Vasti S. Montiel joined Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP as associate in Burlingame.

Montiel's practice focuses on consumer protection class actions, commercial litigation, and securities.

Gordon C. Young joined Frost Brown Todd LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Gordon has three decades of experience trying and arbitrating cases for Fortune 500 companies, banks, trustees, individuals, and investment advisors. These cases include securities, trusts & estates, probate, employment, unfair competition, trade secrets, and personal injury cases in court and arbitration.

Carol H. Wang joined Shartsis Friese LLP as senior counsel in San Francisco.

Wang most recently served as Legislation Counsel for the Joint Committee on Taxation. Before serving Congress, she was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis in its Tax Department. She has extensive experience in a broad array of tax matters with special expertise in investment fund formations and offerings, sponsor liquidity and minority investment transactions, fund- and sponsor-level tax considerations arising from investments, and sponsor-level economic and tax planning and structuring.

Joseph R. Dunn joined Covington & Burling LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Dunn is a seasoned bankruptcy attorney and creditor rights litigator who has developed a unique practice representing creditors and insolvency fiduciaries and pursuing asset recovery, judgment enforcement, and litigation in the insolvency arena. His broad-ranging restructuring and litigation practice draws on his significant experience with complex bankruptcy cases, creditor rights litigation, bankruptcy litigation, and other work in insolvency scenarios.

Eric Kennedy was promoted to office managing shareholder of Buchalter in Orange County.

Kennedy handles real estate disputes involving owners, developers, landlords, and commercial tenants. He also regularly represents clients in disputes involving corporate financing, governance, and operations. He has significant experience defending consumer class actions and handling disputes involving contracts, unfair competition, and fiduciary relationships. Kennedy represents clients in a variety of industries, including technology, retail, apparel, social media, consumer products, and automotive.

Alex Westerfield was promoted to partner of Nossaman in San Francisco.

Westerfield has represented public agencies, businesses, and individuals as plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of federal and state proceedings. His practice generally focuses on helping public agencies navigate complex statutory schemes in areas of intense public scrutiny. He has particular expertise in the administration of public pension systems.

Julian Gurule joined O'Melveny & Myers LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Gurule has guided clients for 16 years through the full range of distressed and bankruptcy matters -- from in-court and out-of-court restructurings to bankruptcy and distressed financings, M&A, and litigation. His practice spans an array of industries that align with O'Melveny's strengths, including entertainment, hospitality, health care, energy, and manufacturing. He also has extensive experience in the financial services, corporate finance, and private equity sectors.

Zagros S. Bassirian was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in San Diego.

Bassirian's practice primarily focuses on corporate and commercial litigation and representing plaintiffs in serious injury and wrongful death matters. He represents clients in complex and high stakes business disputes in both state and federal court.

Steven Casselberry was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in Orange County.

Casselberry represents clients in the financial services, real estate and title insurance industries. His financial services clients include community and regional banks, as well as mortgage bankers, brokers, lenders and investors. His legal services include mitigation, litigation, bankruptcy, foreclosure, and loan and fraud investigation matters as well as business venture formations, problem loan workouts and acquisition of loans in bulk. With his deal-making and litigation experience, creditors often recruit him to resolve complex disputes and recover millions from debtors.

Shai Larkin was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in San Diego.

Larkin represents companies from formation through exit, servicing them throughout their lifecycle, including initial organizational matters, and seed and subsequent debt and equity financings. With emerging growth and later-stage companies, Shai handles corporate governance matters, employment agreements and executive compensation packages, services agreements and strategic partnership agreements and other commercial agreements.

John C. Miles was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in San Diego.

Miles serves clients through domestic business and tax planning. He assists in the development of business transactions including general matters; financing structures; mergers and acquisitions and strategic joint ventures with significant experience working in the healthcare field. He has extensive experience planning tax-free reorganizations, advising on the choice of entity, and on the effectiveness of S corporation elections. He previously was a licensed stock broker at a financial firm in Point Loma.

Sarah L. Taylor was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in San Diego.

Taylor's practice focuses exclusively on family law matters, including all divorce proceeding issues, legal separation, parentage matters, child custody and visitation, move-away/relocation cases, grandparent visitation, child and spousal support, restraining orders, contempt actions, characterization issues, reimbursements, and post-judgment modifications. She represents parties in cases ranging from simple dissolutions to complex divorce cases. She works closely with each client to determine the best avenue to follow, with a primary focus on achieving an outcome that is fair and reasonable for the client. She has extensive experience representing clients in mediation as well as litigation proceedings.

Jad Terrell Davis was promoted to office managing partner of Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP in Orange County.

