Brandy Worden joined Katten as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Sept. 8, 2026.

Worden has joined the firm's Los Angeles office as a partner in its Intellectual Property practice. Worden advises clients on privacy, technology and artificial intelligence (AI) matters, bringing extensive experience counseling global companies on complex regulatory, compliance, litigation and investigatory issues at the intersection of technology, data and innovation.

Matthias Kamber joined Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP. as a partner in San Francisco.

Kamber's practice encompasses patent, trade secret, copyright and trademark litigation. He has tried over a dozen jury and bench trials and has litigated intellectual property matters in federal courts across the country and before the U.S. International Trade Commission. His experience spans a broad range of technologies, including internet advertising, telecommunications, smartphones and microprocessors. His experience also allows him to identify key issues early and develop targeted litigation strategies that advance his clients' broader business objectives.

Daren H. Lipinsky joined Judicate West as a neutral in Santa Ana. The move was Sept. 1, 2026.

With nearly three decades of litigation experience, Lipinsky is well-versed in employment issues, including discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and wage-and-hour matters, and business disputes, including corporate matters and breach of contract. Beyond his deep experience as a trial lawyer, he has built an independent mediation practice devoted to mediating employment and business disputes, recently founding his own firm, Lipinsky Mediation. Lipinsky has served as a settlement officer for the San Bernardino County Superior Court and the Los Angeles County Superior Court's Resolve Law LA and MVP programs. He was also a temporary judge for the Orange County Superior Court.

Kimberly Rowe joined Akin as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Sept. 9, 2026.

Rowe advises private equity sponsors, portfolio companies and strategic clients on complex corporate transactions, including leveraged buyouts, take-private transactions, public and private M&A, carve-outs, co-investments, private investments in public equity and other strategic transactions across a broad range of industries. Most recently, Rowe served as Lead Counsel, Corporate Transactions at The Walt Disney Co., where she led complex strategic transactions and negotiated key strategic transactions with peer companies.

Valerie Salkin joined ADR Services, Inc. as a neutral in Los Angeles. The move was Sept. 15, 2026.

Judge Salkin brings more than three decades of legal experience, including 16 years on the Los Angeles County Superior Court and more than 100 jury trials as a prosecutor. During her judicial tenure, she spent approximately nine years presiding over civil matters, handling a wide range of business, employment, personal injury, medical malpractice, consumer, and other complex civil disputes. She also conducted more than 150 Mandatory Settlement Conferences and managed one of the court's busiest civil calendars. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Salkin served as a deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County, where she tried more than 100 cases to jury verdict as lead counsel.

As a mediator, Judge Salkin draws on her extensive trial and judicial experience to help parties evaluate risk, identify practical solutions, and work toward resolution.

Judge Salkin is available through ADR Services, Inc. for mediations and other private dispute resolution assignments.

Ruth Kwan joined ADR Services, Inc. as a neutral in Los Angeles. The move was Sept. 10, 2026.

Judge Kwan served on the Los Angeles Superior Court for nearly three decades, including most recently at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. Throughout her judicial career, she presided over a broad range of complex civil matters, including business and commercial disputes, real estate and construction litigation, insurance bad faith, catastrophic personal injury, employment class actions, PAGA, FEHA, wage-and-hour claims, products liability, and wrongful death cases. She also served as Assistant Supervising Judge of the Civil Division.

Widely respected for her intellect, fairness, and exceptional work ethic, Judge Kwan has extensive experience helping parties resolve disputes. Her practical understanding of litigation risk, trial dynamics, and judicial decision-making enables her to assist parties in evaluating cases realistically and achieving meaningful resolutions.

Judge Kwan's distinguished career has been recognized by numerous legal organizations, including the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, ABOTA, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and the Korean Community Lawyers Association.

Viet D. Dinh joined Sullivan & Cromwell LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Dinh most recently served as chief legal and policy officer of Fox Corp., where he was a member of the senior leadership team and oversaw the company's legal, compliance, regulatory, government and public-affairs functions. He continued to serve as a special advisor to Fox's leadership after stepping down from his executive role. He previously served as a member of the boards of directors of News Corporation and 21st Century Fox.

Bruce Steinert joined Akerman LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Steinert's practice spans acquisition facilities, refinancing facilities, recapitalizations, distressed and workout facilities, bond issuances, and second-lien and junior debt financings, both domestic and multijurisdictional. His experience reaches across a wide array of sectors, including software, IT, business services, health care, manufacturing, retail, insurance, and pharmaceuticals, and he has represented leading sponsors in financings supporting dozens of platform and add-on acquisitions.

Michael P. Alcan joined Sidley Austin LLP as a partner in Century City.

