Mark V. Mooney joined ADR Services, Inc. as a neutral in Los Angeles. The move was Nov. 2, 2026.

Appointed to the Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1995 and elevated to the Los Angeles Superior Court in 1998, Judge Mooney spent 17 years handling civil matters at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse before retiring in 2022. His experience spans employment, civil rights, professional negligence, personal injury, business litigation, insurance coverage, construction defects, and real estate disputes. He presided over several high-profile matters. Since transitioning to private dispute resolution, Judge Mooney has mediated approximately 300 matters and served as an arbitrator in more than 100 arbitrations. He received the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles Judge of the Year Award in 2010 and the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates Judge of the Year Award in 2019.

Kevin White was promoted to partner of Ropes & Gray LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2027.

White advises private fund sponsors on GP-led secondary transactions, in which a sponsor retains control of portfolio assets while offering its investors an opportunity for liquidity. Few practitioners in this market can handle every part of these deals. His practice centers on continuation vehicles. He also advises on strip sales, tender offers, and fund restructurings, as well as related transactions such as LP-led secondaries. His background is in fund formation.

Jessica Lees was promoted to partner of Ropes & Gray LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Lees advises clients on establishing, registering, reorganizing, terminating, and operating retail and institutional fund products; creating and implementing compliance programs; and preparing and reviewing shareholder communications and offering documents.

Luyan Li joined Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney P.C. as an associate in Los Angeles. The move was Oct. 27, 2026.

Prior to joining the firm, Luyan represented clients in a broad range of federal and state tax controversy matters, including administrative proceedings, litigation, and tax resolution. Previously, Luyan worked at a Big Four accounting firm, where she focused on international tax compliance and planning. Luyan earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. During law school, she served as a legal extern at the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue.

Dargayue Churnet was promoted to partner of Fenwick & West LLP in Los Angeles.

Churnet handles patent disputes through pre-litigation negotiations, motions to dismiss, trials and appeals. With a background in electrical and computer engineering and more than a decade of patent litigation experience, he has represented clients in matters involving speech recognition, cloud computing, geolocation tracking, social media, e-commerce and gaming technologies.

Glenn Foulds was promoted to partner of Fenwick & West LLP in Silicon Valley.

Foulds' practice focuses on patent prosecution and protection for clients in the chemistry, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Before entering private practice, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher and startup scientist developing small-molecule drugs, nucleic acid technologies and engineered peptide biomolecules.

Hon. Maurice Sanchez joined JAMS as a neutral in Orange County.

Sanchez brings more than 40 years of legal experience to JAMS as a civil litigator, corporate counsel, trial judge and appellate justice. Having served as an advocate, client representative and judicial decision-maker, he offers parties a practical understanding of litigation risk, legal strategy and the business realities that often drive settlement decisions and case outcomes. Justice Sanchez served on the California Superior Court before his appointment to the California Court of Appeal in 2022. As an appellate justice, he authored published and unpublished opinions addressing complex civil, commercial and public law matters. His experience on both the trial and appellate courts provides him with a unique perspective on the strengths, weaknesses and risks that shape disputes at every stage of litigation. Before taking the bench, Justice Sanchez spent three decades in large and midsize law firms, primarily as a partner handling business and commercial disputes.

Jason Sanderson joined Lowenstein Sandler as a partner in Palo Alto. The move was Oct. 26, 2026.

Sanderson represents venture-backed companies from pre-seed through exit (often by merger and acquisition), advises venture funds, family offices, and angel investors on their portfolio investments, and has advised investors and companies on more than 1,000 venture capital financings globally. His practice also spans domestic and international M&A of venture-backed companies, including transactions ranging from small tuck-in acquisitions and acqui-hires to mergers in the billions of dollars.

Amy Wong joined Venable LLP as a partner in Orange County.

Wong is a commercial litigator who advises national and global companies on complex disputes and risk management. Her practice includes contract and business tort disputes, product liability, advertising and marketing matters, class action defense, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and civil rights litigation. She represents manufacturing clients across the consumer products, food and beverage, beauty and aesthetics, medical device, manufacturing, and financial services industries, developing strategic solutions to mitigate litigation risk and support business operations.

