Litigation boutique highlights star partners with new name

With the elevation of three partners, Browne George Ross LLP has changed its name to Browne George Ross O'Brien Annaguey and Ellis LLP.

The firm announced the elevation of Thomas P. O'Brien, Maribeth Annaguey and Dennis S. Ellis to named partner on Wednesday.

"The three partners, who we're adding to the name, exemplify not only the expansion of our practices, but just the quality of our lawyers, and we thought: 'What better way to celebrate this next chapter of the firm and its history and also where we're going than to place their name on the door?" said Keith J. Wesley, managing partner of the firm.

The elevations are not only a celebration of the attorneys' accomplishments, but acknowledgment of their leadership in and outside of the firm, Wesley said.

O'Brien, Annaguey and Ellis joined the firm during the past three years.

"They're not only exceptional people and exceptional lawyers, but truly remarkable partners, who bring phenomenal work ethic, complete integrity and great loyalty," said name partner Eric M. George.

O'Brien, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California from 2007 to 2009, joined the firm in 2018 from Paul Hastings LLP, where he headed the West Coast white collar defense practice and chaired the Los Angeles litigation department.

He leads the firm's downtown Los Angeles office and represents clients in government investigations and prosecutions related to the federal and state False Claims Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, health care fraud and corporate compliance.

Like O'Brien, Ellis joined from Paul Hastings, arriving this March. He is the former global chair of the complex litigation arbitration group at Paul Hastings and specializes in complex litigation, consumer class actions, unfair competition disputes, business torts and breach of contract actions. His clients are from the manufacturing, retail and most recently the cosmetics industry.

A seasoned litigator, Annaguey joined the firm in 2017 from Liner LLP, where she practiced for about nine years.

She focuses on complex business and entertainment litigation and advises clients on matters including class action defense and disputes related to the Talent Agencies Act, real estate and partnerships.

Founded in 1985 by Allan Browne, the firm has offices in Century City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City.

The firm last underwent a name change 12 years ago when it became Browne George Ross.

"This is really an exciting chapter for us, where we have the ability to take on cases and do so with lawyers that have incredible expertise and with a geographical reach that up until now, we haven't been able to do," said George. "I'd say in this next chapter, the best is yet to come."