Alexander D. Wall joined Musick Peeler & Garrett LLP as a partner in San Diego. The move was Oct. 6, 2025.

Wall is an experienced litigator and trial attorney with over a decade of experience representing clients in complex corporate and commercial litigation, including corporate fiduciary, fraud, and securities matters and banking and real estate litigation. Mr. Wall advises financial institutions, developers, contractors, and businesses across industries in high-stakes matters in both state and federal courts. Wall has represented high-profile clients in corporate and regulatory matters, including serving as counsel to court-appointed receivers in FTC and CFPB enforcement actions and defending senior executives in cross-border fiduciary litigation. He also has significant experience advising property developers, contractors, and property managers in construction and commercial disputes.

Retired justice Judith Ashmann-Gerst joined Signature Resolution as a neutral in Los Angeles. The move was Oct. 7, 2025.

Retired justice Judith Ashmann-Gerst spent nearly 25 years on the 2nd District Court of Appeal, Division Two. She authored influential opinions spanning a broad range of matters and previously presided over some of the most complex cases in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Known for her fairness, thorough preparation, and collaborative style, Judge Ashmann-Gerst also served in key leadership roles in judicial education, ethics, and courtroom technology. In her new role, she looks forward to focusing on the meaningful, collaborative work of listening and problem-solving to help parties reach resolution.

Jacquelyn N. Crawley joined Miller Barondess, LLP as a counsel in Los Angeles. The move was Sep. 22, 2025.

Crawley is a litigator with experience representing clients in state and federal courts in diverse matters, including antitrust, breach of contract, class action, unfair competition, privacy, and other complex commercial litigation.

Linda Gach Ray joined Annaguey McCann LLP as of counsel in Los Angeles.

Gach Ray brings a depth of prior experience in bankruptcy litigation, commercial litigation, constructive termination, defamation, and real estate disputes to her insightful and patient handling of fiduciary work in trusts, estates, and probate litigation. Her current practice focus includes trust and estate disputes, contested conservatorship matters, and will contests, but her background of experience is far broader.

Rob Bruce Owens joined Annaguey McCann LLP as of counsel in Los Angeles.

Owens has become a leading presence in California state and federal courts after more than 47 years of practice. His representation of corporations, businesses and individuals includes disputes involving real estate, shareholder claims, fraud, fiduciary obligations, trusts, estates and probate. Known for his practical resolutions and old-school collegiality throughout the litigation process, Owens uses his trial strength to position clients for favorable outcomes, whether through mediation, a negotiated settlement, a bench trial or jury trial. Owens is often brought into protracted disputes to try cases where earlier attempts at resolution have failed. His skill and efficiency in narrowing the argument to the relevant essentials have resulted in numerous successful bench and jury verdicts.

Christina E Batshoun was promoted to partner of Kelly, Trotter & Franzen in Long Beach. The promotion is effective Oct. 1, 2025.

Batshoun began at the firm as an associate in 2020 with years of experience in medical malpractice and tax law. At Kelly, Trotter & Franzen, she has expanded her practice to include elder law and general liability. As an associate attorney at Kelly, Trotter & Franzen, she worked on complex matters representing physicians, nurses, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and residential care facilities for the elderly. Her zeal and work ethic is commendable and in direct correlation to the successful outcomes she obtained in her cases. As a partner, she will add her vast experience to an already deep bench of experienced trial lawyers eager to represent clients in all aspects of litigation, including trial.

Angel M. Bermudez joined JAMS as a neutral in Riverside. The move was Oct. 14, 2025.

Judge Bermudez served more than 18 years on the Riverside County Superior Court, spending the majority of his tenure presiding over complex civil matters. His docket included cases involving product liability, catastrophic personal injury, business and contract disputes, professional negligence, and real property issues. He also spent time in the family law division, where he handled dissolution, custody, and financial disputes.

Before his judicial appointment, Judge Bermudez spent 16 years as a senior deputy district attorney in Riverside County, focusing primarily on white-collar criminal prosecutions.

Now based at the Inland Empire Resolution Center, Judge Bermudez serves as a mediator, arbitrator, court-appointed neutral (special master/referee), and neutral evaluator. He handles a wide range of matters, including personal injury, automotive, animal, business and commercial, employment, family, financial, and professional liability disputes.

Joshua R. Engel joined Musick Peeler & Garrett LLP as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Oct. 6, 2025.

