Women Guide.qxp Layout 1 8/28/20 12:58 PM Page 41...As we move through this pandemic, all professional service providers look for new and meaningful ways to not only enhance client

CUSTOM CONTENT • August 31, 2020

Women Guide.qxp_Layout 1 8/28/20 12:58 PM Page 41

B-42 ORANGE COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL WOMEN IN LAW AUGUST 31, 2020

With the intensified push towards diversity, inclusion and equality, an increasingopportunity looms large for the women who want to rise up in their profession.Women have always been known to lift each other up and generally be moreinclusive in interactions within their firms and with clients. For those who want todevelop more business and increase their positions within their firms, as well as inthe community, now is the time to step up business development efforts. Womenrainmakers typically enjoy higher earnings, have more job control and influence attheir firms.

As we move through this pandemic, all professional serviceproviders look for new and meaningful ways to not onlyenhance client relationships, but also to build new ones.These days it’s all about helping clients, referral sources andpotential clients to solve their problems. This is not the time topush for new business. It is the right time to step up and findcreative ways to help others unscramble their businessissues. Not all of their problems may be legal – that is thepoint. This is the time to put skin in the game and your clientswill not forget.

Consider being the resource to whom others turn to forguidance and connections. Help amplify the voices of those who are struggling tobe heard. Women tend to be more inclusive and open to hearing other’s viewpoints.This is what inclusivity and diversity truly means. It is not just having faces of manycolors within a firm or at the table. Be that person who encourages everyone’s voiceto be heard.

Consider involving clients and targets on social media. Share their content, make agenuine and meaningful comment about their posts – don’t just “like” it. Makefrequent short posts adding content and value that clients are seeking. Post freshideas; make new connections about information by synthesizing existing content.Consider interviewing others for quotes you can put in your posts or articles. SinceLinkedIn is the number one social media platform for business be certain yourProfile page is completed. Forbes reports 67% of individuals will check out yourLinkedIn Profile before website bio.

We learned from the 2008 recession that those who stayed visible and helpedothers were the ones whom recovered the quickest and deepest. Be that woman.

Merry Neitlich is the founder and managing partner of EM Consulting. She is anaward winning business development consultant inducted into both the LegalMarketing Association Hall of Fame and the College of Law Practice Management.Merry can be reached at [email protected], www.emconsulting.org or (949)260-0936.

Women Make Great Rainmakers

Merry Neitlich

For decades, plaintiffs and defendants alike have been motivated by having their dayin court. This innate desire of human beings to prove themselves “right” has poweredour justice system and made the legal profession one of the most demanding andrewarding. This has worked well until the Covid-19 pandemic hit and courtroomsacross the nation began to close their doors. At first, many professionals in litigationsupport thought, “It’s only a few weeks.” Then, “It’s only a few months.” Now, alongwith attorneys, we must pivot and embark on a journey to thenew normal. As courts begin to re-open, many are backlogged, andmatters are being re-prioritized to ensure what the courtconsiders critical cases are addressed. Trial resolution for“non-critical” matters has become a daunting uncertainty. As aresult, for many litigators the new normal involves a greaterfocus on other forms of dispute resolution. Those attorneyswho are skilled in negotiation and mediation can benefit fromunderstanding the powerful role a forensic CPA can play in theresolution process. The role of a forensic accountant is to transform complex financial data intocalculations and a narrative that non-accountants can understand. Unlike lawyers,however, the rules governing the professional conduct of forensic CPAs forbidadvocacy. Financial damages experts provide independent objective analysis,perform calculations, and report findings. This objectivity-based perspective allowsthe forensic accounting expert to offer impartial findings which enable both parties tomore effectively resolve their differences and arrive at a resolution, often avoidinglitigation in a courtroom setting. It is this independence, and the ability to clearlycommunicate damage calculations, that can make the forensic accountant a keyplayer in dispute resolution. Deborah Dickson, CPA, CFF, MAFF, Managing Partner, Smith Dickson, CertifiedPublic Accountants, LLP (www.smithdickson.com) based in Irvine. The firm’sLitigation Support Services include forensic accounting, expert testimony, intellectualproperty, fraud and embezzlement, real estate, trust and estate beneficiary disputes,employment law, and family law. Ph. (949) 553-1020.

The Role of the Forensic Accountantin Dispute Resolution

by Deborah Dickson, CPA, CFF, MAFF, Managing Partner, Smith Dickson, Certified Public Accountants, LLP

Deborah Dickson

Women Guide.qxp_Layout 1 8/28/20 11:17 AM Page 42



2020 WOMEN IN LAW PROFILES

Attorney Nuha Alomar brings a rangeof experience to her practice offamily law. She helps clients withtheir challenges in divorce, child

custody, domestic violence and support agreements. Sheoffers a fresh and empathetic approach in her guidance ofclients through every stage of litigation, including financial,legal and emotional issues that arise.

A graduate of Chapman University’s School of Law, Alomarearned her undergraduate degree from University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles. At Chapman, Alomar receivedCALI Awards for Highest Grades in Environmental Lawand Trial Practice. She is a member of the Orange CountyBar Association.

Alomar served as a certified law clerk with the Bette andWylie Aitkin Family Protection Clinic in Orange, CA. Whilethere, her work included counseling and interviewingclients, preparing protective orders and hostingeducational sessions for clients representing themselves inlegal hearings.

Concurrent to attending law school, Alomar gainedexperience as a clerk in several criminal law firms. Sheresearched family law issues pertaining to custody,modification of settlement agreements and propertydisputes. She also performed legal research in the areasof real estate, trade and constitutional law.

Ellen Bancroft, a partner in the OCoffice of Morgan Lewis, has beenconsistently recognized as one of theleading corporate attorneys in

Southern California. Bancroft has morethan 25 years’ experience in mergers and acquisitions,venture capital and private equity financings, IPOs andother public offerings. She has closed more than 70 publicand private acquisitions, ranging in size from severalmillion dollars to more than $1 billion, and has advisedclients in more than 50 registered public offerings.Bancroft’s practice includes a broad range of corporateand securities transactional matters, SEC regulatory andcompliance issues, as well corporate governance matters.Bancroft serves as outside general counsel to many of herclients and their management and boards of directors,helping to execute their business and legal strategies.

In 2019, Bancroft was named “Lawyer of the Year” by BestLawyers of America in Securities/Capital Markets Law inOC and as the “Most Influential Woman in M&A Law” byAcquisitions International. She was also honored as the“IPO Lawyer of the Year” in both 2016 and 2018 byCorporate LiveWire and was the recipient of the 2018Marcus M Kaufman Jurisprudence Award by the ADL. Shehas been included in the Best Lawyers of America since2007 and as a California SuperLawyer by Law and PoliticsMagazine since 2009. Bancroft also received the OCBJ’sWomen in Business Award in 2012 and has been includedin OCBJ’s OC 500 since 2017.

