Akerman is pleased to announce the appointment of three new office managing partners: litigation partner Tammy Mercer in Wilmington, Delaware; tax partner Erika Labelle in Denver, Colorado; and tax partner Pete Larsen in Jacksonville, Florida. In their new roles, each will further deepen Akerman’s relationships with business and civic leaders in their markets while guiding the firm’s strategic direction locally.
Wilmington, Delaware
“Tammy is a natural leader with experience building and leading successful litigation teams in Delaware, and she is an exceptional and highly regarded litigator,” said Akerman Chairman and CEO Scott Meyers. “Since the day she joined Akerman, she has strengthened our position in one of the most consequential jurisdictions in the country for our clients. We are excited to work with her as she builds on the momentum of our Wilmington office.”
Tammy brings more than 20 years of experience advising boards of directors and private equity clients on complex corporate governance matters. She concentrates her practice in the Delaware Court of Chancery and Delaware Superior Court, handling high-stakes disputes involving mergers and acquisitions, going-private transactions, proxy contests, valuation and appraisal issues, and directors’ and officers’ liability. Chambers USA ranks her in Delaware for Chancery, and she is a fellow of the American College of Governance Counsel and the American Bar Foundation. She also serves on the advisory board of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware.
Akerman opened its Wilmington office in 2024 as part of the firm’s client-driven national growth strategy, and the office has grown steadily since its founding. Tammy succeeds Andrew Dupre, the office’s founding managing partner, who expanded the office each year while also practicing as a partner in the litigation group.
“Delaware is the corporate capital of the world, and our clients increasingly need sophisticated counsel on the ground here,” Tammy said. “I’m honored by this opportunity and look forward to building on our strong foundation in serving our clients, our people, and this community.”
Denver, Colorado
“Erika is a lawyer other lawyers learn from,” Scott said. “She has co-authored the profession’s leading treatise on deal tax, and she brings extraordinary experience in transactional tax. Her practice intersects with our corporate, real estate, and restructuring teams across the firm, and she has guided clients through their most consequential deals.”
Erika brings nearly two decades of experience representing public and private businesses in transactional tax, REIT, and controversy matters. She concentrates her practice on corporate and partnership tax planning and structuring, including taxable and tax-free mergers, stock and asset acquisitions, reorganizations, divestitures, and restructurings, and she represents business entities in federal controversy matters before the Internal Revenue Service. She is recognized by Best Lawyers in Colorado for Tax Law and has authored a chapter of Practising Law Institute’s leading treatise on corporate transaction tax strategies since 2017.
The lawyers in Akerman’s Denver office serve clients across the country as well as throughout the Colorado market. Erika succeeds Kevin Hein, who led the office for five years and co-chairs the firm’s Franchise and Licensing Sector Team.
“Denver is one of the most dynamic business communities in the country, and our clients here are building across every sector of its economy,” Erika said. “There’s nowhere I’d rather practice, and nowhere I’d rather live. I’m honored to lead this office and excited to keep building together to serve our clients and this community.”
Jacksonville, Florida
“Pete has already led at the highest level of this firm,” Scott said. “For more than 25 years he chaired our Tax Practice Group, and generations of Akerman lawyers built their practices under his leadership. Jacksonville is an important market for our clients, and we are glad to have Pete leading the office.”
Pete works closely with financial institutions, finance companies, vehicle and equipment lessors, retailers, and telecommunications, software, and technology companies on multistate tax planning, compliance, audit defense, and litigation in all 50 states. Under his leadership, Akerman’s Tax Practice Group was twice recognized by Law360 as a “Tax Practice Group of the Year” for its precedent-setting work.
Akerman’s Jacksonville lawyers serve clients nationally across the full range of the firm’s practices. Pete succeeds Christian George, who led the office for nearly 10 years and serves on the firm’s Board of Directors and as chair of its Financial Institutions Commercial Litigation practice.
“Jacksonville is a remarkable place to practice law and to build a business, and this firm has been my professional home for nearly three decades,” Pete said. “I am honored to take on this role and look forward to supporting our clients, our people, and this community in the years ahead.”
About Akerman
Founded in 1920, Akerman is an Am Law 100 firm recognized by Vault among the nation’s most prestigious law firms. The firm has more than 700 lawyers and business professionals throughout the United States.