Thomas A. Rasch joined ADR Services, Inc. as a neutral in Oakland. The move was Nov. 9, 2026.

Retired Commissioner Rasch brings 40 years of judicial service and more than 5,000 settlement conferences to his practice as a mediator. Elected to the Alameda Municipal Court in 1986 and later elevated to the Alameda County Superior Court, Commissioner Rasch served in a wide range of civil assignments, including personal injury, employment, real property, construction, contract, and landlord-tenant matters. For the final seven years of his judicial career, he served in the Court's Civil Settlement Department, where he conducted settlement conferences across the full spectrum of civil litigation. Before joining the bench, Commissioner Rasch represented plaintiffs in personal injury and maritime injury matters and maintained a general civil practice.

Susan Poklemba joined Venable LLP as a counsel in San Francisco.

Poklemba is a financial services attorney with nearly a decade of experience advising on securities regulation and market policy. Susan helps market participants navigate rules affecting broker-dealers, exchanges, clearing agencies, transfer agents, alternative trading systems, and other trading venues. She offers practical insight into how securities rules are developed and applied, helping clients anticipate regulatory change, assess risk, and make informed business decisions. She is experienced in advising on federal financial regulation. She has advised on major rulemakings, regulatory initiatives, and policy matters affecting market participants. Her work has touched on exchange listing standards, trade reporting, securities lending, Treasury clearing, coordination among financial regulators, privacy and cybersecurity requirements, implementation of the Consolidated Audit Trail, and disclosure requirements for alternative trading systems. She has also advised on complex exchange-traded and derivatives products and requests for regulatory relief.

Cera J. Armstrong was promoted to partner of McDermott Will & Schulte in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Armstrong's practice focuses on complex trust and estate litigation. She represent individuals, families, charitable institutions, foundations, corporate trustees and fiduciaries in disputes before state, federal and tribal courts throughout the United States.

Alexander L. Randolph was promoted to partner of McDermott Will & Schulte in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Randolph focuses his practice on all aspects of employment law. He has experience managing complex Private Attorney General Act and class action matters and litigating single-plaintiff discrimination, retaliation, and harassment cases.

Anna L. Hermelin joined Kaplan Kirsch LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Hermelin has 18 years of experience advising on infrastructure projects across all asset classes, with particular expertise in transport and social infrastructure. Her experience includes advising government agencies, private sector bidders, and funders, and she therefore has a clear understanding of the needs of each stakeholder group when structuring and implementing an infrastructure project. She advises on all aspects of project delivery, including owner readiness, structuring, risk analysis, financing, procurement, and contract management.

Shmel C. Graham joined Kaplan Kirsch LLP as a senior counsel in Los Angeles.

Graham brings more than 15 years of infrastructure experience spanning legal and public-sector roles, including service in the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office under Mayors Antonio Villaraigosa and Eric Garcetti. Her experience working within government gives her a practical understanding of the opportunities and challenges involved in delivering complex infrastructure projects and informs her pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach to advising clients.

Ryu Fukuyama was promoted to partner of Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Fukuyama focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions and emerging growth company representation, with particular emphasis on technology sector transactions and cross-border deals involving buyers and sellers across Asia and Europe.

Alexandra B. Ascione was promoted to partner of Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Ascione focuses her practice on advising on a wide variety of litigation matters. She represents the interests of individuals and corporations across California.

Erin M. Gilmore was promoted to partner of Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Gilmore focuses her practice on complex litigation, class action, and product liability. She is a dedicated advocate, helping clients structure compelling case strategies in multifaceted litigation settings.

Mihran Yezbekyan was promoted to partner of Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Yezbekyan's practice is focused in the areas of product liability and mass torts, consumer class actions, and multidistrict litigation (MDLs).

Stephanie Nation joined Buchalter as a partner in Orange County. The move was Oct. 20, 2026.

Nation represents residential and commercial real estate developers throughout California in connection with the creation of common interest developments, including master planned communities, condominium and planned developments, mixed-use projects, age-qualified residential communities, build-to-rent communities, high-rise condominiums and custom lot subdivisions.

