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.

Sandra Bignone was promoted to counsel of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

With deep experience structuring agreements for television and film projects with major industry distributors, Bignone has served as general counsel for high-profile clients and regularly represents influencers in a variety of business deals and partnership opportunities. She received her J.D. from Loyola Law School.

Nathaniel A. Cohen was promoted to counsel of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Cohen regularly represents some of the country’s largest managed care organizations and health insurers in complex litigation matters in federal and state courts. His practice includes a particular focus on class actions, insurance bad faith litigation, ERISA litigation and litigation implicating federal and state mental health parity statutes. He received his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School.

Misa Eiritz was promoted to counsel of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

A member of the investigations and white-collar defense and litigation practices, Eiritz's practice focuses on representing corporate entities during criminal investigations and complex civil litigation. She has experience defending False Claims Act actions, consumer class actions and complex contract disputes for a variety of clients in state and federal courts. She received her J.D. from the UC Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law.

Kevin M. Davis was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jan. 15, 2025.

Davis advises nonprofits, tax-exempt organizations and public agencies on day-to-day governance, operational and reporting matters; on life-cycle matters, including forming and organizing new organizations, reorganizations and restructuring, obtaining federal and state tax exemptions, and wind ups and dissolutions; and on land use and real estate matters, such as leases, purchases and sales, landlord-tenant issues, and permitting and entitlement. Davis works with charter schools, private schools, preschools, educational organizations, health care organizations, social service providers, environmental and legislative advocacy groups, business and trade associations, religious and cultural organizations, and other charities and foundations, as well as with public agencies.

David W. Gouzoules was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in San Diego.

Gouzoules represents businesses and individuals in all manner of disputes, including breach of contract matters, allegations of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty, and real estate disputes. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants and has represented businesses in a wide array of industries, including healthcare, consumer goods, real estate, and finance. Gouzoules has extensive experience from pre-dispute resolution all the way through trial, post-trial motions, and appeals.

Jacob K. Poorman was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in San Diego.

Poorman represents clients in intellectual property and other complex commercial disputes. He is experienced in all phases of litigation in federal, state, and arbitral proceedings, as well as in proceedings before U.S. governmental agencies. Poorman provides strategic advice to individuals and companies on a range of issues, including litigation risk and compliance.

Merrick A. Wadsworth was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in San Diego.

Wadsworth focuses on advising nonprofits, charter schools, and public agencies on a variety of issues regarding governance, entity formation, contracts, conflicts of interest, real property acquisition, and a variety of other operational issues. He regularly advises charter school clients on the Brown Act, California Public Records Act, and relations with charter authorizers, and also assists with new charter submissions, appeals, revocation proceedings, and renewals.

Stephen R. Isbell was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in Irvine.

Isbell is an experienced transactional attorney and commercial litigator focused on real estate and financial services. His transactional services include complex loan transactions, loan and asset purchases, bank participation agreements, loan workouts, and commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, commercial leases, and easements. Representing banks, mortgage lenders, real estate developers, land owners, and title insurance companies in litigation, Isbell is experienced in all phases of litigation, from pre-trial motions, written discovery and depositions, jury and court trials, and binding arbitration, mediation, informal settlement negotiations, and appeals.

Michael Todisco was promoted to partner of Hueston Hennigan LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

With a practice focused on trial work, Todisco has been recognized for wins in state and federal courts across the nation. While at Hueston Hennigan, Todisco has gone to trial multiple times, spending over 40 weeks in trial. His successes include complete defense verdicts for PwC, Caltech, and the country's largest integrated health care system. Todisco has also helped clients achieve historic trial results. He was a key member on trial teams that won record-setting Lanham Act awards for Monster Energy and that secured the pharmaceutical industry's first major legal victory against nuisance claims on behalf of Endo Pharmaceuticals.

Yegor Fursevich was promoted to partner of Hueston Hennigan LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Fursevich’s practice focuses on high-stakes business disputes, as well as trade secrets and intellectual property litigation. He has represented multinational pharmaceutical companies, global accounting firms, renowned restaurant brands, and commercial industry leaders in a wide array of matters involving insider trading, trade secret misappropriation, business torts, whistleblowing, and violations of fiduciary duties. Most recently, Fursevich was an integral part of the team that secured a complete defense victory after trial for Boeing in a trade secrets, breach of contract, and tortious interference case.

