Jeff S. Westerman was promoted to of counsel of Zimmerman Reed in Los Angeles.

Westerman was selected by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for a three-year term as a lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. Lawyer representatives draw on their experience and contacts within the federal bar to assist in improving the administration of justice. Westerman is also an assistant vice president on the Los Angeles County Bar Association Executive Committee and member of the Finance Committee. He is treasurer of the Chancery Club in Los Angeles, an organization founded in 1925 and comprised of attorneys who are active in professional, civic, and philanthropic organizations.

Ranee Adipat was promoted to partner of Ropes & Gray LLP in Los Angeles.

Adipat represents hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers, and other healthcare entities in sophisticated, precedent-setting transactions. She has over a decade of corporate experience, including in mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, affiliations, and governance matters.

Chelsea M. Childs was promoted to partner of Ropes & Gray LLP in San Francisco.

Childs represents investment management industry clients in a wide variety of regulatory, compliance, and transactional aspects of their businesses. She assists registered funds, private funds and their sponsors with fund structuring and formation, fund reorganizations, negotiation of service provider agreements, and ongoing compliance and operational matters. She also advises boards of U.S. registered funds on governance and fiduciary oversight matters.

Catherine Skulan was promoted to partner of Ropes & Gray LLP in San Francisco.

Skulan provides counsel to asset manager clients on their upper-tier arrangements, including GP stakes transactions and bespoke employee investment vehicles. Clients rely on her for day-to-day advice on operational and compliance matters addressing conflicts, disclosure, and other ongoing concerns. She also advises clients on matters of California law relevant to asset managers with a nexus to the state, including lobbying laws, fee disclosure requirements, and state privacy laws.

Tamar Terzian joined Hanson Bridgett LLP as counsel in Los Angeles.

Terzian's bankruptcy experience encompasses representing both individual and small business debtors and creditors - including the creditors committee - in Chapter 11 restructuring matters, Chapter 7 trustees, and individual debtors in Chapter 13 proceedings; serving as patient care ombudsman in many Chapter 11 health care cases; and representing individuals and small businesses in a wide variety of litigation and bankruptcy appellate issues. Terzian is an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School and chairs the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Bankruptcy & Commercial Law Section; co-chairs the International Woman's Insolvency Restructuring Confederation; and is a past president of the James T. King Southern California Bankruptcy Inn of Court.

Scott Joachim joined Paul Hastings LLP as partner in Palo Alto.

Joachim has led some of Silicon Valley's most prominent M&A deals, including Twitch Interactive, in its sale to Amazon; General Motors, in its acquisition of Cruise; Responsys, in its sale to Oracle; and Symantec, in its acquisition of Blue Coat Systems. His practice also focuses on fintech, representing many of the largest banks and other financial institutions-including Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo-in connection with consortia and other strategic transactions. Among other consortia deals, Joachim represented 35 banks in connection with a cross-border acquisition of blockchain company R3 and 15 banks in connection with an investment in Symphony Communications.

David Ambler joined Paul Hastings LLP as partner in Palo Alto.

Ambler’s practice focuses on representing high-growth emerging private and public technology companies in capital markets and other corporate transactions. He also represents underwriters such as Morgan Stanley & Co., Goldman Sachs & Co., and J.P. Morgan Securities and a number of leading venture funds.

Thomas S. Lee was promoted to office managing partner of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP in San Francisco.

Lee's practice focuses on three main areas: transactional work, compliance counseling, and enforcement defense. In his transactional work, he represents buyers and sellers of real estate and corporate entities that are impacted by environmental conditions or related liability, with a particular focus on brownfield acquisition and redevelopment.

Nancy R. Thomas joined Davis Wright Tremaine LLP as of counsel in Los Angeles.

Thomas brings strategic and innovative approaches to the defense of class actions, regulatory enforcement actions, and high-stakes litigation and arbitration. She has long been recognized as a top financial service and class action litigator who regularly defeats claims efficiently, either at the pleading stage or at class certification.

Julie E. Van Wert joined Cozen O'Connor as shareholder in Los Angeles.

Van Wert's background includes nearly three decades of handling intricate and often complicated corporate-level insurance coverage disputes, with an emphasis on professional liability, directors' and officers' liability, cyber defense, technology and media, and commercial general liability matters. Known for her ability to bring sometimes bitterly contested matters to an amicable resolution, Van Wert brings to the firm an aggressive and efficient litigation practice paired with a commitment to exploring all avenues of early resolution. She earned her J.D. at the University of California, Los Angeles, and her B.A. at University of California, Berkeley. She is joining the firm as a shareholder.

David M. Berke joined Cozen O'Connor as member in Los Angeles.