Family law attorney Amanda K.Beall has experience across allareas of family law, with aparticular interest in contested

custody cases. Beall began her career with Meyer,Olson, Lowy & Meyers, where she is an associate.She previously served as an intern in the cityattorney’s office for the City of Corona.

In her representation of clients, Beall establishes anopen line of communication and easy access forclients. She creates trust-based attorney-clientrelationships, working with clients to ensure they haveclear expectations of possible outcomes in theirmatters.

Beall earned her J.D. from Chapman University,Fowler School of Law, where she received a meritscholarship. She is a graduate of University ofCalifornia, San Diego, where she majored in politicalscience. B.A.

A native of Orange County, Beall is a member of theKappa Kappa Gamma sorority. In addition, Amanda isa member of the Orange County Bar Association’sYoung Lawyers Division.

Celeste Stahl Brady helps public andprivate entities—including cities,housing authorities, and successor

agencies—revitalize and develop affordable housing units,commercial spaces, and infrastructure projects to spureconomic growth and achieve community goals throughoutCalifornia. She has dedicated her legal career to planning,financing, structuring, and contracting for public projects,often through public-private partnerships that build,renovate, and operate projects funded by local, county,regional, state, and federal programs.

City attorneys, in-house counsel, and law firms considerCeleste their go-to special counsel for their mostchallenging development projects and programs related toaffordable housing and economic development to revitalizeretail, entertainment, auto dealerships, restaurant, andother businesses. Further, she skillfully advises clients onother public law matters, including land use planning,zoning, and entitlements; CEQA; acquisition andrelocation; infrastructure financing; public recordsprocedures and conflict-of-interest laws. Following thedissolution of California’s redevelopment agencies in 2011-2012, Celeste continues to represent successor agenciesin fulfilling their financial obligations and winding down theiroperations.

Mrs. Brady’s expertise guides her and other Stradlingclients through the hurdles of complex businesstransactions and legal issues, while she remains attentiveto the intricacies of local laws and regulations. Celesteachieves effective and efficient results while balancing thedemands of lenders, investors, and regulators—who oftenimpose tight deadlines and other demands.

Nikki Buffa is counsel in the OrangeCounty and Washington, D.C. officesof Latham & Watkins and a memberof the Environment, Land &Resources Department, and brings

two decades of experience working on energy andenvironmental policy. Buffa focuses her practice on landuse, energy and infrastructure, and environmental matters.A recent highlight of Buffa’s work includes co-leadingregulatory advisement of The Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofitcommitted to using advanced technologies to rid theworld’s oceans of trash. The Daily Journal bestowed aCalifornia Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) award forlegal work on the project, which it called “unprecedented inits scope and ambition.”

Buffa rejoined Latham after serving eight years in theObama Administration. As Deputy Chief of Staff at theUnited States Department of the Interior, she managed adiverse set of missions within the Department. Nikki Buffawas an associate at Latham (2006-2008) prior to joiningthe White House Council on Environmental Quality at thestart of the Obama administration (2009-2011). She alsoserved as the Deputy Director of Cabinet Affairs at theWhite House (2011-2013), and worked closely with seniorWhite House staff and agency leadership at theEnvironmental Protection Agency, and the Departments ofthe Interior, Agriculture, Energy, and Transportation.

Buffa currently advises developers, utilities, and otherclients on all aspects of project development from initialpermitting and entitlement strategy through governmentalapprovals incorporating legal, political, community andpublic relations issues. She currently serves on the Boardof Trustees for the Irvine Ranch Conservancy and theNational Parks Conservation Association.

Allison Burns has particularexperience in local agencygovernance matters, civil rightslitigation, eminent domain, general

real estate litigation, contractdisputes, and construction disputes.

Her experience also includes economic development;affordable housing litigation; land use and planninglitigation and representation; relocation and acquisitiondisputes; conflicts of interest; Public Records Act andBrown Act challenges, compliance and litigation;environmental contamination and remediation cost-recovery actions; water rights; and the dissolution ofredevelopment.

Burns serves as city attorney to the city of Lancaster andgeneral counsel to the Chino Basin Desalter Authority,Emerald Bay Service District, Spalding CommunityServices District, San Juan Basin Authority, AntelopeValley Transit Authority, Antelope Valley Air QualityManagement District and Santiago AqueductCommission.

Her litigation experience includes Constitutional and civilrights challenges to governmental programs and actions;Development agreement disputes; Eminent domainrepresenting both condemnees and condemnors;Breaches of covenants, conditions and restrictions;Foreclosure of taxes, special assessments, and liens;Construction disputes; Contamination and remediationcost-recovery actions; Evictions; Challenges to bondissuances; Affordable housing disputes, includingchallenges to expenditures from low-and-moderate-income housing funds.

NUHA A. ALOMAR ELLEN S. BANCROFT AMANDA K. BEALL

CELESTE STAHL BRADY NIKKI BUFFALATHAM & WATKINS

ALLISON BURNS

MEYER, OLSON, LOWY &MEYERS, LLP

MORGAN, LEWIS &BOCKIUS LLP

MEYER, OLSON, LOWY& MEYERS, LLP

SHAREHOLDERSTRADLING YOCCACARLSON & RAUTH

STRADLING YOCCACARLSON & RAUTH


AUGUST 31, 2020 WOMEN IN LAW ORANGE COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL B-45




Krystle Caponio is a legal executivewith a decade of experience in thecommercial space industry. Shespecializes in regulatory compliancefor space operations, international

transactions, government andcommercial contracts, as well as management andcorporate governance.

Most recently, Caponio served as General Counsel atTyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc. in Irvine, California.Prior to this, Caponio worked at Space ExplorationTechnologies Corp. (SpaceX), during her tenure serving inthe roles of Legal Counsel, Trade Compliance Officer, andContracts Officer. Caponio’s experience has enabled herto become a strategic leader with focus on building andmanaging legal and compliance departments withingrowing aerospace start-ups.

In 2018, Caponio received a prestigious First Chair Awardas Top Compliance Counsel. The First Chair Awardsrecognizes America’s most innovative and accomplishedin-house counsel for their achievements and significantcontributions to the legal community.

Caponio graduated with College Honors from theUniversity of California, Los Angeles in 2003 with aBachelor of Arts in English with a Philosophy minor. Shewent on to earn her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School,Los Angeles in 2008, and was a recipient of the Dean’sMerit Scholarship for all three years. Caponio is currentlyattending the Graziadio Business School at PepperdineUniversity, pursuing a Master of Science in Management.