Davis successfully represents clients ranging from family-owned businesses to multinational corporations across diverse industries in environmental disputes. He has been with Shook since 2019. Shook has three offices in California including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orange County, which opened in 2003. Orange County attorneys and professional staff work with community groups including Women Helping Women, Families Forward, Project Self, Orange County Coalition for Diversity in the Law and the Public Law Center Federal Pro Se Clinic-Southern Division.

Ulrick T. Matsunaga was promoted to associate of Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson LLP (CGS3) in San Diego.

Matsunaga is part of CGS3's entity formation and tax practice group and concentrates his practice on commercial real estate and tax law. Providing transactional support to enable varied business objectives, Matsunaga partners with clients to achieve creative, ethical, and balanced solutions to complex business challenges.

Dmitriy Kopelevich was promoted to member of Dykema Gossett PLLC. in Los Angeles.

Kopelevich has significant experience with automotive product liability cases involving airbags, seat belts, seats, structure, advance safety systems, vehicle data recording, data privacy, driver distraction, and "lack of" safety systems matters. He also serves as a member of the national discovery counsel team for a global automobile manufacturer. His practice also includes focus on advanced automotive safety technologies and he serves as a member of the firm-wide Electric and Autonomous Vehicles (E/AV) and Advanced Mobility team.

Tereza L. Callender joined Law Offices of James Crosby as associate in San Diego.

Callender graduated from the University of San Diego School of Law in May of 2023. She spent four years working as a paralegal, supporting attorneys in corporate immigration and insurance defense litigation prior to beginning law school. During law school, she was involved in the National Lawyers Guild and the Women's Law Caucus.

Jacklin Rad joined Fisher & Phillips LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Rad advises employers across the state of California on the rapidly changing workplace laws, including pay transparency and regular rate calculations. She also provides guidance on workplace investigations. She also formerly served in the California Labor Commissioner's Office as Senior Deputy Labor Commissioner, where she oversaw deputies' casework across six district offices and helped the Labor Commissioner develop agency positions on policy and enforcement.

Jessica L. Garland was promoted to partner of Newmeyer & Dillion in Newport Beach.

Garland's practice consists of both compliance advice and litigation work on behalf of employers. She serves clients representing a wide range of industries, including medical, manufacturing, agricultural, hospitality, fitness, beauty, financial, real estate, and construction.

Eleno Núñez Gonzalez joined Hoge Fenton Jones & Appel as associate in San Jose.

Gonzalez's practice includes litigating complex employment law matters and focuses on providing advice and counsel to employers regarding California's Labor Code, Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), and various regulations. He has expertise in handling all phases of discovery, law, and motion and bringing or defending claims arising from the FEHA or Labor Code, including the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA).

Paul Tobin joined Haynes & Boone LLP as partner in Orange County.

Tobin represents companies of all sizes, from those in the earliest stages of development to large global entities. He provides advice through the entire company life cycle, from initial organization and corporate governance to capital raising, the development of contracts to meet company needs, and through to later stage extraordinary transactions such as joint ventures, partnerships, and mergers and acquisitions with the client as both the buyer and the seller. He has had a long career in global business in both in-house and outside counsel roles and has represented companies in North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

Remington Lenton-Young joined Hoge Fenton Jones & Appel as shareholder in San Jose.

Lenton-Young's practice focuses on complex commercial civil litigation, including patent, trademark, trade secrets, licensing, class action, antitrust, and unfair competition. He has successfully represented international and U.S. clients in both state, federal, and appellate courts.

Heather L. Boshears joined Hoge Fenton Jones & Appel as shareholder in San Jose.

Boshears' practice is focused on estate planning and trust administration. Heather guides clients through the development of basic and complex estate plans presenting decisions in an understandable format and providing counsel in the decision-making process. She explains the various income and transfers taxes at play, including estate, income, and real property taxes. She considers her clients’ values and circumstances and suggests strategies to help them achieve their goals.

Zane A. Bryant was promoted to partner of Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP in San Diego.

Bryant is an immigration attorney representing clients with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of State and the Department of Labor. Bryant's practice focuses on employment-based solutions for immigration needs, encompassing PERM labor certifications, adjustment status and naturalization applications, consular processing, and nonimmigrant petitions. He is also a part of the firm's newly launched Gig Economy practice group. Bryant also works on several immigration cases pro bono, representing those seeking asylum or other temporary protected status and DACA applicants.

Kyle W. Nageotte was promoted to partner of Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP in San Diego.

Nageotte is an employment law and business litigator, representing employers in a broad range of employment law matters, including claims involving class actions, discrimination, wage and hour disputes, retaliation, wrongful termination, trade secrets, and the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). Nageotte is a past chair of the California Young Lawyers Association (CYLA). He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Downtown San Diego Partnership.

