Robert Taitz was promoted to partner of Tyson & Mendes LLP in San Francisco.

Civil defense firm Tyson & Mendes LLP has elevated Robert Taitz to partner in its San Francisco office. An experienced litigator, Taitz's practice focuses on general liability and commercial litigation, representing individuals and businesses in California state and federal district courts.

Taitz has defended numerous insurance matters throughout his 25-year career, including personal injury, premises liability, product liability, cargo litigation, construction defect, insurance bad faith and insurance fraud. His expertise in the transportation industry representing some of the largest cargo carriers in the country in commercial litigation matters has also led to successful arguments before both the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Prior to joining Tyson & Mendes, Taitz worked as an attorney at Skane Wilcox LLP in San Francisco. He also owned his own practice for nearly 20 years in Greenbrae, serving as national counsel for DHL Express.

Taitz earned his bachelor's degree in business economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara before moving on to earn his J.D. from Hastings College of the Law.

Robert Taitz was promoted to partner of Tyson & Mendes LLP in San Francisco.

Civil defense firm Tyson & Mendes LLP has elevated Robert Taitz to partner in its San Francisco office. An experienced litigator, Taitz's practice focuses on general liability and commercial litigation, representing individuals and businesses in California state and federal district courts.

Taitz has defended numerous insurance matters throughout his 25-year career, including personal injury, premises liability, product liability, cargo litigation, construction defect, insurance bad faith and insurance fraud. His expertise in the transportation industry representing some of the largest cargo carriers in the country in commercial litigation matters has also led to successful arguments before both the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Prior to joining Tyson & Mendes, Taitz worked as an attorney at Skane Wilcox LLP in San Francisco. He also owned his own practice for nearly 20 years in Greenbrae, serving as national counsel for DHL Express.

Taitz earned his bachelor's degree in business economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara before moving on to earn his J.D. from Hastings College of the Law.

Gregory W. Knopp was promoted to partner in charge of the firm's los angeles office of Akin Gump in Los Angeles.

Mr. Knopp is a partner in the firm's labor and employment practice, where he primarily focuses on class and collective actions and other complex disputes. Since 2010, he has been named as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA in the area of labor and employment and has been named multiple times by the Daily Journal among the "Top Labor & Employment Lawyers" for his class action defense work. In addition to his role as partner in charge of the Los Angeles office, Mr. Knopp also serves as a member of the firm's management committee and previously served on its partnership admissions committee.

Thomas J. Daly was promoted to co-practice group leader of the firm's intellectual property practice group of Lewis Roca in Glendale.

Daly has more than 25 years of experience in intellectual property with a focus on patent and trademark litigation. He works with clients to implement strategies designed to obtain and protect trademarks and patents critical to their businesses. He also handles matters pertaining to licensing and patent portfolio management for medical devices, chemical processing and pharmaceutical companies, among others. Daly has served in numerous leadership positions, including serving as former president of the Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association and former president of the Pasadena Bar Association. Currently, he serves as a mentor at the Los Angeles County Business Technology Center and serves on the editorial board of Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine.

Cynthia D. Brittain joined Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP as partner in trusts and estates practice in Los Angeles-Century City.

Katten Expands California Trusts and Estates Practice

(LOS ANGELES) Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP announced today that Cynthia D. Brittain has joined the firm as a partner in its Trusts and Estates practice in the Los Angeles-Century City office.

"Our Trusts and Estates practice is one of the most widely respected in the country as it provides creative and comprehensive representation in all areas of private client services," said Katten Chairman Roger P. Furey. "Cynthia's extensive background in estate planning and wealth management will be a key contributor to our capabilities in this area."

Prior to joining Katten, Brittain served as the director of Inbound Wealth Advisory and a senior fiduciary officer for Northern Trust, where she was responsible for designing estate plans and advising on the use of multi-jurisdictions for effective tax planning. She also previously was employed as an attorney in London and Hong Kong, and has extensive experience counseling clients on tax mitigation and cross-border wealth transfer strategies as well as succession plans for family-owned companies.

"Cynthia's impressive knowledge of domestic and international estate and tax planning strategies adds to our award-winning repertoire of skills and services that help us and our clients stay ahead of the continually evolving trusts and estates laws," said Joshua S. Rubenstein, national head of the firm's Trusts and Estates practice and national chair of the Private Client Services group.

