Peter Choi joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Choi focuses his practice on employment law, representing employers in all aspects of state and federal matters, including class and representative actions involving wage and hour claims. He brings extensive experience advising and defending employers of all sizes across a broad range of industries, including hospitality, security, and transportation.

MiRi Song as a partner in Los Angeles.

McDermott Will & Schulte continues to strategically expand its Employment Practice Group, welcoming employment litigator MiRi Song today as a partner in the firm's Los Angeles office.

MiRi brings extensive experience spanning private practice and state and federal government service, including at the U.S. Attorney's Office and California Department of Justice, advising and defending employers in a wide range of workplace matters. A first‑chair trial lawyer, she advises on motion practice and discovery matters, Fair Employment and Housing Act claims, wage‑and‑hour exposure, and employee mobility issues on behalf of multinational companies. She is known for guiding clients through disputes involving heightened legal, reputational, and business risk.

James "Reg" Reilly joined ADR Services, Inc. as a neutral in Oakland, CA. The move was Jun. 1, 2026.

Judge Reilly has over 40 years of legal experience in civil litigation, law firm leadership, and judicial service. Previously, he was a partner at Gordon, Rees, Scully & Mansukhani for over 24 years, managing the San Francisco office and overseeing 140+ attorneys, with a focus on complex disputes, product liability, and multi-party proceedings. He served on the Alameda County Superior Court as Supervising Judge of the Civil and Settlement Departments, presiding over hundreds of settlement conferences. Named Trial Judge of the Year by the Alameda Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association, he is known for a mediation style rooted in preparation, persistence, and practicality--reviewing submissions, engaging parties, and helping evaluate litigation versus settlement.

James D. Miller joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP as a partner in Fresno.

Miller represents businesses and employers in a wide range of matters involving business, real property, and labor relations and employment law, including contract disputes, class action and PAGA defense, employment discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, retaliation, wage-and-hour claims, and creditor rights, including representations in bankruptcy court. He also has significant litigation experience in the agricultural and dairy sectors, representing both growers and farmers, including the defense of farm labor contractors. Miller regularly advises and counsels employers on human resources policies and employee relations issues

Timothy D. Hastie joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP as a partner in Fresno.

Hastie focuses his practice on defending a wide range of personal injury and damages cases, as well as defending employers against claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage-and-hour violations, and other employment-related matters. He is admitted to practice in California and the U.S. District Court for the Central and Eastern Districts of California.

Kevin B. Pearcy joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP as a partner in Fresno.

Piercy has experience representing businesses, most predominantly in the agricultural industries throughout Central California, in labor and employment matters. His experience includes workplace safety and health matters, class actions, representative actions under the Private Attorneys General Act, and claims involving discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful termination, and workplace investigations. Piercy is highly experienced in representing employers in OSHA matters and is frequently called upon to assist businesses during workplace crises. He is admitted to practice in California and the U.S. District Court for the Central and Eastern Districts of California.

Matthew C. Schmidt joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP as a partner in Fresno.

Schmidt focuses his practice on employment law matters. He brings more than a decade of experience with the Superior Courts of California, including significant involvement in complex civil law and motion matters such as class action certification and settlement approval.

Benjamin A. Schloss joined Miller Barondess, LLP as an associate in Los Angeles. The move was Apr. 27, 2026.

Schloss is a litigation associate with experience representing public entities and major corporations in class and complex actions, single-plaintiff employment matters, general business litigation, and FINRA securities arbitration.

Melanie J. Ely joined theAgency as a senior counsel in Camarillo. The move was Jan. 2, 2026.

Ely represents employers in cases involving wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage-and-hour claims, breach of contract, defamation, protection of employer trade secrets and confidential information, and unfair business practices. She counsels employers on how to avoid employment-related legal mistakes that could lead to litigation.

Ely has spent her entire legal career in defense litigation. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Women Lawyers of Ventura County.

Lauren Friedman joined Reeves & Weiss LLP as a partner in Irvine. The move was May 4, 2026.

