Daniel V. Kohls joined Signature Resolution as a neutral in San Francisco. The move was March 2, 2026.

Kohls' practice at Signature Resolution focuses on business and commercial litigation, professional liability, legal malpractice, and insurance claims litigation. Known for his steady presence, candor and his empathy, Kohls is particularly skilled at translating dense legal positions into realistic pathways for all parties aiming to find resolution. His style as a neutral is characterized by thorough preparation and his commitment to helping individuals, especially those who may have felt overlooked during litigation, feel genuinely seen and understood in mediation.

Hyura Choi joined Johnson & Johnson LLP as a senior counsel in Beverly Hills. The move was Feb. 23, 2026.

Choi is a seasoned attorney with deep experience in civil litigation and appellate practice, securing meaningful wins for clients ranging from high‑net‑worth individuals and start-ups to hedge funds and public companies. She most recently served as senior in-house counsel at a global REIT, where she led strategy on high‑stakes disputes, managed complex portfolios of outside counsel, and advised senior leadership on emerging regulatory and legislative developments while building cross‑functional compliance frameworks

Bryan M. Wittlin was promoted to partner in Century City of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP effective March 1.

Wittlin is a member of the Business Trial practice group and Private Wealth and Fiduciary Litigation industry team. He represents trustees, beneficiaries, heirs, creditors and others in matters involving probate, trust and will contests, breach of fiduciary duty and financial elder abuse claims, disputed accountings, conservatorships and other litigated matters.

Segun Aluko was promoted to partner in Century City of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP effective March 1.

Aluko is a member of the Entertainment, Technology and Advertising and Corporate practice groups. He represents major entertainment clients—including Amazon MGM Studios, Disney Television Animation, Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Skydance Sports—across the full value chain of audiovisual content, from development and rights acquisition through production, financing, distribution and licensing, and also counsels entertainment and technology clients on corporate matters including M&A, joint ventures and venture capital transactions.

Meghan K. McCormick was promoted to partner in Century City of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP effective March 1.

McCormick is a member of the Business Trial practice group and Private Wealth and Fiduciary Litigation team. She represents clients in high-profile celebrity and trust and estate disputes, including trust and will contests, breach of fiduciary cases, elder abuse cases, conservatorships, guardianships and other fiduciary matters.

Anne-Marie D. Dao was promoted to partner in Orange County of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP effective March 1.

Dao is a member of the Intellectual Property and Business Trial practice groups and the Privacy and Cybersecurity industry team. She defends clients in individual, class, and enforcement actions relating to privacy, data breaches, and data processing practices in state and federal courts nationwide. She also litigates claims alleging violations of privacy-adjacent consumer protection statutes, including state and federal laws concerning false advertising and unfair competition.

Rabia A. Paracha was promoted to partner in Orange County of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP effective March 1.

Paracha is a seasoned real estate attorney at Sheppard who serves as lead counsel on high-value, complex transactions nationwide. She led the successful closing of more than $4 billion in transactions last year alone, advising investors, developers and national operators across the United States.

Sheri L. Bonstelle joined Greenberg Glusker LLP as a partner in Los Angeles (Century City). The move was Feb. 23, 2026.

Bonstelle is a member of the firm's Real Estate Department and is chair of the Land Use & Development Practice. She specializes in land use, zoning, environmental, litigation, and construction law.

Ben Wiles joined Greenberg Glusker LLP as a partner in Los Angeles (Century City).

Wiles is a member of the firm's Corporate Department focused on venture and emerging growth companies, venture capital and private equity investors, and private company mergers and acquisitions.

Daniel Freedman joined Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck as a shareholder in Los Angeles. The move was Feb. 25, 2026.

Freedman advises developers, property owners and project teams on complex land use, environmental and development matters across California. His practice integrates entitlement strategy, CEQA and municipal law counseling, and project-related litigation to advance projects, manage risk and protect long-term development objectives.

He represents clients throughout the development process, from initial planning and agency approvals through administrative appeals and litigation. His work also encompasses related real estate and regulatory issues, including municipal law, open government requirements, signage regulations, housing policy, public contracting, and disputes involving land use controls, takings and exactions, inverse condemnation, construction defects, landslides and other property-related claims.

Eric W. Nimmo joined Murtaugh as an associate in Irvine. The move was Feb. 26, 2026.

Nimmo's practice is focused on trust and estate litigation and complex business disputes. He represents trustees, beneficiaries, business owners, and other high-net-worth individuals in contested matters involving breach of fiduciary duty, trust administration disputes, ownership conflicts, and related civil litigation. Eric approaches each matter with a practical, strategic mindset aimed at protecting client interests while positioning cases for efficient resolution.

Kevin E. Thelen joined Bostwick & Associates as a senior counsel in Bakersfield.