Alcan focuses his practice on the tax aspects of complex transactions involving investment funds and their sponsors. He regularly counsels clients on a broad range of transactional matters, including domestic and cross-border fund formations, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, continuation fund transactions, GP stakes transactions, fund financing arrangements, and sponsor-level tax planning. He also advises clients on the tax aspects of debt and equity restructurings, capital markets transactions, financial instruments, and derivatives.

Mary Wiss joined JAMS as a neutral in San Francisco. The move was Sept. 9, 2026.

During a distinguished judicial career spanning 24 years, Judge Wiss served on the San Francisco Superior Court, presiding over matters in the Complex, Civil, Criminal and Probate divisions.
Based in the San Francisco Resolution Center, Judge Wiss will serve as an arbitrator and mediator, handling business/commercial, class action, construction, employment, estate/probate/trust, insurance, personal injury and professional liability matters. Judge Wiss was the first woman assigned to the court's Complex Litigation Department and handled a broad range of high-profile disputes, including class actions, Judicial Council coordinated proceedings, employment claims, construction litigation, insurance coverage matters and probate disputes. She also served as a justice pro tempore on California's First District Court of Appeal. Prior to her appointment to the bench in 2001, she maintained a litigation practice in San Francisco, representing clients in personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, medical negligence and other civil matters.

Jonathan Westreich joined Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Westreich represents companies, investment funds, and other strategic clients in complex corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, tax-free reorganizations, and restructurings with respect to domestic and cross-border tax issues. He also has significant experience with capital markets offerings, financings, and joint ventures, including real estate transactions, with a particular focus on clients in the sports, media, and entertainment industries.

Jonathan Stott joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP as a partner in San Francisco. The move was Aug. 31, 2026.

Stott represents private equity sponsors, alternative asset managers and operating companies in complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, carve-out transactions, growth and structured equity investments, joint ventures and other transformative capital events. His experience extends across a wide range of industry sectors, including aerospace, building products, consumer brands and products, financial services, food products, healthcare, industrial, manufacturing, software and technology.

Stott previously was managing partner of Weil's San Francisco office and led its West Coast Private Equity practice.

Michael Hanna joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP as a partner in San Francisco.

Hanna advises private equity funds and their portfolio companies in a wide variety of corporate transactions, including leveraged acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, joint ventures, rescue equity financing, incentive equity arrangements, corporate governance and other corporate matters.

Amber L. Schubert joined Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz as a partner in San Francisco.

Schubert's cases sit at the intersection of law, technology, and corporate accountability. She brings command of the issues that often determine whether complex privacy cases succeed, including technical discovery, standing, rapidly evolving privacy statutes, multistate claims, class wide damages, and remedies that both compensate consumers and meaningfully change the practices that put their information at risk.

Sonum Dixit joined Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz as an associate in San Francisco.

Dixit is an associate attorney in Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz's San Francisco office, where she works within the firm's Data Breach & Privacy Subdivision as part of AWKO's consumer class action practice. Before joining AWKO, Sonum was a litigation associate, where she co-managed her previous firm's portfolio of data privacy cases, and worked on shareholder derivative matters arising from corporate data security failures.

Alexandra Marsh joined Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz as an associate in San Francisco.

Marsh served as a Victims' Rights Staff Attorney at the Cooperative Restraining Order Clinic in San Francisco, where she represented survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and gender-based violence in criminal proceedings and worked closely with the San Francisco Police Department, District Attorney's Office, and Sheriff's Department to support clients through every stage of the process.

Zachary S. Finley joined Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP as a partner in Palo Alto.

Finley is a trusted adviser to public and private companies, financial institutions and private capital funds on a broad range of debt financing matters, including investment-grade and non-investment-grade credit facilities, private credit transactions, asset-based loans, bespoke capital structures, debt restructurings and workouts.

Jade Faysal Jurdi joined Akerman as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Sep. 1, 2026.

Jurdi brings more than 15 years of experience helping consumer product manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and automotive dealers resolve their most consequential regulatory and litigation challenges. He has defended consumer class actions and hundreds of Proposition 65 claims. He litigates when it serves the client's objectives and has served as lead counsel in matters ranging from administrative proceedings to federal court. His class action experience spans dispositive motion practice through pretrial, trial, and posttrial proceedings.

Nicole Saab joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP as an associate in San Diego.

Saab has experience representing clients in matters involving personal injury, complex construction defects, property damage, premises liability and breach of contract. She has managed cases throughout all stages of litigation, including drafting and defending motions, conducting discovery, taking depositions, negotiating settlements and representing clients in mediations. Her experience also includes drafting motions for summary judgment, demurrers and motions to compel.

Rachel Raffield joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP as an associate in San Diego.

Raffield has represented clients in breach of contract actions, partnership disputes, fraud claims, professional negligence matters, and other business-related litigation. Her experience includes conducting legal research, drafting pleadings, discovery, motions and briefs, and representing clients in depositions, court hearings and mediations. During law school, Raffield gained experience through an internship with the California Innocence Project, where she assisted attorneys investigating and litigating cases involving claims of factual innocence.

