Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP
Nicholas A Doloresco
as partner
in Silicon Valley
After participating in numerous high value transactions at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, private equity attorney Nicholas A. Doloresco has been elected to partner at the firm's Silicon Valley office.
Doloresco's connection to Weil goes back to his days at New York University, when he took a bankruptcy seminar with the firm's attorneys Harvey R. Miller and Michael F. Walsh. During this time he said he came to think of the firm as a "bankruptcy and restructuring powerhouse." When it came time to find his first legal job, he looked toward its Bay Area offices.
"I had the opportunity to talk to Weil partners Kyle C. Krpata and Craig Adas, and it was clear early on that Weil was the best place for me - a well-respected firm that has cultivated strong practices and great client relationships on the West Coast and beyond," Doloresco said in an interview.
Doloresco has advised client companies in transactional matters including mergers, acquisitions, equity investments and divestitures. He notably helped represent Applied Materials in a proposed $29 billion merger with Tokyo Electron Ltd., as well as Facebook in its $16 billion acquisition of WhatsApp.
"Many large, 'bet the company' deals take on a life of their own," Doloresco said. "They can be all-consuming and the amount of effort that goes into them on every level - associates, paralegals, partners and staff working across multiple offices and practice groups - is pretty amazing."
Krpata praised Doloresco's "excellence in every aspect of the job" in a prepared statement. "He has a broad skill set that enables him to handle all of the types of transactions we do in the Silicon Valley office -- from growth equity to traditional private equity, to public and private mergers and acquisitions,"
Krpata said. "He is a key member of our team and his election to partner is a significant part of our growth strategy."
Doloresco said he is gratified for the opportunity to handle a range of matters.
"It is exciting to work on large deals that make headlines, but my colleagues and I take tremendous pride in every matter we handle," he said. "Personally, I have had the good fortune of working with some great clients who are truly excited about how a deal is going to transform their company. They are really grateful for our help, and I'm very proud of those outcomes."
Loeb & Loeb LLP
Jessica S Isokawa
as partner
in San Francisco
from Morrison & Foerster LLP.
Isokawa represents clients in consumer products, retail and health care. Her practice focuses on complex mergers and acquisitions, private equity and other corporate transactions.
Address
Two Embarcadero Center Suite 2320 , San Francisco 94111
Blank Rome LLP
Bradley E Wolf
as of counsel
in Los Angeles
from Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC.
Wolf specializes in commercial law and transactional litigation on secured and unsecured debt financing. He has worked in many industries, including manufacturing, casino gaming and agricultural business.
Address
2029 Century Park East 6th Floor , Los Angeles 90067
Gov. Gavin Newsom
Alice B Reynolds
as president of the California Public Utilities Commission
in Sacramento
Reynolds worked as an attorney for various firms before becoming a California deputy attorney general in 2002. From there she became a deputy secretary and general counsel for the California Environmental Protection Agency before going on to advise Governors Jerry Brown and Newsom on energy matters.
Polsinelli LLP
Kristian J F Bornemann
as principal
in San Francisco
from Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP.
Representing investment and commercial banks, life insurance companies, investment managers and mortgage bankers, Bornemann specializes in real estate financing transactions.
Address
Three Embarcadero Center, Suite 2400 , San Francisco 94111
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Mimi C Cheng
as partner
in Los Angeles
A University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School graduate, Cheng specializes in corporate litigation, investment-backed financing, fund finance, banking and credit.
Frederick W P De Albuquerque
as partner
in Palo Alto
A corporate attorney focusing on mergers and acquisitions, De Albuquerque earned his law degree with honors from University of Chicago Law School.
Mark W Myott
as partner
in Palo Alto
Formerly of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Mylott practices in corporate mergers and acquisitions.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Paul I Barker
as partner
in San Francisco
from sole practice.
With a litigation career spanning continents, attorney Paul Barker is at the forefront of the especially timely and relevant field of environmental, social and governance law (ESG). Now, the former British barrister is bringing his expertise to the San Francisco office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP as a partner in the firm's ESG and impact practice group.