Thelen has 20 years of experience in complex medical malpractice and catastrophic injury litigation. His practice focuses on cases involving serious injury and wrongful medical conduct. He has served as lead trial counsel in more than a dozen medical malpractice jury trials in California and has handled matters requiring detailed medical analysis, expert coordination and extensive trial preparation.

He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Justin Powers joined Bostwick & Associates as an associate in Sacramento.

Powers joins Bostwick & Associates as an associate attorney representing plaintiffs in medical malpractice and personal injury litigation. For more than five years, he has focused on medical malpractice and catastrophic injury matters, developing cases supported by medical and technical evidence. He works closely with expert witnesses to present complex information clearly and effectively.

Michael Dreibelbis was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Mar. 1, 2026.

Dreibelbis is a member of the Environment, Land & Resources Practice. He advises private equity sponsors, investors and project developers on complex offtake agreements and energy transition investments, with a focus on carbon capture and sequestration, low-carbon fuel supply and certification, California cap-and-trade compliance, and voluntary carbon offset transactions.

Christopher (Topher) Michail was promoted to partner of Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 3, 2026.

Michail is a member of the Structured Finance Practice. He advises asset managers, banks, business development companies, financial institutions and borrowers on a range of financing transactions, including collateralized loan obligations, secured and unsecured credit facilities, acquisition financings, structured vehicle financings, asset securitizations and joint venture origination platforms.

Kimberly Kismeth Chemerinsky joined Rushing McCarl LLP as a partner in Santa Monica. The move was Feb. 24, 2026.

Chemerinsky represents businesses in high-stakes disputes, including regulatory investigations, class actions, and complex contract and tort matters, in federal and state courts and in arbitration.

She represented UnitedHealth Group and OptumRx in the largest federal multidistrict litigation in U.S. history; secured a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision for Stanford University affirming dismissal of a $468 million False Claims Act action; won a full acquittal after a six-week federal jury trial for a former Nomura Securities bond trader; and secured the exoneration of a man who had spent 12 years in prison following a wrongful conviction.

G. Michael Brelje was promoted to partner of Cappello & Noël in Santa Barbara. The promotion is effective Feb. 1, 2026.

Brelje has tried multiple jury cases to verdict and numerous bench trials to judgment, and has resolved high-stakes matters through settlement. He has also handled appeals resulting in published decisions.

Before joining Cappello & Noël, he was a senior attorney at Rogers, Sheffield & Campbell LLP and Grokenberger & Smith, representing clients in real estate transactions and disputes, construction matters, landlord-tenant issues, and trust and estate administration.

Brelje is a member of the Santa Barbara County Bar Association, where he served on the board and is a former president of the Santa Barbara Barristers. He is admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. District Courts for the Central and Eastern Districts of California.

Dena L. Klotz was promoted to partner of Lagerlof LLP in Encino.

Klotz advises individuals, families, family offices and closely held business owners on sophisticated wealth planning, trust administration, real estate matters, long-term asset protection and significant life transactions. She brings a multidisciplinary perspective shaped by her experience in law, real estate and family therapy.

A graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law, Klotz has been a member of the State Bar of California since 1994. She previously worked as a licensed Realtor in the San Fernando Valley and holds a master's degree in marriage and family therapy from Phillips Graduate University. Earlier in her career, she practiced as a therapist, focusing on conflict resolution for families and couples. She later returned to legal practice, integrating her understanding of family dynamics with her legal expertise to counsel clients on complex personal, financial and intergenerational matters.

Jayesh Patel was elected partner-in-charge of the Los Angeles office of Norton Rose Fulbright. Their tenure is effective Feb. 11, 2026.

As a trial litigator and strategic advisor, Patel represents a range of businesses, high-net-worth individuals and family offices on complex financial, real estate and commercial disputes as well as a wide range of business matters.

Ashley Bolduc was promoted to partner of Cummins & White, LLP in Newport Beach.

Bolduc is a key member of the firm's corporate and transactional practice, advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, securities matters, and complex business transactions. Since joining Cummins & White in 2017, she has become a trusted advisor to business owners, executives, and investors, known for guiding clients through high-stakes matters with a practical, strategic approach focused on long-term business objectives.

Andrew C. Whitman was promoted to counsel of Kibler Fowler & Cave LLP in Los Angeles.

Whitman has extensive experience handling high stakes matters in both state and federal courts, across a broad range of industries, including real estate, finance, entertainment, cannabis, and local government law.

Kevin J. Cammiso was promoted to counsel of Kibler Fowler & Cave LLP in Los Angeles.

Cammiso represents clients in intellectual property, entertainment, and business litigation in state and federal courts. His practice spans complex commercial disputes, copyright and trademark matters, and entertainment industry litigation.

