Jessica Bayne joined Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek as of counsel in San Diego.

Bayne is a member of the firm's Estate Planning & Administration Practice Group. She provides skilled counsel on preserving wealth for future generations and supporting charitable giving during life and after death. She combines her tax law background with years of estate planning experience to thoughtfully and strategically assist people in putting financial, health care, and end-of-life plans in place.

William E. Johnston joined Bird, Marella, Rhow, Lincenberg, Drooks & Nessim, LLP as partner in Century City.

Johnston is a former federal prosecutor and accomplished trial lawyer who represents corporations and individuals in government investigations, enforcement matters and complex business disputes. is a respected white collar defense lawyer and investigator who has significant trial experience in federal court. He has supervised and prosecuted hundreds of fraud cases across the country in a wide array of industries, including the technology sector, financial services, healthcare, and government programs.

Kimberlina N. McKinney joined Newell Law Firm P.C. as senior counsel in Los Angeles.

McKinney specializes in intellectual property, deal strategy, and negotiations, catering to diverse entertainment realms, including television, film, new media, music, entertainment and technology combined ventures, and live events.

Jaime D. Choi joined Sheppard Mullin as partner in San Diego.

Choi's practice focuses on patenting complex, interdisciplinary technologies and building strategic patent portfolios, with an emphasis on evaluating and mitigating risk from third-party patents. She advises clients in a variety of market sectors, including bioinformatics, medical devices, robotics, microfluidics, semiconductor fabrication, digital signal processing, photonics, advanced imaging, optics and ultrafast spectroscopy, and fabrication of complex materials and devices that use them.

Jennifer Judin joined MG+M The Law Firm as partner in San Francisco.

Judin provides trial counsel for a diverse array of clients, including manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of asbestos-containing products, as well as fiber suppliers, across the United States. She specializes in defending entities involved in the production and distribution of asbestos-containing construction materials, friction products, and raw asbestos and talc. She has amassed extensive experience as first-chair trial counsel in numerous jurisdictions nationwide, showcasing her mastery in this complex field.

Robert J. Borowski was promoted to of counsel of Kaufman Dolowich in Los Angeles.

Borowski has an extensive background in all aspects of state and federal court litigation including pre-trial law and motion, written discovery, depositions and trial preparation. He has successfully represented a broad range of individual professionals, firms and other entities in defending claims arising from the performance of their duties.

Joshua T. Bledsoe was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins LLP in Costa Mesa.

Bledsoe has been elected a partner at Latham & Watkins LLP in Orange County, effective March 1. A member of the Environment, Land & Resources Practice and Corporate Department, he advises clients on energy transition matters involving complex infrastructure and development projects, particularly those utilizing renewable or low-carbon technologies and low-carbon fuels.

Thomas W. Yeh was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles.

Yeh has been elected a partner at Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles, effective March 1. A member of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department, he represents clients in patent and trade secret litigation in federal and state courts, as well as in cross-border investigations before the US International Trade Commission.

Jason M. Ohta was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins LLP in San Diego.

Ohta has been elected a partner at Latham & Watkins LLP in San Diego, effective March 1. A member of the White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice and Litigation & Trial Department, he focuses on civil and criminal healthcare fraud investigations and False Claims Act litigation.

Monique Alarcon was promoted to partner of Wisner Baum, LLP in Los Angeles.

Alarcon focuses her practice on the firm's medical device cases, pharmaceutical drug liability, consumer fraud litigation and police misconduct lawsuits. In February 2024, the firm's leadership elevated Alarcon to partner. She is an integral part of the team suing Merck for Gardasil vaccine injuries and the team suing the manufacturers of ECT-Electroconvulsive Therapy machines for brain injuries. She is also an adjunct professor for Loyola Law School's Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) Moot Court Team.

Georgiana C. Nikias joined Munck Wllson Mandala, LLP as principal attorney in Los Angeles.

