Amir Freund joined Sidley Austin LLP as counsel in Palo Alto.

Sidley Austin LLP welcomes Amir Freund as counsel in the global Intellectual Property Litigation practice in the firm's Palo Alto office. Amir's practice focuses on patent infringement and trade secret litigation involving high-tech hardware and software technology, such as computer networking, telecommunications devices, semiconductors, integrated circuit design, memory circuits, fabrication processes, e-commerce, and digital radio devices.

Michael W. Ward joined Baker Botts LLP as partner in Palo Alto.

Ward focuses on government investigations and white collar criminal defense. He has been appointed as an Independent Compliance Monitor and regularly advises clients on best practices in corporate compliance programs.

Elizabeth Dorsi was promoted to partner of Farella Braun + Martel LLP in San Francisco.

Dorsi represents clients in disputes ranging from high-stakes civil litigation to pre-litigation conflict resolution.

Shanti Eagle was promoted to partner of Farella Braun + Martel LLP in San Francisco.

Eagle represents large corporate clients, small businesses, and individuals pursuing coverage under a variety of insurance policies, including general liability, errors & omissions liability, directors & officers liability, employment practices liability and commercial and first-party property insurance.

Aviva J. Gilbert was promoted to partner of Farella Braun + Martel LLP in San Francisco.

Gilbert represents individuals and companies in federal and state government enforcement, investigation, and criminal justice matters. She co-chairs the firm’s white-collar defense and corporate investigations practice and is a leader of its healthcare practice.

Drew N. Goodwin was promoted to partner of Farella Braun + Martel LLP in San Francisco.

Goodwin advises clients of various sizes from early-stage companies to publicly traded corporations across a wide range of industries, with a focus on renewable energy, cannabis, and sports.

Jeffrey M. Hamilton was promoted to partner of Farella Braun + Martel LLP in San Francisco.

Hamilton’s practices a full range of corporate work including mergers and acquisitions, including Hart-Scott-Rodino filings, equity and debt offerings, venture capital financings, and fund formation.

Edwin Astudillo joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as partner in San Diego.

Astudillo has experience in public company reporting, securities offerings, corporate governance, and public and private mergers and acquisitions.

Daniel P. Fallon was promoted to partner of Tyson & Mendes LLP in San Diego.

Fallon leads a group of litigators specializing in professional liability, personal injury, general commercial liability, and business litigation.

Agustin D. Orozco joined Crowell & Moring LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Orozco's practice focuses on white collar criminal defense and corporate investigations, as well as government contracts matters. His background as a federal prosecutor and government contracts attorney positions him to be an effective strategist for clients on matters at the intersection of government contracts and white collar defense.

Kelly Siobhan Laffey was promoted to partner of Stubbs Alderton & Markiles LLP in Sherman Oaks.

Laffey focuses on advising emerging growth and middle market companies in the technology, digital, internet, interactive media and entertainment industries.

Neil N. Elan was promoted to senior counsel of Stubbs Alderton & Markiles LLP in Sherman Oaks.

Elan's civil litigation practice focuses on all areas of business and commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on business dissolution, buy-sell agreements, prosecution, and defense of breach of contract and promissory note actions, business torts, unfair business practices, fraud, and anti-SLAPP.

John R. De La Merced was promoted to senior counsel of Stubbs Alderton & Markiles LLP in Sherman Oaks.

Merced focuses on clients in commercial, intellectual property, and real estate disputes in federal court, state court, and arbitration.

Adam Le Berthon was promoted to partner of Wilson Elser in Los Angeles.

Berthon handles complex and multiparty business litigation. He has extensive experience defending professional liability claims, product liability and mass tort actions filed against pharmaceutical and consumer product companies and has represented numerous companies and individuals involved in environmental litigation.

Nicholas R. Lane was promoted to partner of Wilson Elser in San Francisco.

