Annie Lowey Austrian joined Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney P.C. as an associate in San Francisco. The move was Jun. 16.

Austrian is a member of the firm's tax and litigation teams. Prior to joining the firm, she worked at a large accounting firm representing businesses and individuals in state and local tax controversies before the California Office of Tax Appeals and the Franchise Tax Board.

During her time at the University of San Francisco School of Law, Austrian was the president of the Students of Tax and Estate Planning Law Society. As a law student, she interned at a tax firm where she assisted with audit defense, legal research, and drafting protests involving complex tax issues.

Andrew Wright was promoted to shareholder of Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney P.C. in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jun. 3, 2025.

Wright's practice focuses on representing CPA's, fiduciaries, attorneys, directors and officers, and other professionals in litigation and regulatory matters. He also represents creditors in post-judgment enforcement and prosecutes commercial litigation matters. He has achieved first-chair success in civil trial, arbitration, and the Court of Appeal.

Michele Levinson joined Frost Brown Todd as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Jun. 16.

Levinson represents insurers, nonprofits and public entities in a broad range of matters, including automobile claims, first-party property, insurance bad faith litigation, personal injury defense and subrogation and has extensive experience conducting examinations under oath.

She has also handled cases involving business and probate disputes, general tort liability, and labor and employment discrimination and has appeared before California state courts, the California courts of appeal, and the U.S. district courts for the Central, Eastern, and Southern Districts of California.

Valerie R. Chrissakis joined Wesierski & Zurek, LLP as counsel in Lake Forest

Chrissakis served as a Kings County Superior Court judge from 2017 until February. During her judicial tenure, Chrissakis held leadership roles as both assistant presiding judge and presiding judge of the Family Law Division. She presided over a diverse range of civil and criminal calendars throughout her service. Chrissakis has contributed to the broader judicial community as an appointed member of the California Judges' Association Civil Law & Procedure Committee and the California Judicial Council Unlawful Detainer, Small Claims, & Civil Advisory Committee. Before her judicial appointment, she was a staff attorney with the Kings County Superior Court and worked as a temporary judge for the same court from 2009 to 2017. From 1997 to 2006, Chrissakis was an associate at civil litigation firms in Visalia and San Mateo.

Kylie Brooke Runkle joined Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney P.C. as an associate in Sacramento. The move was Jun. 5.

Runkle's practice areas includes all forms of civil litigation. Prior to joining the firm, during law school, she served on the Corporate and Business Law Journal, the First-Generation Law Students Association, and was a participant in ASU's Grads to Golf program.

Gurpreet Bal joined Foley & Lardner as a partner in Silicon Valley.

Bal's clients represent a broad spectrum of the technology sector, including leaders and investors in the artificial intelligence, semiconductors, digital health, fintech, enterprise security, consumer tech, food innovation, and social enterprise, among others. He is known for his practical, forward-thinking approach to complex transactions and possesses a deep understanding of the challenges faced by leading and leading-edge companies, their investors, and supporters.

Shaalu Mehra joined Foley & Lardner as a partner in Silicon Valley.

Mehra guides clients through complex corporate and technology transactions, focusing his practice on emerging company venture capital, corporate venture capital, multinational joint ventures, technology procurement, and intellectual property acquisition and licensing. With clients spanning Fortune 50 multinationals making critical technology investments to technology and digital health care start-ups backed by Tier 1 venture capital, Mehra leverages his background in computer science research and software development to navigate transactional matters for clients, including for FAANG companies, automakers, energy producers, telecos, chipmakers, and more.

Madison Karsenty was promoted to partner of Donaldson Callif Perez LLP in Los Angeles.

Karsenty joined the firm in 2021, bringing with her an invaluable background in legal production for marketing and unscripted productions. At DCP, Karsenty has been working on a variety of financing and development deals, running production legal, and handling clearance reviews for many of the firm's premiere clients such as Hartbeat, Lady and Bird, Mighty Entertainment, MGX, Film Independent, Women in Film and Madhouse. Through her work, she has been recognized among Realscreen's "Factual Under 40" and Variety's "Up Next" Dealmakers.

Alexandre M. Yousefzadeh was promoted to partner of Donaldson Callif Perez LLP in Los Angeles.

Yousefzadeh joined the firm in 2015. He works in all areas of the firm’s entertainment and media law practice, advising clients through the various stages of corporate structuring, development, financing, production, rights acquisition, clearance, and distribution.

Matthew Pham joined Friedland Cianfrani LLP as an associate in Irvine.

