Mark B. Helm joined FedArb as a neutral in Los Angeles.

Helm has handled a broad range of disputes -- from complex business matters involving acquisitions, stock purchase agreements, LLC agreements and investment vehicles, to consumer disputes involving cryptocurrency, automobile defects and financing practices. He also brings decades of litigation experience in asset management, entertainment and intellectual property, trade secrets, lawyers' liability and corporate governance matters.

Yalda Vahdani joined Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson LLP (CGS3) as a partner in San Franciso.

Vahdani is widely recognized for her work in complex leasing and purchase and sale transactions as well as her practical, business-minded approach to navigating high-value deals. Her addition further enhances CGS3's growing statewide platform and deep bench of real estate talent. Vahdani launched her legal career practicing corporate and commercial law in Kuwait for the largest international law firm in the Middle East advising Fortune 100 companies and large international clients on corporate structuring, agencies, distributorships and franchising, and she negotiated and drafted the relevant transaction documents.

Justin Scott Reinus joined Paul Hastings LLP as a partner in Orange County.

Reinus advises clients on initial public offerings and other equity offerings, as well as high yield, investment-grade and convertible debt offerings, tender offers, exchange offers, spin-offs and other capital markets transactions. Additionally, he counsels companies on corporate governance issues and compliance with reporting obligations under U.S. federal securities laws and stock exchange rules. Reinus works extensively with REITs and other real estate-focused companies, and he has experience in the construction, restaurant, manufacturing, retail and technology industries.

Amanda K. Behrendt was promoted to partner of Buchholz, Harris, Levine & Brennan PC in San Diego. The promotion is effective Jun. 1, 2026.

Behrendt's practice primarily focuses on medical malpractice defense, general liability, and medical and nursing board matters. She also offers presentations on healthcare compliance, MICRA, medical malpractice litigation, best nursing practices and documentation, and other specialized topics. Behrendt prides herself on being an approachable yet tenacious litigator on behalf of her clients. She enjoys all aspects of litigation, from legal writing and motion practice to mediation and arbitration. Over the past decade, she has secured numerous dismissals for her clients; successfully drafted and argued summary judgment motions, demurrers, and motions to strike; and argued cases before the California Courts of Appeal. Additionally, she has achieved many settlements through effective and strategic negotiations.

Mario H Nguyen joined Steptoe LLP as a counsel in San Francisco.

Nguyen is a skilled litigator, investigator, and legal adviser with a tech-driven approach. With experience as a federal prosecutor, criminal defense lawyer, and federal judge's law clerk, Nguyen represents governments, corporations, startups, nonprofits, celebrities, and executives in complex litigation, investigations, regulatory matters, and compliance. He also advises on AI governance and modernizing litigation, investigations, and compliance through responsible AI use. His clients include tech firms, governments, multinationals, startups, nonprofits, and celebrities. Fluent in Spanish and a former Fulbright Scholar to Mexico, Nguyen specializes in cross-border Latin American issues.

Ronald A. Valenzuela was elected office managing partner of the Los Angeles office of Lathrop GPM.

Valenzuela has been elevated to office managing partner of the firm's Los Angeles office. He brings nearly 20 years of legal experience in California, serving as a trusted advisor to Fortune 100 companies across diverse industries. Ronald specializes in tort and environmental litigation, with a strong track record defending clients in sectors such as aerospace, consumer products, energy, pharmaceuticals, retail, and consumer electronics. His expertise includes navigating complex class actions involving federal and state consumer protection laws, including claims of unlawful business practices, false advertising, identity theft violations, and breach of warranty.

Marc T. Campopiano joined Perkins Coie LLP as a partner in San Diego.

Campopiano represents real estate developers, energy companies, transmission line developers, utilities on large and master-planned communities, major renewable and traditional power projects, large-scale transmission lines, energy storage facilities, gas pipelines, and energy transition matters. Clients look to Marc to navigate the complex approval pathways for large-scale projects that frequently require multiple complicated permits from different agencies. Marc has parlayed his background as an environmental consultant to gain expertise in a range of technical matters, including wildfire, climate change, and air quality, health risks, and cultural resources.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.