McAfee & Taft, Oklahoma’s largest law firm, has named attorneys Rachel Blue, Vickie J. Buchanan, Spencer W. Haines, Gerald L. Hilsher, Richard P. Hix, Rodney K. Hunsinger, II, and Rusty N. LaForge as shareholders, effective January 1, 2011. The announcement was made by managing director Richard D. Nix.
Rachel Blue
is a veteran intellectual property attorney whose practice is primarily focused on trademark clearance and prosecution, opposition and cancellation proceedings and enforcement, as well as the licensing of all types of intellectual property. A portion of her practice is also dedicated to franchise law, unfair competition matters and entertainment law. Prior to joining McAfee & Taft, Rachel was a partner with a Tulsa-based law firm.
Vickie J. Buchanan
is a trial lawyer whose practice encompasses a wide range of business-related litigation in state and federal courts, as well as in commercial arbitration. Her experience includes representing clients in class action and multiple party lawsuits and disputes involving insurance, banking, bankruptcy, family law, mass torts, products liability, real estate and employment matters. Prior to joining McAfee & Taft, Vickie was a director with another large civil practice law firm in Oklahoma.
Spencer W. Haines
is a tax and family wealth lawyer whose practice includes tax planning for corporations, partnerships, and individuals; wealth transfer tax planning; local, state and federal taxation; Section 1031 tax-deferred transactions; and tax structuring of complex business transactions. He has been a certified public accountant since 1999 and holds a master’s degree in taxation from New York University.
Gerald L. Hilsher
is a seasoned litigator whose trial and appellate practice is focused on complex commercial and intellectual property litigation, business torts, environmental litigation and select white-collar criminal defense, including environmental crimes, Medicare fraud, bank fraud, and violations of the False Claims Act. His extensive career experience includes serving as a criminal prosecutor, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Law Enforcement at the U.S. Treasury Department, federal adjunct settlement judge, and as a lawyer in private practice with another Oklahoma law firm.
Richard P. Hix
is a senior trial attorney who has successfully represented clients in major litigation in state and federal courts, as well as arbitration, throughout the United States. In addition to handling all phases of large-scale civil litigation as well as appeals in both the state and federal court systems, he has extensive experience serving as a mediator. Prior to joining McAfee & Taft, Richard was a partner with another Oklahoma-based civil practice law firm.
Rodney K. Hunsinger, II
is a trial lawyer whose state and federal litigation practice is focused on general civil defense litigation and business and commercial litigation. His experience includes the representation of clients in class action lawsuits, disputes involving mass torts, product liability, aviation, banking and finance, construction, oil and gas, insurance defense litigation, automobile dealership law and regulation, and other general litigation matters. He has developed specific expertise in the areas of aviation defense, automobile dealership defense, and the defense of wrongful death and serious injury claims.
Rusty LaForge
is a corporate lawyer whose practice is primarily concentrated on regulatory and transactional matters affecting banks, bank holding companies and other financial institutions. His career experience includes serving as director of investor relations for a large publicly-traded financial services holding company and as director of finance for the Office of Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating.