Nikole K. Zoumberakis as Corporate Partner in Los Angeles from Buchalter.

Zoumberakis represents investment advisors servicing institutional clients and high-net-worth individuals. She also advises pension plans and other institutional investors with their investments in hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, and real estate funds. She has served as outside general counsel and adviser to businesses ranging from start-up and emerging private companies to seasoned enterprises, advising on formation, governance, financing, commercial agreements, federal and state securities laws, and other regulatory and complex commercial matters.

Jessica North as Partner in Palo Alto

North focuses her practice on representing emerging growth companies, established corporations, and venture capital funds. She represents companies across a wide range of industries, including technology, life science, food & beverage, and entertainment. In addition to providing strategic counseling to clients, North's practice encompasses a wide range of corporate and securities laws, with a primary focus on venture capital, mergers & acquisitions, equity and debt financings, and corporate governance. Her promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Kyle R. Canavera as Partner in San Diego

Canavera counsels clients at all intellectual property (IP) life cycle stages and advises clients on related IP issues. His promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Jasmine Wetherell as Partner in Los Angeles

Wetherell advises consumer goods companies, with an emphasis on serving food, dietary supplements, cosmetics/personal care, and cannabis businesses. She maintains a civil litigation practice focusing on consumer class-action defense and is highly experienced in defending claims brought under California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law, and False Advertising Law. She has deep knowledge of California’s Proposition 65, providing both compliance advice and litigation defense to consumer goods companies, and has extensive experience in handling claims involving trace contaminants in food.

Andrew Klein as Partner in Palo Alto

Klein litigates complex intellectual property disputes across the country, focusing on patent litigation. He represents Fortune 500 and emerging companies in all phases of litigation, from initial case assessment to settlement. His practice also includes appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for patent cases and elsewhere. HIs promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Matthew L. Goldberg as Partner in San Francisco

Goldberg has successfully represented clients in wage-and-hour class actions and California Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) matters, as well as plaintiff retaliation, harassment, and discrimination cases. His experience includes preparing for and attending mediations and settlement conferences before the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), and the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC). He also possesses experience as a trial lawyer, assisting in all phases of representation. His promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Amanda E. Taber as Partner in Los Angeles

Taber helps her clients assess the risks and rewards of potential transactions, advises on protecting, maintaining and/or recapturing their rights, and identifies issues of exposure, and then works with her colleagues as necessary - including throughout the other practices in the firm - to provide an efficient, well-rounded and inclusive approach to her clients' matters.

Anne Redcross Beehler as Partner in Newport Beach from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP.

Beehler has represented lenders, landlords, tenants, developers, investors, real estate investment trusts (REITs), receivers and individuals in a range of disputes concerning real property. She handles her cases from start to finish and has substantial experience trying cases in federal and state courts.

Harry N. Hudesman as Partner in Palo Alto

Hudesman focuses his practice on executive compensation and employee benefits issues arising in the context of a wide range of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, and initial public offerings, among others. He regularly advises public and private companies on various employment, compensatory and benefit matters, including the design, negotiation, and implementation of employment and separation arrangements, cash-based and equity-based incentive plans, golden parachute excise tax issues, and related employment matters. The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Matthew Kemp as Partner in Los Angeles

Kemp's promotion is effective Jan. 1.

John J. Kreager as Partner in Los Angeles

Kreager's promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Elizabeth Cousins as Chair, Infrastructure Group in Los Angeles

As the new chair, Cousins' priorities include continuing to grow the group's water/wastewater practice, further expanding the group's footprint into emerging infrastructure practice fields, such as renewable energy, electric and autonomous vehicles, and other green technologies and attracting and retaining best-in-class, diverse attorneys that will benefit the group's clients and build on the strength of Nossaman's outstanding brand.

Kevin R. Rubino as Partner in San Francisco, CA from U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California.

Rubino spent nearly four years prosecuting a wide range of federal offenses in the Criminal Division, including wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, cybersecurity, and trying numerous jury trials to verdict. He also led the prosecution of a wide-ranging pandemic-related fraud scheme and one of the largest RICO cases in California in recent years. Prior to joining the U.S. attorney's office, Rubino was a partner at Sidley working on a range of civil commercial litigation matters with a particular focus on technology companies. His practice also included white-collar defense and investigations.

Chris Whittaker as Partner in Orange County

Whittaker represents clients in a wide range of high-stakes, complex commercial cases, with an emphasis in antitrust and competition, technology, intellectual property, and employment matters.

