Jayesh Patel joined Greenspoon Marder LLP in Los Angeles.

Patel focuses on complex financial, real estate, and commercial litigation. He litigates business issues that cross sovereign borders, particularly in relation to India, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. Patel is experienced in providing advisory and litigation services, including trial, on insurance coverage, securities and financial misrepresentation, lending and loan guarantees, shareholder or member disputes, and dissolution claims.

Susannah K. Howard

Howard is a labor and employment lawyer experienced in wage-and-hour disputes, discrimination based on age, race, sex, national origin, physical handicap, enforcement of non-compete agreements, background check procedures and employee discipline and termination. She also conducts independent investigations on behalf of companies into high-profile allegations of employee misconduct. Howard is a University of Toronto alumna.

Dimitri D. Portnoi was promoted to partner of O'Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles.

Portnoi focuses on complex business litigation, financial service, and entertainment matters, including consumer class actions, unfair competition, business torts, fraud, contract and related commercial litigation. He is experienced in water and regulatory law, federal constitutional cases, international law and the Alien Tort Statute, copyright and trademark law, products liability, federal anti-discrimination law, state tax litigation, consumer class actions, Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation and contract and related commercial litigation. Portnoi is a New York University School of Law alumnus.

Daniel R. Suvor was promoted to partner of O'Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles.

Suvor previously served as chief of policy and senior counsel to California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris. He specializes in high-stakes litigation, government investigations and controversies, and regulatory matters. Suvor has represented government agencies in appellate litigation and regulatory counseling matters and has filed amicus briefs to further a large public entity’s support of immigrants and local law enforcement priorities. He is a George Washington University Law School alumnus.

Vincent Zhou was promoted to partner of O'Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles.

Xin-Yi “Vincent” Zhou is an intellectual property litigator who represents technology companies in high-stakes, complex cases involving electronics, semiconductor, telecommunications and software technologies. Before attending law school, Zhou worked as a product engineer for AMD and as a process engineer and program manager for eSilicon Corporation. He is a UCLA Law School alumnus.

Rachel A. Straus was promoted to partner of Sidley Austin LLP in Century City.

Straus specializes in complex commercial litigation, such as statewide, national and multidistrict class actions, false and deceptive advertising actions, business torts and consumer claims. She has represented clients in high-stakes litigation in the automobile, health and wellness, and entertainment industries. Straus is a Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University alumna.

Matthew J. Dolan was promoted to partner of Sidley Austin LLP in Palo Alto.

Dolan focuses on complex commercial and securities litigation. He is experienced in representing corporate clients and individual officers and directors in class action, shareholder derivative, and corporate governance litigation in state and federal courts in California, New York, and Delaware as well as in response to Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice investigations. Dolan is a Tulane University Law School alumnus.

Kevin R. Rubino was promoted to partner of Sidley Austin LLP in San Francisco.

Rubino is experienced in complex civil litigation and international commercial arbitration. He has been a member of multiple trial teams that have prevailed in high-stakes trials and arbitrations spanning a variety of industries, from real estate to e-commerce. Rubino is a Columbia University School of Law alumnus.

Aarthi K. Belani was promoted to partner of Jones Day in Palo Alto.

Belani focuses on M&A, venture deals, and social enterprise and impact investment. She represents strategic acquirers of cross-border businesses in tech and industrial tech, venture funds, strategic venture investors, and emerging growth technology companies. Belani has also advised on deals in the sustainability, health care, and financial services sectors. She is a New York University Institute for International Law and Justice alumna.

An P. Doan was promoted to partner of Jones Day in Palo Alto.

Doan practices intellectual property law with an emphasis on technology transactions. She advises clients on structuring, drafting, and negotiating intellectual property development agreements, including IP commercialization and license agreements. Doan also represents buyers and sellers in domestic and cross-border corporate transactions and has significant experience in the computer hardware and software, education, and energy industries. Doan is a University of Virginia School of Law alumna.

Rowan T. Mason

Mason specializes in high-value construction and infrastructure disputes. He has represented private owners, public entities, and general contractors in large delay, breach of contract, and defect claims. Mason also has experience representing clients in consumer and tort class actions as well as insurance recovery matters. He is a University of San Diego School of Law alumnus.

Cameron A. Reese was promoted to partner of Jones Day in San Diego.

Reese is experienced in mergers and acquisitions and venture capital transactions. He represents private equity funds, emerging companies, venture capital firms, institutional investors, and corporate acquirers in structuring and negotiating domestic and cross-border transactions. Reese’s practice also includes leveraged buyout transactions, minority investments and spin-out transactions. He is a Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School alumnus.

