Cooley LLP announced today that Robert W. (“Rob”) Phillips has joined the firm as a partner in its business department. Phillips will reside in the firm’s San Francisco office.

Phillips’ practice focuses on the representation of technology and other companies in capital markets offerings, including public offerings and convertible debt and high yield debt offerings. Phillips, who was previously a partner at Latham & Watkins, also has deep experience advising clients on general corporate issues, including securities laws compliance and corporate governance and in handling mergers and acquisitions and private financings. (more…)

www.cooley.com

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, continues to deepen its ranks and strengthen its presence in California with the addition of Guillermo Escobedo and Jennifer Santa Maria, two new shareholders in the firm’s San Diego office. Escobedo and Santa Maria join Ogletree Deakins from Jackson Lewis, where they helped establish and grow that firm’s San Diego office. Escobedo transitioned his practice to Ogletree Deakins this week. Santa Maria will officially start work for the firm in October. Since opening its doors in January 2013, Ogletree Deakins’ San Diego office has grown quickly to 12 attorneys who serve clients throughout Southern California and the United States. In July, Ogletree Deakins welcomed Christopher Olmsted who joined the San Diego office as a shareholder, boosting the firm’s employment law, litigation, and wage and hour practice groups and increasing the firm’s depth in California. (more…)

www.ogletreedeakins.com

Nossaman LLP announces the addition of Artin Shaverdian as a partner in the Firm’s Eminent Domain and Valuation and Litigation Practice Groups. Mr. Shaverdian will be based in the Firm’s Los Angeles office.

With 12 years of experience as a litigator concentrating in the eminent domain/inverse condemnation, real estate, municipal, redevelopment and business law practice areas, Mr. Shaverdian will enhance Nossaman’s market-leading eminent domain and litigation practices in California. During his career, Mr. Shaverdian has represented a wide array of clients, including public agencies and private companies in eminent domain and inverse condemnation litigation and other valuation litigation; the acquisition, disposition, and development of real property; prosecuting and defending California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) challenges; construction defect; redevelopment matters; and commercial litigation. He joins from Best Best & Krieger’s Los Angeles office. (more…)

www.nossaman.com

Troutman Sanders LLP announced today that Edward Kim and Peter Villar have joined the firm as partners in Orange County. They are joined by associate Tania Rice. All three will work in the firm’s Business Litigation practice. They practiced together previously at Bingham McCutchen. (more…)

www.troutmansanders.com

Stoel Rives LLP, a full-service U.S. business law firm, is pleased to announce that Christopher L. Russell has joined its Sacramento office. As a partner in the firm’s Corporate Practice Group, Chris advises both public and private companies at all stages of growth on a variety of corporate and transactional matters.

“We are pleased to welcome Chris to the firm,” said California Offices Managing Partner Melissa Jones. “His extensive experience counseling clients with local and national operations on transactional and finance matters will be a tremendous complement to the existing strengths of our California offices.” (more…)

www.stoel.com

The national law firm of Epstein Becker Green is pleased to announce that Paul A. Gomez has joined as a Member of the Firm in the Health Care and Life Sciences and Corporate Service practices, in the Los Angeles office.

“Paul’s arrival brings added strength to Epstein Becker Green’s health care practice, particularly its transactional work, on the West Coast,” said George Breen, Chair of the firm’s National Health Care and Life Sciences Practice Steering Committee. “His experience representing a wide array of providers complements the services that the firm provides in that area, from structuring mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic affiliations, to counseling on compliance with fraud and abuse laws, and advising on provider licensing and reimbursement matters. Paul is not only a well-respected health care and corporate attorney, but also an active member of the health care community in Los Angeles.” (more…)

www.ebglaw.com

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Stuart Graiwer has joined the firm’s Century City office as a partner. Graiwer, formerly a partner with Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, will continue his commercial real estate practice. (more…)

www.gibsondunn.com

In a noteworthy boost to the California contingent of its nationally recognized Government Contracts practice, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP has added three highly accomplished lawyers with extensive experience developing and executing ethics, compliance and corporate governance programs, both in-house and on behalf of the federal government. All three will be based in the firm’s Los Angeles office.

Joining McKenna as partners are Gary Chadick and Ariana Sarabia, and relocating to Los Angeles is Counsel Todd J. Canni. (more…)

www.mckennalong.com

With a strong focus on helping our clients navigate new and complex employment laws and regulations, Nixon Peabody has added new partner Oswald Cousins, who will join our San Francisco Labor & Employment practice.

Oswald is an experienced trial lawyer who focuses his practice in the areas of wrongful termination, discrimination and harassment, wage and hour, disability accommodation, trade secrets, and contract disputes. During his 20 years of practice, he has served as lead and co-lead counsel on numerous bench trials, jury trials and arbitration in federal and state forums. Oswald provides counseling and advice to employers involving hiring and terminating employees, workplace investigations, disability accommodations, employee leaves, reductions in force, wage and hour issues, and various governmental compliance issues. (more…)

www.nixonpeabody.com

Gordon & Rees welcomed two new partners to the firm’s expanding San Francisco office, bringing to three the number of lateral partners who have joined the firm’s San Francisco office over the past month. Fletcher Alford returns to Gordon & Rees from Dentons and Brian Mulry joins the firm from Gagen, McCoy, McMahon, Koss, Markowitz & Raines. Robert P. Andris recently joined Gordon & Rees from Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley.

“As the firm prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary in October, we are thrilled to welcome home our friend and colleague Fletcher, who along with Brian and Rob add dynamic new capabilities to our growing San Francisco office,” says firmwide managing partner Dion N. Cominos. “These outstanding lawyers are the perfect additions for Gordon & Rees’s expanding commercial litigation, class action, land use, and intellectual property practices.” (more…)

www.gordonrees.com

Pepper Hamilton LLP announced today that Pamela S. Palmer has joined the firm’s Los Angeles office as a Partner in the Commercial Litigation Practice Group. Ms. Palmer joins the firm from Latham & Watkins where she has focused her practice on representing clients in complex business litigation, securities and investor disputes, derivative suits, mergers and acquisitions litigation, class actions, SEC matters and internal corporate investigations.

Ms. Palmer’s move to Pepper brings the number of partners in the firm’s Los Angeles office to eight. Opened in 2012, the fast-growing office houses 18 attorneys and assists clients with a broad range of corporate, litigation and regulatory legal services. Ms. Palmer will also maintain an office with Pepper Hamilton in Orange County. She furthers Pepper’s strategic initiative to grow its West Coast presence with recently established offices in Los Angeles and the Silicon Valley, in addition to Orange County. (more…)

www.pepperlaw.com

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP has added partner Joshua A. Dean in Orange County and special counsel Thomas G. Reddy in San Francisco. Dean and Reddy join Sheppard Mullin’s Corporate practice group from Bingham McCutchen.

“We are thrilled to welcome Josh and Tom, who bring a bank-focused transactional expertise to our Corporate practice group. Their knowledge and capabilities dovetail well with our financial institutions practice, while also strategically expanding our capabilities geared toward community and regional banks. Josh brings a significant level of banking industry M&A, securities and other experience, while Tom specializes in a mix of bank regulatory, finance and transactional work,” said Guy N. Halgren, chairman of Sheppard Mullin. (more…)

www.sheppardmullin.com