Constangy Welcomes New Attorneys to Chicago, Jacksonville, Los Angeles and Raleigh Offices

Constangy is pleased to announce the addition of four new attorneys—Katrice Curls, Sara Herbek, Sandra Lepson, and Ryan Patterson—strengthening the firm's Employment Litigation, Immigration, Advice & Counsel, Wage and Hour, and Investigations practices in the Chicago, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, and Raleigh offices.

Meet the New Attorneys

Katrice Curls – Litigation Associate Attorney, Jacksonville

Katrice represents employers in workplace disputes and advises clients on a range of labor and employment matters, including discrimination, wrongful termination, and compliance-related issues. She brings experience supporting litigation strategy, drafting motions and employment-related agreements, and assisting clients with navigating complex workplace concerns.

Katrice earned her J.D., cum laude, from Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University and her B.A., magna cum laude, in Political Science from the University of Florida. She is admitted to practice in Florida and New York.

Sara Herbek – Immigration Senior Counsel, Chicago

Sara brings nearly two decades of experience advising multinational employers on complex employment-based immigration matters, global mobility strategy, and workforce compliance. She has extensive experience representing employers in a full spectrum of employment-based nonimmigrant and immigrant matters, including H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, PERM labor certifications, and I-140 immigrant petitions. She also advises clients on I-9 compliance, government audits, corporate restructurings, and immigration considerations in mergers and acquisitions.

Sara earned her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology and her B.A. in French and International Studies from Northwestern University. She is admitted to practice in Illinois, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Seventh and Ninth Circuits.

Sandra Lepson – Senior Counsel, Los Angeles

Sandra advises employers on a broad range of employment law and human resources matters, with a focus on proactive compliance strategies designed to prevent litigation and reduce workplace risk. She counsels employers on workplace policies, employee relations, wage and hour compliance, discrimination and harassment issues, accommodations and leave management, severance and restrictive covenant agreements, and workplace investigations.

Sandra earned her J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and her B.A. in Psychology from the State University of New York at Albany. She is admitted to practice in California, the U.S. District Courts for the Central and Southern Districts of California, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Ryan Patterson – Litigation Senior Counsel, Los Angeles

Ryan advises and represents employers in a broad range of labor and employment matters, with experience spanning litigation, workplace counseling, compliance strategy, and risk management. He regularly counsels employers on wage and hour compliance, employee classification, discrimination and harassment issues, disability accommodations, workplace investigations, restrictive covenants, trade secrets, and employment-related agreements. In his litigation practice, Ryan has represented employers in federal and state courts, arbitrations, and administrative proceedings involving class actions, PAGA claims, and single-plaintiff employment disputes.

Ryan earned his J.D., cum laude, from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and his B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley. He is admitted to practice in California and before the U.S. District Courts for the Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California.