Misty Ann Murray was promoted to partner of Maynard Cooper & Gale, LLP in Los Angeles.

Murray counsels and defends insurers in matters involving coverage disputes, unfair competition, welfare benefits plans concerning ERISA benefit claims and breach of fiduciary duty, as well as insurance bad faith.

Robert Edward Hess was promoted to partner of Maynard Cooper & Gale, LLP in Los Angeles.

Hess focuses his practice on a wide range of disability, life, and health insurance litigation. Practicing at both the trial and appellate levels, Mr. Hess has litigated hundreds of cases, primarily defending insurers in cases involving insurance breach of contract and bad faith claims and ERISA‐governed cases involving employee welfare benefit plans.

Vivian Orlando was promoted to partner of Maynard Cooper & Gale, LLP in Los Angeles.

Orlando's practice focuses on life, health and disability insurance, and she routinely handles insurance bad faith litigation, and litigation involving the defense of unfair competition claims, fraud/misrepresentation claims, elder abuse claims, STOLI and IOLI claims, claims concerning insurance-related investment products, coverage disputes, long term care related disputes, customer complaints, suitability related disputes, and general business matters.

Ophir Johna was promoted to partner of Maynard Cooper & Gale, LLP in Los Angeles.

Johna focuses his practice in the areas of life, health, disability, and long-term care disputes ranging from matters involving bad faith and punitive damage exposure to ERISA-governed litigation. He also has experience representing health insurers and health care plans in payor-provider disputes and litigating matters involving agent and broker sales practices as well as insurance and annuity suitability.

Richard Bryan Hopkins II was promoted to partner of Maynard Cooper & Gale, LLP in Los Angeles.

Hopkins focuses his practice on complex litigation and regulatory matters, with particular emphasis on health care payor/provider disputes, life insurance fraud actions, business practices, claims handling practices, reinsurance, trade secrets, insolvency, and inter-company disputes. He regularly represents business entities, including insurers, health plans, underwriters and holding companies in a variety of contexts, such as federal and state class actions, arbitrations, administrative hearings, regulatory investigations and market conduct examinations.

Alison Jaroch Shilling was promoted to associate of Maynard Cooper & Gale, LLP in Los Angeles.

Shilling defends the interests of businesses and individuals in litigation and has extensive experience advising on matters involving reinsurance and insurance treaties and contracts, both domestically and internationally.

David Kwasniewski was promoted to partner of BraunHagey & Borden LLP in San Francisco.

David Kwasniewski is a partner at BraunHagey & Borden. David has extensive experience on both plaintiff and defense sides of complex commercial and intellectual property disputes. He has served as lead counsel in federal and state court trials, and has obtained multiple federal and state appellate victories.

David has successfully defended a number of food, beverage, and supplement manufacturers in Proposition 65, false advertising, and CLRA disputes, including obtaining dismissals of a Proposition 65 challenge to TerraSoul Superfoods' raw cacao powder and a false advertising claim against RiteAid's house-brand body wash and hand lotion. Additionally, David conducted expert discovery and served as trial counsel to Broadcom in an ITC Investigation brought against some of the largest television manufacturers in the world, which resulted in a favorable settlement. David obtained a precedential opinion from the Federal Circuit reversing the dismissal of his client's trade secret claim, brought against Goodyear for their theft of self-inflating tire technology.

David is also committed to serving clients in need on a pro bono basis. David has obtained multiple favorable Ninth Circuit rulings for former inmates whose civil rights were violated, including a precedential opinion confirming that prison officials are not due any deference when they violate rights without any security-based justification.

Charles Edward Slyngstad was promoted to partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in Los Angeles.

Charles E. Slyngstad, partner and Chair of Burke's Litigation practice, has been appointed General Counsel for the firm. Slyngstad has served as lead trial counsel in a number of high profile cases involving Burke's public sector and private sector clients. He is a certified specialist in Legal Malpractice Law by the Board of Legal Specialization for the State Bar of California. In his expanded role as Burke's General Counsel, Slyngstad will help guide decisions on all legal, risk, and compliance issues affecting the firm.

Alla Shabun Policastro was promoted to partner of Tyson & Mendes LLP in Los Angeles.

Policastro's practice focuses on defense of general liability and personal injury matters on behalf of individuals and businesses. Over the course of the past thirteen years, her litigation experience has included high exposure and catastrophic personal injury cases in the insurance and hospitality industries. Policastro also has significant experience in risk assessment and mitigation for her clients and handling all aspects of litigation to trial. She has an exceptional track record for resolving high exposure cases through negotiations and mediation even in the most adverse of circumstances

Evan Peña was promoted to partner of Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton LLP in San Diego.

Evan has wide-ranging experience with both large-scale class action lawsuits and single plaintiff litigation matters. He is an accomplished public speaker and has led presentations and trainings at large conferences and internal sessions regarding investigations, reasonable accommodations, and avoiding workplace harassment. He joined the firm in 2013.