Michelle Carpenter is a partner in theTax Department and member ofLatham’s global Benefits,Compensation & EmploymentPractice, based in both the firm’s Los

Angeles and Orange County offices.She advises clients on a broad range of executivecompensation arrangements and employee-relatedmatters across a variety of industries, with extensiveexperience working with both public and privatecompanies, as well as private equity and venture capitalfirms.

In particular, Carpenter advises clients on the executivecompensation and employee benefits aspects of theirmost complex and important transactions, from initialpublic offerings, to spin-offs, to mergers and acquisitions.Carpenter has deep experience advising publiccompanies, and those going public, on a regular basisregarding ongoing executive compensation matters(including governance, as well as securities law reportingand compliance).

Carpenter is known in the marketplace for her thoughtleadership on clawback provisions in compensationpackages, and she regularly presents on this topic atconferences and in client trainings. She is a recommendedlawyer for Employee Benefits and ExecutiveCompensation by The Legal 500 US, and was selected as“Southern California Rising Star” by Super Lawyers forTax. Carpenter is a Board Member of Bet Tezdek, anonprofit organization that provides free, comprehensivelegal services for low income residents in Los Angeles.

Samantha Dorey is a foundingpartner of Everett Dorey LLP, a fullservice civil litigation firm thatrepresents multi-nationalcorporations, non-profits, cities,

public agencies and school districtsin all aspects of litigation. She specializes in complexcivil litigation with an emphasis in catastrophic injury,public entity defense, employment law, mass tort,asbestos litigation and environmental law. She alsoregularly advises clients on non-litigated matters,including development of risk management protocols andprocedures related to property management andenvironmental issues.

As a leading litigation firm in California routinely retainedas trial counsel in complex and challenging casesthroughout the state, Dorey has shaped a firm ofexceptionally talented litigators with diverse cultural andpersonal backgrounds, with particular focus on creatingan environment that empowers female attorneys.

Dorey is an Adjunct Professor at Chapman University,Dale E. Fowler School of Law where she teaches acourse on litigation strategy and civil procedure. Sheserves on the Board of Directors for the Public LawCenter. She has received numerous industry awards,including her recent recognition as a 2020 WomanEntrepreneur under 40 by the National Association ofWomen Business Owners.

Jennifer Farrell is a partner at Rutan& Tucker, LLP, one of California’slargest and premier full service lawfirms. She represents business andreal estate owners, municipal

governments and special districtswith both transactional and litigation matters relating toelection challenges, land use and zoning laws, medicalmarijuana dispensaries, the scope and jurisdiction of theCalifornia Coastal Commission, the dissolution ofredevelopment agencies, housing element law andproperty tax allocations.

She currently serves as assistant city attorney for thecities of Dana Point and Twentynine Palms, and assistantgeneral counsel for the Morongo Basin Transit Authority.In these roles, she regularly attends planning commission,city council, and district meetings and advises theseentities on a host of legal issues including but not limitedto the Brown Act, Public Records Act, CaliforniaEnvironmental Quality Act, election law, and cannabisrelated matters.

She regularly handles cases before the California Court ofAppeal and has appeared before the California SupremeCourt in a case involving the proper method by which toappeal a city council issued legislative subpoena. She hasalso handled several cases involving the appointment of areceiver to oversee the rehabilitation of substandardproperties.

Farrell also serves as chairwoman of the Costa MesaChamber of Commerce.

Aneta Ferguson, J.D. serves asexecutive director, generalcounsel for AvanirPharmaceuticals, apharmaceutical company

committed to delivering innovative central nervoussystem solutions. Under her leadership, the LawDepartment is responsible for counseling Avanir onFDA regulatory matters, product life cycle management,drafting and negotiating commercial and governmentcontracts, employment law and corporate transactions.

Prior to joining Avanir in 2015, Ferguson was anassociate attorney at a well-regarded Orange Countyfirm where she served as corporate counsel to a varietyof public and private companies with a focus onmergers and acquisitions, capital market transactions,securities matters and general corporate advice.

Ferguson has extensive experience advising andconsulting with all levels of an organization, includingsenior leadership and boards of directors, to identifycritical legal issues, assessing potential legal optionsand providing business teams with a range of possiblelegal solutions.

She earned a Master of Law from University of Silesiain Poland, and a Juris Doctorate from the University ofCalifornia Los Angeles.

Monica Goel, with over twenty yearsof legal experience, is a CertifiedLegal Specialist in Estate Planning,Trust and Probate Law by theCalifornia Board of Legal

Specialization. Her practice focuses onestate planning, trust administration, probate administration,conservatorships, elder law, trust and probate litigation. Herspecialty in any legal setting is in handling sticky or complexsituations. She primarily works out of the firm’s Irvine andLong Beach offices.

She has been rated “superb” by AVVO, has been named asone of the top estate planning attorneys in 2019 and 2020by Super Lawyers in Trusts and Estates, and is rated AV-Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell. Goel is a published author in the Daily Journal and OCLawyer Magazine. She is a frequent lecturer on trustadministration, probate administration, court accountings,liability for fiduciaries, and legal ethics in estateadministration.

Goel is a member of the PVP panel for the LA SuperiorCourt and is routinely appointed by the court to representincapacitated persons and advise the court regardingappointment of conservators.

She was previously an adjunct professor at Cerritos Collegein the Certified Paralegal Program and is currently on theTrustee Advisory Committee therein. In addition, she was anadjunct professor at UCI in the paralegal program in EstatePlanning.

Goel received her B.A. in History from UCLA, and her J.D.from the University of Southern California.

KRYSTLE CAPONIO KRYSTLE CAPONIO, ESQ.

MICHELLE L.C. CARPENTERLATHAM & WATKINS

SAMANTHA DOREYEVERETT DOREY LLP

JENNIFER FARRELLRUTAN & TUCKER, LLP

ANETA FERGUSONAVANIR PHARMACEUTICALS

MONICA GOELTLD LAW





Jaimi Groothuis is a partner atBentley & More whose practicefocuses on product liability,premises liability, catastrophicpersonal injury, and construction

site accidents. She came to Bentley& More with a strong passion for serving her communityand those with special needs. Groothuis’ career ishighlighted by a series of significant cases andsettlements. Such cases include a $26 million settlementin a car accident case involving the wrongful death of onepassenger and leaving another with a catastrophic braininjury and a number of premises liability cases. Groothuisalso led a litigation team that obtained an eight-figuresettlement on behalf of a group of clients injured byalleged product defects. Groothuis received herundergraduate degree from UCLA, where she focused onworking with disabled individuals through the UCLAAutism Project and the LA Unified School District.Groothuis completed her law degree at night whileworking full-time. She graduated from Concord Universityin the top 10% of her class and was awarded the honor“Best Oral Advocate.” Groothuis has served on the boardof directors for both the state and local women lawyersassociations. In 2018, she served as president of theOrange County Women Lawyers Association andcontinues to serve on the Foundation’s board ofdirectors. Groothuis was named a Rising Star by SuperLawyers Magazine in 2019 and 2020. She carries withher an undeniable passion for law & dedication toobtaining justice for her clients.

