Sophia M. Rios was promoted to shareholder of Berger Montague in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Rios manages the firm's San Diego office and practices in the Consumer Protection, Credit Reporting and Background Checks groups. She has nearly 10 years of experience litigating class actions and has helped recover over $100 million on behalf of consumers nationwide in 2024. Rios advocates on behalf of a broad range of clients, focusing her practice on protecting the privacy rights of consumers, including their medical privacy, online privacy, and in data breaches. She had an instrumental role in reaching the $58.5 million settlement in Fernandez v. CoreLogic Credco, LLC (S.D. Cal.), which vindicated the rights of consumers nationwide who had wrongly reported as potential terrorists or drug traffickers on their credit reports.

As a first-generation college student and woman of color, Rios is committed to furthering diversity and inclusion in law firms. She serves on the firm's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force and has participated in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity's Pathfinder Program. In her pro bono practice, Sophia assisted refugees seeking asylum in the United States.

Thomas P. Bruder was promoted to partner of Kutak Rock LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 3, 2025.

Bruder focuses his practice on public finance, representing issuers, underwriters, direct placement banks and borrowers on tax-exempt and taxable financings, including complex real estate financing transactions, for the benefit of state and local government, colleges and universities, private schools, charter schools, and other nonprofit organizations. He also has extensive experience working on financings for the benefit of water, wastewater and renewable energy facilities.

John F. O'Connor was promoted to partner of Clark Hill in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

O'Connor works in the firm's Real Estate practice group, where he predominantly practices as a litigator.

Matthew T. Brand was promoted to partner of Clark Hill in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Brand defends clients in civil litigation, in both the public and private sectors.

Gina Binder was promoted to Partner of Goldberg Segalla in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Binder is a workers' compensation litigator and advisor, providing counsel to insurers, employers, and third-party administrators across California. With more than 12 years of dedicated focus on workers' compensation defense, Binder possesses a wealth of experience managing cases from inception to settlement or trial. Gina excels in developing discovery, settlement and litigation strategies tailored to the unique needs of each case and client.

Joseph R. Coriaty was promoted to special counsel of Goldberg Segalla in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 2, 2025.

Coriaty focuses his practice on civil litigation and product liability matters. He counsels and defends businesses and insurance companies in a wide variety of claims from pre-lawsuit negotiation and evaluation through trial or alternative dispute resolution.

Christopher C. Surh was promoted to special counsel of Goldberg Segalla in Orange County. The promotion is effective Jan. 2, 2025.

Surh counsels and defends clients in complex civil litigation matters, with a particular focus in transportation and premise liability. His experience ranges from matters involving personal injury, workers' compensation, and employment law to insurance defense, subrogation, contract disputes, construction defects, and public/private property.

William Cooper was promoted to partner of Conrad|Metlitzky|Kane in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Cooper's practice focuses on complex civil litigation and internal investigations, with an emphasis on emerging technology sectors such as the blockchain and platform economies. He guides clients through every stage of litigation. He has taken and defended depositions, drafted and argued critical motions, examined key trial witnesses, and defended judgments on appeal. He also conducts corporate investigations and represents witnesses in government investigations.

Laura Cable was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Cable is a tax attorney whose practice focuses on income tax planning for real estate transactions.  Her practice includes federal and California income tax planning for real estate investments by partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations, individuals, and tax-exempt entities, as well as planning for California property and documentary transfer taxes. She has advised a wide range of real estate clients on various tax issues, which allows her to holistically look at transactions and the implications and provide strategic guidance as to what can be done to make it as tax efficient as possible. She advises her clients on tax implications of proposed acquisitions, dispositions, and exchanges of real property, and has extensive experience drafting and negotiating tax provisions in purchase and sale agreements, joint venture, and partnership agreements.