Jilian N. London as Partner in Los Angeles

London represents media, entertainment, and technology clients and has particular experience in media relations, First Amendment, breach of contract, antitrust, and class action disputes.

Cynthia Chen McTernan as Partner in Los Angeles

McTernan represents clients in high-exposure complex commercial actions, class actions, and mass actions, with a focus on consumer protection and employment matters.

Negin Nazemi as Partner in Los Angeles

Nazemi advises companies and private equity firms across a wide range of industries, focusing on public and private merger transactions, stock and asset deals, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships.

Carlos M. Soto as Partner in Los Angeles

Soto advises companies, private equity firms and investment advisors on complex merger, acquisition and divestiture transactions, joint ventures and strategic investments, and partnerships.

Chris W. Trester as Partner in Palo Alto

Trester focuses his corporate practice on mergers and acquisitions and emerging companies, with a specific emphasis on the tech, entertainment, and life science industries.

Ryan S. Appleby as Partner in Los Angeles

Appleby focuses his practice on complex civil litigation and trial advocacy and has helped clients navigate disputes in state and federal courts and domestic and international arbitrations.

Melissa L. Barshop as Partner in Los Angeles

Barshop has experience in a broad range of financing transactions, including acquisition financings, secured and unsecured corporate credit facilities, Rule 144A transactions, private placements, convertible debt offerings, exchange offers, mezzanine transactions, and work-outs and debt restructurings.

Elizabeth A. Dooley as Partner in San Francisco

Dooley represents clients across industries with a focus on high-stakes employment and appellate matters

Samuel Eckman as Partner in Los Angeles

Eckman is an appellate litigator with extensive experience representing clients in the U.S. Supreme Court and federal and state appellate courts across the nation.

Julian W. Kleinbrodt as Partner in San Francisco

Kleinbrodt has broad antitrust experience and represents clients in trial and appellate litigation, as well as government investigations.

Grant E. Strother as Counsel in San Francisco

Strother is a member of the firm's Complex Commercial Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients in complex business litigation, licensing disputes, and insurance recovery matters. The promotion is effective Jan 1.

Max G. Mazzelli as Counsel in San Francisco

Mazzelli is a member of the Connectivity, Privacy & Information Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He counsels clients in the US and globally across multiple sectors on cybersecurity, data privacy, and consumer protection issues, advising on regulatory compliance and investigations, litigation, and product counseling. The promotion is effective Jan 1.

Shannon D. Lankenau as Counsel in San Francisco

Lankenau is a member of the Environment, Land & Resources Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She represents clients in complex environmental disputes, including litigation involving claims of public nuisance, trespass, products liability, and natural resources damages. The promotion is effective Jan 1.

Allison Harms as Counsel in San Francisco

Harms is a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She represents technology and life sciences clients in patent and other IP disputes before federal district and appellate courts, the US International Trade Commission, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. The promotion is effective Jan 1.

Francis J. Acott as Counsel in San Francisco

Acott is a member of the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients across multiple industries in class actions and complex civil litigation. The promotion is effective Jan 1.

Morgan E. Whitworth as Partner in San Francisco

Whitworth is a member of the Securities Litigation & Professional Liability Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents public companies, senior officers and directors, investment managers, and professional services firms in securities and class action litigation and regulatory investigations, with particular experience in the technology sector. The promotion is effective Jan 1.

Brett M. Sandford as Partner in San Francisco

Sandford is a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He advises on IP litigation, including patent infringement and trade secret disputes, in district and appellate courts and before the US International Trade Commission and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. The promotion is effective Jan 1.

James I. Robinson as Partner in Menlo Park (Silicon Valley)

Robinson is a member of the Executive Compensation, Employment & Benefits Practice and Tax Department. He counsels public and private companies on equity incentive plans, deferred compensation plans, severance and change-in-control arrangements, and employment agreements, and advises on compensation and employee benefits in corporate transactions. The promotion is effective Jan 1.

Alicia R. Jovais as Partner in San Francisco

Jovais is a member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She represents public and private companies in all aspects of antitrust litigation and related counseling, including consumer class actions, monopolization and conspiracy claims, licensing disputes, and state unfair competition matters. The promotion is effective Jan 1.

Blake R. Davis as Partner in San Francisco

Davis is a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He focuses on patent and trade secret litigation in US district courts and at the US International Trade Commission and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. The promotion is effective Jan 1.