Engel is an experienced litigator representing companies and organizations in complex business and commercial litigation. Engel's diverse practice spans professional liability defense, commercial litigation, employment law, corporate transactions, insurance defense, and insurance coverage matters. Engel is known for guiding clients through every stage of litigation and achieving efficient, practical outcomes in matters with significant financial and reputational exposure. He has extensive experience counseling clients on case strategy, supervising legal teams, and partnering with businesses to navigate disputes effectively and protect their long-term interests.

Lukas Chacho joined Musick Peeler & Garrett LLP as an associate in Los Angeles.

Chacho practice includes eData and information governance matters, with experience spanning civil, criminal, and regulatory proceedings. He represents clients in discovery, privilege, and information governance disputes, including the legal implications of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

Prior to entering private practice, he was a strategist at Northrop Grumman, where he focused on competitive intelligence and enterprise strategy.

Chacho graduated cum laude from Marist College with a B.S. in International Business Administration, earning a presidential scholarship and dean's List honors. He holds C.I.P.-I and C.I.P.-II (Master's) certifications from the Fuld-Gilad-Herring Academy of Competitive Intelligence, where he received the analytical competition award. Chacho graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was a dean's scholar and served on the Virginia Journal of Law & Technology.

Retired judge Christine A. Carringer joined Judicate West as a neutral in Solano County.

First appointed to the Solano County Superior Court bench by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013, Judge Carringer presided over complex civil litigation, including two years as supervising judge of the Civil Division. Prior to her civil assignment, she presided over family law cases for six years, including two years as supervising judge of the Family Law Division. Collectively, she has handled employment, family law insurance, medical malpractice and personal injury matters. Judge Carringer also served two terms as a member of the court's Appellate Division. During the first 26 years of her legal career, Judge Carringer litigated in private practice, with a focus on insurance matters. She also gained more than six years of mediation experience through the Solano County Superior Court's ADR Program and spent four years as field counsel for an insurance company.

Lielle Arad founds Arad Law in Thousand Oaks.

Arad's practice centers on strategic and creative advocacy in matters involving unfair competition, false advertising, and business torts. Recognized for her innovative approach that blends technology with compelling, narrative-driven trial work, Arad continues to expand the firm's statewide presence while representing entrepreneurs, businesses, and individuals in complex civil and intellectual property disputes.

Michael D. Campion joined Musick Peeler & Garrett LLP as an associate in Los Angeles. The move was Oct. 6, 2025.

Campion has extensive experience defending public and not-for-profit entities in wage-and-hour class actions, wrongful termination claims, whistleblower suits, and federal civil rights matters. He also has experience advising and representing public entity clients in mandamus proceedings, including allegations of wrongful termination, public finance disputes, commercial cannabis licensing, and proceedings concerning compliance with statutes such as the California Environmental Quality Act, the California Public Records Act and the Brown Act. He also counsels school districts, public officials, and members of the judiciary in subpoena compliance related to criminal proceedings.

William J. Goines joined Signature Resolution as a neutral in Silicon Valley. The move was Oct. 14, 2025.

William J. Goines is one of Silicon Valley's most respected trial lawyers and leaders, bringing nearly 50 years of legal experience, including two decades as co-managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig's Silicon Valley office, to his mediation and arbitration practice. Recognized for his exceptional trial skills and steady leadership, Goines has successfully resolved high-stakes commercial, real estate, and employment disputes, including securing a $31 million Ponzi scheme verdict and helping pioneer one of California's first Zoom trials. His approach to dispute resolution blends technical expertise, patience, and empathy.

Christopher A. Stecher joined Frost Brown Todd as a partner in San Francisco.

Stecher focuses his practice on securities, employment, and general business litigation. He has extensive experience defending brokerage firms and financial advisors in cases involving customer complaints and has represented clients in securities arbitration forums, such as the NASD, the NYSE, and the PCX (now combined into one forum, FINRA). He represents employers in all aspects of employment litigation in federal and state trial and appellate courts, as well as in arbitration and before state agencies.

Jim Jensen joined Orrick as a partner in Silicon Valley.

Jensen counsels venture capital funds, private equity funds, angel investment funds, accelerators/incubators, SPVs, funds-of-funds, and other private investment funds on the formation, operation, and regulatory obligations of their funds, as well as on capital deployment, including investments. He also represents institutional investors in their investments in investment funds.