Brittain frequently is tapped as a guest speaker on multi-generational and international estate planning and cross-border fiduciary issues. In addition, she serves as a member of the Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and co-chair of the tax committee of the Santa Barbara County Bar Association.

Charles J. Snyder joined Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP as attorney in Los Angeles, CA.

With a practice focused on complex litigation and white collar defense, Charles J. Snyder helps clients solve their most difficult problems. On the criminal side, he has won cases at trial, through motion practice and by convincing prosecutors to dismiss or never bring criminal charges. He has also played an integral role in complex civil litigations, successfully drafting and arguing motions in cases involving insurance and financial disputes, class actions, unfair competition, trade secrets, state antitrust, and employment. Mr. Snyder has experience coordinating domestic and international investigations, as well as briefing civil and criminal appeals. Since 2017, he has worked as a faculty instructor at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy's trial-training programs.

Shauna E. Woods joined Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP as attorney in Los Angeles, CA.

Shauna E. Woods’ practice focuses on litigation, counseling, and dispute resolution in complex business disputes. She has successfully resolved real estate, antitrust, intellectual property, trade secret, contract, securities, and employment disputes in state and federal courts for clients across various industries, including makeup manufacturing, small cell infrastructure, hotel management, and lock manufacturing. Ms. Woods has appeared and argued in numerous cases before state and federal trial courts. She also has provided pro bono representation to tenants seeking better living conditions and undocumented immigrants applying for asylum and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.

Sarah E. Moses joined Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP as attorney in Los Angeles, CA.

Sarah E. Moses has played a primary role in several large-scale, complex commercial cases, including an antitrust case affecting every major domestic movie studio. She’s been an integral member of legal teams handling cybersecurity and data privacy class action litigation, a multi-party toxic tort action, and a real property matter involving complex issues of indemnification, insurance coverage, and subrogation. In addition, Ms. Moses has handled labor and employment disputes and compliance issues for clients across the globe. Ms. Moses is committed to providing pro bono legal services and has worked with Inner City Law Center to protect the housing rights of low-income Los Angeles residents.

Sean Matsler joined Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP as land use partner in Irvine, California.

Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP, a preeminent full-service law firm focused on real estate in the United States, today announced that Sean Matsler has joined the firm as its newest land use partner. Matsler brings 15 years of experience securing entitlements for myriad real estate clients to bolster the firm's robust land use practice, a group that earned the 2018 National Tier 1 Law Firm of the Year for Land Use and Zoning Law in the 2018 U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" rankings.

Matsler's practice focuses on securing entitlements for residential, commercial, industrial and institutional real estate development projects. He advises clients on some of the country's most challenging real estate regulations such as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), California Coastal Act and local planning and zoning regulations.

Recent and ongoing projects under Matsler's strategic legal guidance include four large residential and mixed-use projects in Newport Beach; the revitalization of Dana Point Harbor; an 80-unit residential project in Yorba Linda; a 250-unit infill multifamily development in Santa Ana; a 100-unit senior housing project in North Tustin and a 3 million-square-foot industrial, retail and office complex in Eastvale.

Prior to Cox, Castle & Nicholson, Matsler was a land use partner for distinguished global law firms. He was recognized with Public Counsel's 2013 Pro Bono of the Year Award, was named a Southern California "Rising Star" by Super Lawyers the same year and earned the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California's 2009 Religious Liberty Award. Matsler earned his juris doctor from University of Southern California and his bachelor's degrees in history and political science from University of California, Berkeley.

Stephanie M. Barnett as founding partner in Los Angeles

Stephanie, a founding partner of Shebby Barnett LLP, is a family law attorney representing high-net-worth individuals in a variety of domestic matters, including divorce, custody, premarital and post-nuptial agreements, and paternity. She is certified as a Specialist in Family Law by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

Stephanie handles cases involving multi-layered business structures, complex domestic and international investments, extensive real estate holdings, stock options and other intricate compensation packages, law practices, medical practices, family trusts and foundations, characterization of retirement assets, personal conduct restraining orders, custody and visitation of minor children, parentage (paternity), spousal support and child support.

