Umberg/Zipser LLP
Halim Dhanidina
joined Umberg/Zipser LLP as partner in Irvine.
Dhanidina is a retired 2nd District Court of Appeal justice who was
appointed in 2018.
He is based in Irvine.
Address
1920 Main Street, Suite 750
Irvine, 92614 USA
T:
(949) 679-0052
F:
(949) 679-0462
Winston & Strawn LLP
Carol Alexis Chen
joined Winston & Strawn LLP as partner in Los Angeles.
Chen was with the U.S. attorney's office for 15 years and was chief of the international narcotics, money laundering and racketeering section.
She is based in Los Angeles.
Address
333 Grand Ave., 38th Floor
Los Angeles, 90071 USA
T:
(213) 615-1820
Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck
Ashley Klein
was promoted to partner of Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck in San Francisco.
Klein is co-chair of the real estate practice group and is comanaging partner of the San Francisco and Sonoma offices.
She is based in San Francisco and Sonoma.
John Lupton
was promoted to partner of Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck in Los Angeles.
Lupton specializes in business litigation with a focus on the defense of legal malpractice cases and insurance litigation.
He is based in Los Angeles.
Lauren Jones
was promoted to of counsel of Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck in San Francisco.
Jones specializes in real property, trust and probate litigation and landlord-tenant matters.
She is based in San Francisco.
Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP
Christian Nickerson
was promoted to partner of Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP in Santa Monica.
Nickerson focuses on employment, business, catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death litigation.
He is based in Santa Monica.
Covington & Burling LLP
Bobby Lutzker
was promoted to special counsel of Covington & Burling LLP in San Francisco.
Lutzker specializes in drafting and negotiating licenses, collaboration, supply, distribution and other commercial agreements for life sciences and technology companies.
He is based in San Francisco.
Covington & Burling LLP
Mark Chen
was promoted to special counsel of Covington & Burling LLP in Los Angeles.
Chen is a litigator and specializes in intellectual property and complex commercial disputes.
He is based in Los Angeles.
Buckley LLP
Michael Rome
was promoted to partner of Buckley LLP in Los Angeles.
Rome focuses on complex commercial disputes, consumer class actions and government enforcement matters.
He is based in Los Angeles.
Snell & Wilmer LLP
Bardia Moayedi
joined Snell & Wilmer LLP as partner in Orange County and San Diego.
Moayedi specializes in advising emerging growth and public companies.
He is based in Orange County and San Diego.
Address
4320 La Jolla Village Drive Suite 205
San Diego, 92122 USA
T:
(858) 434-5009
Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl Inc.
Robyn B. Sokol
joined Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl Inc. as partner in Pasadena.
Sokol specializes in litigation and transactions related to bankruptcy law.
She is based in Pasadena.
Address
200 S Los Robles Ave, Ste 300
Pasadena, 91101-2483 USA
T:
(626) 796-4000
F:
(626) 795-6321
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
Joseph K. Halloum
joined Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP as partner in Menlo Park.
Halloum specializes in mergers and acquisitions involving publicly traded companies and private equity sponsors.
He is based in Menlo Park.
Address
2710 Sand Hill Road
Menlo Park , 94025
T:
(650) 618-9288
Gov. Gavin Newsom
Robert A. Bonta
joined Gov. Gavin Newsom as california attorney general in Sacramento.
Bonta has been a state Assembly member for Alameda County since 2012. If confirmed, he will replace Xavier Becerra, who was confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Bonta is based in Sacramento.
Dennis D. Kim
joined Gov. Gavin Newsom as director of real property at the california high- speed rail authority in Roseville.
Kim has been assistant vice president and deputy director of real property at the authority since 2019.
He is based in Roseville.
Kathryn Ellen Doi
joined Gov. Gavin Newsom as california new motor vehicle board in Sacramento.
Doi has been on the board since 2013 and is a partner at Hanson Bridgett LLP.
She is based in Sacramento.
Samantha Murray
joined Gov. Gavin Newsom as california fish and game commission in Del Mar.
Murray has been on the commission since 2019 and is executive director of the Master of Advanced Studies Program in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
She is based in Del Mar.
Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP
Renee M Gabbard
joined Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP as partner in Irvine.
Gabbard specializes in trust, estate and succession planning.
She is based in Irvine.
Charles W. Lin
joined Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP as partner in Irvine.
Lin focuses on advising clients in trust, estate and succession matters.
He is based in Irvine.
Address
100 Spectrum Center Dr, Ste 520
Irvine, 92618-4968 USA
T:
(949) 346-8399
F:
(619) 788-5566
Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton LLP
Richard R. Sheridan
joined Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton LLP as of counsel in San Diego.
Sheridan is the former general counsel and corporate secretary of Scripps. He specializes in governance and corporate law.
Sheridan is based in San Diego.
Address
101 West Broadway, Ninth Floor
San Diego, 92101 United States
T:
(619) 237-5200
F:
(619) 615-0700
Greenberg Traurig LLP
David A. Gay
joined Greenberg Traurig LLP as shareholder in Los Angeles.
