Craig Paul Wood joined VLP Law Group LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

VLP Law Group LLP announced Craig Paul Wood has joined the firm's real estate practice group as a partner in Los Angeles. Wood's practice encompasses the representation of institutional investors, private equity sponsors, high net-worth individuals, pension funds, pension fund advisors and private companies in a broad range of real estate projects throughout the United States.

Andrea Sheridan Ordin joined Strumwasser Woocher as partner in Los Angeles.

Strumwasser & Woocher announced Andrea Sheridan Ordin has joined the firm's public-interest and government-representation practice as senior counsel in Los Angeles. Ordin also serves on the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as the first female U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California and was only the third woman in the nation to serve as a U.S. attorney. She also served as president of the Los Angeles Police Commission.

Connie A. Broussard as principal attorney in San Diego

Trial Consultation including Jury Consulting, Witness Preparation, Trial Co-Counsel. Also practice employment litigation specializing in harassment, discrimination and other civil rights claims.

Joshua Gregory Holt was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles.

Holt has been promoted to partner in Los Angeles, effective Jan. 1. He is a member of the Latham& Watkins finance department who advises lenders and borrowers on a wide range of transactional matters. His experience includes structuring and negotiating various financial transactions, including senior secured, second lien, subordinated and unsecured credit facilities, leveraged acquisition financings, cash flow and asset based working capital financings, private placements, cross-border financings, participation agreements, and other agreements among financing sources.

Ian Kenneth Boyd joined Sideman & Bancroft LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Sideman & Bancroft LLP announced Ian Kenneth Boyd has joined the firm's intellectual property group as a partner in San Francisco. His practice focuses on commercial litigation and counseling; trademark and copyright clearance, prosecution, and enforcement; and trade secret and advertising law.

Julie Dyanne Crisp was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins LLP in San Francisco.

Crisp has been promoted to partner in San Francisco, effective Jan. 1. Crisp is a member of the Latham & Watkins tax department who advises on executive compensation and employee benefits matters, often in the context of M&A and other corporate transactions. She regularly counsels executives and public and private companies across various industries on all types of compensation arrangements and benefit plans, with extensive experience advising clients in the oil and gas, entertainment, and internet and digital media sectors.

Sean Carney Denvir was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles.

Denvir has been promoted to partner in Los Angeles, effective Jan. 1. He is a member of the Latham & Watkin corporate department who represents private equity firms, and public and private companies, in M&A transactions, including mergers, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures, strategic transactions, and minority investments.

Belinda Martinez Vega joined Venable LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Venable LLP announced that Belinda Martinez Vega has joined its commercial litigation practice as a partner in Los Angeles. Vega will focus her practice on complex commercial business litigation and corporate internal investigations.

Laura Robinson Washington was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins LLP in Century City.

Washington has been promoted to partner in Century City, effective Jan. 1. Washington is a member of the Latham & Watkins litigation & trial department who focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation in the entertainment and media industry. She represents clients in intellectual property disputes including copyright and trademark infringement, and her experience includes trial and appellate work, motion practice, and discovery in state and federal courts.

Richard Louis Offsay was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins LLP in Century City.

Offsay has been promoted to partner in Century City. Offsay is a member of the firm's corporate department who advises clients in transactions across the entertainment and media industry. His practice focuses on strategic joint ventures, M&A deals, and the financing and distribution of motion pictures, television programs, and other content.

David Dean Troutman was promoted to counsel of Latham & Watkins LLP in Orange County.

Troutman has been promoted to counsel in Costa Mesa, effective Jan. 1. He is a member of the Latham & Watkins litigation & trial department who focuses his practice on intellectual property matters, including litigation and counseling regarding trademarks, trade dress, trade secrets, copyrights, and false advertising, and a broad range of issues commonly encountered by website owners and internet service providers.

Arash Aminian Baghai was promoted to counsel of Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles.

Baghai has been promoted to counsel in Los Angeles, effective Jan. 1. Baghai is a member of the Latham & Watkins corporate department who primarily handles complex equity derivative transactions across diverse industries, with a particular focus on the power, healthcare, life sciences, and automotive sectors. His experience includes IPOs, follow-on debt, equity and equity-linked offerings, and debt and capital restructuring transactions, and the structuring of unique securities products.