Prior to forming Shebby Barnett LLP, Stephanie was a Partner of Jaffe and Clemens, a preeminent family law firm in Beverly Hills, where she practiced for 13 years from 2005 through 2018. Prior to 2005, Stephanie was a law clerk with the Family Law Department of the Los Angeles Superior Court. Working concurrently with five family law judges and court commissioners, Stephanie addressed a wide variety of complex legal matters that affect parents, children and divorcing spouses, as well as more specialized matters such as same-sex partner disputes over child custody, the putative spouse doctrine, calculation and determination of spousal and child support arrearages, routine and convoluted discovery disputes, and requests to seal the public court file in high-profile cases.

In the community, Stephanie serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law, a non-profit organization that provides legal education and pro bono legal services for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the Los Angeles community, including victims of domestic abuse. She also previously served as an officer on the Executive Committee of The John Thomas Dye School Parents' Association Board of Directors. Stephanie currently volunteers as a Daily Settlement Officer for the Los Angeles County Bar Family Law Section. Daily Settlement Officers are experienced family law attorneys who volunteer their time to assist the Los Angeles Superior Court in resolving family law cases via mediation.

David P. Shebby as founding partner in Los Angeles

Mr. Shebby is a Certified Family Law Specialist and founding partner of Shebby | Barnett LLP. Mr. Shebby’s legal career has benefitted from a rigorous academic experience. He received his J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1993 and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1990.

A rare commodity in the Family Law community, Mr. Shebby is a highly experienced trial lawyer. He has decades of trial experience, and has litigated scores of jury trials, bench trials, and arbitrations to verdict.

Los Angeles Magazine recognized Mr. Shebby as a Southern California “Super Lawyer” for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. He has received an AV® Preeminent™ peer ranking (the highest possible rating) with regard to both Family Law and Civil Litigation. Mr. Shebby has published articles and lectured for the State Bar of California, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Beverly Hills Bar Association, the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, the American Inns of Court, and other organizations.

Mr. Shebby is the immediate past President of the Board of Directors for the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law. He is also a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Family Law Executive Committee. Mr. Shebby previously served his Catholic community as the chair of the Parish Council at St. Mark Catholic Church in Venice, California, and is a member of the Los Angeles Catholic Lawyers Association and a volunteer for Christian Legal Aid of Los Angeles.

Kristen K. Hirashima as partner in Los Angeles

Kristen is certified as a Specialist in Family Law by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Kristen achieved her specialist status after being in practice for only five years, the earliest possible time to receive such a designation. Kristen attributes her exceptional work ethic to many years of rising before dawn to work on her family’s strawberry farm in Oxnard where her family still lives today.

Prior to Shebby | Barnett LLP, Kristen was a Partner at Jacobson Scully Shebby LLP, handling complex child custody disputes, division and characterization of assets and debts, calculation of child and spousal support, business valuations, paternity disputes, and domestic violence actions.

Kristen developed her passion for family law during her time as a judicial extern for the Los Angeles Superior Court, Department 7 and participant in the Feinberg, Mindel, Brandt & Klein Summer Associate Program.

Kristen volunteers as a Pro Bono Attorney for the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law and the Korean American Bar Association’s monthly clinic. Kristen also dedicates countless hours every week volunteering her time at Culver City Presbyterian Church.

Kristen earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, where she was a Certified Law School Student at the Center for Juvenile Law and Policy to represent juveniles in children’s court accused of committing crimes. Kristen also served as the Vice President of the Women’s Law Association. Kristen graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, with a B.A. in Social Science. At Cal Poly, Kristen competed as a Division I Track and Field Scholarship sprinter in the 100m, 200m, 4 x 100m, and 4 x 400m races.

Emily A. Reitmeier was promoted to counsel of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates in Palo Alto.

Emily A. Reitmeier and Leila B. Sayegh were elevated on June 1 from associate to counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Ms. Reitmeier, a member of the Litigation Group in Skadden's Palo Alto office, handles False Claims Act, Commodity Exchange Act, products liability, breach-of-contract, shareholder derivative, hostile takeover, copyright infringement and class action litigation. She also has extensive experience conducting internal investigations relating to potential accounting irregularities, improper business practices, compliance practices and corporate governance issues, including those arising under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Leila B. Sayegh was promoted to counsel of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates in Los Angeles.

Emily A. Reitmeier and Leila B. Sayegh were elevated on June 1 from associate to counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Ms. Sayegh is a member of the Banking Group in Skadden's Los Angeles office. She represents corporations and private equity funds, as borrowers, and banks and other financial institutions, as lenders, in a broad range of domestic and international financing transactions, including acquisition financings, leveraged buyouts, bridge loans, first and second lien financings, debtor-in-possession financings and asset-based loans.

