Promoted attorneys represent seven offices in four states
Frost Brown Todd (FBT) has promoted 18 attorneys to partner. This diverse group comprises attorneys from seven of the firm’s 16 markets, including offices in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Washington D.C. Their practices range from business combinations and capital transactions, public finance and commercial mortgage-backed securities to intellectual property, insurance and product liability litigation, and business litigation, among others.
FBT’s newest partner promotions are as follows:
Nathan J. Becht is a Louisville-based attorney with FBT’s commercial mortgage-backed securities practice group. Nathan represents lenders in originating commercial mortgage loans including loans secured solely or partially by leasehold collateral (ground leases), interests in fractured condominium regimes and other non-traditional real property collateral across all major commercial asset classes. He is experienced in complicated title, survey and zoning matters, including leading skilled teams of attorneys and other legal professionals handling title insurance, survey and zoning due diligence for large multi-property, cross-collateralized portfolio loans.
Bradford Butler is a Louisville-based attorney with FBT’s commercial finance practice group, and he serves as the co-chair of the firm’s multifamily housing team. Brad has extensive experience representing developers, investors, syndicators, and lenders across the country in the multifamily housing industry, particularly in the areas of affordable housing and historic preservation. He routinely advises developers and investors in the structuring and closing of new construction and rehabilitation deals involving state and federal low-income housing tax credits, historic rehabilitation tax credits, and multiple layers of financing.
Robert C. Cummings, III is a Northern Kentucky-based real estate attorney representing investors in a wide range of commercial real estate transactions. Bob has extensive experience representing developers in ground-up construction, purchasing and selling improved and unimproved real property, and refinancing properties utilizing a wide range of financing options. Prior to joining FBT, Bob gained extensive experience representing lenders in FHA insured transactions for multifamily and health care facilities. In addition to being an attorney, Bob has over 25 years of experience in the aviation industry as a pilot, instructor, check airman, and designated examiner.
Alexander S. Czanik is Cincinnati-based attorney, focusing on procurement, portfolio management, and enforcement of intellectual property. Alex assists clients in a variety of technology areas with the preparation and prosecution of U.S., international and foreign patent applications, including both utility and design patent applications. Additionally, he regularly conducts patentability, freedom-to-operate, and patent infringement investigations. Alex has experience in all phases of patent litigation.
Nathaniel T. Fowler is a Louisville-based defense attorney specializing in personal injury, property damage actions, and insurance claims. His practice covers a broad spectrum, including product liability, business litigation, premises liability, landlord-tenant disputes, exposure and risk analysis, and insurance coverage disputes. Nathaniel has successfully defended a wide variety of claims, ranging from minor accidents involving minimal injuries and property damage to catastrophic losses and fatalities. He has extensive experience with every phase of a case from pre-litigation risk evaluation all the way through trial support and the appellate process. Nathaniel’s background in various areas of the law and categories of claims provides critical insights in several key industries, including manufacturing, mobility, and supply chain.
Ariel M. Fox is a business litigation attorney in FBT’s Cincinnati office. She has represented individuals, corporations, and boards of directors in a variety of complex litigation, including contractual disputes, securities-related class actions, and other commercial litigation matters before federal and state courts. She frequently advises on pre-litigation matters and regulatory best practices and has extensive experience conducting internal and government investigations.
Nicolaus A. Gordon is a public finance attorney in the FBT’s Louisville office. Nic assists governmental entities, developers, and conduit borrowers seeking to access capital markets and leverage economic development incentives to finance public and private projects. Nic also regularly represents financial institutions underwriting public securities offerings, privately placing municipal debt, directly purchasing bonds, or providing liquidity or credit enhancement in various financial transactions. He also has experience advising market participants in general obligation and structured revenue financings in both tax-exempt and taxable bond markets.
Adam S. Ira is an attorney in FBT’s Indianapolis office who focuses his practice on defense of catastrophic losses and complex tort litigation, including product liability, fire & explosion litigation, and construction accidents. Adam has been admitted on examination to practice in Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. He has tried wrongful death, premises liability, commercial trucking, and foodborne illness cases to verdict.
