In the first quarter of 2022, six associate attorneys joined Michael Best in a number of practice groups including corporate, intellectual property, litigation and Venture Best.

Nathan Dillon joined as an associate in the firm’s Litigation practice located in Broomfield, Colorado. He assists clients with all aspects of dispute resolution up to and including courtroom litigation. As a former prosecutor in the Denver City Attorney’s Office, Dillon managed a heavy docket with hundreds of active cases, handling them through all stages of litigation from arraignment to trial. He is experienced with drafting and reviewing dispositive and non-dispositive motions, evidentiary hearings, and first and second chair trial experience. Dillon earned his J.D. in 2019 from the University of Colorado Law School and his B.A. in English Literature from the University of Colorado in 2011.

Emily McGovern joined Michael Best as an associate in the firm’s Venture Best practice group from the Chicago office. McGovern represents emerging companies, founders, and investors at the intersection of law, technology, and venture, assisting clients through various stages of start-up development, from initial capitalization, to venture capital financing, to exit. She has experience working with clients in various industries, including the finance and banking, agtech, and fintech sectors. McGovern earned her J.D. from Washington University School of Law in 2018, then went on to obtain her Master of Law from Duke University School of Law in 2019. She received her B.A. in Economics and International/Global Studies from the University of Iowa in 2015.

Matthew Parker, an associate in the Intellectual Property group in the firm’s Raleigh office, focuses his practice on obtaining patent protection for mechanical and electro-mechanical technologies. Parker is particularly knowledgeable with regard to innovations in the agriculture sector. He is co-founder of a start-up company based around his patent-pending sorting machine that removes debris from pine straw. Parker also spent nearly a decade as a livestock farm manager and consultant, and during this time he designed and modified various infrastructure elements, implements, and equipment. His undergraduate studies focused on agricultural and environmental engineering, including a minor in soil science. Parker received his J.D. from Campbell University, Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law as Valedictorian in 2021. He earned his B.S. in Biological Engineering from North Carolina State University in 2018.

Alex Peterson joined as an associate in the firm’s Corporate practice group in the Madison, Wisconsin office. Peterson assists clients with a range of corporate, transactional, and other business matters. He began his career with Michael Best as a summer associate and joined the firm as an associate after earning his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2021. While pursuing his J.D., Alex was a legal intern for Cook County Judge James McGing and gained experience as a student associate at the University of Wisconsin Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic. Peterson earned his B.S. in finance from Butler University in 2018.

Sean Smestad joined Michael Best as a senior associate in the Corporate practice group in the Chicago office. He assists clients with a range of transactional matters, including mergers, acquisitions, tax restructuring, debt and equity financing, repatriation planning, and more. He has significant experience drafting and negotiating the tax aspects of contracts such as purchase agreements, including representations and warranties, forward-looking covenants, tax allocation provisions, and joint venture agreements between U.S. and foreign parties. Smestad achieved his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2014. He earned his B.A. in Biology at Harvard University in 2006 and received his Master of Law in Taxation from New York University School in 2017.

Liz Trower joined Michael Best as an associate in the Corporate group working in the firm’s Denver office. Trower counsels clients on privacy and data security matters including compliance with applicable data privacy regulations and implementation of proactive cybersecurity measures. She also helps guide clients through all aspects of data security incidents. Trower holds the Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US) credential through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. She earned her J.D. in 2019 from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and obtained her B.A., cum laude, in Political Science from the University of Southern California in 2011.