Barnes & Thornburg LLP has added new attorneys to its Chicago, Dallas, Indianapolis and Minneapolis offices:
Autumn C. Gear is an associate in the Minneapolis office and a member of the Government Services and Finance Department. Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg, she was a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Peter M. Reyes, Jr., of the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Gear earned her J.D., summa cum laude, from Michigan State University College of Law in 2016 and her B.S. from Michigan State University in 2011.
Amber M. Hammond, an associate in the Indianapolis office, is a member of the Litigation Department and Toxic Tort Practice Group. Hammond earned her J.D. from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2017, where she was an Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity Fellow, chief justice of the Black Law Students Association, minority prelaw advisor for Indiana University’s Prelaw Center, and a participant in the Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition. She earned her B.A.in human biology from Indiana University in 2014.
Benjamin T. Pendroff is a litigation associate in the Dallas office. Pendroff focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts. He has litigation and regulatory experience having represented clients in matters related to, securities fraud; patent infringement; trade secret misappropriation; Texas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act; breach of contract; workplace discrimination; unfair competition; tortious interference; and a variety of pro bono matters. In 2011, Pendroff earned his J.D., summa cum laude, from New York Law School. He graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in 1999.
James R. Vergara, an associate in the Chicago office, is a member of the Intellectual Property Department. Vergara has experience in preparing and prosecuting patent applications directed to complex software and electrical arts. He also has experience in conducting prior art searches, patent mining, and performing patent portfolio due diligence for mergers and acquisitions. Prior to becoming an attorney, Vergara worked as a software verification developer for Delphi-Delco Electronics Software Verification Lab, programming test scripts for automotive devices. In 2012, Vergara earned his J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law. He graduated from Purdue University in 2005 with a B.S. in computer science.
Erica L. Woebse is an associate in the Indianapolis office and a member of the firm’s Healthcare Department. Woebse counsels clients on compliance with federal and state healthcare laws and regulations. She assists with HIPAA compliance, including by drafting HIPAA policies and procedures; training privacy and security officers; and guiding clients through HIPAA breaches. Woebse also counsels clients on compliance with the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Stark Law, the requirements for participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs, and other state and federal laws and regulations. She is a Certified Information Privacy Professional. Woebse earned her J.D., cum laude, from William & Mary Law School and her B.A., summa cum laude, from Tulane University as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
With more than 600 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from 13 offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Delaware, Indiana, Los Angeles, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.