Friedman represents companies and executives in complex business and commercial litigation, corporate governance matters, and employment disputes, with a solutions-oriented approach positioning clients to achieve favorable outcomes both in and outside the courtroom. Friedman brings a uniquely strategic perspective to litigation shaped by nearly a decade of experience as General Counsel of Bio-Nutritional Research Group, Inc., the consumer products company behind the popular Power Crunch protein bars. In that role, she guided the company through a successful acquisition by the Ferrero Group. Friedman also served as the company's corporate secretary, managed complex co-manufacturing and commercial agreements, and handled a broad range of employment matters -- giving her the fluency in business operations that distinguishes her counsel.

Michele C. Kirrane joined Nossaman as a partner in San Francisco.

Kirrane represents employers in a range of workplace matters, including claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblower violations and wrongful termination. She also advises clients on real estate disputes and handles business litigation. Her clients include product manufacturers and suppliers, business owners, municipalities, schools, community organizations, retailers and individuals.

Catherine Liu joined Frost LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Liu is a versatile trial attorney and counselor who handles large-scale business litigation matters in state and federal court. Her commercial litigation practice focuses on complex business disputes, including real property, and torts. She has represented clients in finance and real estate transactions and disputes as well as matters involving consumer fraud, product liability, construction defect, and premises liability claims.

Daniel Wu joined Frost LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Wu has spent much of his 25-year litigation career handling high-stakes and bet-the-company matters. He has represented clients including national and regional banks and other financial institutions, real estate interests, restaurant and hospitality companies, media and entertainment businesses, along with high-net-worth individuals including entrepreneurs.

Melineh Jingozian was promoted to managing attorney of Shegerian & Associates in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective May 22, 2026.

Ms. Jingozian is a formidable plaintiff-side employment attorney believed to be undefeated in opposing motions for summary judgment at the firm, with a career record of multiple millions recovered for her clients, including numerous seven-figure settlement and multiple six-figure recoveries. She has built this record by taking on cases where little to nothing is being offered and working them up into substantial results. Her practice spans discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour matters, and she is recognized for her aggressive motion practice and commanding legal writing. 

Beheshta Kakar was promoted to managing attorney of Shegerian & Associates in Los Angeles. The promotion is effective May 22, 2026.

Kakar is a trial attorney with deep expertise across employment law, known for relentless preparation and a record that reflects it, including nearly 30 witness declarations secured on a single case. When called upon to represent a plaintiff in a demanding trial 500 miles from home, she stepped in without hesitation and won. She has consistently delivered multiple six-figure recoveries and seven-figure settlements across discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination matters, and is regarded as one of the most thorough and dependable attorneys at the firm. 

Fred Gaines joined Rand Paster & Nelson LLP as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was May 1, 2026.

Gaines is widely recognized for his work in land use, environmental law, and complex development matters throughout California. He focuses on land use entitlements, environmental review under CEQA and NEPA, and related litigation for clients including Vons/Pavilions Stores, Sherwood Country Club, Williams Homes, The Shops at Sportsmen's Lodge, and de Toledo High School. Gaines previously served on the Calabasas City Council, including two terms as mayor. He was a founding and managing partner of Gaines & Stacey LLP.

Sherman L Stacey joined Rand Paster & Nelson LLP as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Jan. 5, 2026.

Stacey is a recognized authority in the governmental regulation of land use and navigating state and local agencies on complex development matters. He has conducted more than 1,500 hearings before the California Coastal Commission, including recent successful entitlement efforts for the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica and the Lido House Hotel in Newport Beach. He was a founding and managing partner of Gaines & Stacey LLP.

Kimberly A. Rible joined Rand Paster & Nelson LLP as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Jan. 5, 2026.

Rible's practice includes land use entitlements, administrative approvals, and environmental matters. The California Coastal Act and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) are integral to her practice, and she regularly assists clients with environmental review during the entitlement process as well as in writ litigation involving Coastal Act and CEQA matters.

Alicia B. Bartley joined Rand Paster & Nelson LLP as a partner in Los Angeles. The move was Jan. 5, 2026.

Bartley advises clients on land use, real estate, and environmental matters across a broad range of development projects. She concentrates her practice on litigation involving property transactions, boundary disputes, and project development, as well as land use entitlements and real property purchase and sales transactions.