Robbie Hull was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Hull is a land use, natural resources, and environmental attorney who represents developers across various industries in obtaining permits needed to develop complex land use projects, including some of the nation's largest renewable energy projects, as well as mixed-use and affordable housing projects. He plays a crucial role in counseling clients through the local, state, and federal entitlement process and has significant experience with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), planning and zoning laws, and laws related to wetlands and endangered species, water supply, and the Williamson Act. As part of Cox Castle's Renewable Energy Industry Team, Hull has helped clients develop thousands of megawatts of renewable energy and battery storage in California and other western states.

Ira Klein was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Klein is an environmental attorney who represents developers in the remediation and redevelopment of complex contaminated properties, including at large sites such as former power plants and former landfills. He also advises clients across various industries on a range of environmental and occupational safety and health issues, including on complicated environmental compliance issues, enforcement defense and environmental litigation, regulatory and legislative advocacy, and project development work. His clientele hails from a range of sectors, including real estate, telecommunications, pharmaceutical, construction, manufacturing, waste-to-energy, solar, oilfield services, and biomass.

Andrew E. Calderón was promoted to Counsel of Larson LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Calderón joined Larson in 2023. His experience includes matters in state, federal and international jurisdictions, and he has represented clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to local businesses and private individuals. Calderón also served as a police officer in Long Beach, and as a field artillery officer in the California Army National Guard. He earned his J.D. from UCLA School of law, and a B.A. from California State University, Long Beach.

Daniel R. Lahana was promoted to Partner of Larson LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Lahana has been with Larson since 2020. His practice emphasizes complex civil disputes and white-collar criminal defense matters. He has litigated issues involving class action defense, complex real property transactions and disputes, trusts and estates, employment disputes, and trade secrets, along with government investigations and criminal proceedings. Lahana earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law, and a B.A. from the University of California, Irvine.

Ranja Rasul was promoted to Counsel of Larson LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Rasul joined Larson in 2021 and has a broad range of civil and criminal experience both domestically and internationally. He focuses his practice on complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense. Ranja earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law, and a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University.

Steven L. Hwang was promoted to partner of Finch, Thornton & Baird LLP in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Hwang specializes in estate planning, corporate governance, and business planning, offering comprehensive guidance to business owners, multi-generational families, and professional advisors. Hwang earned a Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of San Diego, a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law, and a bachelor’s in business economics from UC Santa Barbara.

Michael J. Mason was promoted to partner of Finch, Thornton & Baird LLP in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Mason brings extensive expertise in construction law, business and commercial litigation, and real estate disputes. He has a diverse clientele, including federal and local contractors, real estate owners, and development teams. A retired U.S. Navy commander with 24 years of service, Mason holds a business administration degree from the University of Texas and a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law.

Kelly Sagaser joined Miller Barondess, LLP as an associate in Los Angeles.

Sagaser is a commercial litigator who represents clients across many industries including entertainment, intellectual property, and technology.

Ori Samuel Blumenfeld was promoted to a partner of Levinson Arshonsky Kurtz & Komsky, LLP in Sherman Oaks. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Blumenfeld focuses his practice in all areas of complex bankruptcy and insolvency, corporate restructuring, distressed assets, acquisition and disposition, and related litigation matters. In terms of his corporate bankruptcy expertise, Blumenfeld has represented debtors, trustees, and both secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy courts. In addition, a substantial portion of his work consists of serving as general or special counsel to federal and state receivers appointed to general equity, Family Code, rents and profits, Health and Safety Code, and regulatory receiverships, as well as bankruptcy trustees, and other fiduciaries. He has significant civil litigation experience defending and prosecuting actions on behalf of receivers and businesses. He also provides legal counsel for partition referees, successor trustees, and provisional directors in matters involving property and business disputes.

Kelsie Docherty was promoted to a partner of BraunHagey & Borden LLP in New York. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Docherty represents clients in a broad range of complex commercial litigation including federal and state antitrust litigation, bankruptcy litigation, intellectual property litigation, mass tort litigation and investigations. She is one of three BHB partners who graduated from Texas Law. Docherty clerked for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. She graduated from University of Texas School of Law.

