Will S. Chuchawat joined Proskauer Rose LLP as co-head of the global mergers and acquisitions practice in Los Angeles.

Partner Will S. Chuchawat joined Proskauer's Los Angeles office on Feb. 11 as co-head of the global mergers and acquisitions practice. He had been with Sheppard Mullin for 16 years and led the mergers and acquisitions group.
Chuchawat was attracted to the opportunity to join Proskauer due to its depth, strength in private equity and private capital, its culture and mindset, he said.
"They've got the same passion for exceeding expectations and delivering outstanding results for clients that I do," he explained.
Chuchawat described his practice as, "M&A all day, every day." His work includes buy and sell side transactions with a particular focus on private equity and leverage buyouts.
He also advises clients in growth equity and venture capital transactions. His clients include private equity funds, public companies, venture capital and private companies in the technology, health care, consumer, business services, industrial, aerospace, defense, life sciences, financial services and media business.
His most recent deals include advising Mercury Systems Inc. in its acquisition of Physical Optics Corp. and advising TRUaire on its sale to CSW Industrials Inc. for $360 million.
Outside of his practice, Chuchawat has been a board member since 2018 of YPO, a global leadership community of chief executives.

Kevin Gray joined Tyson & Mendes LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Gray is a civil defense attorney and has tried more than 60 cases.
He is based in San Francisco.

Vincent I. Parrett joined Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP as partner in Menlo Park.

Parrett specializes in plaintiff and defendant business litigation including contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and other commercial disputes.
He is based in Menlo Park.

Eric B. Shortz was promoted to partner of Pircher, Nichols & Meeks LLP in Los Angeles, CA.

Shortz specializes in transactional real estate with an emphasis on the representation of borrowers in complex financing.
He is based in Los Angeles.

Amanda Graham Brazinski was promoted to senior counsel of Atheria Law in San Francisco.

Brazinski advises insurers in cyber, privacy, technology and media claims.
She is based in San Francisco.

Tammy Chang was promoted to senior counsel of Atheria Law in Los Angeles.

Chang represents insurers in technology, media, intellectual property and privacy claims.
She is based in Los Angeles.

Aishlin Cook was promoted to senior counsel of Atheria Law in San Francisco.

Cook advises insurers in errors and omissions claims against attorneys, accountants and real estate professionals.
She is based in San Francisco.

EJ Kim was promoted to senior counsel of Atheria Law in San Francisco.

Kim represents insurers in cyber and privacy claims.
She is based in San Francisco.

Michael Russell joined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as partner and colead of the mergers and acquisitions practice in Palo Alto and San Francisco.

Corporate partner Michael Russell has rejoined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati to colead the mergers and acquisitions practice. He previously was a partner at Goodwin Procter LLP for five years.
"I think it's worth noting I wasn't on the market," said Russell. "I was happy at Goodwin. I had a great experience and I really enjoyed working there."
Russell said he was approached by Robert Ishii, a longtime friend, about the opportunity to return to Wilson Sonsini. Ishii is now colead of the mergers and acquisitions practice alongside Russell.
"I have had that conversation off and on over the last five years with him," Russell added. "But what was a little different this time was that it was a little more concrete. I think that given the demand in the marketplace, both from Wilson's existing clients and externally, they decided that there were a number of areas that they wanted to make meaningful investments in to build out the practices, and mergers and acquisitions was one of them. So the outreach from Rob was not just, 'Hey, do you want to come back?' but, 'Do you want to come back and be part of this effort and initiative to build up the practice and help me do it?'"
Additionally, the ability to practice with attorneys he has known for the majority of his professional career attracted him to the opportunity, he added.
Russell previously was with Wilson Sonsini for 18 years as part of the corporate and securities practice. He joined the firm in 1998 from the San Francisco city attorney's office and became a partner in 2007.
Russell focuses on representing public and private companies and investors in domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions. His clients include technology and life sciences companies on both the buy and sell side of transactions. Notable companies he has worked with include Micron Technology Inc., Twitter, TiVo, Fitbit Inc., Slack Technologies Inc. and Sumo Logic.

Nicole Shapiro was promoted to partner of Atheria Law in San Francisco.

Shapiro represents insurers in complex errors and omission claims against professionals such as attorneys and accountants.
She is based in San Francisco.

Nicholas Lieberknecht was promoted to partner of Atheria Law in San Francisco.

Lieberknecht specializes in representing insurers in disputes involving design professionals and construction companies such as errors and omission policies issued to architects and engineers.
He is based in San Francisco.

Scott K. Holbrook was promoted to shareholder of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Sacramento.

Holbrook advises school districts, county offices of education and community college districts in labor and personnel matters.
He is based in Sacramento.

Allyson K Thompson joined Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Thompson specializes in employment litigation.
She is based in Los Angeles.

Alexandria M. Davidson was promoted to partner of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Irvine.

Davidson represents California public school districts as general counsel.
She is based in Irvine.

Heidi Walas joined Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP as partner in Redwood City.

Walas specializes in the representation of emerging growth companies and early stage investors in venture financings, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, technology transfers and general business matters.
She is based in Redwood City.

Anthony P. Niccoli was promoted to shareholder of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Cerritos.

Niccoli represents contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers and owners in construction issues such as licensing, contract drafting and negotiations.
He is based in Cerritos.

William A. Diedrich was promoted to shareholder of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Riverside.

Diedrich advises school districts, community college districts and public agencies in all aspects of labor and employment law.
He is based in Riverside.

Kristen Mah Rogers was promoted to partner of Olson Remcho in Oakland.

Rogers represents clients in litigation related to election law, education funding, public policy and constitutional issues.
She is based in Oakland.

Benjamin R. Fliegel was promoted to partner of Reed Smith LLP in Los Angeles.

Fliegel is a commercial litigator with an emphasis on representing policyholders in large or protracted litigation with insurance companies.
He is based in Los Angeles.

Ashley B. Jordan was promoted to partner of Reed Smith LLP in Los Angeles.

Jordan focuses on insurance recovery. She advises policyholders in negotiation, litigation or alternative dispute resolution.
She is based in Los Angeles.

Maytak Chin was promoted to partner of Reed Smith LLP in San Francisco.

Chin focuses on complex litigation related to fiduciary duties, unfair competition and business torts.
She is based in San Francisco.

Dan J. Bulfer was promoted to partner of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Irvine.

Bulfer represents employers in labor and employment compliance and risk management issues like workplace investigations and corrective actions.
He is based in Irvine.