Stefani B. Lenett joined Duckor Metzger & Wynne, APLC as senior counsel in San Diego.

Lenett works with a diverse range of clients, including blended families, the LGBTQ community and individuals facing challenging family dynamics across California. She handles estate planning for estates of all sizes. Her work also includes trust administration after the death of a trustee and handling probate court proceedings.

Lenett serves on the San Diego County Superior Court's Probate Bench/Bar Committee and as a court-appointed attorney. A veteran estate and probate law attorney, she was tapped to serve as the reviewing author of the Probate Attorneys of San Diego's PASD Probate Handbook 2023. Lenett is the president-elect of Temple Emanu-El, San Diego.

M. Lance Jasper joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as partner in Los Angeles (Century City).

As senior counsel in the Division of Enforcement of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for more than a decade, Jasper conducted high-profile investigations and litigation involving public companies, investment advisers, broker-dealers and securities professionals, including an FCPA investigation that resulted in $1.8 billion in SEC remedies--one of the largest ever achieved by the agency. Jasper also advised senior SEC officials on complex securities matters, including violations and remedies in the asset management space.

Prior to serving in the SEC, Jasper practiced in the litigation department at Munger Tolles & Olson. Prior to that, he had federal clerkships in the Southern District of New York and 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Anthony (Tony) Weibell joined Mayer Brown LLP as partner in Palo Alto and San Francisco.

Weibell serves as lead litigation counsel for premier technology companies in diverse areas of complex civil litigation involving consumer class actions, privacy, e-commerce, intellectual property, antitrust, false advertising and contractual disputes. He is an arbitrator, special master, referee and a member of the Academy of Court-Appointed Neutrals and has adjudicated hundreds of civil matters by appointment and party stipulation. In recent years, he has represented leading internet and technology companies, such as Google, TikTok (ByteDance) and Roblox Corporation, in consumer class actions that have examined issues of first impression.

Weibell's practice also includes advising companies on compliance with consumer protection, privacy and internet law, such as the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), the Wiretap Act, the Stored Communications Act, the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), the Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA), and other unfair competition and consumer protection laws.

Marcia Valadez Valente was promoted to partner of Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP in San Francisco.

Valadez Valente is a trial attorney with a broad range of experience representing companies, individuals, and public entities in state and federal courts. Her practice focuses on complex civil litigation with an emphasis on financial and commercial cases, and employment disputes. She also represents clients in matters brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. Valadez Valente is a member of the State Bars of California and New York and the Bar Association of San Francisco, the Federal Bar Association, and the Women's White Collar Defense Association. She maintains an active pro bono practice and is dedicated to serving her community. She serves on the executive board of the Federal Bar Association, Northern District of California Chapter, and is a member and co-chair of the Stanford Latino Alumni Association, Northern California Chapter.

Frank Busch joined Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Busch is an experienced litigator who has represented parties of every size in complex trial and appellate matters. He has experience with all phases of discovery, motion practice, mediation, arbitration, trial, and appeal, including a successful oral argument before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Busch also has significant experience in probate litigation, having represented both beneficiaries and fiduciaries in many litigated matters, including will contests, trust contests, accounting actions, attorney-in-fact litigation, and other related matters.

Ashley Weinstein-Carnes was promoted to partner of Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP in San Francisco.

Weinstein-Carnes is a land use attorney focusing on complex entitlement and permitting for development projects throughout the Bay Area. Ashley's practice includes a wide range of product types and local jurisdictions. She has successfully obtained land use approvals for projects including mixed-use and multifamily residential developments, corporate R&D and office campuses, an NBA stadium, hospitals and medical facilities, and industrial facilities. She has significant experience utilizing California's evolving housing laws with a focused practice on streamlining strategies for residential and mixed-use residential projects; she regularly speaks and writes on changes in the regulatory landscape impacting housing production in California.

In addition to her law practice, Weinstein-Carnes is a faculty lecturer at the University of California, Haas School of Business, where she teaches an interdisciplinary graduate course to business, law and planning students on land development and investment issues. She is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, serving on the Leadership Team of the Small Scale Development National Product Council and the Steering Committee of the San Francisco District Council Young Leaders Group, and a member and former Vice-President of the Berkeley Real Estate Alumni Association.

Chandra A. Beaton was promoted to partner of LightGabler LLP in Camarillo.

Beaton practices in the area of employment litigation on behalf of employers and managers. She has extensive civil litigation experience in both state and federal courts. Her litigation background encompasses a broad range of disputes, including construction defect and mold claims, personal injury defense, general and professional liability defense, intellectual property litigation, real estate litigation, business litigation, and homeowners association matters.

