Ryan Baron was promoted to partner of Best Best & Krieger LLP in Irvine.

Ryan Baron provides strategic counsel to clients throughout California and the U.S. on utilities regulation, administrative law, environmental law and public agency governance matters. He is a member of the firm's Environmental Law & Natural Resources practice group, based in Irvine.

Gregory K. Jones was promoted to member of Dykema Gossett PLLC in Los Angeles.

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced that its Executive Board elected Gregory K. Jones as a Member.

Mr. Jones is a member of the firm's Bankruptcy Practice Group and concentrates his practice on bankruptcy cases and out-of-court restructurings. He represents lenders, creditors' committees, debtors, assignees for the benefit of creditors, purchasers of assets in bankruptcy cases, lessors, and defendants in preference and fraudulent transfer lawsuits.

Mr. Jones is involved in the Financial Lawyers Conference, is a member of the James T. King Bankruptcy American Inn of Court, and served as Director of La Cañada Flintridge Education Foundation. He received both a J.D. and a B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Daphne Bishop was promoted to partner of Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP in Los Angeles.

Daphne Bishop, J.D., AWI-CH is chair of CDF's Internal Investigations Practice Group. Bishop has represented companies with California workforces for nearly two decades. Her experience advising and defending small to Fortune 500 companies across many industries against the gamut of employment-related claims offers her a unique advantage in helping companies prevent, uncover, investigate and resolve employee and institutional misconduct. Combining her litigation and counseling experience, Bishop's practice now focuses on providing internal investigation services as a neutral third-party investigator or a strategic advisor. She is a graduate of Yale College and received her law degree from the UCLA Law School. In addition, she received her certificate from the Association of Workplace Investigators in 2018.

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.

Corey Cabral was promoted to partner of Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP in Sacramento.

Corey Cabral represents local, regional and national employers in all aspects of California labor and employment law and related litigation. His counsel and litigation experience spans the full scope of employment law and workplace claims, ranging from wrongful termination, employment discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation to wage and hour and traditional labor-management relations matters. Cabral's practice emphasis is on complex and sophisticated wage and hour litigation. He frequently evaluates, develops strategies for and manages complex Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) and class action lawsuits, including highly technical claims regarding suitable seating, regular rate of pay and overtime calculations, arbitration agreements, interstate commerce and wage statements. Cabral's clients operate in various industries, including retail, trucking, health care and emergency medical services. He is a graduate of San Jose State University and received his J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

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.

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.

Gregory R. Smith joined Lowenstein & Weatherwax LLP as of counsel in Los Angeles.

Smith practiced at Irell & Manella LLP for five decades, where he founded the firm's appellate group. He has appeared in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, the Delaware Supreme Court, the Nevada Supreme Court, and various courts of appeal, including the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and California Courts of Appeal.
"Joining the firm not only enables me to practice law with friends and former colleagues but also to help build the firm's growing appellate practice. That has been my specialty for many years, and I have always enjoyed its intellectual challenge," Smith said.
As of counsel, Smith said he hopes to bring skills he has developed over the years "to assist younger lawyers in the development of those skills, and in this way to bring an important benefit to the firm's clients."
Smith is a member of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers and was previously Chair of the California State Bar Committee on Appellate Courts.
Smith received his law degree from Harvard Law School, where he served on the Harvard Law Review and graduated magna cum laude. He completed his bachelor's degree at Claremont Men's College, where he was summa cum laude, and his master's degree at the London School of Economics.
Smith is also an active member in several charitable organizations and is a founder and President of Westwood Kehilla Synagogue.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for me to do something that I love so much with an extraordinary group of lawyers amongst whom I count many friends," Smith said. "What more could I ask for?"

Kristopher Kokotaylo was promoted to principal of Meyers Nave in Oakland.

Meyers Nave proudly announces the elevation of Kristopher Kokotaylo to Principal, effective January 1, 2020.

Kokotaylo joined Meyers Nave in 2013 as a member of the Municipal & Special District Law Practice Group. He provides advice and guidance on the complete range of challenges that municipalities, counties, special districts and public agencies face as they implement their missions and mandates. He currently serves as City Attorney for the City of Union City, Assistant City Attorney for the City of San Leandro, Interim City Attorney for the City of Newark, General Counsel for the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee, and District Counsel for the Stege Sanitary District. Kris focuses his practice on land use, real estate, construction, constitutional law, code enforcement, the Public Records Act, and the Brown Act. He provides advice on governance and daily operations issues as well as public policy development and long-term planning matters. Kris serves on the Board of Directors for Spectrum Community Services, a nonprofit that assists low-income and disadvantaged individuals, families and seniors in their efforts to live independently. Kris is a member of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area and the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California.

Jenny L. Riggs was promoted to principal of Meyers Nave in Los Angeles.

Meyers Nave proudly announces the elevation of Jenny Riggs to Principal, effective January 1, 2020.

Riggs joined Meyers Nave in 2013 as a member of the Trial and Litigation Practice Group. She has extensive state and federal court litigation experience on behalf of municipalities, counties, special districts, businesses and non-profit organizations. Jenny’s expertise includes single- and multi-plaintiff cases involving constitutional law, government corruption, land use, zoning, catastrophic disasters, eminent domain and inverse condemnation, coastal issues, environmental claims, Public Records Act and Brown Act compliance, Americans with Disabilities Act, employment law, and civil rights claims for violations of substantive and procedural due process. In addition to her skills in the courtroom examining witnesses and arguing motions, and her expert aptitude for taking and defending depositions, Jenny leads the development and management of Meyers Nave’s systems and protocols for discovery plans in complex matters and document intensive litigation. Jenny handles pre-trial litigation (including dispositive motions), pre-trial discovery, various stages of motion practice, and trial. Her complex litigation experience also includes multi-district cases and civil litigations that are intertwined with criminal actions. Jenny is a member of California Women Lawyers and the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles.

