Sarah Tauman joined Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP as a partner in Sacramento.

Tauman counsels clients through employment issues at each stage of the corporate lifecycle, including structuring executive employment arrangements, addressing performance management and terminations, ensuring proper worker classification, managing wage-and-hour compliance, and navigating leave and ADA accommodation obligations. She also advises on reductions-in-force, employee mobility, and the development of personnel policies. Her work often intersects with complex corporate transactions, including private equity investments, capital markets activity, and mergers and acquisitions. Tauman's guidance balances legal requirements with practical business considerations, helping clients manage risk while supporting their operational goals.

Zeeshan Ahmedani joined Proskauer as a partner in Los Angekes. The move was May 5, 2026.

Ahmedani is a highly regarded private funds lawyer with nearly 30 years of experience advising sponsors across private equity, venture capital, and real assets. His arrival expands and strengthens Proskauer's private funds capabilities and bolsters the Firm's private capital platform, including its Private Equity Transactions, Fund Finance, and Real Assets practices.

Richard Shamos joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was May 6, 2026.

Shamos has joined the firm as a partner in its investment management practice and funds group in Los Angeles, deepening its integrated platform for sponsors raising, structuring and deploying private credit and alternative capital at a time when evergreen vehicles and insurance capital are reshaping the market.

Shamos advises sponsors building credit‑focused fund platforms, including private credit and direct lending vehicles, evergreen and hybrid structures, and insurance‑rated note feeders. He also brings significant experience advising buyout and growth capital sponsors, extending Akin's bench in an increasingly integrated market.

Stephen P. Pfahler joined ADR Services, Inc. as a neutral in Los Angeles. The move was May 4, 2026.

Pfahler was a judge for more than 20 years and was a litigator for more than 35 years. During his judicial tenure, he presided over hundreds of trials and successfully resolved more than 500 civil cases, most recently serving for 15 years in a Civil Independent Calendar court. Widely regarded as one of the court's most effective settlement judges, his colleagues frequently referred their most difficult, impasse-bound cases to him. He is known for his thoughtful, facilitative approach, strong people skills, and ability to guide parties through challenging disputes toward resolution.

Rami S. Yanni joined Jeffer Mangels & Mitchell LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Yanni has more than 30 years of experience advising multinational companies, emerging growth businesses, and individuals on intellectual property, media, entertainment, and technology matters. His practice focuses on intellectual property transactions, licensing, portfolio strategy and management, enforcement and anti-piracy matters, entertainment and digital media transactions, content acquisition, licensing and distribution, consumer products licensing, e-commerce, advertising and promotions, celebrity endorsement agreements, and M&A due diligence. Over the course of his career, he has negotiated hundreds of license, distribution, acquisition, and commercial agreements across a wide range of industries, including motion picture, television, music, software, video games, publishing, apparel, footwear, cosmetics, consumer electronics, food and beverage, toys, theme parks, and sporting goods.

 Gail I. Nevius Abbas joined Jeffer Mangels & Mitchell LLP as of counsel in San Francisco.

Nevius Abbas works closely with clients to develop and implement trademark registration and policing strategies in the United States and abroad. She manages large domestic and international trademark portfolios for companies across a wide range of industries, including apparel and other consumer goods, food and beverage, health and fitness, vitamins and dietary supplements, toy and games, educational services, venture capital and financial services, and computer software and hardware solutions for the automotive, insurance, and data security industries.

Jennifer A. Golinveaux joined Alston & Bird LLP as a partner in San Francisco and Palo Alto. The move was May 4, 2026.

Golinveaux is an intellectual property litigator representing technology, media, and consumer-brand clients in copyright, trademark, and related disputes. Her work includes defending internet service providers and online platforms in large copyright cases, obtaining rulings under the DMCA safe-harbor provisions, and handling matters involving digital media and online marketplaces. She also works on trademark enforcement, trade dress, false advertising, cybersquatting, and product design litigation, with results including dismissals, injunctions, and appellate decisions.

Golinveaux was one of three new partners who joined Alston & Bird's IP Litigation Group. The other two, Michael Elkin and Sean Anderson, are in New York.

