Musick, Peeler & Garrett LLP

Tanganica J Turner
joined Musick, Peeler & Garrett LLP as associate in Los Angeles.
Turner specializes in labor and employment litigation.
She is based in Los Angeles.
Address
624 S. Grand Ave. Suite 2000 , Los Angeles 90017 United States
T:
(213) 629-7600
F:
(213) 624-1376
Desmarais LLP

Gabrielle E. Higgins
joined Desmarais LLP as partner in San Francisco.
Desmarais LLP expanded its Bay Area intellectual property capabilities with the addition of partner Gabrielle E. Higgins. She is the firm's first lateral partner hire in its San Francisco office, which opened in 2019.
"In some ways for me it's like coming full circle and coming home," said Higgins. "I started at Fish & Neave in New York, an IP litigation boutique that had a 250-year history representing companies such as the Wright Brothers and General Electric."
She added, she was attracted to returning to a firm of intellectual property trial lawyers who work together and have similar practices, as well as the opportunity to help build out the firm's Bay Area presence.
Including her time at Fish & Neave before its merger with Ropes & Gray in 2007, she was with that firm for 30 years.
During her time at Fish & Neave, she spent some time working with John Desmarais, founder of Desmarais LLP, and was one of nine attorneys that helped the firm establish its first West Coast office in the Bay Area.
With over three decades of patent litigation experience, Higgins has represented leading technology companies such as Apple, Google and Samsung before the board's Patent Trial and Appeal Board as well as federal court.
She is a member of the board's Bar Association, currently serving on the programming committee, and nonprofit ChIPs, which focuses on advancing and connecting women in technology, law and policy. She also is dedicated to mentoring the next generation and partners with her clients and friends to host
breakfasts and lunches for young women just beginning their intellectual property careers.
Address
101 California St, Ste 3070 , San Francisco 94111-5817 USA
T:
(415) 573-1902
Irell & Manella LLP
Andrei Iancu
joined Irell & Manella LLP as partner in Los Angeles.
Iancu is the former undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in President Donald Trump's administration.
He is based in Los Angeles.
Address
1800 Avenue of the Stars Suite 900 , Los Angeles 90067-4276 USA
T:
(310) 203-7537
F:
(310) 203-719
Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP
Rosanna Marrero Neagle
was promoted to partner of Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP in San Francisco.
Neagle specializes in corporate and commercial matters and is the former vice president of legal affairs at Nestlé USA.
She is based in San Francisco.
Ropes & Gray LLP
Torrey J. McClary
joined Ropes & Gray LLP as partner in San Francisco.
McClary advises health care and technology companies and real estate investment trusts in mergers and acquisitions and transformational transactions.
She is based in San Francisco.
Ranee Adipat
joined Ropes & Gray LLP as counsel in San Francisco.
Adipat specializes in transactional law involving health care entities.
She is based in San Francisco.
Address
Three Embarcadero Center , San Francisco 94111-4006 USA
T:
(415) 315-6300
F:
(415) 315-6350
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
Robert "Bob" J. McGahan
joined Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP as partner in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C..
McGahan specializes in government enforcement, white collar criminal defense and high exposure civil litigation matters.
He is based in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
Address
19191 South Vermont Avenue Suite 900 , Torrance 90502 USA
T:
(424) 221-7400
F:
(424) 221-7499
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan
Dwain Woodley
was promoted to assistant district attorney of San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan in San Diego.
Woodley is the first African American to hold the job. He was previously chief deputy district attorney.
He is based in San Diego.
Sanders Roberts LLP
Robert K. Dixon
joined Sanders Roberts LLP as partner in Los Angeles.
Dixon specializes in products liability, personal injury, wrongful death and complex litigation.
He is based in Los Angeles.
Address
1055 West 7th Street Suite 3200 , Los Angeles 90017 USA
T:
(213) 426-5000
Public Counsel
Mónica Ramírez Almadani
joined Public Counsel as president and ceo in Los Angeles.
Almadani succeeds Margaret Morrow effective June 1 and is a law professor and co-director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic at UC Irvine School of Law.
She is based in Los Angeles.
Address
610 South Ardmore Avenue , Los Angeles 90005 USA
T:
(213) 385-2977
F:
(213) 385-9089
Data Trace Publishing Company
Alan R. Seher
joined Data Trace Publishing Company as author of the california estate and gift tax planning forms and practice manual in San Francisco.
Seher is a certified specialist in taxation by the State Bar and is partner at Niesar & Vestal LLP.
He is based in San Francisco.
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Ulysses Hui
joined Davis Wright Tremaine LLP as partner in Silicon Valley.
Hui specializes in commercial technology transactions.
He is based in Silicon Valley.
Address
505 Montgomery Street Suite 800 , San Francisco 94111-6533 USA
T:
(650) 352-6420
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Camilo Echavarria
was promoted to member of the executive committee of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP in Los Angeles.
Echavarria is partner in charge of the Los Angeles office and is a member of the firm's diversity executive
council.
He is based in Los Angeles.
Jean L. Tom
was promoted to member of the executive committee of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP in San Francisco.
Tom is a partner and co-chair of the attorneys of color affinity group.
She is based in San Francisco.
Umberg/Zipser LLP
Halim Dhanidina
joined Umberg/Zipser LLP as partner in Irvine.
Dhanidina is a retired 2nd District Court of Appeal justice who was
appointed in 2018.
He is based in Irvine.
Address
1920 Main Street, Suite 750 , Irvine 92614 USA
T:
(949) 679-0052
F:
(949) 679-0462
Winston & Strawn LLP