Kirsten Marie Ferguson was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins LLP in San Francisco.

Ferguson has been promoted to partner in San Francisco, effective Jan. 1. She is a member of the Latham & Watkins litigation & trial department whose practice includes antitrust and competition law, class actions, and complex litigation in federal and state court.

Shivaun Alison Cooney was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins LLP in San Francisco.

Cooney has been promoted to partner in San Francisco, effective Jan. 1. She is a member of Latham's environment, land & resources department who advises on a range of land use and regulatory matters, as well as related transactional matters, with a particular focus on land use entitlements and environmental approvals for major real estate development projects. Her clients include developers, institutions, non-profit organizations, corporations, and land owners.

Gregory K. Sobolski was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins LLP in San Francisco.

Sobolski has been promoted to partner in San Francisco, effective Jan. 1. He is a member of Latham & Watkins litigation & trial department whose practice focuses on patent litigation. He represents patent owners and accused infringers in matters involving a range of complex technologies before US federal district courts, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the International Trade Commission.

Marcy Christina Priedeman was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins LLP in San Francisco.

Priedeman has been promoted to partner in San Francisco, effective Jan. 1. She is a member of Latham & Waktins litigation & trial department who focuses her practice on securities litigation, professional liability, and complex commercial litigation. She has also handled disputes related to accounting and financial transactions across a range of industries.

Michael Benjamin Dell was promoted to partner of Shartsis Friese LLP in San Francisco.

Shartsis Friese LLP announced Michael B. Dell has been promoted to partner, effective Jan. 1. Dell is part of the firm's corporate transactional practice and advises business clients on the structuring, negotiation and documentation of complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, equity financings, equity incentive arrangements, securities offerings, and business formation transactions for public and private clients.

Gary Caris joined Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Los Angeles.

Caris focuses his practice on federal equity receivership, creditors' representation in Chapter 11 proceedings and complex bankruptcy litigation. Caris has represented federal equity receivers in dozens of cases across the country brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Idan Netser joined Fenwick & West LLP as partner in Mountain View.

Fenwick & West LLP announced Idan Netser has joined as a tax partner in Mountain View. Netser's practice focuses on all areas of corporate taxation. He counsels clients on U.S.-international corporate and partnership taxation, transfer pricing, foreign tax credits, tax planning and restructuring, international joint ventures and M&A transactions, and tax controversy. Netser also serves as primary outside counsel to numerous tech startups.

Ruth Zadikany was promoted to partner of Mayer Brown LLP in Los Angeles.

Mayer Brown LLP announced Ruth Zadikany has been promoted to partner in Los Angeles, effective Jan. 1. Zadikany has represented clients in state and federal court in a range of labor and employment disputes, as well as complex litigation matters, including class action defense. She also has experience defending wage and hour class action claims involving meal and rest period violations, failure to pay overtime, work-off-the-clock, rounding and expense reimbursement, and the extraterritorial application of California law to employees outside of California, as well as other employment issues.

Stephen Patrick Blake was promoted to partner of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in Palo Alto.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP announced Stephen Blake has been promoted to partner in Palo Alto, effective Jan. 1. Blake concentrates his practice on securities litigation, M&A and appraisal litigation, and government investigations. He has also represented technology companies, financial institutions and private equity firms and often works with international companies facing litigation over cross-border transactions and securities offerings.

Jennifer Jaye Levitt was promoted to partner of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in Los Angeles.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP announced Jennifer Jaye Levitt has been promoted to partner in Los Angeles, effective Jan. 1. Levitt represents financial sponsors and investment banks in connection with debt financings for private equity, real estate, infrastructure, debt and other investment funds. She represents clients in complicated financings designed to provide fund-level leverage to facilitate and support investment activities, including margin loans and other forms of back leverage.

Xiaoyan Zhang joined Reed Smith LLP as counsel in San Francisco.

Reed Smith LLP announced Xiaoyan Zhang has joined the firm's global information technology, privacy and data security group as counsel in San Francisco. Zhang has advised an international clientele on IP, cybersecurity and privacy related issues in complex technology and outsourcing transactions involving e-commerce, licensing and emerging technologies, such as cloud, AI and block chain.