The first thing Ivan Wasserman did upon being appointed administrative partner of Manatt's DC office was throw a cocktail party to thank people for their confidence. Then he talked to the former admin partner and started working on lateral recruiting, office space issues, and the June firm retreat in LA. We chatted with Ivan a week into his tenure, and he says one of his biggest goals is "to bring the fun back to law." (His starting step was showing us his best Vanna White impression.)
He tells us the firm is putting a lot of resources into expanding DC. (It's trying to grow the government group and healthcare, in particular.) In his own practice—he heads the consumer product safety group and is in the advertising, marketing, and media practice—Ivan challenges marketing practices and helps companies with food, cosmetic, and dietary supplements. It's been a busy time for the latter, as "diet season" starts before the holidays. He also helps companies with product recalls. We snapped him with remnants from some of those matters, ranging from toys with lead paint to a face mask that's supposed to tone skin with electric pulses.
Consumer financial services co-chair Barrie VanBrackle's office is just down the hall. She says it's exciting to have young leadership, which will reinvigorate the office. When Ivan's not at work, you can find him with his three daughters, Sydney, Teddy, and Joey. That's why he attended a recent Cody Simpson concert—that would be the Australian Justin Bieber. Ivan did some singing of his own, too, when he wrote and belted song parodies for an infomercial convention in Vegas. (One highlight, set to Lennon's "Imagine": Imagine there's no ShamWow...)
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