M. Brett Gladstone joined Goldstein, Gellman, Melbostad, Harris & McSparran, LLP as of counsel in San Francisco.

Preeminent land use attorney, M. Brett Gladstone, has joined the San Francisco law firm of Goldstein, Gellman, Melbostad, Harris and McSparran LLP as of early January 2020. Brett represents investors, developers, and government in land-use proceedings and CEQA compliance concerning residential and mixed-use developments throughout the Bay Area. Brett makes regular appearances before Bay Area Planning Commissions, City Councils, Boards of Supervisors and Landmarks Boards. Recently, Governor Newsom appointed Brett to the California Architects Board. A 1980 graduate magna cum laude of Harvard University and a member of the Class of 1983 of Duke University School of Law, and widely recognized for his legal expertise, Brett lectures on a variety of topics, including development entitlements, condominium law, and planned developments. Before joining G3MH, Brett was a partner with the large San Francisco based law firm of Hanson Bridgett LLP.

Some of his recent projects include a new San Francisco Public Library Branch; a supermarket and dwelling units built at the center of Glen Park, San Francisco; advising a large Bay Area hospital system on its obligations under a campus-wide development agreement; entitlements for a 194-unit condominium building in San Francisco's Mission District; approval of a 463-unit residential building in San Francisco's Executive Park; approval of a 200-room waterfront hotel near San Francisco's Ferry Building; conversion of warehouse properties into office and multi-media facilities; representing a Peninsula city in negotiating development agreements on sites involving over 2,000,000 sq. ft. of new construction; converting San Francisco's landmark Armory Building into a cultural arts center; and entitlements for the construction of 55-units of low/moderate income housing in San Francisco's Mission District.

Brett Gladstone was admitted to the practice law in California 1983. He can be reached at (415) 673-5600 ext.238, or via email at BGladstone@g3mh.com.

John Harrison was promoted to partner of Orrick in San Francisco.

John Harrison is a tech companies advisor, based in San Francisco. He counsels high growth technology companies and venture capital firms on corporate and securities law matters, debt and equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, international cross-border transactions, IPOs and strategic matters. John has represented companies such as Stripe, UpKeep, Coda, Second Spectrum, Dave, Wrike, Concord, Solugen and Sqreen, among others, and funds such as Coatue and Crosslink Capital. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown and his B.S. from Salisbury University.

Daniel Lopez was promoted to partner of Orrick in San Francisco.

Daniel Lopez is an M&A and private equity practitioner, based in San Francisco. He advises private equity funds and their portfolio companies, as well as private and public companies in the tech, life sciences and energy sectors on strategic transactions, including debt and equity investments, acquisitions and dispositions. Daniel also counsels boards, investors and other key stakeholders on fiduciary duty, securities law and corporate governance matters. He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from UC Hastings and his B.S. from Cornell.

Betsy Lee was promoted to partner of Orrick in San Francisco.

Betsy Lee is an intellectual property litigator, based in San Francisco. She focuses her practice on trademark and copyright law. Betsy counsels clients on the selection and clearance of brands, the strategic management and prosecution of global trademark portfolios, and trademark licensing and assignment issues, as well as enforcement and dispute resolution. Her clients span a variety of industries, including technology, financial services and life sciences. Betsy serves as co-chair of Orrick’s Asian Attorney Affinity Group. She earned her J.D. from Stanford and her B.A., summa cum laude, from Yale.

Jennifer Lee was promoted to partner of Orrick in San Francisco.

Jennifer Lee is a litigator, based in San Francisco. She litigates high-stakes commercial disputes, primarily for clients in the finance sector. Jennifer also litigates consumer class actions, corporate contractual disputes, securities lawsuits, and litigation related to residential mortgage-backed securities and mortgage servicing. A leader of Orrick’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, she is active in the California Minority Counsel Program, as well as the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. Jennifer earned her J.D., cum laude, from George Washington University and her B.S., cum laude, from UC Berkeley.

Robert Uriarte was promoted to partner of Orrick in Silicon Valley.

