ATLANTA (November 11) – Kilpatrick announced today the election of 14 members to its partnership effective January 1, 2026. In addition, nine attorneys have been elevated to Counsel.

“This class exemplifies the Firm’s commitment to outstanding client service,” said Roger Wylie, Kilpatrick Managing Partner. “Each of them brings a keen, strategic perspective in being a true business partner with the iconic brands, trailblazing corporate entities, and expanding organizations we represent around the globe. Congratulations to each of them.”

Learn more about the standout 2026 Partner Class:

Sarah Beth Barnes is a Corporate attorney in Raleigh. She advises public and private companies on a wide range of corporate issues including mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, financing transactions, and other complex commercial transactions.

Stephanie Bedard is a Complex Commercial Litigation attorney in Atlanta. She focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation in both state and federal court. Stephanie's practice spans a range of practice areas, industries, and issues, including breach of contract disputes, class actions, complex fraud cases, trade secret misappropriation, and insurance disputes.

Kevin Bell is an Patent Litigation attorney in Denver. He focuses his practice on patent litigation, trademark litigation, and complex business litigation. Kevin has extensive experience in all aspects of federal district court litigation and International Trade Commission (ITC) investigations and trials.

John Brigagliano is a Cybersecurity, Privacy & Data Governance attorney in Atlanta. He focuses his practice on data privacy compliance, technology product counseling, biometric technologies, AI deployment, e-commerce, electronic signatures, and technology licensing and procurement.

Kendra Chapman is a Labor & Employment attorney in San Francisco. She regularly advises clients on all aspects of the employment relationship, including employment policies, best practices, compliance, and workplace investigation.

Lauren Emanuel is a Corporate attorney in Winston-Salem. She focuses her practice on investment management, private funds, and securities, including representation of institutional investors, investment advisers, and private equity, venture capital, and real estate funds.

Nathalie Machado is a Corporate attorney in Atlanta. She focuses her practice on domestic and international acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions. Nathalie regularly advises strategic buyers and French private equity-backed companies in connection with their U.S. business operations and M&A activities.

Yifan Mao is a Patent Prosecution attorney in Silicon Valley. She focuses her practice on patent counseling, prosecution, and due diligence matters in the agriculture, chemistry, and life sciences industries, focusing on areas relating to diagnostics, large molecule therapeutics, devices, sequencing, and bioinformatics.

San Parikh is an Employee Benefits attorney in Raleigh. He creatively resolves his clients’ challenging executive compensation and employee benefits issues. San's practice often involves navigating the complex executive compensation rules peppered throughout the tax code in Sections 409A and 280G among many others, ERISA’s rules governing employee benefit plans, its fiduciary rules and its plan assets regulations, the Affordable Care Act, and COBRA.

Payal Patel is a Corporate attorney in Chicago. Her practice spans all aspects of business and finance law, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and venture capital transactions. Payal works with an array of privately held companies in a variety of industries through all lifecycle stages, including privately held companies and their investors, family-owned businesses, start-ups, venture capitalists, private equity funds, and lenders.

Maeghan Whitehead is a Complex Commercial Litigation attorney in Dallas. She focuses her practice on counseling and advocating for businesses and individuals in complex commercial litigation, including fraud and breach of contract, products liability, telecommunications, and intellectual property disputes.

Bryan Wolin is a Trademark, Copyright & Advertising attorney in New York. His experience in advertising law includes advertising disputes before the National Advertising Division (NAD), litigation of advertising claims in federal courts nationwide, and advising clients on compliance with the NAD, FTC, and other applicable standards and guidelines. Bryan has also litigated trademark disputes in federal courts around the country.

Briggs Wright is a Trademark, Copyright & Advertising attorney in New York. He focuses his practice on trademark and copyright litigation, enforcement, and counseling. Briggs has represented clients across a wide spectrum of industries in every aspect of legal and administrative proceedings before federal courts, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and the U.S. International Trade Commission.

Shuang Yu is a trusted adviser to multinational clients in the Firm’s Greater China Brands Practice, based in New York and Shanghai. She focuses on cross border intellectual property protection, enforcement and portfolio management across Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Shuang played an instrumental role in founding the Beijing branch, leading efforts to recruit and develop its IP team and to establish the office’s operational foundation. Shuang's practice bridges legal and cultural frameworks, combining deep regional insight with global strategic perspective.

About Kilpatrick

Kilpatrick is trusted counsel to the world’s most innovative companies. To serve our ground-breaking clients, we strive to be at the forefront of client service and on the cutting edge of law and technology. With recognized strength in the technology sector and a full range of service offerings, we deliver practical, business-centric solutions built upon strong and enduring connections.

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