Richard Stephen Hovath, Jr. joined Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP announced Richard Stephen Hovath, Jr. has joined the firm's securities and corporate governance litigation practice as a partner in San Francisco. Hovath focuses on representing directors and public companies in complex litigation involving alleged corporate misconduct or violations of federal securities laws.

Ian Robert Washburn was promoted to partner of Irell & Manella LLP in Los Angeles.

Irell & Manella LLP announced Ian Robert Washburn has been elected to the firm's partnership in Los Angeles. Washburn focuses on intellectual property and complex business litigation, and his practice also includes patent post-grant proceedings.

Caitlin Morrow Bair was promoted to partner of O'Melveny & Myers LLP in San Francisco.

O'Melveny & Myers LLP announced Caitlin Morrow Bair has been promoted to partner in San Francisco, effective Jan. 1. Bair is a member of the firm's health care and white collar criminal defense practices. Bair handles trade secrets litigation, class action suits, and contractual disputes.

Tara Seshadri Kaushik joined The Conference of California Public Utility Counsel as board member in San Francisco.

The Conference of California Public Utility Counsel announced Tara Seshadri Kaushik has been selected as the newest member of its board of directors. Kaushik is a member of Holland & Knight LLP's land use and environment group. She focuses her practice on regulatory matters, with a specific emphasis on energy, natural resources and the environment. Kaushik has advised and represented clients on numerous issues before state and public utilities commissions throughout the western United States as well as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Camille Hamilton Pating was promoted to principal of Meyers Nave Riback Silver & Wilson, PLC in Oakland.

Meyers Nave Riback Silver & Wilson, PLC announced Camille Hamilton Pating has been elevated to principal in Oakland. Pating, who is a member of the firm's labor and employment practice, advises employers on a full range of personnel matters and conducts training on anti-discrimination laws, social media regulation, data privacy and implicit bias.

Douglas Michael McManamon was promoted to principal of Meyers Nave Riback Silver & Wilson, PLC in Oakland.

Meyers Nave Riback Silver & Wilson, PLC announced Douglas Michael McManamon has been elevated to principal in Oakland. McManamon, who is a member of the firm's construction and facilities practice, assists clients across California with all significant aspects of construction law and litigation, from procurement to project close-out and dispute resolution.

John Robert Loftus was promoted to partner of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP in Los Angeles.

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP announced John Robert "Jake" Loftus has been promoted to partner in Los Angeles. Loftus has taken cases to arbitration and trial and handled SEC and FINRA regulatory investigations as well as several securities class actions.

Arjun P. Rao was promoted to partner of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP in Los Angeles.

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP announced Arjun R. Rao has been promoted to partner in Los Angeles. Rao is a member of the firm's financial services litigation, regulation and enforcement group and handles a range of issues, including both compliance and counseling as well as defending litigation, including class actions, concerning the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Truth-In-Lending Act, and numerous provisions of state law and the Uniform Commercial Code.

Christine E. Ellice was promoted to special counsel of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP in Los Angeles.

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP announced Arjun R. Rao has been promoted to special counsel in Los Angeles. Ellice focuses on complex commercial litigation, representing private equity funds, investment management companies, investment banks, securities brokerage firms, national banks, and credit reporting agencies in court and in arbitration.

Christopher Todd Abernethy was promoted to partner of Irell & Manella LLP in Los Angeles.

Irell & Manella LLP announced Christopher Todd Abernethy has been elected to the firm's partnership in Los Angeles. Abernethy focuses on intellectual property and patent litigation, and his practice also includes inter partes review and other contested patent office proceedings, IP licensing and transactions, and IP due diligence during mergers and acquisitions.

Paul David Swanson was promoted to partner of Irell & Manella LLP in Los Angeles.

Irell & Manella LLP announced Paul David Swanson has been elected to the firm's partnership in Los Angeles. Swanson counsels clients with respect to corporate, intellectual property and entertainment-related transactions. He represents leading investment banks, producers and entertainment lenders in arranging and administering numerous multi-tranche debt and equity motion picture credit facilities.

Kathleen Celia Ryan joined Akerman LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Akerman LLP announced Kathleen Celia Ryan has joined as a partner in Los Angeles. Ryan focuses her practice on fair lending and regulatory compliance matters, particularly on issues related to the Fair Housing Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, Community Reinvestment Act, Truth in Lending Act, and UDAAP. She previously served as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Deputy Assistant Director for the Office of Regulations.

Matthew John Bresnahan was promoted to partner of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in San Diego & Los Angeles.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati announced Matthew John Bresnahan has been elected partner in San Diego and Los Angeles, effective Feb. 1. Bresnahan serves as primary outside intellectual property counsel to life sciences companies within the biotechnology, molecular biology, pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and medical device industries in Southern California. His practice focuses on all aspects of IP, including strategic patent counseling, patent prosecution, licensing, and litigation.

Stephen Abreu was promoted to counsel of King & Spalding LLP in San Francisco.

King & Spalding LLP announced Stephen Abreu has been promoted to counsel in San Francisco. Abreu negotiates and drafts a range of intellectual property and commercial agreements for life sciences companies, such as strategic partnering and collaboration agreements, intellectual property licenses, and commercial manufacturing, supply and distribution agreements.

