Michael Shonafelt joined Buchalter as shareholder in Los Angeles.

Shonafelt advises landowners, developers, lenders, receiverships, and public agencies on all aspects of zoning and land use, including the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Coastal Act, general plan amendments and zone changes, conditional use permits (CUPs), subdivision maps, variances, development agreements, wetlands issues, and coastal development permits (CDPs). He is also well-versed in California housing laws.

Sean Morrissey joined Civica Law Group, APC as of counsel in Irvine.

Morrissey is a seasoned legal professional whose career is marked by a steadfast commitment to excellence, strategic litigation management, and successful client advocacy. Morrissey has shown an exceptional ability to navigate complex litigation processes, from initial client consultations to the execution of sophisticated legal strategies. His expertise encompasses a broad spectrum of practice areas, including business and contractual disputes, collection matters, landlord-tenant issues, and employee disputes. He has been instrumental in directing cases through pre-litigation settlement strategies, initiating and defending lawsuits, and managing appeals. Notably, Sean Morrissey has achieved significant victories, such as settling multimillion-dollar claims for nominal amounts and obtaining summary judgments that were upheld on appeal.

Brandon Gantus joined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as partner in San Francisco.

Gantus focuses on representing public and private companies on benefits and compensation matters. He has particular experience counseling technology and life sciences companies on benefits and compensation aspects of mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions, including many high-profile deals in recent years.

Lesley D. Holland joined Judicate West as neutral in Sacramento.

Holland retired from the San Joaquin County Superior Court in 2019. He was elected as presiding judge in 2014 and was named the court's first supervising judge for the Civil Division in 2011, serving through 2014. Holland spent the last several years as of counsel at Herum Crabtree Suntag Attorneys, where he devoted his practice to alternative dispute resolution services in civil matters with emphasis on probate/trusts and estates, business/contractual, construction, employment, professional malpractice, real estate and personal injury disputes. Holland spent the first 18 years of his career in private practice, trying commercial, products liability and construction defect matters.

Trinity Taylor joined Ogletree Deakins as associate in San Francisco.

Taylor has extensive experience defending employers against claims involving wage and hour disputes; wrongful termination, harassment, and retaliation; unlawful discrimination; and unfair competition. She also litigates cases involving breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets.

Marc Koonin joined Ogletree Deakins as of counsel in San Francisco.

Koonin regularly advises employers on a broad range of employment related matters, including multistate compliance issues and workplace safety issues. He has defended employers in cases alleging employment discrimination and harassment, failure to accommodate disabilities, wrongful termination, whistleblower and other retaliation claims, wage and hour claims, ERISA violations, defamation, and violation of various leave laws. Koonin also represents employers before administrative agencies, including the California Occupational Safety & Health Appeals Board, as well as in traditional labor matters such as collective bargaining, avoiding and defending complaints of unfair labor practices, and labor grievance arbitration.

David L. Cheng was promoted to office managing partner of FordHarrison LLP in Los Angeles.

Cheng has practiced employment law in California for almost 20 years, focusing on complex business disputes and wage and hour class and collective action cases brought under federal and state law. He co-leads the firm's Wage & Hour practice group and serves as editor for the Class and Collective Actions module of FordHarrison's Labor & Employment Law Sourcebook.

Eric Francisconi joined Stuart Kane LLP as partner in Newport Beach, CA.

Francisconi focuses his practice on complex business and commercial litigation, real estate litigation, and probate litigation. In his nearly 30 years of practice, most of his cases pertain to contracts, trade secrets, unfair competition, fraud, fiduciary duties, real property estates, employment, commercial landlord rights, the rights and responsibilities of participants in corporations/LLCs/partnerships, construction law, insurance bad faith, and bankruptcy. Francisconi advises and represents clients and individuals such as hospitality companies, commercial landlords, construction companies, health care professionals, pharmaceutical companies, real estate brokers, homeowners, business owners, and investors.

Aaron Gbewonyo was promoted to managing attorney of Shegerian & Associates in Los Angeles.

Gbewonyo has built a reputation for his diligence and hard work on behalf of his clients. He exemplifies what it means to effectively litigate cases, which has allowed him to secure significant settlements for his clients while also helping those around him. The firm said his promotion to managing attorney is a testament to his substantial contributions to the firm and the promising future that lies ahead.

Stephen A. Cazares joined Foundation Law Group LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Cazares is a former assistant U.S. attorney who has tried 17 federal jury trials to verdict. He represents companies, their executives, and others confronted with regulatory investigations, fraud litigation, and state and local prosecutions, including matters before the U.S. Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission. He also conducts internal investigations relating to allegations of securities and regulatory compliance violations, as well as allegations of misconduct by whistleblowers.