Carol W. Su was promoted to partner of Jones Day in Irvine.

Su represents national financial institutions in structuring, negotiating, and documenting real estate secured transactions and advises lenders with respect to troubled loans. Her practice focuses on construction lending, loan portfolios, lines of credit, syndicated loans, and secured and unsecured revolving facilities. Su is a University of California, Davis alumna.

Carolyn A. Woods was promoted to partner of Jones Day in Los Angeles.

Woodson represents clients in high-stakes litigation pending in federal and state courts and ADR forums. She focuses on business disputes, class action defense, and insurance coverage. Woodson has defended cases seeking billions of dollars in damages and alleging class action claims involving data security, unfair competition, labor and employment, false advertising and antitrust allegations. She has also helped clients recover hundreds of millions of dollars for insurance claims. Woodson is a University of Southern California Gould School of Law alumna.

Catherine T. Zeng was promoted to partner of Jones Day in Palo Alto.

Zeng is a litigator focusing on antitrust and unfair competition, class actions, product liability, and commercial disputes. She has defended a health care client against multiple lawsuits alleging unfair competition claims, worked for the successful dismissal of a lawsuit against a large energy company and represented two technology companies in an antitrust class action. Zeng has also represented pro bono clients in unlawful detainer, conservatorship and domestic violence matters. She is a Case Western Reserve University School of Law alumna.

Matthew D. Benedetto was promoted to partner of WilmerHale in Los Angeles.

Benedetto is a member of the firm's Litigation/Controversy Department. He has more than 10 years' experience representing clients in complex civil, criminal and administrative matters, often involving crisis management and public policy responses. He has represented pharmaceutical companies, healthcare companies and financial institutions in both federal and state False Claims Act actions. In the healthcare space, he has experience litigating California's Insurance Frauds Prevention Act, a qui tam statute in the Insurance Code, including arguing before the California Court of Appeal.

Christopher R. Fredrich was promoted to special counsel of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP in Los Angeles.

Fredrich focuses his practice on complex civil litigation, with an emphasis in financial services matters and consumer class and individual action defense. He represents banks, lenders, loan servicers, investors and other financial institutions in state and federal court proceedings at both the trial and appellate levels. He has experience litigating claims arising under the Truth in Lending Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Telephone Consumer Protection Act, as well as claims based on state laws regulating debt collection, loan servicing, loss mitigation and foreclosure practices. Fredrich has defended multiple actions alleging violations of state consumer protection laws, including California's Unfair Competition Law and Rosenthal Act, and also has experience advising clients in regulatory and compliance matters, including conducting comprehensive internal procedure reviews, assessing risk in connection with institutional investment opportunities, and counseling clients on privacy and data breach notification issues. Strook promoted firmwide 2 attorneys to partner and six to special counsel. Fredrich is based in Los Angeles.

AnnaMarie A. Van Hoesen was promoted to partner of Jenner & Block in Los Angeles.

Van Hoesen focuses her practice on entertainment, intellectual property and professional responsibility matters. She has robust experience representing companies and law firms in complex, high-stakes disputes in both state and federal courts, as well as arbitration. Van Hoesen advises clients on disputes involving copyright and trademark infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, profit participation, idea submission, film finance and media torts. She also represents clients in complex commercial cases, such as breach of contract claims, business torts and corporate governance matters. Van Hoesen was one of 12 associates firmwide who Jenner & Block promoted to partner. She is based in Los Angeles.

Julia Bredrup was promoted to partner of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP in Los Angeles.

Bredrup has represented clients in cases involving securities violations, malpractice and professional liability, healthcare, insurance coverage, partnership and shareholder disputes, employment, copyright, entertainment, civil rights, and environmental issues. Her civil practice includes both plaintiff- and defense-side representation at the trial and appellate levels. On the criminal side, she has represented clients in both state and federal courts at every stage of investigations and charged proceedings. She is one of three attorneys promoted firmwide to partner. The firm also promoted size attorneys to counsel. Bredrup is based in Los Angeles.

Christopher R. Fredrich was promoted to special counsel of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP in Los Angeles.