Pham brings a dual background in engineering and law to his practice. Before law school, he worked at Mondelez International--maker of Oreo cookies and Sour Patch Kids--developing food packaging and contributing to the company's invention disclosure system. That experience sparked his interest in intellectual property and ultimately led him to the University of Illinois College of Law.

Louis N. Haas joined Farella Braun + Martel LLP as a counsel. The move was Jun. 2, 2025.

Managing partner of Haas & Najarian for 52 years, Haas has tried and supervised government contract disputes in virtually every forum in the country, including contract appeals boards, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He provides business advice to clients across a wide range of industries, including real estate, manufacturing, mining, technology, and an array of service businesses.

Robert C. Nicholas joined Farella Braun + Martel LLP as a counsel. The move was June. 2, 2025.

With more than four decades of experience, Nicholas has a diverse real estate practice representing owners and developers in the acquisition, disposition, leasing, financing, construction, and management of all types of commercial properties. He has developed particular expertise in the hospitality industry, where he negotiates third-party and "brand" hotel management and hotel franchise agreements. He also has considerable experience in negotiating, documenting, restructuring, and enforcing commercial leases.

Lauren Horgan joined Cummins & White LLP as an associate in Newport Beach.

Horgan brings extensive experience in civil, business, and intellectual property litigation in both state and federal courts. Her dynamic approach and dedication to protecting clients' intellectual property rights strengthen the firm's robust litigation practice.

Daniel Hitzfield joined Cummins & White, LLP as an associate in Newport Beach.

Hitzfield brings his expertise in real estate, finance, and corporate transactions to the firm. He counsels clients on balancing business objectives with legal liabilities in commercial real estate and corporate transactions. His prior experience includes working at a law firm specializing in real estate transactions and corporate governance, particularly involving retail shopping centers, industrial, and office parks, enhancing the firm's capabilities in these areas. Hitzfield also has a strong background in drafting and negotiating service and financing agreements, including master service agreements, licensing, loans, and corporate governance documents.

Tom Ara joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Jun. 4, 2025.

Ara's practice focuses on domestic and international transactions across entertainment, sports and media. He represents a broad range of clients in M&A and financing transactions, including private equity firms, investors, sovereigns, lenders and borrowers. Additionally, he advises entertainment companies worldwide on strategic deals and complex corporate and commercial transactions, handling billions of dollars of transactions for media properties and major sports media rights, among other high-profile deals.

Samuel Jo joined Greenberg Traurig LLP as a shareholder in San Diego.

Jo focuses his practice on complex commercial and licensing agreements, as well as technology product and platform development, integration, launch, and counseling, with a particular emphasis on emerging technologies such as machine learning and AI, quantum computing, aerospace, custom Silicon applications, and Internet of Things.

William Ticknor joined Thompson Hine LLP as a partner in Santa Monica. The move was May 30, 2025.

Ticknor advises real estate funds, developers, high-net-worth individuals, and institutional investors on acquisitions, dispositions, and complex financing transactions. His work includes single- and multi-asset portfolios; acquisition and construction loans; refinancings; workouts; syndicated and securitized loans; mezzanine financings; and preferred equity.

He has handled deals across a broad range of property types--industrial, hospitality, office, retail, self-storage, student housing, and multifamily--and has facilitated the acquisition and financing of high-value projects totaling more than $850 million across California and the U.S.

Matt Ashby joined Kirkland & Ellis LLP as a partner in Los Angeles, Century City.

Ashby focuses his practice on complex litigation defense. For more than a decade, he has served as local and national trial counsel for some of the largest U.S. companies in the government contracting, chemical, pharmaceutical, construction, maritime, and automotive industries. He brings a unique perspective to client service based on his prior experience as a certified public accountant in California.

Julia Romano joined Kirkland & Ellis LLP as a partner in Los Angeles, Century City.

Romano is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and litigator, with extensive experience in products liability and California law. She has a proven track record of success for her clients in a wide range of complex litigation matters, including medical device, pharmaceutical, toxic tort and other product liability and tort cases.

Skanthan Vivekananda joined O'Melveny & Myers LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Vivekananda has more than 20 years of experience advising clients on structured finance, derivatives, and investment management. He focuses his practice on the formation and structuring of cash and synthetic CLOs and other securitization vehicles, as well as other credit-focused investment funds.

Stacey Geis joined Crowell & Moring LLP as a counsel in San Francisco. The move was May 29, 2025.