Lane represents individuals and organizations in a variety of national and international disputes before federal and state courts and in alternative dispute resolutions.

Jianlin Song was promoted to partner of Wilson Elser in San Francisco.

Song represents manufacturers across the spectrum of life science products. She also has represented clinical and diagnostic laboratories and dental, medical and nursing practitioners in professional malpractice cases, and in response to investigations by their respective professional boards.

Kamran Mirrafati joined Seyfarth Shaw LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Mirrafati defends employers in a wide range of employment litigation and arbitration matters involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, leaves of absence, breaches of contract, and wage and hour class actions.

Joshua M. Rosenberg joined Venable LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Rosenberg handles a wide range of complex litigation matters, including breach of contract, copyright and trademark infringement, employment disputes, defamation, invasion of privacy, and general business matters.

Chaka M. Patterson joined Alston & Bird LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Patterson has more than 25 years of experience as in-house counsel, government prosecutor and in private practice.

Justin Boose joined Holland & Knight LLP as partner in Los Angeles and Portland.

Boose represents sponsors, developers, investors, private equity and infrastructure funds, and regulated and nonregulated utilities on all types of transactions for renewable and traditional energy projects. His experience is heavily concentrated in solar, wind and energy storage projects, but also includes fuel cell, anaerobic digester, natural gas, liquefied natural gas, cogeneration, ethanol, biogas, biomass, waste-to-energy, water, carbon capture and mitigation, green hydrogen, electric vehicle charging, e-mobility and energy efficiency projects.

Matthew M. Brady was promoted to partner of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in Los Angeles.

Brady handles all aspects of a variety of complex civil litigation matters, including insurance recovery, complex contract disputes, property damage disputes and large-scale construction disputes. His practice also includes white collar defense and investigations.

Victoria Q. Smith joined Squire Patton Boggs as partner in Palo Alto.

Smith represents clients in intellectual property matters spanning a variety of industries, including telecommunications, electronics, and software (including technology related to cellular devices, data encryption and compression, email, mapping and enterprise software, and graphics software and chips), and biotech and pharmaceuticals.

J. Matthew Carter was promoted to partner of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in Los Angeles.

Carter focuses on litigating bid protests, conducting internal investigations, representing companies and individuals in suspension and debarment proceedings, and providing regulatory and compliance advice.

Robert P. Merten III was promoted to partner of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in Sacramento.

Merten represents and advises clients nationwide on state and local tax issues, primarily income and franchise tax, sales and use tax, property and transfer tax, and local tax matters.

Julie Park was promoted to partner of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in Silicon Valley.

Park advises public and private companies on corporate and transactional matters, with a focus on capital markets and securities law matters, including initial public offerings and SPAC transactions.

Michael L. Kibbe was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson PC in Irvine.

Kibbe advises a wide range of clients on employment related matters involving compliance with federal and state laws and best employment practices.

Derek S. Hecht was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson PC in Irvine.

Hecht’s practice includes leading computer forensic
investigations, developing internal policies, procedures
and litigation.

Ian G. Robertson was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson PC in Irvine.

Robertson focuses primarily on defense of wage and hour class actions and California Private Attorneys General Act cases.

Michelle M. Holmes was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson PC in Los Angeles.

Holmes advises employers on all types of labor and employment matters, including defending clients in lawsuits and administrative proceedings that involve wrongful termination, employment discrimination, wage and hour and harassment.

Jyoti Mittal was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson PC in Los Angeles (Century City).

Mittal represents employers in a broad range of employment litigation matters, including at the administrative level, defending against discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, unfair competition, theft of trade secrets and wage and hour claims.

Noah J. Woods was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson PC in San Diego.

Woods represents employers in single plaintiff actions alleging claims of wrongful termination, retaliation, harassment, discrimination, breach of contract and violations of wage and hour laws at the state and federal level, and in arbitration and administrative hearings .

Philip B. Baldwin was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson PC in San Francisco.