Molly Jamison was promoted to a partner of BraunHagey & Borden LLP in New York. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Jamison has represented clients in a diverse array of complex commercial litigation disputes, including antitrust, securities, intellectual property, investor disputes, derivative actions, breach of contract, and other commercial torts. She has been involved in high-profile impact cases, as well as dedicated to pro bono service representing clients in individual and class action civil rights litigation and housing and immigration disputes. She graduated from University of Chicago Law School.

Brian P. Cadigan was promoted to partner of Reed Smith LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Cadigan defends high-profile, multi-million-dollar product liability, medical device, and pharmaceutical cases nationwide in state and federal courts. From catastrophic brain injury to cancer, regardless of the allegation he is defending, He is a tenacious litigator known for his keen ability to cross-examine witnesses and distill complex factual and legal issues into straightforward narratives for judges and jurors.

Matthew P. Houghton was promoted to counsel of Reed Smith LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Houghton has substantial commercial litigation and arbitration experience working on complex cases involving trade secret misappropriation, business torts, and contractual disputes. He is highly experienced in construction and real estate, having handled both transactional negotiations and disputes on behalf of owners, contractors, and developers of commercial, residential, and energy construction projects.

Kevin M. Levy was promoted to counsel of Reed Smith LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Levy's practice spans project development, M&A and finance in energy and infrastructure transactions, with a focus on renewable energy. He has extensive experience in negotiating and drafting deal terms, financing documents, and other ancillary documents.

Margaret C. McDonald was promoted to partner of Reed Smith LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

McDonald advises clients on a variety of insurance issues. She is an experienced litigator who has worked on various coverage disputes. She has actively participated in all stages of litigation, from pre-litigation ADR to cross-examinations at trial. Her insurance experience includes representing clients in disputes involving D&O, EPL, CGL, property, and mortgage insurance, among others.

Liane Katzenstein Ly as partner in Los Angeles.

Marissa Benavides was promoted to a partner of BraunHagey & Borden LLP in New York. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Marissa Benavides focuses on bringing impact litigation in state and federal courts to protect and advance the rights of disadvantaged communities in the U.S. Benavides has litigated a range of state and federal cases under Section 1983, Title IX, Title VII, the New York Child Victims Act, the New York Unjust Conviction and Incarceration Act, and the New York City Human Rights Act. She also has represented entities in complex commercial litigation, including major commercial fraud and breach of contract actions. Benavides clerked for the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. He graduated from Harvard Law School.

Paul G. Murtagh was promoted to a partner of Levinson Arshonsky Kurtz & Komsky, LLP in Sherman Oaks. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Murtagh's practice includes a wide range of complex commercial litigation matters including business litigation, unfair competition, government litigation, entertainment, insurance coverage disputes, defendant class actions, professional liability, and other business contract and tort claims.

Kory DeClark was promoted to a partner of BraunHagey & Borden LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

DeClark focuses on bringing impact litigation in state and federal courts to advance the law for underserved causes and communities. He is experienced as an appellate attorney in a leading Supreme Court and appellate practice and a trial attorney at the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of California and worked at the San Francisco Public Defender's Office, where he worked toward bail reform in California. DeClark has handled felony and misdemeanor cases across all stages of litigation. He has tried cases to verdict in both state and federal court -- winning acquittals on a range of criminal charges -- and has argued before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where he was a law clerk. He graduated from Yale Law School.

Abbey A Barrera was promoted to partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Barrera regularly represents multinational companies in a wide variety of complex litigation, including in data privacy, cybersecurity, and class action matters. She has significant experience representing clients in the technology, social media, and internet industries in particular.

Dana L Craig was promoted to partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Craig has established a reputation for her skillful handling of the most consequential e-discovery challenges our clients face. She is considered an authority at successfully guiding clients through their most complex discovery issues, sweeping across jurisdictions both national and international. Clients rely on her to effectively and efficiently navigate them through massive discovery, with Dana leading all stages of the process including setting strategy to drafting discovery motions to argument.