Shiraz Tangri was promoted to principal of Meyers Nave in Los Angeles.

Meyers Nave proudly announces the elevation of Shiraz Tangri to Principal, effective January 1, 2020.

Shiraz Tangri joined Meyers Nave in 2013 as a member of the Land Use and Environmental Law Practice Group. He focuses his practice on real estate development, infrastructure, and transportation projects. His experience includes all aspects of land use entitlements, litigation and compliance for public and private clients who are project developers, owners and/or operators. Shiraz fills a specialized niche within land use law, advising clients on major infrastructure, transportation, and urban in-fill projects, including housing, cultural and educational institutions, and transit-oriented development. He is well-versed in the myriad of issues that project development clients face regarding land use law, such as compliance with the Brown Act and other public meeting laws, green building, adaptive re-use, air quality and permitting, renewable energy, sustainable development and transportation planning. Shiraz’s areas of expertise cover the California Environmental Quality Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and complex multi-party and multi-site litigation involving environmental claims, public-private partnerships, water rights, contaminated properties, toxic torts, and products liability issues. Shiraz is a member of the California Minority Counsel Program and the Mentor Program of the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California.

Ali Abugheida was promoted to counsel of Buckley LLP in Los Angeles.

Abugheida represents corporate and individual clients in complex civil litigation and government enforcement matters. His work includes cases involving allegations of mortgage fraud, the Truth in Lending Act, property-assessed clean energy (PACE) financing, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and unfair and deceptive trade-practice statutes. He received his J.D. from the University of Southern California in 2012, and his B.A. from the University of California, San Diego in 2009 (cum laude).

Sherry-Maria Safchuk was promoted to counsel of Buckley LLP in Los Angeles.

Safchuk represents clients in regulatory and compliance matters and provides support for complex litigation and government investigations involving the mortgage, consumer, and commercial lending industries. She also assists clients on privacy issues, including those related to the California Consumer Privacy Act. She received her J.D. from George Washington University in 2008, and her B.A. from the University of Southern California in 2005.

Leslie Meredith was promoted to counsel of Buckley LLP in Washington, DC.

Meredith represents corporate and individual clients in complex civil litigation and government investigations. She has experience representing clients before the Department of Justice, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, state attorneys general, and in federal and state courts around the country. She received her J.D. from American University (cum laude) in 2011, and her B.A. from Washington College (magna cum laude) in 2006.

Laurie H. Selkowitz was promoted to partner of Wargo French LLP in Los Angeles.

Selkowitz practices in the areas of general corporate and securities, mergers and acquisitions, technology law and intellectual property and trade secrets. Her elevation will be effective on Jan. 1.

Jeffrey N. Williams was promoted to partner of Wargo French LLP in Los Angeles.

Williams practices in the areas of appellate litigation, intellectual property and trade secrets, financial services litigation, class and collective action litigation and employment litigation. His promotion will be effective on Jan. 1.

Janice Rice was promoted to deputy practice group leader of Squire Patton Boggs LLP in San Francisco.

Rice is the new leader of the firm's intellectual property & technology practice group, including the life and health sciences patent team, in San Francisco and Palo Alto.
The Squire Patton Boggs partner has in-depth experience with the pharmaceutical industry, which allows her to advise clients on intellectual property-related issues, product life cycle management and handling inventions overseas.

Sahil Ramesh Shah joined Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman & Rabkin LLP as associate in Los Angeles.

Shah's practice focuses on real estate transactions including leasing of industrial, retail and office properties as well as the purchase and sale of residential and commercial properties. He also advises clients on environmental regulatory matters including the remediation of property with environmental contamination and compliance with California's Proposition 65.

Michael R. Weiss was promoted to office managing partner of Akerman LLP in Los Angeles.

Weiss will guide Akerman's growth and recruitment efforts in Los Angeles, while further strengthening the firm's relationship with civic and business leaders in the region. Weiss, an experienced commercial litigator, will also continue his role as leader of the Los Angeles litigation practice group, representing clients through complex real estate litigation, commercial and business disputes and insurance and insurance insolvency matters.

Steven T. Anapoell joined Carlton Fields PA as of counsel in Los Angeles.

Anapoell's practice focuses on private equity, fund formation, private securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and real estate syndications. He has served clients in a variety of industries including technology and software, entertainment, renewable energy, oil and gas, sporting goods, life settlements and medical devices.

Peter S. Selvin joined Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP as partner in Beverly Hills.

Selvin has experience handling commercial litigation, insurance coverage and international litigation. He often represents insurers and national corporations in civil disputes in commercial and business settings.

Pooja S. Nair joined Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP as partner in Beverly Hills.

Nair is a business litigator with a focus on the food and beverage sector. She advises food and beverage clients, startups and other businesses on a range of issues such as employment, trade secrets, partnership disputes, contract negotiations, intellectual property, licensing and franchise disputes.

Sonya D. Goodwin joined Sauer & Wagner LLP as senior employment counsel in Los Angeles.

Goodwin has extensive experience advising both large and small companies in a wide range of industries on various state and federal employment issues. She counsels employers about their employment policies and agreements such as matters including wage and hour issues, disability issues, employee complaints of discrimination, harassment and retaliation.