Nikias represents clients in copyright and trademark litigation, business litigation, commercial real estate litigation, employment law, products liability, and art law in both State and Federal Court. She also reviews and structures a broad range of commercial contracts, including purchase agreements, partnership agreements, and NDAs for commercial clients. Some of Nikias' prominent and varied experience includes Carroll Shelby v. Halicki (Case No. 820-cv-01344 MCS (DFMx) in the Central District of California), a high-value dispute over the Shelby GT500CR vehicle and its alleged impersonation of the "Eleanor" car character from the movie Gone in 60 Seconds in which Nikias acted as Second Chair at trial; Reina Castro v. Bang Deok, et al. (Case No. BC540307 in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles), in which Nikias successfully argued a Nonsuit Motion while acting as Second Chair at trial that was granted by the Court; and Last Whispers, an immersive, experiential work dedicated to the extinction of languages in which Nikias developed an intellectual property due diligence strategy for the audio-visual art installation as well as drafted and negotiated releases and vendor agreements.

Richard H. Rahm joined Ogletree Deakins as shareholder in San Francisco.

Rahm has counseled and represented employers in jury trials, state and federal appeals, and arbitrations. He has particular experience handling wage and hour class action litigation for employers in the transportation, financial, and retail industries. In addition to handling complex legal matters under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act, and the Federal Arbitration Act, Rahm has held the lead role in several significant California Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) cases. This includes filing an Amicus Brief on behalf of the California Employment Law Council (CELC) in the Viking River Cruises v. Moriana case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Helen Lee Greenberg joined Ropers Majeski as partner in Menlo Park.

Greenberg is a skilled litigation attorney with over two decades of experience representing clients in negotiations, mediation, arbitration, and litigation in both state and federal courts. With a diverse civil litigation practice focused on defending insured and self-insured business entities and individuals, Greenberg counsels clients in pre-suit discussions, litigation, and trial proceedings.

Norman Lau joined Ropers Majeski as partner in Menlo Park.

Lau has over 15 years of experience handling insurance coverage disputes and counseling. He represents insurance companies in California and federal courts. Lau's substantial litigation experience encompasses first- and third-party bad faith litigation, inter-carrier contribution lawsuits, contribution and complaint in intervention actions, declaratory relief actions, and ERISA litigation.

Robert A. Orozco joined Ropers Majeski as partner in Los Angeles.

Orozco's practice focuses on defending employers in administrative complaints, arbitration, and litigation. He has successfully defended employers in matters involving FEHA, FLSA, PAGA, EEOC, DOL, DLSE, Title VII, OSHA, class actions, and workplace sexual assaults.

Alexandria C. Carraher was promoted to partner of Ropers Majeski in Menlo Park.

Carraher is an experienced litigator whose practice focuses on the resolution of commercial, insurance, and real estate disputes. Carraher has represented clients in a variety of matters, including insurance, landlord/tenant, general real estate, business/commercial, and tort claims.

Farid Zakaria was promoted to partner of Ropers Majeski in Los Angeles.

Zakaria focuses his practice on personal injury, construction defect, bankruptcy, and general civil litigation matters. Zakaria also has experience handling complex corporate transactions for global businesses.

Hayk Ghalumyan was promoted to of counsel of Ropers Majeski in Los Angeles.

Ghalumyan advises clients on a variety of complex insurance coverage issues involving property, liability, and business interruption coverages.

Cameron M. Miller was promoted to of counsel of Ropers Majeski in Los Angeles.

Miller handles a wide range of insurance litigation matters, including those involving allegations of wrongful death, personal injury, catastrophic loss, insurance defense, construction defect, property damage, and habitability.

Ryan E. Abernethy was promoted to shareholder of Weintraub Tobin in Sacramento.

Abernethy successfully represents businesses in a broad range of litigation and employment matters. He is experienced in all areas of employment litigation, including the defense of claims involving workplace discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour issues, trade secrets, and class actions. He also regularly counsels' clients regarding compliance, risk management, policy preparation, and employee training. In addition to employment law, he successfully litigates a wide range of business issues, including entertainment, intellectual property, and consumer class action, among others.

Justin M. Borrowdale was promoted to shareholder of Weintraub Tobin in Sacramento.