Allison Michelle Melendez joined KENT | PINCIN as a counsel in Redondo Beach. The move was Sep. 22, 2025.

Melendez's practice areas include personal injury cases such as auto accidents, slip and falls, wrongful death, dog bites, and rideshare accidents, as well as fire cases, sexual assault, mass actions, and public utility disasters. She also handles employment matters, including discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, disability discrimination, and wrongful termination. She is fluent in Spanish.

Amanda V. Anderson joined Knox Ricksen LLP as a counsel in Los Angeles.

Anderson's practice focuses on representing clients in civil actions relating to insurance fraud and unfair business practices against healthcare providers, clinics, management services organizations, and related entities and individuals.

Alese K. Rajaniemi joined Knox Ricksen LLP as a counsel in Los Angeles.

Rajaniemi is an experienced litigator, representing companies and individuals in all kinds of cases, including casualty, education and employment law matters. She has worked closely with insurance carriers and other healthcare professionals to manage expectations and assess risk and exposure.

Friedemann Thomma joined Baker Botts as a partner in San Francisco.

Thomma focuses on corporate international tax planning and U.S. taxation of foreign operations and has managed large-scale global structuring projects, including the design, implementation, and post-implementation phases. He has also served as the primary contact for multinational corporate clients, working closely with in-house tax, legal, treasury, and accounting departments to implement international legal and tax restructuring projects and post-M&A-integration projects. His clients include publicly traded multinational corporations in the high-tech sector, start-up companies, mid-market companies, high-end consumer manufacturing corporations, and high-net-worth individuals.

Becca Chappell joined Baker Botts as a partner in San Francisco.

Chappell advises clients on U.S. inbound and outbound transactional tax and cross-border tax planning, with a focus on design, implementation, and post-implementation work for complex acquisitions, business combinations, restructurings, fund investments, and global expansions. Becca has significant experience with high-profile, multi-jurisdictional transactions that involve the development and execution of tax-efficient and commercially effective tax planning strategies. She is well versed in tax structuring and transactional implementation in the U.S. and European markets, and has a comprehensive understanding of European financing considerations and evolving global tax initiatives.

Nancy K. Canter joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP as a partner in Sacramento.

Canter is an experienced litigator and seasoned advisor, leveraging her extensive experience at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. to guide clients through complex regulatory challenges, administrative law matters, constitutional claims, and all aspects of commercial contract disputes and civil litigation. She is experienced in both employment-based and family-based immigration matters, as well as workplace compliance, and can advise on governmental investigations relating to compliance with U.S. immigration laws, including worksite enforcement actions and raids, immigration compliance audits, H-1B site visits, civil denaturalization, and responding to administrative and judicial warrants.

Charity Schiller was elected managing partner of Best Best & Krieger LLP. Her tenure is effective Nov. 17, 2025.

Schiller is a longtime member of BBK's Environmental Law & Natural Resources practice and a member of the firm's Executive Committee. Schiller will be the first woman to lead BBK in its more than 130-year history. She joined BBK in 2004 and has spent more than two decades advising public and private clients on some of California's most high-profile environmental and land use matters, with extensive experience guiding them through all aspects of compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and defending clients in trial and appellate court litigation.

Dylan Dordick was promoted to partner of Dordick Law Corporation in Los Angeles.

Since joining the family practice, Dordick tried a case as lead trial counsel that resulted in an award of more than $10 million for a little girl hit by a car who suffered a traumatic brain injury and in their first trial together as a father-son duo, a jury returned a verdict of more than $8 million for a client who was hit by a car resulting in ankle, knee and back surgeries.

John M. Upton was promoted to partner of Dordick Law Corporation in Los Angeles.

Upton is the partner leading the firm's law and motion and appellate advocacy department. He regularly represents the firm's clients in high-stakes motions, appeals, and writs in California's superior and appellate courts. Having handled hundreds of significant personal injury cases from intake through resolution, Upton brings his valuable insight and experience litigating a wide variety of plaintiff's claims, including car, truck and motorcycle accidents, premises liability claims, and medical negligence actions. Upton has moderated and spoken on numerous panels with judges, arbitrators, mediators, and other legal practitioners on topics related to pre-trial motions, trail motions, and appellate practice.

Christopher V. Bulone was promoted to partner of Dordick Law Corporation in Los Angeles.

