John Chiang joined Ideal Legal Group Inc. as of counsel in Los Angeles.

Chiang served as the California State Treasurer from 2014 to 2019, and as state Controller from 2007 to 2015.

Jennifer Lee joined Arent Fox LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Lee served as an enforcement attorney in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's field litigation team. Currently, she represents financial services clients in government investigations, congressional inquiries, and complex litigation matters involving federal or state consumer financial statutes and implementing regulations. Lee is a University of Michigan Law School alumna.

Sander Alvarez joined Hunt Ortmann as senior counsel in Pasadena.

Alvarez focuses on insurance litigation. He graduated from UC Hastings College of the Law.

Michael J. Shepard joined King & Spalding LLP as partner in San Francisco.

The former interim U.S. attorney in Chicago, specializes in white collar criminal defense, related civil litigation and internal corporate investigations. Shepard joins from Hogan Lovells, where he was managing partner of its San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices. Prior to joining private practice, he was Chief of Public Integrity at the U.S. Department of Justice and a federal prosecutor. He graduated from Stanford Law School.

Daniel F. Lula joined Baker & Hostetler LLP as partner in Costa Mesa.

Lula has represented clients in contract, trade secret disputes and corporate governance issues on the business side as well as discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination complaints as part of his employment practice. His clients include military contractors, financial services companies and nonprofits. Lula is a Harvard Law School alumnus.

Camarin Madigan joined Perkins Coie as partner in San Francisco.

An experienced real estate, land use and energy attorney, Camarin advises developers, landowners, lenders, and public agencies on acquisitions and dispositions and leasing for complex development projects and commercial properties, as well as land use entitlements and environmental permits. She regularly handles matters that involve an array of property types, including office buildings, research and development campuses, retail centers, medical facilities, hospitals and residential communities.

Ryan D. Houck was promoted to partner of Sacks, Glazier, Franklin & Lodise in Los Angeles.

Houck is a trial lawyer practicing exclusively in the area of trust, estate and conservatorship litigation. His cases include will and trust contests, breach of fiduciary duty claims, trustee accounting matters, and conservatorship proceedings. Houck is a Georgetown University Law Center alumnus.

Dale E. Nelson joined Donaldson + Callif, LLP as partner in Beverly Hills.

Nelson has over two decades of experience handling copyright, trademark and right of publicity matters.

"I'm really excited to be joining the firm," Nelson said. "Looking forward to applying my intellectual property experience to the work that they do." Noting she's always been a fan of Donaldson + Callif, Nelson added, "I've been very impressed by the clients we represent and how they help the filmmakers tell their stories."

During her tenure at Warner Bros., Nelson was legal counsel for many of the studio's most well-known properties such as Lord of the Rings, Looney Tunes and Harry Potter. She also handled legal matters for DC Comics properties such as Batman and Superman.

"Dale's longevity and expertise in the intellectual property space will be an invaluable asset to our practice," said partner Michael Donaldson in a media release. "Her addition underscores our commitment to providing our clients with the top legal talent in the industry."

Wayne H. Hammack joined Freeman Mathis & Gary LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Hammack has more than two decades of litigation experience in the California courts. His practice focuses primarily on insurance coverage, bad faith and high exposure complex litigation.

Eric S. Jones was promoted to shareholder of Nevers, Palazzo, Packard, Wildermuth & Wynner PC in Westlake Village.

Jones practices corporate and business law. He counsels privately held companies and their owners in structuring, negotiating, and closing strategic transactions. Jones graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law and has an LLM in Taxation from New York University School of Law.

Annette F. Mijanovic was promoted to partner of Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP in Los Angeles.

Mijanovic's practices complex commercial litigation, including business torts, real estate, and contract and collection disputes. She focuses on residential and commercial unlawful detainers and has represented lender institutions, title service entities, and property management companies in foreclosure litigation. Mijanovic has defended against consumer warranty claims, creditors against unfair debt collection and unfair credit reporting claims, and truck drivers and trucking companies against death and serious injury claims. She is a Southwestern Law School alumna.

