Vedder Price Promotes Seven to Shareholder
CHICAGO – APRIL 7, 2025 – Vedder Price is pleased to announce that seven attorneys have been promoted to Shareholder/Partner in the firm.
David Soden, Jake Wiesen, Brian Wendt, Jonathon Reinisch, Zachary Watters and Fleming Ware have all been promoted to Shareholder effective April 1, 2025. Joshua Alexander has been promoted to Partner effective April 6, 2025.
“On behalf of all of our Shareholders and executives, I would like to extend our congratulations to the 2025 class of incoming Shareholders,” said Michael A. Nemeroff, Vedder Price President and CEO. “We are proud to see David, Jake, Josh, Brian, Jonathon, Zach and Fleming recognized for their dedication to both the firm and our clients, and we look forward to a bright future with their talents in our ownership ranks.”
David Soden, elevated to Shareholder from Associate and a member of the Investment Services practice group in the Chicago office, focuses on the representation of broker-dealers, investment advisers, family offices, private funds and other financial institutions on a broad range of legal, regulatory, governance, formation and compliance matters. He also counsels clients regarding examinations, investigations and enforcement matters conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulators such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Soden earned his J.D. degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and his B.A. from Xavier University.
Jake Wiesen, elevated to Shareholder from Associate and a member of the Investment Services practice group in the Chicago office, represents clients in the investment management industry, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), closed-end funds, fund independent directors and investment advisers. Over the span of his career, Wiesen has represented clients on a wide range of legal, compliance, business, operational, governance and transactional matters.
Wiesen received his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law, magna cum laude, and his B.A. from the University of Illinois, summa cum laude.
Joshua Alexander, a Solicitor in the London office and a member of the firm’s Global Transportation Finance team, has been approved for admission as a Vedder Price LLP Partner (consistent with the level of the firm’s U.S. shareholders). Alexander focuses his practice on asset finance matters, and over the span of his career he has acted on behalf of financiers, ECAs, operating lessors and airlines on a wide variety of cross-border aircraft and helicopter financing and leasing transactions, including individual and multi-carrier portfolio transactions and various restructurings.
Alexander received his Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP Law School, Waterloo, and his M.A. in Natural Sciences from Clare College, University of Cambridge.
Brian Wendt, elevated to Shareholder from Associate and a member of the Global Transportation Finance team in the firm’s Chicago office, represents operating lessors, commercial banks, finance companies, private equity firms, hedge funds and other investors in all manner of commercial aircraft, railcar and other high-value equipment transactions.
Wendt received his J.D. from The University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, summa cum laude, and his B.S. from Indiana University.
Jonathon Reinisch, elevated to Shareholder from Associate in the Chicago office, is a member of the firm’s Litigation and Government Investigations & White Collar Defense practice groups. He maintains a broad practice advising clients from matter inception to final judgment in disputes involving commercial contracts, restrictive covenants, trade secrets, consumer financial services, media and privacy, intellectual property and employment issues. He is also an experienced trial attorney, having tried numerous cases in courts and binding arbitrations across the country.
Reinisch received his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law, magna cum laude, and his B.A. from the University of Missouri.
Zachary Watters, elevated to Shareholder from Associate in the Chicago office and a member of the firm’s Litigation practice area, focuses on complex commercial litigation and has significant experience counseling and representing a broad array of clients in matters concerning professional negligence, contract disputes, commercial torts, intellectual property and product liability.
Watters received his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, cum laude, and his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin.
Fleming Ware, elevated to Shareholder from Associate and a member of the Litigation practice area in the New York office, concentrates her practice on commercial and financial services litigation. She handles a variety of matters at all stages of litigation, including defending financial institutions and lenders against claims of consumer fraud, predatory lending, unfair business practices and violations of numerous statutes in state and federal courts. She has also defended domestic and international commercial clients before the American Arbitration Association and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution.
Ware received her J.D. from Villanova University School of Law, cum laude, and her B.A. from the University of Richmond.
