Shane D. Brun joined Venable LLP as partner in San Francisco.

He's an intellectual property litigator, has joined the firm's Intellectual Property Litigation Practice as a partner in the San Francisco office, bolstering the firm's significant growth in intellectual property attorneys. Mr. Brun represents companies at all stages across many industries in patent litigation and other intellectual property and technology-related matters, including trade secret, trademark, and copyright litigation.

Mr. Brun's experience involves a wide range of technologies, including LiDAR technology and systems, Internet security, wearable technology, computer networking, wireless communications, microlithography, plasma displays, optical alignment, inspection systems, and digital imaging. He represents clients before various state and federal district courts and administrative bodies, including the International Trade Commission and the Patent Trademark and Appeals Board. Mr. Brun also advises clients on various intellectual property issues in connection with mergers and acquisitions, financial transactions, commercial agreement negotiations, procurement of patent rights for company products and services, and regulatory issues.

David Y. Choi joined Goldberg Segalla LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

David Y. Choi is a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office and a member of the Management and Professional Liability, Corporate Services and Commercial Litigation, and Cannabis Law Practice Groups. He has a wealth of litigation and trial experience in matters involving professional liability and business and real property disputes. His practice focuses on the defense of architects and engineers — civil, structural, and geotechnical — as well as attorneys and real estate professionals.

David's experience spans a wide array of matters. As it relates to design professionals, he has defended clients from claims of design defects involving commercial, mixed-use, apartment, condominium, and single-family properties. As it relates to attorneys, he has defended clients from claims of malpractice involving litigation and trial services, general counsel services, and transactional services.

Victor T. Xu joined Goldberg Segalla LLP as associate in Los Angeles.

Victor T. Xu, an associate in the firm’s Employment and Labor Practice Group, defends a variety of employers in all aspects of litigation, from inception through trial, in state and federal courts throughout California. He also counsels clients operating in California on the full spectrum of labor- and employment-related issues unique to the state. Victor additionally has significant experience handling commercial litigation and professional liability matters.

Victor has represented employers throughout California in class action wage and hour, harassment, and wrongful termination litigation. His corporate and commercial litigation experience also includes drafting, reviewing, and revising commercial real estate lease agreements, vendor contracts, and shareholder agreements.

Lisa L. Peterson joined Goldberg Segalla LLP as associate in Los Angeles.

Lisa L. Peterson, an associate in the firm’s Employment and Labor, General Liability, and Retail and Hospitality Practice Groups, focuses her practice on representing private and public entities in civil litigation matters involving employment and labor, general casualty and premises liability, civil rights, and professional liability claims. She has extensive experience handling employment claims involving wrongful termination, retaliation, Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), Title VII, sexual harassment, and discrimination based on gender, race, and national origin. Lisa also handles some areas of labor law, such as wage and hour claims, before the Labor Commissioner.

Lisa’s background also includes counseling and defending public entities in both state and federal courts in matters involving wrongful death, dangerous conditions, automobile, and other general liability claims. She has not only won numerous motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment on behalf of her clients, many of which have been upheld by appellate courts, but is also a proven trial attorney and has successfully tried several cases to verdict.

Ryan T. Chuman joined Goldberg Segalla LLP as associate in Los Angeles.

Ryan T. Chuman, an associate in the firm’s Employment and Labor Practice Group, focuses his practice on professional liability, public entity liability, employment law, business litigation, cyber litigation, and general liability in all phases of litigation, from prelitigation counseling through trial and appeal, in both state and federal courts. Ryan represents employers in a variety of employment litigation matters, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination claims based on race, age, gender, and disability status. His experience also includes defending public entities against excessive force allegations and civil rights violations.

Ryan’s background in the construction industry includes consolidated, multi-party, and complex litigation in matters involving defects, delay, and landslide and slope failures. In addition, he has extensive experience representing design professionals in professional liability matters.

Erica B. Row joined Goldberg Segalla LLP as associate in Los Angeles.

Erica B. Row, an associate in the firm’s Employment and Labor Practice Group, focuses her practice on representing employers in a wide array of workplace law matters, including preventive advice and counsel. With experience assisting with all stages of litigation, she defends employers against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour matters in state and federal court. Erica also provides day-to-day counseling to employers regarding leaves of absence, accommodation of disabilities, internal investigations, discipline and termination, and wage and hour issues.

