Michael Hellbusch was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Costa Mesa.

Mr. Hellbusch excels in several areas of law including cyber law, data security and privacy issues. He has a broad range of experience both as a transactional lawyer and as a litigator. He is co-chair of the Orange County Chapter of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). He is certified in U.S. privacy law (CIPP/US) and privacy management (CIPM) from the IAPP. He is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional--Europe (CIPP-E) and Certified Information Privacy Management (CIPM). He is a graduate of University of San Diego School of the Law and University of San Diego.

Peter Hering was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Costa Mesa.

Mr. Hering advises employers of all sizes on how to navigate the intricacies of California’s employment laws, in particular its complex wage and hour requirements. He divides his time between counseling employers on strategies for proactively assessing and minimizing litigation risk and representing employers facing a broad array of employment claims. He is a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles, where he was a managing editor with the UCLA Law Review, and Biola University, summa cum laude, member of the Order of Peter and Paul.

Justine Kastan was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Palo Alto.

Based in the firm’s Palo Alto office, Ms. Kastan works with developers and contractors on matters involving construction law, infrastructure development, and public-private partnerships. In addition to her day-to-day construction law practice drafting contracts at all project phases, managing change order work and claims, and litigating, Justine has also represented builders in connection with complex and trailblazing P3s such as the Long Beach Civic Center, UC Merced 2020 Campus, and Los Angeles Convention Center projects. Justine’s prior work experience includes externships at both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of California. She is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, School of Law and Harvard University, cum laude.

Allison Lemoine-Bui was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Costa Mesa.

Ms. LeMoine-Bui specializes in affordable housing and economic development. She regularly advises public entities and developers regarding affordable housing transactions and real property transactional matters, and has negotiated and drafted numerous agreements, including affordable housing agreements, ground leases, statutory development agreements, purchase and sale and economic development agreements, and various other general municipal contracts. She is also Deputy City Attorney for Irvine and La Quinta. She is a graduate of Chapman University School of Law, Valedictorian; magna cum laude; Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and University of California, Los Angeles.

Christina V. McSparron was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Costa Mesa.

Ms. McSparron works closely with individual and corporate clients across the country, at all stages in the life cycle of the business. In her practice, she regularly acts as general outside counsel and advises on diverse matters such as entity structuring, corporate governance, mergers, acquisitions, debt and equity financing, licensing and general business operations. She regularly advises entrepreneurs and executives in the automotive, technology, restaurant, food and beverage, manufacturing and retail industries. She is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles and University of Minnesota Law School, where she was an editor of the Minnesota Law Review.

Denisha McKenzie was promoted to senior counsel of Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP in Irvine.

Denisha McKenzie has been elevated to Senior Counsel. McKenzie defends employers in all areas of labor and employment law in state and federal court, as well as before various administrative agencies, including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE). McKenzie's practice has a special emphasis on vigorously defending alleged claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination. A significant portion of her practice also is dedicated to defending wage and hour single-plaintiff, class action and PAGA lawsuits. She is a graduate of Tufts University and received her J.D. from the University of California, Irvine School of Law.

Daniel M. Engler was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP in San Francisco.

Daniel M. Engler's practice focuses on the buying, selling, leasing, and development of real property. He joined the firm in 2012 and is a member of Cox, Castle & Nicholson's San Francisco Real Estate and Renewable Energy Development team. Engler's expertise spans the residential, commercial, mixed-use, healthcare and renewable energy sectors, and he regularly represents clients in complex real estate transactions and land use and entitlement matters.

Engler sits on NAIOP San Francisco Bay Area Chapter's Government Affairs Committee, the Urban Land Institute's San Francisco Sustainability Committee, and the Bay Area Council's Housing Committee. Engler graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and earned his bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University.

Linda C. Klein was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP in San Francisco.

Linda C. Klein’s practice focuses on land use entitlement and litigation, with extensive expertise in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and in particular air quality and greenhouse gas issues. Since joining Cox, Castle & Nicholson’s Land Use and Natural Resources team in 2011, she has helped the firm successfully entitle numerous projects in the Bay Area, including the Oak Knoll community in Oakland and Fortinet’s newest building in Sunnyvale. With an architectural background, she provides entitlement clients practical solutions to the most complex development and zoning matters. She also has helped litigate a number of CEQA cases, including several in the California Supreme Court.

