Shaalu Mehra joined Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLC as partner in Palo Alto.

Mehra leads a technology-focused practice in corporate and venture finance such as technology collaborations, technology regulation and intellectual property transactions. He also advises companies on public policy, corporate and venture capital, technology infrastructure, crisis management and trade and competition issues.

Masahisa Mitsunaga was promoted to shareholder of Buchalter Nemer PC in Los Angeles.

Mitsunaga has participated in media-related mergers and acquisitions and debt and equity finance transactions. He also advises clients on the development of intellectual property and supports a variety of Japanese companies in conducting or expanding businesses in the U.S.

Mercedes O. Martin was promoted to shareholder of Buchalter Nemer PC in Los Angeles.

Martin specializes in real estate transactions, with an emphasis on secured lending and tax credit finance.

Kate T. Spelman joined Jenner & Block LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Spelman has experience with the food and beverage industry including food labeling. She also focuses her practice on fraud, breach of contract, employment, personal injury and intellectual property claims arising out of the food industry.

Albert W. Stemp joined Kirkland & Ellis LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Stemp's practice focuses on real estate transactions and has represented clients in joint ventures, preferred equity deals, acquisitions, dispositions and various types of financings and real estate-related mergers and acquisitions.

Ian S. Landsberg joined Sklar Kirsh LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Landsberg focuses his practice in complex business and real estate litigation. He specializes in bankruptcy which includes secured transactions, reorganizations, insolvency, bankruptcy litigation, workouts and creditors' rights. He has represented business owners, landlords, secured and unsecured creditors, financial institutions and developers of retail shopping centers, office buildings, industrial complexes and high-end luxury homes.

Lisa K. Skaist joined Sklar Kirsh LLP as senior counsel in Los Angeles.

Skaist practices real estate litigation that includes handling unlawful detainers, lease disputes, prescriptive easement rights, breach of purchase and sale agreements and construction defect claims. She has defended and prosecuted claims including partnership, fraud and complex contract disputes.

Matthew P. Seeberger joined Sklar Kirsh LLP as senior counsel in Los Angeles.

Seeberger primarily focuses his practice on leasing all types of commercial real estate. He focuses on office and retail products from small offices to entire office buildings.

Michael E. Zeliger joined Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP as partner in Palo Alto.

Zeliger is a patent litigator and serves as lead counsel to technology companies in a variety of complex IP issues. He has experience in home security and automation, consumer products, vibration control systems, robotics, laboratory instrumentation and manufacturing.

Shirin Forootan joined Workplace Justice Advocates PLC as partner in Irvine.

Forootan has experience with labor and employment matters such as equal pay, sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wage disputes and updates in employment law.

Lawrence J. Lines joined Crowell & Moring LLP as senior counsel in Irvine.

Lines' practice focuses on representing corporate clients in antitrust recovery matters and advising large manufacturers and Fortune 500 legal departments on strategies to strengthen their affirmative recovery programs. He provides counsel on matters involving dealer and franchise relationships as well as all aspects of putative class action matters involving consumer products.

Jana L. Russell joined Scheper Kim & Harris LLP as counsel in Los Angeles.

Russell's practice includes defense of civil and criminal investigations as well as commercial disputes and class actions. She handles health care fraud, environmental violations, financial services, securities, consumer products, antitrust and defense of legal, accounting and tax professionals.

Kathy H. Gao was promoted to partner of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP in Los Angeles.

Gao represents corporate clients in complex wage and hour class, collective and representative actions as well as in sexual harassment, workplace discrimination and wrongful termination matters. She also provides guidance in high-profile complex litigation on ways to minimize risk from potential employment issues, compliance with laws and regulations and implementation of policies.

Miranda L. O'Connell was promoted to partner of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP in San Francisco.

O’Connell counsels clients regarding the investment in and secondary sale of interests in private investment funds. Private equity funds, co-investment funds, venture funds, captive funds and separate accounts are some of the entities she has worked with as well as other customized private finance options.

Lise T. Lipowsky was promoted to partner of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP in Los Angeles.

Lipowsky’s practice focuses on corporate matters for public and private company clients. She represents purchasers and sellers, including private equity clients, in mergers and acquisitions

Albert N. Lung was promoted to partner of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP in Palo Alto.

Lung advises companies on capital market transactions, corporate governance, public and private offerings as well as compliance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s regulations, disclosure requirements and securities laws. Some of his clients include publicly-listed companies and investment banking firms in emerging technology, biotechnology, software and life sciences.

Dr. Christina A. MacDougall was promoted to partner of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP in San Francisco.