Family law attorney Lisa HelfendMeyer works hard to achieveunexpected outcomes for her clientsin high-stakes divorce and custody

disputes. Meyer has successfully tried complex family lawmatters in multiple states and involving internationaljurisdictions. Her strength in the courtroom and legal arenasupports her clients’ emergence as stronger and confidentindividuals.Meyer is a certified Family Law Specialist, an elitedesignation conferred by the State Bar of California. She hasbuilt a reputation for taking on the toughest cases — mattersother attorneys reject — and prevailing in high-asset andhigh-conflict family law matters. Meyer represents both men and women, as well as theirspouses in bet-the-company and complex divorce, custodyand paternity cases. Her clients work in many industriesincluding entertainment, finance, professional sports andtechnology, as well in the law, medicine and accounting.Meyer works discreetly to protect clients’ rights and need forprivacy.As a media commentator, Meyer has expressed her expertopinion in the Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, TodayShow, CNN, Court TV and Fox News and other mediaoutlets. She gained national prominence for one case, inwhich she secured visitation rights for a mother of tripletswho fell into a coma while giving birth. After Meyer graduated from Loyola Law School, she beganher career focused on domestic violence cases. Meyer hasbeen recognized by Super Lawyers for the past 15 years,including as a top 50 women attorney in Southern California.

Frances Hernandez grew up inOrange County, and earned herundergraduate degree from UCIrvine (where she was Captain ofthe UC Irvine Women’s SoccerTeam).

After graduating from UC Irvine magna cum laude,Frances attended Columbia Law School and wasawarded the prestigious Hamilton Fellowship. She thenjoined Sheppard Mullin’s Costa Mesa office where shehas spent her entire legal career. Frances is the co-founder and co-chair of the firm’s OC Families Groupwhich regularly hosts unique family-friendly professionalnetworking events for Sheppard Mullin’s clients and theirfamilies.

Frances continues to live in Orange County with herhusband and two children. She is dedicated tosupporting local Orange County non-profits and serveson the Board of Directors for the Regional Center ofOrange County, and as the Vice-Chair for the Board ofDirectors at Mary’s Path.

Frances defends employers against lawsuits fordiscrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongfultermination, and individual and representative wage andhour actions.

Frances also advises employers re: wage and hourcompliance, handbooks and personnel policies,employee hiring, discipline and terminations, leaves ofabsence, reasonable accommodations, and employmentagreements. She has been a lecturer at theProfessionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA).

Shannon M. Jenkins, a seasonedemployment defense attorney is themanaging partner of TLD Law. Sheworks with all sizes of employersand executives in business litigation

and employment-related disputes.She guides employers through individual and class actioncases, administrative judicial forums including the LaborCommissioner, the Employment DevelopmentDepartment (EDD), the Department of Fair Employmentand Housing (DFEH) and Equal Employment OpportunityCommission (EEOC) and alternative dispute resolution.She successfully defends sexual and other harassmentclaims, alleged discrimination assertions, breach ofemployment, confidentiality unfair competition and trade-secret agreements (including prosecution to protectemployer rights), wage and hour disputes, breach ofconfidentiality agreements, breach of fiduciary duty,wrongful termination and all manner of related tort andcontract claims.

Representative clients include manufacturing, banking,software, construction, hospitality, staffing, medical andveterinary practices, trucking and all manner ofprofessional services firms. Shannon is proud torepresent these clients in common issues they face whilealso understanding and meeting their individualized andparticularized needs. Shannon strives to solve employerproblems utilizing an appropriately aggressive approachbalanced with principles of fairness, diversity andinclusion both in the clients’ workplace and in herpractice.

Jennifer R. Johnson, of The LawOffice of Jennifer R. Johnsonhas dedicated her life to helpingothers. She was raised in North

Dakota and South Dakota, the daughter of a pastor.Ms. Johnson’s firm focuses on the representation ofindividuals injured due to the negligence of others.

Ms. Johnson was a registered nurse working inintensive care units prior to attending law school. Afterlaw school, Ms. Johnson moved to California whereshe passed the California Bar Examination. She haspracticed law in California and other parts of thecountry ever since.

Ms. Johnson spent the first eight years of her careerrepresenting doctors and hospitals in medicalmalpractice cases. She then joined a Plaintiffs’ firmdedicated to the representation of injured peoplewhere she worked for ten years on both medicalmalpractice and product liability pharmaceuticalcases. In 2012, Ms. Johnson started her own law firm.She is AV® Preeminent rated by Martindale Hubbell,the organization’s highest rating for legal ability andethical standards.

In addition to being actively involved in her legalcommunity, Ms. Johnson is a member of SaddlebackChurch in Lake Forest, California. She also serves onthe Board of Directors of Swim With Mike, ascholarship that provides education for athletes thatbecame disabled as a result of illness or injury.

Michele Johnson, global chair of theLitigation & Trial Department ofLatham & Watkins, is one of the mostrenowned trial-minded litigators inthe country. Her bet-the-company

cases are among those most closelywatched by lawyers and business leaders, includingsecurities fraud class actions, corporate governancechallenges, shareholder derivative suits, insider tradingclaims, proxy contests, financial restatements, and othercommercial disputes. This year, Johnson won summaryjudgment on behalf of the U.S. Soccer Federation as leadtrial counsel in its litigation with the U.S. Senior Women’sNational Team regarding equal pay, in a win namedLitigator of the Week by The American Lawyer. Johnson was recognized by The Daily Journal for theCalifornia Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) Award2020, selected as a Top Rated Securities LitigationAttorney by Super Lawyers 2020, named one ofBenchmark’s Top Women in Litigation by Euromoney2020, and honored as a Leading Lawyer for M&A Litigationby The Legal 500 US 2020. She was also recently namedto the 25 Most Influential Women in Securities Law byLaw360, the Top Women Lawyers list in California by theDaily Journal, and the Profiles in Diversity Journal’s list ofWomen Worth Watching. A former member of Latham’sExecutive Committee and the former managing partner ofthe Orange County Office, Johnson serves on the boardsof the Georgetown University Law Center, the BerkeleyCenter for Law and Business, the Public Law Center, andthe Orange County Bar Foundation’s Project Youth and ispast President of the Orange County chapter of theAssociation of Business Trial Lawyers.