Sara Ghalandari was promoted to partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Ghalandari's practice encompasses a wide-array of land use/development matters and real estate transactions, including zoning, planning, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), public private partnerships, and matters regarding construction access, underpinning and shoring. The primary focus of her practice is the processing of entitlements for major real estate development projects in the Bay Area and throughout California, supervising the preparation and approval of environmental documentation, and negotiating transactional documents associated with land use, project development, and construction, including agreements between private and public entities.

Michael J. Kahn was promoted to partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Kahn's practice focuses on securities litigation, including securities class actions, stockholder derivative suits, and other stockholder disputes. He has crafted winning arguments in many complex securities actions, including for Slack in the U.S. Supreme Court's 9-0 opinion in Slack Technologies v. Pirani.

Melanie E. Neary was promoted to partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Neary's practice is focused on advising clients in connection with a variety of financing transactions, including initial public offerings, secondary equity offerings and venture and growth equity financings as well as complex corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions.

Prerna Soni was promoted to partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Soni's practice involves a broad range of commercial real estate transactions. She represents private equity funds, REITs, developers, and other real estate investors in connection with acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, preferred equity transactions, construction and permanent financings, and development matters.

Todd J. Trattner was promoted to partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Dr. Trattner represents public and private companies, investors, and academic institutions in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, technology, medical device, and diagnostics industries in connection with royalty financings, licensing transactions, technology transactions, and mergers and acquisitions.

Poonam G. Kumar was promoted to a partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Kumar is a former federal prosecutor with significant trial experience and an extensive background in handling high-stakes criminal and civil matters across various practice areas. Her practice focuses on internal investigations, regulatory and criminal investigations, complex commercial litigation, and trials across various industries, including financial services, technology, media and entertainment, sports, telecommunications, energy, automotive, and healthcare. Her promotion to partner is effective Jan. 1.

Daniel Nowicki was promoted to a partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Nowicki represents clients across a variety of industries in high-stakes trial and appellate matters and has secured victories for his clients before all levels of the federal court system--from district courts to the Supreme Court--and in numerous state courts. Nowicki also served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California, where he was lead trial counsel on various criminal matters.

Andrew Robb was promoted to a partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Palo Alto. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Robb's practice focuses on patent and other technology-based disputes. He has litigated numerous cases in a variety of forums, including the International Trade Commission, federal district court, and California state court.

Wesley Sze was promoted to a partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Palo Alto. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Sze represents leading companies in a wide range of complex litigation in all phases of litigation, including pre-trial discovery and substantive motions practice. In particular, he has significant experience advising clients in the technology and media industries on matters involving federal and state consumer fraud claims and data privacy issues.

Frances Waldmann was promoted to a partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Waldmann's practice focuses on advising companies on a wide range of matters related to artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies, including product counseling and governance, regulatory enforcement, and high-stakes litigation. She has significant expertise advising technology-focused companies on global regulatory compliance with existing laws that affect AI-related technologies, such as the FTC Act, California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), state biometric privacy laws, and other federal, state, and international laws and regulations.

Anthony J. Friedman was promoted to counsel of Sidley Austin LLP in Century City. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Friedman has experience representing private equity sponsors and companies on various transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, and equity investments. In addition, he has experience representing investors and emerging growth companies on venture capital investments and private financing. He also regularly advises clients on general corporate and governance matters. His promotion to counsel is effective Jan. 1.

Zachary Shub-Essig was promoted to counsel of Sidley Austin LLP in Century City. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Shub-Essig focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, equity offerings, and other financing-related transactions. He represents public and private corporations and other entities in various industries throughout the United States and abroad, including the technology and industrial sectors. His promotion to counsel is effective Jan. 1.

