Miles Cooley was promoted to partner of Freedman Taitelman LLP in Los Angeles.

Cooley serves as counsel to a variety of entertainers and celebrities, entertainment and media entities, major multi-national, mid-size and start-up businesses in various industries in both dispute resolution matters and in commercial transactions. Cooley has earned a reputation for being a resolution-oriented, practical problem-solver and has a record of winning solutions both in and out of the courtroom.

Brian Elliot Turnauer was promoted to partner of Freedman Taitelman LLP in Los Angeles.

Turnauer is an experienced civil litigator whose practice focuses on issues related to entertainment, sports, employment and celebrity threat assessment. He works closely with the FBI and LAPD's Major Crimes, Celebrity Protection and Cyber-Crime divisions. He serves as counsel to athletes, actors, musicians, Youtubers, social media influencers and production companies. Turnauer is certified as a player agent by the National Basketball Players' Association (NBPA).

Benjamin Marsh was promoted to partner of Freedman Taitelman LLP in Los Angeles.

Marsh is a dedicated advisor and aggressive advocate for clients engaged in high-stakes corporate, entertainment, employment, real estate, and business disputes. He has proven himself adept at quickly understanding his clients' unique concerns and implementing efficient strategies to achieve their desired objectives.

Sean Hardy was promoted to partner of Freedman Taitelman LLP in Los Angeles.

Hardy is a seasoned litigator, representing clients in multiple industries across all stages of the litigation process. As a dealmaker, Hardy has applied his litigator's knowledge to close difficult exit packages for high-level executives and talent in the entertainment industry. Hardy has a proven record of courtroom success at both the trial and appellate levels, resulting in several published opinions.

Abimael (AJ) Bastida was promoted to partner of McManis Faulkner in San Jose, CA.

Bastida represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of business, criminal and employment-related disputes. He also has experience with civil rights, probate and trust litigation and white-collar matters, representing high-level executives.

Bianca Levin-Soler joined Ropes & Gray LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Levin-Soler represents private equity firms and their portfolio companies in a variety of transactions, including leveraged buyouts, public and private mergers and acquisitions, SPACs and restructurings.

Kimberly M. Keen joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP as associate in San Diego.

Keen will be a part of the firm's Family Law practice group.

Wenfeng Su joined Miller Barondess LLP as associate in Los Angeles.

Su is a commercial litigator who has experience in diverse matters from cross-border litigation, arbitration, and investigation, to advising foreign companies on complying with U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

Kyle Hampton joined Whitney, Thompson & Jeffcoach as partner in Merced.

Hampton represents individuals, small businesses, developers, banks, growers, dairies, and municipalities.

Leanne O. Vanecek was promoted to partner of Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben Gartside LLP in Los Angeles.

Vanecek's practice encompasses all aspects of business litigation across a wide spectrum of industries, including health care, energy, technology, education, and entertainment.

Sally K. Saab was promoted to partner of Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben Gartside LLP in Los Angeles.

Saab counsels businesses and individuals on a broad range of federal, state and local tax law topics.

Justin S. Glincher was promoted to partner of Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben Gartside LLP in Los Angeles.

Glincher represents clients in a variety of commercial real estate matters throughout the United States. His work includes the acquisition, disposition, development and financing of commercial properties.

Eli S. Diller was promoted to of counsel of Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben Gartside LLP in Los Angeles.

Diller provides comprehensive representation in connection with all aspects of real estate transactions and ventures. His practice is primarily focused on office, retail and industrial leasing, representing both landlords and tenants of all sizes and sophistication levels.

John David Loy joined First Amendment Coalition as legal director in San Diego.

Loy is a veteran civil liberties litigator who has defended the First Amendment rights of reporters, photographers, bloggers, students, teachers, activists, protesters, musicians, Marines, and motorcycle club members and has fought for public disclosure and governmental transparency for over 20 years.

