NEW YORK, March 15, 2021—David M. Hryck, Christopher W. Healy and C. Neil Gray have joined Duane Morris LLP’s New York office as partners in the firm’s Corporate and Trial practice groups. Economist Theodor van Stephoudt will join Duane Morris as well. The attorneys and van Stephoudt join the firm from Reed Smith LLP.
[Update: On March 23, 2021, Duane Morris further expanded its New York office with the addition of Corporate partner Hernan Gonzalez Moneta.]
“I am always thrilled when a team decides to join us, and their contributions to our clients and firm will generate even more momentum and opportunities for collaboration and growth,” said Matthew A. Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Duane Morris. “Our firm is healthy, growing and we are executing our strategic plan to expand our capabilities in key practice areas by adding the right mix of partners and practitioners to our already-terrific NYC organization. Our 2020 combination with Satterlee Stephens has proven to be seamless, productive and enriching to our culture. With David, Chris and Neil, we are initiating an exciting new chapter for Duane Morris.”
“At every level, from management to staff, we have already felt the collegial and collaborative nature of the firm,” said Hryck. “We look forward to contributing to the firm’s growth and working with our colleagues to establish mutually beneficial opportunities for our clients.”
“We’re excited to be joining a firm as strategically managed as Duane Morris,” said Healy. “The sophisticated, knowledgeable and achievable plans laid out for the firm’s growth demonstrate a deep understanding of the legal industry and high level of business acumen.”
“We are on an exciting trajectory in New York and expect to once again seamlessly integrate a talented group into Duane Morris to expand our collective business base and the capabilities we offer to clients,” said James J. Coster, co-managing partner of the Duane Morris New York office. “We are excited to collaborate with our new colleagues, who join us shortly after our combination with Satterlee Stephens, as we continue our significant growth in New York,” added Michael D. Grohman, co-managing partner of the Duane Morris New York office.
David M. Hryck advises clients on the tax and business aspects of structuring their investments for maximum profitability and has in-depth experience with international investments and various licensing structures. He represents celebrities, entertainers, designers, global companies, individuals and international families. Hryck has international proficiency with corporations as well as individuals across the globe, and is recognized for his long track record of structuring transactions. He is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian and French and has a working knowledge of Mandarin. Hryck is an adviser, board member and mentor to several trusts and global charities. Currently, he serves as a trustee on various trusts of his clients. Hryck serves on the board of directors of the Amy Winehouse Foundation, and is a board member of the Happy Hearts Fund, founded by fashion model Petra Nemcova. He is a world fellow of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for Excellence Fund, founded by HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and travels regularly to royal occasions around the world, advising on international interaction in Third World countries. Hryck also served as a U.S. member of the Duke’s Business Advisory Group, headed by HRH Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex. He is also a board member of the Lifeline Humanitarian Organization, founded by TRH Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia. Hryck is on the board of the Nat King Cole Generation Hope, Inc. He is also a board member of the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development, which was founded by Vuk Jeremic, president of the United Nations General Assembly for the 67th Session. Hryck joined the board of directors of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, founded by world-renowned concert pianist Lang Lang. He serves on the board of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award founded by HRH Prince Philip and chaired by HRH Prince Edward.
Hryck is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M., with high honors, 1994), Western Michigan University (J.D., cum laude, 1993) and the University of Scranton (B.S., 1989).
Christopher W. Healy represents litigants in commercial, financial services, mass tort, insurance, bad faith and products liability litigation, serving as trial and national counsel in a variety of complex and individual matters. He has defended, managed and litigated a wide variety of cases in state and federal courts across the country, including serving as litigation counsel to several medical products companies, trial counsel to a large hedge fund, counsel to a major pharmaceutical manufacturer and counsel in 9/11-related World Trade Center litigation. Healy has also successfully handled consumer product class actions, insurance coverage actions and financial institution actions involving breach of contract, insurance sales practices, medical devices, and product and design defects, as well as toxic and environmental exposures, trade secrets and punitive/exemplary damages. He has been involved in all aspects of strategic planning, both before and after litigation has commenced, and has extensive experience in all aspects of pre-trial discovery and motion practice, including all phases of expert discovery, electronic discovery and deposition discovery. Healy has substantial experience in litigating and/or arbitrating commercial insurance and reinsurance coverage disputes. He also counsels clients on a wide range of risk assessment and insurance-related issues and topics, including commercial insurance coverage, D&O liability and insurance, property insurance, insurance placements and renewals, reinsurance, product safety and warnings, labeling and mass tort liability issues. Healy has advised a number of clients in the context of corporate and transactional due diligence regarding mass tort liabilities, corporate structure issues, insurance and risk management.
Healy is a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans School of Law (J.D., 1993) and the College of the Holy Cross (B.A., 1989).
C. Neil Gray has substantial experience in complex commercial litigation, including derivative and class actions, contract disputes, business torts and shareholder litigation stemming from various business combinations, and represents a broad range of financial institutions, insurance companies, global and domestic manufacturers and service providers and individuals. His primary practice area includes financial services litigation. Gray has represented a broad group of financial institutions, issuers and individuals in connection with federal and state actions under the securities laws, as well as regulatory and enforcement matters. This includes numerous actions under the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Gray works with investment advisers and their affiliates on corporate governance, compliance, regulatory, litigation and enforcement matters. He represents clients in connection with technology, fintech, blockchain and digital currency regulatory and contested matters. In addition, Gray has worked with a diverse array of industries in connection with his antitrust and competition practice, including generic pharmaceuticals, heavy-duty trucks, medical devices and supplies, home and commercial security and safety solutions, and petroleum.
Gray is a graduate of Albany Law School (J.D., magna cum laude, 1999), where he was executive editor for business of the Albany Law Review, and St. Lawrence University (B.A., cum laude, 1994).
Theodor van Stephoudt has extensive experience working with clients in providing assistance in the development of transfer pricing documentation, the planning of appropriate intercompany prices and the valuation of intangibles, tangible assets and entities for tax purposes. Van Stephoudt has defended clients in tax audits conducted by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and tax authorities in Europe and in Asia. His clients include multinational companies with cross-border, intra-group transactions. Van Stephoudt has advised clients of all sizes, from smaller startup companies to very large, well-known global multinational corporations. He has analyzed intercompany pricing and fee structures for various industry sectors, including manufacturing, high-tech and financial services, and provided analyses regarding royalty rates, including brand name royalties and related tax and transfer pricing advice. Van Stephoudt has developed management fee systems for clients in a number of industries and has assisted clients in determining the most advantageous location for intangibles/value drivers. He has also advised clients in obtaining advance pricing agreements on a bilateral and unilateral basis. Van Stephoudt advised on bilateral advance pricing agreements with Switzerland, Germany, Denmark and Norway. He has valued trademarks, technologies, startup companies, other tangible and intangible assets and entire corporations. Van Stephoudt has assisted in due diligence processes to evaluate potential transfer pricing risks. He has presented at tax and transfer pricing forums, and his articles on transfer pricing have been published in both English and German magazines.
Van Stephoudt is a graduate of Dartmouth College (M.B.A., 1996) and RWTH Aachen University (1985).
About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP provides innovative solutions to today’s multifaceted legal and business challenges through the collegial and collaborative culture of its more than 800 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally. The firm represents a broad array of clients, spanning all major practices and industries.