"I have several long standing connections with Kirkland and have always been impressed by how dynamic and pioneering the firm is," Barker said in an interview. "Alexandra Farmer has created an exceptional ESG and impact team in such a short space of time, so when I heard she was looking to grow the practice in the Bay Area I leapt at the opportunity."
Barker is a trained corporate attorney who practiced from Doughty Street Chambers in London. In this capacity he initially focused on public international law, finance and investment.
"My pathway to ESG practice was through my work at the London bar and at Stanford on a range of issues including international renewable energy disputes, international climate change law, and sustainable finance regulation," Barker said.
He prides himself on having litigated several cases where he feels his work has led to a positive social impact, in matters ranging from sovereign debt restructuring to business and human rights.
"I also think pro bono is very important, and have been grateful for the opportunity to work recently with Columbia Law School's Sabin Center on Climate Change, helping them draft model laws on deep decarbonization," he said.
Alexandra Farmer, the head of Kirkland's ESG and impact practice, praised Barker's skill in international arbitration, cross-border ESG and sustainable investment law.
"His multi-jurisdictional knowledge will be an asset," Farmer said in a company statement.
In joining up with Kirkland & Ellis, Barker hopes to harness his formidable ESG knowledge to aid the firm in navigating the uncertain terrain of climate-related
litigation.
"There is tremendous need from the private sector for thoughtful legal counsel in the context of climate strategies and disclosures, and sustainability linked incentives and financing, which is where I expect to spend a significant portion of my time, at least initially," Barker said. "In addition, I expect to leverage my international experience to support private funds clients in jurisdictions such as Asia, which are rapidly evolving on ESG and impact."
Address
555 California Street , San Francisco 94104
Steptoe & Johnson LLP
Tom B Watson
as partner
in Los Angeles
from Diamond McCarthy LLP.
Watson litigates complex cases relating to energy, finance, bankruptcy, human rights and cross-border disputes. He also has experience litigating whistleblower accounts under the False Claims Act.
Address
633 West Fifth Street Suite 1900 , Los Angeles 90071
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
Heather S Nyong'o
as partner
Nyong'o specializes in antitrust litigation, and was notably a part of the legal team that won acquittal for Citigroup's former head of European spot foreign exchange trading, Rohan Ramchandani.
Address
1841 Page Mill Rd. , Palo Alto 94304
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Warren J Biro
as partner
in Los Angeles
Biro represents lenders to technology and life science companies while also coordinating support from venture capital and private equity.
Jonathan J Boustani
as partner
in Los Angeles
Boustani has experience in complex commercial litigation in matters including creditor’s rights and insurance.
Garrett Scott Llewellyn
as partner
in Los Angeles
Llewellyn deals with complex commercial litigation and class action defense. He has overseen disputes ranging from breach of contract and fiduciary duty to unfair competition and consumer fraud.
Noushan Noureddini
as partner
in Los Angeles
A defense attorney dealing with product liability and commercial litigation claims, Noureddini represents manufacturers, distributors and sellers of medical devices, pharmaceuticals and consumer products.
Goodwin Procter LLP
Beni Surpin
as partner
in Los Angeles
from Foley & Lardner LLP.
Working in the life sciences practice, Surpin will continue his specialization in complex technology, intellectual property and commercial transactions for U.S. and international companies. His areas of skill include collaborations and licenses between companies, research and development agreements and joint ventures.
Address
601 South Figueroa Street Suite 4100 , Los Angeles 90017
Mayer Brown
Alexander G Davis
as partner
in Los Angeles
Davis practices in real estate law representing private equity funds, life insurance companies and publicly traded real estate investment trusts. He oversees purchase and sale transactions, mortgage and mezzanine financing and development oriented ventures.
Elspeth V Hansen
as partner
in Palo Alto
A former law clerk for U.S. District Judge Roger T. Benitez in San Diego, Hansen was also the executive editor for Harvard’s National Security Journal while in law school.
Stephanie M Hurst
as partner
in Los Angeles
Hurst deals with corporate and security matters ranging from U.S. and international commercial contracts to cross-border mergers and acquisitions and general corporate governance. She spent two years at Mayer Brown’s Hong Kong office advising on capital markets and mergers and acquisitions.
