Gabriel R Duarte was promoted to partner of Musick Peeler in Westlake Village.

Trust & Estates

Candice S Liao was promoted to partner of Musick Peeler in Costa Mesa.

Litigation and Construction

Lewis Zirogiannis joined Foley & Lardner as partner in San Francisco.

Foley & Lardner announced that Lewis Zirogiannis has joined the firm as a partner in its Litigation Department and Government Enforcement Defense & Investigations Practice Group. Zirogiannis is resident in the firm's San Francisco and New York City offices.

Zirogiannis' practice focuses on complex litigation, as well as government and internal investigations and corporate compliance. He has deep expertise in counseling corporations and company executives in connection with litigation and investigation matters in the areas of anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, trade sanctions, information governance, securities fraud, and data privacy and protection, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Zirogiannis has appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court and in federal and state trial and appellate courts, and he has conducted investigations in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe.

Zirogiannis brings extensive in-house experience from having served six years in legal leadership roles at two global businesses of General Electric Co., where he oversaw global compliance programs and supervised litigation, investigations and regulatory relations. In addition, he previously served as Associate General Counsel and Global Anti-Corruption Officer at American International Group.

"Lewis' extensive global regulatory and compliance experience enhances our ability to navigate Foley's clients through increasingly complex regulatory challenges," said Lisa Noller, chair of Foley's Government Enforcement Defense & Investigations Practice Group. "His presence in California and New York expands our already significant litigation capabilities nationwide, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the team."

Zirogiannis comes to Foley from Reed Smith, where he was a member of the complex litigation and global regulatory enforcement practice groups. He began his legal career as a staff attorney in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and as a federal judicial law clerk in the Southern District of New York before entering private practice.

"We continue to focus on expanding our capabilities in San Francisco with the addition of top lateral talent, and Lewis' addition immediately deepens our bench strength and the services we can provide to our clients both in California and nationally, particularly in the areas of government enforcement, labor and employment, and privacy," said Thomas Carlucci, managing partner of Foley's San Francisco office. "We are excited to welcome Lewis to the team."

Adam M. Weg joined Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman & Rabkin, LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Mr. Weg is an experienced litigator who has cultivated a multi-faceted practice that encompasses complex business, real estate, antitrust and trade secret matters, cross-border international arbitration disputes and sophisticated insurance matters. His clients have ranged from multi-national businesses to individual investors. Additionally, Mr. Weg worked extensively in the real estate industry. As a result, his clients often turn to him for his real-world business acumen to guide them through their legal issues.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Weg worked at Musick, Peeler & Garrett LLP where he handled various business litigation matters including an antitrust matter pertaining to the international pima cotton market with over $300 million in dispute, a trade secrets matter pertaining to the global aircraft leasing industry with over $1 billion in dispute, and a real estate matter involving the two largest proprietors of skilled nursing facilities in the State of California.

Robert Allen joined Glaser Weil LLP as partner in Century City.

Robert E. Allen is a member of the Intellectual Property Department. As a highly accomplished, results-focused attorney, Mr. Allen has significant experience in both litigation and transactions involving copyright and trademark, specializing in entertainment and new media related fields.

His litigation practice focuses on representing creators and copyright owners in the protection of their works, including recording artists, songwriters, actors, photographers and authors, as well as ensuring they are properly accounted to and paid.

His transactional practice focuses on providing counsel on both domestic and international acquisitions, negotiating licenses and agreements relating to music, film, television, digital media, production, television exploitation, on-demand media delivery, gaming and software.

Prior to returning to private practice, Mr. Allen was the senior vice president, head of business and legal affairs for Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), and led its New Media Business Development.

Thomas Asmar joined Baker McKenzie as partner in Palo Alto.

Baker McKenzie has added highly accomplished lawyer Thomas Asmar as partner, bringing nearly 20 years of experience advising companies and private equity funds on all employee benefits and compensation issues related to corporate transactions, such as mergers, acquisitions, IPOs and financings.

Based in Silicon Valley, Tom will play an integral role in the expanding M&A practice in Silicon Valley, led by Partner Leif King, another recent addition from Skadden. Tom counsels companies in a variety of industries on the design, negotiation and implementation of compensation arrangements, including employment agreements, equity compensation plans, incentive compensation, deferred compensation, severance agreements and change-in-control arrangements, for executives and employees. Tom also advises clients on tax, securities and corporate governance law issues as they relate to executive compensation and employee benefit arrangements.