Ryan M. Haws was promoted to partner of LightGabler LLP in Camarillo.

Haws practices in the areas of employment law advice and counsel and employment litigation. With a background in social work and past legal experience with employment and family law matters, he focuses on proactive resolution of workplace disputes while aggressively defending his clients' interests, and provides guidance to employers on complying with legal standards while preserving business productivity and employee morale.

Michael H. Brody was promoted to partner of LightGabler LLP in Camarillo.

Since 2005, Brody's practice has focused on civil litigation, including representing a wide variety of clients in disputed employment and business matters. As lead trial counsel in numerous cases, he has successfully defended clients in both state and federal jury trials as well as arbitration. Brody has represented clients at all stages of litigation, from the initial claim through trial and in alternative dispute resolution.

Jamie N. Stein was promoted to partner of LightGabler LLP in Camarillo.

Stein litigates all areas of employment law in both state and federal court, with particular experience in the areas of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour claims, unfair business practices and PAGA actions. She has trial experience in both state and federal court, as well as binding arbitration. Since 2002, Stein has defended clients of varying sizes, with a high level of success in resolving cases favorably on summary judgment or by way of dismissal.

Angela V. Lopez was promoted to partner of LightGabler LLP in Camarillo.

Lopez practices in the areas of employment law advice and employment litigation. She represents employers in a broad spectrum of matters including day-to-day legal compliance as well as employee complaints of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, wage and hour disputes, and leaves of absence.

Lopez is an expert investigator and regularly investigates workplace complaints as well as employee wrongdoing. She has successfully litigated employment matters in administrative forums as well as in state and federal court, and has efficiently resolved many matters through a variety of alternative dispute resolution methods.

Guinevere Jobson was promoted to general counsel-in-residence and chief operating officer of Pike+Pham PR & Marketing in San Francisco.

Jobson has more than 16 years of U.S. and global experience, most recently as general counsel of AI-powered digital advertising technology company Quantcast where she led all legal functions including privacy compliance and product counseling, intellectual property, regulatory affairs, disputes, commercial transactions, international expansion, and legal operations. She was also part of the company's executive leadership team, working across business units to set and execute high level strategic objectives.

Prior to her time at Quantcast, was an intellectual property and commercial litigator representing clients across technology, Internet, and digital media/entertainment sectors at Fenwick & West LLP. She spent a year as visiting attorney in the intellectual property department of Allen & Overy (now A&O Shearman) in Paris, where she advised on multi-jurisdiction, cross-border patent litigation and video game copyright enforcement programs.

Brent C. Lehman was promoted to partner of Munck Wilson Mandala, LLP in Los Angeles.

Lehman represents clients in the entertainment industry as well as in emerging technology markets. He brings more than 10 years of experience working with clients in the music, film, technology, and video game industries. He advises on intellectual property disputes, breach of contract, compensation issues, breach of fiduciary duty, white-collar defense, and fraud.

Before joining MWM in 2022, Lehman worked as a litigator at several boutique law firms in the greater Los Angeles region.

Michelle Roberts Gonzales was promoted to partner of Hogan Lovells in Los Angeles.

Roberts Gonzales has defended many companies in wage-and-hour class actions and high-stakes individual employment lawsuits. She has also helped lead internal investigations, helping clients understand and navigate difficult whistleblower and sexual harassment issues. She leads large teams across practice groups and jurisdictions in high-stakes investigations. She also regularly conducts due diligence on employment issues for corporate transactions, using her litigation and investigation experience to help clients understand and mitigate their risks.

Roberts Gonzales is among 28 lawyers Hogan Lovells elevated to partner, effective Jan. 1. The firm also promoted 59 attorneys to counsel.

Helen Y. Trac was promoted to partner of Hogan Lovells.

Trac has degrees in engineering and law. She helps clients navigate federal district courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the International Trade Commission. She is licensed to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, with a focus on patent proceedings such as inter partes review.

Trac is among 28 lawyers Hogan Lovells elevated to partner, effective Jan. 1. The firm also promoted 59 attorneys to counsel.

Roshni Patel was promoted to counsel of Hogan Lovells in Silicon Valley.

Patel counsels companies on industry standards, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS), and evolving Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau standards related to privacy and data security.

Patel is among 59 attorneys Hogan Lovells promoted to counsel, effective Jan. 1. The firm also named 28 new partners.

Max Scott was promoted to counsel of Hogan Lovells.

Scott advises clients on matters related to the joint-development, licensing, acquisition, sale, use, and protection of IP and on IP protection strategies. He also assists with agreements for the provision of technology-related services, reseller agreements, and outsourcing and distribution agreements.