Robert Uriarte is an intellectual property litigator, based in Silicon Valley. He focuses his practice on software, internet law and cybersecurity matters. Rob litigates groundbreaking cases in the copyright, computer trespass and digital crimes domains, and counsels clients on IP protection and digital rights management strategies. He co-chairs Orrick's Silicon Valley Diversity Committee and facilitates the firm’s Latinx Attorney Affinity Group. Committed to equal access to justice, Rob serves on the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. Prior to Orrick, Rob served as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger in the Eastern District of California. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of San Diego and his B.A. from Occidental College.

Jason Yu was promoted to partner of Orrick in Silicon Valley.

Jason Yu is a litigator, based in Silicon Valley. He draws on his electrical engineering background to advise clients on complex patent litigation matters and inter partes proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Jason counsels technology companies on such matters in a variety of areas, including semiconductor manufacturing, graphics processors, information technology, circuit design and satellite communications. He has also helped clients secure victories in trade secret misappropriation and employee mobility matters. Jason sits on the board of directors of nonprofit Community Cycles of California. He earned his J.D. from USC Gould and his electrical engineering degree from Arizona State.

Louise Gibbons was promoted to partner of Orrick in San Francisco.

Louise Gibbons is a member of our Energy & Infrastructure team, based in San Francisco. She advises clients on debt and tax equity financings, equity investments, acquisitions, sales and joint venture arrangements involving energy and infrastructure projects and companies, with a focus in the renewables space. Louise has been recognized by Euromoney as a Rising Star in 2018 and 2019. She earned her J.D. from UC Berkeley and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Brown.

Florence M. Jao was promoted to partner of Shartsis Friese LLP in San Francisco.

Florence Jao represents individual and family clients in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, estate and gift taxation, charitable gift planning, and probate. She also counsels new non-profit organizations with incorporating and obtaining federal and state tax exemptions, and advise existing public charities and private foundations regarding ongoing tax and administration issues. Jao received her J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center in 2003, and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Amherst College in 2000.

Danielle T. Zaragoza was promoted to partner of Shartsis Friese LLP in San Francisco.

Danielle Zaragoza represents individual and family clients in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, estate and gift taxation, charitable gift planning, and probate. She also counsels new non-profit organizations with incorporating and obtaining federal and state tax exemptions, and advise existing public charities and private foundations regarding ongoing tax and administration issues. Zaragoza received her J.D., Order of the Coif, from the University of California, Davis in 2003 where she was Editor of the UC Davis Law Review, and her B.A., cum laude, from the University of California, San Diego in 1998.

Jennifer W. Chang was promoted to senior partner of Hecht Solberg Robinson Goldberg & Bagley LLP in Hecht Solberg Robinson Goldberg & Bagley LLP (HechtSolberg), San Diego.

Ms. Chang's practice focuses on:

Representing commercial developers and home builders in real estate acquisitions and dispositions, entity formation, and financing.

Representing landlords and tenants in a variety of leasing transactions, including office, industrial, and retail leases, and covering all property types, including single-tenant, multi-tenant, and mixed-use projects.

Drafting and negotiating easement agreements for commercial developments.

Advising clients regarding complex title-related issues.

Business entity structuring, formation, and advising.

Nonprofit organizations

Márcia H.Y. Loeffelholz was promoted to senior partner of Hecht Solberg Robinson Goldberg & Bagley LLP in San Diego.

Márcia Loeffelholz specializes in real estate and business transaction matters, with a focus on acquisitions and dispositions, financing transactions, commercial leasing, entity formation and corporate governance and purchase and sale of business entities and assets. She assists clients, including real estate developers, landlords, tenants’ retail businesses, corporations and entrepreneurs, with real estate and general business needs.

Talon J. Powers was promoted to partner of Hecht Solberg Robinson Goldberg & Bagley LLP in San Diego.

Talon Powers' practice focuses on business litigation and risk management, with emphasis on construction, land use and environmental appeals, purchases and sales, commercial leases, real estate brokerage, and insurance issues. He is a director on the board of Rebuilding Together San Diego, a local nonprofit focused on rehabilitating homes and facilities for San Diego residents in need, and was honored as one of the 2019 “San Diego Rising Stars” by Super Lawyers.

