EJ Kim was promoted to partner of Atheria Law in San Francisco.

Kim advises on and monitors cyber and data breaches and resulting consumer lawsuits and regulatory investigations. She represents insurers and counsels clients on initial intake, incident investigation, and incident response on data security and privacy breaches, as well as related consumer lawsuits and regulatory investigations. Kim also advises insurers and monitors litigation involving technology and media. Her significant litigation experience includes complex insurance coverage disputes, class actions, and commercial business disputes for nearly 10 years.

P. Dustin Bodaghi was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson P.C. in Irvine.

Bodaghi represents employers in all areas of labor and employment law. His practice focuses on the defense of class and PAGA lawsuits under wage and hour laws. He has also defended clients against claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, failure to accommodate, wrongful termination, and unfair competition. Bodaghi has significant trial experience, having participated in multiple trials and arbitrations.

Shahram Samie was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson P.C. in Century City.

Samie represents and counsels employers in a wide variety of employment law matters arising under both federal and state laws. In addition to litigation, he counsels clients on numerous issues, including engaging in the interactive process with employees who have work restrictions.

Krystal N. Weaver was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson P.C. in San Diego.

Weaver focuses her practice on Federal and State Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) law and regularly assists employers with a wide range of complex situations in the workplace. With focusing on workplace safety and health, Weaver supports employers with pre-injury/illness preventative practices, including site inspections and policy development, which includes managing catastrophic workplace accidents or fatalities. She also helps employers who have experienced workplace injuries and accidents or are subject to a federal or state OSHA inspection. Weaver frequently represents employers in OSHA appeals, settlement conferences and hearings, and is well-versed in responding to written complaints and requests for information, including by the Bureau of Investigations (BOI).

Jannine E. Kranz was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson P.C. in Century City.

Kranz represents employers in a broad range of employment litigation matters, including defending against discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, whistleblower retaliation and wage and hour claims. She has also defended Private Attorneys General Act claims and wage and hour class action cases. In addition, Kranz provides advice and counsel to clients on various personnel issues, including payroll, termination, medical leave and employee handbooks.

Denise Tran-Nguyen was promoted to shareholder of Littler Mendelson P.C. in San Diego.

Tran-Nguyen represents and counsels clients on all aspects of workplace privacy and information security, including the California Privacy Rights Act. She is also an experienced litigator who represents employers in all types of employment-related litigation before federal and state courts and administrative agencies. Her experience includes defense of employment discrimination, retaliation and harassment claims, as well as wage and hour class actions, and private attorney general representative actions.

Mariah S. Cooks joined Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney P.C. as associate in San Francisco.

Cooks counsels clients in a variety of matters relating to business law, professional liability and all forms of civil litigation. She served as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County assigned to the Juvenile Unit. She has a keen interest in advocating for social justice issues, and in her spare time, volunteers as both a mentor and basketball coach.

Megan Demshki was promoted to partner of Aitken * Aitken * Cohn in Riverside.

Demshki has a reputation for being detail-oriented and able to communicate complex legal concepts to clients and colleagues effectively. In addition to her technical skills, she also possesses strong leadership qualities and the ability to motivate and mentor other members of the firm's litigation team.

Patrick J. Ferguson joined Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Ferguson helps clients develop, sell, and operate renewable energy, storage, and transmission projects throughout the United States. Recognized as a market-leading authority in energy regulatory law, Ferguson guides clients through the transition of the electric power grid to renewable resources. He advises solar, wind, geothermal, and energy storage project sponsors on site acquisition, transmission, and power purchase agreement negotiations. He also assists producers of new technologies that combat climate change, including renewable fuels, carbon capture, and carbon offset credits, in drafting and negotiating key commercial transactions.

Shauna W. Avrith was promoted to partner of YOKA SMITH, LLP in Los Angeles.

Avrith's practice includes catastrophic injury/wrongful death defense, class-action and complex tort actions, commercial and contracts litigation, premises liability and product liability defense.

