Gregory R. Smith joined Lowenstein & Weatherwax LLP as of counsel in Los Angeles.

Smith practiced at Irell & Manella LLP for five decades, where he founded the firm's appellate group. He has appeared in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, the Delaware Supreme Court, the Nevada Supreme Court, and various courts of appeal, including the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and California Courts of Appeal.
"Joining the firm not only enables me to practice law with friends and former colleagues but also to help build the firm's growing appellate practice. That has been my specialty for many years, and I have always enjoyed its intellectual challenge," Smith said.
As of counsel, Smith said he hopes to bring skills he has developed over the years "to assist younger lawyers in the development of those skills, and in this way to bring an important benefit to the firm's clients."
Smith is a member of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers and was previously Chair of the California State Bar Committee on Appellate Courts.
Smith received his law degree from Harvard Law School, where he served on the Harvard Law Review and graduated magna cum laude. He completed his bachelor's degree at Claremont Men's College, where he was summa cum laude, and his master's degree at the London School of Economics.
Smith is also an active member in several charitable organizations and is a founder and President of Westwood Kehilla Synagogue.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for me to do something that I love so much with an extraordinary group of lawyers amongst whom I count many friends," Smith said. "What more could I ask for?"

Ali Abugheida was promoted to counsel of Buckley LLP in Los Angeles.

Abugheida represents corporate and individual clients in complex civil litigation and government enforcement matters. His work includes cases involving allegations of mortgage fraud, the Truth in Lending Act, property-assessed clean energy (PACE) financing, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and unfair and deceptive trade-practice statutes. He received his J.D. from the University of Southern California in 2012, and his B.A. from the University of California, San Diego in 2009 (cum laude).

Sherry-Maria Safchuk was promoted to counsel of Buckley LLP in Los Angeles.

Safchuk represents clients in regulatory and compliance matters and provides support for complex litigation and government investigations involving the mortgage, consumer, and commercial lending industries. She also assists clients on privacy issues, including those related to the California Consumer Privacy Act. She received her J.D. from George Washington University in 2008, and her B.A. from the University of Southern California in 2005.

Leslie Meredith was promoted to counsel of Buckley LLP in Washington, DC.

Meredith represents corporate and individual clients in complex civil litigation and government investigations. She has experience representing clients before the Department of Justice, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, state attorneys general, and in federal and state courts around the country. She received her J.D. from American University (cum laude) in 2011, and her B.A. from Washington College (magna cum laude) in 2006.

Kristopher Kokotaylo was promoted to principal of Meyers Nave in Oakland.

Meyers Nave proudly announces the elevation of Kristopher Kokotaylo to Principal, effective January 1, 2020.

Kokotaylo joined Meyers Nave in 2013 as a member of the Municipal & Special District Law Practice Group. He provides advice and guidance on the complete range of challenges that municipalities, counties, special districts and public agencies face as they implement their missions and mandates. He currently serves as City Attorney for the City of Union City, Assistant City Attorney for the City of San Leandro, Interim City Attorney for the City of Newark, General Counsel for the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee, and District Counsel for the Stege Sanitary District. Kris focuses his practice on land use, real estate, construction, constitutional law, code enforcement, the Public Records Act, and the Brown Act. He provides advice on governance and daily operations issues as well as public policy development and long-term planning matters. Kris serves on the Board of Directors for Spectrum Community Services, a nonprofit that assists low-income and disadvantaged individuals, families and seniors in their efforts to live independently. Kris is a member of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area and the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California.

Jenny L. Riggs was promoted to principal of Meyers Nave in Los Angeles.

Meyers Nave proudly announces the elevation of Jenny Riggs to Principal, effective January 1, 2020.