Borrowdale focuses on counseling both public and private clients through finance transactions, merger and acquisition deals, and related commercial transactions. He has experience working with both selling and acquiring companies on M&A deals and both companies and investors on financing transactions. He assists companies in solving corporate governance and commercial agreement issues, including complying with SEC and NASDAQ reporting obligations for his public company clients.

Valerie E. Alter was promoted to partner of Sheppard Mullin in Century City.

Alter is certified by the State Bar of California as a Specialist in Appellate Law. She represents and advises clients in high stakes trusts, estates and fiduciary litigation; constitutional litigation, typically involving First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment issues; commercial litigation; and intellectual property litigation. Valerie has drafted and advised on dozens of anti-SLAPP motions and has advocated for and advised her clients on more than 100 appellate matters.

The promotion is effective March 1.

Adam Barton was promoted to partner of Sheppard Mullin in San Francisco.

Barton represents corporate borrowers, bank and nonbank lenders, investors and other financial intermediaries in structured finance, securitization, asset-based lending and other capital markets and commercial finance transactions. He has experience in a broad range of asset classes and industries, but specializes in working with clients leveraging cash-flow generating assets including residential and commercial mortgages, auto loans, marketplace/peer-to-peer loans, leases, timeshare receivables, litigation finance and energy tax credits, among others. He also represents clients in connection with the acquisition and sale of these types of assets and advises clients on related regulatory matters.

The promotion is effective March 1.

Lauren K. Chang was promoted to partner of Sheppard Mullin in Los Angeles.

Chang advises and counsels property owners, private and public developers, and non-profit organizations regarding land use issues, subdivisions, entitlements, and environmental compliance. She negotiates and obtains land use approvals for projects of all sizes, from streamlined affordable housing developments to complex multi-year development projects requiring legislative approvals and compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Policy Act. She advises clients from initial due diligence to final project approval and through the building permit stage. She has special expertise in projects that use housing streamlining tools at the state and local level, including SB 35, AB 2011, State Density Bonus Law, and others.

The promotion is effective March 1.

Theodore A. Cohen was promoted to partner of Sheppard Mullin in Los Angeles.

Cohen specializes in creditors' rights and focuses on lender, indenture trustee and lessor representation in bankruptcies, loan and lease workouts, defaulted bond financings, and secured transactions. He also represents distressed asset and stock buyers, sellers and assignees under Section 363 sales, UCC foreclosure sales, real estate foreclosure sales, receiverships and assignments for the benefit of creditors. His experience includes workouts, asset sales, stock sales, loan sales, cash collateral issues, debtor-in-possession financing, relief from stay proceedings, plans of reorganization, preference and fraudulent transfer litigation, pre-bankruptcy counseling for debtors and creditors, reorganization issues, trust indenture enforcement, lease and contract assumption issues and prejudgment remedies in state court, including writs of attachment, writs of possession, injunctions and receivers.

The promotion is effective March 1.

Jordan E. Grushkin was promoted to partner of Sheppard Mullin in Century City.

Grushkin represents healthcare stakeholders, including hospitals, medical groups, pharmacies, payors, and other risk-bearing and managed care entities. He counsels clients on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, commercial arrangements, private equity investments and venture capital financing. Jordan also guides healthcare businesses through the regulatory approval processes and assists with various compliance matters on the federal, state, and local levels. He has represented provider and managed care clients concerning licensure and certification matters, including obtaining new licenses and maintaining them in the context of change of ownership/control transactions.

The promotion is effective March 1.

Jason R. Jones was promoted to partner of Sheppard Mullin in San Diego.

Jones represents private equity and venture capital funds, as well as private equity and venture capital-backed companies, on a wide range of transactions, including fund formation and management; convertible note and SAFE financings; preferred stock financings; growth equity investments; secondary sales of founder equity; tender offers; joint ventures; and mergers and acquisitions. He also serves as outside general counsel to start-ups and growth-stage companies and has advised several companies from formation to exit.

The promotion is effective March 1.

Shannon M. Mandich was promoted to partner of Sheppard Mullin in Orange County.