Fredrich focuses his practice on complex civil litigation, with an emphasis in financial services matters and consumer class and individual action defense. He represents banks, lenders, loan servicers, investors and other financial institutions in state and federal court proceedings at both the trial and appellate levels. He has experience litigating claims arising under the Truth in Lending Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Telephone Consumer Protection Act, as well as claims based on state laws regulating debt collection, loan servicing, loss mitigation and foreclosure practices. Fredrich has defended multiple actions alleging violations of state consumer protection laws, including California's Unfair Competition Law and Rosenthal Act, and also has experience advising clients in regulatory and compliance matters, including conducting comprehensive internal procedure reviews, assessing risk in connection with institutional investment opportunities, and counseling clients on privacy and data breach notification issues. Strook promoted firmwide 2 attorneys to partner and six to special counsel.

Julia J. Bredrup was promoted to partner of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP in Los Angeles.

Bredrup has represented clients in cases involving securities violations, malpractice and professional liability, healthcare, insurance coverage, partnership and shareholder disputes, employment, copyright, entertainment, civil rights, and environmental issues. Her civil practice includes both plaintiff- and defense-side representation at the trial and appellate levels. On the criminal side, she has represented clients in both state and federal courts at every stage of investigations and charged proceedings. She is one of three attorneys promoted firmwide to partner. The firm also promoted size attorneys to counsel.

Shira Liu was promoted to counsel of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP in Santa Monica.

Liu’s practice is focused on antitrust and general commercial litigation. She is one of five attorneys firm-wide promoted to counsel.

Matthew Benedetto was promoted to partner of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP in Los Angeles.

Benedetto is a member of the firm's Litigation/Controversy Department. He has more than 10 years' experience representing clients in complex civil, criminal and administrative matters, often involving crisis management and public policy responses. He has represented pharmaceutical companies, healthcare companies and financial institutions in both federal and state False Claims Act actions. In the healthcare space, he has experience litigating California's Insurance Frauds Prevention Act, a qui tam statute in the Insurance Code, including arguing before the California Court of Appeal. Benedetto is based in Los Angeles.

Adam C. Trigg was promoted to partner of Bergeson LLP in San Francisco.

Trigg specializes in commercial litigation with a focus on securities law. He represents companies, directors and officers in individual derivative claims and class actions in federal and state court.

Shira R. A. Liu was promoted to counsel of Bergeson LLP in Santa Monica.

Liu’s practice is focused on antitrust and general commercial litigation. She is one of five attorneys firmwide promoted to counsel.

Craig L. Snellings joined California Workers' Compensation Appeals Board.

Snellings is house counsel for Farmers Insurance and was a workers' compensation insurance defense attorney at Shaw, Jacobsmeyer, Crain and Claffey; at Mullen and Filippi; and at Adelson, Testan, Brundo, Novell and Jimenez. Snellings also served as staff counsel at the State Compensation Insurance Fund. He is a UCLA School of Law alumnus.

Sean McNally joined Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation.

McNally is president of KBA Engineering and was vice president of human resources and government affairs at Grimmway Farms, and a partner at Hanna, Brophy, MacLean, McAleer, and Jensen LLP. Prior to that, McNally was a municipal court deputy for the Kern County district attorney's office. He is a University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law alumnus.

Laurie R. L. Lubiano joined State of California in San Francisco.

Lubiano has been appointed to the Medical Board of California. Lubiano has been intellectual property and product counsel at the Climate Corporation since 2017. She was general counsel and director of business development at Birdi and Associates Inc. from 2014 to 2016, patent counsel at Silicon Graphics International Corp. from 2012 to 2014, intellectual property associate at Lewis and Roca LLP from 2011 to 2012, associate at Carr and Ferrell LLP from 2008 to 2011, legal intern at Sun Microsystems Inc. in 2007 and a summer associate at Kaye Scholer LLP in 2006. Lubiano served as a member of the Daly City Planning Commission from 2010 to 2015. She is president of the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California, a founding member of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association and a member of the Mission Hiring Hall Board of Directors, Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Lubiano is registered without party preference.

Laurence A. Baskin joined State of California in San Francisco.

Baskin has been reappointed to the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee, where he has served since 2012. Baskin has been division chief of pediatric urology at the University of California, San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco and Oakland since 2004 and has served in several positions at the University of California, San Francisco since 1993, including as professor of urology and pediatrics, associate professor and assistant professor. He was a fellow in pediatric urology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia from 1991 to 1993 and a resident in urology at the University of California, San Francisco from 1988 to 1991. Baskin is past president of the Society for Pediatric Urology, Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons, Society for Fetal Urology, American Association of Pediatric Urologists and Asia-Pacific Association of Pediatric Urologists. Baskin is a member of the UpToDate Editorial Board. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Baskin is a Democrat.

Aaron H. Fiske was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in Redwood City.