Xiaowen Qian
as counsel
in Palo Alto
Qian, a real estate law practitioner, previously worked with an international firm in Shanghai and Washington D.C.
David J Goett
as counsel
in San Francisco
As a member of the tax transactions and consulting practice, Goett specializes in the tax aspects of capital market offerings both domestic and international.
Alan F Velasco
as counsel
in Palo Alto
A former process engineer who worked for two medical device companies over a period of seven years, Velasco now specializes in transactions related to digital services, outsourcing and cloud computing, among others.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Jenny G Liu
as partner
in Palo Alto
Liu represents clients in matters relating to public and private mergers and acquisitions, and also litigates private equity transactions and general corporate and security cases.
Nicholas M Reddick
as partner
in San Francisco
A former federal prosecutor, Reddick litigates matters including government investigations, congressional hearings, and multidimensional crises relating to sanctions and anti-corruption matters.
Knobbe Martens
Salima Merani
as co-chair
in Irvine
Merani specializes in building patent portfolios for life sciences companies as well as conducting patent due diligence for investors.
Sabing H Lee
as co-chair
in Irvine
Lee focuses on strategic patent procurement, portfolio management and other intellectual property related areas.
Sheila N Swaroop
as co-chair
in Irvine
As a patent attorney, Swaroop works in pre-litigation strategy and enforcement. She also advises on litigation of disputes through trial and appeal in district court as well as the International Trade Commission and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
Michael K Friedland
as co-chair
in Irvine
Friedland practices in patent, trademark, trade secret and copyright cases. He has represented brand names in industries including consumer products, tactical products, computer software and finance.
King & Spalding LLP
David L Wallach
as partner
in San Francisco
from Jones Day.
Wallach handles high value complex construction and commercial disputes. He has worked with the oil, gas, agriculture, retail and pharmaceutical industries, and has managed projects from several countries.
Address
50 California Street Suite 3300 , San Francisco 94111
Buchalter
Bryn C Spradling
as shareholder
in San Diego
from Duckor Spradling Metzger & Wynne.
Spradling practices general business, corporate and health care law. He has overseen business transactions including mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, frequently representing physicians and medical groups.
Sanjay Bhandari
as shareholder
in San Diego
from McNamara Smith LLP.
A former federal prosecutor and Securities & Exchange Commission attorney, Bhandari specializes in government investigations, white collar defense
and intellectual property law.
Gary J Spradling
as counsel
in San Diego
from Duckor Spradling Metzger & Wynne.
Spradling works with startup businesses in the health care field, advising on financial needs, compensation, and ownership succession. He also negotiates mergers and acquisitions and helps resolve governance and management disputes.
Address
655 W Broadway Ste 1600 , San Diego 92101-8494
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
Caitlin M Hartsell
as partner
in San Francisco
Hartsell litigates corporate transactional matters for private and public companies, handling mergers and acquisitions among others. Her practice also includes corporate governance, securities law and commercial contracts.
Shryne Group Inc.
Cary J.A.A. Berger
as chief legal officer
in Los Angeles
from Houseplant.
Berger is a former partner with Los Angeles firm Irell & Manella LLP, where he represented corporate and private equity clients. He has also worked as in-house counsel for a number of companies in California including Maker Studios and Broadcom.
Address
728 E Commercial St , Los Angeles 90012
JAMS
Renee E Wilson
as neutral
in Irvine
Wilson was an Orange County Superior Court commissioner for 22 years, overseeing thousands of family law trials. She has also handled cases related to domestic violence, parental rights and surrogacy.
Address
5 Park Plaza Suite 400 , Irvine 92614
Farella Braun + Martel LLP
Christopher I Rendall-Jackson
as special counsel
in San Francisco
from Downey Brand LLP.
Rendall-Jackson practices environmental and commercial litigation as well as land use and regulatory law.
Address
235 Montgomery St Fl 17 , San Francisco 94104-3104
Tucker Ellis LLP
Janie L Thompson
as intellectual property counsel
in Los Angeles
from Hanson Bridgett LLP.