MacDougall’s intellectual property practice relates to her background in life sciences, chemistry and healthcare. She advises clients on patent counseling, global prosecution, opinions and due diligence in the life sciences and related technology fields. MacDougall drafts patent applications and analyzes patent landscapes regarding competitive diligence and freedom to operate.

Kathryn T. McGuigan was promoted to partner of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP in Los Angeles.

McGuigan’s focuses on employment law counsel and litigation defense for companies. Her litigation experience includes wage and hour class and collective actions as well as single-plaintiff wrongful termination and discrimination claims. She also advises clients on human resources management.

F. Jackson Stoddard was promoted to partner of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP in San Francisco.

Stoddard advises clients on energy regulatory matters and proceedings in matters involving the California Independent System Operator.

Stephen T. Kong joined Pepper Hamilton LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Kong focuses on technology transactions, intellectual property licensing and value creation. He also has experience advising on content and media transactions, the intellectual property aspects of mergers and acquisitions and open source software for clients including commercial software, e-commerce, consumer electronics, retail and apparel businesses.

Vikki L. Vander Woude joined Umberg Zipser LLP as partner in Irvine.

Vander Woude focuses her practice on commercial litigation, litigation consulting and neutral services. She assists smaller and mid-sized businesses as an "outside in-house" counsel with management and oversight of litigation, legal expenses, discovery, proactive risk management and alternative dispute resolution.

Laura Campbell joined Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck LLP as associate in Sonoma, CA.

Campbell concentrates her practice on landlord/tenant matters including representing clients in unlawful detainer lawsuits, negotiating tenant buy-outs and resolving property management issues. She received her B.A. from Northwestern University and her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Yesenia M. Gallegos joined McDermott Will & Emery LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Gallegos counsels employers faced with mounting risks of class action litigation and workplace disputes. She represents employers for wage and hour cases and trade secret and non-compete matters. Gallegos also conducts and oversees workplace investigations of harassment and discrimination and provides organizations with training in sexual harassment prevention, disability law and employment law.

Steven M. Goldberg joined Pearl Cohen Zedek Latzer Baratz LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Goldberg has extensive litigation experience. Some of his clients include brokerage firms, banks, stockbrokers and their customers. Goldberg has also done work in copyright and trademark infringement, class actions and Securities and Exchange Commission investigations.

Anthony Arnold joined Barnes & Thornburg LLP as partner in San Diego.

Arnold's practice focuses on corporate and finance, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity. He also regularly advises fund managers, company executives and boards of directors on corporate governance matters and compliance issues.

Michael C. Flynn joined Buchalter PC as of counsel in Los Angeles.

Flynn's practice focuses on consumer financial services, banking, mortgage lending and servicing, mergers and acquisitions regarding regulatory requirements, transaction due diligence and regulatory enforcement.

Greg A. Christianson joined Alston & Bird LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Christianson's practice focuses on allocation matters, natural resource damage actions, federal and state citizen suits and multiparty toxic tort actions. He also handles complex environmental litigation matters including class actions and mass joinder lawsuits.

Robert F. Kramer joined Feinberg Day Alberti Lim & Belloli LLP as partner in Menlo Park.

Kramer specializes in representing owners and companies accused of patent infringement in district courts throughout the country. He represents well-established companies as well as startups and has extensive experience litigating and advising clients in patent licensing negotiations.

Russell S. Tonkovich joined Feinberg Day Alberti Lim & Belloli LLP as partner in Menlo Park.

Tonkovich focuses on patent infringement, trade secret litigation, patent licensing negotiation, licensing disputes and counseling clients to resolve complex business disputes involving intellectual property. He also has experience representing biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

Winston P. Hsiao was promoted to counsel of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Los Angeles.

Hsiao practices complex civil litigation in state and federal court, representing defendants in lawsuits such as class action securities litigation, shareholder derivative actions, tortious interference claims, contract disputes and fraud claims.

Allison M. Hunter was promoted to counsel of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Palo Alto.

Hunter focuses on clients in public and private debt and equity financings, including initial public offerings and follow-on and secondary offerings. She also advises on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, SEC maters and other corporate transactions.

David A. Niemeyer was promoted to counsel of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Los Angeles.

Niemeyer has represented clients in domestic and cross-border transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, auctions and joint ventures. He regularly advises clients on corporate governance and other general corporate matters.

Sam A. Newman joined Sidley Austin LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Newman joins Sidley Austin's global restructuring group. He advises debtors, buyers, sellers, lenders and borrowers in transactions involving distressed assets.