Riggs joined Meyers Nave in 2013 as a member of the Trial and Litigation Practice Group. She has extensive state and federal court litigation experience on behalf of municipalities, counties, special districts, businesses and non-profit organizations. Jenny’s expertise includes single- and multi-plaintiff cases involving constitutional law, government corruption, land use, zoning, catastrophic disasters, eminent domain and inverse condemnation, coastal issues, environmental claims, Public Records Act and Brown Act compliance, Americans with Disabilities Act, employment law, and civil rights claims for violations of substantive and procedural due process. In addition to her skills in the courtroom examining witnesses and arguing motions, and her expert aptitude for taking and defending depositions, Jenny leads the development and management of Meyers Nave’s systems and protocols for discovery plans in complex matters and document intensive litigation. Jenny handles pre-trial litigation (including dispositive motions), pre-trial discovery, various stages of motion practice, and trial. Her complex litigation experience also includes multi-district cases and civil litigations that are intertwined with criminal actions. Jenny is a member of California Women Lawyers and the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles.

Shiraz Tangri was promoted to principal of Meyers Nave in Los Angeles.

Meyers Nave proudly announces the elevation of Shiraz Tangri to Principal, effective January 1, 2020.

Shiraz Tangri joined Meyers Nave in 2013 as a member of the Land Use and Environmental Law Practice Group. He focuses his practice on real estate development, infrastructure, and transportation projects. His experience includes all aspects of land use entitlements, litigation and compliance for public and private clients who are project developers, owners and/or operators. Shiraz fills a specialized niche within land use law, advising clients on major infrastructure, transportation, and urban in-fill projects, including housing, cultural and educational institutions, and transit-oriented development. He is well-versed in the myriad of issues that project development clients face regarding land use law, such as compliance with the Brown Act and other public meeting laws, green building, adaptive re-use, air quality and permitting, renewable energy, sustainable development and transportation planning. Shiraz’s areas of expertise cover the California Environmental Quality Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and complex multi-party and multi-site litigation involving environmental claims, public-private partnerships, water rights, contaminated properties, toxic torts, and products liability issues. Shiraz is a member of the California Minority Counsel Program and the Mentor Program of the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California.

Laurie H. Selkowitz was promoted to partner of Wargo French LLP in Los Angeles.

Selkowitz practices in the areas of general corporate and securities, mergers and acquisitions, technology law and intellectual property and trade secrets. Her elevation will be effective on Jan. 1.

Jeffrey N. Williams was promoted to partner of Wargo French LLP in Los Angeles.

Williams practices in the areas of appellate litigation, intellectual property and trade secrets, financial services litigation, class and collective action litigation and employment litigation. His promotion will be effective on Jan. 1.

Janice Rice was promoted to deputy practice group leader of Squire Patton Boggs LLP in San Francisco.

Rice is the new leader of the firm's intellectual property & technology practice group, including the life and health sciences patent team, in San Francisco and Palo Alto.
The Squire Patton Boggs partner has in-depth experience with the pharmaceutical industry, which allows her to advise clients on intellectual property-related issues, product life cycle management and handling inventions overseas.

Michael R. Weiss was promoted to office managing partner of Akerman LLP in Los Angeles.

Weiss will guide Akerman's growth and recruitment efforts in Los Angeles, while further strengthening the firm's relationship with civic and business leaders in the region. Weiss, an experienced commercial litigator, will also continue his role as leader of the Los Angeles litigation practice group, representing clients through complex real estate litigation, commercial and business disputes and insurance and insurance insolvency matters.

Sahil Ramesh Shah joined Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman & Rabkin LLP as associate in Los Angeles.

Shah's practice focuses on real estate transactions including leasing of industrial, retail and office properties as well as the purchase and sale of residential and commercial properties. He also advises clients on environmental regulatory matters including the remediation of property with environmental contamination and compliance with California's Proposition 65.

Steven T. Anapoell joined Carlton Fields PA as of counsel in Los Angeles.

Anapoell's practice focuses on private equity, fund formation, private securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and real estate syndications. He has served clients in a variety of industries including technology and software, entertainment, renewable energy, oil and gas, sporting goods, life settlements and medical devices.

Peter S. Selvin joined Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP as partner in Beverly Hills.

Selvin has experience handling commercial litigation, insurance coverage and international litigation. He often represents insurers and national corporations in civil disputes in commercial and business settings.

Pooja S. Nair joined Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP as partner in Beverly Hills.