Tessa Bernhardt as Partner in San Francisco

Bernhardt is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. She advises public companies, multinational corporations, private equity sponsors, and special committees on complex transactions, activism defense, and corporate governance. The promotion is effective Jan 1.

Jonathan J. Hawk as Partner in Los Angeles from White & Case LLP.

Hawk focuses his international litigation practice on technology, the internet, and online platform law. He helps clients navigate multinational, multidisciplinary, and complex civil litigation matters. His successful representations include disputes involving intermediary liability, privacy and defamation, unfair competition, consumer protection, contractual obligations, intellectual property, and free speech, among other fundamental rights.

Anthony Q. Le as Partner in Los Angeles

Le has a broad array of experiences assisting with compliance issues, regulatory and enforcement matters, internal investigations, and individual and class litigation. His diverse practice helps him achieve the most efficient and practical results for his clients, spanning the financial services, technology, automobile, and retail sectors.

Clara "Zazi" Pope as Neutral in Century City from Warner Bros. Entertainment.

Pope began her career playing a vital role in the landmark Buchwald v. Paramount case, an achievement that set the stage for her three-decade tenure at Warner Bros., Warner Media, and Warner Bros. Discovery in Los Angeles. As the senior vice president and chief litigation officer, she successfully managed numerous legal proceedings in the entertainment industry. Under Pope's leadership, Warner's litigation team achieved extraordinary success, including several landmark rulings confirming the rights of creators of expressive works to fictionalize real-life stories.

David Song as Associate in San Francisco from DLA Piper.

Song is a litigation associate in Miller Starr Regalia's Walnut Creek office. His practice focuses on litigation, arbitration, and investigations. Before joining Miller Starr Regalia, he successfully represented various clients in a wide range of litigation matters, including breach of contract, federal agency investigations, product liability, and Proposition 65 matters.

Katherine L. Wawrzyniak as Partner in San Francisco from U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California .

Wawrzyniak conducted sophisticated long-term investigations and obtained guilty verdicts in four jury trials. She served as co-chief of the general crimes section and as a line AUSA in the corporate fraud strike force and organized crime drug enforcement task force. She helps clients with their thorniest problems, including high-stakes trials and sensitive corporate investigations. She represents clients in the technology, healthcare, and life sciences industries.

Evan R. Youngstrom as Counsel in San Diego

Youngstrom is a member of the firm's Emerging Companies & Growth Practice and Corporate Department. He advises founders, private and public companies, and venture capital and private equity firms in the technology, life sciences, and other growth industries. The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

David F. Kowalski as Counsel in San Diego

Kowalski is a member of the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients through trial in complex litigation matters in federal and state courts, including unfair competition, fraud, contract, and patent and other IP disputes. The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Joanna A. Gorska as Counsel in San Diego

Gorska is a member of the Project Development & Finance Practice and Finance Department. She advises sponsors, commercial banks, and other financial institutions on developing and financing projects across multiple sectors, with a focus on renewable energy projects. The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Joshua Chao as Counsel in San Diego

Chao is a member of the Banking Practice and Finance Department. He represents corporate borrowers, investment banks, direct lenders, and other financial institutions in corporate finance transactions across industries, focusing on leveraged finance in the context of acquisitions, refinancings, and recapitalizations. The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Hannah C. Cary as Counsel in San Diego

Cary is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. She counsels clients on all forms of transactional insurance, including representations and warranties, tax, and contingent-risk policies, both in the context of transactions and with respect to claims. The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Ryan A. Walsh as Counsel in Costa Mesa

Walsh is a member of the Securities Litigation & Professional Liability Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents public and private companies, as well as their officers, directors, and special committees, in a variety of litigation, white collar, and enforcement matters. The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Sara E. Schlau as Counsel in Costa Mesa

Schlau is a member of the Executive Compensation, Employment & Benefits Practice and Tax Department. She advises public and private companies and private equity funds on the employee benefits and compensation aspects of corporate transactions including M&A, corporate financings, and initial public offerings (IPOs). The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Jordan Davisson Cook as Counsel in Costa Mesa

Cook is a member of the Securities Litigation & Professional Liability Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She represents clients in complex commercial litigation, with a focus on securities litigation, shareholder derivative litigation, complex business disputes, professional liability, and class actions. The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Nima J. Movahedi as Partner in Costa Mesa