Alexander Cheung was promoted to partner of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 10, 2025.

Cheung represents established businesses and individuals in all aspects of civil litigation. His practice focuses on defending all claims related to general liability, personal injury and construction defects. Alexander is experienced in all aspects of civil litigation and case management, including discovery and depositions, law and motion, mediation, settlement and trial preparation.

W. Christopher Maloney was promoted to partner of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Oct. 1, 2025.

Maloney represents established businesses and individuals in all aspects of civil litigation. His practice focuses on the defense of claims related to general liability, automobile liability and personal injury. He executes a carefully conceived strategy designed to determine likely exposure, identify resolution options and ultimately conclude in outcomes that adhere to prescribed guidelines. He is well aware that clients prefer quick and cost-effective solutions to complex and potentially protracted liability cases, and does his best to accelerate turnaround through procedural dismissals, substantive dismissals, successful tenders and negotiated settlements.

Kammann S. Cole was promoted to partner of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, in San Diego. The promotion is effective Oct. 1, 2025.

Cole is an experienced litigator who concentrates his practice on defending complex and high-value claims. He has litigated hundreds of first-party and third-party cases from inception through resolution, including at trial. He regularly defends clients in the areas of personal injury, premises liability, product liability and professional liability claims, including dental and medical malpractice cases. regularly defends clients in the areas of personal injury, premises liability, product liability and professional liability claims, including dental and medical malpractice cases.

Jessica R. K. Dorman was promoted to partner of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, in San Diego. The promotion is effective Oct. 1, 2025.

Dorman is an experienced civil litigator who handles cases from inception to conclusion. She is prepared to mediate, arbitrate or take cases to trial as it best serves our clients’ objectives. Her education in economics and business law gives her a valuable base of knowledge and experience from which to draw when providing analysis of potential case strategies and risk management solutions.

Roxanne Laura Crocket was promoted to partner of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Oct. 1, 2025.

Crocket concentrates her practice in general liability defense, including personal injury, product liability, premises liability, wrongful death, wrongful termination, discrimination, wage-and-hour disputes, construction defect and toxic tort. She also handles human resources consulting, contract drafting and negotiation, and business practice advising.

Felicia Gilbert joined Katz Banks Kumin LLP as a partner in San Francisco. The move was Jan. 6, 2025.

Gilbert has been nationally recognized for her work and has spoken on various civil rights and employment law topics. Gilbert has been recognized as a Benchmark Litigation Labor & Employment star. The Profiles in Diversity Journal also recognized her among its Women Worth Watching in Leadership.

Alicia Macklin was promoted to partner of Hooper, Lundy & Bookman in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Macklin is a member of the Regulatory Department and co-chair of both the Behavioral Health Practice Group and the Health Equity Task Force. She is a trusted advisor to a range of inpatient and outpatient behavioral health care providers, along with hospital and health systems. Her work with providers includes advising on licensing and accreditation, Medicare and Medi-Cal reimbursement, federal and state privacy and confidentiality requirements, and operational issues. She also helps California providers navigate voluntary and involuntary treatment under the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act (LPS Act).

Emily L. Brinkman was promoted to partner of Hooper, Lundy & Bookman in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Brinkman is a member of the Medical Staff Practice Group and has over 20 years of experience as a litigator and 12 years specifically advising healthcare providers and helping them comply with regulatory issues in the state of California. She has represented medical staff in complex, multi-day hearings involving issues ranging from inappropriate behavior towards patients, to quality-of-care issues that result in disciplinary actions, from suspension to termination of privileges/credentials. She also represents individual licensed providers before their respective licensing boards, from advising and assisting with the investigation to the disciplinary hearing itself. She assists in the application process of individuals seeking licensure, including post graduate training licenses and petitions for reinstatement. Prior to joining HLB, she worked as a deputy attorney general in the Health Quality Enforcement Section and the Correctional Law Section of the California Attorney General's Office.

Alexandra Lototsky was promoted to partner of Sanders Roberts in Los Angeles.