Arteen Mnayan joined Polsinelli LLP as a shareholder in Los Angeles.

Mnayan advises developers, investors and lenders on land use entitlement and regulatory strategy for real estate and infrastructure projects across California. He helps clients navigate state and local approval processes, environmental review, political dynamics and compliance issues that shape project feasibility, timing, and risk. His practice focuses on land use regulation and obtaining entitlements for a wide range of real estate development projects, including residential, commercial, mixed-use, industrial, hospitality, educational and medical projects. Arteen regularly drafts and negotiates development agreements and advises on issues related to sign districts, water supply, and infrastructure constraints.

Matthew T. Browne joined Foley & Lardner LLP as a partner in San Diego.

Browne represents emerging and late-stage private companies and public companies in a wide range of corporate and securities matters. His experience spans corporate formation and governance, private financings, mergers and acquisitions, SPAC transactions, public company reporting and disclosure, public offerings, strategic collaborations, commercial agreements, and employment and compensation arrangements.

Darby Chan joined Foley & Lardner LLP as a partner in San Francisco.

Chan focuses his practice on patent prosecution and strategic IP counseling for health care and life sciences companies, particularly at the intersection of engineering and medicine. He advises clients on building, protecting, and leveraging patent portfolios that support product development, financing, and long-term growth.

Sanjeet Dutta joined Foley & Lardner LLP as a partner in Silicon Valley.

Dutta advises technology‑driven companies on intellectual property strategy, patent portfolio development, and complex IP matters involving emerging and advanced technologies. His technical experience spans artificial intelligence, machine learning, semiconductors, robotics, and software security. He helps clients protect innovations in industries spanning consumer electronics, supercomputers, advanced AI networking systems, and DNA diagnostics, and navigates rapidly evolving technical and competitive landscapes.

Peter Z. Stockburger joined Foley & Lardner LLP as a partner in San Diego.

Stockburger's practice covers the entire lifecycle of technology-driven legal challenges. He drafts and negotiates complex technology agreements. He architects privacy and cybersecurity policies from the ground up. He designs AI governance programs that balance innovation with accountability. He conducts risk assessments and tabletop exercises that prepare organizations for real-world scenarios. And when regulatory inquiries, litigation, or cyber incidents strike, Peter is the steady hand guiding clients through the storm.

Conor McNamara was promoted to counsel of Nixon Peabody LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Feb. 1, 2026.

As part of Nixon Peabody's Construction & Real Estate Litigation practice, McNamara represents public entities, major companies, and high-net-worth individuals in a broad range of disputes, including construction issues, contract and intellectual property conflicts, and government investigations. He is experienced in all aspects of litigation, such as e-discovery, investigation work, motion practice, depositions in complex cases, and witness examinations at multi-week arbitration evidentiary hearings. McNamara is also active in pro bono immigration work and is a member of the firm's Veterans Network.

Matthew D. Pearson joined Frankfurt Kurnit Klein + Selz PC as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Feb. 18, 2026.

Pearson has deep experience defending class action lawsuits in a wide variety of industries, including automotive, healthcare, financial services, retail, and technology. He has special expertise in the defense of data- and privacy-based claims, frequently handling cases filed under California's Unfair Competition Law, Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA), Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), and similar statutes. He regularly counsels clients on how to mitigate the risk of litigation arising from web-based advertising technologies.

Hillary D. Patton joined Everett Dorey LLP as a partner in Irvine.

Patton is an accomplished civil litigator with extensive experience representing insurers, businesses, property owners, and management companies in complex litigation matters. She handles all aspects of litigation from initial pleadings through trial and appeal, including written discovery, depositions, law-and-motion practice, arbitration, and trials. Her practice encompasses a broad range of civil defense matters, including homeowners association disputes, employment law, catastrophic and personal injury, property management, habitability, products liability, premises liability, professional malpractice, fraud and misrepresentation, government tort claims, and class actions. She is routinely entrusted with high-exposure cases and is known for her strategic approach to litigation and strong advocacy in both court and arbitration proceedings.

Tamerlin Godley joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Feb. 2, 2026.

Godley is a member of Willkie's Litigation Department and will serve as chair of the Firm's Entertainment Litigation Practice Group.

Godley represents studios, networks and Fortune 500 companies in complex business litigation disputes and sensitive company investigations. Godley regularly guides high-profile, high-net worth clients on matters involving the protection of assets, and investigations in times of crisis, often avoiding litigation.

Alon Lagstein was promoted to shareholder of Carlton Fields in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Feb. 16, 2026.