Ron S. Grace joined Greenberg Traurig LLP as shareholder in Los Angeles.

Grace serves as general corporate counsel and transactional counsel with respect to a wide variety of business transactions. He represents emerging and established companies, including those in the healthcare industry, on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic partnerships, private placements of equity securities, and general contract, securities, and health care law.

Henry W. Root joined Smith Entertainment Law Group as partner in Los Angeles.

Root serves as counsel to major and independent entertainment, media companies, recording artists, songwriters, composers, producers, consumer product companies, and large purchasers of music catalogs and name imagine and likeness rights.

Andrew J. Demko as partner in Los Angeles

Demko joins the firm as a partner in the Commercial Litigation and Consumer Litigation & Class Actions practices. He has represented companies in a variety of industries, including financial services, media, entertainment, technology and securities. He also has experience with environmental and employment litigation, including ERISA lawsuits and wage and hour class actions.

Allison Mallick was promoted to partner of Baker Botts L.L.P. in San Francisco.

Mallick advises clients facing complex environmental challenges, focusing on litigation, regulatory advocacy, and compliance counseling. She represents companies and industry coalitions across multiple sectors, including energy, cement, manufacturing, chemical processing, and agricultural processing.

Robert Blamires was promoted to partner of Latham & watkins in San Francisco.

Robert Blamires is a member of the Data & Technology Transactions Practice in the Corporate Department who advises clients on data privacy practices, risks, and compliance, particularly in the context of M&A, capital markets, and other corporate transactions, as well as on proactive compliance, the use of data assets, and contracts governing data sharing and processing. He also has substantial experience with the firm's Data Privacy & Security Practice.

Nikki Buffa was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins in Costa Mesa.

Buffa is a member of the Environment, Land & Resources Practice in the Corporate Department. She provides environmental counseling in all areas of environmental law, with a particular focus on the siting of major infrastructure projects, energy transition and renewable energy, stakeholder engagement, and crisis management. She counsels clients on a wide range of relevant state and federal regulatory regimes and has previously served in senior positions in the Obama Administration at the Department of the Interior and the White House, and on the Biden-Harris transition team.

Heather B. Deixler was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins in Bay Area.

Deixler is a member of the Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice in the Corporate Department. who counsels public and private companies operating in the healthcare industry and digital health sector on regulatory compliance, transactional matters, and data privacy and security. With a practice at the intersection of healthcare and technology, she advises a range of cutting-edge clients on emerging regulatory regimes, including innovative healthcare delivery systems, value-based payment programs, and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in healthcare.

Kristin N. Murphy was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins in Costa Mesa.

Murphy is a member of the Securities Litigation & Professional Liability Practice in the Litigation & Trial Department. She advises clients on complex business litigation, with an emphasis on M&A, securities fraud, and class action litigation. Her recent representations include special committee engagements in controlling stockholder transactions, multi-jurisdictional litigation arising out of solicited and hostile takeover attempts, and lawsuits related to special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs).

Kevin C. Reyes was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins in San Diego.

Reyes is a member of the mergers & acquisitions practice in the Corporate Department. He represents public and private companies on a range of corporate matters, including M&A transactions, debt and equity capital markets offerings, venture capital financings, corporate governance, and securities law compliance, particularly in the life sciences, technology, consumer products, and real estate sectors.

Nicholas J Hoffman was promoted to partner of McGuireWoods in Los Angeles.

Hoffman Joins International Association of Defense Counsel. He is a trial attorney who handles a wide range of matters, including product liability, mass tort, intellectual property, unfair competition, business tort and other complex commercial disputes. He represents clients in the technology, biotechnology, medical devices, consumer products and entertainment industries.

Emily Stephens joined Greenberg Traurig, LLP as shareholder in Los Angeles.

Emily Stephens concentrates her practice on fund formation and investment management and has a deep institutional knowledge of virtually all aspects of the investment management business.

Maxwell A. Blum was promoted to partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in Oakland CA.

