Eckert Seamans Announces Practice Group and Office Leadership Transitions
September 17, 2025
National law firm Eckert Seamans has announced a series of strategic leadership transitions, including new appointments within several key practice groups and a change in Washington, D.C. office leadership. Ernest Holtzheimer will serve as Chair of the Corporate M&A and Securities practice group, Julia Charnyshova will join Jay Blount as Hospitality practice Co-Chairs, and Drew Derco will join Evelyn Sahr as Aviation practice Co-Chairs. Sahr will also assume the additional role of Chair of the Infrastructure and Transportation practice group. Additionally, with Derco taking on his new role as Aviation practice Co-Chair, Mark Johnston will be moving into the Member-In-Charge leadership role for the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.
Chief Executive Officer Scott Cessar commented: “Each of these Members bring deep experience, strategic insight, and a client-first mindset to their legal practices. We are confident that their leadership will allow these integral practice groups and our thriving Washington, D.C. office to continue to deliver exceptional client service. We also wish to extend a sincere thank you to former Corporate Chair Greg Weingart, as we look forward to his continued leadership on the firm’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee.”
Corporate & Transactional
Holtzheimer is based in the firm’s Philadelphia office. He is an experienced transactional attorney, having assisted numerous U.S. and international clients in transformative mergers and acquisitions and complex commercial transactions valued in excess of $2.5 billion across multiple industries, including manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, food and beverage, e-commerce and retail, education, software, and industrial and business services. As a former business owner, Holtzheimer understands the need to balance risk allocation with operational efficiency, and he incorporates that experience into his work as outside general counsel to a number of emerging and middle market companies. He was recognized among The Legal 500’s 2025 Philadelphia City Elite for Corporate and M&A Law.
Hospitality
Charnyshova is based in the Pittsburgh office, where she focuses on corporate transactions in the hospitality industry. She represents hotel owners, which range from publicly traded companies and large private equity funds to individual developers, in all aspects of hotel development and ownership. Charnyshova also advises on the acquisition and disposition of hotels, including negotiation of purchase and sale agreements, title and due diligence review, negotiation of franchise and management agreements, hotel financing matters, corporate structure advice, and drafting and negotiation of joint venture agreements. She was recognized among leaders in the 2025 Nationwide Leisure & Hospitality category by Chambers USA.
Blount is a seasoned transactional attorney based in the Pittsburgh office, with extensive experience representing stakeholders in hotel, resort, and mixed-use developments both in the U.S. and internationally. He is highly skilled in negotiating complex hotel brand management and joint venture agreements, and also advises on acquisitions, restructurings, and intellectual property matters. His prior role as in-house counsel at a Fortune 500 company adds a valuable business and brand development perspective to his legal practice. He was recognized among leaders in the 2025 Nationwide Leisure & Hospitality category by Chambers USA.
Aviation, Transportation and Infrastructure
Derco is based in the Washington, D.C. office, where he counsels U.S. and foreign airlines on aviation regulatory and policy matters before several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. He also handles all phases of the airline start-up process and assists foreign airlines with the launch of U.S. service. He has consistently been recognized among leaders in the Nationwide Aviation category by Chambers USA for the last 10 years.
Evelyn Sahr is a recognized expert in aviation law based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. She serves as Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Air and Space Law Committee on Consumer Protection and Antitrust and is a past President of the Washington, D.C.-based International Aviation Club. Selected for inclusion in Chambers USA for Transportation: Aviation: Regulatory for 13 consecutive years, she represents U.S. and foreign airlines as well as transportation and infrastructure entities before federal agencies, handling matters including operational authorizations, foreign ownership requirements, passenger rights, competition and antitrust, safety enforcement proceedings as well as a wide range of legal compliance matters. Previously, she served as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division.
Washington, D.C.
Johnston has more than 25 years of experience representing businesses and individuals in complex commercial litigation matters, including class action, aviation and transportation, environmental, commercial real estate, employment, trademark, government contracts, product liability, and insurance coverage matters. He has represented clients in various state and federal trial courts throughout the country, as well as in mediation and commercial arbitration and has extensive appellate experience. Johnston was named among the 2025 Best Lawyers in America for Litigation – Labor and Employment.
Industry Recognition
Lawyers in Eckert Seamans’ Corporate M&A and Securities practice group advise multinational corporations, emerging and growing businesses, nonprofit institutions, municipalities, and government agencies on the various matters involving business counseling, mergers and acquisitions, financial transactions, and securities law.
The firm’s Hospitality practice group provides practical legal advice and support based on extensive in-house legal experience and broad knowledge across the hospitality industry from transactional matters to operational matters and dispute resolution.
Eckert Seamans’ Aviation practice group provides a broad client base with counsel and representation on regulatory and legislative issues, transactional and corporate matters, litigation, employment, intellectual property, and other commercial matters.
The firm’s Infrastructure and Transportation team provides end-to-end legal support for complex infrastructure projects, both domestically and internationally, including public-private partnerships. Their multidisciplinary approach spans sectors including transportation, energy, technology, and the environment, offering expertise in areas such as project finance, construction, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance. They specialize in securing and managing federal and state grants, working closely with agencies like the DOE, FEMA, and FTA to support municipalities and organizations. The group also brings strong legislative and regulatory insight, bolstered by former congressional leaders and deep relationships with key government agencies. Their experience covers a wide range of infrastructure asset classes, from airports and bridges to digital systems and sustainability initiatives. The team includes several seasoned attorneys with deep experience in infrastructure-related matters, including Evelyn Sahr, former U.S. Congressman Peter King, Vince DeVito, David Rockman, Rick Hicks, Erin King Sweeney, Bob DeSousa.