Mhare O. Mouradian joined Seyfarth Shaw LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Mouradian focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on real estate and commercial disputes. He handles a wide range of litigation matters, including leasing disputes, title and real estate fraud, easement issues, property management conflicts, and broker-related claims.

Hon. David S. Cunningham III (Ret.) joined JAMS as a neutral in Los Angeles. The move was May 18, 2026.

Judge Cunningham served on the Los Angeles County Superior Court from 2009 to 2026. He has presided over a wide array of cases spanning family law, probate and complex civil litigation, including mass torts and class actions. His impressive career is marked by a focus on equity, constitutional rights, procedural fairness, business-related litigation and case management, including his role as supervising judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court's Complex Litigation Program.
Based in the Los Angeles Resolution Center, Judge Cunningham will serve as an arbitrator, mediator and neutral evaluator, handling business and commercial, cybersecurity and privacy, employment law, environmental law, family law, insurance, mass torts and personal injury matters.

Marc D. Gross joined ADR Services, Inc. as a neutral in Los Angeles. The move was May 18, 2026.

Judge Gross is a highly effective dispute resolution professional with more than 40 years of legal experience, including over a decade on the bench and a distinguished career as a civil litigator. During his tenure as a Mandatory Settlement Conference (MSC) Judge in the West District of Los Angeles, Judge Gross handled over 500 settlement conferences, many involving complex, high-stakes disputes where parties were deeply entrenched.

Judge Gross brings a rare combination of judicial authority, litigation depth, and practical strategy. Before joining the bench, he spent more than 30 years representing clients in a wide range of civil matters, including business disputes, personal injury, real estate, probate, and complex tort litigation. His background includes extensive trial, motion, and appellate work, giving him a comprehensive understanding of how cases are evaluated, argued, and ultimately decided.

L. Kieran Kieckhefer joined Latham & Watkins LLP as a partner in San Francisco.

Kieckhefer leads on complex intellectual property disputes from inception through appeal, serving as first chair in high-profile patent, trade secrets, breach of employment contract, and Lanham Act cases in federal district courts across multiple jurisdictions. She is known for translating highly technical subject matter into compelling trial narratives and for developing litigation strategies that align closely with clients' broader commercial and competitive objectives. Her experience includes significant appellate advocacy, with a particular focus on the Federal Circuit.

Tyra M Mendez was promoted to partner of Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney P.C. in San Francisco. The promotion was effective May 1, 2026.

Mendez's practice focuses on legal malpractice defense, real estate broker and insurance broker defense, defense of Directors & Officers, employment law, personal injury, and general business litigation. Among her notable successes, Mendez secured a summary judgment victory in a legal malpractice arbitration last year. Most recently, she played a key role in a major automobile injury case that ultimately settled for substantially less than the plaintiff's pretrial demand. In addition, her appellate practice includes obtaining a published decision after arguing before the First District Court of Appeal on a SLAPP motion.

Seth B. Herring joined Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP as a partner in San Francisco.

Herring is a trial lawyer who handles intellectual property and commercial litigation, including patent, trademark, trade dress, copyright and related business disputes. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants in patent cases in federal courts nationwide and before the International Trade Commission, involving technologies such as software, hardware, wireless networks, cybersecurity and medical devices. He also represents clients in trademark and trade dress disputes involving industries including food and beverage, household goods, hospitality, apparel and engineering, in both federal court and proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Christine M. Morgan joined Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP as a partner in San Francisco.

Morgan is a first-chair intellectual property and commercial trial lawyer who defends companies in patent infringement cases involving computer hardware and software. Her clients include companies in video games, fintech, ride sharing, consumer electronics, Wi-Fi semiconductors, health care software and wireless security cameras. She has handled cases in the Eastern District of Texas, Northern District of California, Eastern District of Virginia, the International Trade Commission and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Her work includes Section 101 patent-invalidity defenses, including cases involving multifactor user verification and bedside-machine data displays.

John Rockwell joined Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP as a partner in Silicon Valley.

Rockwell works closely with early-stage and late-stage companies on a wide range of corporate matters. He advises founders and companies on entity formation, venture capital, equity and debt financings and related transactions, as well as mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance matters. He also advises U.S. investors on a range of financing and investment transactions. He also works with international-based founders, companies and investors--most notably in Latin America--in connection with corporate restructurings and cross-border investments, financings and acquisitions.