Vedder Thinking | News Vedder Price Promotes Seven to Shareholder
Press Release
April 7, 2025
CHICAGO – APRIL 7, 2025 – Vedder Price is pleased to announce that seven attorneys have been promoted to Shareholder/Partner in the firm.
David Soden, Jake Wiesen, Brian Wendt, Jonathon Reinisch, Zachary Watters and Fleming Ware have all been promoted to Shareholder effective April 1, 2025. Joshua Alexander has been promoted to Partner effective April 6, 2025.
“On behalf of all of our Shareholders and executives, I would like to extend our congratulations to the 2025 class of incoming Shareholders,” said Michael A. Nemeroff, Vedder Price President and CEO. “We are proud to see David, Jake, Josh, Brian, Jonathon, Zach and Fleming recognized for their dedication to both the firm and our clients, and we look forward to a bright future with their talents in our ownership ranks.”
David Soden, elevated to Shareholder from Associate and a member of the Investment Services practice group in the Chicago office, focuses on the representation of broker-dealers, investment advisers, family offices, private funds and other financial institutions on a broad range of legal, regulatory, governance, formation and compliance matters. He also counsels clients regarding examinations, investigations and enforcement matters conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulators such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Soden earned his J.D. degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and his B.A. from Xavier University.
Jake Wiesen, elevated to Shareholder from Associate and a member of the Investment Services practice group in the Chicago office, represents clients in the investment management industry, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), closed-end funds, fund independent directors and investment advisers. Over the span of his career, Wiesen has represented clients on a wide range of legal, compliance, business, operational, governance and transactional matters.
Wiesen received his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law, magna cum laude, and his B.A. from the University of Illinois, summa cum laude.
Joshua Alexander, a Solicitor in the London office and a member of the firm’s Global Transportation Finance team, has been approved for admission as a Vedder Price LLP Partner (consistent with the level of the firm’s U.S. shareholders). Alexander focuses his practice on asset finance matters, and over the span of his career he has acted on behalf of financiers, ECAs, operating lessors and airlines on a wide variety of cross-border aircraft and helicopter financing and leasing transactions, including individual and multi-carrier portfolio transactions and various restructurings.
Alexander received his Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP Law School, Waterloo, and his M.A. in Natural Sciences from Clare College, University of Cambridge.
Brian Wendt, elevated to Shareholder from Associate and a member of the Global Transportation Finance team in the firm’s Chicago office, represents operating lessors, commercial banks, finance companies, private equity firms, hedge funds and other investors in all manner of commercial aircraft, railcar and other high-value equipment transactions.
Wendt received his J.D. from The University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, summa cum laude, and his B.S. from Indiana University.
Jonathon Reinisch, elevated to Shareholder from Associate in the Chicago office, is a member of the firm’s Litigation and Government Investigations & White Collar Defense practice groups. He maintains a broad practice advising clients from matter inception to final judgment in disputes involving commercial contracts, restrictive covenants, trade secrets, consumer financial services, media and privacy, intellectual property and employment issues. He is also an experienced trial attorney, having tried numerous cases in courts and binding arbitrations across the country.
Reinisch received his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law, magna cum laude, and his B.A. from the University of Missouri.
Zachary Watters, elevated to Shareholder from Associate in the Chicago office and a member of the firm’s Litigation practice area, focuses on complex commercial litigation and has significant experience counseling and representing a broad array of clients in matters concerning professional negligence, contract disputes, commercial torts, intellectual property and product liability.
Watters received his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, cum laude, and his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin.
Fleming Ware, elevated to Shareholder from Associate and a member of the Litigation practice area in the New York office, concentrates her practice on commercial and financial services litigation. She handles a variety of matters at all stages of litigation, including defending financial institutions and lenders against claims of consumer fraud, predatory lending, unfair business practices and violations of numerous statutes in state and federal courts. She has also defended domestic and international commercial clients before the American Arbitration Association and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution.
Ware received her J.D. from Villanova University School of Law, cum laude, and her B.A. from the University of Richmond.
