Brandy Worden joined Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Feb. 19, 2025.

Worden is a global data privacy and security practitioner. She has experience developing and implementing comprehensive global privacy and AI strategies and compliance programs. Worden has advised on a wide range of laws, including federal, state, and international laws covering privacy, biometrics, marketing, healthcare, AI, content moderation, financial, unfair and deceptive business practices, as well as the regulation of use of personal data and technology. She has also counselled clients through litigation and investigations related to privacy, cybersecurity, and regulatory issues, and has extensive experience resolving privacy disputes informally and at early stages to avoid potential litigation or further regulatory action or penalties.

Worden previously was head of the global privacy team at Meta Platforms.

Michael Podolny joined Sidley Austin LLP as a partner in Palo Alto. The move was Feb. 18, 2025.

Podolny represents technology and life sciences companies throughout their life cycle, from startups to mature private and public companies, often serving as a connector to the Silicon Valley startup ecosystem. His transactional work includes public and private financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and secondary tender offers and other liquidity programs. He also counsels clients on corporate governance, executive compensation and equity incentives, securities law compliance, and license agreements, serving as a day-to-day advisor and often the first phone call in critical times. He has a significant cross-border practice and regularly advises clients based in Israel, Australia, Europe, India, and East Asia.

Sarah Carlson joined Sidley Austin LLP as a partner in San Diego. The move was Feb. 14, 2025.

Carlson represents major manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers of consumer products in regulatory matters before the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). She skillfully guides clients on managing product risk across a variety of industries. Carlson's expertise extends to pre-market testing requirements, regulatory reporting, product recalls, both defending against and navigating them, civil penalty investigations, and the development and implementation of robust safety and compliance programs. At Sidley, she will lead the consumer product safety regulatory practice and will be an integral member of Sidley's product liability and mass torts practice.

Brock Seraphin was promoted to counsel of Nixon Peabody LLP in Los Angeles, CA.

Seraphin is a member of the firm's Complex Disputes practice. He is a multifaceted lawyer whose practice intersects complex commercial disputes, labor and employment, and healthcare. He has significant experience litigating commercial disputes involving tort claims, contract disputes, trade secrets, employee mobility, and discrimination and harassment allegations. Seraphin also serves as a trusted advisor and provides clients with strategic compliance counseling. Outside his immediate practice, he maintains an active pro bono practice. He is on the board of advisors of One Justice.

Stratton Constantinides was promoted to counsel of Nixon Peabody LLP in Los Angeles, CA.

Constantinides is a member of the firm's Affordable Housing & Real Estate practice. He represents clients seeking to navigate the complex network of state and federal environmental regulations. He has deep experience guiding clients' efforts to comply with key legislation including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA), and various state and local equivalents. Constantinides' practice also includes regulatory compliance work, administrative enforcement, and litigation of civil actions.

Rachel Elizabeth Balchum was promoted to partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Feb. 14, 2025.

Balchum is a member of the firm's Labor & Employment Law and Litigation practice groups. She represents public and private employers and individuals in employment disputes, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour matters. She provides preventative counseling regarding employment practices, including COVID-19 related issues. Balchum also represents clients in trust and estate, financial elder abuse, and business litigation matters.

Danica Jane Brustkern was promoted to partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in San Diego.

Brustkern is a member of the firm's Litigation practice group. She represents public and private entities in a wide range of disputes, including wrongful death, regulatory violations, premises liability, and products liability, and throughout all phases of litigation. She also advises on estate planning and strategic business planning matters.

Gina N. Giovacchini was promoted to partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in Los Angeles.

Giovacchini is a member of the firm's Public Law and Litigation practice groups. Her areas of practice include public entity defense, premises liability, dangerous condition of public property, and tort litigation.

Leila Johanna Moshref-Danesh was promoted to partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in Riverside.

Moshref-Danesh is a member of the firm's Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources; Public Law; and Real Estate & Business practice groups. She has focused expertise in advising on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs). She counsels private and public clients throughout the land use entitlement process, drafting of local ordinances, and large-scale development project certification and approval.