Tom received his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law and his Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is licensed to practice law in California and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Daniel M. Engler was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP in San Francisco.

Daniel M. Engler's practice focuses on the buying, selling, leasing, and development of real property. He joined the firm in 2012 and is a member of Cox, Castle & Nicholson's San Francisco Real Estate and Renewable Energy Development team. Engler's expertise spans the residential, commercial, mixed-use, healthcare and renewable energy sectors, and he regularly represents clients in complex real estate transactions and land use and entitlement matters.

Engler sits on NAIOP San Francisco Bay Area Chapter's Government Affairs Committee, the Urban Land Institute's San Francisco Sustainability Committee, and the Bay Area Council's Housing Committee. Engler graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and earned his bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University.

Linda C. Klein was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP in San Francisco.

Linda C. Klein’s practice focuses on land use entitlement and litigation, with extensive expertise in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and in particular air quality and greenhouse gas issues. Since joining Cox, Castle & Nicholson’s Land Use and Natural Resources team in 2011, she has helped the firm successfully entitle numerous projects in the Bay Area, including the Oak Knoll community in Oakland and Fortinet’s newest building in Sunnyvale. With an architectural background, she provides entitlement clients practical solutions to the most complex development and zoning matters. She also has helped litigate a number of CEQA cases, including several in the California Supreme Court.

Klein is an active member of the California Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP) and the San Francisco chapter of Urban Land Institute, where she sits on the Policy & Practice Committee. She earned her Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law, graduating Order of the Coif, her Master of Architecture from Yale School of Architecture, and bachelor's degrees in art and art history and civil engineering from Rice University, magna cum laude in both. After law school, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Sandra S. Ikuta of the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Cathy T. Moses was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP in Irvine.

Cathy T. Moses joined Cox, Castle & Nicholson’s Litigation team as senior counsel in 2017. Her experience spans a wide range of business and real estate litigation matters, including business torts, contracts, partnership disputes, and employment litigation. She has achieved successful outcomes for the firm’s clients at all stages of litigation, including pre-litigation negotiations, dispositive motion practice, trial, and appeal.

Outside of the office, she serves on the board of directors of the Constitutional Rights Foundation Orange County. She graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from the University of Michigan Law School, and earned her bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in history and literature from Harvard University. After graduating from law school, she served as a law clerk to The Honorable M. Margaret McKeown of the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. From 2011 to 2012, she served as a Trial Attorney with the United States Department of Justice, Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, in Washington, D.C.

Jake Storms was promoted to partner of Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP in San Francisco.

Jake Storms has played a key role in the expansion of Cox, Castle & Nicholson’s renewable energy practice since joining the firm in 2015, where he is a member of the firm’s San Francisco Real Estate and Renewable Energy Development team. Storms is an experienced energy attorney advising developers, lenders and tax equity investors on a broad range of renewable/alternative energy projects, including some of the largest utility-scale solar installations in California and across the United States. Outside of energy, he focuses on project development and the acquisition, disposition and development of real property for a variety of industries, including healthcare, conservation and mitigation lands and mixed-use projects.

Storms is a member of the San Francisco Bar Association and the Napa County Bar Association. Previously, he sat on the advisory board for the California Environmental Law and Policy Center at the University of California, Davis School of Law, as well as the Native American Resources and Renewable, Alternative and Distributed Energy Resources committees for the American Bar Association. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Davis School of Law.

Daniel M. Engler was promoted to partner of Idea Hall in San Francisco.

Daniel M. Engler's practice focuses on the buying, selling, leasing, and development of real property. He joined the firm in 2012 and is a member of Cox, Castle & Nicholson's San Francisco Real Estate and Renewable Energy Development team. Engler's expertise spans the residential, commercial, mixed-use, healthcare and renewable energy sectors, and he regularly represents clients in complex real estate transactions and land use and entitlement matters.

Engler sits on NAIOP San Francisco Bay Area Chapter's Government Affairs Committee, the Urban Land Institute's San Francisco Sustainability Committee, and the Bay Area Council's Housing Committee. Engler graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and earned his bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University.

