Jon Dean joined Sidley Austin LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

A former prosecutor and experienced trial lawyer, Dean focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation matters, including patent and trade secrets cases, antitrust actions, securities matters, unfair competition cases, trademark disputes, employment actions, OSHA cases, and healthcare matters. Dean also represents companies and individuals in connection with civil and criminal government investigations, including investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and local law enforcement agencies.

Jeffrey A. Rudman joined Judicate West as neutral in Los Angeles.

Rudman has 26 years of experience in personal injury and employment matters. He founded his own boutique trial law firm, The Rudman Law Firm APC, in 2010, specializing in catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims. He has successfully handled more than 1,000 cases involving vehicle accidents, premises liability, product liability, and dangerous conditions of public property. In 2023, he pivoted to Rudman Mediation, where he focused solely on dispute resolution.

Steven J Pearse joined Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney P.C. as senior counsel in Los Angeles.

Pearse's practice focuses on Professional Liability (with an emphasis in accountancy and legal malpractice), Employment (litigation, including single-plaintiff, wage & hour, and PAGA claims, administrative investigations, including with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC"), the California Civil Rights Department ("CRD") and the California Department of Industrial Relations ("DIR"), and counseling), Business and Commercial, and General Liability matters. He is a seasoned litigator with an eye for strategic risk assessment and strives to prevent, minimize, or eliminate his clients' potential liability exposure from the onset. He is well-versed in all aspects of civil litigation and handles matters from inception through trial.

J. Andrew Wright joined Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney P.C. as senior counsel in Los Angeles.

Wright's practice focuses on representing CPAs, fiduciaries, attorneys, directors and officers, and other professionals in litigation and regulatory matters. He also represents creditors in post-judgment enforcement and prosecutes commercial litigation matters. He has achieved first-chair success in civil trial, arbitration, and the Court of Appeal.

Francisco Cabada joined Kaufman Dolowich as partner in Los Angeles.

Cabada focuses his practice on labor and employment law and commercial litigation. He has over twenty years of experience defending employers in employment litigation, including claims of alleged harassment, retaliation, discrimination, and wrongful termination. Cabada handles wage and hour matters, including class and representative actions. He conducts investigations and interviews to analyze complex wage and hour data to assess his client's risk and exposure.

Bram Alden joined Hueston Hennigan LLP as counsel in Los Angeles.

Alden spent the last eight and a half years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Criminal Division at the U.S. Attorney's Office. In his most recent role as chief of Criminal Appeals, he handled and oversaw the most complex appeals, supervised nine other appellate prosecutors, advised hundreds of trial attorneys, and taught legal writing. During his tenure in the U.S. Attorney's Office, he also tried five felony jury trials and one misdemeanor bench trial, never losing a single count, including for attempted murder, threats to kill major presidential candidates, bank robbery, false impersonation of a federal agent, conspiracy, and fraud. Alden also argued over 30 cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and drafted multiple successful en banc petitions. He received the Department of Justice Director's Award for devising responses to novel legal issues arising from the pandemic and guiding federal prosecutors nationwide.

Alice Yuan joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Yuan advises private equity firms, portfolio companies, and other public and private companies across various industries on complex transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, mergers, leveraged buyouts, carve-outs, growth equity investments, special situations transactions, and joint ventures. She also advises clients on general corporate and governance matters.

Ellie K. Vilendrer joined Signature Resolution as neutral in Los Angeles. The move was Jan. 1, 2024.

Throughout her impressive career, Vilendrer has successfully represented a diverse array of clients, from individuals to large corporations, in fields such as commercial, employment, and intellectual property law. In 2013, she founded Vilendrer Law PC, specializing in supporting technology firms, from emerging startups to established enterprises. Her broad experience includes serving as outside general counsel and advising on intellectual property and privacy matters, underscoring her adaptability and depth of understanding in the tech industry.

Camille A. Brooks was promoted to partner of Katten in Los Angeles - Century City.

Brooks represents financial services firms, landlords and other companies in class actions and complex litigation in state and federal court throughout the country. She has significant experience in commercial, class-action and other complex litigation, defending clients at all stages. She has defended against a variety of claims, including claims for breach of contract, violations of consumer protection statutes, and violations of federal banking statutes and regulations. She also has handled the defense of financial services firms and other companies in individual arbitrations.

Paul S. Yong was promoted to partner of Katten in Los Angeles - Century City.

Yong helps clients successfully navigate some of their most difficult and complex litigation matters. As an experienced and skilled securities litigator, he regularly defends public companies and their directors and officers in securities class actions, shareholder derivative actions, and government and internal investigations. He is a creative advocate who innovatively approaches complex legal and factual issues. He represents clients from a wide range of industries, with a particular focus on technology and life sciences. He has experience handling all phases of a lawsuit, from complaint to trial.

Kate Kraus joined Covington & Burling LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Kraus is nationally recognized and has more than 20 years of experience in tax planning and structuring. She advises on a wide range of partnership, corporate, and real estate matters, including joint ventures, fund formations, financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, liquidations, debt workouts, and bankruptcies.

Dale Bellitto joined Ogletree Deakins as associate in San Francisco.

Bellitto's practice focuses on defending employers against wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and wage and hour causes of action in both state and federal court. She also counsels employers on various employment practices and personnel matters - including, but not limited to, severance agreements, Family and Medical Leave Act leave, California Family Rights Act leave, and reasonable accommodations. She earned her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and her B.A. from Dartmouth College.

Jennifer Brough joined Sheppard Mullin as partner in San Francisco.

Brough represents pipeline, electric, and renewable energy companies in corporate matters and before federal agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Department of Energy. She has experience advising many companies on regulatory compliance issues on both the state and federal levels. Her practice focuses on guiding companies through the energy transition, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction programs, environmental justice, and community engagement.

Marina C. Gruber joined Procopio as partner in Palo Alto.

Gruber represents California employers in a wide range of actions before state and federal courts and administrative agencies while also counseling employers in prevailing wage and labor-related matters. She defends against single plaintiff discrimination and harassment actions, as well as California wage and hour law class actions alleging off-the-clock work, donning and doffing claims, and meal and rest break compliance. She has also litigated California prevailing wage matters at the administrative and trial court levels, defending employers facing allegations of failure to pay the appropriate prevailing wage rate(s), employ apprentices, maintain certified payroll, failure of subcontractors to meet prevailing wage obligations, and disputes over whether the projects in question were public works at all. She also advises contractors on wage audits, contract negotiations, and compliance. In addition to litigation, Gruber counsels employers in labor matters including those involving the National Labor Relations Board, handles labor arbitrations, advises on organizing campaigns, and defends against charges of unfair labor practices.

Annalisa Zulueta joined Kaufman Dolowich as partner in San Francisco.

Zulueta is a civil litigation and trial attorney who focuses her practice in general liability defense and professional liability. She provides counsel and represents clients in state court, federal court, before governing agencies, and through mediation.