Class Notes

from California Western School of Law, Alumni Newsletter Fall 2021

Alumni Association

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Board of Trustee member, The Honorable Irma E. Gonzalez, was featured in, “LATINAS IN THE LAW, changing the face of justice” in Celebrando Latinas Magazine.

James L. Hancock ‘77—Hemp, Inc. has announced today that they have appointed James Hancock ‘77 as the President of the Company.

The Honorable Judge Gregory P. Shannon ‘89—The Honorable Judge Shannon, a partner in Gowling WLG’s Calgary office, has been appointed a Provincial Court of Alberta Judge within the Calgary Civil Division, effective July 30, 2021. Over the course of his 30-year career, Greg has established a robust corporate law and estates & trusts practice, with an emphasis on corporate finance, M&A, tax and corporate governance. Qualified in Alberta, British Columbia, The District of Columbia and California, as well as being educated in both the US and Canada, he complements his practice with significant cross-border experience in both M&A and trusts & estates.

Annette M. Ahlers ‘90—Annette joins Andersen as a Managing Director in the US National Tax Practice.

Commissioner Marlene Caride ‘90—New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has announced that Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner, Marlene Caride, will be one of the leaders of the Governor’s Wealth Disparity Task Force. The task force will prioritize efforts towards equity among all members of the New Jersey community by studying the causes of the inequality that has prevented the state from reaching its full potential in the past.

Nancy L. Stagg ‘91—Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton announced that it has named Nancy Stagg as Managing Partner of the firm’s San Diego office. Ms. Stagg, with three decades of legal experience, including arbitration, trial, and appellate practice, is a member of the firm’s Complex Commercial Litigation Team. Her practice focuses primarily on the defense of consumer class actions and she heads the Class Actions Team in California.

Dr. Lisa A. Haile ‘92—Dr. Haile, DLA Piper partner, has been named to the San Diego Business Journal’s 2021 Women of Influence in Life Sciences list, which highlights the careers and accomplishments of a select group of dynamic business leaders. The Honorable Daniel Segura ’95—Daniel has been appointed to serve as a judge in San Diego Superior Court by Governor Gavin Newsom. Daniel has served as a deputy public defender at the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office since 1995. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jeffrey B. Barton.

Ernest D. Figueroa ‘96—Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford announced the reappointment of Ernest Figueroa as Nevada’s State Consumer Advocate and head of the Bureau of Consumer Protection. This is Figueroa’s second term serving as Nevada’s Consumer Advocate after being appointed in 2017.

The Honorable Marcella O. McLaughlin ‘98—Judge McLaughlin was featured in, “LATINAS IN THE LAW, changing the face of justice”in Celebrando Latinas Magazine.

John R. Kormanik ‘98—John was honored as the 2021 Walter H. Bithell Professional Award recipient at the Idaho Trial Lawyers Associations 49th Annual Meeting Luncheon in Sun Valley.

Johnny T. Moran III ‘98—Detroit-based Clark Hill has recently added John T. (J.T.) Moran III to their litigation group as senior counsel in the firms Las Vegas office. With a primary focus on serving the gaming industry, Moran’s practice works with gaming operations involving land-based gaming, internet gaming, and the manufacturing and distribution of gaming equipment.

Jamie P. Dreher ‘00—Jamie was honored by Sacramento Magazine as a 2021 Top Lawyer in Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor.

Sanjay K. Murthy ‘00—Banner Witcoff expands its litigation practice in Chicago with the arrival of nationally recognized trial attorney Sanjay K. Murthy, who represents leading life science and technology companies in federal district courts before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and in Section 337 investigations in the U.S. International Trade Commission. Sanjay also advises clients on freedom-to-operate matters, due diligence investigations, patent portfolio audits, and licensing and collaboration transactions.

Kelly X. Ranasinghe ‘05—California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Kelly X. Ranasinghe has been reappointed to the Board of Behavioral Sciences, where he has served since 2020. Ranasinghe has served as a Deputy County Counsel in the Imperial County Counsel Office since 2020..

Talitha C. Solorzano ‘06—Talitha has joined Albuquerque, NM law firm Giddens & Gatton Law. Talitha is a member of the New Mexico Black Lawyers Association and offers pro bono services through the New Mexico Legal Aid Society.