Jacob T. Spaid was promoted to partner of Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP in San Diego.

Spaid's practice focuses primarily on business and tort litigation. He has successfully represented clients at all stages of litigation, including through trial and at the California Court of Appeal and the Federal Court of Appeals for the 9th, 2nd, and 5th Circuits. Spaid is active in the San Diego legal community and mentors students at San Diego State University and California Western School of Law.

Christiane Sinclair joined Hinshaw & Culbertson as senior counsel in San Francisco.

Sinclair handles insurance coverage matters, bad faith litigation, and commercial litigation related to construction and toxic tort claims. She also advises insurers on compliance with regulations related to claims handling practices, fraud investigations, roadside assistance programs, and training requirements.

H. Gregory Nelch joined Hinshaw & Culbertson as senior counsel in San Francisco.

Nelch has a proven record of success representing corporations, individuals, and government entities in personal injury, product liability, and professional negligence disputes in court trials, arbitrations, and mediations. He has significant experience in personal injury cases, including fatal injuries and severe disabilities.

Marcus N. McElhenney joined Hinshaw & Culbertson as senior counsel in San Francisco.

McElhenney has nearly a decade of experience as a trial attorney representing individuals, businesses, and international corporations in personal injury, product liability, construction defect, premises liability, and real estate cases. McElhenney also has experience in complex toxic tort lawsuits and class-action matters. He handles a broad range of legal disputes related to business and also advises on regulatory compliance matters.

Rebecca D. Martino joined Hinshaw & Culbertson as partner in San Francisco.

Martino has represented individuals, insurers, and companies of all sizes in state and federal court cases involving bad faith, insurance coverage, catastrophic injury, and real estate matters. Her practice focuses primarily on bad faith litigation, real estate matters, and complex insurance coverage, including litigation, preparation of coverage opinions, advising insurance companies on fraud investigations, and policy drafting. She has also successfully handled appeals in bad-faith litigation and insurance coverage cases. Martino's experience, negotiation skills, and pragmatic approach enable her to effectively resolve cases for clients.

R. Wardell Loveland joined Hinshaw & Culbertson as partner in San Francisco.

Loveland represents clients in a broad spectrum of litigation, appellate, and insurance services matters, including administrative proceedings. In class action and multi-district (MDL) matters, He primarily represents insurers in the defense of lawsuits arising out of claims handling and business practices. He has successfully defended judgment matters ranging from contested auto body labor rates, computer-based claims evaluation tools, total loss valuation, policy interpretation, premium setting, and claims and business processes.

Min K. Kang joined Hinshaw & Culbertson as partner in Los Angeles.

Kang is an experienced legal analyst, advisor, and litigator adept in various areas, including business litigation, insurance, appellate, class action, contract, transportation, trucking, aviation, cannabis, e-commerce, and privacy matters. She also has particular experience in complex coverage disputes and toxic tort litigation. In addition, Kang handles regulatory and administrative law issues. She is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US). She represents a broad range of clients, from large-scale national corporations to small local businesses to private individuals. With her considerable experience, she delivers positive results by developing legal solutions that span multiple jurisdictions and deliverables while managing risks and ensuring compliance.

Katy Spillers joined Locke Lord LLP as equity partner in Los Angeles.

Spillers handles a broad range of corporate matters for emerging growth and middle-market companies, including mergers and acquisitions, financings and joint ventures. She represents clients in a wide variety of industries, but she has vast knowledge and experience advising branded consumer products, technology/new media and entertainment companies with a focus on representing CEOs and founders.

David Seidel was promoted to partner of Joseph Saveri Law Firm, LLP in San Francisco.

Seidel's practice focuses on litigating antitrust and consumer protection class actions. He was previously an associate at a large corporate law firm where he received significant litigation experience and invaluable mentorship in a broad-based practice.

While with the firm, Seidel has worked on many of its most prominent cases. On the Varsity All Star and Scholastic Cheer Market Price-Fixing Litigation, he has been a key player in developing strategy and briefing, including numerous motions regarding discovery, class certification, and summary judgment, which are pending Court determination. He has likewise been directly involved in motion strategy and briefing in Medical Center Employee No-Poach Litigation. The firm also recently filed a high-profile suit on behalf of gamers who would be adversely affected by reduced competition in the video game industry as a consequence of Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Inc. Seidel has been instrumental in the case's development and strategy, including briefing and arguing before the Court against Microsoft's motion to dismiss and on plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction.

Seidel is also deeply committed to providing pro bono legal representation on compelling cases to those who cannot afford it. Through his pro bono work, he has represented Guatemalan and Cuban refugees fleeing violence and persecution in their claims for asylum, and represented veterans in seeking entitlement to benefits and discharge status upgrades.