Specializing in intellectual property and trademark law, Thompson has handled cases related to clearance, domestic and foreign prosecution, and portfolio management. She also counsels clients on regulatory compliance for online and print marketing.
Address
515 South Flower Street, Forty Second Floor , Los Angeles 90071
DLA Piper
Kenneth W Muller
as partner
in San Francisco
from Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
Muller represents private investment funds and growth companies in areas such as private equity real estate, venture capital, debt and secondary funds.
Address
555 Mission Street Suite 2400 , San Francisco 94105-2933
Polsinelli LLP
Pavel (Pasha) A. Sternberg
as shareholder
in Los Angeles
Before practicing law, Sternberg developed a full-scale privacy program at a large health care agency. He now litigates privacy and cybersecurity as well
as technology transactions.
Jacek M Wnuk
as shareholder
in San Francisco
Wnuk litigates cases related to electrical engineering, computer science, intellectual property, patent prosecution, unmanned aircraft systems and advanced
robotics. Before practicing law, Wnuk helped engineer autonomous vehicle technology for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Grand Challenge. He now assists in identifying patentable inventions and
building strong patent portfolios.
Alex Polishuk
as shareholder
in Los Angeles
Polishuk specializes in employment litigation as well as labor and employment law. He has represented employees and employers in wage and hour,
wrongful termination and class action matters.
Covington & Burling LLP
Taisuke (Tai) Kimoto
as partner
in Los Angeles
from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.
Taisuke (Tai) Kimoto co-leads the firm's Japan Practice, which advises a number of Japan's largest corporations as well as individuals, trade associations and governmental agencies on their most sensitive and complex legal challenges in the United States, Europe, China, and elsewhere. Drawing upon his long-standing relationships and robust business and legal networks in Japan, Tai serves as an ambassador of the firm to the Japanese business community and to global companies with interests in the Japanese market.
Tai is a corporate lawyer whose practice focuses on M&A transactions, general corporate matters, and real estate transactions for companies based in Japan. He also serves as an outside U.S. general counsel for a number of Japanese companies and in that capacity provides advice in many areas, including dispute resolution and employment. In 2021, Chambers Global has recognized him among the leading lawyers for Japan Corporate/M&A (expert based abroad in USA).
Tai completed his legal education at top Japanese and U.S. universities and has practiced at leading Japanese and U.S. law firms. Through this experience, he is fully bilingual/bicultural and is a trusted legal advisor, frequently advising on the difference between the U.S. and Japanese legal systems, and any cultural differences often embedded in cross border deals.
Address
1999 Avenue of the Stars , Los Angeles 90067-4643
Michelman & Robinson LLP
Mona Hanna
as national litigation chair
in Irvine
After 21 years and several precedent challenging cases at Michelman & Robinson LLP, Mona Hanna
has been named to head the firm's national litigation team.
Hanna was impressed by the newly formed Los Angeles firm when she faced one of its attorneys in
a high profile case. When she heard they were opening an office in Orange County she jumped at the chance to sign on as manager.
"I met the founding partners of the firm and I loved their entrepreneurial spirit and the fact that they felt
they could do anything that they put their mind to," Hanna said in a recent interview. "I felt like it was an
opportunity I had to take a chance with, and I'm obviously super glad I did."
As a specialist in class action and complex litigation, Hanna has made her name heading up precedent
challenging, multiparty, multijurisdictional cases. In one of her proudest moments, a case she successfully defended against appeal became a published, precedent-setting decision within the insurance industry. Adhav v. Midway Rent A Car Inc., 37 Cal. App. 5th 954 (Cal. App. 2019).
Sanford Michelman, co-founder and chairman of Michelman & Robinson LLP, said the firm is fortunate
to have "one of the premier litigators in the country" as its new national litigation chair.
"This year alone, Mona's been recognized as 'Orange County Lawyer of the Year (Litigation and Insurance)'
and included on a list of the 'Top 50 Women Lawyers in Southern California,'" Michelman said in a
statement. "This recognition was based upon her work defending newsworthy class action cases and 'bet the company' litigation matters, her uncanny ability to secure early-stage dismissals and defeat high-exposure class certified cases, and a remarkable string of courtroom victories. Truth be told, when it comes to big name litigators handling the most consequential of matters, there's no one finer than Mona Hanna."