Greenberg Traurig has added shareholder David A. Gay, formerly with Jones Day, to its Los Angeles office, expanding its intellectual property, technology, life sciences and medical technology practices.
A former biochemical research scientist, Gay practiced at Jones Day for 10 years and has more than 25 years of experience in the life sciences industry.
Gay considers the move a natural progression for his career, adding he was attracted to the firm's strategic focus on expanding its intellectual property and life sciences practices and the full range of services it would provide for his clients.
"As you can imagine with biotech, well most technology clients, they operate in sophisticated arenas and require seamless legal advice across a number of different disciplines other than intellectual property --corporate, products liabilities etc.," said Gay. "Greenberg Traurig is just exceptionally well suited to provide those sophisticated legal services, not only in the U.S., but globally."
Throughout his career, Gay has focused his practice on life sciences companies, primarily those within the biotechnology sector ranging from companies that specialize in metabolic engineering to small molecule therapeutics. He advises clients on strategic design, acquisition and management of intellectual property rights. He also evaluates patent portfolios and conducts due diligence investigations.
Gay's interest in law was sparked during his time as a research scientist, when he came to the realization that patent law bridges two of his passions: science and the law. Just 10 years after receiving his doctorate in biochemistry from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, he returned to school at the University of San Diego School of Law, graduating in 2002.
Address
1840 Century Park East Suite 1900
Los Angeles, 90067 USA
T:
(310) 586-7793
F:
(310) 586-7700
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Aimee M. Contreras- Camua
joined Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP as partner in Los Angeles.
Contreras-Camua specializes in commercial real estate transactions, representing institutional lenders, real estate funds, opportunity funds, investment banks, life insurance companies and developers.
She is based in Los Angeles.
Address
350 S Grand Ave, Fl 50
Los Angeles, 90071-3426 USA
T:
(213) 683-9270
Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian LLP
Alexa Belonick
joined Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian LLP as partner in San Francisco.
Belonick advises companies in securities and transactional matters including public offerings, compliance, public reporting and governance.
She is based in San Francisco.
Address
One Bush Plaza Suite 1200
San Francisco, 94104 USA
T:
(415) 978-9803
F:
(415) 978-9806
Blank Rome LLP
Sharon R. Klein
joined Blank Rome LLP as partner, office chair and chair of the privacy, security and data protection practice.
Klein specializes in data privacy, information security laws and regulation.
She is based in Orange County.
Alex C. Nisenbaum
joined Blank Rome LLP as partner in Orange County.
Nisenbaum focuses on data privacy, information security laws and regulation.
He is based in Orange County.
Karen H. Shin
joined Blank Rome LLP as associate in Orange County.
Shin specializes in data privacy and information security laws and regulation.
She is based in Orange County.
Address
2029 Century Park E, Ste 600
Los Angeles, 90067-2907 USA
T:
(424) 239-3400
F:
(424) 239-3434
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Thaila K. Sundaresan
joined Davis Wright Tremaine LLP as partner in San Francisco.
Sundaresan focuses on legal matters before the Federal Communications Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission, as well as other appellate and regulatory matters.
She is based in San Francisco.
Address
505 Montgomery Street Suite 800
San Francisco, 94111-6533 USA
T:
(415) 276-6500
F:
(415) 276-6599
Buchalter PC
Cecilia O'Connell Miller
joined Buchalter PC as shareholder in San Diego.
Insurance coverage litigation attorney Cecilia O'Connell Miller joined Buchalter in San Diego from Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch.
"What stood out for me was the firm's established insurance recovery practice," said Miller of her decision to move. "It's over 20 years old and there are some fantastic attorneys within the practice group, who have been litigating insurance coverage issues for policyholder clients for decades."
"I was really attracted to the opportunity to grow and expand my insurance practice here with their established practice and the network of offices throughout the West Coast," she added. Miller, who was with Procopio for eight years, specializes in representing policyholders, with the bulk of her practice focusing on liability policies and helping clients obtain insurance coverage for lawsuits. Since the pandemic she, like many in her field, has been focusing on assisting clients in pursuing insurance coverage for their COVID-19 losses.
Her clients range from health care companies to financial services companies and municipalities.
"What drew me to insurance law and policyholder work was when I started as an attorney at Latham and I had the opportunity to work on cases like the Montrose case, which really is a gold standard for defense coverage for policyholders. Montrose Chemical Corp. v. Admiral Ins. Co., 10 Cal. 4th 645 (Cal. 1995).
What I found is that insurance law is really a specialized form of contract law and insurance litigation is a specialized form of civil commercial litigation," she said, adding insurance law provided a marriage of both of those interests.