Sarah A. Marsey was promoted to partner of Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP in San Francisco.

Marsey has litigated complex construction defect claims, personal injury, and professional liability cases. She has also drafted appellate briefs and petitions for writ in cases before the Court of Appeal in California. She is a Rutgers University School of Law alumna.

Renata L. Hoddinott was promoted to partner of Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP in San Francisco.

Hoddinott litigates professional liability, general liability, risk management, insurance law and transportation law. She has evaluated and defended insurance bad faith matters including drafting an insurance coverage opinion for a fatal California train accident. Hoddinott also handles general liability matters and advises bars, restaurants, hotels, and grocery stores on personal injury and third-party criminal activity actions. She is a Loyola Law School alumna.

Ashley A. Halberda was promoted to partner of Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP in Irvine.

Halberda represents employers in state court in employment disputes from claims of wrongful termination, harassment, failure to provide overtime and paid breaks, and class actions. She is also experienced in breach of contract, premises liability and insurance defense matters. She is a University of San Diego School of Law alumna.

Joel M. Van Parys was promoted to partner of Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP in Sacramento.

Parys is a litigator who defends management against wrongful termination, discrimination and harassment, retaliation, wage and hour violations, and employee misclassification claims. He also advises companies on managing and avoiding employment risks. Parys is a University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law alumnus.

Carolina A. Schwalbach was promoted to partner of Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP in Los Angeles.

Schwalbach practices employment litigation and defends employers in actions filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. She also conducts internal investigations on claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination, and provides sexual harassment prevention and accommodation of disabilities in the workplace training. Schwalbach is a USC Gould School of Law alumna.

Aaron J. Flores was promoted to shareholder of Hunt Ortmann in Pasadena.

Flores is a member of the firm's Construction Disputes & Litigation practice. Flores graduated from Trinity Law School.

Sara A. Clark was promoted to partner of Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP in San Francisco.

Clark represents and counsels non-profit organizations, public agencies and Indian tribes on environmental topics including land use litigation, federal, Indian and public land law, initiative and election law, land conservation and ordinance drafting. She is a UC Berkeley School of Law alumna.

Sarah H. Sigman was promoted to partner of Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP in San Francisco.

Sigman works with public agencies, land trusts and community groups on land use, environmental and real estate matters. She also advises clients on transactions to protect open spaces and foster infill and transit-oriented development. Sigman is a Columbia Law School alumna.

Timothy D. Greene was promoted to partner of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in Los Angeles.

Greene advises clients on mergers, acquisitions, and financings' technology licensing and intellectual property matters. He joined Orrick from Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society, where he was the Residential Fellow for Copyright and Fair Use. Greene is a University of Chicago Law School alumnus.

Marc F. Bauer was promoted to partner of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in Los Angeles.

Bauer advises issuer and underwriter clients in transactions involving long and short term, fixed and variable rate obligations, commercial paper, credit and liquidity enhancement, and revenue bonds. He has worked on financings for governmental entities and nonprofit corporations, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Stanford University, the California Science Center, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and Loyola Marymount University. Bauer is a USC Gould School of Law alumnus.

Katherine C. Jones was promoted to partner of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in Los Angeles.

Jones advises private equity and debt funds on real property, debt and equity acquisitions, dispositions and repositioning, mortgage and mezzanine financing and workouts, preferred equity, joint ventures, and construction and development. She has worked on over $6 billion in hospitality transactions, including acquisitions, financings and dispositions of luxury hotels, such as the Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis properties. Jones is a USC Gould School of Law alumna.

John F. Stanley was promoted to partner of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in San Francisco.

Stanley specializes in tax issues for municipal finance transactions, including financings for infrastructure projects, water and wastewater facilities, public power projects, airports and ports. He has worked on the issuance of billions of dollars of tax-exempt general obligation bonds. Stanley is a UC Hastings College of the Law alumnus.

David P. Fuad was promoted to partner of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in Los Angeles.