Bradley S. Wallace ‘06—The Los Angeles Rams and The Wallace Firm announced that they have joined forces in a multi-year partnership with one goal in mind – making an impact on the Los Angeles community. To kick off the partnership, they launched the first-of-its-kind “WallaceWins.com Heart & Hustle Award,” which will recognize community heroes who demonstrate values at the heart of both organizations: a team-first, winning mentality characterized by perseverance, resilience, and courage. Watch Josh’s heartfelt story

Caroline A. Hopkins ‘07—Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman is pleased to welcome associate Caroline Hopkins to their Portland office. Her law practice focuses on complex civil litigation, including construction defect, landlord-tenant and subrogation. Caroline is admitted to practice in both Oregon and California.

Janice S. Yun Walshok ‘08—Janice was recently listed in the San Diego Business Journal’s 2021 Women of Influence in Law. This honor acknowledges trailblazing women practicing law in San Diego.

Maya M. Pinchman ‘10 – Maya has been Certified as a Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the California Board of Legal Specialization.

Dr. James M. Turner ‘11—James M. Turner, Ph.D. has joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as a senior associate. He joins the firm’s Intellectual Property practice group and the Life Sciences industry group in Washington, D.C. as part of a five-attorney team led by former Dentons partner Martin A. Bruehs. Jason S. Sampas ‘14—Jason has joined the law firm of Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman & Rabkin, LLP as an associate attorney. Based in the Los Angeles office, Sampas’ practice focuses on real estate, general business transactional matters, and related tax matters. In addition to being a California and Florida licensed attorney, Mr. Sampas is a licensed California CPA.

Fatima G. Brizuela ‘15—Hartley LLP attorney Fatima Brizuela was recognized in the 2022 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the practice area category Mass Tort Litigation/ Class Actions Plaintiffs.

Katherine E Garcia ‘16—The law firm of Dunn DeSantis Walt & Kendrick is pleased to announce the addition of attorney Katherine Garcia to its growing team. Katherine represents and advises employers on a variety of issues and has experience defending discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims as well as advising clients on leave related issues and employee separation strategies and documentation.

Neema Shojai ‘18—Neema joined Klinedinst’s San Diego office, where he represents clients in business and commercial litigation, casualty and general liability, and employment litigation. Mr. Shojai previously represented healthcare providers and corporate parent companies in lawsuits involving claims of medical malpractice, negligent hiring and supervision, elder abuse and neglect, fraud and misrepresentation, and alter-ego liability..

Tyler J. Reddy ‘19—The law firm of Dunn DeSantis Walt & Kendrick is pleased to announce the addition of attorney Tyler Reddy to its team. A member of the Alumni Board of Directors of California Western School of Law, Reddy’s practice is focused in the areas of business and real estate transactional matters, including corporate contracts, mergers and acquisitions, entity formations, and real estate transactions.

Abril A. Perez ‘20—Abril Perez joined Casa Cornelia as a Special Project Staff Attorney. Her unique role allows her to work across programs to find more immediately available benefits like DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) for our current clients awaiting the outcome of their case.

Rima Sawhney ‘20 - The law firm of Dunn DeSantis Walt & Kendrick is pleased to announce the addition of attorney Rima Sawhney to its growing team. Sawhney represents and advises employers, and has experience investigating and defending discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims. She also assists clients on workplace leave related issues and risk reduction strategies for employee discipline and terminations.

Merlin A. Zaldana ‘20—Merlin has become Naqvi Injury Law’s newest attorney. She joins the firm’s group of attorneys after serving as a law clerk at Naqvi Injury Law prior to being sworn into the Nevada Bar.

Joseph “Josh” C. Butner IV ‘21—Josh was sworn into the Arizona bar as well as Deputy County Attorney for Yavapai County.

Jennison R. Jenkins ‘21—Jennison accepted a position as Logistics, Legal, and Client Services at JB Sports, a sports agency representing NFL players George Kittle, Micah Hyde, and many others.

Gracie A. Pollard ‘21—Gracie has joined the San Diego law firm of Balestreri Potocki & Holmes as an associate. Her practice encompasses both transactional matters as well as litigation and serves a broad range of clients in the areas of business law, employment law, construction law, transportation law, and intellectual property.