Berke, who joins the firm as a member, focuses on providing coverage analyses and litigating a range of coverage disputes involving employment practices, professional liability, cyber/technology, directors’ and officers’ insurance, commercial general liability, and media. He also has experience handling a range of ERISA and errors and omission (E&O) liability matters; providing oversight in litigated employment practices liability (EPL) and technology policies; and representing insurers in coverage and underlying action mediations. He earned his J.D. at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Jerome P. Doctors joined Cozen O'Connor as member in Los Angeles.

For the last 25 years, Doctors has provided insurers with guidance on complex risks and high-severity losses, offering insights into underwriting, coverage, and claims matters. Jerry represents insurers in disputes across a wide spectrum of issues arising under primary and excess policies, reinsurance coverages, cyber defense and coverage, and various areas of liability like toxic torts, products, construction, health care, professional liability, directors’ and officers’ liability, and environmental concerns. He earned his J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Doctors joins the firm as a member.

Rangi Perera joined Cozen O'Connor as counsel in Los Angeles.

Perera, who joins the firm as counsel, focuses her practice primarily on representing companies in personal injury cases, construction defect cases, professional liability cases, insurance defense/coverage cases, and employment related claims. She has successfully litigated a wide range of business and commercial disputes in various state courts, and at trial. She earned her J.D. from Western State University College of Law and her B.A. in political science from the University of California, Riverside.

Angela L. Dunning joined Cleary Gottlieb as partner in San Francisco.

Dunning's practice focuses on trademark, copyright, trade secrets, unfair competition, and other complex commercial litigation for the world's top companies. She has tried numerous cases to a jury verdict and has substantial experience in the federal appellate courts, including successful arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in high-profile, published cases. Dunning served as an assistant district attorney for the City and County of San Francisco under then-District Attorney Kamala Harris, prosecuting criminal cases. In 2022, she taught trademark law and branding at UC Berkeley School of Law.

Rob McCarthy joined Miller Barondess, LLP as associate in Los Angeles.

McCarthy has experience representing individuals and entities in complex and diverse litigation matters, including media and entertainment, intellectual property disputes, white collar investigations, data privacy and security, breach of contract, and mergers and acquisitions.

Elizabeth Weldon joined Haynes & Boone LLP as partner in Orange County.

Weldon is a certified specialist in franchise and distribution Law, The State Bar of California and, Board of Legal Specialization. In addition to her focus on representing franchisors, Weldon represents both large and small businesses in commercial litigation matters, including breach of contract, tort, unfair competition, class action, commercial real estate, intellectual property disputes, such as patent, trademark, and trade dress claims, as well as other complex matters.

Karin M. Cogbill joined Jackson Lewis P.C. as principal in Silicon Valley.

Cogbill represents and counsels employers in connection with all types of employment matters. She devotes a significant portion of her practice to representing employers in wage and hour litigation, with an emphasis on class, collective and PAGA actions, in state and federal courts throughout the U.S. Her experience also includes investigating and responding to claims of harassment, discrimination, retaliation; ensuring compliant written policies and procedures; advising on leaves of absence and requests for accommodation; advising on wage and hour compliance; and representing employers before the Labor Commissioner and in wage and hour audits conducted by the Department of Labor.

Judge John G. Evans joined Judicate West as neutral in Riverside.

Appointed in 2008 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Evans served 15 years on the Riverside County Superior Court. He has presided over 68 civil jury trials, including matters involving employment, construction defects, negligence, insurance and contract disputes. Evans also served six years as a probate judge, overseeing trials involving guardianships, conservatorships and trust and decedent estate trials, ranging from small estates to those exceeding $60 million dollars.

Suzie M Tagliere was promoted to shareholder of Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney P.C. in San Francisco.

Tagliere has extensive experience representing lawyers, accountants, corporate directors and officers, healthcare facilities, and physicians in professional liability defense. She further advises a broad range of individual and corporate clients concerning network information privacy and security and data breach response.

Freddy Fonseca joined Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP as counsel in Los Angeles.

Fonseca partners with clients in the insurance industry to provide guidance as they navigate complex litigation, regulatory, compliance and transactional matters. His in-house experience, combined with experience as a litigator in Los Angeles and Chicago, brings a uniquely informed perspective to develop strategic solutions for your business needs.

Jason R. Stavely was promoted to partner of Quarles & Brady in San Diego.

Stavely is a member of the Labor & Employment Practice Group. He advises employers on a variety of labor, employment, and human resource matters and regularly defends employers in workplace-related litigation. He also devotes a substantial portion of his practice to both counseling clients and litigating claims concerning employee restrictive covenants and the protection of trade secrets.

Hooshie Broomand was promoted to shareholder of Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney P.C. in Sacramento.