Gerald Agnew joined Judicate West as neutral in Los Angeles.

With nearly five decades of litigation experience, Agnew has successfully tried more than 100 civil trials to verdict or judgment, including catastrophic injury and wrongful death actions involving defective products; construction, premises and vehicular accidents; medical malpractice; elder abuse and other acts of negligence. In 1984, Agnew co-founded Agnew Brusavich where he focused on representing seriously injured plaintiffs in various personal injury matters.

Mary Childs was promoted to partner of YOKA SMITH LLP in Los Angeles.

Childs' area of practice focuses on civil litigation, including premises liability, product liability and catastrophic injury/wrongful death defense. Her practice also includes the representation and defense of fraternities as well as construction defect litigation.

Scott D. Tenley was promoted to partner of ZFZ LLP in Los Angeles.

An experienced trial lawyer and former federal prosecutor, Tenley regularly represents individuals and businesses faced with high-stakes criminal, civil, and regulatory challenges. His practice focuses on criminal and regulatory enforcement defense, complex civil litigation in state and federal courts, and compliance counseling.

Erica A. Swensson was promoted to of counsel of Blank Rome LLP in Los Angeles.

Swensson has focused her career on helping individuals face their matrimonial matters with dignity. She concentrates her practice on complex matrimonial issues, including pre- and post-nuptial agreements, inter-state jurisdictional disputes, move-away cases, division of intricate financial estates, privacy and protective orders, contentious custody cases, spousal support, and attorneys' fees.

Ellis E. Herington joined BraunHagey & Borden LLP as associate in San Francisco.

Herington has substantial experience with securities litigation, shareholder derivative suits, and other complex commercial disputes. She has served as a strategic corporate advisor to companies and worked on internal investigations. She has a dedicated pro bono practice where she has represented clients in civil rights litigation and housing and domestic violence disputes.

Caitlin I. Sanders was promoted to partner of Blank Rome LLP in Los Angeles.

Sanders concentrates her practice on all aspects of employment law, compliance, and litigation, with an emphasis on wage and hour compliance and litigation. She represents public and private employers in state and federal court litigation, in arbitration, and before administrative agencies, and provides strategic advice and defense counsel to human resources professionals and other stakeholders on employee-related issues.

Christine C DeMetruis was promoted to partner of YOKA SMITH, LLP in Los Angeles.

DeMetruis' practice includes general civil litigation in state and federal court, including insurance defense, insurance coverage, bad faith, and appeals. She helped develop a federal civil rights class action against the California Department of Education and a local school district for violation of state and federal special education laws.

Harrison Brown was promoted to partner of Blank Rome LLP in Los Angeles.

Brown's practice encompasses a wide range of complex litigation and class action defense, with an emphasis on fraud, consumer protection, and privacy disputes. His strong business acumen, courtroom skills, and appellate experience make Harrison a trusted advocate for his clients.

An Nguyen Ruda was promoted to co-managing principal of Bartko Zankel Bunzel & Miller APC in San Francisco.

Ruda is co-chair of the Labor and Employment practice group. She takes a problem-solving approach to personnel issues brought by her clients whether it be advice, counseling, collective bargaining, or litigation. She has and seeks long-term legal and business relationships with her clients. She would much rather provide compliance review and strategic advice on the front end, rather than have clients pay for litigation on the back end.

Marina R. Pacheco was promoted to partner of Kabateck LLP in Los Angeles.

Pacheco has risen quickly during her three-year tenure at KBK to secure impactful settlements in cases involving sexual abuse, insurance bad faith, complex litigation, and class-action matters. Over the past year, Pacheco recovered $5.7 million in an insurance bad faith case against two insurance companies that refused to cover extensive property damage following a hurricane. Marina is also a member of the KBK litigation team, helping restaurant owners across the state recoup wrongfully collected operational fees incurred during the government-mandated closures and reduction in services due to the pandemic.

Stephanie Charlin was promoted to partner of Kabateck LLP in Los Angeles.