Jason Russell joined Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Russell is the head of the newly opened Los Angeles office. He represents a wide variety of clients in commercial litigation in federal and state courts throughout the country, as well as in international forums. He has earned a reputation as an adept litigator with particular experience in some of the most high-profile cases in the sports and entertainment field, as well as in complex class actions. He has extensive experience and takes an innovative approach to all aspects of complex litigation, ranging from jury trials and appellate arguments to mediation and arbitration.

Robert L. Uriarte joined Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Uriarte focuses on software, security technologies, and internet and digital crime law, advising companies on intellectual property, security, incident response, anti-piracy and licensing compliance programs, and digital enforcement matters.

Sydne N. Alexander joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP as a partner in Sacramento.

Alexander is an attorney with more than 14 years of experience, focusing on representing employers in workplace law matters, including preventive advice and counseling, and has demonstrated strengths in advocacy, legal writing and research, and client relations.

Dr. Maria-Vittoria Carminati joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP as a partner in Sacramento.

Carminati is a litigation attorney with more than 17 years of experience handling complex commercial and contract disputes in federal and state courts, with experience in large-scale discovery, trial preparation, litigation strategy, and first- and second-chair federal trials, and is admitted in California, New York, Texas, the District of Columbia, Colorado, and Oregon.

Yelitza V. Dunham joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP as a partner in Walnut Creek.

Dunham has more than 20 years of experience advising on insurance coverage matters, including cybersecurity, privacy, and intellectual property risks, and litigating disputes involving D&O, E&O, property, general liability, fiduciary, professional liability, and life insurance in arbitration and state and federal courts, with experience in trials, appeals, and resolving complex disputes, and is admitted in California and the U.S. District Courts for all four California districts.

Whitnee P. Goins joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP as a partner in Sacramento.

Goins is a trial attorney with federal and state court experience representing employers in litigation involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage-and-hour disputes, and is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and state prosecutor with trial and supervisory experience, admitted in California and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Jonathan K. Ross joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP as a partner in Sacramento.

Ross is a trial attorney focused on complex federal litigation, including class actions and regulatory disputes, and previously spent more than a decade with the U.S. Department of Justice as senior litigation counsel, with experience in district courts and courts of appeals, and is admitted in North Carolina, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Suparna Datta joined Buchalter as a partner in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The move was April 29, 2026.

Dr. Datta is a patent litigator and registered patent attorney with extensive experience representing clients in complex, high‑tech disputes before the International Trade Commission, federal district courts, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. In addition to her litigation practice, Dr. Datta advises clients on intellectual property issues in complex mergers and acquisitions, including leading open‑source software audits, advising on representations and warranties insurance claims, and conducting IP asset valuation and risk analyses.

David S. Cohn joined JAMS as a neutral in Los Angeles. The move was April 28, 2026.

Judge Cohn brings decades of judicial and litigation experience, including 23 years as a San Bernardino County Superior Court judge. He founded and presided over the court's Complex Civil Division, overseeing employment and consumer class actions, PAGA cases, and complex multiparty business disputes. Earlier in his tenure, he handled a broad civil docket, including personal injury, medical malpractice, and wrongful termination cases, and also presided over felony jury trials, treatment courts, and juvenile dependency matters. Based in the Los Angeles Resolution Center, Judge Cohn will serve as a mediator and arbitrator in employment, family law, class action and mass tort, business and commercial, health care, personal injury, and real estate disputes.

Nathaniel Haas joined Watstein Terepka LLP as a partner

Haas brings significant experience representing clients in high-stakes class actions and other complex disputes in federal and state courts and arbitrations nationwide. His subject matter experience includes class actions, breach of contract, fraud, intellectual property, mass tort, securities, and related appeals. He also maintains an active pro bono practice, specializing in Section 1983 litigation against local and state governments.

Nicole Lopez joined Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP as a partner in San Francisco. The move was Apr. 23, 2026.

Lopez joins from Meta Platforms, where she was global director of youth safety policy and led global youth litigation strategy. At Orrick, she will advise clients on child safety and policy issues as part of the firm's Public Policy and Online Safety teams. Her work will focus on: (1) legal and regulatory compliance at the state, federal, and international levels; (2) advocacy for pro-competitive, innovation-friendly laws and regulations; (3) representation in investigations and inquiries before state attorneys general and federal agencies; and (4) strategy for high-stakes litigation and appeals.

