Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP announced today that three associates have joined its Sacramento office. Jonathan ("JR") Riddell, John M. Murray, and Heather M. Rowan have joined the firm's 125-lawyer litigation practice. With these additions, Orrick's Sacramento office now has 34 lawyers.

Riddell joins Orrick from Hunter Richey Di Benedetto & Eisenbeis, LLP in Sacramento. Prior to that, he practiced law for two years at Adams and Reese LLP in New Orleans, and served six years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force. Riddell's practice focuses on commercial litigation matters, products liability, complex and multi-district litigation, as well as class action defense. He is a 2000 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and is a member of the state bars of California and Louisiana.

Murray received his J.D. in May with great distinction from The University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. While at McGeorge he was on the McGeorge Law Review. Murray received his B.S. in environmental biology and management from the University of California, Davis in 1995.

Rowan received her J.D. in May from the University of California, Davis School of Law. While at U.C. Davis, she was an articles editor on the U.C. Davis Law Review. Rowan received her B.A. in English, with honors, from U.C. Davis in 2001.

"We are excited to bring these talented new associates into our litigation practice and the Sacramento office as we continue to grow and deepen our presence here," said Iain Mickle, corporate partner and partner-in-charge of the Sacramento office.

Downey Brand

The Best Lawyers in America publication chose Downey Brand partner Dan Carroll to appear in the recently published 10th edition of that publication. Carroll's law practice focuses on energy matters, including regulatory and litigation practice before the California Public Utilities Commission. Carroll also was featured in the December 2004 issue of Corporate Counsel magazine.

Livingston & Mattesich Law Corporation

Kathryn Doi, formerly the Senior Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary in the Office of the Governor, has joined the Government Group of Livingston & Mattesich Law Corporation. As senior counsel in the firm's government group, Ms. Doi helps business clients with regulatory affairs and economic development in California. She also provides counsel to public officials and state contractors on conflicts of interest.

Ms. Doi served the Davis administration as the deputy responsible for Indian gaming compact negotiations and as the legal office liaison to several state agencies. She was the legal office liaison to the State and Consumer Services Agency; the Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency; the Office of Homeland Security; the Office of Emergency Services; the Department of Food and Agriculture; and, the Department of Veterans Affairs. As the deputy responsible for gaming compact negotiations and other Indian issues, she worked closely with the Governor's appointed negotiators, the Indian law section of the Attorney General's office, tribal leaders and attorneys, the Governor's Cabinet office, and other state agencies. From 2000 to 2002, Ms. Doi served the Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency as Counsel to the Secretary responsible for agency compliance with all state and federal laws. From 1994 to 2000, she was Staff Counsel to the Commission on Judicial Performance. From 1986 to 1994, she was an associate in the litigation department of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in San Francisco, California. Her other legal experience includes clerking for the Honorable Jane A. Restani, Court of International Trade, in New York.

Ms. Doi received her Juris Doctor from King Hall School of Law, University of California, Davis, in 1985 and her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Stanford University in 1981.

McDonough Holland & Allen PC

McDonough Holland & Allen announced the hiring of six new attorneys. Jennifer Hartman King joins the firm's environmental section. Rachael Durrett and Amber Hyman join the firm's redevelopment and public law sections, with Hyman also a new member of the employment law section. John P. Skowronski joins the real estate section. In the firm's Oakland, Calif. office, Megan Holt Matthew and Gabrielle P. Whelan round out the redevelopment, public law and land use sections.

Hartman King joins McDonough after serving as Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary to former California Gov. Gray Davis. In that role, Hartman King, 30, provided legal advice and assistance to the Governor and his staff on a host of legal issues facing the state. She reviewed and analyzed proposed legislation pending before the Governor. She advised the Governor on parole and clemency issues. She oversaw the litigation challenging the Governor's parole decisions, including several high profile cases, working closely with the California Attorney General's Office. She also served as the primary liaison in the Governor's Legal Affairs Office for several state agencies and was responsible for reviewing the agencies' significant legal and litigation issues.

Prior to her appointment to the Governor's staff, Hartman King was an associate in the Los Angeles office of Bingham McCutchen, LLP. She practiced environmental litigation and compliance, focusing on toxic tort litigation, hazardous waste cleanup actions, water rights disputes, Clean Water Act permit challenges, power plant permitting and spill reporting.

Durrett focuses her practice on both transactional and litigation matters within redevelopment, public law and water law. Prior to joining the firm, she served as a legal intern for the Animal Protection Institute where she researched law relating to animal welfare issues, as well as drafted model legislation and wrote legislative position letters. She earned her J.D. from Tulane University Law School (2003) and her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley (1996).

Hyman practices transactional and litigation matters for the firm's public law, redevelopment and employment law sections. While in law school, she worked as the pro bono and public interest law coordinator of the University of Wisconsin Law School and was a summer associate at Hogan & Hartson in Washington, D.C. She earned her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School (2003) and her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley (1995).

Skowronski maintains a broad-based real estate and finance practice that includes the representation of national and regional clients in the acquisition and disposition of offices, hotels and multi-family housing projects, as well as real property for development. He also has represented lenders and investors in a variety of commercial transactions, including affordable housing tax credit deals and commercial-mortgage-backed security (CMBS) deals. Before joining McDonough, Skowronski was a real estate associate with Sonnenshein Nath & Rosenthal in San Francisco. Skowronski earned his J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law, Boulder (1996) and his B.A. from the University of Virginia (1989).

Matthew joins the Oakland, Calif. office, focusing on redevelopment and public law. Before joining McDonough, Matthew worked as a legal intern for Centro de Derecho Ambiental y de los Recursos Naturales in San Jose, Costa Rica. In that position, she wrote memoranda regarding issues of private land preservation and conservation easements within Costa Rica. She also previously worked on international environmental matters for the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund. Matthew earned her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law (2003) and her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz (1995).