Sylvia Bokyung St. Clair was promoted to partner of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

St. Clair is a member of the firm's labor and employment practice group and represents employers in a broad range of employment matters arising under both state and federal laws and is recognized nationally for her work in employment law.

Adam Ackerman was promoted to partner of O'Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles.

Ackerman advises clients on various transactional matters, including domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions and investments, joint ventures, split-offs, restructurings, and corporate governance matters. He has represented private equity funds, family- and individually owned businesses and other privately held and publicly traded companies across a broad range of industries, including the manufacturing, organization, technology, health care, agriculture, consumer products, energy, infrastructure, food, real estate, hospitality, and financial services sectors. His elevation to partner is effective Jan. 1.

Jessica Fluehr was promoted to partner of O'Melveny & Myers LLP in San Francisco.

Fluehr advises public and private clients concerning the acquisition, disposition, development, leasing, operation, and management of all commercial real estate assets. Jessica has extensive experience representing borrowers in secured financing transactions, including mortgage and mezzanine loan originations, assumptions, modifications, and workouts. Her elevation to partner is effective Jan. 1.

Benjamin Haber was promoted to partner of O'Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles.

Haber is an intellectual property litigator who focuses on representing technology clients in complex patent and technology-intense matters. He has appeared in U.S. district and appellate courts and administrative fora, including the Patent and Trade and Appeal Board and the U.S. International Trade Commission. Haber has a degree in physics, and his experience includes representing clients in matters involving a wide array of technologies, including mobile communications, video processing, aerospace systems, and medical devices. His elevation to partner is effective Jan. 1.

Kelly Wood was promoted to partner of O'Melveny & Myers LLP in Newport Beach.

Wood defends companies in a broad range of labor & employment matters, including those involving alleged disability and employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wage and hour violations, government investigations, retaliation and wrongful termination actions, and trade secret misappropriation matters. Her elevation to partner is effective Jan. 1.

Ariana E. Fuller was promoted to partner of King & Spalding LLP in Los Angeles.

Fuller is a member of the firm's Healthcare practice group. She specializes in managed care litigation and consumer class action defense on behalf of hospitals and other healthcare providers. Fuller has won several jury verdicts on behalf of hospitals against healthcare payers in out-of-network reimbursement disputes. Her elevation to partner is effective Jan. 1.

Carter L. George was promoted to partner of King & Spalding LLP in Los Angeles.

George focuses his practice on representing Fortune 100 and other entities in a wide range of complex litigation, including commercial disputes, toxic tort, automotive, and other product liability and tort cases. He has been a part of multiple trial teams in cases that have gone to verdict, and he frequently secures dismissals and summary adjudication in high-stakes civil litigation. His elevation to partner is effective Jan. 1.

Bailey J. Langner was promoted to partner of King & Spalding LLP in San Francisco.

Langner defends tech companies, product manufacturers, and energy sector clients in product liability and personal injury cases. She litigates in state and federal court, including multi-district litigation (MDLs) and coordinates state proceedings, and represents clients in related government investigations. Her elevation to partner is effective Jan. 1.

Matthew Noller was promoted to counsel of King & Spalding LLP in San Francisco.

Noller specializes in civil litigation and appeals, representing sophisticated business clients. He has played a key role in high-profile trials in both federal and state courts nationwide and has handled appeals before the U.S. Supreme Court, federal appellate courts, and the highest courts of several states. His promotion to partner takes effect on Jan. 1.

James A. Unger was promoted to partner of King & Spalding LLP in Los Angeles.

Unger is an experienced business trial lawyer focusing on complex litigation, including commercial disputes, consumer class actions, and high-stakes employment matters. Through trials, numerous successful dispositive motions, and creative resolution, He has achieved results for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to startups and individual investors in industries including technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and real estate. His elevation to partner is effective Jan. 1.

