Thompson Coburn Accelerates Expansion With Two Partners and Chief Legal Recruiting Officer

Continuing its growth trajectory, Thompson Coburn LLP this week added partners in Los Angeles and welcomed a key legal recruiting hire to the Chicago office.

Joining the firm are the following partners:

• Yael Tobi, who brings her complex commercial litigation practice to the firm, handles a vast array of civil and criminal matters, encompassing business litigation, white-collar defense, intellectual property, entertainment and real estate disputes. Tobi has a particular focus on representing international clients and has an established Israeli practice that will enhance the firm’s existing practice. She is the former West Coast litigation chair for Munck Wilson Mandala.
• Michael Rosenblum was most recently general counsel for STIIIZY Inc., a vertically integrated cannabis company that owns and operates the nation's top-selling cannabis brand. Rosenblum was previously with Thompson Coburn and returns as a corporate and securities partner, advising public and private companies on regulatory and transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate, and financing transactions.

Chief Legal Recruiting Officer Emily Berttucci joins from Clark Hill, where she headed attorney recruitment efforts for the global firm, which has seen extensive growth during her tenure. Emily earned her J.D. from the Chicago-Kent College of Law and a B.S. from the University of Illinois.

“Our new LA partners will expand and enhance the services we offer to clients, and we are excited about the energy and strategic guidance our new head of legal talent will bring to recruiting efforts,” firm Chair Roman Wuller said.

On Berttucci’s addition, Chief Operating Officer Allen Capdeboscq noted, “Our people are at the core of everything we do, and we know that having the right leaders in place to shape and drive our strategy will allow us to better serve our clients’ evolving needs. Emily is that right leader.”

Tobi and Rosenblum expand a growing Los Angeles presence, led by office Managing Partner Jennifer Post. “Yael and Michael both have incredible — and incredibly diverse — experience, with Yael on the front lines of civil litigation and Michael advising companies on an array of corporate matters. Our clients will benefit from their strategic, efficient and effective approaches to the most complex legal challenges. And our office will be stronger for their enthusiasm and collaborative spirit. We are excited to welcome them to our LA team,” said Post.

On joining the firm, Tobi said, “The quality of Thompson Coburn’s litigation bench, which is driven by legal talent across wide-ranging industry-focused practices, made the firm a great choice. I look forward to joining the dynamic Los Angeles office and helping clients solve their most sensitive business issues and disputes.”

“Having been an associate at the firm, and then a firm client, I am well aware of Thompson Coburn's unique offerings," said Rosenblum. "The firm has an exceptional culture and a deep roster of talented attorneys who have integrity and provide industry-leading services at reasonable rates. As a full-service firm with seven offices across the country, Thompson Coburn's value proposition for clients and lateral attorneys is unmatched. I'm excited to bring my general counsel and business perspective to our national team.”

The new partners' arrival comes quickly on the heels of five partner additions this year, including labor and employment partners Genevieve LeFevour, Carlos Ortiz and Art Silberberg, as well as tax partner Nick Kappas and real estate litigator Tina Bird.

The volume of additions and robust pipeline for the rest of 2023 are indicative of what Wuller recently characterized in The American Lawyer as “smart growth.” The addition of Berttucci to lead legal recruiting underscores that focus.

In the past nine months, the firm has onboarded three new executives. Berttucci is the latest C-suite addition, preceded by Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer Trish Lilley in January and Capdeboscq in November 2022.