Amber Melia Trincado was promoted to counsel of King & Spalding LLP in San Francisco.

King & Spalding LLP announced Amber Melia Trincado has been promoted to counsel in San Francisco. Trincado focuses on the defense of complex litigation, as well as product liability and toxic tort claims. She represents clients in the chemical, oil and energy industries in state and federal courts throughout the country.

William Scott Cameron was promoted to counsel of King & Spalding LLP in Sacramento.

King & Spalding LLP announced William Scott Cameron has been promoted to counsel in San Francisco & Sacramento. Cameron represents clients in civil litigation in state and federal courts, including False Claims Act cases and represents healthcare providers in disputes against health plans. He also handles antitrust, breach of contract and constitutional law cases.

Jennifer Audrey DePalma joined King & Spalding LLP as counsel in Silicon Valley.

King & Spalding LLP announced Jennifer Audrey DePalma has joined its corporate practice as counsel in Silicon Valley. DePalma counsels private and public companies, as well as venture capital and private equity investors, on matters of mergers and acquisitions, financings, initial public offerings and corporate governance. Her practice focuses on the representation of companies developing technologies and intellectual property, particularly in the life sciences, biotech, healthcare and financial technology sectors and on the blockchain.

Robert Dewey Purcell joined California Secure Choice as board member in Sacramento.

Gov. Jerry Brown announced Robert Dewey Purcell has been appointed to the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings investment board. Purcell was a director in the Public Employee Department at the Laborers' International Union of North America from 1997 to 2012, a political organizer for the California Democratic Party from 1988 to 1989 and a political director at Neighbor-to-Neighbor from 1986 to 1988.

Jason Milan Savich was promoted to partner of Cooley LLP in San Francisco.

Cooley LLP announced Jason Milan Savich has been elected partner in San Francisco, effective Jan. 1. Savich advises borrowers, banks and non-bank lenders in a broad range of public and private debt financings, including convertible and high-yield bonds, acquisition financings, secured and unsecured credit facilities and various structured financings.

Megan Arthur Schilling was promoted to partner of Cooley LLP in San Diego.

Cooley LLP announced Megan Arthur Schilling has been elected partner in San Diego, effective Jan. 1. Schilling focuses on compensation and benefits for public and private companies. She counsels companies on designing, implementing and disclosing employment, incentive, change-in-control and severance arrangements. Schilling also provides strategic advice to boards of directors and management teams on these matters, as well as new developments and evolving best practices in executive compensation, corporate governance and shareholder engagement.

Susan Marie Krumplitsch was promoted to partner of Cooley LLP in Palo Alto.

Cooley LLP announced Susan Marie Krumplitsch has been elected partner in Palo Alto, effective Jan. 1. Krumplitsch's litigation practice focuses on intellectual property disputes and strategic counseling for life sciences companies with an emphasis on patent litigation. She represents innovative biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device companies in trial, appellate and post-grant review proceedings at the US Patent and Trademark Office - including inter partes review proceedings.

John Paul Oleksiuk was promoted to partner of Cooley LLP in Santa Monica.

Cooley LLP announced John Paul "JP" Oleksiuk has been elected partner in Los Angeles, effective Jan. 1. Oleksiuk's practice focuses on litigation, prosecution and counseling in the fields of trademark and copyright law. He litigates trademark and copyright disputes in federal courts, trademark matters before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and UDRP domain name arbitration proceedings.

Angela Lucille Dunning was promoted to partner of Cooley LLP in Palo Alto.

Cooley LLP announced Angela Lucille Dunning has been elected partner in Palo Alto, effective Jan. 1. Dunning's litigation practice spans a wide array of matters in federal and state court, including complex commercial disputes, trademark, copyright, trade secrets and unfair competition cases.

Jennifer Diane Knapp was promoted to partner of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati announced Jennifer Diane Knapp has been elected partner in Palo Alto, effective Feb. 1. Knapp represents public and private life sciences and technology companies, as well as venture capital and other institutional investors. She focuses on representing companies throughout their entire life cycle from formation to exit, and in all manner of strategic and complex transactions, including corporate formation and structuring, venture capital financings, corporate governance, spin-ins and spin-outs, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, public company disclosure requirements, and SEC compliance matters. She also advises investors in venture capital financings and other strategic investments and transactions.

Jeffrey Chen joined Bartko Zankel Bunzel & Miller as principal attorney in Bartko Zankel Bunzel & Miller.

Jeffrey Chen is an intellectual property litigator who focuses his practice on high-stakes patent infringement disputes.

Chang Derek Liu was promoted to partner of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in San Francisco.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati announced Chang Derek Liu has been elected partner in San Francisco, effective Feb. 1. Liu focuses his practice primarily on the technology and life sciences industries. His transactional experience includes public and private company mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures; tender and exchange offers; joint ventures; minority investments; and other strategic corporate transactions, representing both strategic and private equity clients.

John Patrick McGaraghan was promoted to partner of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati announced John Patrick McGaraghan has been elected partner in Palo Alto, effective Feb. 1. McGaraghan focuses on intellectual property counseling and licensing, and the drafting and negotiation of strategic commercial contracts. He also assists companies with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and financing transactions. Additionally, McGaraghan works with public and private companies in the hardware, semiconductor, software, Internet, media, social networking, and advertising industries.