Carol Alexis Chen
joined Winston & Strawn LLP as partner in Los Angeles.
Chen was with the U.S. attorney's office for 15 years and was chief of the international narcotics, money laundering and racketeering section.
She is based in Los Angeles.
Address
333 Grand Ave., 38th Floor , Los Angeles 90071 USA
T:
(213) 615-1820
Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck

Ashley Klein
was promoted to partner of Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck in San Francisco.
Klein is co-chair of the real estate practice group and is comanaging partner of the San Francisco and Sonoma offices.
She is based in San Francisco and Sonoma.

John Lupton
was promoted to partner of Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck in Los Angeles.
Lupton specializes in business litigation with a focus on the defense of legal malpractice cases and insurance litigation.
He is based in Los Angeles.

Lauren Jones
was promoted to of counsel of Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck in San Francisco.
Jones specializes in real property, trust and probate litigation and landlord-tenant matters.
She is based in San Francisco.
Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP

Christian Nickerson
was promoted to partner of Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP in Santa Monica.
Nickerson focuses on employment, business, catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death litigation.
He is based in Santa Monica.
Covington & Burling LLP

Bobby Lutzker
was promoted to special counsel of Covington & Burling LLP in San Francisco.
Lutzker specializes in drafting and negotiating licenses, collaboration, supply, distribution and other commercial agreements for life sciences and technology companies.
He is based in San Francisco.
Covington & Burling LLP

Mark Chen
was promoted to special counsel of Covington & Burling LLP in Los Angeles.
Chen is a litigator and specializes in intellectual property and complex commercial disputes.
He is based in Los Angeles.
Buckley LLP

Michael Rome
was promoted to partner of Buckley LLP in Los Angeles.
Rome focuses on complex commercial disputes, consumer class actions and government enforcement matters.
He is based in Los Angeles.
Snell & Wilmer LLP
Bardia Moayedi
joined Snell & Wilmer LLP as partner in Orange County and San Diego.
Moayedi specializes in advising emerging growth and public companies.
He is based in Orange County and San Diego.
Address
4320 La Jolla Village Drive Suite 205 , San Diego 92122 USA
T:
(858) 434-5009
Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Mandana Massoumi
joined Seyfarth Shaw LLP as partner in Century City.
Seyfarth Shaw expanded its Los Angeles employment and labor practice with the addition of partner Mandana Massoumi from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP.
Massoumi practiced at Manatt for seven years and is the former co-chair of the national retail and consumer products industry practice group. What drew Massoumi to Seyfarth was the firm's deep bench strength in employment law, she said.
"The quality of client service and the work for me was very impressive and was a draw in wanting to be part of the team and providing my clients with the opportunity to have this additional bench strength that can assist them not just here in California, but across the country and even internationally," she explained.
As a litigator, Massoumi specializes in class and collective actions, but her practice also includes advising clients on day to day employment matters and defending them in litigation and audits by government agencies.
"I've been fortunate enough to have a practice that's allowed me to work with clients across industry groups, but I've had particular experience and I have a large number of clients that are in the retail and consumer industry groups, as well as those who are in the technology and digital space," she said.
Massoumi said she enjoys most "being able to really partner with my clients and really fully understanding their businesses and being effective in that way, where I'm able to step in and work side by side with them or provide counsel in a way that can make a difference in how they're doing their work or how they're operating their business."
Massoumi has an active pro bono practice that has included advising nonprofits on employment matters and assisting in immigration and refugee cases.
She is also a board member of Orange County Coastkeeper, a nonprofit clean water organization.
Address
695 Town Center Dr Fl 14 , Costa Mesa 92626 USA
T:
(714) 371-2500
F:
(714) 371-2550
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Aimee M. Contreras- Camua
joined Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP as partner in Los Angeles.
Contreras-Camua specializes in commercial real estate transactions, representing institutional lenders, real estate funds, opportunity funds, investment banks, life insurance companies and developers.
She is based in Los Angeles.
Address
350 S Grand Ave, Fl 50 , Los Angeles 90071-3426 USA
T:
(213) 683-9270
Greenberg Traurig LLP

