Kathy Bazoian Phelps as partner from Diamond McCarthy LLP.

Raines Feldman has expanded its insolvency, fiduciary representation and fraud litigation practice with the addition of partner Kathy Bazoian Phelps in Los Angeles.
Phelps joined the firm from Diamond McCarthy LLP, where she practiced for more than eight years.
"I was presented with an opportunity at Raines Feldman and was attracted to the high quality of the lawyers and the work that the firm does," explained Phelps. "The high caliber of the attorneys at the firm is really in line with my practice, and I also really admire the very team-oriented approach of the firm."
Phelps said she was also drawn to the firm's breadth, which spans various practice groups and its litigation strengths.
Phelps specializes in fraud matters, specifically Ponzi schemes. Her expertise lies in maximizing recovery for investors after a fraud has been committed, and she also serves as a fiduciary and advises fiduciaries in unraveling frauds, running claims and distribution processes and recovering money for defrauded victims. Phelps also handles complex litigation matters involving fraud.
"Early on in my career I really started out as a bankruptcy lawyer, and I started finding that these fraud cases kept landing on my desk in the bankruptcy context," Phelps said. "I ended up having a little bit of a sixth sense to sniff out fraud, and as I grew as a lawyer, the nature of the cases grew in size and scope as well. And I found myself extending beyond bankruptcy into the world of federal equity receiverships in representing SEC appointed receivers."
Phelps's practice did not, however, become specialized in Ponzi Schemes until she handled a $300 million SEC fraud case, which entailed filing a sizable lawsuit against an insurance company.
"I went out looking for a resource to help me, and there really wasn't one," she added. "So I decided to write it myself."
In 2012, she co-authored "The Ponzi Book: A Legal Resource for Unraveling Ponzi Schemes." Phelps favorite aspect of her practice is, "the satisfaction of putting the pieces of the puzzle together, which are very scattered at the beginning" of fraud cases. She also enjoys recovering assets for victims.
"It's very satisfying work when you have positive results like that," she said.

Kathy Bazoian Phelps as partner in Los Angeles from Diamond McCarthy LLP.

Raines Feldman has expanded its insolvency, fiduciary representation and fraud litigation practice with the addition of partner Kathy Bazoian Phelps in Los Angeles.
Phelps joined the firm from Diamond McCarthy LLP, where she practiced for more than eight years.
"I was presented with an opportunity at Raines Feldman and was attracted to the high quality of the lawyers and the work that the firm does," explained Phelps. "The high caliber of the attorneys at the firm is really in line with my practice, and I also really admire the very team-oriented approach of the firm."
Phelps said she was also drawn to the firm's breadth, which spans various practice groups and its litigation strengths.
Phelps specializes in fraud matters, specifically Ponzi schemes. Her expertise lies in maximizing recovery for investors after a fraud has been committed, and she also serves as a fiduciary and advises fiduciaries in unraveling frauds, running claims and distribution processes and recovering money for defrauded victims. Phelps also handles complex litigation matters involving fraud.
"Early on in my career I really started out as a bankruptcy lawyer, and I started finding that these fraud cases kept landing on my desk in the bankruptcy context," Phelps said. "I ended up having a little bit of a sixth sense to sniff out fraud, and as I grew as a lawyer, the nature of the cases grew in size and scope as well. And I found myself extending beyond bankruptcy into the world of federal equity receiverships in representing SEC appointed receivers."
Phelps's practice did not, however, become specialized in Ponzi Schemes until she handled a $300 million SEC fraud case, which entailed filing a sizable lawsuit against an insurance company.
"I went out looking for a resource to help me, and there really wasn't one," she added. "So I decided to write it myself."
In 2012, she co-authored "The Ponzi Book: A Legal Resource for Unraveling Ponzi Schemes."
Phelps favorite aspect of her practice is, "the satisfaction of putting the pieces of the puzzle together, which are very scattered at the beginning" of fraud cases. She also enjoys recovering assets for victims.
"It's very satisfying work when you have positive results like that," she said.

Garrett Rice as Attorney and partner

The mediation firm's new office will be led by new partner Garrett Rice, a former deputy district attorney in Kern County, where he focused on criminal cases involving child fatalities and family law.
He is based in Bakersfield.