Charlin has earned a stellar reputation during the past seven years at Kabateck LLP for obtaining verdicts and settlements for clients in matters involving insurance bad faith, property damage, personal injury, and mass torts. Over the last few years, Charlin led the KBK litigation team that recovered over $169 million dollars on behalf of homeowners and small business owners who suffered property damage from California's most devastating wildfires.

Andrew M. Silver was promoted to principal of Much Shelist in Newport Beach, CA.

Silver is a corporate attorney who represents privately held businesses and private equity firms. He often serves as outside general counsel, advising owners, investors, and C-suite executives. In his transactional work, Andrew manages mergers, acquisitions, and restructurings.

Jesse Brody was promoted to equity partner of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles.

Brody's practice includes ensuring legal compliance for companies in the technology, entertainment, advertising, retail, financial services, automotive and consumer products industries. He is primarily focused on advertising and marketing, privacy, e-commerce, and intellectual property matters.

Thomas Michael was promoted to equity partner of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles.

Michael represents founding entrepreneurs and venture-backed companies at every phase of their life cycle. Having represented companies in over $1 billion of venture capital financing transactions, his practice focuses on venture capital and private equity growth stage financings as well as mergers and acquisitions and commercial transactions.

Brandon Reilly was promoted to equity partner of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Costa Mesa.

Reilly is a trusted go-to adviser on privacy and data security issues for a sophisticated client base, including consulting, counseling, regulatory enforcement and litigation. He is skilled at developing business-focused privacy and security frameworks aimed at mitigating future enforcement and litigation risk. Reilly's practice includes a wide array of consumer protection and privacy matters, including data privacy, security compliance and procedures, and data breach responses.

Matthew Williamson was promoted to equity partner of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Costa Mesa.

Williamson is an environmental lawyer who regularly advises clients on matters relating to complex permitting and enforcement matters and all other aspects of compliance with federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. He represents clients in litigation, administrative proceedings and enforcement actions, including on matters involving hazardous waste, water, clean air, FIFRA/pesticides, Prop 65 and natural resources, among others.

Sophia Yen was promoted to equity partner of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles.

Yen represents clients in a variety of commercial sectors, counseling both lenders and borrowers in debt financing transactions. She also advises entertainment industry clients on debt and equity finance deals as well as other transactional matters.

Brandon Young was promoted to equity partner of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles.

Young's practice focuses on representing clients in all phases of public and private procurement, including local, state and federal government contracts. He also has experience with commercial contracts involving bridges, tunnels, rail transit, nuclear remediation, information technology and various government service providers.

Megan Ingraham was promoted to managing director of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in San Francisco.

Ingraham advises health care leaders on priority issues related to their strategic direction, organizational transformation and the ever-evolving policy landscape. She works with large health systems, health plans, state and local governments, and foundations.

Sarah Moses was promoted to partner of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles.

Moses focuses her practice on a variety of complex litigation and commercial disputes. A significant portion of her practice is dedicated to white collar criminal defense work, representing high-net-worth individuals, politicians and companies in government investigations and prosecutions, and guiding companies through internal investigations.

Tara Shabahang was promoted to partner of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in San Francisco.

Shabahang's practice focuses on real estate transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, development, joint ventures, leasing, financing and construction.

Kier Wallis was promoted to managing director of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in San Francisco.

Wallis helps private and public clients navigate the rapidly evolving health care landscape. Using her knowledge of delivery system and payment reform, coverage and access, and health information technology and exchange, she assists clients in program development and implementation.

Jessica Wood was promoted to partner of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles.

Wood focuses her practice on intellectual property transactions, including domestic and foreign trademark prosecution, maintenance and enforcement, copyright registration and content protection, licensing and transfers of rights, domain name proceedings, ex parte and inter partes proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and litigation in U.S. Federal District Courts.

John Meller was promoted to counsel of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles.

Meller's practice focuses on music transactions, including negotiating and drafting agreements in the music industry.