Jane K. Adams joined Foley & Lardner LLP as a partner in San Diego.

Adams advises public and privately held life sciences companies and other life sciences sector stakeholders on a broad range of strategic, commercial, and corporate matters that create value and support growth. Known for her creative problem-solving and practical, solutions-oriented approach to navigating mission-critical industry partnerships, Adams works closely with management teams and business and scientific leaders to structure and negotiate complex licensing, corporate partnering, and other strategic transactions that support the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative products and technologies.

David M. Herzog joined Greenberg Traurig LLP as a shareholder in Los Angeles.

Herzog focuses on commercial litigation and appeals, with an emphasis on products liability, complex torts, and white‑collar defense. He is known for his strategic judgment, command of complex factual records, and ability to distill intricate legal issues for judges and juries. He brings a disciplined, trial‑tested approach to every matter and understands how to build, try, and defend cases from investigation through appeal.

Retired judge Ruth Kwan joined ADR Services Inc. as a neutral in Los Angeles.

Kwan was appointed to the East Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1995 and elevated to the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 1998, becoming only the second Chinese-American woman to serve on the California Superior Court. She spent the last 19 years presiding at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. Her civil experience includes 14 years in an Independent Calendar Court, handling business disputes, real estate, construction defect, insurance bad faith, personal injury, wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, sexual abuse, asbestos, products liability, employment, class actions, PAGA, FEHA, and wage-and-hour claims. She served in a Long Cause Civil Trial Court and as Assistant Supervising Judge of the Civil Division. Her settlement career spans decades, known for skill, ethics, and integrity. She supervised the Dispute Resolution Program at the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office and handled high-profile consumer fraud cases. She authored California's first price-gouging ordinance after the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. With extensive civil case management, she understands what drives settlement--evidence, credibility, damages, legal uncertainty, costs, timing, and risk--helping parties focus on key factors affecting case value.

David M. Friedman joined Stoel Rives LLP as a partner in San Francisco.

Friedman represents companies, investment funds, founders, investors, directors and officers, and high-net-worth individuals in a broad range of commercial disputes. His practice encompasses corporate governance and securities matters, founder and partnership disputes, post-acquisition litigation, trade secret and unfair competition matters, breach-of-contract disputes, government and internal investigations, and SEC enforcement matters. He has litigated in courts and tribunals nationwide, including the Delaware Court of Chancery. His practice spans multiple industries, including financial and professional services, biotech, fintech, semiconductors, and other cutting-edge technologies.

Kenneth Coronel joined Kaufman Dolowich LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Coronel has more than 35 years of litigation and counseling experience, focusing on construction disputes and professional liability. He represents developers, contractors, engineers, architects and other construction and design professionals in construction defect, contract, mechanics lien and payment disputes. He also defends professionals against negligence, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Coronel has handled matters involving more than $800 million in claims and has tried cases to verdict and resolved hundreds through arbitration and mediation. He previously spent five years as chief legal officer of a healthcare data and technology company. He earned his J.D. from Loyola Law School and his B.S. from Cal State Northridge and is admitted to practice in California.

Claudia M. Vetesi joined Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP as a partner in San Francisco.

Vetesi defends companies in consumer class actions and complex litigation involving false advertising, unfair competition, product liability, pricing and California consumer protection laws. She represents technology, food and beverage, and consumer products companies and advises on risks associated with bringing new products to market. Her practice also includes Lanham Act advertising disputes and matters before the Federal Trade Commission, National Advertising Division and other government enforcement authorities.

Alexander Harwin joined Ogletree Deakins as a shareholder in Los Angeles.

Harwin focuses his practice on all aspects of labor and employment litigation. For more than 20 years, he has represented employers in matters involving discrimination, harassment, defamation, wage-and-hour disputes, contractual obligations, privacy, and more. Harwin partners with employers to navigate complex legal challenges, develop practical strategies, and mitigate risk. When litigation is necessary, he manages all phases of the process, from deposition to pre-trial motions and through arbitration and trial.

Genevieve Weiner joined Katten as a partner in Los Angeles.

In her restructuring practice, Weiner represents secured and unsecured creditors, lenders, debtors and other stakeholders in complex restructuring matters, distressed mergers and acquisitions, general assignments for the benefit of creditors, receiverships and out-of-court restructurings. She has experience across many industries, including healthcare, real estate, technology and general corporate transactions. In matters involving financial institutions, private credit and alternative lenders and trade creditors, Weiner provides guidance on distressed investments, loan enforcement strategies, cash collateral and debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing matters, adequate protection disputes, claims prosecution and bankruptcy litigation. She also advises private and public companies facing financial distress, as well as strategic purchasers pursuing distressed acquisitions through Section 363 sales and UCC foreclosure proceedings.