Denise Carkhuff and Adrienne Ferraro Mueller named among "Notable Women in Law" by Crain's Cleveland Business

Denise Carkhuff and Adrienne Ferraro Mueller have been named among Crain's Cleveland Business' 2024 "Notable Women in Law." The list honors the top women in law in Cleveland who have demonstrated excellence, leadership, and impact in their profession and community.

A partner in the Firm's Private Equity Practice, Ms. Carkhuff has led M&A and private equity transactions for more than 28 years. Her experience includes diverse industries, jurisdictions, and deal structures, and she has experience in the full life cycle of a company (from formation, capital raising, dividend recapitalizations, IPOs, sales, and dissolutions). With a practice focusing on representing private equity funds such as Blue Point Capital Partners, Cortec Group, Huron Capital, Kinzie Capital, and Morgan Stanley Private Equity, Ms. Carkhuff represents portfolio companies of private equity funds as well. Ms. Carkhuff is a co-founder and leader of RRAIN (Recruitment, Retention, Advancement in Networking), the Firm's women's group in the Cleveland Office, and a member of In Counsel With Women, an invitation-only networking group for top women leaders in Northeast Ohio. In the community, she is a member of the boards of the Achievement Centers for Children and First Tee.

Ms. Mueller is a partner in the Securities Litigation & SEC Enforcement Practice and has a broad range of experience defending companies and their officers and directors in securities and shareholder litigation. She has defended corporations and their officers and directors in paramount legal matters, including litigation threatening to stall transformative deals, multibillion-dollar securities fraud actions, and significant governmental investigations. Ms. Mueller has secured notable wins on dispositive motions and brokered favorable settlements for a number of significant public companies. Frequently collaborating in the M&A space, she recently argued before the Delaware Supreme Court on behalf of the former directors of a building materials company in litigation arising out of its merger with a foreign competitor. The Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's dismissal. Ms. Mueller serves as Administrative Partner for the Cleveland Office and is a member of the office's Recruiting and Diversity, Inclusion & Advancement (DIA) committees and the Firmwide Associate Training Committee. Outside of the Firm, she serves on the board of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center and as chair of its Governance Committee.