MINNEAPOLIS, MN (January 22, 2009) – The law firm of Gray Plant Mooty is pleased to welcome Frank V. Vargas to its Entrepreneurial Services group and Kate G. Nilan to its Franchise & Distribution practice group.
Frank Vargas joins GPM as a member of the firm’s Entrepreneurial Services and Securities groups. He specializes in the representation of emerging growth companies and has substantial experience advising and representing private and public companies, with particular emphasis in high-technology industries. As the cofounder of over 15 companies, Vargas understands what businesses need in order to grow and thrive in today’s market.
Upon moving to Minnesota in 1989, Vargas launched his own law firm, which represented a number of successful companies in the metro area. After merging his firm into a larger firm, Vargas cofounded Aethlon Capital LLC, a Minneapolis investment banking boutique. Following Aethlon, he served as executive vice president, director of corporate finance for Dougherty Securities, a Minneapolis investment bank. Vargas returned to the practice of law in 2001. He practiced at Gray Plant Mooty until 2004 and rejoined the firm in 2009.
Vargas is on the adjunct faculty of the University of St. Thomas, where he teaches a course on entrepreneurship; Saint Mary's University, where he instructs a Master in International Business course on entrepreneurship; and the University of Minnesota, where he coteaches a seminar on entrepreneurship.
Kate Nilan is an associate at Gray Plant Mooty and a member of the firm’s Franchise & Distribution practice group. Prior to joining GPM, Nilan worked in U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office in Washington, DC as a legislative assistant and a senior advisor. In Senator Klobuchar’s office, Nilan handled business, economic, tax, housing, and consumer protection issues, drafting legislation and policy for the Senator for both the Commerce Committee and Joint Economic Committee. In 2008, Nilan worked extensively on the drafting and passage of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).
Immediately following law school, Nilan served as a law clerk for the Honorable Patrick J. Schiltz of the U.S. District Court. During law school, she was a summer associate with Gray Plant Mooty where she supported the areas of employment and franchise litigation. Nilan also gained experience researching and summarizing appellate rule decisions, law review articles, and federal policy as a research assistant. Additionally, she worked in the Hennepin County Attorney’s office coordinating constituent services.
In 2006, Nilan was recognized with the Federal Bar Association’s Judge Earl R. Larson Award for Excellence in Federal Practice, the Minnesota Bar Association’s Employment Discrimination Award, and the University of St. Thomas School of Law’s Living the Mission Award. She received the Dean’s Award in Legal Writing in 2004 and 2005.