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.

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.

Dommond E. Lonnie was promoted to percentage member of Dykema Gossett PLLC in Los Angeles.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced that its Executive Board elected Dommond E. Lonnie as a Percentage Member.

Mr. Lonnie, who is the Director of Dykema's nationally recognized Automotive Industry Group, is a seasoned trial attorney who provides aggressive and innovative legal representation for clients in product liability, class action, toxic tort, and commercial litigation. He has represented numerous domestic and foreign automobile/mobility manufacturers and has substantial expertise in crashworthiness, suspensions/tires/rollovers, airbags/restraints, fires, brakes, and fuel systems cases.

An experienced litigator and legal strategist, Mr. Lonnie implements litigation and investigation plans and manages all aspects of discovery for the successful resolution of lawsuits and claims. He has earned recognition in providing high level and cost-effective representation of corporate clients. He has substantial experience handling matters involving automotive crashworthiness, suspensions/tires/rollovers, airbags/restraints, fires, brakes, and fuel systems cases.

Chitra Kalyanaraman was promoted to partner of Maynard Cooper & Gale LLP in San Francisco.

Chitra, who was promoted to partner in January 2020, partners with her clients to build strategic patent portfolios, and has extensive experience drafting and prosecuting patents in the computer, electrical, and mechanical arts over a wide range of technical areas. She received her J.D. from American University Washington College of Law, and she holds a B.S. from Carnegie Mellon University.

Christina M. Gagnier joined Carlton Fields as shareholder in Los Angeles.

Carlton Fields' Trailblazing Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice Welcomes Prominent Los Angeles Technology Lawyer Christina M. Gagnier

Los Angeles, Calif. - January 7, 2020 - Carlton Fields welcomes technology lawyer Christina M. Gagnier as a shareholder in the firm's growing Los Angeles office. An influential privacy law attorney, professor, and author, Gagnier is the newest addition to Carlton Fields' national Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice. Most notably, she served as a member of the Federal Communications Commission's Consumer Advisory Committee and the California attorney general's Cyber Exploitation Task Force. Gagnier's practice also encompasses blockchain technology, international regulatory affairs, technology transactions, and intellectual property.

Gagnier is the sixth attorney to join Carlton Fields' Los Angeles office in less than six months. She also expands the firm's trailblazing Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice, a group of experienced litigation and transactional attorneys who provide clients across industries with comprehensive counsel on complex, evolving, and multifaceted issues related to privacy, data security incidents and breaches, and related matters. The group's attorneys comprise former federal cybersecurity prosecutors and Certified Information Privacy Professionals (CIPP/US). They are active and hold leadership positions in data privacy and cybersecurity organizations including The Sedona Conference Working Group on Data Security and Privacy Liability. Their thought leadership is showcased in several innovative resources including a CCPA Toolkit, a GDPR Assessment App, and an e-book titled California Consumer Privacy Act: A Reference Guide for Compliance. Carlton Fields was also named one of the top 25 law firms in the nation for its Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice.

"Given California's strong presence in cyber issues, securing a lawyer of Christina's depth and breadth of experience adds to our capabilities both here on the West Coast and nationally," said Mark A. Neubauer, the firm's Los Angeles office managing shareholder. "We are extremely pleased she chose to join us and look forward to having her help us grow that burgeoning area of the law."

Added Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice Co-Chair Joseph W. Swanson, "Christina brings a wealth of experience advising clients on privacy matters. She joins us at a time when California is taking the lead on privacy issues with the sweeping California Consumer Privacy Act taking effect on January 1. As other states follow suit with their own privacy legislation, Christina will be an invaluable resource to our clients."

Prior to joining Carlton Fields, Gagnier was managing partner at Gagnier Margossian, where she led the Internet, Intellectual Property, and Technology Practice. Her practice focuses on advising clients on digital strategy to help them navigate uncharted legal territory. Gagnier guides a variety of technology companies and consumer brands through emerging legal and policy issues such as digital currency, the sharing economy, network neutrality, and the ever-changing area of consumer privacy law.

"Carlton Fields has a deep bench of skilled lawyers in a variety of key areas for my clients, including intellectual property, labor and employment, and tax," Gagnier said. "I'm thrilled to serve my clients with a national platform."

Outside her practice, Gagnier is an adjunct professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, where she serves as clinical faculty for the Intellectual Property, Arts, and Technology Clinic. She teaches the only privacy law class offered at UCI Law. Gagnier's primary research involves cyber rights and the intersection of online and offline action.