Lototsky is an experienced litigator who has successfully represented a wide range of clients, from fortune 500 companies and small businesses to public entities and individuals. Lototsky's practice spans a wide range of state and federal law, including business litigation, contracts, fraud and products liability, general liability and personal injury, employment, anti-discrimination protection, and consumer protection. Lototsky has successfully defended and promoted her clients' interests in state and federal court, as well as in arbitration.

Meghan O'Kane was promoted to partner of Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer, ALC in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

O'Kane counsels employers on matters involving employee onboarding, exempt/non-exempt classification, wages, discipline, leaves of absence, and termination. As part of her practice, O'Kane also provides California-required anti-harassment training to employees and managers both in-person and remotely. She has defended companies across multiple industries in single-plaintiff discrimination, harassment, and retaliation lawsuits. O'Kane also has successfully litigated multiple wage-and-hour cases, including both PAGA and class-action matters.

Gloria White-Brown joined the pool of Neutrals at Alternative Resolution Centers in Los Angeles. The move was Jan. 3, 2025.

During her 20 years on the Los Angeles County Superior Court, White-Brown built a distinguished record presiding over three hundred jury and court trials across Civil, Family, and Criminal departments. Her extensive experience in complex litigation has given her comprehensive knowledge of civil case processing and case valuations. White-Brown, who recently retired, earned recognition for her methodical approach, calm judicial temperament, and exceptional ability to understand clients' needs. Her reputation was marked by careful attention to detail and ensuring all parties before her court were heard.

Josephine K. Petrick was promoted to partner of The Norton Law Firm in Oakland. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Petrick's experiences as a federal appellate law clerk and as a trial and appellate litigator position her to counsel clients on strategy and key legal issues arising at all phases of a dispute.

Allison Musante was promoted to partner of Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer, ALC in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Musante advises employers on a wide range of labor and employment issues, and she helps companies formulate policies and practices to be in compliance with California's complex, ever-changing employment laws. Musante also represents employers in all types of employment litigation, including the defense of discrimination and harassment claims, PAGA lawsuits and wage-and-hour class actions. Additionally, Musante conducts independent, neutral workplace investigations.

Sarah Van Buiten was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Irvine. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Van Buiten focuses her practice on unfair competition litigation, including trademark, patent, and copyright infringement, false advertising and trade secret misappropriation. She represents clients in proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, in both inter partes and ex parte proceedings, and handles domain name disputes. Van Buiten advises and represents clients in managing and protecting their intellectual property rights in a variety of other contexts, including intellectual property disputes implicating third-party seller platforms. She also handles a wide array of general business disputes involving breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and fraud.

Mallorie Schindler was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Irvine. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Schindler's practice focuses on a variety of corporate matters, including SEC reporting, mergers and acquisitions, securities, corporate finance, corporate governance and general company representation serving clients in a broad range of sectors, including financial services, food and beverage, life sciences and healthcare, private equity, and technology. Schindler brings a practical, business-minded approach to her practice.

Bina Patel was promoted to partner of Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Patel's practice focuses on complex commercial litigation with an emphasis on intellectual property and appeals. She has extensive experience in all stages of litigation and has practiced before federal and appellate courts across the country. She has successfully represented both plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes technology disputes related to patents, copyrights, trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, fraud, unfair competition, and false advertising.

Rodney Lasher was promoted to counsel of Venable LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Lasher represents companies and individuals in a wide range of commercial matters, including intellectual property, entertainment, trusts and estates, land use, real property, complex business, and various other commercial disputes. He has extensive experience dealing with cannabis, cryptocurrency, and entertainment matters. In addition to his experience litigating cases in both state and federal courts, he has represented clients in private arbitration and administrative proceedings, as well as various appellate matters before California state courts of appeal and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Jon Welner joined Crowell & Moring LLP as a partner in San Francisco.

Welner's practice focuses on all areas of environmental law, including the regulation of air, water, hazardous materials and waste, consumer products, traditional and renewable energy, and natural resources. Welner has significant experience helping clients navigate the California Environmental Quality Act, Proposition 65, and brownfield redevelopment. He helps clients obtain land use entitlements, and he has significant experience with coastal development and the permitting of industrial and energy facilities.

Hoyt Y. Sze joined Sheppard Mullin as a partner in San Francisco.

