Benjamin Pelletier joined Haynes and Boone LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Benjamin Pelletier has joined Haynes and Boone's in San Francisco after spending the last three years at Venable LLP.
Pelletier, a patent attorney and former biochemical engineer, specializes in patent counseling and prosecution in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, life science and medical device industries.
"The firm has just opened the San Francisco office and they have this digital health and precision medicine practice group with a couple of other practitioners, who are doing really exciting patent work for the same types of clients that I have, but in a slightly different area," said Pelletier. "My colleagues are focusing more on computer science aspects of some of these inventions, they're not doing the therapeutic molecule development work that I'm doing, but we have really complementary practices."
Pelletier added he was also attracted to the opportunity at Haynes and Boone because of the firm's focus on patent prosecution.
Formerly a biochemical engineer, Pelletier spent many years working in the manufacturing division at Genentech, a biotechnology company based in the Bay Area. Experience that has been beneficial to his current practice, he said.
"I was working on developing the processes for manufacturing a lot of the drugs that I now work on the patent side of," Pelletier added. "Oftentimes, my clients come to me with questions about how we can patent a drug, but also, if we can patent the manufacturing process that's related to the drug. So because I have a lot of experience in that field, I'm able to understand what they're doing and help them identify potential new inventions that could be protected with patents."
According to Pelletier, he decided to pursue a career in law because he wanted to be closer to the decision makers in the industry.
As a new member of the digital health and precision medicine practice group, Pelletier hopes to help expand and grow the group's footprint.
"Beyond that, I'd like to reach out to more of a national and international base of clients, once we expand the team and get the bandwidth to take on bigger types of matters," he said.

Rebecca Kim was promoted to partner of Kutak Rock LLP in Los Angeles.

Kim focuses on product liability, toxic tort, asbestos and environmental litigation.
She is based in Los Angeles.

Ken Whiting, Jr. joined Rutan & Tucker LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Whiting specializes in real estate transactions. He represents owners, developers, landlords, tenants and borrowers in the acquisition, development, construction, financing, leasing and disposition of commercial and industrial properties.
He is based in San Francisco.

Heather N. Aune was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in San Diego.

Aune specializes in executive compensation and employee benefits issues for startups, emerging growth and public companies.
She is based in San Diego.

Ryan J. Gunderson was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in San Diego.

Gunderson represents emerging growth companies in initial public offerings, other capital market transactions and public company matters.
He is based in San Diego.

Nicholas G. Markman was promoted to partner of Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP in San Francisco.

Markman specializes in representing emerging growth companies in the technology sector including consumer internet, software, telecommunications and entertainment technology. He also advises angel investors and venture capital firms.
He is based in San Francisco.

Katherine C. Bissett was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP in Los Angeles.

Bissett advises lenders and borrowers in real estate finance, including the structure, underwriting and negotiation of clients' loans. Most recently, she has been specializing in asset management work such as assisting clients with loan modifications, assumptions, collateral substitutions, extensions, workouts and enforcement actions.
She is based in Los Angeles.

Casey B. Sypek was promoted to partner of Miller Barondess, LLP in Los Angeles.

Sypek is a trial attorney and focuses on employment, contract, fraud, copyright, trademark, entertainment and false advertising disputes.
She is based in Los Angeles.

Shant A. Karnikian was promoted to partner of Kabateck LLP in Los Angeles.

Karnikian specializes in insurance bad faith and catastrophic personal injury. Since joining the firm in 2013, he has been involved in obtaining over $100 million in verdicts and settlements for clients.
He is based in Los Angeles.

Michael Harbour was promoted to partner of Irell & Manella LLP in Los Angeles.

Harbour specializes in complex civil litigation such as class actions, as well as litigation related to media and entertainment, intellectual property and securities.
He is based in Los Angeles.

Elizabeth Tuan was promoted to partner of Irell & Manella LLP in Los Angeles.

Tuan focuses on patent litigation in a range of industries including biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
She is based in Los Angeles.

Kyle T. Overs was promoted to partner of Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP in San Diego.

Overs represents individuals and companies in complex business and trust litigation matters.
He is based in San Diego.

Missy Cornejo was promoted to shareholder of Rossi Hamerslough Reischl & Chuck in San Jose.

Cornejo represents business entities, commercial developers, real estate buyers and sellers, real estate brokers and agents, as well as commercial landlords and tenants in all aspects of litigation.
She is based in San Jose.

Jessica Rankin Corpuz was promoted to shareholder of Weintraub Tobin in Los Angeles.

Corpuz specializes in complex commercial disputes with a focus on entertainment and intellectual property.
She is based in Los Angeles.