Newar Richard Shreiba was promoted to partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in Irvine.

Shreiba is a member of the firm's Employment Law & Litigation practice group. His practice includes labor relations and workplace investigations. He counsels public agencies and private employers, ranging from small businesses to large national enterprises. He represents employers in employment litigation in state and federal courts, as well as counsels clients on a wide range of personnel management related legal issues.

Colm B. Cross joined Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP as an associate in San Clemente. The move was Feb. 18, 2025.

Tamara Prevost joined Altair Law LLP as a partner in San Francisco. The move was Dec. 17, 2024.

Prevost represents employees across various industries, focusing on executives navigating challenging workplace issues. Her career is driven by an unwavering commitment to protecting employee rights and fostering workplace equity. Known for her readiness to take cases to trial when necessary, she has established herself as a leading expert in employment litigation. She consistently achieves favorable outcomes for her clients through negotiation, litigation, or trial. Her meticulous attention to detail and strategic approach make her especially adept at resolving disputes for executives and understanding the unique professional and personal challenges they face. Prevost's dedication to restoring her clients' dignity and well-being has earned her a reputation for integrity, tenacity, and exceptional advocacy.

Ohia Amadi was promoted to partner of Frost LLP in Los Angeles.

Amadi has spent nearly two decades building a general commercial litigation practice, devising active litigation strategies and counseling business leaders on a wide range of matters across entrepreneurship, technology, intellectual property, investments, media, and the entertainment industry. He represents clients in complex business disputes involving breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, civil rights, defamation and First Amendment issues, economic interference, fraud, trade secret misappropriation, trademark and copyright infringement, and privacy, among other matters. Trained in mechanical engineering and economics, Amadi is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

Nicholas Lauber was promoted to partner of Frost LLP in Los Angeles.

Lauber is a trial and appellate litigator who began his career as a prosecutor, trying more than 30 jury trials. As Frost LLP's appellate supervisor he has appeared, and successfully argued on behalf of his clients, before the California Court of Appeal. A former city attorney, he has defended clients in high-stakes civil rights litigation in state and federal court. His current practice centers on complex business disputes including antitrust matters, contract and fraud, professional malpractice, government affairs, class actions, and statutory and municipal compliance. Lauber is a graduate of UCLA School of Law.

David T. Shackelford was promoted to partner of Frost LLP in Los Angeles.

Shackelford is a trial lawyer who has successfully represented both plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts across the United States. His practice focuses on complex negotiations and high-stakes litigation in the areas of unfair competition, intellectual property disputes, trade secrets, defamation, fraud, contracts, and white-collar litigation. His clients have included Fortune 500 companies, businesses and executives, artists, musicians, and celebrities. Mr. Shackelford is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

James Sargent was promoted to partner of Glaser Weil in Century City. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Sargent provides sophisticated legal counsel to guide corporate and individual clients through a wide range of high-stakes commercial and business disputes. A skilled first-chair trial attorney who has tried nearly 70 cases to verdict, he maintains a diverse practice, which includes corporate and financial disputes, breaches of contracts, entertainment litigation, white collar matters, intellectual property infringement and trade secret violations.

Ali Razai joined Morgan Lewis as a partner in Morgan Lewis Orange County. The move was Feb. 10, 2025.

Razai is a distinguished litigator with an extensive record of accomplishment in high-stakes situations across a broad range of issues, including patents, trademarks, trade secrets, false advertising, unfair competition, and breach of contract. He represents biotechnology, medical device, pharmaceutical, green technology, consumer product, and mechanical device companies, among others, before federal district courts, federal appellate courts, the ITC, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and arbitration panels. His background in molecular biology and prior experience as an antibody engineer strengthens his ability to address complex IP challenges.

Benjamin Anger joined Morgan Lewis as a partner in Morgan Lewis Orange County. The move was Oct. 2, 2025.

Anger focuses on utility patents, design patents, trademarks, trade dress, unfair competition, and breach of contract. He counsels clients across a broad range of industries including life sciences, chemistry, medical device, and consumer products. His chemical engineering background and experience in consulting enhance his ability to serve clients in sectors such as life sciences, healthcare, and consumer product manufacturing.