Erica dedicates a portion of her time to pro bono work. She regularly volunteers with local nonprofit organizations such as the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, as well as the Learning Rights Law Center, an education advocacy group for children with disabilities.

Peter J. Woo joined Goldberg Segalla LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Woo is a highly experienced civil litigator who focuses on complex labor and employment matters. Peter is the vice chair of the firm's Employment and Labor Practice Group, and in his practice, he defends high-level executives and employers against claims including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour matters (individual, class action, and representative matters) in state, federal, arbitration, and administrative venues. He provides preventive and risk management counsel on hiring practices, terminations, workplace investigations, and crafting employee policies. He routinely provides sexual harassment training and materials to executives, managers, and employees under current California and federal law with emphasis on practical solutions, and regularly defends clients against various claims made under the Americans with Disabilities Act and equivalent state-based claims involving public accommodations.

Albert K. Alikin joined Goldberg Segalla LLP as partner .

Alikin, a partner in the firm's Global Insurance Services, Corporate Services and Commercial Litigation, General Liability, Management and Professional Liability, and Appellate teams, is a highly experienced litigator who focuses his practice on defending bad faith claims and handling complex insurance coverage disputes involving E&O, D&O, fidelity, EPLI, automobile/UIM, property, cyber, and CGL policies. Al has prevailed in trial and appellate courts throughout California and across the nation. He has also represented a wide variety of clients such as insurance brokers, agents, and third-party administrators in professional liability actions. His extensive coverage experience spans many industries including banking and financial services, commercial and residential real estate, construction, home and auto, education, energy, entertainment and film, government, health care, hospitality, manufacturing, and special events. Additionally, he has substantial experience litigating toxic tort, general liability, and breach of contract actions.

Melissa C. Bender was promoted to partner of Ropes & Gray LLP in San Francisco & East Palo Alto.

She advises hedge funds and other private funds, both domestic and offshore, on all aspects of their business, with a focus on fund formation and regulatory compliance and reporting matters. Melissa also has extensive experience representing institutional and other investors (including endowments, funds of funds, private foundations, sovereign wealth funds and family offices) in connection with their investment activities.

Minh-Chau Nguyen Le was promoted to partner of Ropes & Gray LLP in East Palo Alto & Silicon Valley.

She represents private equity funds, other strategic investors, and public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, divestitures, general corporate governance matters, and a broad range of strategic transactions.

Andrew T. Radsch was promoted to partner of Ropes & Gray LLP in East Palo Alto & San Francisco.

He's a technology trial lawyer focusing on intellectual property litigation across a variety of industries, including computer hardware and software, life sciences, medical devices, and consumer products. His first-chair trial experience includes two weeklong jury trials and a 19-day bench trial. Andrew also advises clients on offensive and defensive patent and licensing strategies.

Jennifer L. Roche was promoted to senior counsel of Proskauer Rose LLP in Los Angeles.

She's a litigator who focuses on complex commercial matters in a variety of areas, including financial services, asset management, bankruptcy and fiduciary litigation. She represents public and private clients in cases involving antitrust claims, contract disputes, fraud, unfair competition and business torts.

Susan L. Gutierrez was promoted to partner of Proskauer Rose LLP in Los Angeles.

She's an experienced trial lawyer focused on complex civil and commercial matters. She has significant courtroom experience in state and federal courts, and has successfully litigated high-profile actions across industries and clients, ranging from pharmaceutical companies, professional sports leagues, world renowned recording artists, and numerous Fortune 500 companies.

Scott A. Morris was promoted to managing shareholder of Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard in Sacramento.

Scott focuses on natural resources, land use, and water law in his practice, representing both public and private clients.

Terilynn Diepenbrock joined Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard as senior counsel in Sacramento.

Terilynn has over 25 years of experience representing public and private sector clients in state and federal courts. She is proficient in all phases of litigation from inception through successful conclusion, whether through law and motion, mediation, arbitration, jury trial, bench trial or appeal.

Carissa Marie Beecham joined Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard as senior counsel in Sacramento.

Carissa assists public- and private-sector clients in the areas of land-use, natural resources, environmental law, and water law.