Lagstein represents owners, operators, tenants, landlords, borrowers, lenders, investors, and developers in commercial and residential real estate matters, with a focus on acquisition and disposition, leasing, financing, and joint ventures. He represents a wide range of clients, including high net worth individuals and family offices, startups, private equity firms, financial institutions, and project sponsors. Lagstein earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law.

Tony Andre joined Stinson LLP as a counsel in San Francisco.

Andre works with financial institutions, businesses, and investors on commercial disputes, contract matters, and other high-value litigation. He is known for his ability to cut through complexity and provide practical guidance that supports sound decision-making in challenging situations. He represents financial institutions and investors in litigation as plaintiff, defendant, and as neutral third party in a wide manner of disputes. He also helps these entities interpret and respond to attachment requests, subpoenas from private and governmental entities, and other legal orders.

David Lizerbram joined The Schenk Law Firm LLP as a partner in San Diego.

Lizerbram brings more than 20 years of experience advising businesses locally and nationwide on a wide range of matters including trademarks and copyrights, strategic partnerships, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions and social media law. His client base spans from solo entrepreneurs to publicly traded companies, and he has guided multimillion-dollar fundraising efforts and complex commercial transactions across multiple industries.

In addition to his legal practice, Lizerbram is an active thought leader and podcast host, producing shows such as "Products of the Mind," which explores the intersection of business and creativity, and "Little Slugger," a baseball podcast co-hosted with his young son. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinematic Arts with a minor from the USC Marshall School of Business and received his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. He also serves on the board of directors of the San Diego Jewish Bar Association and the North Park Little League.

Ogletree Deakins welcomes Melissa Peters as a shareholder in San Francisco.

Peters has a proven track record of assisting employers through crisis situations, including accident and fatality investigations and multi-agency events. She represents employers in all phases of OSHA litigation and provides timely counseling on the impact of health and safety regulations for their workplaces and operations. Her work includes advising employers on compliance strategies, managing accident and fatality investigations, and representing employers and industry groups in OSHA rulemaking proceedings. She has extensive experience across many sectors, including energy, healthcare, telecommunications, construction, manufacturing, and logistics.

Ogletree Deakins welcomes Eric Compere as a shareholder in Los Angeles.

Compere provides employers with practical guidance on emerging OSHA regulations, crisis and incident response, internal investigations, safety audits, and the development of mandatory safety plans. He regularly defends employers during all stages of OSHA citation challenges, from issuance through appeal. His work includes public advocacy, which involves drafting regulatory comments, supporting judicial challenges to regulations, and preparing amicus briefs for industry coalitions. Eric advises clients in numerous high-hazard industries, including logistics, construction, manufacturing, automotive, logging, energy, robotics, healthcare, and agriculture.

Tony Tootell joined Hill Farrer & Burrill LLP as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Feb. 3, 2026.

Tootell represents clients in complex contract and business tort matters, including construction and manufacturing disputes, real estate conflicts and regulatory and tariff-related issues. He is widely recognized for his work in renewable and alternative energy dispute resolution and litigation, representing clients in federal and state courts nationwide, as well as in national and international arbitration forums. Tootell's trial experience includes bench trials involving option contracts, environmental indemnity claims and land use disputes.

A significant portion of Tootell's practice has included utility-scale solar project disputes, particularly those arising from EPC agreements. His experience spans matters involving power purchase agreements, performance standards, project delays, liquidated damages, change orders, permitting challenges and force majeure claims.

Mich J. Timpane joined JAMS as a neutral in San Francisco. The move was Feb. 11, 2026.

Timpane offers over 40 years of experience in resolving complex construction disputes, including payment claims, delays, and related counterclaims. His projects span water treatment, prisons, schools, public buildings, and large developments. He has resolved over 1,000 matters as mediator, arbitrator, early neutral evaluator, court-appointed referee, special master, and dispute resolution board member. Recently, he ran his ADR practice, Timpane Dispute Resolution (2024-2025). From 2012 to 2024, he was a partner and neutral at SMTD Law LLP. Before that, he worked at JAMS (2008-2012) on engineering, construction, defect, insurance, and property panels. Based in the San Francisco Resolution Center, he serves as mediator, arbitrator, court-neutral, and evaluator in engineering, construction, defect, and insurance cases.

Allison Perlman joined Troutman Pepper Locke as a partner in Los Angeles.

Perlman has joined Troutman Pepper Locke from McDermott Will & Schulte, where she advised investors, lenders, and developers on transactions involving renewable energy and energy transition projects worldwide. Perlman's practice spans the lifecycle of renewable energy transactions, including project finance, project development, M&A, tax equity and tax credit transfer transactions, equipment supply, and other key commercial arrangements for wind, solar, storage, and emerging renewable technologies. She regularly structures complex capital arrangements and negotiates risk allocation for projects from development through construction and operations.