Sze is a seasoned attorney with over 25 years of experience. He has represented health systems and academic medical centers as outside and in-house counsel, as well as serving as Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer. He specializes in healthcare fraud investigations and litigation, including related to the federal and California False Claims Act, anti-kickback laws and the Stark Law, and has dealt with federal and state agencies including the U.S. Department of Justice on subpoenas, civil investigative demands, self-disclosures and other enforcement matters. He also has advised higher education institutions and health providers in connection with complex privacy matters including issues concerning clinical artificial intelligence and "big data," research security investigations including issues concerning federal grant proposal "other support" non-disclosure and emerging technologies, and major cybersecurity incidents.

Margia Corner joined Sheppard Mullin as a partner in San Francisco. The move was Jun. 1, 2025.

Corner is a trusted advisor and proactive problem-solver who brings together executive-level stakeholders to support clients' innovative approaches to transforming healthcare delivery towards value-based models of care. She has over 10 years' experience in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement and other federal and state health care laws and regulations. She has advised academic and non-profit health systems, federally qualified health centers, clinical laboratories, pharmacies, and health care professionals as well as pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical device companies and health plans.

Natasha S. Fedder joined Foundation Law Group LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Fedder complements her advocacy practice by serving as a contract mediator for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission RESOLVE Program and a panel member for the American Arbitration Association. As an arbitrator, she focuses on employment (pension/ERISA), consumer, and general healthcare disputes. Before joining Foundation Law Group, Natasha was a partner at Scale LLP and practiced law at O'Melveny & Myers.

Michael Godino was promoted to partner of Venable LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Godino focuses his practice on entertainment and media litigation, as well as general commercial litigation. He has substantial experience in all aspects of state and federal litigation, including drafting and arguing dispositive motions, taking and defending key depositions, managing complex large-scale discovery, and preparing cases for trial or negotiating favorable settlements to avoid trial.

Sophia M. Rios was promoted to shareholder of Berger Montague in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Rios manages the firm's San Diego office and practices in the Consumer Protection, Credit Reporting and Background Checks groups. She has nearly 10 years of experience litigating class actions and has helped recover over $100 million on behalf of consumers nationwide in 2024. Rios advocates on behalf of a broad range of clients, focusing her practice on protecting the privacy rights of consumers, including their medical privacy, online privacy, and in data breaches. She had an instrumental role in reaching the $58.5 million settlement in Fernandez v. CoreLogic Credco, LLC (S.D. Cal.), which vindicated the rights of consumers nationwide who had wrongly reported as potential terrorists or drug traffickers on their credit reports.

As a first-generation college student and woman of color, Rios is committed to furthering diversity and inclusion in law firms. She serves on the firm's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force and has participated in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity's Pathfinder Program. In her pro bono practice, Sophia assisted refugees seeking asylum in the United States.

Thomas P. Bruder was promoted to partner of Kutak Rock LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 3, 2025.

Bruder focuses his practice on public finance, representing issuers, underwriters, direct placement banks and borrowers on tax-exempt and taxable financings, including complex real estate financing transactions, for the benefit of state and local government, colleges and universities, private schools, charter schools, and other nonprofit organizations. He also has extensive experience working on financings for the benefit of water, wastewater and renewable energy facilities.

Laura Cable was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Cable is a tax attorney whose practice focuses on income tax planning for real estate transactions.  Her practice includes federal and California income tax planning for real estate investments by partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations, individuals, and tax-exempt entities, as well as planning for California property and documentary transfer taxes. She has advised a wide range of real estate clients on various tax issues, which allows her to holistically look at transactions and the implications and provide strategic guidance as to what can be done to make it as tax efficient as possible. She advises her clients on tax implications of proposed acquisitions, dispositions, and exchanges of real property, and has extensive experience drafting and negotiating tax provisions in purchase and sale agreements, joint venture, and partnership agreements.

Robbie Hull was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Hull is a land use, natural resources, and environmental attorney who represents developers across various industries in obtaining permits needed to develop complex land use projects, including some of the nation's largest renewable energy projects, as well as mixed-use and affordable housing projects. He plays a crucial role in counseling clients through the local, state, and federal entitlement process and has significant experience with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), planning and zoning laws, and laws related to wetlands and endangered species, water supply, and the Williamson Act. As part of Cox Castle's Renewable Energy Industry Team, Hull has helped clients develop thousands of megawatts of renewable energy and battery storage in California and other western states.

