Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, announces today that Jim Vann has been named president of Dentons Sirote.

Dentons Sirote’s president of seven years, W. Todd Carlisle, will be returning to the full-time practice of law, effective April 1, 2022. Under his leadership, Dentons Sirote, formerly Sirote & Permutt, P.C., added new offices, expanded its representation of significant existing and new clients, and joined forces with Dentons in 2021. Carlisle will continue his practice at Dentons Sirote, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and general corporate representation, with an emphasis in the financial services and forest products industries.

Dentons Sirote’s new president, Jim Vann, has been with the Firm since 2001 and previously served as the chair of Dentons Sirote’s Real Estate practice group. He will continue practicing during his tenure as president of the Firm. Vann brings significant experience to his new role,  serving as general counsel to various businesses and companies, and representing banks and other lenders in connection with all types of lending. He also represents developers and owners of multi-family and other commercial real estate in the acquisition, sale, leasing and financing of such properties.

Vann is a native of Birmingham and attended Birmingham Public Schools. After graduating from Woodlawn High School, Vann graduated cum laude from the University of Montevallo and magna cum laude from Cumberland School of Law. Vann has garnered a number of awards and recognitions during his legal career. He has been recognized by Chambers USA in Banking & Finance every year since 2017; by The Best Lawyers in America© in Banking and Finance Law (2012–2022) and Real Estate Law (2020–2022); by Martindale-Hubbell® with an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating™; and by the Birmingham Business Journal on the “Who’s Who in Banking” List (2021-2022).

“I am thrilled to hand over the reins to Jim, who is a highly competent colleague and a well-respected lawyer, besides being a wonderful person. Jim understands the needs of our clients and thoughtfully considers the best solutions for the issues they bring to him. A natural leader, he’s the perfect fit for leading our Firm, and I have no doubt that we will continue to be successful advocates for our clients with Jim at the helm,” says Carlisle.

“I am incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead Dentons Sirote, and I want to thank my talented partners for their trust and support. For more than 75 years, our Firm has focused on providing exceptional service to our clients, and we want to continue that dedication into the next chapter - supporting clients wherever they do business, whether in Alabama, the US, or across the globe,” says Vann.

Dentons Sirote would also like to congratulate two members of the Firm who have been promoted to new roles. Kyle Smith has been selected as Dentons Sirote’s Chief Operating Officer. Smith is a shareholder and chair of Dentons Sirote’s Employment and Labor practice and will continue to lead that team as he maintains his practice. He has extensive experience defending employers in claims of discrimination and harassment, wage and hour cases, and claims under the ADA and FMLA. In addition, Lee Watts, formerly the Firm’s Director of Finance, has been named Dentons Sirote’s Chief Financial Officer.

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