Linda C. Klein was promoted to partner of Idea Hall in San Francisco.

Linda C. Klein’s practice focuses on land use entitlement and litigation, with extensive expertise in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and in particular air quality and greenhouse gas issues. Since joining Cox, Castle & Nicholson’s Land Use and Natural Resources team in 2011, she has helped the firm successfully entitle numerous projects in the Bay Area, including the Oak Knoll community in Oakland and Fortinet’s newest building in Sunnyvale. With an architectural background, she provides entitlement clients practical solutions to the most complex development and zoning matters. She also has helped litigate a number of CEQA cases, including several in the California Supreme Court.

Klein is an active member of the California Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP) and the San Francisco chapter of Urban Land Institute, where she sits on the Policy & Practice Committee. She earned her Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law, graduating Order of the Coif, her Master of Architecture from Yale School of Architecture, and bachelor's degrees in art and art history and civil engineering from Rice University, magna cum laude in both. After law school, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Sandra S. Ikuta of the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Cathy T. Moses was promoted to partner of Idea Hall in Irvine.

Cathy T. Moses joined Cox, Castle & Nicholson’s Litigation team as senior counsel in 2017. Her experience spans a wide range of business and real estate litigation matters, including business torts, contracts, partnership disputes, and employment litigation. She has achieved successful outcomes for the firm’s clients at all stages of litigation, including pre-litigation negotiations, dispositive motion practice, trial, and appeal.

Outside of the office, she serves on the board of directors of the Constitutional Rights Foundation Orange County. She graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from the University of Michigan Law School, and earned her bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in history and literature from Harvard University. After graduating from law school, she served as a law clerk to The Honorable M. Margaret McKeown of the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. From 2011 to 2012, she served as a Trial Attorney with the United States Department of Justice, Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, in Washington, D.C.

Jake Storms was promoted to partner of Idea Hall in San Francisco.

Jake Storms has played a key role in the expansion of Cox, Castle & Nicholson’s renewable energy practice since joining the firm in 2015, where he is a member of the firm’s San Francisco Real Estate and Renewable Energy Development team. Storms is an experienced energy attorney advising developers, lenders and tax equity investors on a broad range of renewable/alternative energy projects, including some of the largest utility-scale solar installations in California and across the United States. Outside of energy, he focuses on project development and the acquisition, disposition and development of real property for a variety of industries, including healthcare, conservation and mitigation lands and mixed-use projects.

Storms is a member of the San Francisco Bar Association and the Napa County Bar Association. Previously, he sat on the advisory board for the California Environmental Law and Policy Center at the University of California, Davis School of Law, as well as the Native American Resources and Renewable, Alternative and Distributed Energy Resources committees for the American Bar Association. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Davis School of Law.

Bill Veatch joined Norton Rose Fulbright as partner in San Francisco.

Veatch has extensive transactional experience in banking, equipment leasing, venture lending and leasing, cross-border leasing and vendor finance. He focuses much of his practice on advising financial institutions and technology clients on the structuring of global equipment and software vendor programs, including the sale and securitization of receivables.

Admitted to practice in California, Veatch received his JD from the University of California Hastings College of Law, his LLB from the University of Manitoba and his BA from the University of Winnipeg.

Catherine Hagerty joined Norton Rose Fulbright as partner in San Francisco.

Hagerty advises financial institutions and other lenders, borrowers and equipment leasing companies on the structuring, documentation and administration of various forms of complex debt financings. Her leasing experience focuses on the lifespan of equipment, including vendor agreements, sale and leasebacks, lease originations, cross-border leases and restructurings.

Hagerty, who is licensed to practice in California and New York, earned her JD at Duke University School of Law and her BA at William & Mary.

Michael A. Seiden was promoted to partner of Pircher, Nichols & Meeks LLP in Los Angeles.

Pircher, Nichols & Meeks LLP today announced the promotion of Michael A. Seiden to partner of the firm. Seiden began his legal career in 2011 as an associate at Pircher and continues to represent institutional investors, developers, homebuilders, publicly traded corporations and lenders nationwide in connection with their complex real estate transactions.

Seiden's practice has an emphasis on acquisitions, dispositions and both lender-side and borrower-side financings across a wide range of asset types. He also represents clients in connection with the negotiation and structuring of joint venture agreements.