Mandich represents residential and commercial developers and builders in connection with the development and sale of master-planned communities, mixed-use developments, planned unit developments, condominium projects and commercial/industrial projects. She has extensive experience preparing legal management and association documents and other real estate transactional documents, including declarations of covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs), license and easement agreements, cost-share agreements, maintenance agreements, purchase and sale agreements, disclosure statements and conveyance instruments.

The promotion is effective March 1.

Ramela Ohanian was promoted to partner of Sheppard Mullin in Century City.

Ohanian represents studios, media companies, tech companies, producers, streamers, podcast companies, and networks on a variety of transactional matters related to television (scripted and unscripted), digital media, short-form content, artificial intelligence, podcasts, the metaverse, and films. Her practice focuses on the development, production, and distribution of projects in the United States and internationally, including the handling of talent agreements, major first look and overall agreements, rights acquisitions, and production services agreements.

The promotion is effective March 1.

Rambod Peykar was promoted to partner of Sheppard Mullin in Los Angeles.

Peykar represents companies in a variety of transactions including mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, entity formation and other general corporate matters. He works with clients in a wide range of industries, including aerospace and defense, technology, retail, fashion, apparel and beauty, manufacturing, construction, financial services, food and beverage, entertainment and healthcare. He has advised entrepreneurs and start-up ventures in connection with formation and general corporate matters. He has also counseled public and private companies in all aspects of corporate governance.

The promotion is effective March 1.

Juthamas Suwatanapongched was promoted to partner of Sheppard Mullin in Los Angeles.

Suwatanapongched represents clients in complex business and healthcare litigation involving breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duties, indemnification claims, commercial loan defaults, lender liability, violations of California's Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law and Consumers Legal Remedies Act. Judy handles all stages of litigation, from case filing to dispositive motions to mediation, arbitration, trial and judgment enforcement.

The promotion is effective March 1.

Douglas Yang was promoted to partner of Sheppard Mullin in Los Angeles.

Yang has a multi-faceted advisory and litigation practice, representing employers and executives in the private and public sectors. He is an accomplished litigator who has tried jury and bench trials, briefed and/or argued appeals, and obtained summary dispositions in matters filed in federal and state court. Clients rely on him to leverage his significant litigation experience to advise them on pre-litigation, counseling, and transactional matters. He has served as the employment law specialist on various transactions involving complex issues pertaining to employee mobility, compensation, and compliance with the myriad of federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

The promotion is effective March 1.

David Hengstler joined Haynes & Boone LLP as partner in Orange County.

Hengstler's practice focuses on handling financing transactions, including secured and unsecured credit facilities, joint ventures, bond financings, subscription facilities, syndicated facilities, letters of credit and other credit enhancements, real property secured transactions, asset-based accounts, inventory and equipment financing transactions, and project finance transactions.

Nicholas R. Schechter joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP as attorney in San Diego.

Schechter's practice focuses on civil litigation in state and federal courts with an emphasis on professional liability and health care law. Throughout his career, he has represented health care professionals and facilities in civil court, binding arbitrations and administrating licensing matters. His experience also includes personal injury defense, representation of school districts in SAM cases and medical malpractice defense

Jake D. Sesti joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP as associate in San Diego.

Sesti represents clients in litigation matters related to business disputes, corporate governance, construction defects, defamation and breach of contract. Sesti previously was an intern at HFM and gained experience as a summer associate at a global law firm. During law school, Sesti also served as a judicial extern for the Federal District Court Judge Linda Lopez.

Brad Estes was promoted to partner of Lewis & Llewellyn LLP in San Francisco.

Estes focuses his practice on complex business litigation and has been deeply battle-tested. In a recent win, he successfully represented an international engineering company against an electric vehicle startup in a contested two-week arbitration. Following years of litigation, the arbitrator awarded his client $28 million in damages and rejected counterclaims valued at over $40 million.

Amir Kaltgrad was promoted to shareholder of Carlton Fields in Los Angeles.