Andrew D. Thorpe joined Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo PC as member in San Francisco.

Thorpe joins Mintz' corporate group and brings his practice, which focuses on securities regulation, public offerings, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance matters. At Mintz, Thorpe said he intends to be a part of expanding the firm's capital markets capabilities on the west coast.
One of the reasons for joining Mintz was his interest in the intersection between the life sciences and capital markets, he said.
"Their life sciences platform is excellent, and all of their capabilities in IP licensing, healthcare, regulatory and FDA provides a lot of tools to work with and compete in the Bay area for life sciences clients that a lot of firms in the area don't have," said Thorpe.
While many venture-backed technology firms stay in the private sector for several years before going public, the life sciences and the healthcare sector use the public capital markets to a higher degree, according to Thorpe, who spent time working in the Division of Corporation Finance of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
"I think with my background, coming from the SEC and working on capital markets transactions at my prior firms, combined with Mintz' capabilities in both capital markets and in life sciences and health care, really create a powerful arsenal to be able to compete and grow the practice in the Bay area," he said.
Thorpe, who holds an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management, has always had an affinity for corporate finance.
"I've always enjoyed working with companies and helping them at their most crucial points in their life cycles. From navigating very complex processes to go public to establish well-functioning finance and accounting and good corporate governance. I find it extremely gratifying to help companies when the stakes are high," Thorpe said.
Thorpe is based in Mintz' San Francisco office and received his law degree from Washington University.
Thorpe's move was brokered by Larry Watanabe, a partner at the California legal placement firm Watanabe LLC.

Nicole Christine Baldwin joined Klinedinst PC as counsel in Klinedinst PC, San Diego.

Nicole C. Baldwin litigates and counsels clients in employment law, business litigation, and is an experienced trial lawyer. She has over a decade of corporate defense litigation, and regularly counsels employers with the goal of minimizing litigation risks.
An experienced employment litigator, Ms. Baldwin has tried cases involving claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination. Ms. Baldwin is also experienced in defending employers against class actions involving wage and hour claims.
Before joining Klinedinst, Ms. Baldwin taught Civil Litigation and Legal Research for UC San Diego Extension's Paralegal Certificate Program.
In 2006 Ms. Baldwin received her J.D. from California Western School of Law. Prior to attending law school she graduated from Virginia Tech in 2003, where she obtained a B.A. in Communication/Journalism and a B.S. in Sociology.

Shawn Shaffie was promoted to patner of Parker Mills LLP in Los Angeles California.

Shawn Shaffie Becomes Partner At Parker Mills LLP

Having joined Parker Mills in 2016, and hailing from a practice previously focused on professional liability concerning attorneys, accountants and other business professionals, Shawn Shaffie's current practice involves all aspects of litigation and arbitration.

Mr. Shaffie is a trial attorney who has favorably resolved numerous high stakes lawsuits, and has wide-ranging experience in a variety of substantive areas including legal malpractice and ethics, insurance, business law, including contractual disputes and entertainment, fee disputes, real estate, traumatic personal injuries, and sober living home/drug treatment center malfeasance.

Mr. Shaffie has authored numerous publications, and is active within the local community. He is currently co-chair of the Southern California Professional Underwriting Society, as well as on the board of Open Immigration Legal Services, a non-profit legal services organization.

He has been consecutively named to the list of Super Lawyers, Rising Stars from 2014 through 2019, putting him in the top 2.5% of lawyers under 40 years of age in Southern California.

Benjamin J. Morris was promoted to partner of Foley & Lardner LLP in San Diego.

Foley & Lardner LLP is pleased to announce Benjamin J. Morris has been elected to the firm's partnership, effective February 1, 2020. Benjamin is a member of the Litigation and Construction Practices at Foley & Lardner LLP. He advises and counsels owners, developers, contractors, engineers, subcontractors and suppliers throughout all phases of complex construction projects and construction litigation. Benjamin also handles business and complex litigation, including defense of trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, unfair competition and consumer class action claims. His commercial clients have included biopharmaceutical companies, consumer electronics manufacturers, technology companies, consumer products companies, banks and engineering and construction firms.