JAIMI M. GROOTHUISBENTLEY & MORE

LISA HELFEND MEYER FRANCES HERNANDEZSHEPPARD MULLIN

SHANNON M. JENKINSTLD LAW

JENNIFER R. JOHNSON MICHELE D. JOHNSONLATHAM & WATKINS LLP


THE LAW OFFICE OF JENNIFER R. JOHNSON





Barbara Klein is an experiencedFamily Law attorney who focuses herpractice exclusively on Family Lawmatters, with an emphasis on highvalue asset divorces, in Orange

County. She is a Certified Family LawSpecialist whose vast knowledge of the intricacies and fastchanging laws, provides an advantage to her clients. Kleinapproaches each dissolution of marriage case as unique.First, identifying the issues and strategizing a plan forsettlement or preparation for trial.

Klein started her practice with the goal to provideindividual, personal representation to a small number ofcases. Dissolution of Marriage matters involve personalrelationships as well as the division of property. Kleintailors her representation of each client starting with a planfor resolution, by agreement or court intervention. Klein’sexperience results in the majority of her cases resolving bysettlement. However, if resolution cannot be reachedBarbara has extensive courtroom experience.

Klein’s detail and taking initiative, in each and every case,to move the case along to resolution is what has supportedBarbara’s practice of client referrals and repeat clients.Barbara Klein’s practice is unique and tailored to providingthe best legal representation to steer a client through adissolution of marriage which involves changes in personalrelationships as well as financial.

In a career marked byprofessional relationships thatare both lasting and durable,Karla Kraft is frequently asked to

litigate types of matters she has not previouslyencountered. This is a testament, not just to the trustplaced in her by long-term clients, but also to hercomfort level in facing new challenges. As aconsequence, she represents clients across a broadrange of complex commercial litigation matters.

Much of Kraft’s work focuses on defendingemployment litigation, including both single plaintiffcases and wage-and-hour class actions. But she alsotries trade secret disputes for technology companies,and defends class action suits against large consumerproduct companies and financial services providers.

Clients credit Kraft with an instinctive ability to balancethe legal aspects of a lawsuit with the businessconsiderations underlying them. She recognizes thatthe goals of each case are different, and that theydon’t necessarily fit within a standard win-or-losescenario. Accordingly, she works with clients to defineobjectives up front, so that she can properly gauge therange of strategies available to achieve them. Thisapproach leads to business-smart resolutions andensures that matters are conducted efficiently, withsmall teams and reasonable amounts of research.

Gloria Lee is the Client RelationsPartner at Rutan & Tucker, LLP,Orange County’s largest and premierfull service law firm. In her role, shespearheads the firm’s strategic

partnerships and growth of businessdevelopment opportunities for the firm. She has helpedoriginate and manages over 100 institutional clients acrossindustries including technology, retail, restaurants, real estate,banking and healthcare.

Lee spends a significant amount of time connecting leaders ofthe business and legal community through industry orinnovative events. She regularly introduces companies tohigh profile job candidates and connects people to potentialinvestors as well as public company and non-profit board seatopportunities.

Prior to becoming the firm’s client relations partner in 2014,Lee represented developers, lenders, landlords and tenantsin all aspects of real estate transactions and was named aSuper Lawyer or Rising Star from 2012-2018.

Lee has received several state and national accolades for hercommunity involvement including serving on five (5) local andnational charitable boards and her efforts to diversify the legalprofession.

Lee received her BA and MA concurrently in four years fromStanford University where she graduated with distinction andplayed on the three time national champion badmintonteam. She earned her JD from UC Berkeley School of Lawand currently serves on the Board of Directors of the UCBerkeley Law School Alumni Association.

Within California’s complicated andheavily-regulated municipal debtframework, Vanessa Legbandtprovides clarity for public agencies

that seek to raise financing for publicfacilities. Whether Legbandt is acting as bond counsel ordisclosure counsel to public agencies, or as underwriter’scounsel to a financial institution, her honest,straightforward approach helps clients make informeddecisions in matters involving lease revenue financings,utility revenue financings, land-secured financings and taxallocation bond refundings. She also represents publicagencies and developers in financing and structuringvarious economic development projects. She has advisednumerous clients regarding the procedures and relativecosts and benefits of forming and issuing debt throughenhanced infrastructure financing districts.

Legbandt ’s experience as a public finance attorney, aswell as representing public entities in connection with avariety of public private partnership arrangements, givesher a firm grasp on her clients’ goals and objectives, andthe perspective to explore alternatives to their legalrestrictions. When her clients are faced with complicated oruncertain legal concerns, Legbandt thoroughly evaluatesthe factual circumstances against all applicable laws andregulations before presenting the options and approachesthat best suit their needs. In less complicated transactions,clients appreciate her simple, straightforward transactiondocuments and her ability to resolve any issues quickly.Undaunted by the fast pace of municipal financings,Legbandt meets all required timeframes and stafftransactions appropriately to ensure she obtains the mostbeneficial financing for her clients.

For state and local governmentsand nonprofit organizations raisingmoney for public infrastructure andother projects, Carol Lew’s proven

tax advice is a critical piece of thecomplex financing puzzle. With more than 30 years offederal tax law experience, Lew is nationally recognizedfor her ability to apply her in-depth knowledge of theInternal Revenue Code to tax-advantaged debtfinancings. The complicated tax analyses sheundertakes keep issuers and buyers in compliance withall federal tax laws and help communities thrive.

Lew’s sought-after tax advice helps states, highwayauthorities, water districts, housing authorities, hospitals,school districts and municipal agencies and nonprofitsfinance development projects through a variety ofsources, including tax-advantaged and taxable bonds,and public/private partnerships. Many clients also rely onLew for post-issuance compliance advice. If the IRSaudits a bond issuer or buyer, she steps in to resolve anyoutstanding tax issues quickly. Lew also assists withvoluntary closing agreements and private letter rulingrequests.

When clients work with Lew, they get the full benefit ofher cutting-edge insight and long-standing leadership inthe organizations helping shape today’s U.S. tax laws.She currently serves on the IRS IRSAC advisorycommittee that provides advice directly to the IRSCommissioner on a broad range of tax matters. Lew hasalso served as President of the National Association ofBond Lawyers and as Chair of The American BarAssociation Taxation Section’s Tax-Exempt FinancingCommittee.

Founding partner Dana Lowyrepresents high net worth women andmen in all types of family law matters,from prenuptial and postnuptialagreements to marital dissolution

actions. She protects her clients’ financial interests whilealso considering the emotional aspects that often arise.