Kaltgrad represents businesses and individuals in a variety of commercial litigation matters, including shareholder and partnership disputes, professional malpractice, complex business torts, real estate, and contract disputes. An experienced trial attorney, Kaltgrad represents clients in complex business litigation through all phases of the trial process, from client intake through trial and beyond, including motion practice and appeals. Kaltgrad earned his J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.

David J. Beddingfield was promoted to partner of Loeb & Loeb LLP in Los Angeles.

Beddingfield handles high-stakes and complex commercial disputes, including representing companies, boards of directors, and executives in a diverse range of criminal, civil, regulatory, and administrative matters; advising companies and independent directors on both complex and sensitive internal investigations and fiduciary obligations; and advising companies regarding electronic discovery and document retention obligations, strategies and cost-saving methods.

Brandon Cherry was promoted to partner of Loeb & Loeb LLP in Los Angeles.

Cherry focuses his practice on entertainment transactions, including media finance. He regularly represents independent production companies in all aspects of business and legal affairs, including the structuring, drafting and negotiation of agreements relating to the development, production, distribution and financing of entertainment projects. This experience includes drafting and negotiating agreements involving rights acquisition, talent deals, production services agreements and distribution agreements.

Patricia N. Whitten was promoted to partner of Loeb & Loeb LLP in Los Angeles.

Whitten focuses her practice on a wide range of commercial lending and banking transactions, including senior secured lending, unitranche, first and second lien, and ESOP transactions. Her experience includes representing financial institutions in structured finance and debt financing transactions for privately held and publicly owned corporate borrowers and companies. She also advises clients on multi-facility cross-border transactions, syndicated loan transactions, cash flow and asset-based financings, acquisition financings, and loan restructurings/workouts.

Jared W. Speier was promoted to partner of Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth in Santa Barbara.

Speier represents clients in several industries, including financial services, medical devices, retail, logistics, and manufacturing. He uses his varied experience to provide unique insights into how industries can benefit from lessons learned in other lines of business. Speier's experience in both state and federal court, as well as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and American Arbitration Association, allows him to assist clients in multiple lines of business in arbitration and civil litigation. Jared has defended and settled numerous matters in both state and federal court and various arbitral forums. He has also guided clients through matters filed with the Department of Labor Standards Enforcement from inception to resolution.

Amanda McFall was promoted to partner of Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth in Newport Beach.

McFall represents companies, underwriters, and investors across a broad range of industries, including technology, life sciences, banking, e-commerce, and social media. Amanda advises clients on general corporate matters, complex commercial contracts, venture capital transactions, securities offerings, and Securities Act and Exchange Act reporting.

Elizabeth Tosaris joined Michelman & Robinson LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Tosaris' practice focuses on counseling insurers, HMOs, insurance producers, motor clubs, warranty companies and other entities regulated by Departments of Insurance in a variety of regulatory compliance matters.

Ian R. Friedman joined Klindist PC as shareholder in San Diego.

Friedman represents business entities, as well as individuals in multi-million dollar disputes involving the ownership and operation of corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships. He also has previous experience litigating cases involving school bond issues, investment fraud, wrongful deaths, federal and state housing claims, real estate issues, ADA compliance and employment claims.

Carly J. English joined Klindist PC as associate in Irvine.

English's practice is focused on defending clients in the areas of general liability and insurance defense.

Gavin Holland joined Klindist PC as associate in Los Angeles.

Holland's practice focuses on pursuing and defending the rights of individuals, business owners, and corporations in complex civil litigation with an emphasis on commercial and consumer business disputes, copyright, trademark, right of publicity, entertainment law, and employment law.

Loleena Ansari May joined Wilson Turner Kosmo LLP as partner in San Diego.

May's practice later shifted to exclusively conducting independent workplace investigations and assessments in the private and public employment sectors. For the last two and a half years, May served as an attorney investigator with a leading West Coast-based investigations law firm, investigating high-profile and complex workplace matters, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, discrimination, retaliation, whistleblower retaliation, disability-related claims, workplace bullying and other misconduct for clients in the technology, health, sports, education, retail, nonprofit and government sectors.