Scott is among 59 attorneys Hogan Lovells promoted to counsel, effective Jan. 1. The firm also named 28 new partners.

Danielle Drossel was promoted to partner of Oppenheimer Investigations Group LLP in San Francisco Bay Area and Santa Barbara.

Drossel's practice concentrates on advancing peaceful workplaces, where organizations and employees can thrive. She is called upon by public and private entities for thorough investigations into claims of misconduct and to provide employee training on a wide range of workplace topics, including anti-bias, discrimination, harassment, equity and inclusion, and conflict-resolution. In addition to delivering high-quality neutral services to public and private entities across the state, she leverages her deep expertise to educate business and legal industry audiences on issues impacting workplace dynamics, such as managing multigenerational workforces, microaggressions, and situations that might involve competing legal standards.

She is an Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI) member with Certificate Holder (AWI-CH) distinction and a board member at Congregation B'nai B'rith.

Shruti Bhutani Arora was promoted to partner of BakerHostetler in San Francisco.

Arora advises clients on privacy matters, including compliance with U.S. and global privacy laws and regulations such as the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended from time to time, and the General Data Protection Regulation. She also helps clients prepare and negotiate complex technology contracts. She is one of 13 lawyers BakerHostetler promoted to partner across the nation.

Maryam Danishwar was promoted to partner of Clark Hill PLC in Los Angeles.

Danishwar represents clients in litigation and transactional matters related to interstate trucking and transportation accidents, employment disputes, claims against healthcare facilities, commercial landlord tenant disputes, subrogation claims, and other contractual disputes.

She is one of 12 attorneys Clark Hill promoted to partner nationally, including three in Los Angeles.

Marina Manoukian was promoted to partner of Clark Hill PLC in Los Angeles.

Manoukian focuses on civil litigation including business, real estate, and construction litigation, as well as family law litigation.

She is one of 12 attorneys Clark Hill promoted to partner nationally, including three in Los Angeles.

Paul F. Schmeltzer was promoted to parter of Clark Hill PLC in Los Angeles.

Schmeltzer counsels healthcare clients on regulatory matters including Federal and State pharmacy law, Fraud, Waste, and Abuse, Stark law, State and Federal Anti-Kickback Statutes, HIPAA, and EMTALA.

He is one of 12 attorneys Clark Hill promoted to partner nationally, including three in Los Angeles.

Lindsay Barstow was promoted to counsel of Saul Ewing LLP in Los Angeles.

Barstow is a real estate attorney who provides advice and counsel to Fortune 100 companies, including those in the industrial real estate, construction materials manufacturing and retail leasing industries. Barstow's experience with real estate transactions includes acquisitions/dispositions, due diligence reviews, leases, licenses, real estate financings, broker agreements and other day-to-day agreements affecting the ownership and leasing of real property. She also manages pre-litigation real estate disputes and defaults.

Saul Ewing elected nine attorneys to the firm's partnership and promoted 5 attorneys to counsel across the nation.

Veena Beglinger was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP in San Francisco.

Beglinger is a real estate and land use attorney representing clients in all aspects of land development and real estate transactions and has a particular expertise in the renewable energy sector and water rights. She also advises clients on construction, operational, and property management related issues. One focus of her practice is site assembly, title and survey review, infrastructure development (sewer, water, etc.), and subdivision map act issues. Beglinger also has extensive experience advising both developers and lenders on a broad range of renewable energy projects.

Tyler Dockins was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP in Orange County.

Dockins is a construction attorney primarily representing owners and contractors. He has negotiated and drafted billions of dollars in construction and design agreements, as well as consultant and land development contracts for multifamily, condominium, hotel, industrial, casino, retail, office, data center, luxury residential, medical and research facilities, public school and other public facilities, storage, and senior and assisted living facilities.

Rachel Jones was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP in San Francisco.

Jones is a land use and natural resources attorney with a focus on land development and renewable energy projects. She advises clients at all stages of project development on public and private land. She guides clients through the local, state, and federal permitting and entitlement process, provides environmental due diligence for project finance transactions, and counsels clients with ongoing land use and natural resource compliance needs. Jones’ areas of expertise include environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, land use entitlements under California's Planning and Zoning Law, project approvals under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, compliance with federal and state species protection laws, and wetlands and waters regulation under state and federal law. She also has deep expertise with water supply planning, water conservation, water recycling, and the development of large water infrastructure projects.

Pamela S. Aaron was promoted to partner of Goldberg Segalla in Orange County.