Troy A. Valdez joined Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP as partner in San Francisco.

The decision to move to a different firm came after Valdez had lunch with his former mentor and boss, Fred W. Alvarez, who is also a partner at Coblentz.
"It was pure happenstance, really. We just started talking about Fred's move to Coblentz, and he suggested that I should think about it," Valdez said. "And a few months later, I made the move."
Valdez said he joined the firm because it gave him an opportunity to broaden his practice and client base.
Coblentz will give Alvarez more resources to focus on his practice, labor and employment law, he said.
A trial attorney with over 20 years of experience with labor and employment law, Valdez has advised clients on wage and hour class actions, founder and executive disputes, breach of contract actions, whistleblower and other retaliation claims, discrimination and harassment matters as well as arbitrations.
He also prosecuted and defended trade secret misappropriation and corporate raiding lawsuits.
One of the more significant developments in his practice area in recent years have been the increase of wage and hour cases, Valdez said.
"I had no clue that when I started practicing labor and employment, that wage and hour would become such a huge part of my practice with all the class actions that have focused on the intricacies of California labor code," Valdez said. "You can't practice labor and employment law these days without knowing the California labor code and being somewhat of a wage and hour lawyer."
Now based in Coblentz' San Francisco office, the UC Davis School of Law graduate said he aims to continue providing high quality legal services to clients.
"I want to continue to provide good, solid legal advising and counseling to clients and find a place where I can practice for a long time. And I think I've done that at Coblentz," Valdez said.

Marc André Bertet was promoted to partner of Hersh Mannis LLP in Beverly Hills.

Mr. Bertet is Certified as a Family Law Specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and brings a substantial breadth of knowledge to the field of family law, having represented renowned members of the entertainment industry, politicians, and high net worth clients for over 15 years. Mr. Bertet has contributed to various publications and lectured before several organizations including the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

Christopher G. Gordon was promoted to partner of Hersh Mannis LLP in Beverly Hills.

Mr. Gordon has broad experience in cases involving dissolution, separation, child custody and visitation, child support, spousal support, property characterization and division, and is equally adept at handling both high-conflict cases involving contentious litigation, and more collaborative cases focusing on mediated solutions. Clients appreciate his empathetic listening skills, calm demeanor, and active pursuit of practical solutions to today’s common and uncommon family law conflicts.

Andrew Stein was promoted to partner of Hersh Mannis LLP.

Mr. Stein brings over fifteen years of knowledge and experience representing high profile, high asset individuals in family law cases. Additionally, Mr. Stein has proved to be a highly capable advocate in the appellate arena and has also litigated cases in civil court. He also clerked in Washington, D.C., at the Center for Individual Rights where he worked on high-profile cases before the United States Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.

Sonia Nayak was promoted to partner of Nixon Peabody in Los Angeles.

Sonia Nayak, Community Development Finance, Nixon Peabody

Sonia Nayak's practice centers on real estate development and financing, including new markets tax credits, affordable housing, and commercial lending. Much of Sonia's work involves bringing private capital to high-impact community development projects in California and nationwide. These projects include affordable multifamily rental housing complexes, health care facilities, charter schools, cultural and community centers, and research and technology incubator facilities. Her recent pro bono work includes structuring dormitory financing for a San Francisco-area school serving vulnerable young adults.

Johanna Schiavoni as counsel

The California Appellate Law Group, a 16-attorney appellate specialty boutique with offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles, is proud to announce that it is expanding to San Diego with the addition of Johanna Schiavoni.

Johanna has nearly two decades of experience handling state and federal appeals, and she is a certified appellate specialist by the State Bar of California. She is also the 2020 President of the San Diego County Bar Association, which serves 10,000 members in and around California's second-largest city. Johanna is a former law clerk to Judge M. Margaret McKeown of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Johanna's full background is at www.calapplaw.com/johanna. You can reach her at johanna.schiavoni@calapplaw.com or (619) 642-2929.

Learn more about the California Appellate Law Group LLP at www.calapplaw.com.