Bulone is a rising star in California courts, continuously securing record results. He won a $2.5 million jury verdict in Van Nuys, believed to be a courthouse record for a mild traumatic brain injury. He also secured $42 million in a highly contested vicarious liability case involving a delivery truck and an auto, resulting in a severe traumatic brain injury. Additionally, he obtained $15 million against Caltrans in a negligently built highway case. He won $7.7 million for a man injured when a fire engine entered an intersection on a red light, and $18.7 million for a man struck by a park ranger while napping in a park. Furthermore, Bulone argued that a $100,000 insurance policy limit was "opened" due to insurance bad faith and recovered $5 million for a child injured when a driver ran a stop sign.

Retired justice Kathleen E. O'Leary joined JAMS as a neutral in Orange County.

Justice O'Leary joins after more than four decades of distinguished judicial service in California. Most recently, she served on the 4th District Court of Appeal, Division Three, in Santa Ana from 2000 to 2025, including as presiding justice from 2012 to 2025. On the appellate bench, Justice O'Leary presided over thousands of civil and criminal cases; authored roughly 2,600 opinions, including nearly 200 published ones; and was recognized for her extensive knowledge of procedural fairness and constitutional rights. Based in the Orange County Resolution Center, Justice O'Leary will serve as an arbitrator, mediator, neutral evaluator, and court-appointed neutral (such as a special master or referee), handling appellate, business and commercial, civil rights, government/public agency, employment, insurance, personal injury/torts, and real estate matters. She is available to conduct sessions in person or virtually for clients across the country and internationally.

A. Peter Rausch, Jr. joined Offit Kurman as a principal in Aptos.

Rausch's practice covers a broad spectrum of disputes, including contract and shareholder/partnership matters, intellectual property issues, employment disputes, insurance coverage, secured transactions, copyright and trademark protection and disputes, corporate governance challenges and a wide range of civil disputes. C

Scott Paetty joined DTO Law as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Oct. 6, 2025.

Paetty's practice focuses on internal investigations, criminal investigations, state and federal regulatory investigations and enforcement, complex commercial litigation, and dispute resolution across industries, including financial services, technology, media and entertainment, sports, telecommunications, energy, automotive, and healthcare.

Samuel G. Roseme joined Reed Smith LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Roseme focuses his practice on high-level transactional work in the entertainment industry, including representing studios, networks, production companies, directors, writers, and talent. He handles mergers and acquisitions of production companies, development and financing agreements, licensing and distribution deals, rights acquisitions, and corporate matters for clients across the entertainment spectrum. He has served as counsel on biopics for high-profile celebrities, Broadway productions, and a wide variety of film and TV projects. In addition to his U.S. practice, Roseme regularly manages cross-border transactions and is looking forward to collaborating with Reed Smith's entertainment & media lawyers across London, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. He has also done significant work in the music industry, where he handles transactions -- work that aligns closely with Reed Smith's leading global music practice, particularly in acquisitions of music portfolios from world-renowned artists.

Carmen Santana joined MG+M The Law Firm as a partner in Los Angeles--Figueroa Street. The move was Oct. 1, 2025.

Santana handles complex multi-party and multi-district insurance and liability litigation at the state and federal levels in the fields of toxic torts, product liability, construction defect and personal injury cases involving catastrophic injuries. Her product liability and toxic torts practice involves the defense of mesothelioma cases, as well as silica, benzene, and mixed dust cases. In her construction defect practice, she has particular experience in the defense of subcontractors.

Viiu Spangler joined MG+M The Law Firm as a partner in Los Angeles—Figueroa Street. The move was Jan. 10, 2025.

Spangler is an experienced trial attorney with a broad civil practice, including FELA matters and toxic torts, with an emphasis on product liability, premises liability, and personal injury defense. She also represents parties in breach of contract actions and other insurance defense actions. Viiu is a member of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles and volunteers with People for the American Way's Election Protection Program. Viiu is a proud member of the National Giving Alliance, working to improve the quality of life for economically disadvantaged individuals in the community.

Robert Berkes joined MG+M The Law Firm as a partner in Los Angeles—Figueroa Street. The move was Jan. 10, 2025.