"Since he joined the Pircher team nearly a decade ago, Mike has been deeply committed to providing the highest quality legal services to the firm's clients and ingraining himself within our business," said Alex Jacobs, partner at Pircher and member of the firm's Executive Committee. "This is a natural next step for a lawyer as talented as Mike, as he continues to progress in his career at Pircher. We're very confident that both his experience as a real estate transaction attorney and the strong relationships that he has created with our clients and senior partners will produce continued success for his practice."

Seiden contributes to the broader legal community through his involvement on the Board of Directors of the Century City Bar Association. He has also been recognized for his work as an honoree on the 2018 and 2019 Super Lawyers "Southern California Rising Stars" lists.

Seiden earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law, during which time he received both the 2011 Burton Marks Memorial Award and the David Mellinkoff Scholarship. Seiden earned his bachelor's degree in government and history from Claremont McKenna College where he graduated magna cum laude.

Melissa Meister joined Baker Marquart LLP in Downtown, Los Angeles.

Baker Marquart is pleased to announce that Melissa A. Meister has joined the firm.

Melissa A. Meister is an experienced trial and appellate attorney who has tried cases and argued appeals in state and federal courts across the country, including the United States Supreme Court. A former Department of Justice Trial Attorney and Assistant United States Attorney, Melissa is not only a skilled trial attorney and appellate advocate, but has extensive experience conducting internal investigations. Melissa works on both high-stakes criminal and regulatory defense matters and civil litigation and has worked on numerous parallel criminal and civil investigations and prosecutions, including numerous fraud, cryptocurrency, and False Claims Act matters.

Melissa has represented Fortune 500 companies, blockchain and cryptocurrency startups, visionaries, hospitals, doctors, large pension funds, public universities, whistleblowers, and individuals in a variety of criminal and civil matters throughout the country. Melissa enjoys learning about her clients and their businesses and is as comfortable thinking on her feet in a courtroom as she is in talking to her clients and their employees on an individual basis.

Melissa is currently admitted to practice in California, Arizona, and the District of Colombia.

Richard S. Deitchman was promoted to shareholder of Somach Simmons & Dunn in Sacramento.

Somach Simmons & Dunn is pleased to announce the promotion of Rich Deitchman to shareholder, effective January 1, 2020. Licensed in both Oregon and California, Rich focuses his practice on water rights and natural resources litigation. With a master's degree in hydrology, Rich works effectively with experts, such as environmental engineers and agricultural economists, to pinpoint scientific and economic factors that affect water cases. His experience spans water rights issues that impact Oregon, California, Texas, and New Mexico, including the ongoing Klamath Basin Adjudication in Oregon and the pending Texas v. New Mexico & Colorado litigation in the United States Supreme Court. Based in the firm's Sacramento office, Rich earned his J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School.

Andrew M. Hitchings was promoted to managing shareholder of Somach Simmons & Dunn in Sacramento.

Somach Simmons & Dunn is pleased to name Andy Hitchings as the firm’s managing shareholder, effective January 1, 2020. He succeeds Theresa "Tess" Dunham in the role. With nearly three decades of working on California’s most complex water rights, water supply, and water quality issues, Andy also has developed substantial experience in state and federal court litigation, public agency law, CEQA/NEPA, and the Endangered Species Act. He has played an integral role in the renewal, implementation, and defense of Sacramento River Settlement Contracts. Andy has also focused on confirming water rights for recycled water projects and negotiating and implementing water transfer agreements. One of Andy’s key career achievements was briefing and arguing a case before the United States Supreme Court in 2001 and obtaining a unanimous ruling in his client’s favor. He serves on the Legal Affairs Committee for the Association of California Water Agencies.

M. Leah Cameron was promoted to partner of Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP in San Francisco.

M. Leah Cameron, a graduate of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Cameron is an experienced trial attorney, representing clients in class actions and single-plaintiff cases in state and federal courts, as well as before administrative agencies. She was also a member of the CDF appellate team that secured the seminal California Supreme Court decision in Duran v. U.S. Bank, 59 Cal.4th 1 (2014), which helped shape class certification and trial management principles in overtime exemption cases.

Nicole Legrottaglie was promoted to partner of Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP in Sacramento.