Nair is a business litigator with a focus on the food and beverage sector. She advises food and beverage clients, startups and other businesses on a range of issues such as employment, trade secrets, partnership disputes, contract negotiations, intellectual property, licensing and franchise disputes.

Philip J. Smith joined Fisher & Phillips LLP as of counsel in San Francisco.

Smith's practice focuses on employment litigation involving single and class action claims for discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour matters and unfair competition. Risk assessment, litigation avoidance, policy development and compliance, employment contracts and personnel management actions are some of the matters Smith counsels on.

Rob P. Neale joined Clark Hill PLC as senior counsel in San Francisco.

Neale advises clients on all aspects of corporate immigration law, regulation, policy and compliance, including nonimmigrant work visas, permanent residence, naturalization, family-based matters and corporate restructuring.

Jonathan J. Goodwin was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in Redwood City.

Goodwin's practice focuses on the formation and general representation of early stage to growth-stage venture capital firms. He works with firms on their general fund operations and investment activities, including facilitating the exploration of new investment strategies, advising on tax matters and addressing changes in the legal landscape. Goodwin's promotion will be effective on Jan. 1.

John H. Olson was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in Northern California.

Olson advises sellers, buyers and investors in private and public technology and life sciences companies. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions and has experience advising clients in mergers, stock purchases, asset sales and other strategic transactions. His promotion will be effective on Jan. 1.

Michael N. Richman was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in Redwood City.

Richman focuses his practice on executive compensation-related aspects of corporate transactions and public offerings, as well as key employee representations and related tax matters. His elevation will be effective on Jan. 1.

Maggie N. White was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in Redwood City.

White represents a variety of technology companies and leading venture capital firms in their corporate and governance matters, financing transactions and a variety of merger and acquisition transactions. She focuses on early stage startups across a range of industries. Her promotion will be effective on Jan. 1.

Meng Xi was promoted to partner of Susman Godfrey LLP in Los Angeles.

Xi focuses her practice on a variety of high-stakes commercial litigation matters in federal and state courts across the country, particularly patent infringement and business contract disputes. Her elevation will be effective on Jan. 1.

Krysta Kauble Pachman was promoted to partner of Susman Godfrey LLP in Los Angeles.

Kauble Pachman represents plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes commercial litigation, including class actions, patent cases, copyright matters and other disputes. Her promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Sonya D. Goodwin joined Sauer & Wagner LLP as senior employment counsel in Los Angeles.

Goodwin has extensive experience advising both large and small companies in a wide range of industries on various state and federal employment issues. She counsels employers about their employment policies and agreements such as matters including wage and hour issues, disability issues, employee complaints of discrimination, harassment and retaliation.

Stephen Abreu was promoted to partner of Sidley Austin LLP in San Francisco.

Abreu brings experience in transactions in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and digital health space. He often advises companies on intellectual property and commercial agreements, including strategic partnering and collaboration agreements, intellectual property licenses, commercial manufacturing, supply and distribution agreements and software licenses. His promotion will be effective on Jan. 1.

Sally M. Wagner Partin was promoted to partner of Sidley Austin LLP in San Francisco.

Wagner Partin represents companies in a range of merger and acquisition transactions involving public and private entities, strategic alliances, securities offerings and corporate governance. She focuses on life sciences, financial services and technology companies. Wagner Partin's promotion will be effective on Jan. 1.

Eric R. Garcia was promoted to principal of Polsinelli LLP in Los Angeles.

Garcia is an intellectual property attorney with a hybrid practice in patent prosecution and litigation. He has extensive experience in prosecuting patent applications in the mechanical and electrical arts and has counseled clients of all sizes on matters relating to patents, trademarks, licensing, joint development, IP strategy and litigation. Garcia has also practiced litigated matters involving targeted advertising, touch capacitance sensing, payment systems, digital tuning, haptic feedback, network architecture, water treatment and manufacturing processes.

Adam P. Daniels was promoted to principal of Polsinelli LLP in Los Angeles.

Daniels is a patent attorney with a practice that involves all aspects of intellectual property. He has extensive experience with mechanical and electrical technologies and represents clients on matters involving patent portfolio development, intellectual property litigation, license agreement negotiations and due diligence.