Aaron counsels and defends employers, insurers, and third-party administrators in workers' compensation matters throughout California. She focuses a significant portion of her practice on handling workers' compensation matters for major league sports organizations.

Nationally, Goldberg Segalla elevated 22 attorneys to partner, including two in Orange County, and 5 to special counsel.

Pardis Saleki was promoted to partner of Goldberg Segalla in Orange County.

Saleki focuses her practice on counseling and defending employers, insurers, and third-party administrators in workers’ compensation matters. As a Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation law, Pardis manages every stage of the claims process from inception through resolution, including developing legal strategy for discovery, conferences, and trials; analyzing complex medical records and diagnostics; managing pleadings, motions, and briefs; as well as settlement negotiation, hearings, and appeals.

Nationally, Goldberg Segalla elevated 22 attorneys to partner, including two in Orange County, and 5 to special counsel.

Stephen Payne was promoted to partner of Irell & Manella LLP in Newport Beach.

Payne is an experienced trial lawyer focused on intellectual property and complex commercial litigation. Payne's experience includes five recent federal jury trials that resulted in over $800 million in verdicts for clients. He also litigates matters on appeal and has challenged and defended district court and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rulings in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Charlotte Wen was promoted to partner of Irell & Manella LLP in Los Angeles.

Wen is an experienced trial lawyer focused on intellectual property and complex commercial litigation. She has been a core member of trial teams that obtained some of the firm's highest profile wins, helping secure nine- and 10-figure jury awards that total over $3.5 billion. She also has an active appellate and pro bono practice.

William V. Gallo joined Judicate West as neutral in San Diego.

Gallo was appointed in 2009 to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California where he presided over a variety of civil and criminal cases in his more than 14 years on the bench, which included a two-year tenure as the court's presiding magistrate judge (2020-2022). In this role, he heard more than 2,500 settlement discussions, covering areas including employment law issues, such as discrimination, wrongful termination and wage and hour disputes; intellectual property; Lemon Law; and personal injury and wrongful death. Prior to his appointment, Gallo served as a prosecutor at the state and federal levels for a combined 23 years, including 18 years as an assistant U.S. attorney in San Diego. As a criminal trial attorney, he tried approximately 200 jury and bench trials.

John Meller was promoted to partner of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles.

Meller's practice focuses on music transactions, including negotiating and drafting agreements in the music industry. An advocacy committee member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, he campaigns for the rights of music creators, organizing advocacy and leading meetings with members of Congress for various grassroots events. Meller graduated from UCLA School of Law.

Stephanie Roeser was promoted to partner of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles.

Roeser represents clients in a wide variety of employment and commercial litigation matters, including litigation defense of wage-and-hour class actions as well as single-plaintiff discrimination and retaliation matters. She also represents employers before state and federal administrative agencies and advises employers on employment issues and best practices. Roeser graduated from UC Law San Francisco.

Che Salinas was promoted to partner of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Sacramento.

Salinas advises clients on complex political matters in addition to legal, legislative and fiscal issues across numerous policy areas, including health care, pharmaceutical manufacturing, transportation, public utilities, taxation and energy policy. In this capacity, he appears before state agencies, regulatory bodies and the California Legislature to advance client objectives. He also advises and collaborates with an array of business industries and trade associations in those efforts. Salinas graduated from UC Davis School of Law.

David L. McGrath was promoted to counsel of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Orange County.

McGrath's practice focuses on an extensive variety of regulatory and transactional matters involving hazardous waste, air quality and climate change, energy projects, land use and development, water quality, and related government compliance issues. He graduated from UCLA School of Law.

Benjamin E. Strauss was promoted to counsel of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles.

Strauss' practice includes complex business litigation, class actions, and appeals involving intellectual property, technology, entertainment, unfair competition, and real estate issues. He has comprehensive experience in all phases of civil litigation in federal and California state courts. Strauss graduated from UCLA School of Law and served as a law clerk to Judge Milan D. Smith, Jr. of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Andrew J. Bedigian was promoted to partner of Larson LLP in Los Angeles.

Bedigian has been with Larson since 2016. His practice focuses on complex civil litigation, commercial disputes, and white collar criminal defense. His experience includes defending oil and gas companies and financial institutions against federal and state investigations.

Catherine S. Owens was promoted to partner of Larson LLP in Los Angeles.

Owens joined Larson in 2021, and her practice focuses on complex commercial and patent litigation and white collar defense. She has represented clients in a variety of industries, including social media, technology, and pharmaceutical companies.

Juliette Tran was promoted to counsel of Larson LLP in Los Angeles.