Max Blum is a member of the firm's Litigation and Public Law practices.

Eli Jacob Flushman was promoted to partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in San Rafael.

Eli Flushman is a member of the firm's Public Law practice.

Kristin E. Charbonnier was promoted to partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in San Francisco.

Kristin Charbonnier is a member of the firm's Litigation and Real Estate practices.

Temitayo Opeoluwa Peters was promoted to partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in Oakland.

Temitayo ("Ope") Peters is a member of the firm's Constitutional Law, Employment Law & Litigation, Litigation, and Public Law practices.

Elinor Eizdi was promoted to partner of Nossaman.

Eizdi specializes in real estate transactional law. She represents real estate developers, government agencies and independent oil and gas companies in all phases of real estate acquisitions and dispositions.

Willis Hon was promoted to partner of Nossaman in San Francisco.

Hon focuses on serving water industry clients across California on a broad range of administrative and regulatory matters.

Frank Liu was promoted to partner of Nossaman in Los Angeles.

Liu helps public agencies use innovative procurement methods to deliver highly complex and large-scale airport, highway, bridge, tunnel, transit and social infrastructure projects. His work spans every step of the procurement process.

Martin S. McMahan was promoted to partner of Yoka & Smith LLP in Los Angeles.

McMahan worked in business for several years before getting a law degree from Loyola Law School. His practice includes catastrophic injury/wrongful death defense, class-action and complex tort actions, commercial litigation, premises liability and product liability.

Norma Ramirez-Marin was promoted to senior counsel of Buckley LLP in Los Angeles.

Ramirez-Marin represents a variety of financial services clients on licensing, regulatory, compliance, and transactional matters.

Evan Peña was promoted to partner of Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton LLP in San Diego.

Evan has wide-ranging experience with both large-scale class action lawsuits and single plaintiff litigation matters. He is an accomplished public speaker and has led presentations and trainings at large conferences and internal sessions regarding investigations, reasonable accommodations, and avoiding workplace harassment. He joined the firm in 2013.

Camille Gustafson was promoted to partner of Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton LLP in San Diego.

Camille joined the firm in 2014 and has developed a significant practice counseling employers to ensure their policies comply with the law. Camille also litigates wage-hour and PAGA claims and has extensive experience with matters before the EEOC, DFEH and other agencies.

Jeff Michalowski was promoted to partner of Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton LLP in San Diego.

Jeff first joined Paul, Plevin in 2013, left in 2019 to serve at the San Diego Office of County Counsel for the Appellate and Supreme Court, and has now rejoined the firm as Partner. Jeff has extensive experience litigating employment law cases in state and federal court and is a practiced appellate attorney, authoring over 75 briefs in the Courts of Appeal and handling matters before both the California and the United States Supreme Courts. He has an active pro bono practice and is also an instructor at CSUSM.

Sandy McDonough was promoted to managing partner of Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton LLP in San Diego.

Sandy was elected Managing Partner effective January 1, 2022. She joined the firm in 2000 and has focused her practice on both the public and private sector, representing employers in every aspect of employment litigation, obtaining favorable results in arbitration and in court. Sandy was recognized as one of 2020's 500 Most Influential People in San Diego by the San Diego Business Journal. She has been named to Best Lawyers® list of The Best Lawyers in America in Employment Law – Management since 2017 and San Diego Super Lawyers since 2018.

Alla Shabun Policastro was promoted to partner of Tyson & Mendes LLP in Los Angeles.

Policastro's practice focuses on defense of general liability and personal injury matters on behalf of individuals and businesses. Over the course of the past thirteen years, her litigation experience has included high exposure and catastrophic personal injury cases in the insurance and hospitality industries. Policastro also has significant experience in risk assessment and mitigation for her clients and handling all aspects of litigation to trial. She has an exceptional track record for resolving high exposure cases through negotiations and mediation even in the most adverse of circumstances