Brent T. Epstein was promoted to partner, effective january 1 of Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles.

Brent T. Epstein is a member of the Corporate Department who represents public and private companies and financial institutions in a variety of domestic and cross-border corporate transactions, including capital markets and M&A matters, as well as corporate governance matters. He has particular experience with complex transactions involving real estate investment trusts (REITs). He received his JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2008.

Drew Levin was promoted to partner, effective january 1 of Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles.

Drew Levin is a member of the Litigation & Trial Department whose practice focuses on insurance coverage, with a particular emphasis on representations and warranties insurance matters. He has significant experience negotiating all forms of transactional insurance, tax, and other liability policies, as well as pursuing claims under those policies on behalf of policyholders. He received his JD from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles in 2009.

Gavin M. Masuda was promoted to partner, effective january 1 of Latham & Watkins in San Francisco.

Gavin M. Masuda is a member of the Litigation & Trial Department who focuses his practice on securities litigation, with a particular emphasis on accounting defense cases. He represents major accounting firms in connection with large corporate failures, financial frauds, and restatements, as well as companies facing securities class actions and shareholder derivative actions. He received his JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2008.

Nicole C. Valco was promoted to partner, effective january 1 of Latham & Watkins in San Francisco.

Nicole C. Valco is a member of the Litigation & Trial Department who advises on a variety of complex commercial litigation matters, including white collar, patent licensing, antitrust, and trade secrets cases. She has successfully represented clients in high-stakes federal and state matters, including numerous jury and bench trials. She received her JD from Harvard Law School in 2008.

Mark M. Bekheit was promoted to partner, effective january 1 of Latham & Watkins in Silicon Valley (Menlo Park).

Mark M. Bekheit is a member of the Corporate Department whose practice focuses on M&A and other strategic corporate transactions, primarily in the technology and life sciences industries. His experience includes public and private company mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, tender and exchange offers, joint ventures, and minority investments on behalf of strategic and private equity clients, as well as general corporate representation and strategic planning for companies. He received his JD from Harvard Law School in 2009.

Melissa L. Richards joined Mayer Brown LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Ms. Richards' move builds on the firm's growth of our capabilities servicing the mortgage lending market--we also recently added Mike McElroy in DC, former general counsel of a leading independent mortgage company. And in 2016, an industry-leading consumer financial services team joined Mayer Brown in Washington DC, Northern California and Texas to service the real estate finance and consumer credit markets.

Ran D. Ben-Tzur joined Fenwick & West as partner in Mountain View.

He provides strategic counseling on a wide range of corporate matters to high-growth private and public technology companies, primarily in the software, social networking, internet, and mobility sectors. He has extensive experience in capital markets transactions and has represented numerous issuers and underwriters on initial public offerings and other equity and debt offerings, as well as SEC compliance and corporate governance. He also counsels emerging companies on day-to-day corporate matters and advises them on strategic financing transactions. Ran received his J.D. and B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is a member of the State Bar of California.

Bomi Lee joined Fenwick & West as partner in San Francisco.

She concentrates her practice on representing public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions and other complex strategic transactions, including investments, divestitures and carve-out transactions. Bomi also counsels companies and their boards on a wide variety of corporate matters, including corporate governance and activism and takeover defense, and has extensive experience in public and private debt financing transactions. Bomi was named one of The Recorder’s 2018 Women Leaders in Tech Law, Next Generation Leaders. She received her J.D. from Yale Law School and B.A. from Ewha Woman’s University in South Korea, and is a member of the State Bars of California and New York.

Amanda Rose joined Fenwick & West as partner in Seattle.

She advises life sciences and technology companies with respect to corporate finance, SEC reporting and governance matters. Amanda has represented issuers and underwriters in a wide variety of public and private financing transactions, including initial public offerings, follow-on and secondary offerings, at-the-market offerings, PIPEs, and preferred stock and debt financings. She also advises late-stage private companies with respect to general corporate governance and liquidity preparation and public companies on corporate and securities law compliance and disclosure matters, including corporate governance best practices, Exchange Act reporting obligations and stock exchange requirements. Amanda received her J.D. from Seattle University School of Law and B.A. from the University of Washington, and is a member of the State Bar of Washington.

Kevin Kabler joined Fenwick & West as partner in San Francisco.

