Five McGuireWoods partners are singled out by corporate counsel for client service excellence on BTI Consulting Group’s 2022 Client Service All-Stars list. The annual report honors attorneys “who stand above all the others in delivering the absolute best in client service.”
All-Stars were selected based on unprompted feedback from top legal decision makers at companies with $700 million or more in annual revenue.
Richmond deputy managing partner Joanne Katsantonis and partner Joseph K. Reid III were named Client Service All-Star MVPs for making the client service list a second time.
Katsantonis is McGuireWoods’ deputy managing partner for development and former chair of the energy industry team. She is a strategic adviser to energy companies — from public utilities and independent power producers to financial investors — and handles some of the most sophisticated M&A deals in the energy industry. She also acts as general corporate adviser on matters including corporate structuring, governance issues, partnership and joint venture issues, and compliance and risk management.
“Joanne is client focused and works hard to help us meet our goals,” a client told BTI.
Reid is a nationally recognized trial attorney, energy regulatory lawyer and client counselor with more than 28 years of experience in civil and administrative litigation. He sits on the firm’s Executive Committee and is former chair of its Regulatory & Compliance Department, frequently leading teams of lawyers representing some of the country’s largest energy companies and their electric and gas utilities.
Clients praised Reid for his commitment to solving their legal problems, with one saying: “We trust him to answer our questions and provide executable advice on regulatory issues.”
In addition to Katsantonis and Reid, the following McGuireWoods partners were honored as 2022 BTI Client Service All-Stars.
Janet Peyton (Richmond, Virginia) has a complex intellectual property and privacy practice, focused on the strategic protection and management of iconic brands and proprietary data. She counsels clients through large-scale data breach incidents as well as state, federal, and cross-border data privacy compliance. She chairs the firm’s transactional trademark practice and assists clients with all aspects of M&A and licensing transactions where intellectual property, technology and data are key assets.
“The counseling Janet provides is stellar,” a client said. “She understands our regulatory requirements and ensures we are up-to-date and current.”
Michael Daglio (Richmond, Virginia) represents clients in product liability and commercial disputes in federal and state courts throughout the country. He also assists clients in matters before the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. He advises manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers on compliance with consumer product safety laws, reporting obligations, and product recalls.
“He is responsive to our company’s needs,” a client said of Daglio. “Mike uses good judgment when working on our litigation.”
Jill Griset (Charlotte, North Carolina) co-directs the firm’s discovery counsel services group and manages a team of discovery attorneys, specializing in electronic discovery. She serves as national discovery counsel to many large financial institutions and consults with clients on preservation, collection and production issues.
“Jill is well-known as the best at organizing national-scope discovery,” one of her clients said.
“We are proud that our clients value the skill and dedication of these outstanding lawyers,” said managing partner J. Tracy Walker IV. “They exhibit our firm’s commitment to understanding our clients’ business goals and providing practical solutions to their legal challenges.”