Benjamin Everton joined Morgan Lewis as a partner in Morgan Lewis Orange County.

Everton focuses his practice on disputes involving patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and licensing agreements, representing clients in IP disputes before federal district courts, the ITC, and the PTAB. He has extensive experience representing both patent owners and petitioners in inter partes review proceedings. His mechanical engineering background bolsters his work for clients across industries, including medical devices, consumer electronics, automotive, sporting goods, and product manufacturing.

Brandon Smith joined Morgan Lewis as a partner in Morgan Lewis Orange County.

Smith represents clients in IP litigation and counsels on IP protection and enforcement. His practice focuses on high-stakes patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, false advertising, unfair competition, and breach of contract disputes. His advocates for clients in federal district courts, U.S. courts of appeals, and the ITC. His biomedical engineering background equips him to address technical challenges within legal matters for clients in industries such as medical devices and consumer products.

Jacob Peterson joined Morgan Lewis as a partner in Morgan Lewis Seattle.

Peterson represents clients in IP disputes and provides strategic counsel on IP protection. His practice focuses on patent matters before federal courts, the PTAB, and the ITC. He advises clients across diverse industries, including consumer products, medical devices, and robotics. With a strong technical and business background, he helps clients integrate patents as a key component of their business strategy.

Reuben Camper Cahn joined Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP as a partner in San Clemente. The move was Mar. 3, 2025.

Cahn is a courtroom advocate of rare experience and ability. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Cahn has tried over 100 cases to jury verdict and has argued twice before the Supreme Court (in 2011 and 2018), in addition to numerous arguments before both the 9th and 11th Circuits. His current practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, white collar criminal defense, and appellate litigation.

Jill Harris was promoted to partner of Glaser Weil in Century City. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Harris' practice covers a wide range of complex business and commercial disputes, including matters related to employment, real estate, partnerships, entertainment, intellectual property, trade secrets, and finance. She represents a diverse client base, including large corporations and investment funds, start-ups, charitable organizations, and high-net-worth individuals.

Jason Fair was named managing partner of the Los Angeles and Silicon Valley offices of Robins Kaplan LLP.

Fair has been named managing partner of Robins Kaplan's Los Angeles and Silicon Valley offices. With nearly a decade at the firm, Fair's leadership promises continued growth and success, building on the firm's 30-year presence in California. He succeeds Michael Geibelson, who remains key in the firm's leadership.

William Redmond as a counsel.

After 15 years as a Superior Court commissioner and 19 years as a prosecutor in Ventura County, Redmond has begun a private criminal defense and juvenile delinquency practice in Ventura County. Prior to being an attorney, Redmond was a juvenile probation officer and federal law enforcement officer.

Dan J Harris joined Morrison & Foerster LLP as a partner in San Francisco. The move was Feb. 4, 2025.

Harris brings almost two decades of experience collaborating with a diverse array of innovative food systems, consumer technologies, consumer products, software, hardware, and marketplace-based companies throughout their lifecycles. Harris' primary practice also includes representing several prominent investors in the consumer products and technology sectors.

Michael Strauss joined Judicate West as a neutral in Los Angeles. The move was Feb. 6, 2025.

Strauss has more than 18 years of experience in labor and employment law, representing individuals and companies in wage-and-hour class actions and matters involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination. Across his career, Strauss has successfully brokered numerous eight-figure settlements, represented parties in hundreds of arbitrations, argued repeatedly in state and federal courts of appeal, and received countless plaintiff and defense verdicts.

Daniel G. Nevarez joined Goldberg Segalla as a counsel in San Francisco.

Nevarez is a certified authority on workers' compensation who focuses his practice on counseling and defending employers, insurers, and third-party administrators before the California Workers' Compensation Board and other venues. He collaborates with his clients to provide case analysis and recommendations and proactively identifies exposure and risk in a timely manner. He handles every stage of the claims process from referral through closure, including research and fact investigation, witness and expert depositions, hearings, trials and appeals.