He provides strategic patent counseling and due diligence to clients at all stages of the business cycle in the life sciences industry. He analyzes and evaluates third-party patents for risk reduction from assertions as well as investment purposes. He also analyzes patent portfolios for assertion and enforcement purposes against third parties. Kevin has extensive experience in developing and managing patent portfolios for companies and institutions in the life sciences industry, including preparation and prosecution of domestic and international patent applications. Kevin received his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Ph.D. from Baylor College of Medicine and B.S. from Kansas State University, and is a member of the State Bar of California.

Tom K Ara joined DLA Piper as partner in Los Angeles.

Ara focuses his practice on entertainment and media industry transactions, both domestic and international. He represents banks, private equity groups, hedge funds, investors and borrowers in financing and strategic industry transactions. In addition, he advises feature film studios, television networks, production companies, Internet and mobile-based content producers and distributors in corporate transactions as well as in the development, production and distribution of feature films, television programs and digital content. Tom's clients also include entertainment, media and technology companies employing new methods and technologies to produce and distribute content and content experiences, including through augmented and virtual reality platforms, as well as financiers and investors active in these areas.

Tom has led multiple large financing and M&A transactions that have involved many of the major film and television studios and production companies and some of the most successful feature film and television franchises and several iconic comic book properties, including slate financing vehicles valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, corporate credit facilities, investment, joint venture and restructuring transactions involving the ownership of film, television and comic book properties, and the acquisition and sale of feature film and television libraries. He has also led debt, equity and gap financing transactions for the production and distribution (including P&A expenditures) of numerous independent feature films, television series and digital content.

Robert J. Sherman joined DLA Piper as partner in Los Angeles.

Sherman focuses his practice in the area of finance.

Stephen C. Mazzara joined Goldberg Segalla as partner in Los Angeles.

Stephen's practice encompasses all aspects of employment law, with a focus on claims of discrimination and harassment under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). He also defends unpaid wage claims arising from minimum wage, overtime, meal/rest period claims, and various claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act. For over a decade, Stephen has represented employers of all sizes, including locally owned business, non-profits, and multi-national corporations in state, federal, arbitration, and administrative venues. An essential part of Stephen's practice is meeting with clients to assess pre-litigation strategy including preventive counseling, evaluating employee handbooks and policies, and analyzing hiring and termination decisions in an effort to minimize the potential risk of litigation.

Peter J. Woo joined Goldberg Segalla as partner in Los Angeles.

is a highly experienced civil litigator who focuses on complex labor and employment matters. Peter is the vice chair of the firm's Employment and Labor Practice Group, and in his practice, he defends high-level executives and employers against claims including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour matters (individual, class action, and representative matters) in state, federal, arbitration, and administrative venues. He provides preventive and risk management counsel on hiring practices, terminations, workplace investigations, and crafting employee policies. He routinely provides sexual harassment training and materials to executives, managers, and employees under current California and federal law with emphasis on practical solutions, and regularly defends clients against various claims made under the Americans with Disabilities Act and equivalent state-based claims involving public accommodations.

Loretta C. Thompson joined Greenspoon Marder LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Ms. Thompson's practice includes both commercial and residential real estate matters. She regularly negotiates and facilitates real estate acquisitions and dispositions and handles tax exchanges for REIT's, public and private corporations and high net worth individuals. Ms. Thompson also has extensive experience negotiating and administrating finance transactions, commercial leasing, property management contracts, construction and design contracts, and development agreements and easements.

Jeremy M. Dukmen joined Cozen O'Connor in Los Angeles.

Dukmen has a strong background in patent analysis and prosecution, covering domestic and global technologies. He comes to Cozen O'Connor from BakerHosteteler, where he was an associate in the firm's IP department.

Dukmen joins two attorneys from Seattle's Seed IP Law Group LLP, Frank Abramonte and Lorraine Linford, who joined the firm in August, making the Seattle office Cozen O'Connor's fifth largest with more than 30 attorneys.

It also continues the overall expansion of the firm's IP practice, which earlier this month added litigator Thomas J. Fisher to its Washington, D.C., IP team. In July Susan Grueneberg -- one of California's best known and highly regarded franchise law attorneys -- also joined the west coast IP team, taking up residence in the firm's Los Angeles office.