Hirschler Thrives in Competitive Talent Market Adding Six Attorneys in Richmond and Tysons

07.13.2021

Hirschler is pleased to announce the addition of six attorneys to its Richmond and Tysons, Va. offices. Henrik Haeckel joins as a partner in Tysons, along with associates Siddhant “Sid” Das and Abigail Johansen. In Richmond, Spencer Allen, Rakesh Parikh and Sheherezade C. “Zee” Malik have joined as associates. These six individuals bring experience and additional expertise and depth to a variety of the firm’s core practice areas, including tax, construction, mergers and acquisitions, investment management, litigation, corporate, and real estate.

“We are pleased to deepen our bench of talented advisors by welcoming this impressive and diverse group of individuals to the firm,” said Courtney Paulk, president of Hirschler. “Clients are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities and seek top legal talent to help address a range of emerging issues. The legal experience and business acumen of these six attorneys are a strong complement to our existing practices and enhance the service we are able to provide to a wide range of clients.”

Henrik Haeckel

Henrik Haeckel advises clients on the tax implications of a broad range of corporate and partnership transactions. He assists with tax structuring and analysis of private equity acquisitions and exits. With 15 years of cross-border transactional experience, Henrik also counsels foreign businesses on U.S. tax issues and reporting obligations as well as U.S. businesses on U.S. tax considerations related to their foreign activities.

Prior to joining Hirschler, he practiced at tax boutique firm Flott & Co., P.C., and in addition to beginning his career with an AmLaw 25 law firm, he served as a mergers and acquisition senior tax manager at EY and as an international tax manager at KPMG.

Henrik earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and his law degree from the Northwestern University School of Law.

Siddhant “Sid” Das

Siddhant “Sid” Das focuses his practice on commercial leasing and real estate transactions. He drafts commercial leases and their amendments, renewals, assignments and termination agreements for retail spaces and shopping centers. Additionally, Sid handles loan documents for multimillion-dollar real estate acquisitions, constructions and developments, and purchase and sale agreements. He also prepares closing documents and assists in the closings for commercial real estate acquisition, sale and lending transactions.

Prior to joining Hirschler, Sid practiced at Reed Smith and Nichols Zauzig Sandler in Northern Virginia.

He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and his law degree from the George Mason University School of Law.

Abigail Johansen

Abigail Johansen brings experience across a spectrum of litigation matters, including commercial litigation, construction disputes, employment actions, personal injury, commercial trucking cases. She also has experience in litigation premises liability and products liability cases as well as defamation and local government and municipal actions. She supports clients throughout the litigation process, from pre-filing counseling to mediation, discovery strategies, settlement negotiations, and trial. Abigail has tried numerous cases in the Virginia General District Court and litigated cases in Virginia Circuit Court, the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District and Western District of Virginia.

She joins Hirschler from Bancroft, McGavin, Horvath & Judkins, P.C., located in Fairfax, Virginia. Prior to entering private practice, she served as a Law Clerk for the Spotsylvania Circuit Court.

Abigail earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Old Dominion University, cum laude, and her Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond, T.C. Williams School of Law, cum laude. During law school, she was a member of the Journal of Law and Technology, won the CALI Award for Criminal Procedure Adjudication, was a member of the Client Counseling and Negotiation Board, and a member of the Student Intellectual Property Association.

Spencer Allen

Spencer Allen counsels clients in all aspects of commercial litigation with a focus on construction disputes. He has served as lead attorney in litigation and negotiation matters valued up to $500,000, and is experienced representing businesses in disputes related to contracts, business torts, mechanic’s liens, the Virginia Consumer Protection Act and more.

Prior to joining Hirschler, Spencer practiced with Parrish Snead Franklin Simpson in Fredericksburg. He also served as an extern to the Honorable Cleo E. Powell of the Supreme Court of Virginia, and as an intern in the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Fredericksburg.

Spencer earned his undergraduate degree from the Virginia Military Institute and his law degree from the University of Richmond T.C. Williams School of Law.

Rakesh Parikh

Rakesh J. Parikh joins Hirschler’s M&A, finance and capital markets group. Rakesh represents businesses in mergers and acquisitions and other complex corporate transactions. He counsels clients on general corporate matters including formation, restructuring, and governance. He also has experience advising on intellectual property, technology, finance, and state and federal regulatory matters, including regulations by state departments of insurance and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Before joining Hirschler, Rakesh served as manager, senior counsel of a global insurance company in Richmond, Virginia and as general counsel for a leading national fuel distributor.

Rakesh earned his undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University and his law degree and M.B.A. from William & Mary.

Sheherezade C. “Zee” Malik

Sheherezade C. “Zee” Malik joins Hirschler’s investment management practice group where she focuses her practice on advising institutional investors on their investments in private investment funds.

Prior to joining Hirschler, Zee served as an attorney for the World Bank Legal Development Finance Practice Group where she advised clients on a spectrum of legal and policy issues concerning the formation, day-to-day affairs and winding-up of major multi-donor trust funds and financial intermediary funds. She also practiced with the World Bank Legal Africa and MENA Regional Practice Group, advising clients on legal issues concerning downstream financing transactions and assisting in the negotiation of legal agreements with government ministries. Zee began her legal career with clerkships at the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Court of Appeals of Virginia.

Zee earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, her law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law and her Master of Law degree from the New York University School of Law.