Klein is an active member of the California Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP) and the San Francisco chapter of Urban Land Institute, where she sits on the Policy & Practice Committee. She earned her Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law, graduating Order of the Coif, her Master of Architecture from Yale School of Architecture, and bachelor's degrees in art and art history and civil engineering from Rice University, magna cum laude in both. After law school, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Sandra S. Ikuta of the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Cathy T. Moses was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP in Irvine, Orange County.

Cathy T. Moses joined Cox, Castle & Nicholson’s Litigation team as senior counsel in 2017. Her experience spans a wide range of business and real estate litigation matters, including business torts, contracts, partnership disputes, and employment litigation. She has achieved successful outcomes for the firm’s clients at all stages of litigation, including pre-litigation negotiations, dispositive motion practice, trial, and appeal.

Outside of the office, she serves on the board of directors of the Constitutional Rights Foundation Orange County. She graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from the University of Michigan Law School, and earned her bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in history and literature from Harvard University. After graduating from law school, she served as a law clerk to The Honorable M. Margaret McKeown of the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. From 2011 to 2012, she served as a Trial Attorney with the United States Department of Justice, Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, in Washington, D.C.

Jake Storms was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP in San Francisco.

Jake Storms has played a key role in the expansion of Cox, Castle & Nicholson’s renewable energy practice since joining the firm in 2015, where he is a member of the firm’s San Francisco Real Estate and Renewable Energy Development team. Storms is an experienced energy attorney advising developers, lenders and tax equity investors on a broad range of renewable/alternative energy projects, including some of the largest utility-scale solar installations in California and across the United States. Outside of energy, he focuses on project development and the acquisition, disposition and development of real property for a variety of industries, including healthcare, conservation and mitigation lands and mixed-use projects.

Storms is a member of the San Francisco Bar Association and the Napa County Bar Association. Previously, he sat on the advisory board for the California Environmental Law and Policy Center at the University of California, Davis School of Law, as well as the Native American Resources and Renewable, Alternative and Distributed Energy Resources committees for the American Bar Association. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Davis School of Law.

Christina M. Gagnier joined Carlton Fields as shareholder in Los Angeles.

Carlton Fields' Trailblazing Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice Welcomes Prominent Los Angeles Technology Lawyer Christina M. Gagnier

Los Angeles, Calif. - January 7, 2020 - Carlton Fields welcomes technology lawyer Christina M. Gagnier as a shareholder in the firm's growing Los Angeles office. An influential privacy law attorney, professor, and author, Gagnier is the newest addition to Carlton Fields' national Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice. Most notably, she served as a member of the Federal Communications Commission's Consumer Advisory Committee and the California attorney general's Cyber Exploitation Task Force. Gagnier's practice also encompasses blockchain technology, international regulatory affairs, technology transactions, and intellectual property.

Gagnier is the sixth attorney to join Carlton Fields' Los Angeles office in less than six months. She also expands the firm's trailblazing Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice, a group of experienced litigation and transactional attorneys who provide clients across industries with comprehensive counsel on complex, evolving, and multifaceted issues related to privacy, data security incidents and breaches, and related matters. The group's attorneys comprise former federal cybersecurity prosecutors and Certified Information Privacy Professionals (CIPP/US). They are active and hold leadership positions in data privacy and cybersecurity organizations including The Sedona Conference Working Group on Data Security and Privacy Liability. Their thought leadership is showcased in several innovative resources including a CCPA Toolkit, a GDPR Assessment App, and an e-book titled California Consumer Privacy Act: A Reference Guide for Compliance. Carlton Fields was also named one of the top 25 law firms in the nation for its Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice.

"Given California's strong presence in cyber issues, securing a lawyer of Christina's depth and breadth of experience adds to our capabilities both here on the West Coast and nationally," said Mark A. Neubauer, the firm's Los Angeles office managing shareholder. "We are extremely pleased she chose to join us and look forward to having her help us grow that burgeoning area of the law."

Added Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice Co-Chair Joseph W. Swanson, "Christina brings a wealth of experience advising clients on privacy matters. She joins us at a time when California is taking the lead on privacy issues with the sweeping California Consumer Privacy Act taking effect on January 1. As other states follow suit with their own privacy legislation, Christina will be an invaluable resource to our clients."