Lowy has guided multiple generations of dynastic families,high-profile entertainers, athletes, executives andremarried baby boomers in successfully negotiatedagreements. These agreements protect assets and honorclients’ wishes while focusing on each client’s individualgoals and needs.

Lowy eases the path to agreement from the beginning,helping clients communicate with their partners about theprocess and identifying key areas of protections underCalifornia law. She often coordinates with her clients’professional teams, such as business managers, advisors,accountants, and family offices, to ensure efficient andcomprehensive strategies that result in fair and reasonablepremarital agreements.

Lowy has managed the full range of family issues duringher more than 25 years of practice, including mediateddivorce settlements and/or resolution, contentious litigation,to post-divorce disputes and parentage actions.

A summa cum laude graduate of Southwestern Law Schooland University of California, Santa Barbara, Lowy is namedamong the “Top 50: 2019 Women Southern CaliforniaSuper Lawyers List.” Lowy customizes her discreet, directand personal approach to address clients’ unique concernsover their financial futures and well-being.

BARBARA KLEINKLEIN FAMILY LAW

KARLA KRAFT GLORIA LEERUTAN & TUCKER, LLP

VANESSA LEGBANDT CAROL LEW DANA LOWY








Clare Lucich is a partner with Bentley& More LLP in Newport Beach,California, and previously worked asa litigator at an AmLaw 100 firm. Hercurrent practice includes personal

injury, insurance bad faith, productsliability, and governmental claims. Since 2013 she hasworked on a number of high-profile cases and trials forplaintiffs throughout California. One of which includes a$12 million wrongful death settlement against the City ofLos Angeles on behalf of the family of Alice Gruppioni, anItalian newlywed tragically killed on her honeymoon whenstruck by a vehicle on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. Lucichhas also secured monetary settlements and importantsafety improvements in multiple government entity casesincluding the implementation of a roadway improvementproject. Currently, Lucich serves as a board member forthe Consumer Attorneys of California and the OrangeCounty Trial Lawyers Association. She received her JurisDoctor, magna cum laude, from Pepperdine UniversitySchool of Law in 2012. From 2016-2020 she was named aRising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine, and in 2020 wasalso named one of the top 25 up-and-coming OrangeCounty Rising Stars and one of the top 50 up-and-comingWomen Rising Stars in Southern California. She alsoearned one of the top 100 personal injury verdicts inCalifornia in 2018. Lucich is passionate about advocatingfor her clients and working to gain justice on their behalf.

Jacqueline Luther was born andraised in Orange County andcurrently lives in HuntingtonBeach with her husband, twodaughters, and goldendoodlepuppy.  She has spent her entire

legal career at Sheppard Mullin and her youngestdaughter was born on the day that she made partner –definitely a memorable day! 

Luther is an experienced trial lawyer who handlesadministrative, trial court, and appellate proceedings inboth state and federal courts.

Luther represents businesses and financial institutionsin enforcing secured and unsecured loan obligations,obtaining attachments, injunctions, restraining orders,receiverships, and other pre-judgment remedies. Shealso handles real property and UCC foreclosures, anddefends clients against lender liability, sham guaranty,and unfair business practice claims.  Luther isparticularly skilled at enforcing and collectingjudgments at both the trial and appellate court levels.

Luther also represents clients in trust and estateslitigation. She prosecutes and defends disputesinvolving breach of fiduciary duty/surcharge actions,interpretation issues, will and trust contests, andentitlement claims, both in the court system and beforealternative dispute resolution forums.

Luther received her law degree from Loyola LawSchool, cum laude, where she was Order of the Coif,and her undergraduate degree from U.C. SantaBarbara.

Kathleen M. Marcus is co-chair ofStradling’s Enforcement Defense &Investigations practice group. Shealso leads the firm’s Compliance &

Corporate Governance practice group. Marcus is alsoactive in firm management as a member of the Board ofDirectors and Executive Committee.

As a former senior counsel with the United StatesSecurities and Exchange Commission’s Division ofEnforcement, Marcus is experienced in representing andadvising clients who become the target of governmentinvestigations. Marcus’ practice focuses on governmentand regulatory enforcement defense, internalinvestigations, and compliance counseling.

Marcus routinely manages investigations before theDOJ, SEC, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Foodand Drug Administration, the Federal CommunicationsCommission and various state agencies. She hassubstantial experience in matters involving accusationsof fraud, the False Claims Act, accounting and disclosureissues, insider trading, the FCPA, investment advisorregulations, audit defense, cybersecurity, commodities,and violations of the Federal Anti-Kickback statute andother healthcare regulations.

Marcus regularly handles internal investigations forcompanies, boards of directors and special committees.As part of the investigation process, she guidescompanies through an analysis of potential risks,measures to reduce costs, strategies to avoid or limitsanctions, and issues involving attorney-client privilege.

CLARE H. LUCICH BENTLEY & MORE LLP

JACQUELINE LUTHERSHEPPARD MULLIN

KATHLEEN MARCUSSTRADLING YOCCACARLSON & RAUTH




Family law attorney SanaMashedy has experience with awide range of issues that arisein the course of divorces,

custody disputes, litigation andrelated financial agreements. In her counsel,Mashedy adopts a client-centric approach throughoutthe process of marital separation, dissolution and itsaftermath.

Mashedy recognizes that each client has a differentstory, and she creates individualized strategies tomeet the needs of each client and to tell theirpersonal story. Mashedy empowers clients by givingthem knowledge, from basic information anddescriptions of legal terms to appellate court rulingson specific issues. She adds further value to herrepresentations through assiduous case preparationand presentation.

A native of Orange County, Mashedy earned her J.D.from Southwestern Law School following herundergraduate studies at University of California,Irvine. While in law school, Mashedy volunteered atdomestic violence clinics. She applied compassionatelistening skills throughout her practice, often curatingthem into aggressive litigation.

“There really is no better time forwomen to enter the legal profession.”Ruth Bader Ginsberg, February 2020.

Taking this saying to heart and alwaysarmed with a cup of coffee, Laila Masud

litigates complex bankruptcy and creditor rights issues atMarshack Hays LLP in Irvine.

Masud, a graduate of UCI and Pepperdine, was admitted topractice in 2016. She previously served as a judicial law clerkto the Honorable Thomas B. Donovan and extern for theHonorable Vincent P. Zurzolo in the Los Angeles Division ofthe Bankruptcy Court. Masud currently serves as theyoungest president of the OCBA’s Commercial Law andBankruptcy Section and is a member of the InternationalWomen’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation.