Tran joined the firm in 2023. She focuses her practice on complex civil litigation, labor and employment disputes, and real estate litigation.

Douglas Hatherley as founder in Irvine

Hatherley's practice is focused on the issues of family law litigation, including child custody and visitation, spousal support, child support, domestic violence, paternity, and division of assets. He graduated from Loyola Law School. Hatherley has practiced family law exclusively since being admitted to the bar and has worked at prominent family law firms in Orange County, the Inland Empire, and Los Angeles. He is a former partner of Stegmeier, Gelbart, Schwartz & Benavente, LLP.

Hatherley is a member of the executive committee board for the Orange County Bar Association, Family Law Section.

Philip E. McDermott was promoted to partner of Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP in Los Angeles.

McDermott started his career practicing civil litigation defense in a wide range of areas that included hospitality, business solutions, construction, general liability, product liability, professional liability, and transportation. Philip now focuses on performing general counsel and transactional work for commercial clients primarily in the retail, hospitality, shipping, construction and legal industries. Philip draws upon his extensive experience in litigation to represent and advocate for his clients at all stages with a focus on prevention, compliance, risk mitigation, and productivity.

Emily Cunningham was promoted to partner of Hawkins Parnell & Young, LLP in San Francisco.

Cunningham defends manufacturers, suppliers, premises owners, and high-profile clients in complex litigation involving product liability, mass torts, catastrophic injuries, commercial disputes, and sensitive issues. She earned recognition for her skills in commercial litigation in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Cunningham graduated from California Western School of Law. She was a judicial extern for Judge Richard D. Huffman at the California Court of Appeal and a law clerk with the California Attorney General's office.

Gary L. LaHendro was promoted to partner of Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP in Los Angeles.

LaHendro focuses his practice on insurance coverage and bad faith litigation. Gary's clients include carriers within the United States and London Markets for whom he has provided coverage advice on various lines of coverage, including commercial general liability, excess, errors and omissions, auto, and representations and warranties. Gary also monitors the defense of insureds with respect to third-party lawsuits. In addition to coverage work, Gary has over 20 years of litigation experience as lead defense counsel on cases involving soil and groundwater contamination, professional liability, construction defect and personal injury cases. He is also a skilled appellate attorney and Certified Mediator.

Justin Romig joined Coleman & Horowitt, LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Romig represents businesses and individuals in business, complex commercial, banking, real estate, construction, probate, and employment litigation in state and federal courts, as well as arbitration and mediation. He also serves as defense counsel in high-exposure, complex commercial litigation matters.

Melvin F. Marcia was promoted to partner of Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP in Sacramento.

Marcia is a member of the firm's Transportation Law, General Liability, Product Liability and Fire Litigation Practice Groups. His practice focuses on litigation of high value cases, ranging from catastrophic injury, wrongful death, premises liability, business disputes, product liability, uninsured/underinsured arbitrations and subrogation matters.

David Mainzer joined Buchalter as shareholder in Los Angeles.

Mainzer joins the corporate practice group, bringing over 25 years of experience in advising investment management firms and funds. His expertise extends to industry participants on portfolio investments, M&A transactions, securities regulations, tax implications, and employment-related matters. A recognized authority in federal and state laws governing investment management and securities transactions, Mainzer provides comprehensive counsel on an array of domestic and offshore private funds and investment vehicles.

Mainzer previously served as the general counsel and chief operating officer of Amerindo Investment Advisors Inc. He oversaw legal affairs, risk management, regulatory compliance, and fund structuring for the firm's hedge funds, mutual funds, and separately managed accounts. Before his legal career, Mainzer served in the U.S. Army.

Ofelia M. Olmedo joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP as associate in San Diego.

Olmedo has defended skilled nursing facilities and administrators in a variety of elder abuse claims and claims for vicarious liability against affiliated corporate entities. She has also represented hospital medical staff in judicial review hearings and assisted in their corrective action and peer review processes.

Roxanna Palizi joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP as associate in San Diego.

Palizi is a family law attorney who gained experience earlier in her career as both an intern and post-bar law clerk in the firm's Family Law Practice Group prior to becoming a lawyer. Her experience also includes drafting motions for a variety of causes of action and making court appearances on behalf of clients when she served as a certified law clerk at a boutique family law firm.

Natalie Schachner joined Miller Barondess, LLP as associate in Los Angeles.

Schachner's experience spans both civil and criminal law in state and federal court. As a former deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County, she has a robust trial record, and was involved in a diverse array of criminal matters, encompassing all stages of litigation. She has experience conducting widescale internal investigations for Fortune 500 companies, as well as litigating securities class actions.