Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, announced that Kristin Escalante has joined the Los Angeles office as a partner in the Litigation Division.  Previously a partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson, Escalante has more than a decade of experience as a commercial litigator.

Escalante’s broad-based practice includes extensive experience in an array of litigation matters, including consumer class actions, complex commercial matters, trade secret, copyright, and civil fraud.  She has represented major corporations in diverse industry sectors, including telecommunications, entertainment, energy, beverage, aerospace, and securities.

“We have a nationally recognized practice and Kristin’s addition helps to expand our capabilities in complex commercial litigation,” said Chad S. Hummel, chair of Manatt’s Litigation Division.  “She is a top-notch litigator, trusted by her clients and highly regarded by colleagues.  Kristin is a terrific addition to the firm.”

Beyond client work, Escalante has served as a volunteer prosecutor for the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office and a temporary judge for the Los Angeles Superior Court.  Prior to entering private practice, she served as law clerk to the Honorable Diarmuid O’Scannlain, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

“I am thrilled to join Manatt,” said Escalante.  “The firm’s record of successes and depth of industry knowledge is extraordinary.  I have been impressed by both the quality and scope of Manatt’s litigation practice in Los Angeles and across the country.  This is a talented group and I am excited to be a part of it.”

Escalante is the most recent in a series of high-profile partner additions to Manatt’s Litigation Division for 2011.  In August, insurance recovery litigators David B. Killalea and Stephen T. Raptis joined the firm in Washington, D.C.  In California, Phillip Kaplan, a securities and financial services litigator, joined the Orange County office in June, and Susan Page White, an insurance recovery partner, was added to the Los Angeles office in March.

“Strengthening our national litigation platform is one of the firm’s strategic growth priorities,” said Manatt Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner William T. Quicksilver.  “Kristin’s sophisticated experience will substantially strengthen our capabilities and we are pleased to welcome her to the firm.”

Escalante earned both a bachelor of architecture and a J.D. from the University from Southern California, where she served as editor-in-chief of the Southern California Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif.  She serves on the California Judicial Council’s Civil and Small Claims Advisory Committee and the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Litigation Section.

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