Hanna's goal is to shepherd the litigation team through the uncertain times presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"For the first time we're all practicing law remotely, taking remote hearings, appearing remotely in federal court, state court, arbitrations, mediations, and now even trials are being conducted remotely," Hanna said. "It provides us with a real challenge: How do we continue to be the powerhouse litigators that we're known to be in a new medium?"
The newly minted chair says she plans to meet these challenges with training sessions on how to effectively use exhibits and presentations in a remote setting.
"That's definitely one of the goals I've set for myself, is to take advantage of the challenges that our industry has been faced with and use it to our advantage to better serve our clients," Hanna said.
Bradley, Gmelich & Wellerstein LLP (formerly Bradley & Gmelich LLP)
Jaimee K Wellerstein
as Equity Partner
in Glendale
"It's like being on Broadway and seeing your name in lights," said Jaimee K. Wellerstein, after she was added to the name of the firm where she has worked for nearly 14 years. Wellerstein said in an interview she is excited to help shape the firm's future in this new role. Wellerstein is the employment team leader, representing clients in PAGA lawsuits, wage and hour class actions and internal audits of employment practices. "Jaimee has provided incredible leadership and client service during her time with the firm, establishing and building our employment law team," managing partner Barry A. Bradley said in a statement. "We are thrilled to welcome her to the partnership and look forward to her continued contributions." Wellerstein has been with the firm for most of its lifetime. Founded in 2000 by Bradley and Thomas P. Gmelich, the firm handles civil litigation, business and employment law. It's based in Glendale. Wellerstein graduated from Loyola Law School in 2000 and from San Diego State University in 1996.
Fenwick & West LLP
Rufus J Pichler
as Partner
in San Francisco
from Morrison & Foerster LLP.
Pichler advises technology and life sciences companies on strategic and transactional matters. He brings over 20 years of experience counseling clients on collaborations, licensing, commercial transactions, complex patent licensing deals, as well as intellectual property aspects of domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions.
Address
555 California Street , San Francisco 94104
T:
(415) 875-2300
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Aaron K Briggs
as Partner
in San Francisco
Briggs represents public companies and their boards in securities regulation and corporate governance, with a focus in technology and life sciences.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Tiffany X Phan
as Partner
in Los Angeles
Phan advises employers in all aspects of labor and employment law and has significant experience in class action defense and complex employment litigation at the trial and appellate levels.
Megan M Cooney
as Partner
in Irvine
Cooney focuses on employment and class action litigation, including class and representative actions involving wage and hour violations, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and employment misclassification.
Colin B Davis
as Partner
in Irvine
Davis focuses on complex business and commercial litigation, with an emphasis on merger and acquisition and securities litigation.
Cassandra L Gaedt-Sheckter
as Partner
in Palo Alto
Gaedt-Sheckter focuses on data privacy, cybersecurity and data regulatory litigation, enforcement, transactional and counseling representations.
Michelle M Gourley
as Partner
in Irvine
Gourley practices general corporate and business law, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions and general corporate counseling.
Sean K Tierney
as Partner
in Los Angeles
Tierney represents real estate investors,developers, operators, lenders and borrowers in negotiating and structuring joint ventures, acquisitions, sales, developments and financings. He also represents hotel owners and operators in connection with the acquisition, financing, branding and management of hotels.
Stradling
Arthur F Silbergeld
as Shareholder
in Los Angeles
from Thompson Coburn LLP .
Silbergeld represents large and midsized corporations in employment litigation and labor relations. He is one of the few California attorneys to have defended several wage class actions through trial. As a former trial attorney with the National Labor Relations Board, Silbergeld also represents employers in matters such as organizing campaigns, bargaining negotiations, strikes, picketing, boycotts, arbitrations, unfair labor practice proceedings, and multi-employer trust fund matters.
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Read MoreAddress
10100 Santa Monica Blvd. , Los Angeles 90067 United States
T:
(424) 214-7000