Ben Dashevsky joined Sares Regis Group of Northern California as vice president, legal in San Mateo.

Dashevsky's experience in real estate acquisition, construction, partnership, financing, and sale will be put to use supporting Sares Regis Group of Northern California's residential and commercial divisions in major Bay Area property development deals.

Raymond A. Cardozo was promoted to partner of Reed Smith LLP in San Francisco.

San Francisco-based Reed Smith Appellate partner Raymond Cardozo is among those elected by The California Academy of Appellate Lawyers as new officers. Ray will serve as Secretary-Treasurer for the forthcoming 2018-2019 term. Please see the following release from the Academy on the complete list of new officers, and news on their newest member, as follows, and please let me know if you have any questions for Ray- or, please feel free to contact Academy President, Susan Brandt-Hawley, at: SusanBH@preservationlawyers.com / 707-938-3900.

Best Regards,
Brad

Brad Wise
newsPRos
415-659-5669
brad@newspros.com

California Academy of Appellate Lawyers Elects New Officers, New Member

SAN FRANCISCO, May 24, 2018 - The California Academy of Appellate Lawyers is pleased to announce that, at its May 2018 meeting in Orange County, the following officers were elected for the 2018-19 term: Susan Brandt-Hawley of the Brandt-Hawley Law Group in Glen Ellen, President; John A. Taylor, Jr. of Horvitz & Levy LLP in Burbank, First Vice President; Kirk C. Jenkins of Horvitz & Levy LLP in San Francisco, Second Vice President: and Raymond A. Cardozo of Reed Smith LLP in San Francisco, Secretary-Treasurer.

The Academy also elected Edward L. Xanders as a new member. Mr. Xanders is a partner with Greines, Martin, Stein & Richland LLP in Los Angeles. Mr. Xanders is Co-Chair of the Amicus Committee for the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel. He received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he received the Johnson & Swanson award for appellate advocacy. He also served as Notes Editor for the Journal of Law & Politics. He earned his B.A. magna cum laude from Duke University.

Founded in 1972, the Academy is the nation's oldest lawyers' organization dedicated to appellate practice. Our members are California lawyers with substantial appellate experience, who are elected to membership after rigorous scrutiny of their skill in advocacy before the appellate courts.

For further information contact:
Susan Brandt-Hawley, President
SusanBH@preservationlawyers.com
(707) 938-3900

Jeffrey S. Horton Thomas joined Akerman LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today furthered its rapid Los Angeles growth with an experienced legal team led by leading employment litigator Jeffrey Horton Thomas. The founder of Thomas Employment Law, he joins the Labor and Employment Practice Group alongside associates Zoe Bekas and Steven Gallagher. His team enhances firm strengths in wage and hour disputes and workplace discrimination, in addition to broadening the experience of Akerman's Hospitality Sector Team for hotel owners and operators facing workplace-related claims.

From Fortune 500 corporations to mid-market employers, Horton Thomas focuses his practice on representing employers and management in all aspects of California and federal employment law before state and federal courts and administrative agencies. He regulatory defends employers on issues involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, disability accommodation, wage and hour, and PAGA lawsuits and administrative actions. His clients span various sectors, including hospitality, technology, retail, professional services, manufacturing and apparel. Clients value his aggressive approach and mature judgment in defending litigation.

Jonathan C. Sandler was promoted to managing partner of brownstein's los angeles office of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP in Los Angeles.

Jonathan Sandler is an experienced trial litigator, he is a vigorous advocate for his clients' interests who knows when and how to take a case to trial. Sandler is well versed in complex commercial litigation and specializes in business, health care, real estate, negligence, fraud and employment matters.

Carley Ann Roberts joined Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP as partner in Sacramento.

Carley Roberts advises Fortune 100 and industry-leading companies in the energy, technology, telecommunications, media, retail and manufacturing sectors on all aspects of state and local tax matters. She has litigated precedent-setting cases before administrative bodies and trial and appellate courts in jurisdictions throughout the U.S. and has particularly extensive experience in California. Roberts has been ranked as a leading California SALT practitioner by Chambers USA for almost a decade, and has been named one of Tax Analyst's Top 10 Women in Tax and a Law360 Tax MVP.

