Four WilmerHale attorneys, representing four practice areas, are among Law360's "Rising Stars" for 2022. The annual recognition features the profession's top legal talent under age 40. Winners were selected based on their career accomplishments, according to the publication. Law360 will profile the following attorneys in the coming weeks.
- Zachary Goldman, partner (New York), Fintech Rising Star
- Philip Beshara, counsel (Washington DC), Government Contracts Rising Star
- Andrew Danford, partner (Boston), Intellectual Property Rising Star
- Jeffrey Kessler, partner (Washington DC), International Trade Rising Star
Goldman, a partner in WilmerHale’s New York office, has built an international reputation as leading authority on the regulatory framework applying to digital assets, and on AML and sanctions regulatory issues. Since joining WilmerHale in 2018, Goldman's practice has focused on financial crime and fintech issues, with a particular focus on cryptocurrency, distributed ledger technology, financial sanctions and anti–money laundering (AML). Goldman serves as a trusted advisor for the financial services sector, in particular cryptocurrency and digital asset companies, where he advises on a wide range of regulatory issues that affect virtual currency exchanges, investors, traders, wallet providers, protocol and software developers, token issuers, non-fungible token (NFT) issuers and platforms, and others.
Beshara, counsel in the firm's Washington DC office, advises and represents clients in matters at the cornerstone of the public and private sectors, including government contract disputes and litigation, investigations, and government affairs. He also advises on a variety of regulatory compliance issues and corporate transactions for clients in the defense, national security, technology and government contracting spaces. Beshara has represented government contractors in dozens of bid protest matters at the US Court of Federal Claims, the Government Accountability Office, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and at both federal and state contracting agencies.
Danford, a partner in WilmerHale's Boston office, focuses his practice in all stages of litigation—from pre-suit investigations through discovery, summary judgment, trial and appeal. His recent work has taken him to many important trial venues, including several bench and jury trials in federal district courts in Delaware, California, Texas and Wisconsin. He also has deep experience in appeals, and has appeared numerous times before the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, including presenting oral argument this past year, as well as before the US Supreme Court.
Kessler, located in the firm's Washington DC office, is a partner in WilmerHale’s International Trade Practice, where he handles some of the most high-profile work in the international trade arena. Kessler originally joined the firm in 2011 and rejoined in 2021 after serving for two years as Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance at the US Department of Commerce, the chief trade enforcement official for the US Executive Branch. At WilmerHale, Kessler represents US manufacturers in high-profile trade remedy cases, including those related to fertilizer products, softwood lumber, and chemicals and plastics products. He advises on both the legal and the political aspects of such cases.