Srinivas Hanumadass as Partner in San Diego

Hanumadass specializes in serious personal injury litigation.
He is based in San Diego.

Michael Allers as Partner in San Francisco from Kirkland & Ellis.

Allers represents growth equity and private equity funds in strategic transactions such as equity financings, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures.
He is based in San Francisco.

Deborah M. Festa as partner in Los Angeles from Milbank LLP.

Festa, a transactional attorney who represents investment managers, has joined Akin Gump as a partner in Los Angeles.
She previously led the West Coast securitization and investment management practices for Milbank, where she worked for nine years.
She was drawn to the opportunity at Akin by the firm's extensive global debt finance, fund formation, policy and trade and regulatory experience, she said.
"I'm just thrilled about the platform and what it offers manager clients," she said. "It's a great fit for me. It just was an opportunity that I could not pass up."
She was also impressed by the firm's leadership and its fostering of an entrepreneurial and innovative culture, she said.
"I am looking forward to continuing to work with a lot of the same clients that I've worked with in the past, in addition to working with many other investment manager clients, and building out this practice with the firm," Festa said. "I see really significant opportunities here for growth, and I'm really looking forward to linking arms with my partners to explore and really seize those opportunities."
Festa specializes her international practice in complex finance transactions such as securitizations, financing arrangements and refinancing transactions.
What she enjoys most is the professional challenge of the work and being able to work with her clients on their growing and dynamic businesses.
Outside of her practice, she is a board member of the Phoenix House California, a rehabilitation center that provides addiction, prevention and mental health services in Southern California.

Ashley R. Fickel as leader of the financial services litigation practice group in Los Angeles

Fickel advises financial institutions, manufacturers, businesses and individuals in complex disputes including class actions, product liability disputes and toxic torts.
He is based in Los Angeles.

Austin Pollet as partner in San Francisco from Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

Pollet joined Paul Weiss' corporate department in the growing San Francisco office on Thursday after seven years at Kirkland.
"What initially drew me to the opportunity was the firm's strong reputation, the high caliber of attorneys and the challenging work that clients rely on the firm for," said Pollet.
He was also drawn to the firm's people, explaining, "The collaboration, partnership and genuine friendship that exists is impressive and something I'm excited to be part of."
Pollet specializes in private equity transactions with a primary focus on mergers and acquisitions involving health care and financial technology companies.
One of his most recent deals was Francisco Partners' sale of Capsule Technologies Inc. to Philips.
"One of the first deals I worked on with Francisco Partners was their acquisition of Capsule Technologies from Qualcomm, which was a complex international carve-out, and I helped with several add-on acquisitions and divestitures shortly after," Pollet said. "Nearly two years to the day after the original acquisition, the investment life cycle came full circle and we closed the transaction with Philips in what was a well negotiated and collaborative transaction that resulted in a great outcome for our client."
He looks forward to helping Paul Weiss' business and reputation grow on the West Coast, and working with the expanding team of partners in San Francisco. He is the sixth partner to join the firm in San Francisco since the office's launch in January.
In addition to his deal work, Pollet has an active pro bono practice.
"Most of my pro bono work has been on corporate-related matters, where I can leverage my transactional skills to provide some assistance to those in need," he said. "I have formed entities for new business owners, consulted with small businesses on their existing legal structures and contracting practices and filed 501(c)(3) applications to help start nonprofit organizations."
"Outside of the corporate space, I have had the pleasure of helping immigrant victims of certain crimes file U visa applications, which has been an incredibly rewarding process," he said.

Erik L. Wilson as Associate in Miller Barondess, LLP; Los Angeles from Milbank LLP.

Wilson is a complex commercial litigator with extensive experience litigating in the financial sector, and has represented a multitude of banks, insurers, and large companies in a broad array of civil litigations.

Lauren M. Brody as Associate in Miller Barondess, LLP; Los Angeles from Shapiro Arato Bach LLP.

Brody is a litigator with experience representing clients in complex civil litigation matters, including intellectual property, entertainment, false advertising, and appeals.