Charles M. Clark joined Buchalter as a partner in Orange County.

Clark's practice focuses on real estate and commercial disputes, securities fraud, trade secret misappropriation and unlawful detainer matters. He has represented a broad range of clients through every stage of litigation, from large real estate developers to independent businesses of all sizes.

Bret R. Henry joined Dykema as senior counsel in Los Angeles.

Henry counsels on vehicle design, safety systems, product defect allegations, and catastrophic injury claims. Drawing on his deep understanding of the automotive industry and emerging vehicle technologies, he develops coordinated defense strategies for multistate litigation and works closely with in-house counsel, engineers, experts, and local counsel across jurisdictions.

Matthew E. Sloan joined Valle Makoff LLP as a partner in Los Angeles

Sloan has joined Valle Makoff after 15 years as a litigation partner at Skadden in Los Angeles. He has more than 30 years of experience as a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles and in private practice. He has represented individuals and companies in civil, criminal and regulatory matters involving securities and health care fraud, insider trading, defense contractor fraud and False Claims Act litigation. He has also conducted internal investigations for domestic and international companies, including Fortune 500 corporations.

Louis A. Montengro joined Goldberg Segalla as an associate in Los Angeles.

Montenegro focuses his practice on workers' compensation matters, counseling and defending employers, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators. He is involved in all aspects of the claims-handling process, including claim evaluation, discovery, depositions, hearings, and litigation strategy, drawing on his experience serving in the United States Marine Corps, where he held leadership roles, led a 40-member unit, and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012. In high-pressure environments that demand accountability, discretion, and attention to detail, he developed the discipline, communication skills, and commitment to service he brings to his work on behalf of clients.

Daniel B Johnson joined Hodgson Russ LLP as a partner in Sacramento

Johnson will be a member of the firm's State & Local Tax Practice. He represents businesses and individuals in California tax disputes before the Franchise Tax Board and Office of Tax Appeals. He previously spent more than a decade at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, handling state and local tax matters.

Rebecca Grey joined ADR Services, Inc. as a neutral in San Francisco. The move was Oct. 26, 2026.

Grey is a highly respected mediator and former litigator bringing more than 25 years of legal experience and over a decade of mediation expertise to ADR Services, Inc. Since beginning her dispute resolution practice in 2012, she has successfully resolved a broad spectrum of disputes, including insurance coverage, bad faith, subrogation, real estate, landlord tenant, employment, personal injury, lemon law and other civil disputes. She is known for her thoughtful preparation, practical case analysis, and ability to connect with litigants and counsel alike. Her direct, down-to-earth approach, combined with decades of trial and litigation experience, enables her to provide realistic assessments of risk while helping parties find common ground and achieve resolution.

Jamie Chou was promoted to office managing partner of Womble Bond Dickinson in San Francisco and Walnut Creek. The promotion was effective Oct. 14, 2026.

Chou joined Womble Bond Dickinson in 2022 through the firm's combination with Cooper, White & Cooper LLP, the 126-year-old San Francisco firm that established Womble's presence in the city. As a corporate and real estate attorney, she counsels companies through the full life of a business, from formation and financing through acquisitions and sale, and represents landlords and tenants in commercial leases across office, retail, life sciences, and mixed-use properties, along with purchase and sale of commercial properties around the country.

Tiana DeLeo Dunn joined Greenberg Traurig LLP as a shareholder in San Francisco

Dunn focuses her practice on leasing and development. She represents shopping center developers, owner-operators, landlords, and tenants across the full lifecycle of commercial assets, from acquisition and financing to leasing, development, management, and disposition. Dunn also advises on data center leasing and related digital infrastructure real estate matters, including transactions that require coordination among real estate, operations, and business stakeholders.

Alexandra A. Roje joined Farella Braun + Martel LLP as a partner in San Francisco.