At Meta, Lopez developed compliance strategy and product implementation across the company's apps. She oversaw youth safety and well-being policy and led a team shaping product strategy and launches, including Teen Accounts, 13+ content experiences, VR for users under 13, generative AI initiatives, and cross-platform well-being features. She testified before U.S. state legislatures and the European Parliament, and worked with lawmakers, regulators, and attorneys general in the U.S., EU, Middle East, and Asia.

Lopez also led Meta's global youth litigation strategy. Earlier, she spent eight years as a California prosecutor, handling joint state and federal investigations, trying more than 50 misdemeanor and felony cases, and prosecuting child abuse, exploitation, and endangerment. She began her career in private practice.

Eurie Hwang joined Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson LLP (CGS3) as an associate in San Diego. The move was April 16, 2026.

Hwang has a deep familiarity with both the litigation and transactional sides of commercial real estate law. Her practice includes title review, corporate governance and commercial leasing, as well as strategic advocacy and risk management in leasing matters across all asset classes.

Jeffrey V. Rocha joined Knox Ricksen LLP as a counsel. The move was April 6, 2026.

Rocha has more than a decade of experience involving commercial and securities litigation matters, as well as complex, multimillion-dollar healthcare fraud qui tam actions. He has handled matters from initial pleadings through discovery and trial or settlement. Rocha also has experience advising businesses and their leaders on contract interpretation, fiduciary duties, governance disputes and statutory compliance. Before law school, he worked for a national brokerage firm as a series 7 and 63 licensed stockbroker. Rocha began his legal career as an associate with Knox Ricksen

Marissa M. Grabowski joined Miller Barondess, LLP as an associate in Los Angeles.

Grabowski is an experienced trial attorney who has handled complex, high-stakes litigation at the intersection of science, regulation, and industry. Her multi-jurisdictional background enables her to anticipate regulatory developments shaping emerging markets across state and federal landscapes.

Julia M. Staudinger joined Miller Barondess, LLP as an associate in Los Angeles.

Staudinger is a litigator with experience representing clients across a range of employment, labor, and complex civil matters, including defending employers in single-plaintiff, class action, and PAGA cases.

Jason Galaif joined Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves and Savitch LLP as a partner in Irvine. The move was April 20, 2026.

Jason advises high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners on private wealth planning, with a focus on tax-efficient estate planning, trust structuring, and succession strategies across industries including closely held businesses, real estate, and investment holdings. He brings nearly a decade of experience, along with an LLM in Taxation and experience as a certified public accountant (CPA), enabling him to develop sophisticated, tax-driven strategies that integrate legal, financial, and business considerations. His clients include entrepreneurs; private equity, hedge fund, and venture capital principals; real estate investors; business owners; and executives. He also works with trustees, executors, and beneficiaries on the administration of trusts and estates.

Christopher Foster joined Jones Day as a partner in San Francisco.

Foster advises leading companies on a broad range of labor and employment matters, with a focus on traditional labor law, union organizing and decertification campaigns, collective bargaining negotiations and unfair labor practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). He protects brands and operations across industries, especially in technology, manufacturing, media and entertainment, and healthcare. In addition, Foster advises clients on labor and employment issues arising in corporate transactions and workforce restructurings.

Andrew A. Chan joined McGuireWoods LLP as a partner in San Francisco.

Chan guides clients through fund formation and structuring, sponsor liquidity transactions and sponsor-level economic planning. He also advises on tax considerations arising from M&A deals, credit facilities and a wide variety of other business transactions. In addition, he represents investors in connection with private investment funds.

Leif M. Dautch joined Morrison Foerster as a partner in San Francisco.

Dautch spent seven years as a deputy attorney general in the California Attorney General's Office, where he prosecuted hundreds of cases, argued before the California Supreme Court and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and served in supervisory and policy advisory roles.

Dautch most recently served as chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, supervising a team of prosecutors and handling investigations involving wire fraud, cryptocurrency, cybersecurity, money laundering, and racketeering. He also has first-chair federal trial experience and practices in the Northern District of California, contributing to the firm's trial and regulatory work.

Holly J. Fujie joined ADR Services, Inc. as a neutral in Los Angeles.

Judge Fujie brings more than 40 years of experience spanning complex civil litigation, private practice and over a decade on the Los Angeles Superior Court, where she earned a reputation for her thoughtful, fair and disciplined approach to high stakes matters. Prior to joining the bench, she was an equity partner at Buchalter, handling sophisticated business disputes across a wide range of industries.

As a mediator, Judge Fujie is known for her ability to quickly identify barriers to resolution and guide parties toward practical, efficient outcomes. Combining deep legal insight with a high degree of emotional intelligence, she is particularly effective in complex cases where negotiations have stalled, or non-legal dynamics are at play. A former president of the State Bar of California, she brings exceptional leadership, credibility and judgment to every matter she handles.

Aurora Gallardo joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP as an associate in San Diego.

Gallardo has extensive experience drafting demand letters, briefs, motions, and discovery materials in both state and federal courts, and has argued key motions in bankruptcy proceedings on behalf of both debtors and creditors, including motions to dismiss and for relief from stay. Her practice also includes handling complex real estate disputes, multi-party mediations, and business dissolutions, where she has guided clients through all phases of the wind-down process, including negotiating with creditors and resolving related disputes. She also has experience in securities litigation and enforcement, tax law, and housing disputes.

Jordan M. Steele joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP as an associate in San Diego.

Steele has considerable experience representing consumers, institutions, and shareholders in complex, high-stakes litigation across federal and state courts. Prior to joining HFM, his practice focused on multi-state class actions involving consumer fraud, data privacy, breach of contract, securities, and antitrust matters. He has managed all phases of litigation, including case investigation, drafting pleadings and motions, discovery, settlement, and mediation.

Megan K. Smith joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Smith is a trial lawyer who has secured results for clients in federal and state courts, as well as in arbitrations and agency proceedings. She represents companies and individuals in business disputes, employment investigations and litigation, intellectual property and trade secret matters, and criminal and regulatory investigations, and advises on a range of civil litigation issues.

Her clients span industries including technology, finance, retail, entertainment, sports, media, fashion, energy, hospitality, insurance, real estate, and life sciences. She also maintains a pro bono practice, representing clients at the trial and appellate levels.

Pramode Chiruvolu was promoted to partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Palo Alto.

Chiruvolu has extensive experience advising on matters involving emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, digital health and biotechnology, the internet of things and 5G networks. He holds a degree in biomedical engineering and has particular experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, life sciences and other related complex transactions. He also previously worked as a network and computer engineer for the Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate, a part of the U.S. Army's Communications-Electronics Command, focusing on neural networks and distributed computing.

Kristin M. Davis was promoted to partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Palo Alto.

Davis has extensive experience in the design, modification and negotiation of compensation arrangements, including employment agreements, and equity- and cash-based incentive plans and separation agreements. She also advises clients on corporate governance matters and SEC guidelines governing executive compensation disclosure and reporting. She counsels on tax planning with respect to golden parachute excise tax issues, limitations on the deductibility of executive compensation, and the tax rules and consequences relating to nonqualified deferred compensation.

Christopher P. Hammond was promoted to partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Palo Alto.

Hammond is a corporate attorney who concentrates in mergers and acquisitions, strategic transactions, investments and general corporate law matters across the technology and infrastructure sectors.

Anoush D. Sarkissian was promoted to partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Los Angeles.

Sarkissian represents clients in a range of complex real estate matters. Her practice includes portfolio and single-asset acquisitions, dispositions of various classes of real estate assets, joint ventures, financings, developments and leases. Her clients include institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, private equity firms, lenders, borrowers, buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, and developers. She has also been involved in various alternative energy transactions involving wind and solar farms, and the development and financing of transmission facilities.

Joseph J.M. Orabona joined Glaser Weil as a partner in San Diego.

Orabona has tried more than 40 federal felony cases, argued nine matters before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, authored more than 30 appellate briefs, and served as lead prosecutor in over 1,500 criminal cases. His work includes evidentiary strategy, financial analysis, and complex investigations involving multi-defendant cases, international issues, and electronic and forensic evidence.

He represents clients in criminal and civil matters, including parallel regulatory proceedings, and handles sensitive investigations with attention to reputational and business considerations.

Ronald Resch joined Greenspoon Marder as a partner in Los Angeles.

Resch focuses his practice on the financial structuring of joint ventures and limited partnerships, applying a unique blend of entrepreneurial insight and corporate precision. He provides his clients with the consulting services they need to fully capitalize on emerging market opportunities.

David Gitman joined Greenspoon Marder as a partner in Los Angeles.

Gitman focuses on federal income taxation and the tax aspects of high-value real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, private placements, syndications, joint ventures, and 1031 exchanges. He also advises on property tax issues related to transfers of interests in entities that own California real estate.

His practice covers the full lifecycle of business entities--from formation and operation to dissolution--with an emphasis on partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations. He advises on structuring to address both immediate and long-term tax considerations.

Robert Barnes joined Greenspoon Marder as a partner in Los Angeles.

Barnes handles trials and appeals in state and federal courts, as well as domestic and international arbitrations, administrative proceedings, and mediations. His work includes disputes among shareholders and partners in closely held companies and commercial matters involving trade secrets and unfair competition.

He has experience in real estate disputes arising from acquisitions, sales, development, leasing, and boundary issues. He also advises on labor and employment matters, including executive contracts and claims involving wrongful discharge, harassment, discrimination, and embezzlement, and has handled net profit and contract disputes in the entertainment industry.

Andrew V. Jablon joined Greenspoon Marder as a partner in Los Angeles.

Jablon applies technical knowledge to complex legal matters, with experience securing seven-figure settlements and developing strategic approaches to high-profile cases. He focuses on practical, cost-conscious solutions to protect clients' interests in litigation and through ongoing counsel.

Sandra Khalili joined Greenspoon Marder as a partner in Los Angeles.

Khalili represents high-net-worth individuals and corporate clients in matters across California, the United States, and international markets. She has experience with provisional remedies, including prejudgment attachments and writs of possession, as well as dispositive motions, using them to resolve matters efficiently.

Her work includes favorable verdicts, judgments, settlements, dismissals, and appellate outcomes, including published opinions. She also advises clients on pre-litigation strategy and alternative dispute resolution to address disputes efficiently.

Stacey Knox joined Greenspoon Marder as a partner in Los Angeles.

Knox represents clients in state and federal courts through all phases of litigation, including arbitration, mediation, and trial. He has briefed and argued multiple matters before the California Courts of Appeal.

He has practiced at large law firms and has represented Fortune 500 companies in the pharmaceutical, energy, and insurance industries, as well as regional businesses, entertainers, athletes, and high-net-worth individuals.

Nicolas Ramniceanu joined Greenspoon Marder as a partner in Los Angeles.

Ramniceanu guides clients through the complexities of transactional and real estate law. He specializes in structuring strategic joint ventures, partnerships, and syndications, as well as the full lifecycle of development projects, acquisitions, dispositions, and sophisticated financing and leasing arrangements. His practice extends beyond the real estate sector to provide general corporate counsel to various business enterprises, advising on organizational matters, sales and capital raises.

Michael C. Baum joined Greenspoon Marder as a counsel in Los Angeles.

Baum's practice serves clients across the sector, including fabric mills, printers, converters, importers, designers, manufacturers, factors, and national retail chains. He advises on both litigation and transactional matters, working with clients from startups to global companies across all stages of their operations.

Richard “Rick” S. Friedman joined Greenspoon Marder as a counsel in Los Angeles.

Friedman’s practice encompasses the full spectrum of sophisticated real estate vehicles, including joint ventures, syndications and cross-border transactions. Beyond traditional deal-making, he is recognized for his strategic restructurings, specifically in the repositioning and recapitalization of underperforming commercial assets to maximize value for his clients.

Lydia C. Engel joined Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney P.C. as an associate in Los Angeles. The move was March 24, 2026.

Engel received her J.D. from UCLA School of Law, where she focused on coursework in Business Law and Media, Entertainment, Technology, and Sports Law (METS). She earned her undergraduate degree from Syracuse University (B.A., Music (Voice); B.A., Citizenship & Civic Engagement).

Prior to joining the firm, Engel worked as a law clerk and gained experience in a variety of civil litigation matters, including disputes involving right of publicity and copyright. She is admitted to practice law in California.