Prior to joining Carlton Fields, Gagnier was managing partner at Gagnier Margossian, where she led the Internet, Intellectual Property, and Technology Practice. Her practice focuses on advising clients on digital strategy to help them navigate uncharted legal territory. Gagnier guides a variety of technology companies and consumer brands through emerging legal and policy issues such as digital currency, the sharing economy, network neutrality, and the ever-changing area of consumer privacy law.

"Carlton Fields has a deep bench of skilled lawyers in a variety of key areas for my clients, including intellectual property, labor and employment, and tax," Gagnier said. "I'm thrilled to serve my clients with a national platform."

Outside her practice, Gagnier is an adjunct professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, where she serves as clinical faculty for the Intellectual Property, Arts, and Technology Clinic. She teaches the only privacy law class offered at UCI Law. Gagnier's primary research involves cyber rights and the intersection of online and offline action.

Gagnier is a frequent speaker and author on issues involving internet law, particularly online harassment, including nonconsensual pornography and cyberbullying. She has authored articles in HuffPost's technology section and columns on legal ethics on the web and internet law topics for California Lawyer, and she served as the host for "Techwire" on the California Channel. Gagnier has appeared on NBC's "Press:Here" and on radio stations including KCBS in San Francisco and WCCO in Minneapolis, and she has been quoted by AlterNet, Ars Technica, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, BuzzFeed, Inc., MIT Technology Review, MSNBC, NBC News, The New York Times, Politico, The Recorder, The Mercury News, TechCrunch, and The Verge.

Passionate about technology education, Gagnier serves as the CEO of the LINK Americas Foundation, which aims to improve digital literacy across the United States, Canada, and Central and South America. She is also the CEO of Know Before You Go, an organization that grants scholarships for college visits. In her local community, Gagnier serves as the secretary and member of the board of directors of the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce. She is also the vice president of the governing board for the Chino Valley Unified School District and was one of the first candidates for public office to accept bitcoin.

Gagnier earned her J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law, her M.P.A. from the University of Southern California, and her B.A. from the University of California, Irvine.

Gregory R. Smith joined Lowenstein & Weatherwax LLP as of counsel in Los Angeles.

Smith practiced at Irell & Manella LLP for five decades, where he founded the firm's appellate group. He has appeared in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, the Delaware Supreme Court, the Nevada Supreme Court, and various courts of appeal, including the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and California Courts of Appeal.
"Joining the firm not only enables me to practice law with friends and former colleagues but also to help build the firm's growing appellate practice. That has been my specialty for many years, and I have always enjoyed its intellectual challenge," Smith said.
As of counsel, Smith said he hopes to bring skills he has developed over the years "to assist younger lawyers in the development of those skills, and in this way to bring an important benefit to the firm's clients."
Smith is a member of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers and was previously Chair of the California State Bar Committee on Appellate Courts.
Smith received his law degree from Harvard Law School, where he served on the Harvard Law Review and graduated magna cum laude. He completed his bachelor's degree at Claremont Men's College, where he was summa cum laude, and his master's degree at the London School of Economics.
Smith is also an active member in several charitable organizations and is a founder and President of Westwood Kehilla Synagogue.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for me to do something that I love so much with an extraordinary group of lawyers amongst whom I count many friends," Smith said. "What more could I ask for?"

Ali Abugheida was promoted to counsel of Buckley LLP in Los Angeles.

Abugheida represents corporate and individual clients in complex civil litigation and government enforcement matters. His work includes cases involving allegations of mortgage fraud, the Truth in Lending Act, property-assessed clean energy (PACE) financing, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and unfair and deceptive trade-practice statutes. He received his J.D. from the University of Southern California in 2012, and his B.A. from the University of California, San Diego in 2009 (cum laude).

Sherry-Maria Safchuk was promoted to counsel of Buckley LLP in Los Angeles.

Safchuk represents clients in regulatory and compliance matters and provides support for complex litigation and government investigations involving the mortgage, consumer, and commercial lending industries. She also assists clients on privacy issues, including those related to the California Consumer Privacy Act. She received her J.D. from George Washington University in 2008, and her B.A. from the University of Southern California in 2005.

Leslie Meredith was promoted to counsel of Buckley LLP in Washington, DC.