Aaron represents emerging growth technology companies and venture capitalists in complex commercial arrangements and corporate transactions. He focuses his practice on corporate partnering, strategic alliances and licensing transactions, and the commercialization and protection of intellectual property and technology assets. A former software engineer, Aaron has deep experience in technology-related legal issues, including open source software and licensing. Aaron also focuses on advising company and fund clients on transactional IP issues arising in connection with financing, M&A and IPO transactions.

Brendan C. McCarthy was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in San Diego.

Brendan has significant experience negotiating strategic alliances, licensing and commercial arrangements for clients in a variety of industries and opposite companies such as Abbott Laboratories, Apple, Becton Dickinson, Cisco, Genentech, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Monsanto, Novartis, Regeneron, Samsung and Takeda. Brendan has also negotiated licensing, pre-clinical, and clinical arrangements with many major research institutions. In addition to representing company clients, Brendan also represents a number of prominent venture capital funds and institutional investors in their financing activities.

Joseph W. Raffetto was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in San Francisco.

Joe’s practice focuses on the representation of technology companies throughout their lifecycles, from counseling entrepreneurs on formation and corporate structuring matters, to managing venture capital and growth financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and public offerings, as well as advising management and boards on corporate governance and day-to-day legal matters. Joe’s clients span the technology industry, including consumer internet, software, fintech, telecommunications, and entertainment technology sectors. In addition to his company practice, Joe also represents many leading venture capital firms in connection with their investments in technology companies.

Dan Richard joined California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors.

Richard is a principal of Dan Richard Advisors, was managing partner and co-founder of Heritage Oak Capital Partners, and was senior vice president of public policy and governmental relations at Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Prior to that he was a principal at Morse, Richard, Weisenmiller and Associates, vice president of the Independent Power Corporation, and deputy legal affairs secretary to the governor. Richard has also served as an advisor to the California Energy Commission's chairman and was assistant to the deputy associate administrator at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Richard is a University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law alumnus.

Karriann F. Hinds joined California Board of Accountancy .

Hinds is a community liaison for the Public Policy Institute of Santa Monica College and was a consultant to the academic support department at Abraham Lincoln University School of Law. Before that she was an associate at Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold and director of development and an attorney at the Harriett Bahai Center for Family Law. Hinds was also an associate and a law clerk at Robie & Matthai. She is a Loyola Law School alumna.

Amanda A. Hayes-Kibreab joined King & Spalding LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Hayes-Kibreab's practice focuses on complex business litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution on behalf of health care providers with an emphasis on managed care litigation. She represents hospitals and hospital systems, provider groups, surgery centers and other health care entities. She has managed large, multi-party, high-value disputes, litigated business and tort disputes on behalf of various health care entities and defended actions brought by large health care payers against hospital providers. Hayes-Kibreab has also led the defense of large international white collar crime investigations for global health care device manufacturers and provided advice in a range of health care law and reform topics.

Daniela L. Stolman was promoted to partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Los Angeles.

Stolman advises companies and private equity firms across on a range of industries on public and private merger transactions, stock and asset sales, and public and private capital-raising transactions. She also advises public companies on federal securities law and corporate governance matters.

Allison H. Kidd was promoted to partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in San Francisco.

Kidd’s practice encompasses a wide variety of commercial real estate transactions and land use/development matters, including acquisitions and dispositions, construction and permanent financing, joint ventures, processing of entitlements and structuring of public-private partnerships.

Abbey J. Hudson was promoted to partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Los Angeles.

Hudson practices complex trial litigation with an emphasis on environmental, transnational and technological litigation. She also helps clients navigate environmental and emerging regulations and related governmental investigations.

Michael H. Dore was promoted to partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Los Angeles.

A former federal prosecutor, Dore focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation matters, particularly law firm defense and media and entertainment litigation as well as white collar criminal defense matters and internal investigations. He has particular experience representing technology companies in financial fraud and data security matters.

Leizel A. Ching joined Structure Law Group, LLP as attorney in San Jose.

Leizel's practice is divided into complex business litigation and intellectual property litigation. Leizel focuses her entire practice on complex business litigation matters including, but not limited to, intellectual property disputes, trade secret related disputes, licensing disputes involving a wide range of technologies, and partnership or shareholder disputes. She also handles matters involving breaches of contract, employment disputes, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), and any other issues related to California business litigation.

"Leizel's wealth of experience in business and intellectual property litigation will be a valuable asset to our clients, and we are very pleased to welcome her to the firm" said SLG Attorney Mark Figueiredo.