Agatha H. Liu joined Duane Morris LLP as partner in Silicon Valley.

Dr. Liu concentrates her practice on IP analysis, portfolio management and strategic counseling. She routinely advises investors, business owners and inventors on all areas of IP related to computer technology. Liu also speaks and writes extensively on different IP topics, such as eligibility for IP protection, IP protection for emerging technology and global IP protection. Prior to entering the legal profession, Liu held positions in technology and management consulting. She has a significant research background in artificial intelligence as applied to internet communications, database system management, computational biology and speech recognition.

Sharon Smith joined Goodwin Procter LLP as partner in San Francisco.

Smith focuses on complex trials, and business and intellectual property litigation, including trademark infringement, copyright infringement, patent infringement, false advertising, unfair business practices, business torts, trade secrets, fraud, defamation, and breach of contract matters. In the biotechnology, medical device and technology industries, she represents clients in high-stakes contested matters including 22 trials and arbitrations. She also represents clients across these industries in prosecuting, enforcing, and minimizing risk related to intellectual property and trade secret matters.

David Levine joined Harvest LLP as partner in Los Angeles.

Levine is a veteran attorney with decades of industry experience and a particular expertise in the acquisition, management, financing and leasing of hotels and other hospitality products. He also has significant experience with all asset classes, including multifamily, single-family rental, hotel, industrial and office, and advises clients in a variety of matters involving real estate development, acquisition, construction, financing, land banking and joint venture transactions. Levine's clients include national and regional developers, REITs, institutional investors, public and private companies, and high-net-worth individuals.

Julie Scher joined Harvest LLP as associate in San Diego.

Concentrating on complex commercial litigation matters and internal investigations, Scher has represented a variety of clients across a wide array of businesses, including the commercial real estate, life sciences and healthcare industries. At Harvest, she focuses her practice on representing commercial real estate landlords in a wide variety of real estate-related disputes, and representing real estate owners, lenders and court-appointed receivers in workouts, bankruptcies and other high-stakes disputes.

Bailey Heaps was promoted to partner of Keker, Van Nest & Peters in San Francisco.

Heaps represents clients in a range of high-stakes civil litigation. He has handled cases in federal and state courts throughout the country for several leading tech and biotech companies, including the former shareholders of FerroKin BioSciences, Scripps Research Institute, Calithera Biosciences, Nextiva, and Zscaler.

Katie Lynn Joyce was promoted to partner of Keker, Van Nest & Peters in San Francisco.

Joyce has handled high-stakes commercial and intellectual-property matters in a wide range of industries and litigations, including for Netflix, Crexi, Google, Zscaler, Instacart, and Kitty Hawk. Katie Lynn has played a central role on several trial teams, including an arbitration that secured a multi-million-dollar award and recovered attorneys' fees for former shareholders of a tech company.

Chris Sun was promoted to partner of Keker, Van Nest & Peters in San Francisco.

Sun maintains a broad practice representing major corporations in matters ranging from complex commercial litigation, class action defense, and intellectual property disputes. Chris helped win a complete defense verdict in a rare class action trial threatening more than $150 million in damages against his client Public Storage.

Kristin Hucek was promoted to of counsel of Keker, Van Nest & Peters in San Francisco.

Hucek represents clients in high-stakes commercial disputes and a broad spectrum of intellectual property litigation. She has played a key role on several trial teams, including the team that defended Qualcomm against an antitrust lawsuit brought by the FTC that challenged the company's licensing practices, and on appeal, secured the reversal of the lower court's order granting a preliminary injunction in the case.

Ian Kanig was promoted to of counsel of Keker, Van Nest & Peters in San Francisco.

Kanig focuses his practice on complex civil cases, sophisticated commercial disputes, and civil rights actions. He has particular experience litigating in San Francisco federal court, where he recently secured a dismissal with prejudice for Google of a nationwide consumer class action alleging the secret collection of third-party app data from Android phones.