Ramez Krishnan joined Hahn & Hahn LLP as a partner in Pasadena. The move was April 27, 2026.

Krishnan advises private equity funds, family offices, venture and growth investors, founders, startups and operating companies on mergers and acquisitions, equity financings, buyouts, minority investments, joint ventures and other corporate matters. He also represents management teams and executives in buyouts and equity compensation matters. He previously practiced at AmLaw 50 firms in California and London, where he handled domestic and cross-border transactions.

Joseph Balice joined Barnes & Thornburg LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Balice focuses his practice exclusively on insurance recovery, representing policyholders when insurance companies deny, delay, or underpay claims. With nearly two decades of experience spanning virtually all lines of commercial and professional insurance, he has helped clients recover on their insurance policies in a wide range of industries. His practice spans the full spectrum of insurance recovery work -- from assisting individual policyholders and homeowners secure coverage after a loss to representing publicly traded corporations in billion-dollar catastrophic exposure cases.

Andrew J. Sokolowski joined FordHarrison LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Sokolowski's practice focuses on defending class actions and representative actions, including claims brought under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). He advises clients on a wide range of employment issues, including employee classification, wage and hour compliance, overtime and compensation disputes, meal and rest period requirements, wage statement compliance, and expense reimbursement obligations.

Sarah Kern was promoted to partner of CunninghamLegal in San Rafael

Kern, a Certified Specialist in Estate, Trust and Probate Law, advises families, business owners and individuals on estate planning, wealth transfer and business succession matters. Her practice includes advising same-sex couples on estate and planning issues.

Simone McCormick joined Clark Hill as a member in San Francisco. The move was May 14, 2026.

McCormick represents companies across a range of industries in high-stakes litigation, regulatory investigations, and incident response matters involving data privacy, cybersecurity, and emerging technology risks. Her practice includes defending clients in consumer class actions, privacy and technology litigation, managing responses to data breaches and cyber incidents, and counseling organizations on compliance with state, federal, and international privacy laws.

Jamie L. Gross joined Duane Morris LLP as a partner in San Diego.

Gross represents employers in state and federal courts and before agencies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the California Civil Rights Department. Her practice includes wage-and-hour litigation involving unpaid wages, overtime, meal and rest breaks, reimbursement claims, wage statements and misclassification, as well as disputes involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination and breach of contract. She also advises employers on workplace policies, wage-and-hour compliance, investigations, hiring and termination practices, leaves of absence and disability accommodations.

Kim T. Le joined Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP as a partner in Los Angeles.

Le advises clients on privacy, data security and cybersecurity matters, with a focus on healthcare and life sciences transactions. She counsels provider organizations, technology companies, sponsors and strategic buyers on regulatory compliance, data breach preparedness and privacy and security diligence involving HIPAA, CCPA/CPRA and HBNR. She is based in the firm's Los Angeles and Bay Area offices.

Aron Estaver joined Arnold & Porter as a partner in San Francisco. The move was May 8, 2026.

Estaver advises U.S. and international fund sponsors on the formation and operation of private investment funds, including private equity, venture capital, credit, hedge, real estate and infrastructure funds. He also advises on secondary funds, funds of funds, co-investment vehicles, joint ventures, separately managed accounts and other fund structures. His practice includes sponsor-side fund formation and investor negotiations, as well as representing institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, family offices and high-net-worth investors in private fund investments.

Travis Jang-Busby joined Foley & Lardner as a partner in San Diego.

Jang‑Busby advises companies and management on a wide range of matters, including labor, employment, and commercial disputes. His practice covers emerging companies to Fortune 50 organizations in a host of industries, including health care, defense, manufacturing, and biotech. His practice centers on navigating complex employment and commercial challenges, combining strategic guidance with deep experience managing high‑stakes litigation.

Bryan Ikegami joined Reed Smith as a partner in Los Angeles.

Ikegami represents numerous private equity funds and their broad range of portfolio companies, as well as other public and private companies, in complex domestic and cross-border transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, financing transactions, restructurings, and recapitalizations. Additionally, he advises sponsors and their portfolio companies on corporate governance, executive compensation and equity incentive arrangements, and general corporate matters.