Cory Birkhauser was promoted to partner of Stuart Kane LLP in Newport Beach, CA.

Birkhauser has experience in the acquisition and disposition of real estate, finance, joint venture agreements and fund formation, with an emphasis on taxation matters. His experience also includes structuring and drafting of complex commercial agreements, strategic alliance, and technology license agreements, as well as counseling on corporate transactions, including seed stage, venture capital, venture debt and private equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate governance matters.

Steve Barbieri was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Palo Alto.

Barbieri focuses his practice on commercial and construction litigation. Prior to joining Rutan & Tucker, he worked for nearly seven years at the San Francisco City Attorney's Office as a trial attorney, in which he advised governmental clients and tried multiple matters related to the California dependency system.

Golsa Honarfar was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Irvine.

Honarfar handles a variety of business and civil litigation matters. She has worked on numerous cases involving class actions, business contracts, partnership disputes, real estate matters, judgment debtor examinations, unlawful detainers, probate matters, business and intentional torts, and intellectual property matters.

Marc A. McClain was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Irvine.

McClain focuses on patent preparation, application and prosecution, intellectual property, and post-grant proceedings including inter partes review and post grant review. He has handled matters in various technological fields including augmented reality, video streaming, online learning, computer memory structures, and 3D model processing.

Morgan A. McCombe was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Irvine.

McCombe is a corporate attorney who works on mergers and acquisitions and general corporate legal matters. His practice is centered on middle market transactions ranging between $5 million and $500 million, and he has experience representing buyers and sellers.

Matthew F. Murray was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Palo Alto.

Murray focuses on construction transactions, claims management, and litigation. As member of Rutan & Tucker's Chambers Band 2 construction law practice group, he routinely represents owner-developers, prime contractors, and subcontractors on both public infrastructure and private projects, including commercial and affordable housing, mixed-use, and industrial developments.

Alex Swanson was promoted to partner of Rutan & Tucker LLP in Irvine.

Swanson represents clients in a range of civil litigation including environmental litigation and life sciences, including mass toxic tort litigation, Proposition 65 defense, and CERCLA cost recovery actions. His practice also covers contract disputes, business torts, and patent litigation involving pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

Douglas L. Ropel was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson P.C. in Sacramento.

Ropel advises and represents employers in a broad range of labor and employment matters arising under both state and federal laws, concentrating his practice in the areas of Discrimination and harassment, litigation and trials, and whistleblowing and retaliation. Ropel served as an Explosives Ordnance Disposal Technician in the U.S. Air Force both active duty and continues to serve as a reservist.

Laura E. Devane was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson P.C. in Fresno.

Devane advises and represents employers in a broad range of employment matters. Laura devotes a substantial amount of her practice to drafting arbitration agreements and works closely with clients to roll out employee agreements and policies. She regularly appears in California federal and state courts, as well as before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, and the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board.

Stephen J. Squillario was promoted to partner of Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt LLP in Los Angeles.

Squillario brings over 15 years of experience as a trial lawyer to his role as general counsel and partner at HCVT. Squillario's background includes providing counsel and representation to law firms and public accounting firms on such matters as professional liability, risk management, ethics, engagement agreements, contracts, billing issues, and intra-partnership disputes. Squillario also has extensive experience representing businesses of all sizes in California state and federal courts.

Thuy T. Nguyen was promoted to partner of Reed Smith LLP in San Francisco.

Nguyen is a member of the firm's Real Estate Group. With a focus on complex commercial real estate transactions, she represents institutional developers, owners, lenders, buyers, and sellers in transactions involving acquisition, disposition, leasing, and secured finance throughout California and the United States. Nguyen specializes in representing real estate investment trusts and other institutional clients in acquisitions and sale-leaseback transactions of net lease properties, often involving major multistate portfolios of properties and under extremely aggressive timelines. She advises clients in all stages of a transaction, from the structuring of the deal, to the management of diligence, to the negotiation of key documents, including purchase and sale agreements and long-term lease agreements. She also has experience in transactions involving the acquisition and development of renewable energy facilities, including wind, solar, and battery storage projects.

Mikaela Whitman joined McGuireWoods as partner in Los Angeles (Century City) and New York.

Whitman represents policyholders in disputes with insurance carriers and advises in-house counsel on mitigating risk and maximizing value from corporate insurance assets. She mediates and litigates insurance disputes across a range of commercial policies and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for corporate policyholders. That includes cases involving D&O claims, errors-omissions, sexual misconduct, business interruption losses, product recalls, media liability and other areas.