Movahedi is a member of the Emerging Companies & Growth Practice and Corporate Department. He advises private and public companies, venture capital and private equity firms, and investment banks on M&A, investments, joint ventures, and other complex corporate transactions, particularly in the technology and life sciences sectors. The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Nathan M. Saper as Counsel in Los Angeles

Saper is a member of the White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients in complex civil disputes, investigations, and enforcement actions before government agencies and courts throughout the US, and conducts internal investigations across a range of industries. The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Juan Carlos Olivares as Counsel in Los Angeles

Olivares is a member of the Banking Practice and Finance Department. He represents direct lenders, business development companies and other financial institutions, and equity sponsors and other borrowers in structuring, negotiating, and documenting various financial transactions. The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Tiffany M. Ikeda as Counsel in Century City, Los Angeles

Ikeda is a member of the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She represents businesses in a range of complex commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts, with a focus on IP, insolvency, and entertainment and media litigation. The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Harrison J. White as Partner in Los Angeles

White is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. He represents private equity firms and strategics across industries, particularly clients active in middle-market transactions, on transactional insurance matters. The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Liliana Paparelli Ranger as Partner in Century City, Los Angeles

Ranger is a member of the Entertainment, Sports & Media Practice and Corporate Department, she advises entertainment and media companies, financial institutions, and investors on complex M&A transactions, strategic joint ventures, company and project-level debt and equity financings, and content production, licensing, and distribution arrangements. The promotion is effective Jan. 1.

Azadeh Gowharrizi as Of Counsel in Los Angeles from City of Santa Monica.

Gowharrizi has over 15 years of experience in dispute resolution, complex litigation, and mediation at mid-sized and Am Law 100 firms. She has defended claims through all phases of litigation, including drafting and arguing substantive motions, taking and defending depositions, and negotiating settlements in various state and federal actions. In addition to her extensive civil litigation experience, she has advised clients on internal and regulatory investigations and has cross-border experience that includes counseling foreign corporate clients on litigation strategies and risks.

David R. Gabor as Partner in Los Angeles from Weintraub Tobin Chediak Coleman Grodin Law Corporation.

Gabor is a trial lawyer who represents clients in all aspects of litigation, from trials to arbitration and appeals. He has tried cases to verdict in the contract, real estate, hospitality, tax, bankruptcy, and partnership areas. He litigates real estate (including HOA/Davis-Sterling) matters, intellectual property, government contracts, tax, trademark, copyright, trade secrets, insurance, environmental, Proposition 65, and entertainment issues, among others.

Alessandra Love Simmons as Partner in San Francisco from Goodwin Procter LLP.

Simons has deep expertise in advising boards and executives through successful M&A exits and helping companies in all stages of growth realize and enhance value. She represents venture-backed and publicly-traded companies in a range of domestic and cross-border transactions, as well as growth equity and venture capital funds in their investments, including structuring and executing secondary sales and other private liquidity programs. Simons sits on the advisory board for HimforHer, a not-for-profit that accelerates diversity on for-profit boards by bridging the gap between board opportunities and talented women ready for board service.

Georgina Jones Suzuki as Counsel in Silicon Valley

Suzuki is a strategic IP transactions attorney practicing at the intersection of life sciences and technology. These transactions include technology licensing and transfer, collaborations, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, supply and distribution arrangements, royalty monetizations, and other strategic agreements. Her clients include public and private companies, academic institutions, and investors, including global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and leading private equity funds.

Benjamin R. Buchwalter as Special Counsel in San Francisco from Plaid.

Buchwalter specializes in defending companies of all sizes in employment litigation and strives to understand what is most important to his clients to reach the best company-tailored resolution of disputes. He has deep experience defending companies in single-plaintiff and class and representative action lawsuits related to discrimination, retaliation, harassment, leaves of absence, wage and hour compliance, and requests for accommodations in federal and state courts and arbitrations and before administrative agencies.

Robert Stemler in Orange County from Keesal, Young & Logan.

Stemler's practice encompasses a wide range of areas, including corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions, entity formation, corporate finance, commercial transactions, licensing agreements, and technology transfers. He has established himself as a trusted advisor, representing both international and domestic clients. A key focus of Stemler's practice is facilitating mergers, acquisitions, and other business combinations. He assists clients in navigating complex transactions, offering strategic counsel throughout the process. From the inception of a business to its day-to-day governance, exit strategies, liquidity events, and dissolution, Stemler provides comprehensive legal guidance.