Meredith represents corporate and individual clients in complex civil litigation and government investigations. She has experience representing clients before the Department of Justice, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, state attorneys general, and in federal and state courts around the country. She received her J.D. from American University (cum laude) in 2011, and her B.A. from Washington College (magna cum laude) in 2006.

Kristopher Kokotaylo was promoted to principal of Meyers Nave in Oakland.

Meyers Nave proudly announces the elevation of Kristopher Kokotaylo to Principal, effective January 1, 2020.

Kokotaylo joined Meyers Nave in 2013 as a member of the Municipal & Special District Law Practice Group. He provides advice and guidance on the complete range of challenges that municipalities, counties, special districts and public agencies face as they implement their missions and mandates. He currently serves as City Attorney for the City of Union City, Assistant City Attorney for the City of San Leandro, Interim City Attorney for the City of Newark, General Counsel for the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee, and District Counsel for the Stege Sanitary District. Kris focuses his practice on land use, real estate, construction, constitutional law, code enforcement, the Public Records Act, and the Brown Act. He provides advice on governance and daily operations issues as well as public policy development and long-term planning matters. Kris serves on the Board of Directors for Spectrum Community Services, a nonprofit that assists low-income and disadvantaged individuals, families and seniors in their efforts to live independently. Kris is a member of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area and the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California.

Jenny L. Riggs was promoted to principal of Meyers Nave in Los Angeles.

Meyers Nave proudly announces the elevation of Jenny Riggs to Principal, effective January 1, 2020.

Riggs joined Meyers Nave in 2013 as a member of the Trial and Litigation Practice Group. She has extensive state and federal court litigation experience on behalf of municipalities, counties, special districts, businesses and non-profit organizations. Jenny’s expertise includes single- and multi-plaintiff cases involving constitutional law, government corruption, land use, zoning, catastrophic disasters, eminent domain and inverse condemnation, coastal issues, environmental claims, Public Records Act and Brown Act compliance, Americans with Disabilities Act, employment law, and civil rights claims for violations of substantive and procedural due process. In addition to her skills in the courtroom examining witnesses and arguing motions, and her expert aptitude for taking and defending depositions, Jenny leads the development and management of Meyers Nave’s systems and protocols for discovery plans in complex matters and document intensive litigation. Jenny handles pre-trial litigation (including dispositive motions), pre-trial discovery, various stages of motion practice, and trial. Her complex litigation experience also includes multi-district cases and civil litigations that are intertwined with criminal actions. Jenny is a member of California Women Lawyers and the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles.

Shiraz Tangri was promoted to principal of Meyers Nave in Los Angeles.

Meyers Nave proudly announces the elevation of Shiraz Tangri to Principal, effective January 1, 2020.

Shiraz Tangri joined Meyers Nave in 2013 as a member of the Land Use and Environmental Law Practice Group. He focuses his practice on real estate development, infrastructure, and transportation projects. His experience includes all aspects of land use entitlements, litigation and compliance for public and private clients who are project developers, owners and/or operators. Shiraz fills a specialized niche within land use law, advising clients on major infrastructure, transportation, and urban in-fill projects, including housing, cultural and educational institutions, and transit-oriented development. He is well-versed in the myriad of issues that project development clients face regarding land use law, such as compliance with the Brown Act and other public meeting laws, green building, adaptive re-use, air quality and permitting, renewable energy, sustainable development and transportation planning. Shiraz’s areas of expertise cover the California Environmental Quality Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and complex multi-party and multi-site litigation involving environmental claims, public-private partnerships, water rights, contaminated properties, toxic torts, and products liability issues. Shiraz is a member of the California Minority Counsel Program and the Mentor Program of the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California.

Laurie H. Selkowitz was promoted to partner of Wargo French LLP in Los Angeles.

Selkowitz practices in the areas of general corporate and securities, mergers and acquisitions, technology law and intellectual property and trade secrets. Her elevation will be effective on Jan. 1.

Jeffrey N. Williams was promoted to partner of Wargo French LLP in Los Angeles.

Williams practices in the areas of appellate litigation, intellectual property and trade secrets, financial services litigation, class and collective action litigation and employment litigation. His promotion will be effective on Jan. 1.

Janice Rice was promoted to deputy practice group leader of Squire Patton Boggs LLP in San Francisco.