Jerome "Jerry" Ku joined Davis Wright Tremaine LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Ku represents early-stage and emerging growth companies, venture capital and private equity firms, and other clients in California and beyond. Ku counsels clients in heavily regulated industries on their most complex transactions, including high-dollar investments, high-value M&A deals, debt/equity financings, commercial contracts, and corporate formation and governance matters. His clients include leading companies in the energy, mobility, telecom, food and beverage, entertainment, and healthcare sectors, with a focus on both traditional and emerging tech, such as AI, SaaS, semiconductors, and blockchain.

Daniel C. Lorenzen joined Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth LLP as partner in Westlake Village.

Lorenzen has considerable experience advising clients who are the core of Stradling's business, including general partners of private equity, venture capital, and other funds. He also represents business founders and frequently advises on valuation and qualified small business stock opportunities. He also helps his cross-border contacts on tax and estate planning matters, such as applying Japanese inheritance taxes to U.S. assets, qualifying for foreign estate treatment, and implementing cross-border estate plans.

Ehsun Forghany joined Arentfox Schiff LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Forghany provides business-focused counsel to clients in the fashion & retail, engineering, medical device, and consumer products sectors. He advises clients on risk-reduction strategies during product development, helps guide product launches, and is known for curating creative and comprehensive IP protection for commercialized product designs.

David Korduner joined KM&M as partner in Los Angeles.

Korduner was previously general counsel and later associate national executive director at the Directors Guild of America, where he spent much of his career. He was a primary participant in DGA Basic Agreement negotiations and drafting, managed internal union governance, and oversaw the Credits, Membership, Reports Compliance, Research, Residuals, Signatories, Human Resources, IT, and Legal Departments, foreign levies, and the Tri-Guild Audit program. He served on the Board of Trustees of the DGA Pension & Health Plans, including eight years as co-dhair of its Legal and Delinquency Committee. Between his two stints at the DGA, Korduner spent three years as senior counsel for labor relations at ABC and Touchstone Television Productions, handling union issues across television productions and TV and radio stations, and one year as senior counsel, legal affairs at the Disney Cable Networks Group, handling production legal issues for the Disney Channel, ABC Family, and SoapNet.

Gabrielle Cuskelly joined Alston & Bird as partner in Century City.

Cuskelly guides private equity funds, management companies, investment banks, institutional lenders, life insurance companies, and other real estate investors through cross-border and domestic real estate finance and other real estate transactions. She has significant expertise in organizing permanent, bridge, or construction mortgage and mezzanine loans, negotiating inter-creditor and co-lender relationships, joint ventures, and portfolio and "one-off" acquisitions and dispositions.

Brian T. Glennon joined McDermott Will & Emery as partner in Los Angeles.

Glennon's practice includes securities fraud class actions, shareholder derivative lawsuits and US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement actions. He has also represented all of the major accounting firms, including Deloitte and KPMG, in auditor liability matters, including administrative proceedings and at trial. He has achieved complete defense victories at trial on claims totaling nearly $3 billion and has obtained several dismissals of multibillion-dollar securities class actions in multiple jurisdictions. He has represented clients across many industries, including financial institutions, energy, infrastructure and technology sectors.

Myra Chack Fleischer joined Moore, Schulman, & Moore, APC as of counsel in San Diego.

Fleischer has decades of experience in family law. She is on the short list of attorneys qualified to serve as a special master.

Tana J. Landau joined Moore, Schulman, & Moore, APC as associate in San Diego.

Landau strongly emphasizes personalized service for her clients with a hands-on approach to practicing family law.

Elaine Lee joined Peckar & Abramson, PC as partner in Los Angeles.

Lee represents owners, general contractors, and design and engineering professionals in construction litigation. She has extensive experience advising and advocating for clients in significant construction projects, including public infrastructure, commercial buildings, and cultural icons. From early-stage claim development and mediation, discovery, and motion practice to evidentiary hearings and appeals, Elaine helps clients find their most advantageous position in high-stakes situations.

Jonathan Olsen joined Sidley Austin LLP as partner in San Diego.

Olsen regularly advises large multinationals, as well as emerging companies in the technology and life sciences industries. In addition to providing strategic counseling to his clients, his practice includes M&A, venture capital financings, joint ventures, and corporate governance. He has substantial experience representing buyers and sellers in M&A transactions, as well as significant experience in cross-border transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, minority investments, and joint ventures in over 30 international jurisdictions. Olsen also regularly represents corporate venture groups in their minority investments in both U.S. and international emerging growth companies.

Alan M. Witlen was promoted to partner of Withersworldwide in Los Angeles.

