Susana P. Solano was promoted to partner of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Sacramento.

Solano advises employers and management in employment issues including prevention of employment discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful termination, and wage and hour violations.
She is based in Sacramento.

Stephen M. McLoughlin was promoted to partner of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Cerritos.

McLoughlin advises public and private agencies in transactional and litigation issues such as state community college districts in education related matters as well as providing counsel concerning compliance with Title IX.
He is based in Cerritos.

Dan J. Bulfer was promoted to partner of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Irvine.

Bulfer represents employers in labor and employment compliance and risk management issues like workplace investigations and corrective actions.
He is based in Irvine.

Alexandria M. Davidson was promoted to partner of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Irvine.

Davidson represents California public school districts as general counsel.
She is based in Irvine.

Scott K. Holbrook was promoted to shareholder of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Sacramento.

Holbrook advises school districts, county offices of education and community college districts in labor and personnel matters.
He is based in Sacramento.

Anthony P. Niccoli was promoted to shareholder of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Cerritos.

Niccoli represents contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers and owners in construction issues such as licensing, contract drafting and negotiations.
He is based in Cerritos.

William A. Diedrich was promoted to shareholder of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Riverside.

Diedrich advises school districts, community college districts and public agencies in all aspects of labor and employment law.
He is based in Riverside.

Kristen Mah Rogers was promoted to partner of Olson Remcho in Oakland.

Rogers represents clients in litigation related to election law, education funding, public policy and constitutional issues.
She is based in Oakland.

Benjamin R. Fliegel was promoted to partner of Reed Smith LLP in Los Angeles.

Fliegel is a commercial litigator with an emphasis on representing policyholders in large or protracted litigation with insurance companies.
He is based in Los Angeles.

Ashley B. Jordan was promoted to partner of Reed Smith LLP in Los Angeles.

Jordan focuses on insurance recovery. She advises policyholders in negotiation, litigation or alternative dispute resolution.
She is based in Los Angeles.

Maytak Chin was promoted to partner of Reed Smith LLP in San Francisco.

Chin focuses on complex litigation related to fiduciary duties, unfair competition and business torts.
She is based in San Francisco.

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.

Allina M. Amuchie was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

Amuchie specializes in business and civil litigation.
She is based in Orange County.

Mohammed E. Elayan was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

Elayan advises clients in mergers and acquisitions, SEC reporting and compliance, financing, commercial and licensing agreements, corporate governance and entity structuring.
He is based in Orange County.

Lucas K. Hori was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

Hori specializes in business and civil litigation.
He is based in Orange County.

Seth M. Jessee was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

Jessee represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex business litigation.
He is based in Orange County.

Carrie A. MacIntosh was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Palo Alto.

MacIntosh focuses on construction, real estate and general commerce matters. She is a litigator and counsels clients in contract preparation, dispute avoidance and dispute resolution.
She is based in Palo Alto.

Jonathan D. Nomura was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

Nomura represents lenders and borrowers in single and multiple lender acquisitions, construction, term and affordable housing financing related to all property types.
He is based in Orange County.

Kyle M. St. James was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

St. James advises clients on patent strategy including in portfolio development and prosecution.
He is based in Orange County.

Bryan A. Wilbert was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

Wilbert represents financial institutions, private equity funds, developers and owners in commercial real estate matters such as acquisition, disposition, development, leasing and financing.
He is based in Orange County.

Meredith Williams was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Orange County.

Williams specializes in trademark and copyright litigation, including trade secret misappropriation, false advertising and unfair competition, and advises clients on how to promote and defend brands and intellectual property.
She is based in Orange County.

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.

Thomas Rice was promoted to partner of Best Best & Krieger LLP in Ontario.

Rice specializes in municipal law and advises clients in the planning and development process. He is town attorney for Apple Valley, assistant city attorney for San Bernardino and assistant general counsel for the March Joint Powers Authority.
He is based in Ontario.

Charity Schiller was promoted to partner of Best Best & Krieger LLP in Riverside.

Schiller specializes in environmental law including The California Environmental Quality Act and The National Environmental Policy Act.
She is based in Riverside.

Elizabeth Hull was promoted to partner of Best Best & Krieger LLP in Irvine.

Hull is assistant city attorney to Avalon and San Juan Capistrano, a and general counsel to the Helix Water District.
She is based in Irvine.

Ruben Duran was promoted to partner of Best Best & Krieger LLP in Ontario.

Duran is the city attorney for Ontario and Fontana, and general counsel to the Oxnard Harbor District.
He is based in Ontario.

Joshua Nelson was promoted to partner of Best Best & Krieger LLP in Sacramento.

Nelson is city attorney of Gustine and Jackson in Merced County and is a member of the firm's municipal law practice group, specializing in governance.
He is based in Sacramento.

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.