Erin Denniston Leach was promoted to partner of Snell & Wilmer LLP in Orange County. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Leach's practice is concentrated in employment litigation and counseling. She provides clients with ongoing counseling on a wide range of personnel matters including hiring and termination decisions, employment agreements, policy drafting, wage and hour issues, and employee medical leave. His elevation to the partnership is effective Jan. 1.

Sarah Hibbard was promoted to counsel of Snell & Wilmer LLP in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Hibbard's focus includes general corporate governance, private debt and equity financings, and mergers and acquisitions, as well as structuring and negotiating intellectual property and commercial transactions such as licensing and tech transfers, collaborations, pre-clinical and clinical research, research and development activities, and manufacturing. Her elevation to counsel is effective Jan. 1.

Andrew B. Still was promoted to partner of Snell & Wilmer LLP in Orange County. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Still concentrates his practice on business bankruptcy matters and related issues. He has a multi-faceted practice representing chapter 11 debtors-in-possession, as well as secured and unsecured creditors in all types of bankruptcy proceedings. Still also has significant experience representing defendants in bankruptcy avoidance actions and fraudulent transfer actions. His elevation to the partnership is effective Jan. 1.

Ryan M. Hicks was promoted to partner of Sidley Austin LLP in Century City.

Hicks represents private equity firms and public and private companies in mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. He provides strategic counsel to clients across various industries, including entertainment, sports, media, and healthcare. His promotion to the partnership is effective Jan. 1.

Ellen E. Hunter was promoted to partner of Sidley Austin LLP in San Francisco.

Hunter advises clients on various corporate and securities issues including mergers and acquisitions involving public and private entities, capital markets transactions, asset acquisitions and dispositions, and corporate governance. She has worked with financial and strategic buyers and sellers in the technology, healthcare, life sciences, media, and food and beverage industries. Her promotion to the partnership is effective Jan. 1.

Rara Kang was promoted to partner of Sidley Austin LLP in Los Angeles.

Kang focuses her practice on commercial litigation and disputes. As a full-service litigator, she counsels various industries, including consumer products and services, energy, oil and gas, apparel, food and dietary supplements, and real estate. Her experience spans all phases of litigation, from advising on pre-suit litigation risk management to guiding business decisions through fact investigation, discovery, and dispositive motion practice to trial and post-trial motions. Her promotion to the partnership is effective Jan. 1.

Diana Ovsepian was promoted to partner of Sidley Austin LLP in Century City.

Ovsepian represents private equity firms, REITs, hedge funds, lenders, financial institutions, investment banks, institutional investors, hotel management companies, operators and other real estate investors in all facets of domestic and cross-border real estate, hospitality, and finance transactions. She provides counsel on a range of commercial real estate asset classes including hospitality, multi-family, industrial, office, retail, senior and assisted living, healthcare, and mixed-use properties. Her promotion to the partnership is effective Jan. 1.

Armando Castro joined Lowenstein Sandler as partner in Silicon Valley.

Castro partners with a diverse portfolio of clients across their growth journey - from early-stage startups to established public companies. He also advises their boards, investors, and investment banks. His expertise spans multiple technology and life sciences sectors, including financial technology and payment systems, cybersecurity and enterprise software, pharmaceutical research and medical devices, healthcare technology and manufacturing, renewable energy solutions, enterprise and telecommunications networking, and wireless technologies and semiconductors.

Kathleen E.M. Moriarty was promoted to partner of Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP in Los Angeles.

Moriarty is a litigator and a member of the firm's Transportation, Business Solutions and Risk Management & Insurance Law Practice Groups. She specializes in litigation involving premises liability, trucking collisions, contractual disputes and insurance coverage.

John P. Zaimes joined Greenberg Traurig, LLP as shareholder in Los Angeles and Orange County. The move was Dec. 13, 2024.

Zaimes litigates for and counsels clients on all manner of labor and employment issues, focusing on wage and hour class action litigation matters in California across various industries. He also handles California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) matters, assisting clients through complex workplace safety and health administrative law litigation. In addition, Zaimes works on class action claims brought under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.