United States: Tales From the Trenches

William (Bill) Dugan is a partner in Baker McKenzie’s Employment and Compensation Practice Group, residing in Chicago and New York, chair of the US Disputes Employment Group, co-chair of the North American Employment Disputes Group, and a member of the Steering Committee for the North American Employment and Compensation Practice. Bill has been recognized as a leader in labor and employment law by Chambers, he has been repeatedly recognized for his superior litigation defense in Super Lawyers, and Legal 500 has stated that Bill is a “master in the art of defending corporations in litigation.” Bill represents management in complex litigation in federal and state courts and other tribunals throughout the United States, including trade secret and restrictive covenant matters, class and collective actions, and labor arbitrations. Bill also counsels employers on a wide range of Labor and Employment issues.

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Joe is an experienced trial attorney with broad experience across various industries including energy, technology, manufacturing, and consumer goods and retail, to name a few. A significant portion of Joe's practice involves complex commercial and business disputes. He represents national and multinational companies in single-plaintiff cases, class actions, MDLs, and other coordinated proceedings in state and federal courts and private arbitration. Joe is admitted to practice in California and Georgia.

Jacob M. Kaplan is a partner in Baker McKenzie, New York. He focuses on international litigation and arbitration, and has participated in several high-profile contract and financial services cases. Before joining the Firm, he clerked for the Honorable Milton Pollack of the Southern District of New York and interned for the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Christine Streatfeild is a partner in the IPTech Practice Group. She has a broad range of trade, regulatory, and litigation experience, most frequently representing clients in antidumping and countervailing duty cases, safeguard measures, duties imposed for national security purposes (Section 232 duties), and Section 337 intellectual property and trade secrets disputes. She appears before the US International Trade Commission (ITC), US Department of Commerce (DOC), and the federal courts. She also routinely advises companies regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on issues affecting mergers, acquisitions, licensing, and compliance. Prior to joining Baker McKenzie, Ms. Streatfeild served as the acting deputy director of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and in the Environment and Natural Resources division of the Office of the United States Trade Representative. She has also served as an adjunct professor at the Krieger School, Johns Hopkins University, where she taught Global Trade, Policy and Competition.

Alexander G. Davis represents domestic and multinational corporations and individuals involved in complex commercial litigation as well as internal and white-collar investigations. Prior to joining Baker McKenzie, Alex practiced law in both a large international law firm and a California-based firm. He also served as a law clerk to United States District Judge Robert B. Kugler of the District of New Jersey.

Sara Pitt is an associate in Baker McKenzie's Los Angeles office and a member of the Firm's Litigation and Government Enforcement practice. She represents foreign and domestic corporations involved in high-stakes commercial litigation, with a focus on cross-border disputes.

Erin Shields is an associate in Baker McKenzie’s Los Angeles office and is a member of the Firm’s Litigation and Government Enforcement practice. She is a member of the Firm's North America Trade Secrets Practice Group. She joined the Firm in 2021 upon graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles.