Alex Brizolis joined Glaser Weil Fink Howard Jordan & Shapiro LLP as a partner in San Diego.

Brizolis brings a track record of success in high-stakes cases involving fraud, breach of contract, business interference, partnership disputes and corporate control matters, among other areas. His litigation practice spans state and federal courts and arbitration tribunals across a variety of industries, where he has achieved significant victories, including emergency arbitrations obtaining injunctive relief and damages, an eight-figure settlement in fraud and False Claims Act litigation, and prevailing in complex matters, including trials and arbitrations, involving real estate, partnership disputes and business divorce, unfair lending practices and trade secret claims.

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.

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.

Judge Geoffrey Goodman joined Judicate West as a neutral in Sacramento.

Goodman brings over 40 years of legal experience. He served 15+ years on the Sacramento County Superior Court, primarily handling complex civil and criminal trials, and recently served two years as supervising civil settlement judge. His career began in the LA County DA's office, where he established the hardcore gang unit, before joining the California Attorney General's Office as a deputy AG and founding member of the Major Fraud Unit. He rose to senior assistant AG, managing statewide operations, and later led white-collar criminal prosecutions as chief for the U.S. Attorney's Office in California's Eastern District. Before his appointment to the bench, he spent a decade in private practice focusing on civil litigation and white-collar defense.

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.

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

Ephraim brings her experience as a former journalist covering the entertainment, media, and biotechnology industries to her commercial litigation practice, counseling clients on matters involving breach of contract, securities, copyright infringement and more.

Kayleigh A. Andersen was promoted to partner of Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Andersen is a member of Manning Kass' Governmental Entity Liability team. She has extensive experience dealing with high-profile cases, including allegations of wrongful death, excessive force, dangerous condition of public property, medical malpractice, and a variety of other matters on behalf of public entities and their employees. In the past year, she was instrumental in multiple successful motions, and her litigation skills secured minimal settlements on wrongful death claims with multimillion-dollar demands. Andersen also teaches SWAT officers for the California Association of Tactical Officers.

Kirsten A. Brown was promoted to partner of Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Brown is a member of the Trusts and Estates and Complex Litigation teams. As a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law with the State Bar of California, the majority of her practice is focused on Trusts and Estates litigation. She also handles Trust and Probate administration, estate plan drafting, and generational tax planning. In 2024, Brown successfully co-tried two large trust cases with her team leader, Los Angeles Partner Daniel B. Herbert, earning defense verdicts in favor of our client beneficiaries and returning assets to the Trusts in both. She also negotiated several multimillion-dollar trust case settlements at mediations.

Roya H. Fohrer was promoted to partner of Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Fohrer is a member of the Construction Law, Insurance Coverage / Bad Faith, Premises Liability, and Professional Liability teams. Fohrer was promoted after a series of notable accomplishments, including successfully defending an insurance bad faith action at trial and beating the 998 offer, and developing a strategy to net a developer client over $4.2 million in settlements. She also successfully broke through coverage issues on a fire caused by a subcontractor, ensuring that our client paid nothing on a $4.5 million settlement, with all funds instead coming from the subcontractors.

Michelle J. Martin was promoted to partner of Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Martin is a member of the Complex Litigation and Special Investigations Unit / Insurance Fraud Litigation teams. She is integral to the firm's affirmative litigation practice, focusing on qui tam litigation. Martin is also launching a new practice with a focus on international insurance fraud, which will benefit from her substantial experience in all aspects of domestic and cross-border litigation from intake through final disposition at trial, as well as post-judgment proceedings, including asset tracing.

Mark R. Wilson was promoted to partner of Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Wilson is a member of the Appellate Law (Strategy, Writs, & Appeals) team. He has substantial experience in appellate litigation, including serving as a panel attorney representing indigent criminal defendants before the 1st District Court of Appeal. He secured several defense verdicts in the past year and is on track to become a Certified Appellate Specialist, having recently passed the requisite exam.

Varun Behl joined Hueston Hennigan LLP as a counsel in Los Angeles. The move was Jan. 21, 2025.

Behl spent the last four years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Criminal Division at the U.S. Attorney's Office, where he conducted many criminal jury trials, ranging from wire fraud to murder and assault under Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering charges (VICAR), to firearms and drug trafficking. His trials included securing across-the-board convictions in a four-defendant wire fraud case involving the theft of more than $1.1 million in unemployment benefits.

Justin Ho joined Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP as a partner in San Francisco. The move was Jan. 21, 2025.

Ho's practice is focused on helping public companies and their boards navigate complex and challenging corporate governance, securities reporting, shareholder activism, crisis communication, executive compensation, and sustainability matters through collaborating on practical, innovative, business-oriented solutions.

Natasha S. Fedder joined Foundation Law Group LLP as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Jan. 21, 2025.

Fedder's practice focuses on ERISA litigation and DOL investigations involving employee benefit plans. She has defended plan sponsors and fiduciaries in ERISA litigation challenging fees and performance of plan investment options in 401(k) and 403(b) plans; selling shareholders and trustees in ESOP litigation over company stock valuation; health insurance companies in litigation disputing out-of-network reimbursement levels; plan sponsor and service provider defendants in early-stage resolution of individual benefit claims litigation; and targets of DOL investigations, including obtaining closing or "no action" letters.

Heriberto Alvarez Jr. was promoted to partner of Seyfarth Shaw LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 21, 2025.

Alvarez represents employers of all sizes and in a wide range of industries in federal and state courts across the full gamut of employment issues. He represents employers in wage and hour class actions, claims of discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination, and restrictive covenants and trade secrets disputes.

Shiva F. Emrani was promoted to partner of Seyfarth Shaw LLP in Los Angeles.

Emrani focuses her practice exclusively on employment law. Shiva has extensive experience litigating and mediating employment discrimination, retaliation, harassment, whistle-blower, wrongful termination, and other labor and employment matters in both state and federal court, as well as in binding arbitration.

Alyssa Rutherford was promoted to partner of Seyfarth Shaw LLP.

Rutherford's practice involves representing institutional investors, real estate investment trusts, investment funds, and other companies in commercial real estate transactions.

Yoon-Woo Nam was promoted to partner of Seyfarth Shaw LLP in Sacramento.

Nam collaborates with clients throughout all phases of the employment lifecycle to identify and address challenges related to external and internal employment law. Clients seek Yoon's expertise to recognize, respond to, and adapt to the challenges posed by the rapid and continuous changes in employment law in California and nationwide.

Patricia D. Benke joined ADR Services Inc. as a neutral in San Diego. The move was Jan. 24, 2025.

Justice Benke authored many opinions on complex legal issues during her 35-year tenure on the Court of Appeal. Her thoughtful and comprehensive legal analysis earned her a reputation for excellence in decision-making and a profound impact on California jurisprudence. Prior to her appellate court service, she spent four years as a Superior Court Judge, presiding over the Law and Motion Department and the Family Law Department. During this time, she handled civil trials involving government agencies, personal injury, and family law, demonstrating an exceptional ability to address intricate legal challenges with fairness and empathy. Justice Benke began her career as a Deputy Attorney General, representing the state in various legal proceedings. Beyond her courtroom accomplishments, she is a professor at National University, designing and teaching courses in Alternative Dispute Resolution. Her dedication to advancing innovative approaches to conflict resolution is evident in her work and teaching.

Heather Antoine joined Stoel Rives LLP as a partner in Sacramento. The move was Jan. 21, 2025.

Antoine's practice is also focused on protecting trademark rights and advising clients at all stages of brand management, from due diligence to registration and commercial transactions. She handles trademark clearance and selection, domestic and foreign trademark prosecution, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) enforcement, and licensing. In addition, she is well-versed in the related fields of trade secrets, copyrights, publicity rights, domain names, and strategic intellectual property counseling.

Jeremy A. Lawrence joined Farella Braun + Martel LLP as a partner in San Francisco. The move was Jan. 22, 2025.

Lawrence represents clients in insurance coverage disputes, bad faith claims, and disputes involving indemnity contracts. He draws on his extensive policyholder-focused experience in pursuing claims involving the full range of first- and third-party insurance policies, including general liability, D&O, professional liability/E&O, property and business interruption, commercial crime, and representation and warranty policies. He has litigated and advised clients in a wide range of industries, including construction, energy, finance, media and entertainment, legal, retail, technology, telecommunications, and transportation.

Eric Olson joined Clyde & Co as a partner in Clyde & Co (Irvine, CA). The move was Jan. 16, 2025.

Olson is a dual-qualified California attorney and solicitor of England and Wales with a broad international practice involving commercial dispute resolution, strategic counseling, and investigations. Olson advises overseas and domestic clients in commercial disputes and other legal matters in a wide variety of fields, including shipping and shipbuilding, banking and lending, trade finance and export insurance, foreign judgment enforcement, regulatory compliance and investigations, cross-border insolvency, and real estate, among others. Olson litigates in both state and federal courts in the US and in various domestic and international arbitration forums. He represents clients in sensitive government investigations and advises in compliance matters involving shipping regulations, competition law, anti-corruption, and sanctions.

Nima Darouian was promoted to partner of Ballard Spahr LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 20, 2025.

Darouian represents employers in all areas of employment litigation, with an emphasis on defending companies against wage and hour class and representative actions, including under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). He regularly works with employers in defending against allegations of unpaid wages and overtime, off-the-clock work, time rounding, failure to reimburse, inaccurate wage statements, meal and rest break violations, and worker misclassification. He has defended employers against challenges to their compensation structures as well, including compensation plans providing for commissions, piece-rate pay, and bonuses. His class action and PAGA experience includes litigating cases in which the number of employees at issue ranged from under 100 employees to over 15,000 employees.

Spencer I. Eldred was promoted to counsel of Ballard Spahr LLP in Los Angeles.

Eldred focuses on real estate development and transactional matters. He represents developers, affordable housing agencies, and other commercial property owners in various land use and zoning issues. Eldred has extensive experience in due diligence, processing entitlements, California Environmental Quality Act review, Surplus Land Act matters, and real estate and land use litigation.

Chris Carling joined Knox Ricksen LLP as a counsel in Walnut Creek. The move was Jan. 16, 2025.

Carling has more than a decade of experience in litigation, performing all aspects of litigation discovery and guiding matters from client intake to settlement or trial. He has handled numerous matters involving insurance bad faith, construction defect, and family law. Carling earned his J.D. from Willamette University College of Law (2007) and his M.Ed. (2002) and B.A. (2000) from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Linda Sobczynski Gilleran was promoted to partner of Farella Braun + Martel LLP. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Gilleran has a comprehensive renewable energy, litigation, and regulatory environmental practice. She advises on clean energy permitting relating to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and the Endangered Species Act. She has a successful track record in environmental litigation, defeating claims brought under NEPA and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act.

Grace Y Park was promoted to partner of Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy, LLP in Burlingame.

Park represents clients in commercial litigation, employment law, false claims/whistleblower law and false claims act. Prior to joining CPM, Park was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California investigating and prosecuting whistleblower complaints alleging violations of the federal False Claims Act. She developed her civil investigation and litigation skills from multiple vantage points, representing both plaintiffs and defendants at a large law firm, a boutique law firm, and the federal government. Park also investigated and litigated what were, at the time, novel issues ranging from regulation of pre-IPO employee stock options transactions, civil and criminal liability arising from the first bank to fail under the Troubled Asset Relief Program, and administrative review under the Medicare Act.

Kristine T. Wang was promoted to partner of Millbank LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Wang's practice focuses on renewable energy and infrastructure project financings, representing lenders, borrowers and other project participants.

Miguel Duran was promoted to partner of Millbank LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Duran’s practice encompasses a variety of transactions, particularly in the renewable energy and infrastructure sectors. He represents financing parties, sponsors and other project participants in the development, financing, acquisition, workout and disposition of solar and wind power projects, gasification facilities, waste reduction facilities and other infrastructure projects in the United States and Latin America.

Seema Bhatt was promoted to partner of Minami Tamaki LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Bhatt has practiced personal injury law since 2011, representing those who have been injured through the negligence of others in auto accidents, slips and falls, pedestrian accidents, as a result of defective products and medical malpractice, and in other unfortunate situations.

Kathryn Camerlengo was promoted to partner of Gray, Duffy, Eisenbaum & Lee, LLP in Redwood City. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Camerlengo's practice focuses on labor and employment matters, business owners' liability, professional liability, personal injury and construction defect litigation. She serves as vice-chair for the Self-Insurers and Risk Managers Committee and the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee for the American Bar Association's Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS).