Berkes has more than 40 years of experience trying civil cases. He has extensive jury trial experience and has handled cases to verdict in such areas as product liability, personal injury, construction accidents, accounting malpractice, commercial fraud, employment disputes, and insurance coverage disputes. He has placed particular emphasis in his practice on the trial of asbestos and toxic exposure cases. He also has extensive experience over the past 20 years in successfully arbitrating over a dozen complex, high-stakes insurance disputes over coverage for asbestos-related claims arising out of the Wellington Agreement (Agreement Concerning Asbestos-Related Claims).

Berkes was one of the lead trial counsel in the California Coordinated Asbestos Insurance Coverage Cases, the longest running and largest insurance coverage trial in California litigation history. He was also lead defense counsel in the litigation arising out of the 400 South Hope Street crane accident, one of the most serious accident cases in the history of downtown Los Angeles high-rise construction.

Christopher Bruni joined MG+M The Law Firm as a partner in San Francisco. The move was Jan. 10, 2025.

Bruni has more than 35 years of experience defending contractors, employers, distributors, retailers, and manufacturers in product liability and toxic tort litigation. He has particular experience in matters involving diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, colon cancer, and kidney cancer. He has tried numerous cases to verdict throughout the state of California, including a complex, 5-month, multi-plaintiff jury trial that resulted in a defense verdict for his client.

Bruni also defends clients in automobile manufacturer and dealer litigation. He has tried cases for both manufacturers and dealerships involving claims brought under the Song-Beverly Act, the Magnuson-Moss Act, the CLRA, and the Business and Professions Code Section 17200. For more than seven years, he was statewide counsel for all dealerships insured by DaimlerChrysler Insurance in California.

Robert Engel joined MG+M The Law Firm as a partner in San Francisco. The move was Jan. 10, 2025.

Engel is an experienced litigation attorney who has tried, mediated, and arbitrated a variety of cases in state and federal courts in each of the three jurisdictions in which he is licensed to practice law--California, Oregon, and Washington.

For over 30 years he has counseled and defended clients in disputes related to products and premises liability, environmental and toxic torts, personal injury, construction defect, and defamation. He has managed and litigated hundreds of cases for Fortune 500 corporations, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, construction companies, trucking companies, and medical professionals. Much of his work involves complex multi-party civil litigation.

Steven Spaulding joined MG+M The Law Firm as a partner in San Francisco. The move was Jan. 10, 2025.

Spaulding has more than 30 years of civil litigation experience. His practice has provided counsel and defense to businesses, from sole proprietors to Fortune 500 companies.

Spaulding's practice focuses on environmental litigation and toxic torts--including asbestos, silica, benzene, and lead litigation--mass torts, and complex litigation. He has extensive experience in state and federal coordinated matters, including the defense of medical devices.

Eric Wong joined MG+M The Law Firm as a partner in Walnut Creek. The move was Jan. 10, 2025.

Wong is an experienced litigation attorney who has successfully handled, mediated, arbitrated, and tried cases in the state of California and federal courts. For nearly 30 years, Wong has counseled and defended a multitude of clients in legal actions related to products, premises, and professional liability; personal injury involving catastrophic and traumatic brain injuries and wrongful death; construction defect and property damage, including but not limited to fire, flooding, and earth movement; transportation and trucking accidents; Americans with Disabilities Act claims; subrogation; and environmental and toxic torts.

Lindsey Greer Dotson joined O'Melveny & Myers LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Dotson has dedicated the past fourteen years to the United States Department of Justice, initially serving as an Assistant Attorney for the Central District of California and subsequently as the Chief of the Criminal Division. During her tenure, she adjudicated numerous white-collar and corruption-related investigations, including some of the nation's most prominent cases involving tax, fraud, and civil rights. In her new capacity at O'Melveny, Dotson will provide counsel to both international and domestic publicly traded corporations, officers, directors, and audit committees on various white-collar matters, including internal and regulatory investigations, compliance and governance issues, criminal cases, and enforcement proceedings.

Bret Stancil joined Jones Day as a partner in Silicon Valley.

Stancil advises leading corporate and private equity clients on significant mergers and acquisitions transactions, as well as related corporate matters. He represents private and public companies across a wide range of industries, such as technology and software, life sciences, internet and digital media, and retail and consumer products. Stancil's primary areas of focus include public and private mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, carve-outs, and leveraged buyouts. Some of his recent M&A deals in the technology space include the $12 billion acquisition of a customer engagement and marketing platform, the $7 billion acquisition of a leading consumer fintech platform, and the $6 billion equity investment by a private equity fund into a data center company.