Baldwin advises employers in a broad range of traditional labor and employment law matters arising under federal and state laws.

Richard L. Gillespie was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson PC in Walnut Creek.

Gillespie represents employers of all sizes and industries in all aspects of labor and employment law.

Melissa K. Peters was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson PC in Walnut Creek.

Peters specializes in California Occupational Safety and Health Administration matters.

Adam M. Romney joined Berger Kahn as senior counsel in Irvine.

Romney specializes in wildfire litigation. He successfully argued wildfire subrogation claims in litigation against PG&E over the North Bay Fire and Camp Fire, against Southern California Edison over the Thomas Fire and Woolsey Fire, and against the State of Nevado over the Little Valley Fire.

Kyle W. Kellar was promoted to partner of Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP in Los Angeles.

Kellar is a member of Lewis Roca's Intellectual Property Practice Group, and his practice encompasses all aspects of intellectual property prosecution and enforcement.

Steven Andrew "Drew" Wilson was promoted to partner of Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP in Los Angeles.

Wilson represents clients in nearly every major category of intellectual property prosecution litigation and enforcement, including patent infringement, trademark infringement, prosecution and oppositions, copyright prosecution, infringement, and policing actions.

Jennifer L. Cappelletty was promoted to partner of Venable LLP in Los Angeles.

Cappelletty focuses on working with middle-market and emerging growth companies in distressed and non-distressed situations, with a particular emphasis on private equity firms.

Witt W. Chang was promoted to partner of Venable LLP in Los Angeles.

Chang focuses on efficiently resolving the gamut of legal challenges faced by businesses competing in the modern marketplace.

Nicholas A. Jacobus was promoted to partner of Venable LLP in Los Angeles.

Jacobus focuses on corporate, partnership, and individual taxation as well as drafting business transaction documents, including operating agreements, asset and stock purchase agreements, and employment agreements.

Ken D. Kronstadt was promoted to partner of Venable LLP in Los Angeles.

Kronstadt focuses on complex commercial litigation, insurance recovery, media and entertainment, intellectual property, and class action disputes.

Rebecca (Becca) M. Chappel was promoted to partner of Venable LLP in San Francisco.

Chappell advises clients on U.S. inbound and outbound transactional tax, cross-border tax planning, and tax risk assessment, with a focus on complex acquisitions, business combinations, IPOs, refinancing’s, and divestments.

Emily A. Foehr was promoted to partner of Venable LLP in San Francisco.

Foehr advises high-net-worth individuals and families on all aspects of wealth planning and assists with wealth preservation through strategies that mitigate income, estate, and generation-skipping transfer taxes, limiting risk to family assets.

William A. Hector was promoted to partner of Venable LLP in San Francisco.

Hector focuses on complex patent litigation, patent prosecution, intellectual property licensing, and trademark prosecution. Bill’s patent litigation experience includes pre-trial diligence, motion practice, discovery, claim construction, and trial.

Maryam Naghavi was promoted to partner of Venable LLP in San Francisco.

Naghavi encompasses a wide range of corporate law matters, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions (negotiated and contested). Maryam regularly advises private equity firms and public companies on both public and private transactions, including stock purchases or sales, asset purchases or sales, mergers, leveraged buyout (LBO) acquisitions, carve-out acquisitions, restructurings, and minority investments.

Steven E. Steven E. Swaney was promoted to partner of Venable LLP in San Francisco.

Swaney focuses on defense against consumer class actions involving allegations of false advertising, product defect, fraud, breach of warranty, and other claims across many industries, including food and beverage, dietary supplements, automotive, consumer finance, electronics, and children’s products.

Amy L. Hespenheide was promoted to partner of Withers in San Francisco.

Hespenheide focuses on estate planning for high-net-worth clients, clients with complex family structures and/or complex assets, international and cross-jurisdictional planning and irrevocable trust and tax planning

Michael S. Nunez was promoted to senior counsel of Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP in San Francisco.