Fuad advises tech, manufacturing and real estate clients on complex litigation matters, such as breach of contract, employment disputes, class actions, product liability and trade secrets. He is a Loyola Law School alumnus based.

Alex K. Talarides was promoted to partner of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in San Francisco.

Talarides focuses on securities, shareholder derivative and other corporate governance and business disputes. He has represented PayPal, NVIDIA, Chesapeake Energy, Deckers Outdoor and Nordstrom. Talarides is a University of Chicago Law School alumnus.

Kelly A. Knight joined Judicate West as mediator in Los Angeles.

Knight handles employment law, including class actions, discrimination, harassment, wage-and-hour and Private Attorneys General Act claims as well as all types of personal injury and business/contractual matters. As a mediator, Knight has worked in matters for the Los Angeles Superior Court's Personal Injury CRASH settlement program as well as in private practice. He also works on the mediation panel for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Tom Stromberg joined Perkins Coie as partner in Los Angeles.

Tom has extensive experience representing investors in the acquisition and financing of private companies. He often represents promoters and investors in the structuring of private companies and debt and equity investors supporting them. He regularly works on middle-market M&A transactions, private financings, joint ventures and other matters with technology clients, specifically those in the life sciences, software and cryptocurrency industries. Many of the matters he handles are cross-border transactions with Asian clients or counterparties. He has a strong reputation in Japan as he previously practiced in Tokyo and speaks Japanese.

Amanda T. Kottke was promoted to partner of Baker McKenzie in Palo Alto.

Kottke advises on tax planning, tax controversy and litigation. She specializes in the structuring of international operations, high-technology tax issues and federal income tax controversies. Kottke is a UC Hastings College of the Law alumna.

Ethan S. Kroll was promoted to partner of Baker McKenzie in Los Angeles.

Kroll practices domestic and international tax law, including the structuring of international operations, international tax planning, high-technology tax issues and federal income tax controversies. He is a Stanford Law School alumnus.

Scott D. Meselson was promoted to partner of Baker McKenzie in San Francisco.

Meselson helps multinational companies prepare for, implement, and manage complex global corporate restructuring projects, including post-acquisition integrations, pre-transaction separations, tax-driven restructurings, and commercial agreements, and other cross-border business law issues. He is a Duke University School of Law alumnus.

Adam T. O’Brien was promoted to partner of Baker McKenzie in San Francisco.

O’Brien specializes in the structuring of international operations, international tax planning, and high-technology tax issues. He regularly advises US-based multinationals and other companies on domestic and cross-border transactions’ federal income tax aspects, including mergers and acquisitions and other restructurings. O’Brien is a Harvard Law School alumnus.

Maurice A. Worsley was promoted to partner of Baker McKenzie in San Francisco.

Worsley advises companies on cross-border tax planning, mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, joint venture arrangements and group restructuring. He is a University of Michigan Law School alumnus.

Aaron H. Fiske was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian LLP in Silicon Valley.

Fiske 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.

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

McCarthy is experienced in negotiating strategic alliances, licensing and commercial arrangements for clients and opposite companies, such as Abbott Laboratories, Apple, Becton Dickinson, Cisco, Genentech, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Monsanto, Novartis, Regeneron, Samsung and Takeda. He has negotiated licensing, pre-clinical, and clinical arrangements with research institutions and represents 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.

Raffetto counsels entrepreneurs and technology companies on formation and corporate structuring matters, managing venture capital and growth financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and public offerings. His clients include consumer internet, software, fintech, telecommunications, and entertainment technology companies.

Robert L. Kahan joined Blank Rome LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Kahan is experienced in mergers and acquisitions and specializes in mid-market companies in the lifestyle industries. His practice also includes securities, franchising, licensing, and general corporate matters. Kahan is a UCLA School of Law alumnus.

David L. Devernoe joined Rimon, P.C. as partner in San Diego.