Benjamin Allen Herbert as Partner in Los Angeles from Law Finance Group.

Herbert, an experienced trial lawyer, focuses his practice on patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation litigation. Adding his patent expertise to the IP team further enhances the firm's already robust IP practice and solidifies its position as a powerhouse in IP litigation.

Ranee Adipat as Partner in Los Angeles

Adipat represents hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers, and other healthcare entities in sophisticated, precedent-setting transactions. She has over a decade of corporate experience, including in mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, affiliations, and governance matters.

Catherine Skulan as Partner in San Francisco

Skulan provides counsel to asset manager clients on their upper-tier arrangements, including GP stakes transactions and bespoke employee investment vehicles. Clients rely on her for day-to-day advice on operational and compliance matters addressing conflicts, disclosure, and other ongoing concerns. She also advises clients on matters of California law relevant to asset managers with a nexus to the state, including lobbying laws, fee disclosure requirements, and state privacy laws.

Chelsea M. Childs as Partner in San Francisco

Childs represents investment management industry clients in a wide variety of regulatory, compliance, and transactional aspects of their businesses. She assists registered funds, private funds and their sponsors with fund structuring and formation, fund reorganizations, negotiation of service provider agreements, and ongoing compliance and operational matters. She also advises boards of U.S. registered funds on governance and fiduciary oversight matters.

Jeff S. Westerman as Of Counsel in Los Angeles

Westerman was selected by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for a three-year term as a lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. Lawyer representatives draw on their experience and contacts within the federal bar to assist in improving the administration of justice. Westerman is also an assistant vice president on the Los Angeles County Bar Association Executive Committee and member of the Finance Committee. He is treasurer of the Chancery Club in Los Angeles, an organization founded in 1925 and comprised of attorneys who are active in professional, civic, and philanthropic organizations.

Tamar Terzian as Counsel in Los Angeles from Terzian Law Group.

Terzian's bankruptcy experience encompasses representing both individual and small business debtors and creditors - including the creditors committee - in Chapter 11 restructuring matters, Chapter 7 trustees, and individual debtors in Chapter 13 proceedings; serving as patient care ombudsman in many Chapter 11 health care cases; and representing individuals and small businesses in a wide variety of litigation and bankruptcy appellate issues. Terzian is an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School and chairs the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Bankruptcy & Commercial Law Section; co-chairs the International Woman's Insolvency Restructuring Confederation; and is a past president of the James T. King Southern California Bankruptcy Inn of Court.

Nancy R. Thomas as Of Counsel in Los Angeles from Morrison & Foerster LLP.

Thomas brings strategic and innovative approaches to the defense of class actions, regulatory enforcement actions, and high-stakes litigation and arbitration. She has long been recognized as a top financial service and class action litigator who regularly defeats claims efficiently, either at the pleading stage or at class certification.

David Ambler as Partner in Palo Alto from Cooley, LLP.

Ambler’s practice focuses on representing high-growth emerging private and public technology companies in capital markets and other corporate transactions. He also represents underwriters such as Morgan Stanley & Co., Goldman Sachs & Co., and J.P. Morgan Securities and a number of leading venture funds.

Scott Joachim as Partner in Palo Alto from Goodwin Proctor LLP .

Joachim has led some of Silicon Valley's most prominent M&A deals, including Twitch Interactive, in its sale to Amazon; General Motors, in its acquisition of Cruise; Responsys, in its sale to Oracle; and Symantec, in its acquisition of Blue Coat Systems. His practice also focuses on fintech, representing many of the largest banks and other financial institutions-including Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo-in connection with consortia and other strategic transactions. Among other consortia deals, Joachim represented 35 banks in connection with a cross-border acquisition of blockchain company R3 and 15 banks in connection with an investment in Symphony Communications.

Karin M. Cogbill as Principal in Silicon Valley from Hopkins & Carley.

Cogbill represents and counsels employers in connection with all types of employment matters. She devotes a significant portion of her practice to representing employers in wage and hour litigation, with an emphasis on class, collective and PAGA actions, in state and federal courts throughout the U.S. Her experience also includes investigating and responding to claims of harassment, discrimination, retaliation; ensuring compliant written policies and procedures; advising on leaves of absence and requests for accommodation; advising on wage and hour compliance; and representing employers before the Labor Commissioner and in wage and hour audits conducted by the Department of Labor.