Rice is the new leader of the firm's intellectual property & technology practice group, including the life and health sciences patent team, in San Francisco and Palo Alto.
The Squire Patton Boggs partner has in-depth experience with the pharmaceutical industry, which allows her to advise clients on intellectual property-related issues, product life cycle management and handling inventions overseas.

Sahil Ramesh Shah joined Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman & Rabkin LLP as associate in Los Angeles.

Shah's practice focuses on real estate transactions including leasing of industrial, retail and office properties as well as the purchase and sale of residential and commercial properties. He also advises clients on environmental regulatory matters including the remediation of property with environmental contamination and compliance with California's Proposition 65.

Michael R. Weiss was promoted to office managing partner of Akerman LLP in Los Angeles.

Weiss will guide Akerman's growth and recruitment efforts in Los Angeles, while further strengthening the firm's relationship with civic and business leaders in the region. Weiss, an experienced commercial litigator, will also continue his role as leader of the Los Angeles litigation practice group, representing clients through complex real estate litigation, commercial and business disputes and insurance and insurance insolvency matters.

Steven T. Anapoell joined Carlton Fields PA as of counsel in Los Angeles.

Anapoell's practice focuses on private equity, fund formation, private securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and real estate syndications. He has served clients in a variety of industries including technology and software, entertainment, renewable energy, oil and gas, sporting goods, life settlements and medical devices.

Peter S. Selvin joined Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP as partner in Beverly Hills.

Selvin has experience handling commercial litigation, insurance coverage and international litigation. He often represents insurers and national corporations in civil disputes in commercial and business settings.

Pooja S. Nair joined Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP as partner in Beverly Hills.

Nair is a business litigator with a focus on the food and beverage sector. She advises food and beverage clients, startups and other businesses on a range of issues such as employment, trade secrets, partnership disputes, contract negotiations, intellectual property, licensing and franchise disputes.

Philip J. Smith joined Fisher & Phillips LLP as of counsel in San Francisco.

Smith's practice focuses on employment litigation involving single and class action claims for discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour matters and unfair competition. Risk assessment, litigation avoidance, policy development and compliance, employment contracts and personnel management actions are some of the matters Smith counsels on.

Meng Xi was promoted to partner of Susman Godfrey LLP in Los Angeles.

Xi focuses her practice on a variety of high-stakes commercial litigation matters in federal and state courts across the country, particularly patent infringement and business contract disputes. Her elevation will be effective on Jan. 1.

Krysta Kauble Pachman was promoted to partner of Susman Godfrey LLP in Los Angeles.

Kauble Pachman represents plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes commercial litigation, including class actions, patent cases, copyright matters and other disputes. Her promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Jonathan J. Goodwin was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in Redwood City.

Goodwin's practice focuses on the formation and general representation of early stage to growth-stage venture capital firms. He works with firms on their general fund operations and investment activities, including facilitating the exploration of new investment strategies, advising on tax matters and addressing changes in the legal landscape. Goodwin's promotion will be effective on Jan. 1.

John H. Olson was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in Northern California.

Olson advises sellers, buyers and investors in private and public technology and life sciences companies. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions and has experience advising clients in mergers, stock purchases, asset sales and other strategic transactions. His promotion will be effective on Jan. 1.

Michael N. Richman was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in Redwood City.

Richman focuses his practice on executive compensation-related aspects of corporate transactions and public offerings, as well as key employee representations and related tax matters. His elevation will be effective on Jan. 1.

Maggie N. White was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in Redwood City.

White represents a variety of technology companies and leading venture capital firms in their corporate and governance matters, financing transactions and a variety of merger and acquisition transactions. She focuses on early stage startups across a range of industries. Her promotion will be effective on Jan. 1.

Rob P. Neale joined Clark Hill PLC as senior counsel in San Francisco.

Neale advises clients on all aspects of corporate immigration law, regulation, policy and compliance, including nonimmigrant work visas, permanent residence, naturalization, family-based matters and corporate restructuring.

Sonya D. Goodwin joined Sauer & Wagner LLP as senior employment counsel in Los Angeles.

Goodwin has extensive experience advising both large and small companies in a wide range of industries on various state and federal employment issues. She counsels employers about their employment policies and agreements such as matters including wage and hour issues, disability issues, employee complaints of discrimination, harassment and retaliation.