Prior to joining Structure Law Group, LLP, Leizel worked at WilmerHale in Palo Alto as a senior associate in the Litigation/Controversy Department and was a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group. She also worked as a Reference Librarian at Stanford Law School. Leizel was an extern for the Honorable Marilyn Hall Patel for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. She was recognized as a "Rising Star" in multiple editions of Northern California Super Lawyers for her work in intellectual property litigation.

Leizel received an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction, with an emphasis on Multicultural Education, from the University of Washington, and a B.A. in History from the University of California, Riverside, where she was a University of California Regents Scholar. Leizel graduated from the University of Chicago Law School, where she was a George B. Pletsch and Russell Baker Scholar. Additionally, Leizel served on the Chicago Journal of International Law.

Outside of work, Leizel enjoys cooking, running, and watching basketball. Also, she is proud to be an Ambassador for the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

Julia E. Romano was promoted to partner of King & Spalding in Los Angeles.

Romano defends Fortune 100 and other large companies in a wide range of complex litigation matters, including medical device, pharmaceutical, automotive, product liability and toxic tort cases.

Julia has significant case management, deposition, motion and trial experience. She works closely with experts and other team members to evaluate cases, develop trial strategies and, ultimately, obtain favorable outcomes for her clients. In addition to managing a large docket of cases, Julia also serves as an integral member of numerous trial teams.

In 2017, Julia was part of the trial team that won a complete jury defense verdict for Johnson & Johnson in the first case to go to verdict wherein plaintiffs alleged Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower body powder were contaminated with asbestos and caused the plaintiff's mesothelioma. (Tina Herford, et al. v. AT&T Corp, et al., LASC Case No. JCCP 4674 / BC646315.) The Herford defense verdict was ranked No. 1 on CVN's Top 10 Most Impressive Defense Verdicts of 2017 and named one of the Top Verdicts in California in 2017 by the Daily Journal.

Just one day after the Herford defense verdict, Julia obtained another significant victory for Johnson & Johnson. After extensive briefing and oral argument, the Court granted Johnson & Johnson's motion for summary judgment in what would have been the company's next talc/mesothelioma case to go to trial. (Gibbons v. Axia Acquisition Corporation, et al., LASC Case No. JCCP 4674 / BC644854.)

In 2014, Julia was part of the trial team that won a complete jury defense verdict for DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. in the first Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip implant multi-district litigation case in the United States District Court, Northern District of Texas. Julia also had two additional defense verdicts named as Top Ten California Jury Verdicts by the Daily Journal.

Julia earned her B.A. in Psychology and Communication from the University of Southern California (USC), where she was a member of the Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society and a participant in USC's International Communication Studies Program. She earned her J.D. from Southwestern Law School, where she was an active member of the Moot Court Honors Program, Moot Court Board of Governors, and Student Bar Association.

Julia is a member of the American Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute (DRI), and Lambda Legal. She also serves as a mentor to law students by participating in the Leadership Counsel on Legal Diversity program.

Susan V. Vargas was promoted to partner of King & Spalding in Los Angeles.

Having spent seven years of her career as an in-house lawyer, she brings a well-rounded perspective to all aspects of litigation. She appreciates the value of a “results oriented” approach and has a heightened sensitivity to clients’ needs. When not serving as in-house counsel, her career has been devoted to litigating and trying high-exposure cases. While experienced in representing corporate defendants in a wide variety of complex matters, she has focused her practice on product liability and toxic tort litigation.

Susan has tried numerous high-exposure product liability cases to verdict involving catastrophic injuries or wrongful death for various automotive and power sports manufacturers. In addition, Susan tried an import automotive manufacturer’s first asbestos case to a defense verdict.

Susan earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley and her Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law where she was a participant in the Hale Moot Court Honors Program, an editor of the Law and Women’s Studies Journal, and recipient of a merit scholarship for three years.

Daniel J. Ray was promoted to counsel of King & Spalding in Palo Alto.

Daniel has significant experience advising clients in technology transactions, including complex mergers & acquisitions, licensing agreements, joint ventures and other intellectual property-driven relationships. He also advises on data management, privacy and cybersecurity from a transactional perspective, including on commercial agreements where privacy and data security are of paramount importance.

Daniel also acts as outside product counsel to a broad range of technology-driven companies, advising from a legal and strategic perspective on intellectual property and content, privacy and open-source software issues. His practice focuses primarily on the Internet, hardware, software, media and life sciences industries.

Daniel represents clients at every stage of their growth, from Series A fundraising through an initial public offering or sale. He also has considerable experience representing established clients, including Fortune 500 technology companies, investment banks and private equity funds.