Masud’s typical quarantine-work day ranges fromrepresenting thousands of PG&E fire victims in the sixthlargest bankruptcy in U.S. history to representing variousChapter 7 trustees. Masud’s reputation for professionalismand integrity is impeccable, to the point where counsel whohave opposed her on one case refer to her work in futurecases. Advocating attentively, Masud’s individual clients willtell you of her compassion while her business clients will tellyou of her strategic thinking. To some of her clients, she isknown as Madam President for her tactful diplomacy.Masud’s poise, grace, and intellect serve her and her clientswell.

Although it has been 100 years since the ratification of the19th Amendment, there is certainly more glass to beshattered… and Ms. Masud packs a big hammer.

Probate litigator Amy Martinez practicesin the Costa Mesa office of RMO,LLP. For more than a decade, Martinezhas worked to forge client and businessrelationships built on empathy and

common goals. Her approach gives herthe confidence to hold her clients’ hands through the litigationprocess, which often is a new, unfamiliar and frighteningexperience for them.

An experienced litigator, Martinez knows the emotional tolllitigated disputes have on clients, not to mention the financialtoll. For these reasons, In every case Martinez developsstrategic litigation alternatives to maximize results and reducelitigation time and spend, including, as appropriate, earlymediation and creative settlement options aimed at swiftlyand economically securing favorable results for her clients.

Martinez concentrates her litigation practice in probate inrepresenting beneficiaries and professional and corporatefiduciaries — administrators, executors, trustees,conservators, and guardians — in contested trust, estate,conservatorship litigation before local probate courts.Martinez was honored as valedictorian of her class atChapman University School of Law. She also earned herundergraduate degree in political science, cum laude, atChapman. Martinez serves as an adjunct professor at her lawschool alma mater.

Admitted to all district courts in California as well as theSupreme Court of California, Martinez is a member of theOrange County Bar Association, serving in the trusts andestates and business litigation sections, and a member ofProVisors.

SANA F. MASHEDY LAILA MASUDMARSHACK HAYS LLP

AMY MARTINEZRMO LLPMEYER, OLSON, LOWY &

MEYERS, LLP




Felicia R. Meyers is a family lawattorney who specializes in largemarital estates and high-conflictcustody matters. Meyers focuses oncomplex litigation and trials,

leveraging her extensive background as a civil litigator.She has successfully championed efforts relating to familylaw issues, such as international move-away cases,custody cases and high assets cases.

In the past several years, Meyers has been involved indiverse, complex trials in courtrooms across California.She was the lead trial lawyer in a case of first impressionin IRMO Macilwaine (2018) 26 Cal.App.5th514. The courtof appeal held that stock options must be recognized asincome for purposes of child support when granted andavailable to the employee, regardless of whether thespouse elects to exercise the option and sell the shares ofstock.

In another matter, Meyers was one of the lead attorneys inthe case J.M. v. G.H. (2014) 228 Cal.App.4th 925, asmodified on denial of rehearing (Sept. 5, 2014), reviewdenied (October 22, 2014), which was an internationalmove-away case. Meyers most recently represented thehusband at trial, in which the court deemed the foreignJudgment of Divorce was valid, denying the wife’s claimsfor support.

Meyers is the former Chairperson of the Family LawSection of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and a recipientof its impressive President’s Award for her service to thelegal community. Meyers has been selected as a “SuperLawyer” for at least the past 10 years.

Kristin Murphy is counsel in theOrange County office, andserves on the Women EnrichingBusiness (WEB) Committee.She has also served on thefirm’s Recruiting Committee and

Equal Employment Opportunity Board.

Murphy advises clients on complex businesslitigation, with an emphasis on securities andcommodities fraud, mergers and acquisitions,shareholder derivative actions, and class actionlitigation. She has represented early and late-stagepharmaceutical companies, technology companies,energy companies, and real estate investment trusts.Murphy’s recent representations include specialcommittee engagements in controlling stockholdertransactions, multijurisdictional litigation arising out ofsolicited and hostile takeover attempts, andinvestigations and litigation on behalf of specialcommittees and boards of directors related to publiccompany crises. She also recently represented abiotech company in a rare Section 10(b) securitiesclass action trial in the US District Court for theCentral District of California, defeating more than 95%of plaintiffs’ claimed damages in a case named by theDaily Journal as one of the Top Verdicts of 2019 (Hsuv. Puma Biotechnology, Inc.)

Murphy was most recently named a RecommendedLawyer and Rising Star for M&A Litigation: Defenseby the Legal 500 and has actively contributed toseveral thought leadership pieces on US publiccompany acquisitions.

Family law expert Doreen Marie Olsonoffers a big-picture and realistic perspectivethat combines respect, compassion andclients’ long-term well-being. Olson leadsmen and women through all aspects of

divorce and asset dissolution. She has in-depth experience withchild custody issues and has helped resolve the most contentiousand complex custody fights during her 25 years of practice.

Olson is a California Certified Family Law Specialist, a designationearned by an elite group of attorneys. As part of her holisticrepresentation, Olson draws from her network of professionals,including educational specialists, therapists and parentingcoaches, to create custody agreements that support parents,children and the future of their families. She aims to make theprocess productive so clients can protect their families and moveforward to the next, happier stage of their lives.A graduate of Whittier College School of Law and University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles, Olson manages a range of client concerns. These include youngparents and same-sex spouses in custody contests and post-judgment matters involving a move away and relocation issues.

Appreciated by clients for her responsiveness and emotional IQ,Olson has earned the trust of the family law community andformerly served as court-appointed minor’s counsel. She is knownfor her thorough case preparation, respectful approach andeffectiveness in court, during mediation and in settlementconferences.

In all of her representations, Olson provides clients with the criticaltools to make informed decisions and chart a path toward a newquality of life.

FELICIA R. MEYERS KRISTIN N. MURPHYLATHAM & WATKINS

DOREEN MARIE OLSONMEYER, OLSON, LOWY &MEYERS, LLP





Wendy Peterson is General Counsel toKnobbe Martens, Orange County’slargest law firm. The firm’s focus is inintellectual property and technology law,including litigation and prosecution. AsGeneral Counsel, Peterson handles all

internal legal matters for the firm.

Prior to joining Knobbe Martens, Peterson was GeneralCounsel of Wynn Oil Company and Assistant GeneralCounsel of Parker-Hannifin. Before then, Peterson wasAssistant General Counsel and Secretary of Wynn’sInternational, a publicly-held corporation. Peterson began hercareer in 1985 as a corporate and securities lawyer withO’Melveny.

Throughout her career, Peterson has been devoted to givingback to the community. In addition to serving as Chair of theOCBA Corporate Counsel section and a member of theProfessionalism and Ethics and Diversity Committees,Peterson has served on the board of the Legal Aid Society.She also has served on the boards of Human Options andAmerican Heart Association—Orange County, and the PacificAsian Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Hawaii.