Barbara J. Mandell joined Judicate West as a neutral in Santa Ana. The move was Jan. 6, 2025.

Mandell has more than 40 years of experience tackling matters involving insurance carriers, individuals and businesses. She has litigated and mediated civil matters including personal injury, real estate, insurance coverage and bad faith. She tried matters as a partner with prominent Southern California law firms, including her own firm, and as staff counsel with a commercial insurance carrier. Mandell has served as a settlement officer in the Resolve Law L.A. Mandatory Settlement Conference Program for the Los Angeles County Superior Court since its inception in early 2020.

Elvira Cortez was promoted to partner of Wilson Turner Kosmo in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Cortez provides proactive counsel and neutral investigation services that help companies navigate complex legal challenges while fostering equitable and inclusive workplaces. She represents businesses in various legal matters, including contract disputes, employment litigation, and product liability. She is also experienced in developing defense strategies in complex, multi-million-dollar construction litigation cases, negotiating favorable contractor settlements, and resolving insurance coverage disputes.

Hang Alexandra Do was promoted to partner of Wilson Turner Kosmo in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Do represents a breadth of clients in class actions and defends against product liability and warranty claims. She's managed hundreds of cases from pre-litigation negotiation through trial and post-trial motions in state and federal courts. Committed to realizing a profession that celebrates, supports and advances diverse talent, Do is the current co-chair of the firm's Diversity Committee, tasked with evaluating WTK's goals for recruitment, professional development and community involvement.

Olivia J. Miner was promoted to partner of Wilson Turner Kosmo in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Miner vigorously defends healthcare companies, food and beverage manufacturers and automotive and industrial distributors, manufacturers and retailers against a breadth of consumer protection and personal injury claims. Throughout her career, she's built a reputation for securing favorable arbitration awards, settlements and summary judgments in product and premises liability, consumer protection, fraud and negligence cases.

Aimee Axelrod Parker was promoted to partner of Wilson Turner Kosmo in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Axelrod Parker has extensive experience advocating for clients in state and federal courts, arbitration, agency charges, contract negotiations, mergers and acquisitions as well as defending individual, class and collective actions. Axelrod Parker excels in litigation and change management, with deep experience with transportation workers including drivers in the gig economy, healthcare, technology, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, financial institutions and the automotive industry. She also advises employers on workplace policies, performance management, accommodations and terminations.

Morgan D. Stewart was promoted to partner of Wilson Turner Kosmo in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Stewart skillfully defends employers against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wage and hour violations in state and federal court. In addition to litigation, she counsels clients on best employment practices and provides strategic guidance on evolving laws and regulations to help businesses navigate complex workplace challenges.

Daniel Grunfeld joined Judicate West as a neutral in Los Angeles. The move was Jan. 9, 2025.

Grunfeld has nearly 40 years' experience in the legal profession, spending most of his multi-faceted and acclaimed career as a trial lawyer. He has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in various matters including business, intellectual property, real estate, civil rights, products liability, and professional malpractice. Most recently, Grunfeld served as an independent consultant on trial, litigation and mediation strategy; before that, he served as an office loss prevention partner and led the statewide litigation department for a national law firm. He also spent 10 years as the president and CEO of Public Counsel, the nation's largest pro bono public interest law firm. Leveraging his passion for public policy, Grunfeld spent two years as the deputy chief of staff of policy for former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, overseeing and implementing the mayor's policy agenda.

Mark Heisey was promoted to counsel of Knox Ricksen LLP in Walnut Creek. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

With nearly a decade of experience, Heisey has managed cases in a variety of industries through all stages of litigation, including responding to discovery, analyzing liability and damages, negotiating settlement of claims, and trial advocacy. Heisey is a former adjunct professor at Golden Gate University Law, where he earned his J.D. in 2014 and was executive articles editor for the Golden Gate University Law Review.

Conte Cicala was promoted to partner of Withers in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Conte is a partner in the litigation and arbitration team. He focuses his practice on commercial, maritime, transportation and trade litigation, and providing corporate and legal advice to companies in these fields. He has extensive first-chair experience representing his clients at trial, arbitration and before government agencies and boards.