Maynard Elevates Nine Attorneys Across National Footprint

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (January 6, 2021) — Maynard & Gale (Maynard) is pleased to announce the promotion of nine attorneys, effective January 1, 2021: Bo Bledsoe, Ashlee Riopka Elrod, Brandi Maiorino, Virginia McKibbens, Matt Parker, Stephen Rogers, Allie Tucker, and Lindsay Whitworth were promoted as shareholders, and Cindy Mekari Rucker was promoted to partner.

“These attorneys are an integral part of what makes Maynard grow and thrive in the industry,” said Jeff Grantham, Managing Shareholder. “They have consistently displayed the values of excellence, teamwork, integrity, service and loyalty in their work. Their strong commitment has earned them the position of shareholder and we take pride in recognizing them and watching their future contributions to the Firm.”

Bo Bledsoe is a member of Maynard’s Litigation Practice, where he focuses on complex litigation, products liability, and real estate and title insurance. He handles a wide range of commercial and real estate litigation in state and federal courts throughout the country, representing a diverse group of clients, including financial institutions, manufacturers, insurers, and developers. Bo has significant experience representing automobile manufacturers with respect to franchise and licensing issues, and in the products liability arena, he serves as national coordinating counsel for a Fortune 500 company overseeing the management of its nationwide products liability docket. Bo received his J.D. cum laude from the University of Alabama School of Law, and he holds a B.W.E. summa cum laude from Auburn University. Bo practices out of Maynard’s Birmingham office.

Ashlee Riopka Elrod focuses her practice on defending insurers, third-party administrators, plan administrators, plan sponsors, and employers in a variety of complex group insurance-related plan coverage matters. As a member of the Insurance & Financial Services and ERISA & Group Insurance Litigation practices, Ashlee has extensive ERISA litigation experience and experience defending insurers in life and disability bad faith matters, including individual and class actions nationwide. Best Lawyers recently recognized Ashlee among their Ones to Watch for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and Insurance Law for 2021. Ashlee received her J.D. cum laude from the University of Alabama School of Law, and she holds a B.A. summa cum laude from Auburn University. Ashlee practices out of Maynard’s Birmingham office.

Brandi Norred Maiorino is a member of Maynard’s Real Estate & Financial Services Practice, where she focuses on advising developers and investors on commercial real estate projects throughout the Southeast. Her practice includes all aspects of commercial real development and covers a wide range of deal sizes and property types for both owners and tenants. From highly complex shopping center development to addressing unique issues facing small shop tenants, Brandi is skilled at keeping various parts of the deal moving forward. She received her J.D. from Cumberland School of Law, and she holds a B.A. from Jacksonville State University. Brandi practices out of Maynard’s Nashville office.

Virginia T. McKibbens is a member of Maynard’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice. She counsels public and private companies in all aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation, including the design, implementation, and correction of tax-qualified retirement plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans, cash and equity-based incentive programs, severance plans, employment agreements, and health and other welfare benefit plans. Virginia has significant experience advising clients on compliance with Section 409A and ERISA and navigating IRS and DOL correction programs. She also has broad experience assisting clients with the complex employee benefit plan and executive compensation issues involved in mergers and acquisitions, including due diligence, the integration and termination of benefit plans and programs, and other issues associated with changes in control. She received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, and she holds a B.A. summa cum laude from the University of Alabama. Virginia practices out of Maynard’s Birmingham office.

Matthew Parker, Ph.D., is a member of Maynard’s Intellectual Property & Technology and Corporate practice groups, where he advises both established and emerging companies in a variety of technology-intensive sectors, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, SaaS, healthcare, gaming, and other online business models. Matt’s experience includes complex licensing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and supply, distribution and reseller arrangements. As a complement to his transactional IP practice, Matt also assists clients with the preparation and prosecution of patent applications, particularly in the life sciences, and trademark applications. Best Lawyers recently recognized Matt among their Ones to Watch for Corporate Law and Intellectual Property Law for 2021. He earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in immunology from the University of Florida College of Medicine. Matt received his J.D. from Emory University School of Law, and he holds a B.S. in Microbiology & Cell Science from the University of Florida. Matt practices out of Maynard’s Huntsville office.

Stephen Rogers is an experienced litigator. His practice is focused in the areas of Correctional Litigation, General Litigation, Complex Litigation, and Construction Litigation. He represents clients in various matters including civil rights litigation in class actions throughout the country, medical malpractice actions, and breach of contract suits in the construction industry. Stephen received his J.D. magna cum laude from Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law. He holds a M.A. from the University of Alabama and a B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Memphis. Stephen practices out of Maynard’s Huntsville office.

Allie Tucker is a member of the Firm’s Real Estate & Finance Services Practice. She concentrates on representing financial institutions and developers in structuring, documenting, securing, and closing all types of commercial transactions. Allie represents developers and businesses in acquiring, selling, leasing, and constructing commercial real estate, including office, retail, industrial, manufacturing, and warehouse properties. Allie’s representation of financial institutions includes closing commercial real estate and construction loans, asset-based lines of credit, and government contractor financing. She also represents a number of homebuilders in connection with the initial development and acquisition of residential subdivisions. Allie was recently recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for Real Estate Law for 2021. She received her J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law, and she holds an M.B.A from the Manderson Graduate School of Business and a B.A. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Allie practices out of Maynard’s Huntsville office.

Lindsay Whitworth is a member of Maynard’s Real Estate Practice. She has significant experience handling all aspects of real estate transactions and the complex issues that often arise during real estate projects. Lindsay represents developers through property acquisition, financing, construction, and property management. She also represents lenders on construction and permanent financing deals and has extensive knowledge of and experience conducting thorough due diligence in a wide range of matters. Lindsay’s background includes time spent with one of the largest retail specialty chains in America, where she managed a sizable lease portfolio. Best Lawyers recognized Lindsay among their Ones to Watch for Real Estate Law 2021. Lindsay received her J.D. magna cum laude from Cumberland School of Law, and she holds a B.A. summa cum laude from Auburn University. Lindsay practices out of Maynard’s Birmingham office.

Cindy Mekari Rucker is an experienced litigator and a member of the Firm’s Insurance & Financial Services Practice. She represents corporations in managed care litigation as well as matters relating to life, health, and disability coverage. Cindy negotiates and resolves ERISA/Non-ERISA claim disputes for her clients while managing the daily tasks related to ERISA and bad faith liability actions through all stages of litigation. She also has experience representing carriers in individual claims and sales practice cases in state and federal courts throughout California. Fluent in Arabic, Cindy has been recognized as a Top 50 California Super Lawyers®. She received her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, and she holds a B.S. from the University of Southern California. Cindy practices out of Maynard’s Los Angeles office. Maynard practices law in California through Maynard & Gale, LLP.

About Maynard

Maynard & Gale (Maynard) is a full-service law firm of more than 300 attorneys across a national footprint. Our entrepreneurial culture inspires collaboration among our attorneys, resulting in comprehensive legal solutions and seamless client experiences. Maynard serves clients across the United States and globally from its offices in Alabama (Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, and Montgomery), California (Los Angeles and San Francisco), Florida (Miami), New York (New York City), Tennessee (Nashville), Texas (Dallas), and Washington, D.C. For more information on the Firm, visit maynardcooper.com.