Michele Ballard Miller joined Cozen O'Connor as chair in San Francisco, Santa Monica.

Miller is a management-side labor and employment attorney. She represents businesses in single- and multiple-plaintiff cases and collective actions.

George G. Demos joined DLA Piper US LLP as partner in Sacramento.

Demos' practice focuses on securities enforcement, white collar criminal defense and corporate investigations. He has experience leading high-profile and complex corporate fraud investigations.

Jeremy M. Brown joined California Environmental Protection Agency as assistant general counsel in Sacramento.

Brown was previously a clinical instructor and research fellow at the University of Texas School of Law. He has also served in the private sector as an attorney.

Suma Peesapati joined California Environmental Protection Agency as assistant general counsel for enforcement in San Diego.

Peesapati formerly owned her own law firm and worked at various firms. She has also been a visiting assistant professor and staff attorney at UC Irvine

Edward Hanover joined DLA Piper LLP as partner in Palo Alto.

Hanover will provide counsel to sports industry participants who may face investigations or other complex legal challenges. He will also counsel clients on developing and improving their compliance programs.

Jon C. Yonemitsu joined Littler Mendelson PC as shareholder in San Diego.

Yonemitsu counsels and defends companies in employment law matters such as discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Family Medical Leave Act, California's Fair Employment and Housing Act and the California Family Rights Act.

Remy J. Kessler joined McGuireWoods LLP as partner in Century City.

Kessler represents employers in wage and hour disputes and claims involving wrongful termination, termination, discrimination, sexual harassment, civil rights and employment torts.

Noemi O. Gallardo joined California Energy Commission as public advisor in Plumas Lake.

Gallardo will provide insight on meetings, workshops and formal proceedings at the California Energy Commission. She will also act as an independent intermediary who conveys confidential feedback from grant recipients on grant programs.

Cornelia H. Dai was promoted to name partner of Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP in Pasadena.

Dai specializes in employment, wage and hour and civil rights law, with a focus on class actions and complex litigation. She has litigated a wide range of matters including discrimination, whistleblowing, wrongful termination and free speech infringement.

Isela C. Barrios was promoted to partner of Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP in Pasadena.

Barrios specializes in family-based immigration law and represents some local union members in securing permanent lawful immigration and citizenship status. She also has experience representing union workers in consumer defense or consumer bankruptcy matters.

Valeria M. De Gonzalez was promoted to partner of Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP in Pasadena.

Gonzalez provides immigration law services to union members and their families.

Nancy C. Hanna was promoted to partner of Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP in Pasadena.

Hanna represents tenants in eviction and affirmative claims as well as workers in individual and class wage and hour claims among other matters.

Brian D. Olney was promoted to partner of Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP in Pasadena.

Olney maintains a litigation practice, with an emphasis in civil rights and employment law. He represents plaintiffs in state court, federal court and arbitration proceedings at all stages of litigation.

Shaleen A. Shanbhag was promoted to partner of Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP in Pasadena.

Shanbhag represents plaintiffs in civil rights, employment cases and international human rights proceedings.

Zuzana S. Ikels joined King & Spalding LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Ikels focuses on fraud and abuse litigation and commercial disputes for healthcare entities and healthcare technology companies. She has handled many disputes and class actions involving federal and state competition, consumer protection statutes and other privacy-related laws.

Alicia M.B. Fowler joined California High-Speed Rail Authority as chief counsel in Sacramento.

Fowler provides legal counsel and advice on issues affecting the state and several departments, authorities, boards and commissions.

Daniel M. Mayeda joined Ballard Spahr LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Mayeda litigates media, publishing and entertainment matters and handles insurance coverage disputes involving those industries. His practice encompasses libel, privacy, copyright, trademark, right of publicity, breach of contract, breach of confidence, license disputes, and unfair competition.

Mary Craig Calkins joined Blank Rome LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Calkins has experience in areas of insurance recovery, including entertainment and intellectual property claims, securities, cyber liabilities, e-commerce and technology claims, labor and employment claims, construction defects, first party property and business interruption losses and broker liability claims.

Daniel H. Rylaarsdam joined Blank Rome LLP as of counsel in Los Angeles.