Devernoe previously worked as senior patent counsel for medical technology company Hologic. He specializes in patent prosecution, trademark prosecution, intellectual property licensing/assignment, post-grant patent challenges, trademark oppositions, due diligence/opinions and product clearance, and litigation. Devernoe is also experienced in securing, leveraging, and asserting IP rights for consumer retail products, technologies, and products subject to Food and Drug Administration review. He is a Case Western Reserve University School of Law alumnus.

Julia A. Gowin joined Lathrop Gage LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Gowin specializes in product liability, premises liability, toxic and mass torts, and environmental law. She has over a decade of experience in asbestos and silica defense, and currently acts as national coordinating counsel in cosmetic talc litigation. Her clients include pharmaceutical and medical device companies, property owners, and window, car, and boat manufacturers. Gowin is a USC Gould School of Law alumna.

Paula D. Pendley joined Lathrop Gage LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Pendley focuses on products liability, contracts, premises liability, toxic tort, and environmental litigation. She represents clients in nuisance litigation, commercial intellectual property disputes, and advises entertainment companies and producers on copyright and breach of contract issues matters, negotiating clearances, talent agreements, option agreements, and shopping agreements. Pendley has also defended automotive clients. She is a Pepperdine University School of Law alumna.

Nicholas S. Goldberg was promoted to partner of Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP in San Francisco.

Goldberg specializes in high-stakes civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense. His clients include established companies, start-ups, government entities, and executives in industries including software, financial services, internet security, pharmaceuticals, professional sports, and venture capital. Goldberg is a UC Berkeley School of Law alumnus.

Thomas E. Gorman was promoted to partner of Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP in San Francisco.

Gorman focuses on complex civil litigation, including disputes involving intellectual property, fraud, breach of contract, and antitrust. In one case, Gorman’s work uncovered trade secret theft, which ultimately led to a nine-figure settlement for one of his tech clients. He is a University of Chicago Law School alumnus.

Elizabeth K. McCloskey was promoted to partner of Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP in San Francisco.

McCloskey specializes in high-stakes complex litigation, including white collar criminal defense, intellectual property matters, antitrust and commercial disputes. She represented Tour de France winning cyclist Lance Armstrong against a False Claims Act case brought by a former teammate and joined by the United States. McCloskey is a UC Berkeley School of Law alumna.

Erin E. Meyer was promoted to partner of Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP in San Francisco.

Meyer represents clients in class actions and other complex commercial litigation. She has obtained a complete defense verdict in a multi-patent jury trial and successfully defended her clients in a $100 million commercial arbitration and has represented Lyft, Caviar, and Instacart in sharing economy lawsuits is a Yale Law School alumna.

Noel M. Cook joined Hanson Bridgett LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Cook focuses on trademark and copyright enforcement, litigation, counseling, prosecution, and licensing. He has worked with clients in product and furniture design, character merchandising, software, Internet, the outdoor and retail industries, and insurance coverage. Cook is a Santa Clara University School of Law alumnus.

Paula D. Pendley joined Hanson Bridgett LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Pendley focuses on products liability, contracts, premises liability, toxic tort, and environmental litigation. She represents clients in nuisance litigation, commercial intellectual property disputes, and advises entertainment companies and producers on copyright and breach of contract issues matters, negotiating clearances, talent agreements, option agreements, and shopping agreements. Pendley has also defended automotive clients. She is a Pepperdine University School of Law alumna.

Deborah L. Stein joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Stein is a nationally recognized complex commercial litigator, with experience in matters spanning a variety of subject areas, including cybersecurity, trade secrets, insurance and reinsurance, securities and consumer class actions, joint venture disputes, and business practice disputes. She also regularly advises clients on False Claims Act matters and whistleblower allegations of fraud.

Stein serves on the Board of Directors of Public Counsel, the Board of Governors of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA), and the Global Advisory Board of the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF).

Stein graduated in 1999, cum laude from New York University School of Law, where she served as a Notes Editor for the New York University Law Review. She clerked for Judge Peter C. Dorsey in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut from 1999 to 2001.