Zachary A. Bulthuis joined Akerman LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

A versatile lawyer with experience litigating employment, commercial and intellectual property disputes, Bulthuis focuses his practice on representing management in labor and employment disputes. His clientele is diverse, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to local businesses and individuals.

Bulthuis has extensive courtroom experience, and has obtained success for his clients in both alternative dispute resolution and trial settings. His work includes litigation of, and advice on, wage and hour, California's Private Attorney General Act (PAGA), trade secret, reimbursement and unfair competition claims arising from employment relationships.

Zachary Anjou Bulthuis joined Akerman LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

A versatile lawyer with experience litigating employment, commercial and intellectual property disputes, Bulthuis focuses his practice on representing management in labor and employment disputes. His clientele is diverse, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to local businesses and individuals.

Bulthuis has extensive courtroom experience, and has obtained success for his clients in both alternative dispute resolution and trial settings. His work includes litigation of, and advice on, wage and hour, California's Private Attorney General Act (PAGA), trade secret, reimbursement and unfair competition claims arising from employment relationships.

Cyndie M. Chang was promoted to partner of Duane Morris LLP in Los Angeles.

Cyndie has been honored with the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association's first-ever Trailblazer Award. Each year, SCCLA recognizes a legal practitioner based upon his or her individual achievement and contribution to the APA legal community. Chang was selected to receive the Trailblazer Award based on achievements in her legal career, her championing of issues affecting immigrants and other marginalized communities, and overall dedication to the APA community.

Rudolph F. Lehrer was promoted to partner of Jaffe and Clemens in Beverly Hills.

Rudolph F. Lehrer is a seasoned litigator and trial attorney with experience in state and federal civil litigation, at both the trial and appellate levels, which can be critical in contentious family law cases. Rudolph has transferred his knowledge of business litigation to the practice of family law and appreciates seeing the immediate positive results his efforts yield for his clients.

Marc Boiron joined FisherBroyles LLP as partner in the fintech and blockchain practice group in Los Angeles.

Mr. Boiron represents leaders in blockchain and other distributed ledger technologies and digital currencies that operate businesses in diverse industries, including ad tech, ecommerce, energy, healthcare, mobile apps, music, payment systems, real estate, and video games. With his extensive background in corporate and securities law, Mr. Boiron advises companies on issues that include initial coin offerings, security token offerings, smart contracts, cryptocurrency funds, cryptocurrency exchanges, and other blockchain-related laws. He also advises early stage companies in traditional and crowdfunding financings, using exemptions like Reg D, Reg A+ and Reg CF. Mr. Boiron received his J.D. from Dickinson School of Law and his Master of Business Administration from Smeal College of Business, both of Pennsylvania State University, and his Bachelor of Business Administration from Middle Tennessee State University.

Nathan A. Cohen joined Peckar & Abramson as senior counsel in Los Angeles.

Cohen focuses his practice on construction law, commercial litigation, real estate, corporate compliance and internal investigations.

Anthony P. Schoenberg was promoted to business litigation chair of Farella Braun + Martel LLP in Farella Braun + Martel LLP's San Francisco office.

Anthony P. Schoenberg has been named chair of Farella Braun + Martel LLP's Business Litigation practice area. Schoenberg represents companies and individuals in commercial real estate disputes, trade secret matters and contractual arbitrations. He has tried many cases to successful verdicts before juries, judges and arbitrators. Schoenberg oversees Farella’s pro bono litigation and is a founding member of its Renewable Energy & Clean Technologies, Internet Law, Ediscovery, and Privacy & Cybersecurity practices. Schoenberg is a former member of the Executive Committee of the Litigation Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF), and currently chairs BASF’s Immigration Task Force.

Thomas B. Mayhew was promoted to complex litigation department chair of Farella Braun + Martel LLP in Farella Braun + Martel LLP's San Francisco office.

Partner Thomas B. Mayhew has been promoted to chair of Farella Braun + Martel LLP's Complex Litigation Department, which includes the Business Litigation, Employment and White Collar Crime and Internal Corporate Investigations practice areas. Mayhew represents plaintiffs and defendants from the Bay Area's leading industries in cases involving breach of contract, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and other business torts. He has significant class action experience, litigating more than 30 class actions including claims of false advertising, corporate breach of fiduciary duty, and federal securities law. In 2017 Mayhew served as president of the Northern California Chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, and is the past chair of Farella's Business Litigation practice.