Nunez practices complex litigation and prelitigation matters, including class actions, with a particular focus on ensuring that people with disabilities obtain equal access to government services, technology, transportation, and public accommodations.

James A. Dooley was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in San Diego.

Dooley focuses on moderating contentious opponents in high asset divorce cases, which he does by balancing his skills acquired from years of high intensity family law civil litigation against his disposition toward no-nonsense resolution.

James A. James R. Kramer was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in San Diego.

Kramer counsels clients in a variety of industries regarding business and corporate matters, including mergers, acquisitions, financings, corporate governance matters, and licensing.

Eric A. Plourde was promoted to parnter of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in San Diego.

Plourde focuses on business and commercial disputes, including those involving securities, contracts, partnerships and other fiduciary relationships, limited liability companies (LLCs), employment, trade secrets, unfair competition, class actions, shareholder derivative litigation, bankruptcy, and appeals.

Sara G. Neva was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in San Diego.

Neva counsels clients on real estate, finance and general business transactions. Her practice involves real estate property purchase and sale, commercial leases and easements, joint venture formation and other equity investments, financing, land use and entitlements.

Steve V. Serna was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in San Diego.

Serna represents real estate development companies, financial institutions, investors, and commercial lessors and tenants in all aspects of the acquisition, development and finance of real estate assets.

Juan Pablo G. Zaragoza was promoted to partner of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP in San Diego.

Zaragoza counsels clients on a variety of matters pertaining to international law, private client, tax, and trusts and estates and focuses on advising domestic and foreign high-net worth individuals, families and family offices on various estate planning issues including sales to defective grantor trusts, family limited partnerships and grantor retained annuity trusts.

George C. Fatheree III joined Sidley Austin LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Fatheree focuses on large and complex real estate transactions. He also advises professional sports teams, artists, museums, and other arts and culture institutions across a range of issues and transactions.

Marisa D. Brutoco joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as partner in Orange County and Century City.

Brutoco is in the Entertainment, Technology and Advertising Practice Group in Sheppard Mullin's Orange County and Century City offices and is a leader of the firm's Technology Transactions Team.

Tara C. Dudum was promoted to partner of Newmeyer & Dillion in Walnut Creek.

Dudum's practice focuses primarily on business and employment law and her clients span across industries, including retail, e-commerce, real estate, manufacturing, hospitality, and beyond.

Kevin M. Erwin joined Jackson Lewis P.C. as principal in Riverside.

Erwin represents employers, management and supervisors in all areas of labor and employment law. He has significant experience in all types of employment litigation, including class, collective and PAGA actions.

Marc R. Greenburg was promoted to partner of Tucker Ellis LLP in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Greenburg, a former federal prosecutor, focuses on white collar criminal defense, cybercrime, environmental and workplace safety emergency response, maritime and energy issues, and business litigation.

Monee Takla Hanna was promoted to partner of Tucker Ellis LLP in Los Angeles.

Hanna defends pharmaceutical and medical device clients in complex litigation. She has defended companies in state and federal courts involving a wide variety of medical products, including silicone gel and saline breast implants, pelvic mesh, surgical staplers, transdermal drug-delivery systems, and numerous prescription medications.

Steven E. Lauridsen was promoted to partner of Tucker Ellis LLP in Los Angeles.

Lauridsen represents companies in patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and domain name litigation at both the trial and appellate levels, in Section 337 investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission, and before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Ronie M. M. Schmelz was promoted to partner of Tucker Ellis LLP in Los Angeles.

Schmelz is an advertising and regulatory counselor and class action defense lawyer with an emphasis on defending clients in the consumer products industry, including those that manufacture cosmetic, skin and hair care, dietary supplement, and household goods. Schmelz advises clients on litigation-avoidance strategies, the implementation of recall procedures, and responding to FDA Warning Letters, Notices of Action, and MedWatch Adverse Event Reports.