Winston & Strawn Names New Litigation and Transactions Department Co-Chairs

Chicago – February 26, 2024 – Winston & Strawn LLP today announced the appointment of new Litigation and Transactions Department leaders. Linda Coberly and Tom Melsheimer will serve as co-chairs of the Litigation Department, and Timothy Kincaid and Brad Vaiana will co-chair the Transactions Department.

The new leaders will begin serving in these roles in June 2024, when Steve D’Amore assumes the role of Firm Chair. They will work closely with Steve and his leadership team to implement critical components of the firm’s strategic growth in each department respectively.

For the next few months, Linda and Tom will work alongside outgoing Litigation Chairs Steve D’Amore and George Lombardi, who have co-led the department for almost 10 years. Under their tenure, the department deepened and diversified its trial bench, implemented a centralized staffing system to support junior associate growth and engagement, and launched the Winston Institute of Trial Advocacy (WITA), to ensure the succession of its trial bona fides for future generations. They also expanded the department’s platform by creating a stand-alone Product Liability and Mass Torts Practice Group and adding contentious regulatory practices including international trade, government contracts, healthcare, environmental, and tax controversy.

Tim and Brad will work with outgoing Transactions Department Chair Eva Davis (who will continue to serve in the firm’s Office of the Chair as managing partner for external affairs). Eva led the department for the last two years which saw the practice deliver strong results despite significant macro-economic headwinds facing the market. Under her guidance, the department invested strategically in talent, practices, and regions that complement the firm’s strengths while expanding the breadth and depth of its resources to address evolving client demands.

“These four partners have demonstrated a longstanding dedication to superior client service and have well-earned reputations of excellence in their respective areas of practice,” said Winston Chairman Tom Fitzgerald and Chair-Elect Steve D’Amore. “Their leadership will serve the firm well, and we look forward to working with them in implementing various goals in our strategic plan as we continue to expand our litigation and transactions services to clients globally.”

The new chairs are among the firm’s most accomplished leaders and are widely recognized as leading attorneys in their respective areas:

Linda Coberly (Chicago) is one of the nation’s top appellate lawyers and has led the firm’s Appellate & Critical Motions Practice for almost 20 years. She has argued nearly 70 appeals, including in the U.S. Supreme Court, eight federal courts of appeals, and a variety of state appellate and supreme courts. She leads strategic, motions-intensive litigation matters at the trial court level and has served in an appellate-lawyer-at-trial capacity in trial courts across the country. She is the former managing partner of the firm’s Chicago office and serves in a variety of leadership roles in the broader Chicago community. 

Tom Melsheimer (Dallas) is a nationally respected trial lawyer and has been a managing partner of Winston’s Dallas office since it opened in 2017. His jury trial experience is remarkably broad. On the civil side, he has tried to verdict cases involving patent infringement, insider trading, antitrust, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, product liability, and FCA violations. On the criminal side, he has tried to verdict cases involving bank fraud, health care fraud, and public corruption. Tom is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He also co-authored On the Jury Trial, a critically praised trial advocacy book.

Timothy Kincaid (Chicago) is co-chair of Winston’s Partner Compensation Committee and is chair of the Winston & Strawn Foundation. He has a proven track record of success in M&A and private equity deals. With clients ranging from private equity funds to strategic buyers, family funds, and individuals, he has handled numerous transactions including buyouts, divestitures, mergers and acquisitions, and capital-raising ventures. Tim has a particular focus representing clients in transactions for the middle market, with industry-focused experience in health care, life sciences, education, financial services, and other sectors.

Brad Vaiana (New York) has served as co-chair of the Private Equity Practice for the last nine years. He has extensive experience advising private equity sponsors, direct lenders, alternative asset managers, family offices, and private companies in connection with a wide range of transactions and corporate matters. He counsels clients in structuring, negotiating, documenting, and executing leveraged buyouts, take-private transactions, minority recapitalizations, growth equity investments, distressed and special situations, PIPE transactions, joint ventures, business combinations, and other commercial transactions. Brad also advises on the implementation and execution of exit strategies through divestitures, public offerings, and recapitalizations.