Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck is pleased to announce seven elevations effective Jan. 1, 2024. Reid Galbraith (Denver), Radha Mohan (Washington, D.C.), Trayton Oakes (Denver), Courtney Shephard (Denver) and Eric Walther (Las Vegas) will become shareholders. Chris Hand (Denver) will become of counsel and Ari Zimmerman (Washington, D.C.) will become a policy director.
At Brownstein, clients receive access to the top legal minds in the industry, powerful policy knowledge and best-in-class business acumen to solve businesses’ toughest challenges. Brownstein is a law and lobbying firm that has been making moves for more than 55 years to stay at the vanguard of its industry. The firm is at the heart of many of the most important cases, the most significant deals and the country’s most pivotal legislation. At Brownstein—we’re all in.
Shareholders
Reid Galbraith, a member of the firm’s Real Estate Department, is an adept dealmaker with a diverse background in a variety of real estate asset classes. He is a trusted advisor to some of the nation’s most sophisticated real estate and hospitality companies in their most complex transactions. Focusing principally on the hospitality industry, Galbraith represents clients in connection with acquisition, disposition, finance, management, franchising and development—assisting his clients to achieve unparalleled results that only are possible with counsel who has stood in the shoes of all parties at the negotiating table, be it a brand, management company, buyer or seller.
Radha Mohan, a member of the firm’s Government Relations Department, translates Washington for companies with tax, education, workforce development and corporate social responsibility policy priorities, formulating their advocacy positions and brand narratives to resonate with lawmakers. She helps clients position themselves as thought leaders on important issues and develops proactive strategies to address them. She is plugged into the policymaking process and gathers political intelligence that enables companies to look around corners. While often presenting the “big picture” to her clients, she has the substantive expertise to engage directly with regulatory agencies and congressional offices when she identifies risks and opportunities to their business. Her creative approach to advocacy is used to overcome roadblocks in Congress and the administration.
Trayton Oakes, a member of the Corporate & Business Department, brings focus and extensive experience in representing clients in online gaming, sports betting, tribal gaming and other gaming-related commercial arrangements and regulatory matters. He has represented both U.S. brick-and-mortar casinos, and U.S. and foreign online gaming and sports betting operators and platform providers on online gaming, sports betting and sponsorship transactions as well as Indian gaming management and consulting agreements. Oakes has a strong understanding of the emerging legislative and regulatory structures in online gaming and sports betting. He assists clients with understanding and navigating these structures as well as applying for and obtaining gaming licenses and approvals from regulatory bodies.
Courtney Shephard, a member of the Natural Resources Department, counsels energy, mining and recreation companies on compliance with federal environmental laws and regulations, including the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Federal Land Policy and Management Act, Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act, and assists clients with more localized development challenges, such as wildlife mitigation and co-development strategies. Shephard also counsels clients on methane and carbon management issues, including regulatory compliance, pore space leasing and Class VI permitting. She represents clients in development planning, permitting and rulemaking proceedings before the Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission and handles administrative appeals within the Bureau of Land Management and before the Interior Board of Land Appeals.
Eric Walther, a member of the firm’s Litigation Department, focuses on complex commercial litigation and appellate law in his practice. His focus primarily includes representing clients in disputes involving securities, breach of contract, corporate governance and real property. He is frequently consulted for his expertise in appellate law, procedure and strategy. Along with his extensive district court experience, he regularly represents clients as lead counsel before Nevada’s appellate courts as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Having served as lead counsel on numerous successful appeals, he is a proven authority on appellate law and procedure, regardless of subject matter.
Of Counsel
Chris Hand, a member of the firm’s Corporate & Business Department, assists his clients with complex financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and other corporate matters. In his finance practice, he represents both lenders and borrowers in a broad range of secured and unsecured financing arrangements, including acquisition financings, asset-based revolving credit facilities, project financings and other middle-market credit facilities. He also advises issuers in connection with high-yield debt offerings.
Policy Director
Ari Zimmerman, a member of the firm’s Government Relations Department, is a chief strategist for the firm’s national defense practice. He excels at the intersection of national security policy and the associated budgetary processes, maximizing opportunities for his clients to partner with the U.S. government. He deploys advocacy strategies for critical and emerging technologies, defense contracting, and dual-use companies that capitalize on inflection points in the National Defense Authorization Act and annual appropriations processes. During his time on the House Armed Services Committee, Zimmerman saw firsthand how politics affects policy and funding outcomes. He is deeply familiar with the contemporary national security interests of the United States and which messages resonate with Democrats and Republicans on issues related to foreign affairs and U.S. national security.