"When I meet my clients, they're in a difficult situation, they're facing a lawsuit or they're facing a catastrophic fire at their home, and they're looking to their carrier to abide by their promises," she said. "My favorite part of the practice is being able to obtain insurance coverage for my clients, giving them the peace of mind that they do, in fact, have the coverage that they procured." Miller is a member of the Lawyers Club of San Diego and is a former chair of the insurance and bad faith section of the San Diego County Bar Association.
She also has an active pro bono practice that has included projects with Free to Thrive, a San Diego nonprofit that provides legal and supportive services to survivors of human trafficking.
Address
655 W Broadway Ste 1600
San Diego, 92101-8494 USA
T:
(619) 219-5335
F:
(949) 720-0182
Liebert Cassidy Whitmore
Jenny-Anne S. Flores
was promoted to litigation manager of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore in Los Angeles.
Flores will focus on litigation guidelines compliance, budgeting and defense strategy, working with the firm's Litigation Practice Group.
She is based in Los Angeles.
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP
James Turken
joined Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP as partner in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Turken specializes in litigation related to commercial disputes, intellectual property, securities, enforcement defense, labor and employment.
He is based in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Rebecca Lawlor Calkins
joined Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP as partner in Los Angeles.
Calkins specializes in litigation related to media, copyright and trademark
law.
She is based in Los Angeles.
Neil Paresh Thakor
joined Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP as associate in Los Angeles.
Thakor specializes in commercial litigation.
He is based in Los Angeles.
Address
555 South Flower Street, 41st Floor
Los Angeles, 90071 USA
T:
(121) 389-2920
F:
(121) 389-2920
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Paul D. Tripodi II
joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as partner in Los Angeles and Irvine.
Tripodi focuses on intellectual property litigation including patent, contract and licensing disputes and strategic patent counseling.
He is based in Irvine and Los Angeles and Irvine.
Address
4 Park Plz, Ste 1900
Irvine, 92614-2585 USA
T:
(949) 885-4220
F:
(949) 885-4101
Gov. Gavin Newsom
Alexandre Makler
joined Gov. Gavin Newsom as member of the california water commission in Berkeley.
Makler is senior vice president of the west region of Calpine Corporation.
He is based in Berkeley.
Barry N. Steinhart
joined Gov. Gavin Newsom as deputy director of legislation at the california department of motor vehicles in Plumas Lake.
Steinhart was previously assistant executive director at the California Energy Commission.
He is based in Plumas Lake.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Senate President Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon
Jennifer M. Urban
joined Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Senate President Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon as chair of the california privacy protection agency board in Kensington.
Urban is a clinical professor of law at UC Berkeley School of Law.
She is based in Kensington.
Angela Sierra
joined Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Senate President Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon as member of the california privacy protection agency board in Los Angeles.
Sierra is an assistant attorney general who formerly led the public rights
division.
She is based in Los Angeles.
Lydia de la Torre
joined Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Senate President Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon as member of the california privacy protection agency board in Santa Clara.
De la Torre is a professor at Santa Clara Law.
She is based in Santa Clara.
Vinhcent H. Le
joined Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Senate President Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon as member of the california privacy protection agency board in Oakland.
Le is a technology equity attorney at the Greenlining Institute.
He is based in Oakland.
DLA Piper LLP
Jayme Long
joined DLA Piper LLP as partner in Los Angeles.
Long specializes in complex litigation including product and premises liability, mass torts and commercial litigation.
She is based in Los Angeles.
Address
601 S Figueroa St, Ste 2500
Los Angeles, 90017-5709 USA
T:
(213) 243-6229
F:
(213) 623-9924
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Julian L. André
joined McDermott Will & Emery LLP as partner in Los Angeles.
André focuses on litigation related to government prosecutions, enforcement actions and investigations, internal investigations, complex civil disputes and appellate matters.
He is based in Los Angeles.
Address
2049 Century Park E, Ste 3200
Los Angeles, 90067-3206 USA
T:
(310) 551-9335
American College of Coverage Counsel
Amy B. Briggs
joined American College of Coverage Counsel as fellow in San Francisco.
Briggs is a partner at Farella Braun + Martel LLP and focuses on complex business litigation involving insurance coverage and bad faith disputes.
She is based in San Francisco.
Montgomery Law
Frederick W. Montgomery
as founding partner
in Santa Barbara
Montgomery launched his solo practice on March 1. He specializes in family law with a focus on complex marital dissolutions involving businesses and personal assets.
He is based in Santa Barbara.
T:
(805) 560-0100
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Gargi Talukder
joined Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP as partner and head of the life sciences patent strategy and prosecution practice in San Francisco.
Talukder specializes in patent portfolio management, intellectual property diligence and patent prosecution.
She is based in San Francisco.
Address
405 Howard Street
San Francisco, 94105-2669 USA
T:
(141) 577-3562
Foley & Lardner LLP
Dahna S. Pasternak
joined Foley & Lardner LLP as of counsel in Silicon Valley.
Pasternak specializes in life science patent prosecution.
She is based in Silicon Valley.
Address
975 Page Mill Rd
Palo Alto, 94304-1013 USA
T:
(650) 251-1132