Rylaarsdam represents policyholders in a broad range of complex insurance coverage matters. His insurance recovery and litigation experience includes both first-party and third-party insurance disputes involving directors and officers liability, entertainment claims, errors and omissions claims, cyber coverage, crime policies, construction defect claims and more.

Zane S. Averbach joined Lewitt, Hackman, Shapiro, Marshall & Harlan LLC as shareholder.

Averback has experience in taxation, corporate, business and business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, estate planning, real estate and real estate transactions.

Mark J. Phillips joined Lewitt, Hackman, Shapiro, Marshall & Harlan LLC as shareholder in Los Angeles.

Phillips’ practice focuses on taxation, estate planning, probate and trust administration, probate, wills and trust litigation.

Steven L. Feldman joined Lewitt, Hackman, Shapiro, Marshall & Harlan LLC as shareholder in Los Angeles.

Feldman‘s practice addresses business and real property litigation matters. He specializes in real estate, commercial, financial fraud, trade secret, intellectual property and environmental law.

Byron Michael Purcell was promoted to partner of Ivie, McNeill, Wyatt, Purcell & Diggs PLC in Los Angeles.

Purcell is an experienced litigator in a wide range of areas such as commercial litigation, products liability, personal injury defense, real estate and employment discrimination. He also represents clients in contractual disputes, complex business matters, commercial and real estate claims, insurance, equipment failures, wild fires, explosions and automobile accidents.

Rodney S. Diggs was promoted to partner of Ivie, McNeill, Wyatt, Purcell & Diggs PLC in Los Angeles.

Diggs focuses his practice on harassment, discrimination, retaliation and wage and hour issues. He represents employers ranging from public entities, Fortune 500 companies, individual employees and civil rights litigation.

Nicholau W. Adams joined Hartog, Baer & Hand APC as associate in Orinda.

Adams works with clients on estate planning, probate, tax and trust administration matters. He meets with beneficiaries, fiduciaries and financial planners in the opening, administering and closing of estates.

David I. Gindler joined Milbank LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Gindler has tried patent cases for businesses operating in many industries. He has represented both established and emerging commercial and nonprofit organizations.

Gary N. Frischling joined Milbank LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Frischling focuses on intellectual property disputes, including patent, copyright, trademark, unfair competition and trade secret litigation. His practice also includes intellectual property licensing, technology, development and acquisition deals.

Lauren N. Drake joined Milbank LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Drake’s practice focuses on intellectual property and patent litigation, including post-grant proceedings. She has experience representing clients in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Y. John Lu joined Milbank LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Lu represents clients in matters involving patent infringement, biosimilars, abbreviated new drug application litigation and licensing disputes.

Robert M. Keane Jr. joined Kirkland & Ellis LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Keane joined the real estate group at Kirkland & Ellis. Herepresents private equity firms, opportunity funds, domestic and international companies, investment banks, commercial banks, non-regulated lenders and pension funds in real estate-related equity investments, joint venture formations, lending, acquisitions and dispositions.

Thomas E. Mulvihill joined Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Mulvihill provides advice on insurance law. He has represented international and domestic insurers. His practice encompasses coverage and bad faith litigation, first and third party coverage analysis, monitoring counsel, drafting policy forms and endorsements and claims auditing.

Alan E. Swerdlow joined Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Swerdlow represents insurance companies in connection with complex coverage and bad faith claims. He provides advice and representation regarding complex claims handling, underwriting and risk management. Swerdlow also handles personal injury, construction defect and commercial disputes.

Peter J. Van Zandt joined Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Van Zandt represents financial institutions facing consumer class and individual actions arising from origination issues under the Truth in Lending Act and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. He also handles mortgage loan servicing issues.

H. Paul Efstratis joined Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Efstratis concentrates on high exposure commercial and consumer breach of warrant cases for automotive manufacturers. He represents and defends multinational real estate investment companies, hotel operators, resorts and commercial or residential landlords in matters such as wrongful evictions and unlawful detainers.

Brian C. Vanderhoof joined Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Vanderhoof focuses on intellectual property, commercial and business litigation. He litigates disputes involving copyright, trademark, patent, trade secrets, defamation, unfair competition and rights of publicity of corporations, small businesses and individuals.