Nicole Legrottaglie aggressively defends her clients in a broad range of labor and employment claims, including class actions and single-plaintiff claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful termination and wage and hour litigation. In addition, Legrottaglie has significant experience in traditional labor law where she has effectively represented management in union disputes and successfully handled unfair labor practice charges and other administrative matters and hearings. A strong believer in educating her clients so they avoid litigation in the first place, she regularly provides preventative counseling to employers of all sizes. She is a graduate of Manhattan College and received her J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

Ernie A. Ocampo was promoted to partner of Reed Smith LLP in Century City.

Ernie's practice focuses on transactional law, with an emphasis on entertainment and real estate development. Ernie has advised clients on an array of corporate matters, including equity and debt financings, formation and corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and day-to-day legal matters. Ernie's real estate development practice focuses on acquisitions, joint ventures and development of renewable energy facilities and commercial properties. He also advises clients in various stages of development - from start-ups to mature companies - in a broad range of transactions, with an emphasis in the entertainment, real estate and renewable energy industries.

Ernie is active in the Filipino-American community. He is a long-serving member of the Board of Governors for the Philippine American Bar Association and the Board of Directors of Los Angeles-Makati Sister City. He serves as pro bono outside counsel for Search to Involve Pilipino Americans, the oldest Filipino-American community service organization in Los Angeles. He also currently serves on the Scholarship Committee of the USC Asian Pacific Alumni Association, and co-hosts an annual welcome reception for first-year students who come to USC from the Philippines.

Jennifer R. Fearnow was promoted to partner of Reed Smith LLP in San Francisco.

Jennifer is an experienced commercial litigator. She counsels clients in resolving complex disputes in all phases of litigation in federal and state trial and appellate courts and alternative dispute resolution forums. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, business disputes, and employment litigation.

Jennifer received her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 2006, where she was a Recipient of the Witkin Award for Academic Excellence: Negotiation and Mediation Practice. Jennifer serves Pro Bono on the Leadership Council for the Bar Association of San Francisco's Justice & Diversity Center.

LiLing Poh was promoted to partner of Reed Smith LLP in Silicon Valley / San Francisco.

LiLing’s practice focuses on debt and equity financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate counseling. In her emerging companies practice, she provides exit strategy planning while looking after the full spectrum of a client's legal needs. She represents first-time and experienced investors as well as early-stage companies.

She has closed deals involving parties in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Australia, and represented clients across the health care, technology, life sciences, and food and beverage industries.

LiLing currently serves as corporate secretary for ChIPs, a nonprofit organization that advances and connects women in technology, law and policy. She has spoken on emerging companies issues, including as a panelist for the American Bar Association. Recently recognized by The Legal 500 USA as a 2018 and 2019 Next Generation Lawyer for Venture Capital and Emerging Companies.

LiLing studies at The George Washington University Law School, 2008, and Syracuse University College of Law, where she received her J.D. in 2007.

Anthony S. Newman was promoted to partner of Reed Smith LLP in Los Angeles.

Anthony is a member of the firm's Global Commercial Disputes Group. His practice focuses on complex business and commercial litigation, with an emphasis on insurance coverage litigation, consumer class actions, health care litigation, oil and gas litigation, and general business disputes. Anthony has experience handling all aspects of civil trial work in state and federal court, as well as in various alternative dispute resolution forums (both domestic and international).

Anthony is a graduate of Duke University School of Law, where he received his J.D., magna cum laude, in 2004.

Christopher O. Rivas

Christopher has substantial experience representing commercial entities in both litigation and transactional contexts. Christopher represents secured and unsecured creditors, financial institutions and banks in complex bankruptcy cases and appeals. Christopher regularly represents entities in transactions involving the purchase and sale of commercial entities in numerous sectors, including entities engaged in manufacturing, shipping, transportation, and energy. Christopher also represents entities in post-acquisition litigation relating to such transactions.

Christopher also has experience in both in-court and out-of-court restructurings and workouts, including Article 9 sales transactions, receiverships, and assignments for the benefit of creditors. He has represented creditors, creditors’ committees, bankruptcy trustees and debtors.

Christopher is admitted to the bar of the State of California, the United States District Courts for each of the Districts of California, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a 2005 graduate of the Loyola Law School and earned his B.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles in 2001.