Roje assists policyholders in maximizing their insurance recovery during complex disputes involving product and environmental liability, Directors and Officers liability (D&O), Employment Practices Liability (EPL), first-party property coverage, crime and fidelity coverage, as well as insurance issues in bankruptcy proceedings. She works with policyholders to negotiate favorable policy terms and advises corporate boards on insurance coverage and liability matters related to mergers and acquisitions. This includes advice on transactional risk insurance, such as representations and warranties liability and tax indemnity insurance products.

Julie A. Cress joined Hogan Lovells Cadwalader as a partner in San Francisco.

Cress helps businesses navigate complex environmental regulations with practical advice informed by experience in government, industry, and private practice. She advises on California and federal air quality, climate change, fuels, and mobile source requirements, helping clients anticipate regulatory change, maintain compliance, respond to incidents, and resolve enforcement matters.

Katherine C. Fine was electetd managing partner of Duckor Metzger & Wynne, APLC in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Fine is head of DMW's Litigation Department and has played an active role in recent years helping drive the firm's strategic direction and growth. This includes working to expand DMW's Privacy & Cybersecurity practice, which provides comprehensive counsel on privacy compliance, cybersecurity risk management, regulatory investigations and related litigation. She represents businesses and individuals in high-stakes litigation, including defending employers in complex discrimination and wage-and-hour cases and navigating contentious trust and estate matters. Fine will take over the managing partner role from Anna F. Roppo.

Helen Gilbert joined Jenner & Block as a partner in San Francisco. The move was Oct. 14, 2026.

Gilbert spent more than 10 years at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, where she served as chief of the National Security, Cyber, and Special Prosecutions Section. She supervised prosecutions involving national security, cybersecurity, trade secret theft, economic espionage and public corruption. Her experience also includes wire fraud, tax fraud, government program fraud and evaluating qui tam cases for potential criminal prosecution. In private practice, she represents clients in government investigations, white-collar criminal matters and corporate crises, including companies in the artificial intelligence, semiconductor, cybersecurity and advanced mobility industries.

Maurice A. Leiter joined JAMS as a neutral in Los Angeles.

Leiter served for almost 11 years as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, including more than nine years presiding over and resolving cases in a busy Independent Calendar civil courtroom. His docket and trial calendar included a wide variety of commercial, employment, personal injury, wrongful death, elder abuse, real estate, professional malpractice, insurance and construction cases. He also presided over environmental and CEQA lawsuits as well as asbestos and talc litigation in the court's Complex Litigation Department, enhancing his ability to assess complex technical, scientific and medical issues. Judge Leiter meticulously prepared for motion practice and trial, and facilitated resolutions by addressing key legal issues and encouraging early settlement efforts.

Tony L. Richardson joined ADR Services, Inc. as a neutral in Los Angeles.

Richardson brings more than four decades of legal experience to his work as a neutral, including nearly three decades in private practice handling complex commercial litigation and more than thirteen years on the Los Angeles County Superior Court. His career has placed him on both sides of the bench in sophisticated civil disputes. He has experience as a trial attorney and partner at several prominent national law firms, as a judge managing an independent civil calendar, and for seven years as a member of the Superior Court's Appellate Division. In 2020, he also served by assignment as a Justice Pro Tem of the 2nd District Court of Appeal. During his judicial career, he authored thousands of appellate opinions and decisions, including several published opinions.

John J. Heber joined Jeffer Mangels & Mitchell LLP as a partner in San Francisco.

Heber is a business transactional tax attorney with over 30 years of experience working with domestic and international companies of all shapes and sizes, from start-ups to the Fortune 50. He also focuses on executive compensation and employee benefits practice, providing insightful guidance on trending issues and pending legislation. He provides clients with fully informed advice that considers not only the business purpose and economics of a particular transaction, but also the complex tax, executive compensation and employee benefits issues that often complicate M&A and IPO transactions.

Burak S. Ahmed joined Jeffer Mangels & Mitchell LLP as counsel in Los Angeles.

Ahmed is a business and tax attorney who represents individuals and business entities in transaction structuring, debt and equity financings, executive and equity-based compensation arrangements, and mergers and acquisitions. Ahmed regularly advises clients on transactions ranging from approximately $10 million to more than $1 billion, helping them address tax considerations, manage transaction risk, and achieve efficient outcomes.