Katie Townsend joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as a partner. The move was Feb. 3, 2025.

Townsend has rejoined the firm's Litigation and Media, Entertainment, and Technology Practice Groups as a partner in the Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. offices. Her practice will focus on representing clients on a wide range of First Amendment, media, and technology-focused litigation and advisory matters. She began her legal career in Gibson Dunn's Los Angeles office as a summer associate in 2006 and served as an associate from 2007-2014.

Andrew Winetroub was promoted to partner of Nixon Peabody LLP in San Francisco, CA. The promotion is effective Feb. 1, 2025.

Winetroub represents clients--ranging from iconic global brands to emerging startups--in complex intellectual property, trade secret, and high-end business litigation. With deep industry knowledge related to the data privacy space, he has also been at the forefront of defending clients in significant data breach class-action cases. He has been recognized at Nixon Peabody as a pro bono champion, which has involved work with Ukrainian families and others seeking asylum in the United States.

Amanda Graham Brazinski Graham Brazinski was promoted to partner of Atheria Law in San Francisco.

Graham Brazinski is a member of Atheria Law's Technology, Media & Privacy Practice. She represents insurers in claims involving cyber and privacy issues, including data and security breaches, cyber extortion, regulatory investigations, media liability, and consumer class action lawsuits. She also has significant experience litigating insurance coverage cases in jurisdictions across the United States involving various types of insurance, including commercial general liability, errors & omissions, and directors and officers policies. Graham Brazinski graduated magna cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law and from the University of Pennsylvania.

Matthew Miller joined Hanson Bridgett LLP as a partner in San Francisco. The move was Feb. 4, 2025.

Miller joined Hanson Bridgett's Corporate & Risk Management Section. A seasoned trial attorney with over 30 years of experience, Miller brings unparalleled expertise in complex business litigation, trade secret protection, and emerging areas like cryptocurrency and blockchain disputes.

Before joining Hanson Bridgett, Miller held leadership roles at major firms, including DLA Piper and Squire Patton Boggs, where he served as chair of litigation in Northern California. Throughout his career, Miller has successfully handled high-stakes litigation across a broad spectrum of industries, securing significant wins for clients in cryptocurrency and blockchain matters, and those dealing with unfair competition and misappropriation of intellectual property. His practice also includes a diverse array of employment, product liability, real estate, and construction litigation.

In addition to his legal accomplishments, Miller is a fifth-generation San Franciscan and is deeply committed to the community. He serves as chair of the Risk Committee for the San Francisco Zoological Society, is the immediate past chair of the Board of Directors at the Pomeroy Recreation & Rehabilitation Center, and remains active with the Bay Area Council's Homelessness Housing Committee.

Miller graduated from Georgetown University Law Center and UCLA.

Sherry Haus joined Buchalter as a shareholder in Sacramento. The move was Jan. 31, 2025.

Haus joined Buchalter's White Collar Practice group. She previously worked with several Fortune 500 companies and financial institutions in investigations by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and other regulatory agencies. She is well-versed in handling government investigations and has counseled clients in matters such as anti-money laundering requirements and internal investigations.

John C. Lansing joined Hahn & Hahn LLP as a counsel in Pasadena.

Lansing represents clients in the areas of trust and estates and elder law. His practice encompasses trusts and wills, trust administration, conservatorships, probates, and special needs planning. With a deep commitment to serving seniors, their families, and individuals planning for the future, John counsels his clients through the complexities of aging and caregiving and empowers them in making critical decisions.

Lansing became an elder law attorney in large part due to his experience caring for his mother, who was afflicted with a neurodegenerative disease in early middle age. His compassion for the aging community extends beyond his practice to his charitable work in the community, in particular Meals on Wheels and the Pasadena Senior Center.

Olga Berson joined Thompson Coburn LLP as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Feb. 3, 2025.