Nolan M. Jackson is a nationally recognized litigation and regulatory attorney in FBT’s Washington, D.C. office. He has built his litigation practice handling complex matters, including appeals, in federal courts and state courts throughout Kentucky, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. As a key member of FBT’s manufacturing industry team, Nolan advises clients at all levels of the consumable goods supply chains, assisting them with federal and state law compliance, inspections and investigations, and administrative actions and commercial disputes.
Maria D. Kroeger is a Louisville-based attorney with FBT’s commercial finance practice group. Maria focuses her practice on the areas of affordable housing and historic preservation. Specifically, Maria works with equity investors, syndicators, developers and lenders to structure and close real estate transactions that leverage tax credits to finance housing and community development projects throughout the United States.
Joshua N. Kutch is an Indianapolis-based attorney who concentrates his practice in the area of construction and surety law, including litigation, contract preparation, review and negotiation, claims avoidance and general construction advice.
Carrie M. Mattingly is a business-litigation attorney in FBT’s Louisville office. She has represented business clients in a broad variety of commercial disputes including breach of contract, business torts, and other general commercial litigation matters. She has substantial experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in litigation, as well as advising clients on pre-litigation matters. In addition to her business-litigation practice, Carrie also has experience assisting clients with appellate and regulatory matters and internal investigations.
Elise N. McQuain is an attorney working out of FBT offices in Columbus, OH, and Charleston, WV. Elise focuses her practice on product, tort, and insurance litigation. She spent the early years of her practice representing both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of matters, allowing her to bring a unique and well-rounded perspective to her practice. Elise has significant experience guiding clients through litigation involving allegations of insurance bad faith and on insurance coverage disputes in various jurisdictions.
Zackary L. Stillings is an attorney in FBT’s Columbus office who specializes in complex commercial litigation from the inception of disputes through appeal. His experience includes cross-border and international litigation, commercial lending disputes, and business torts, among other types of commercial matters. Zack regularly practices before the federal and state courts in Ohio, but also maintains licenses in New York and Massachusetts.
Brice C. Smallwood is an attorney in the firm’s Cincinnati office where his practice is focused on representing and counseling employers in all aspects of employment law including litigation, traditional labor work, and administrative hearings. Brice has experience in keeping the workplace union-free and represents employers in labor claims before federal courts, the National Labor Relations Board, and arbitral forums. He also has experience in wrongful termination, wage and hour, and employment discrimination litigation.
Simon Y. Svirnovskiy is a Cincinnati-based attorney with the firm’s business litigation practice. He focuses on a broad range of litigation matters, including offensive and defensive trade secret and restrictive covenant disputes, contractual disputes, business torts, mediations, and arbitration. Simon assists clients in prosecuting and defending U.S.-based breach of contract, tort, trade secret, and restrictive covenant claims; drafting and answering pleadings and dispositive motions; conducting and responding to civil discovery; preparing for trial and appellate-level civil suits; and drafting and reviewing various agreements and waivers.
Samuel W. Wardle is a Louisville-based litigator who primarily focuses on complex insurance coverage and bad faith disputes. He has litigated insurance coverage defenses for underwriters in a wide variety of disputes in state and federal courts in Kentucky and elsewhere. As a former newspaper reporter, Sam is also passionate about media and open records law, and frequently represents Kentucky companies and individuals in defamation cases and open records disputes. Sam is heavily involved in public service and community organizations. He currently serves as Vice President/ Treasurer for the Louisville Bar Association. He also devotes a significant amount of time to pro bono work, including assisting in criminal expungements and representing asylum applicants; in 2023, he worked with a team of Frost Brown Todd attorneys who successfully persuaded the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn an immigration judge’s order denying asylum to a Honduran single mother.
Andreas S. V. Wokutch is a real estate attorney based in Louisville whose practice primarily involves business and real estate transactions, including corporate, real estate development, and leasing transactions, commercial contracting, construction agreements, and finance. While this practice involves a range of industries, Andreas frequently advises companies operating in the retail, multifamily, energy, healthcare, and construction sectors.