensack, NJ) have been promoted to equity partner, Jesse Drawas (Ft. Lauderdale) and John Lupton (Los Angeles) have been elevated to partner and Joseph Cobo (Ft. Lauderdale), Lauren Jones (San Francisco), Marrianne Taleghani (Sonoma) and Roland Vitanza (Woodbury, NY) have been promoted to of counsel.

“We are pleased that the new equity partners, partners and counsel come from six offices from coast to coast, include diverse attorneys and represent broad practice areas including insurance coverage, labor & employment, professional liability, general liability and real estate, indicative of the wide-ranging practice and geographic strengths of the firm,” said Michael A. Kaufman, co-managing partner of KD. “It is especially gratifying that these attorneys served their clients so well during a pandemic, never missing a beat. I’m sure they will all continue to grow and contribute to both our clients and the firm.”

New Equity Partners

•Ashley Klein, who joined KD in 2019 as a non-equity partner, is co-chair of the Real Estate Practice Group and newly named co-managing partner of the San Francisco and Sonoma offices. She focuses her practice on commercial and residential real estate litigation.

•Erik Ortmann, who joined KD in 2015 as a non-equity partner, is vice-chair of the Construction Practice Group and represents private and public owners, municipalities, general contractors, construction managers, design professionals, trade contractors and suppliers with respect to all aspects of construction law.

•Iram Valentin joined KD as an associate in 2006, left the firm as a non-equity partner in 2013 and returned as a non-equity partner in 2014. He is co-chair of the Professional Liability Practice Group, representing professionals and commercial and not-for-profit entities in various fields.

New Partners

•Jesse Drawas, who joined KD in 2019 as of counsel, concentrates his practice on labor and employment, bad faith, commercial litigation, professional liability (including directors & officers, attorneys, accountants, architects & engineers, and design professionals), homeowner/condominium association litigation and insurance coverage.

•John Lupton joined the firm in 2018 as of counsel and focuses his practice in business litigation, with an emphasis on the defense of legal malpractice cases and insurance litigation.

New Counsel

•Joseph Cobo joined the firm in 2019 as an associate. He concentrates his practice on state and federal civil litigation in the areas of employment and labor law and commercial litigation as well as healthcare law, professional malpractice litigation, and condominium and homeowners’ association law.

•Lauren Jones joined the firm in 2019 as an associate and focuses her practice on real property litigation, trust and probate litigation, and landlord-tenant matters and handles tenant buyout agreement negotiations and drafting and San Francisco Rent Board arbitrations.

•Marrianne Taleghani joined KD as an associate in 2020. She is a litigator who focuses her practice in real estate and professional liability. She has represented individuals, insurance companies, corporations, and real property owners in all stages of litigation.

•Roland Vitanza joined KD as an associate in 2016. He represents insurance carriers, municipalities, corporations, hospitals, emergency rescue services and religious institutions in the New York Metropolitan area regarding high exposure claims for bodily injury and property damage.