Ira Klein was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Klein is an environmental attorney who represents developers in the remediation and redevelopment of complex contaminated properties, including at large sites such as former power plants and former landfills. He also advises clients across various industries on a range of environmental and occupational safety and health issues, including on complicated environmental compliance issues, enforcement defense and environmental litigation, regulatory and legislative advocacy, and project development work. His clientele hails from a range of sectors, including real estate, telecommunications, pharmaceutical, construction, manufacturing, waste-to-energy, solar, oilfield services, and biomass.

William Cooper was promoted to partner of Conrad|Metlitzky|Kane in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Cooper's practice focuses on complex civil litigation and internal investigations, with an emphasis on emerging technology sectors such as the blockchain and platform economies. He guides clients through every stage of litigation. He has taken and defended depositions, drafted and argued critical motions, examined key trial witnesses, and defended judgments on appeal. He also conducts corporate investigations and represents witnesses in government investigations.

Christopher C. Surh was promoted to special counsel of Goldberg Segalla in Orange County. The promotion is effective Jan. 2, 2025.

Surh counsels and defends clients in complex civil litigation matters, with a particular focus in transportation and premise liability. His experience ranges from matters involving personal injury, workers' compensation, and employment law to insurance defense, subrogation, contract disputes, construction defects, and public/private property.

Joseph R. Coriaty was promoted to special counsel of Goldberg Segalla in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 2, 2025.

Coriaty focuses his practice on civil litigation and product liability matters. He counsels and defends businesses and insurance companies in a wide variety of claims from pre-lawsuit negotiation and evaluation through trial or alternative dispute resolution.

Gina Binder was promoted to Partner of Goldberg Segalla in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Binder is a workers' compensation litigator and advisor, providing counsel to insurers, employers, and third-party administrators across California. With more than 12 years of dedicated focus on workers' compensation defense, Binder possesses a wealth of experience managing cases from inception to settlement or trial. Gina excels in developing discovery, settlement and litigation strategies tailored to the unique needs of each case and client.

John F. O'Connor was promoted to partner of Clark Hill in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

O'Connor works in the firm's Real Estate practice group, where he predominantly practices as a litigator.

Matthew T. Brand was promoted to partner of Clark Hill in San Francisco. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Brand defends clients in civil litigation, in both the public and private sectors.

Daniel R. Lahana was promoted to Partner of Larson LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Lahana has been with Larson since 2020. His practice emphasizes complex civil disputes and white-collar criminal defense matters. He has litigated issues involving class action defense, complex real property transactions and disputes, trusts and estates, employment disputes, and trade secrets, along with government investigations and criminal proceedings. Lahana earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law, and a B.A. from the University of California, Irvine.

Andrew E. Calderón was promoted to Counsel of Larson LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Calderón joined Larson in 2023. His experience includes matters in state, federal and international jurisdictions, and he has represented clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to local businesses and private individuals. Calderón also served as a police officer in Long Beach, and as a field artillery officer in the California Army National Guard. He earned his J.D. from UCLA School of law, and a B.A. from California State University, Long Beach.

Ranja Rasul was promoted to Counsel of Larson LLP in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Rasul joined Larson in 2021 and has a broad range of civil and criminal experience both domestically and internationally. He focuses his practice on complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense. Ranja earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law, and a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University.

Michael J. Mason was promoted to partner of Finch, Thornton & Baird LLP in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Mason brings extensive expertise in construction law, business and commercial litigation, and real estate disputes. He has a diverse clientele, including federal and local contractors, real estate owners, and development teams. A retired U.S. Navy commander with 24 years of service, Mason holds a business administration degree from the University of Texas and a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law.

Steven L. Hwang was promoted to partner of Finch, Thornton & Baird LLP in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Hwang specializes in estate planning, corporate governance, and business planning, offering comprehensive guidance to business owners, multi-generational families, and professional advisors. Hwang earned a Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of San Diego, a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law, and a bachelor’s in business economics from UC Santa Barbara.

Kelly Sagaser joined Miller Barondess, LLP as an associate in Los Angeles.

Sagaser is a commercial litigator who represents clients across many industries including entertainment, intellectual property, and technology.