Gagnier is a frequent speaker and author on issues involving internet law, particularly online harassment, including nonconsensual pornography and cyberbullying. She has authored articles in HuffPost's technology section and columns on legal ethics on the web and internet law topics for California Lawyer, and she served as the host for "Techwire" on the California Channel. Gagnier has appeared on NBC's "Press:Here" and on radio stations including KCBS in San Francisco and WCCO in Minneapolis, and she has been quoted by AlterNet, Ars Technica, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, BuzzFeed, Inc., MIT Technology Review, MSNBC, NBC News, The New York Times, Politico, The Recorder, The Mercury News, TechCrunch, and The Verge.

Passionate about technology education, Gagnier serves as the CEO of the LINK Americas Foundation, which aims to improve digital literacy across the United States, Canada, and Central and South America. She is also the CEO of Know Before You Go, an organization that grants scholarships for college visits. In her local community, Gagnier serves as the secretary and member of the board of directors of the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce. She is also the vice president of the governing board for the Chino Valley Unified School District and was one of the first candidates for public office to accept bitcoin.

Gagnier earned her J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law, her M.P.A. from the University of Southern California, and her B.A. from the University of California, Irvine.

Michael Hellbusch was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Costa Mesa.

Mr. Hellbusch excels in several areas of law including cyber law, data security and privacy issues. He has a broad range of experience both as a transactional lawyer and as a litigator. He is co-chair of the Orange County Chapter of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). He is certified in U.S. privacy law (CIPP/US) and privacy management (CIPM) from the IAPP. He is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional--Europe (CIPP-E) and Certified Information Privacy Management (CIPM). He is a graduate of University of San Diego School of the Law and University of San Diego.

Peter Hering was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Costa Mesa.

Mr. Hering advises employers of all sizes on how to navigate the intricacies of California’s employment laws, in particular its complex wage and hour requirements. He divides his time between counseling employers on strategies for proactively assessing and minimizing litigation risk and representing employers facing a broad array of employment claims. He is a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles, where he was a managing editor with the UCLA Law Review, and Biola University, summa cum laude, member of the Order of Peter and Paul.

Justine Kastan was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Palo Alto.

Based in the firm’s Palo Alto office, Ms. Kastan works with developers and contractors on matters involving construction law, infrastructure development, and public-private partnerships. In addition to her day-to-day construction law practice drafting contracts at all project phases, managing change order work and claims, and litigating, Justine has also represented builders in connection with complex and trailblazing P3s such as the Long Beach Civic Center, UC Merced 2020 Campus, and Los Angeles Convention Center projects. Justine’s prior work experience includes externships at both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of California. She is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, School of Law and Harvard University, cum laude.

Allison Lemoine-Bui was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Costa Mesa.

Ms. LeMoine-Bui specializes in affordable housing and economic development. She regularly advises public entities and developers regarding affordable housing transactions and real property transactional matters, and has negotiated and drafted numerous agreements, including affordable housing agreements, ground leases, statutory development agreements, purchase and sale and economic development agreements, and various other general municipal contracts. She is also Deputy City Attorney for Irvine and La Quinta. She is a graduate of Chapman University School of Law, Valedictorian; magna cum laude; Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and University of California, Los Angeles.

Christina V. McSparron was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Costa Mesa.

Ms. McSparron works closely with individual and corporate clients across the country, at all stages in the life cycle of the business. In her practice, she regularly acts as general outside counsel and advises on diverse matters such as entity structuring, corporate governance, mergers, acquisitions, debt and equity financing, licensing and general business operations. She regularly advises entrepreneurs and executives in the automotive, technology, restaurant, food and beverage, manufacturing and retail industries. She is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles and University of Minnesota Law School, where she was an editor of the Minnesota Law Review.

Kelly Siobhan Laffey was promoted to senior counsel of Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP in Sherman Oaks.

Kelly Siobhan Laffey is senior counsel of the firm and the Director of Business Affairs at the Preccelerator.

Kelly's practice focuses on advising emerging growth and middle market companies in the technology, digital, internet, interactive media (i.e., AR and VR), and entertainment industries. Kelly counsels clients on issues related to corporate governance and formation, venture capital and other financings, joint ventures, employee compensation, complex stockholder and operating agreements, securities law regulation and other general corporate matters. Kelly also advises investors and funds in connection with venture capital and other financings.

Kelly also counsels clients in connection with mergers and acquisitions matters, including asset and equity acquisitions and dispositions, cross-border transactions, spin-off transactions, secured lending transactions, financing restructurings and corporate reorganizations.

Drawing on her diverse work experience in the entertainment arena, including time spent with talent agencies, and music and television production companies, Kelly also assists on matters related to licensing, marketing, and exploitation of intellectual property rights.

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, Orange County.

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.