Witlen's practice focuses on tax matters involving corporations, partnerships, tax-exempt organizations, individuals, and the income tax aspects of intra-family wealth transfers, including related tax compliance and reporting. He advises U.S. and cross-border clients in tax planning for various entities' purchase, sale and restructuring. He counsels investors on the tax aspects of US inbound and outbound opportunities, including investments in real estate. He also represents successful families and individuals looking to move to or from the US or within the US across state lines. Coordinating with advisors worldwide, he helps clients manage their multi-jurisdictional investments and tax interests.

Saurabh Prabhakar was promoted to counsel of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in San Francisco.

Prabhakar's practice focuses on trade secrets, patents, antitrust and copyright matters in a wide array of technology areas. Mr. Prabhakar received his J.D. with high honors from George Washington University Law School in 2014 and his B.E. with distinction from Birla Institute of Technology in 2001. He is admitted to the California Bar and District of Columbia Bar.

Victor E. Bianchini joined Signature Resolution as neutral in San Diego.

Bianchini served for 20 years as a state court judge and served extensively as the court's settlement judge. After retiring from the San Diego County Superior Court in 2002, Bianchini began a private mediation practice. His expertise was soon recognized by the federal courts in New York, which enlisted him part-time as a settlement judge for complex civil litigation and prisoner civil rights cases. Throughout his tenure on state and federal benches and private mediation practice, he has mediated over 3,500 cases, ranging from straightforward disputes to intricate, multi-issue complex cases. His record includes numerous multi-million-dollar settlements in diverse and challenging cases, such as patent disputes and class actions. His judicial experience as a trial judge in both the federal and state systems, encompassing a wide range of civil cases, has dramatically enhanced his mediation practice in the private sector.

Robert Becker joined Buchalter as shareholder in San Francisco.

Becker's practice encompasses patent litigation and prosecution, including inter partes review (IPR) proceedings. He has successfully represented clients in disputes involving a wide array of technologies, such as digital transactions and banking; gaming hardware and software; optical, wired, wireless, and cellular networks; solar cells and panels; e-mail, e-commerce, and Internet business methods; facial recognition, music recognition and downloads; content encryption and copy protection; data storage, access, and synchronization; analog and digital signal processing; computer software, hardware, and peripherals; medical devices; and physics and related engineering.

Katherine J. Blair joined Jones Day as partner in Los Angeles.

Blair is skilled in representing companies, entrepreneurs, investment banks, and investors in public and private corporate transactions. Katherine helps clients navigate the complex corporate, securities, and governance landscape so that they can successfully achieve their operational and liquidity goals. She has worked in a range of industries, including financial services, REITs (real estate investment trusts), consumer goods, technology, foreign manufacturing, and biotechnology.

Paige H. Gosney was promoted to partner of Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP in Orange County.

Gosney's practice includes representing clients in both transactional matters and in all aspects of litigation before state and federal courts, including issues involving due diligence, land use, and development entitlements, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and Coastal Act compliance, eminent domain, and inverse condemnation, water rights, the Outdoor Advertising Act, and general planning and zoning laws.

Joseph L. McGeady was promoted to partner of Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP in San Diego.

McGeady's practice includes representing both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of commercial litigation matters. Joe has experience in all aspects of commercial litigation, including drafting and arguing pre-trial motions, taking and defending depositions, and direct and cross-examining witnesses.

Scott Perlin was promoted to partner of Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP in San Diego.

Perlin represents clients primarily in matters of real estate development and other real property disputes, business litigation, construction law, and general civil litigation.

Melissa K. Bell was promoted to partner of Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP in Los Angeles.

Bell defends employers in matters involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hours, and whistleblower claims. Additionally, she represents employers in investigations brought by various government agencies, including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the California Civil Rights Department (formerly the Department of Fair Employment and Housing).

Stephanie S. Roberts was promoted to partner of Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP in Los Angeles.

Roberts is a real estate litigator whose experience encompasses every real estate-related dispute, including disputes concerning financing projects, construction defects, easement disputes, taxation disputes, disputes between commercial landlords and tenants, and buyers and sellers of real estate. She also has extensive experience litigating complex business disputes and employment matters.

Jennifer C. Shakouri was promoted to partner of Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP in Century City.

Shakouri handles complex real estate and business disputes for a broad array of clients, including property developers and owners, purchasers, sellers, investors, high-net-worth individuals and families, lenders, brokers, telecommunications companies, and other leading industry players. She has extensive experience litigating high-stakes matters. Her expertise includes partnership disputes, contract disputes, disputes relating to the purchase and sale of property, easement and encroachment disputes, failure to disclose actions, insurance disputes, and landlord-tenant disputes.