Geis recently served at EPA headquarters, first as a senior advisor, then as a deputy assistant administrator. During her tenure, she helped to lead the 2,800-person Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance and implement policy goals, including addressing climate change, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and revitalization of EPA's enforcement and compliance programs throughout the country. Most notably, Geis helped create EPA's Strategic Civil-Criminal Enforcement Policy, provided guidance on EPA's National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives, and helped implement two recent Supreme Court decisions -- Sackett v. EPA, which limited the definition of wetlands under the Clean Water Act; and SEC v. Jarkesy, which limited the scope of federal administrative proceedings.

At Crowell, Geis' practice will focus on advising clients on a broad range of environmental and policy matters, including compliance assistance, corporate governance, and risk and crisis management. She will also advise on compliance and enforcement issues, including internal investigations, pre-filing negotiations, and litigation as needed.

Bruce Kelson joined Buchalter as a shareholder in San Francisco. The move was May 30, 2025.

Kelson focuses his practice on securities litigation and complex commercial litigation for both U.S. and foreign clients across a wide range of industries, including financial services, real estate, venture capital, software, and technology. He represents clients in SEC, FINRA, and other regulatory investigations and enforcement proceeding. He has appeared in federal and state courts and arbitral forums across California, New York, Delaware, and other jurisdictions.

J. David Bournazian joined Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Bournazian combines thoughtful legal analysis and strategy with an aggressive but practical approach to highly intricate disputes and business negotiations. A trial litigator and trusted advisor, he is a fierce advocate for clients facing issues at the intersection of law, business and innovation. He represents national and international clients, including well-known and publicly traded companies, in the retail, energy, construction, consumer goods, insurance and automotive industries.

Hrag Kouyoumjian joined Kabateck LLP as a counsel in Los Angeles. The move was May 27, 2025.

A seasoned trial lawyer with a strong background in complex litigation, Hrag brings a sharp focus on personal injury law and a deep commitment to standing up for those who've been wrongfully harmed.

He has successfully represented individuals in high-stakes cases involving negligence, dangerous products, and catastrophic injuries. Known for his strategic approach and relentless advocacy, Hrag is dedicated to helping clients navigate some of the most challenging moments of their lives.

In addition to his role at Kabateck, Hrag is the founder of Seven Hill Law, APC, where he continues to represent clients in complex litigation. He also previously served in the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, gaining valuable experience alongside lead trial attorneys on major civil matters.

Michael Maher joined Davis Wright Tremaine LLP as a partner in San Francisco. The move was Jun. 2, 2025.

Maher is a strategic legal advisor and trusted partner to owners, operators, and investors across the food, beverage, agriculture, and hospitality industries. With over a decade of in-house experience as general counsel to leading wine and hospitality businesses, Michael brings a practical business perspective to advising his clients. His legal practice encompasses a broad range of commercial matters, including advising businesses on strategic commercial partnerships and contracts; on acquisition, disposition, and merger transactions; in assessing, structuring, and negotiating real estate transactions; and in navigating complex regulatory operating environments.

Jay C. Gandhi joined Phillips Alternative Dispute Resolutions Enterprises (PADRE) as a neutral. The move was May 30, 2025.

Gandhi has successfully resolved many high-profile cases, including the $1.2 billion Discover settlement related to card misclassification, the $725 million class action settlement accusing Facebook of allowing Cambridge Analytica to access user data, and the $648 million Monsanto class action settlement over environmental contamination from polychlorinated biphenyls.

He Gandhi previously served for eight years as a U.S. magistrate judge for the Central District of California, the nation's largest federal court. At the Court, he oversaw its ADR program and its mediation panel of more than 200 neutrals. He also served as a partner at Paul Hastings LLP and spent 12 years litigating high-profile, high-dollar commercial cases and MDL/class actions in a variety of state and federal jurisdictions across the nation.

John Babala joined Seyfarth Shaw LLP as a partner in Century City. The move was May 28, 2025.

With over 30 years of experience, Babala brings deep expertise in complex transactions, financings, and cross-border matters. He has represented clients from numerous global markets, including Asia, Europe, and Africa, and has advised on M&A deals, joint ventures, licensing, and equity/debt financing. His background also includes serving as outside general counsel to businesses in regulated sectors such as aerospace, healthcare, and finance.

Seyfarth's Corporate Department has more than 100 lawyers across the firm's offices in the U.S. and internationally.

Andrew W. Cheng joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was May 27, 2025.

A member of Gibson Dunn's Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group and the Liability Management and Special Situations Practice Group, Cheng focuses on distressed-related financings, including rescue and DIP financings, representing lenders in liability management transactions, restructuring of syndicated secured credit facilities, and sponsor-side acquisition financings.