Ken Whiting, Jr. joined Rutan & Tucker LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Whiting specializes in real estate transactions. He represents owners, developers, landlords, tenants and borrowers in the acquisition, development, construction, financing, leasing and disposition of commercial and industrial properties.
He is based in San Francisco.

Ryan J. Gunderson was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in San Diego.

Gunderson represents emerging growth companies in initial public offerings, other capital market transactions and public company matters.
He is based in San Diego.

Thomas Rice was promoted to partner of Best Best & Krieger LLP in Ontario.

Rice specializes in municipal law and advises clients in the planning and development process. He is town attorney for Apple Valley, assistant city attorney for San Bernardino and assistant general counsel for the March Joint Powers Authority.
He is based in Ontario.

Charity Schiller was promoted to partner of Best Best & Krieger LLP in Riverside.

Schiller specializes in environmental law including The California Environmental Quality Act and The National Environmental Policy Act.
She is based in Riverside.

Elizabeth Hull was promoted to partner of Best Best & Krieger LLP in Irvine.

Hull is assistant city attorney to Avalon and San Juan Capistrano, a and general counsel to the Helix Water District.
She is based in Irvine.

Ruben Duran was promoted to partner of Best Best & Krieger LLP in Ontario.

Duran is the city attorney for Ontario and Fontana, and general counsel to the Oxnard Harbor District.
He is based in Ontario.

Joshua Nelson was promoted to partner of Best Best & Krieger LLP in Sacramento.

Nelson is city attorney of Gustine and Jackson in Merced County and is a member of the firm's municipal law practice group, specializing in governance.
He is based in Sacramento.

Heather N. Aune was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in San Diego.

Aune specializes in executive compensation and employee benefits issues for startups, emerging growth and public companies.
She is based in San Diego.

William Munoz as president and ceo in Sacramento

Munoz specialized in defending professionals in professional liability matters. The new arbitration and resolution firm focuses on professional liability, employment and personal injury matters throughout California.
He is based in Sacramento.

Benjamin Pelletier joined Haynes and Boone LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Benjamin Pelletier has joined Haynes and Boone's in San Francisco after spending the last three years at Venable LLP.
Pelletier, a patent attorney and former biochemical engineer, specializes in patent counseling and prosecution in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, life science and medical device industries.
"The firm has just opened the San Francisco office and they have this digital health and precision medicine practice group with a couple of other practitioners, who are doing really exciting patent work for the same types of clients that I have, but in a slightly different area," said Pelletier. "My colleagues are focusing more on computer science aspects of some of these inventions, they're not doing the therapeutic molecule development work that I'm doing, but we have really complementary practices."
Pelletier added he was also attracted to the opportunity at Haynes and Boone because of the firm's focus on patent prosecution.
Formerly a biochemical engineer, Pelletier spent many years working in the manufacturing division at Genentech, a biotechnology company based in the Bay Area. Experience that has been beneficial to his current practice, he said.
"I was working on developing the processes for manufacturing a lot of the drugs that I now work on the patent side of," Pelletier added. "Oftentimes, my clients come to me with questions about how we can patent a drug, but also, if we can patent the manufacturing process that's related to the drug. So because I have a lot of experience in that field, I'm able to understand what they're doing and help them identify potential new inventions that could be protected with patents."
According to Pelletier, he decided to pursue a career in law because he wanted to be closer to the decision makers in the industry.
As a new member of the digital health and precision medicine practice group, Pelletier hopes to help expand and grow the group's footprint.
"Beyond that, I'd like to reach out to more of a national and international base of clients, once we expand the team and get the bandwidth to take on bigger types of matters," he said.

Allina M. Amuchie was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

Amuchie specializes in business and civil litigation.
She is based in Orange County.

Mohammed E. Elayan was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

Elayan advises clients in mergers and acquisitions, SEC reporting and compliance, financing, commercial and licensing agreements, corporate governance and entity structuring.
He is based in Orange County.

Lucas K. Hori was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

Hori specializes in business and civil litigation.
He is based in Orange County.

Seth M. Jessee was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

Jessee represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex business litigation.
He is based in Orange County.

Carrie A. MacIntosh was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Palo Alto.

MacIntosh focuses on construction, real estate and general commerce matters. She is a litigator and counsels clients in contract preparation, dispute avoidance and dispute resolution.
She is based in Palo Alto.

Jonathan D. Nomura was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

Nomura represents lenders and borrowers in single and multiple lender acquisitions, construction, term and affordable housing financing related to all property types.
He is based in Orange County.

Kyle M. St. James was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

St. James advises clients on patent strategy including in portfolio development and prosecution.
He is based in Orange County.

Bryan A. Wilbert was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

Wilbert represents financial institutions, private equity funds, developers and owners in commercial real estate matters such as acquisition, disposition, development, leasing and financing.
He is based in Orange County.

Meredith Williams was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

Williams specializes in trademark and copyright litigation, including trade secret misappropriation, false advertising and unfair competition, and advises clients on how to promote and defend brands and intellectual property.
She is based in Orange County.

Nicholas G. Markman was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in San Francisco.

Markman specializes in representing emerging growth companies in the technology sector including consumer internet, software, telecommunications and entertainment technology. He also advises angel investors and venture capital firms.
He is based in San Francisco.

Tamerlin J. Godley joined Paul Hastings LLP as partner.

Following 23 years at Munger, Tolles, & Olson LLP, Tamerlin J. Godley has joined Paul Hastings LLP in Los Angeles as a partner in the entertainment and media practice.
"They gave me an offer that I couldn't refuse," said Godley of her decision to move.
She is the third prominent entertainment attorney to join the firm in Los Angeles in recent years as part of its efforts to develop "a first class entertainment group that is soup to nuts," she added.
Recent notable additions include Steven A. Marenberg from Irell & Manella LLP and James Bo Pearl from O'Melveny & Myers LLP.
"Paul Hastings is just firing on all cylinders. All their metrics are really strong. Their trajectory is incredible-everything from profitability to being a great place to work and a commitment to pro bono," Godley said. "I'm excited to be a part of this larger platform and really build a first class entertainment litigation group, the best of the city."
As an entertainment litigator, Godley has represented NBC Universal, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc, Time Warner and the Warner Music Group Corp. Her work focuses on investigations and commercial disputes, as well as a subspecialty in trademark and copyright.
Paul Hastings' reputation in employment law will enhance her sensitive investigations practice and was another reason for her move, Godley said.
Outside of her practice, Godley is active in education impact litigation. She is one of the founders of Public Funds Public Schools, which focuses on ensuring that public funds stay in public schools and are not siphoned off for other purposes.
"Just this past year, I led the team that was granted summary judgment to permanently vacate a Betsy DeVos rule that attempted to siphon off hundreds of millions away from public schools to private schools," she said. "My work in the education impact litigation space is really important to me and I will continue doing that at Paul Hastings."

Kyle T. Overs was promoted to partner of Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP in San Diego.

Overs represents individuals and companies in complex business and trust litigation matters.
He is based in San Diego.

Michael Harbour was promoted to partner of Irell & Manella LLP in Los Angeles.

Harbour specializes in complex civil litigation such as class actions, as well as litigation related to media and entertainment, intellectual property and securities.
He is based in Los Angeles.

Elizabeth Tuan was promoted to partner of Irell & Manella LLP in Los Angeles.

Tuan focuses on patent litigation in a range of industries including biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
She is based in Los Angeles.