Camille Gustafson was promoted to partner of Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton LLP in San Diego.

Camille joined the firm in 2014 and has developed a significant practice counseling employers to ensure their policies comply with the law. Camille also litigates wage-hour and PAGA claims and has extensive experience with matters before the EEOC, DFEH and other agencies.

Jeff Michalowski was promoted to partner of Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton LLP in San Diego.

Jeff first joined Paul, Plevin in 2013, left in 2019 to serve at the San Diego Office of County Counsel for the Appellate and Supreme Court, and has now rejoined the firm as Partner. Jeff has extensive experience litigating employment law cases in state and federal court and is a practiced appellate attorney, authoring over 75 briefs in the Courts of Appeal and handling matters before both the California and the United States Supreme Courts. He has an active pro bono practice and is also an instructor at CSUSM.

Sandy McDonough was promoted to managing partner of Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton LLP in San Diego.

Sandy was elected Managing Partner effective January 1, 2022. She joined the firm in 2000 and has focused her practice on both the public and private sector, representing employers in every aspect of employment litigation, obtaining favorable results in arbitration and in court. Sandy was recognized as one of 2020's 500 Most Influential People in San Diego by the San Diego Business Journal. She has been named to Best Lawyers® list of The Best Lawyers in America in Employment Law – Management since 2017 and San Diego Super Lawyers since 2018.

Judge Judy H. Hersher joined Judicate West as neutral in Sacramento.

Judicate West welcomes retired Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Judy H. Hersher to its exclusive roster of neutrals. She is based in the Sacramento office and is available for mediations, arbitrations and private judging and Special Master assignments statewide.

Mark Jason Austin was promoted to equity partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in Santa Ana, CA.

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is pleased to announce that Mark J. Austin has been elevated to equity partner. Mark Austin is a member of Burke's Litigation; Public Law and Tort Claims and Products liability practices.

Thomas Darrel Jex was promoted to equity partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in Riverside, CA.

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is pleased to announce that Thomas D. Jex has been elevated to equity partner. Tom Jex is a member of the firm’s Public Law and Education Law practices.

Kevin Drake Siegel was promoted to equity partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in Oakland, CA.

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is pleased to announce that Kevin D. Siegel has been elevated to equity partner. Kevin Siegel is a member of Burke’s Public Law; Environmental, Land Use, and Natural Resources; and Litigation practices.

Alan Amadeo Sozio was promoted to equity partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in Los Angeles.

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is pleased to announce that Alan A. Sozio has been elevated to equity partner. Alan Sozio is a member of the firm’s Public Law (Eminent Domain); Environmental, Land Use, and Natural Resources; Litigation; and Real Estate and Business practices.

Gregory Brian Thomas was promoted to equity partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in Oakland, CA.

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is pleased to announce that Gregory B. Thomas has been elevated to equity partner. Greg Thomas is a member of Burke’s Litigation; Public Law; and Insurance Coverage and Litigation practices.

Samantha Wilson Zutler was promoted to equity partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP in San Francisco, CA.

Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP is pleased to announce that Samantha W. Zutler has been elevated to equity partner. Samantha Zutler is a member of the firm’s Public Law; Litigation; and Labor and Employment practices.

Michael Scott Eisenbaum was promoted to managing partner of Gray•Duffy, LLP in Encino.

Michael Eisenbaum Elected as New Managing Partner of Gray•Duffy, LLP effective January 1, 2022.

Eisenbaum will oversee the firm's two offices, including Redwood City, California. Eisenbaum has a diversified practice which includes extensive litigation experience. He has successfully represented hundreds of individuals and businesses in the areas of premises liability, contract liability and enforcement, construction defect, product liability, professional liability, personal injury, and property damage litigation. Eisenbaum obtained his Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from Colorado State University.

Norma Ramirez-Marin was promoted to senior counsel of Buckley LLP in Los Angeles.

Ramirez-Marin represents a variety of financial services clients on licensing, regulatory, compliance, and transactional matters.

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

Sherry-Maria 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 has a focus on federal and state privacy and cybersecurity issues, including those related to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and the California Consumer Privacy Act.

Ali Abugheida was promoted to partner of Buckley LLP in San Francisco.

Ali Abugheida represents corporate and individual clients in complex civil litigation and government enforcement actions, with a focus on matters involving the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and unfair and deceptive trade-practice statutes.

Aaron L. Osten was promoted to partner of Greene Broillet & Wheeler LLP in Santa Monica.

Osten focuses on catastrophic personal injury, business and employment litigation, wrongful death, and legal malpractice. He has helped effectively litigate and settle a wide range of cases for the firm, including an $8 million jury verdict he helped obtain in a sexual harassment and wrongful termination case involving a whistleblower who sued a celebrity yoga guru.

Jill M. Manning joined Pearson, Simon & Warshaw LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Manning specializes in plaintiffs-side antitrust litigation. She has successfully sued several major companies including Apple.