A prominent member of the business and legal community,Peterson was named to the OCBJ’s OC 500 as one of themost influential business people in Orange County in each ofthe past four years. She also received a 2011 OCBJ GeneralCounsel of the Year Award, and last year was inducted to theShidler College of Business Hall of Honor by her alma mater,the University of Hawaii. Peterson also produces films for herhusband, most recently the Amazon award-winning film“Hello, My Name is Frank.”

Brooke M. Pollard has been with TLDLaw since 2007 and is a partner at thefirm's Irvine office. Her practice focusesmainly on mergers and acquisitions ofclosely-held businesses, real estatetransactional law, and entity use in

estate planning. Brooke handles all aspects of stock andasset purchases, including letters of intent, due diligence,purchase agreement preparation and review, closings andearn-out strategies. She has a particular emphasis oncounseling and implementing business transition andsuccession strategies between family members and workingwith clients in the construction, medical and manufacturingindustries. Ms. Pollard’s office maintains corporate records forover 500 closely-held businesses on an annual basis.

Ms. Pollard handles everyday matters for business ownersincluding employee retention strategies, lease reviews,distribution agreements, tax saving strategies, corporatecompliance, and asset protection. Her primary focus with herclients is on a “preventive law practice,” which meanspreventing legal problems down the road by reviewing allpotential areas of legal concern prior to issues arising.

Brooke has exceptional knowledge in the area of propertytaxes, property tax appeals, and claim-for-reassessmentexclusions during transfer of real property into and out oflegal entities. She processes and reviews commercial leaseand purchasing agreements. Brooke is a member of CREW-OC, past chair of the Orange County Bar AssociationBusiness & Corporate Law section, and an Advisory Boardmember for CHOC– Mission Viejo. Brooke was born andraised in south Orange County, and currently resides inLaguna Hills with her husband, David, and twin boys.

Tenny Rostomian-Amin is co-ownerand partner at TALG, The AminLaw Group, Ltd., amultijurisdictional law firm withoffices in Irvine, Las Vegas, Dallas,and Raleigh. TALG recently

celebrated its 15th anniversary.

Rostomian-Amin focuses her practice on Family Law,where she has over 17 years of experience in casesinvolving child custody and child support, spousalsupport, and the characterization and division of highasset and complex marital estates. Well-known for hereffective and assertive representation, she has extensivetrial experience and was recently accepted to the Masterof Laws (LLM) in Dispute Resolution program at thePepperdine School of Law and is working towardsbecoming a certified mediator.

Rostomian-Amin is an active member of the community,currently serving as President of the Orange CountyChapter of the Society of Orphaned Armenian Relief(SOAR), a charitable organization providinghumanitarian relief to orphaned children throughout theworld. In addition, she is active in numerous professionalorganizations, including the National Association ofWomen Business Owners, the Orange County BarAssociation, and the Los Angeles County BarAssociation.

Rostomian-Amin has recently been nominated for twoawards with the Orange County Business Journal,including the Women in Business award and will be anhonoree at the 20th Annual Top Family-Owned Businessawards in Orange County.

WENDY PETERSONKNOBBE MARTENS

BROOKE M. POLLARDTLD LAW

TENNY ROSTOMIAN-AMINTHE AMIN LAW GROUP, LTD.




Hilary Shalla is a key partner inLatham’s market-leading RealEstate Practice, representingREITs, private equity sponsors andother institutional clients and

individuals in a range ofsophisticated real estate transactions, includingacquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and financing ofcomplex real estate portfolios, as well as thedevelopment of commercial real estate.

She is a go-to real estate lawyer for companies in thestorage, distribution, hospitality, office, healthcare andsenior living spaces, and handles an impressive body ofwork for repeat clients, who appreciate her strongtechnical skills and attention to client service. Shalla’sprior experience as in-house counsel for a prominent realestate investor and developer has made her particularlyattuned to clients’ needs and focus on deal execution. Several recent notable deals include representation ofthe borrower/sponsor in connection with a $2.35 billioncommercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) loan,representation of the purchaser in connection with theacquisition of a portfolio of senior housing facilities,representation of the contributor in connection with theformation of a joint venture with a sovereign wealth fundand representation of a private real estate investor inconnection with their conversion to a REIT.

Shalla serves as global chair of the firm’s MentoringCommittee, and recently served for five years as co-chairof the Orange County office’s Women EnrichingBusiness (WEB) Committee.

Rachel Simon is a partner inRutan & Tucker’s Corporate andTax department, where sherepresents a broad range ofclients in the areas of taxation,

business transactions, andcorporate law. She works closely with corporate clientsat all stages in the business life in a variety ofindustries, including manufacturing, health care, foodand beverage, real estate, and technology.

Simon has led clients in many high profile matters, andhas particular expertise in structuring complextransactions to achieve optimal business goals withtax efficient approaches. These transactions includefinancings, mergers and acquisitions, tax freeexchanges, tax and business succession planning forclosely held businesses, and general corporatecounseling.

She has extensive experience in the taxation of realestate investments, including qualified opportunityzone funds.

Simon also represents taxpayers in controversies withthe Internal Revenue Service, the California FranchiseTax Board, and the California Department of Tax andFee Administration.

In addition to her law degree, Simon holds an LL.M inTaxation from Loyola Law School and an MBA fromthe University of Southern California.

McCune Wright Arevalo, LLP(MWA) Partner Michele M.Vercoski is an accomplishedlitigation lawyer. Leading the

firm’s Orange County office and contingencycommercial practice group, Vercoski has obtainedexcellent results for her clients. One of her manyaccomplishments is belonging to the elite club oflawyers admitted to the United States Supreme Courtand arguing a business issue on her case before nineJustices in the highest court in the land.

Other accomplishments include Vercoski’s role in therecent settlement of a $70 million class action againstTD Bank for unfair overdraft fees assessed againstsmall business owners and consumers. Litigation waswaged against one of the country’s largest nationalbanks and was hard-fought over four years of intenselitigation before it was settled, after Vercoski and MWAwere able to obtain an order from the Court certifyingthe case as a national class action.

MWA has obtained over $1 billion for its clients andhas over 100 cases where it has obtained over $1million for its clients, including a $203 million verdictagainst Wells Fargo. The firm’s Orange County officeprimarily focuses on representing mid-sizedbusinesses in commercial litigation cases havingclaims for damages of over $5 million but desire acontingency fee arrangement over an hourly fee rateto allow its clients to monetize their litigation assets.

HILARY A. SHALLA LATHAM & WATKINS

RACHEL SIMONRUTAN & TUCKER LLP

MICHELE M. VERCOSKIMCCUNE WRIGHTAREVALO, LLP


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