Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has appointed partner Scarlet McNellie as its head of corporate, mergers and acquisitions and securities in the United States. Based in Dallas, McNellie represents clients in the energy, insurance, technology, life sciences and health care, media and banking sectors. She earned her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and her B.A. degree from Dartmouth College. She succeeds Dallas partner Glen Hettinger, who will continue to be an active contributor to this team.

New Positions

Akerman announced the expansion of its national litigation bench in Texas with the hiring of former federal prosecutor Ferdose al-Taie, who brings extensive experience in the areas of white-collar criminal defense, securities enforcement and compliance, and antitrust and competition law. Al-Taie, who joins the firm’s Dallas office as a partner, focuses her white-collar defense practice on advising clients navigating all aspects of federal and state regulatory systems. She uses her experience with government enforcement actions to help clients anticipate potential issues and correct them before they become larger problems. Prior to returning to private practice, she dedicated 10 years to the federal government, holding various prosecutorial roles within the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including serving as first-chair trial lawyer and trying over 40 civil and criminal jury trials to verdict.