Berson joined Thompson Coburn's Intellectual Property practice group. She has more than two decades of experience advising clients in the life sciences industry. Berson's practice focuses on IP due diligence in the context of mergers, acquisitions, collaborations, divestitures, recapitalizations, and bankruptcies. She also advises clients on patent validity and freedom-to-operate, licensing opportunities, product launch strategies, and financial and operational risks associated with patent disputes and potential litigation. With extensive experience in patent portfolio and landscape analyses, IP licensing and technology agreements, and litigation risk mitigation in complex transactions, Berson provides strategic guidance tailored to the evolving needs of life sciences clients.

Berson represents a diverse client base, from multinational corporations to emerging startups and venture capital firms, across a broad range of technical fields, including biopharmaceuticals, drug delivery platforms, medical devices, analytical methods and equipment, skincare and cosmetics, foods and nutraceuticals, and commodity and specialty chemicals and materials. In addition to her transactional work, she is highly experienced in Hatch-Waxman, BPCIA, biologics patent litigation, and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office proceedings.

Berson obtained a Ph.D. in environmental science and chemistry from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and a J.D. from Loyola Law School.

Johanna N. Canlas was promoted to partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in San Diego.

Canlas provides superior advisory skills and subject matter expertise to public entities and non-profits. She serves as city attorney for the coastal cities of Coronado and Solana Beach. She is general counsel to SBCS Corporation, a community-based nonprofit organization providing a comprehensive range of services for children, youth, and families in San Diego County. Canlas served as general counsel to Solana Energy Alliance, the first Community Choice Energy Program in the San Diego region prior to its merger with Clean Energy Alliance (CEA). Since 2022, she has been general counsel to CEA.

Algeria R. Ford was promoted to partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in Riverside.

Ford is a member of Burke's Public Law, Employment Law & Litigation, and Education Law practice groups. He serves as city attorney for Simi Valley, assistant city attorney for Cathedral City, and assistant city attorney for Rialto. Ford also serves as general counsel for the Banning Library District and general counsel for Simi Valley/Waterworks District No. 8.

Ellen A Pansky joined Nemecek & Cole, A Professional Corporation as a counsel in Encino. The move was Jan. 31, 2025.

Pansky will chair the firm's Legal Ethics and Attorney Regulation Division. With her distinguished career and extensive experience in legal ethics, professional responsibility, and compliance matters, she is uniquely qualified to lead and expand this critical area of the firm's practice. In her new role, she will guide and counsel clients throughout California on complex ethical issues. Her leadership will play a pivotal role in reinforcing Nemecek & Cole's commitment to providing integrity and professionalism and assisting its clients on an ongoing basis when ethical issues arise.

Alexander Schwartz joined Sheppard Mullin in Century City and Chicago. The move was Jan. 28, 2025.

Schwartz advises companies, private equity firms, venture capital firms, and investment banks on going public transactions and routinely advises newly and seasoned public companies and private equity firms on strategic transactions, debt, equity, convertible, preferred, and hybrid securities offerings, and corporate governance matters. Additionally, Schwartz brings significant experience navigating complex mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, liability management exercises and restructurings. Throughout his career, Schwartz has practiced in various industries, including aerospace and defense, government services, software, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, open source and digital identity, healthcare, life sciences, retail, food and beverage, semiconductors, and financial services.

Kasra Kokabi was promoted to partner of Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben Gartside LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Kokabi counsels public and private companies and investors in a range of corporate and finance transactions and governance matters. He has deep experience guiding clients through complex mergers and acquisitions, asset purchases and dispositions, and both commercial and venture capital financing.

Aaron Sobaski joined Buchalter as a shareholder in Orange County. The move was Jan. 23, 2025.

Sobaski's broad real estate transactional practice spans both public and private entities, with a focus on complex public-private partnerships, industrial and agricultural properties, mixed-use developments, and large-scale logistics and distribution facilities. He brings extensive experience in the purchase, sale, leasing, and development of real estate assets. He has worked on projects involving student housing, affordable housing, mobile home parks, military base redevelopment, and commercial and residential developments. His expertise also includes drafting CC&Rs, Reciprocal Easement Agreements, and other shared use agreements for mixed-use projects, as well as extensive experience with on-airport leasing and development projects throughout the United States.