For more than two decades, Broomand has been a top trial attorney in Northern California. He joined the Murphy Pearson team in Sacramento in early 2022. His practice includes general civil litigation with focuses on product defects, professional liability defense, construction, real estate, health care, employment, and high-end personal injury claims.

Jenny Tran joined Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth as shareholder in Newport Beach.

Tran handles mergers & acquisitions, corporate and tax planning for owners of privately held businesses on entity design, risk management and allocation, corporate compliance and governance, operations, and succession planning. With her legal and tax background, she acts as outside general counsel to privately held businesses in a variety of industries, including aerospace, online digital media and communities, retail markets, healthcare, fashion, food, and beverage.

Alexis Bortniker joined Cooley LLP as partner in San Diego.

Bortniker advises digital health companies, healthcare providers, entrepreneurs, investors, and technology companies on emerging issues in the highly regulated healthcare space. She is a sought-after healthcare regulatory and transactional lawyer working with clients as they navigate the complex regulatory landscape - including joint ventures, regulatory considerations, payment structures, and complex business transactions. Bortniker also advises digital health providers on compliance issues, corporate practice considerations, and business structures.

Claudia Ignacio was promoted to senior associate of Hone Maxwell LLP in San Diego.

Ignacio handles tax planning, compliance, and controversy issues. Her practice includes a wide array of international tax consulting matters, from U.S. investments and the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) to amnesty programs under the former Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP). She also defends clients in audits with the IRS, Franchise Tax Board (FTB), and other state taxing agencies. She assists clients in collection issues, including liens, levies, installment agreements, penalty abatement, injured spouse, and offers in compromise. Claudia is frequently invited to speak at conferences, tax-related events, and educational institutions.

Marisol Swadener was promoted to senior associate of Hone Maxwell LLP in San Diego.

Swadener defends clients in audits with the IRS and state taxing authorities, including the Franchise Tax Board (FTB), California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), and the Employment Development Department (EDD). She works with clients on collection issues, including liens, levies, installment agreements, and offers in compromise. Additionally, Swadener advises on tax planning, compliance, and controversy, including various international tax consulting, Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), and IRS informational reporting matters.

Leslie Miranda joined Hone Maxwell LLP as associate in San Diego.

Miranda handles tax controversy and international tax planning for clients in the United States and abroad. A Venezuelan native proficient in Spanish and English, Leslie helps individuals and businesses resolve tax problems efficiently and effectively and provides tax planning services that minimize tax issue risks.

Kamile Schroyer joined Hone Maxwell LLP as associate in San Diego.

Schroyer’s cross-cultural background serves as the foundation for her international corporate, asset planning, and tax law practice. Her experience includes assisting foreign entities with real property transactions and investments while ensuring compliance with U.S. tax reporting laws. She has assisted numerous clients from Mexico with significantly valued investments in the U.S.

Debbie Birndorf joined Norton Rose Fulbright as partner in Los Angeles.

Birndorf represents employers in all aspects of employment law, including defense of harassment and discrimination claims, wage claims, wage and hours class actions, PAGA claims, disability claims, and misappropriation of trade secrets. She also provides counseling, drafts, and reviews employment contracts, severance agreements, employee handbooks, and personnel policies. She represents both individuals and large corporations in a broad range of industries, including electronics, manufacturing, computer software and hardware, printing, engineering, healthcare, pharmacy, and grocery stores.​

David Chu joined Miller Starr Regalia as associate in Walnut Creek.

Chu has advised clients on sophisticated financing deals ranging in size from six to eight figures. He also advised on and structured crypto-related offerings under Regulation D and Regulation S and has advised clients on the tokenization of assets ranging from digital rewards to real estate.

Marta A. Alcumbrac joined Nemecek & Cole, A Professional Corporation as partner in Encino.

Alcumbrac is a certified legal malpractice specialist with over two decades of experience in handling professional liability matters. Marta handles a wide array of professional liability matters with a proven track record of success. She also represents attorneys in connection with State Bar matters as well as judicial officers before the Commission on Judicial Performance. She is a frequent speaker on litigation strategy and ethics issues. Alcumbrac is the immediate past president of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel and has recently devoted much of her attention to creating the overwhelmingly successful Resolve Law LA Virtual MSC Program. She recently received the 2023 Excellence in Advocacy Award from the Beverly Hills Bar Association.

Nadia Bermudez joined Meyers Nave as principal in San Diego.

With more than two decades of experience, Bermudez represents businesses, public agencies, and individuals in state and federal courts in a wide range of employment matters, such as class and Private Attorneys General Act actions, wage and hour matters, harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, unfair competition and trade secret claims. She was recently appointed to the Advisory Board for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, serving a three-year term through 2026.