Axinn Promotes Rachel Adcox and John Tanski to Partner; Thomas Hedemann to Counsel

Axinn announced today that Rachel Adcox, a member of the firm’s antitrust group, and John Tanski, a member of the firm’s litigation group, have been promoted to partner. The firm also announces that Thomas Hedemann, a member of the firm’s intellectual property group, has been promoted to counsel. The promotions were effective January 1, 2015.

“We congratulate Rachel, John and Thomas on their accomplishments and thank them for their contributions to the firm,” says James Veltrop, Axinn’s managing partner. “Their devotion to becoming the best lawyers they can be, to serving the needs of our clients and to making the firm a better place has been truly exceptional.”

Based in Axinn’s Washington, DC office, Rachel Adcox represents both foreign and domestic clients before the Justice Department and FTC in mergers, civil non-merger matters and criminal cartel investigations. She also serves as defense counsel in litigated merger challenges and civil class action lawsuits. Her work involves a wide range of industries and products, including automotive parts, health insurance, livestock production and meatpacking, mobile device operating systems and alcoholic beverages. She also has uncommon experience litigating merger cases.

Prior to joining Axinn, Adcox was an attorney at the Antitrust Division of the DOJ where she worked on a number of merger investigations and litigated cases, including leading the DOJ's investigation and settlement of a $1.2 billion acquisition in the flexible-packaging industry.

Based in Axinn’s Hartford office, John Tanski litigates high-stakes, complex commercial disputes in insurance, financial services and other industries. Clients praise his “intellectual firepower” and describe him as “a valuable counselor to the business clients as they weigh the pros and cons of the possible paths to follow.” He has extensive trial and appellate experience in both federal and state courts across the United States.

Tanski is also active in his community, serving as the Chairman of the Glastonbury Water Pollution Control Authority, as a member the Commission on Connecticut’s Leadership in Corporation and Business Law and as a member of the Connecticut State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights.

Thomas Hedemann, also based in Hartford, focuses his practice on intellectual property and commercial litigation. His broad experience includes the litigation of dozens of patent cases throughout the country, including numerous Hatch-Waxman cases, as well as major commercial cases involving contract disputes, insurance issues and unfair trade practices. Hedemann also has significant appellate experience before the Federal and Second Circuit Courts of Appeals.

Hedemann is an Adjunct Professor at the University Of Connecticut School Of Law, where he teaches patent litigation.