Whelan also joins the firm's Oakland office, which specializes in public and municipal law. Her practice has an emphasis on redevelopment, land use, public contracting and employment law for public agencies and private entities. Prior to joining McDonough, Whelan was the assistant city attorney for the city of Tracy and the deputy city attorney for the city of Livermore. Whelan earned her J.D. from the Santa Clara University School of Law (1994) and her A.B. from Dartmouth College (1986).

McDonough Holland & Allen PC

McDonough Holland & Allen PC (MHA), a leading Northern California law firm representing both public and private sector clients, adds a new of counsel, Donna L. Holtz, in the firm's real estate section, and seven attorneys as associates: Cindy Condos and Thomas M. Swett, both join the firm's real estate section, Kimberly E. Hood, Celestial S.D. Cassman and Paulla Hyatt- McIntire are added to the public law group, Wendy R. Keegan joins the health law section, and Kevin P. Mora rounds out the firm's environmental practice group.

"Our growth continues into 2005 with the addition of these solid attorneys," said Jeffry R. Jones, managing shareholder, MHA. "The diverse expertise these associates bring with them supports the firm's commitment to provide the highest quality, cost-effective legal services to Northern California businesses, cities and public/private partnerships."

Holtz joins the Sacramento office where she specializes in real estate transactions. She serves as the primary attorney for a national homebuilder and represents lenders and borrowers in commercial loan transactions. Her experience includes representing real estate developers in deals ranging from land use entitlements to sale of the assets for residential, commercial and mixed-use projects, as well as drafting, reviewing and negotiating complex real estate documents. Holtz also served as deputy city attorney for the city of Benicia where she coordinated and prepared documents for all city departments regarding litigation, contract and other public law issues. She earned her J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (1996) and her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara (1993).

Condos joins the Sacramento office after working for the firm as a summer associate and a law clerk in 2003 and 2002, respectively. Her real estate law practice includes acquisition and disposition of real property, title review, leasing for office, industrial and retail space, and other transactions. Previously, Condos was a research assistant at McGeorge School of Law, where she assisted in research and prepared memoranda for an ongoing criminal case and interpreted pertinent statutory and case law. She earned her J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (2004) and her B.A., cum laude, from California State University, Sacramento (1992).

Also in the real estate section, Swett, joins the Sacramento office where he focuses on litigation and construction defect matters. In 2004, Swett served as a legal extern for the Hon. William B. Shubb, United States District Court, Eastern District of California, and he worked as a 2003 summer associate for MHA. Previously, he was a law clerk for the Pacific Legal Foundation's environmental litigation section and an analyst for forest product manufacturing firms in California, Oregon and Washington. Swett earned his J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (2004), his M.S. from Oregon State University (1997) and his B.A. from the University of Nevada, Reno (1994).

Hood worked as a summer associate for MHA before joining the Sacramento office public law practice. Hood also gained experience as a clerk for the Hon. Robert A. McQuaid, Jr., United States Magistrate Judge, District of Nevada, and as a judicial extern to the Honorable Frank C. Damrell, Jr., United States District Court Judge, Eastern District of California. Prior to that, she worked as a legislative coordinator for the California Association for Health Services at Home (CAHSAH). Hood earned her J.D. from the University of California, Davis School of Law (2003) and her B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder (1998).

Cassman served as a summer associate for MHA before joining the Sacramento office redevelopment and public law section. Her practice includes both transactional and litigation matters. During law school, Cassman worked as a teaching assistant in the political science department at U.C. Davis and for the legal writing program at the U.C. Davis School of Law. She also clerked for the Legal Services of Northern California. Prior to law school, Cassman worked for a variety of nonprofit organizations, including serving as the director of Portsmouth Vision 20/20, a program of the Bureau of Housing and Community Development, and as the community programs manager for the Peninsula Community Development Corporation. She earned her J.D. from the University of California, Davis School of Law (2004) and her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz (1998).

Also a member of the public law group, Hyatt-McIntire joins the Yuba City office. She has experience as an independent contract attorney, where her practice focused on estate planning and family law. Hyatt-McIntire served as a judicial extern to Justice Connie Callahan, California Court of Appeal for the Third District, assisting with legal research and writing appellate opinions. Before pursuing law, she spent nine years as an elementary and middle school teacher and held several professional management positions with local corporations. She earned her J.D. from the University of the California, Davis School of Law (2002), her M.B.A. from National University, Sacramento (1985) and her B.A. from California State University, Sacramento (1981).

As a member of the health law section, Keegan joins the Sacramento office where she focuses on health care operational, policy and regulatory compliance matters. Prior to joining MHA, she served as a law clerk for the Hon. William B. Bryant, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Earlier, as a Victoria E. Cotchett Regulatory Affairs Fellow for the Public Citizen's Congress Watch, she focused on issues pertaining to health, safety and the environment. Keegan worked as an associate with a Washington, D.C. law office and clerked for Catholic Health Care West. She earned her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law (2000) and her B.A. from Florida State University (1990).

Mora joins the Sacramento office environmental section. He brings with him experienced gained as a law clerk for the Department of Toxic Substances Control Office of Legal Counsel. He also interned with the Natural Resources Defense Counsel and the California Attorney General's Office in the Land Environmental National Resource Section, where he was exposed to a variety of law and policy issues related to energy, public land and land use, toxics, natural resources and the environment. He has volunteered for numerous organizations, including the Rural Community Development Program, the Biological Lab at UC Davis, the City of Modesto Planning Department - Housing and Neighborhood Division, and the Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center. Mora earned his J.D. from the University of California, Davis School of Law (2004) and his B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of California, Davis (2001).

January / February 2005