David A. Gay
joined Greenberg Traurig LLP as shareholder in Los Angeles.
Greenberg Traurig has added shareholder David A. Gay, formerly with Jones Day, to its Los Angeles office, expanding its intellectual property, technology, life sciences and medical technology practices.
A former biochemical research scientist, Gay practiced at Jones Day for 10 years and has more than 25 years of experience in the life sciences industry.
Gay considers the move a natural progression for his career, adding he was attracted to the firm's strategic focus on expanding its intellectual property and life sciences practices and the full range of services it would provide for his clients.
"As you can imagine with biotech, well most technology clients, they operate in sophisticated arenas and require seamless legal advice across a number of different disciplines other than intellectual property --corporate, products liabilities etc.," said Gay. "Greenberg Traurig is just exceptionally well suited to provide those sophisticated legal services, not only in the U.S., but globally."
Throughout his career, Gay has focused his practice on life sciences companies, primarily those within the biotechnology sector ranging from companies that specialize in metabolic engineering to small molecule therapeutics. He advises clients on strategic design, acquisition and management of intellectual property rights. He also evaluates patent portfolios and conducts due diligence investigations.
Gay's interest in law was sparked during his time as a research scientist, when he came to the realization that patent law bridges two of his passions: science and the law. Just 10 years after receiving his doctorate in biochemistry from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, he returned to school at the University of San Diego School of Law, graduating in 2002.
Address
1840 Century Park East Suite 1900 , Los Angeles 90067 USA
T:
(310) 586-7793
F:
(310) 586-7700
Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian LLP

Alexa Belonick
joined Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian LLP as partner in San Francisco.
Belonick advises companies in securities and transactional matters including public offerings, compliance, public reporting and governance.
She is based in San Francisco.
Address
One Bush Plaza Suite 1200 , San Francisco 94104 USA
T:
(415) 978-9803
F:
(415) 978-9806
Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl Inc.
Robyn B. Sokol
joined Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl Inc. as partner in Pasadena.
Sokol specializes in litigation and transactions related to bankruptcy law.
She is based in Pasadena.
Address
200 S Los Robles Ave, Ste 300 , Pasadena 91101-2483 USA
T:
(626) 796-4000
F:
(626) 795-6321
Blank Rome LLP
Sharon R. Klein
joined Blank Rome LLP as partner, office chair and chair of the privacy, security and data protection practice.
Klein specializes in data privacy, information security laws and regulation.
She is based in Orange County.
Alex C. Nisenbaum
joined Blank Rome LLP as partner in Orange County.
Nisenbaum focuses on data privacy, information security laws and regulation.
He is based in Orange County.
Karen H. Shin
joined Blank Rome LLP as associate in Orange County.
Shin specializes in data privacy and information security laws and regulation.
She is based in Orange County.
Address
2029 Century Park E, Ste 600 , Los Angeles 90067-2907 USA
T:
(424) 239-3400
F:
(424) 239-3434
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
Joseph K. Halloum
joined Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP as partner in Menlo Park.
Halloum specializes in mergers and acquisitions involving publicly traded companies and private equity sponsors.
He is based in Menlo Park.
Address
2710 Sand Hill Road , Menlo Park 94025
T:
(650) 618-9288
Gov. Gavin Newsom
Robert A. Bonta
joined Gov. Gavin Newsom as california attorney general in Sacramento.
Bonta has been a state Assembly member for Alameda County since 2012. If confirmed, he will replace Xavier Becerra, who was confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Bonta is based in Sacramento.
Dennis D. Kim
joined Gov. Gavin Newsom as director of real property at the california high- speed rail authority in Roseville.
Kim has been assistant vice president and deputy director of real property at the authority since 2019.
He is based in Roseville.
Kathryn Ellen Doi
joined Gov. Gavin Newsom as california new motor vehicle board in Sacramento.
Doi has been on the board since 2013 and is a partner at Hanson Bridgett LLP.
She is based in Sacramento.
Samantha Murray
joined Gov. Gavin Newsom as california fish and game commission in Del Mar.
Murray has been on the commission since 2019 and is executive director of the Master of Advanced Studies Program in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
She is based in Del Mar.
Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP
Renee M Gabbard
joined Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP as partner in Irvine.
Gabbard specializes in trust, estate and succession planning.
She is based in Irvine.
Charles W. Lin
joined Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP as partner in Irvine.
Lin focuses on advising clients in trust, estate and succession matters.
He is based in Irvine.
Address
100 Spectrum Center Dr, Ste 520 , Irvine 92618-4968 USA
T:
(949) 346-8399
F:
(619) 788-5566
Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton LLP

Richard R. Sheridan
joined Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton LLP as of counsel in San Diego.
Sheridan is the former general counsel and corporate secretary of Scripps. He specializes in governance and corporate law.
Sheridan is based in San Diego.
Address
101 West Broadway, Ninth Floor , San Diego 92101 United States
T:
(619) 237-5200
F:
(619) 615-0700