Courthouse Steps

Levin, a two-time SCBA Bar Council member (and former Acting Editor of this magazine) has won a contested election to the Placer County Bar Association Board of Trustees, beating out three Placer County deputy district attorneys. Levin and his wife (retired local attorney Cecilia Dalton) moved to the foothills in 1997 with their son, Sparky. Although he continues to work at the Third District Court of Appeal, he mostly telecommutes from his home in Auburn, and has transferred most of his volunteer activities (fee arbitrations, sitting pro tem and local bar work) to the PCBA. Drawing on his skills at the Sacramento Lawyer, he has become the editor of the PCBA newsletter. (Call 916-653-0075 with story ideas . . .)

The Sacramento law firm of Rediger McHugh & Hubbert LLP is pleased to announce the addition of attorney Paul J. Bauer to its labor and employment law practice. Bauer will counsel the firm's clients on labor, employment, and unfair competition matters. He is currently a member of the Labor and Employment Section of the State Bar of California and the Sacramento County Bar Association. Prior to joining Rediger McHugh & Hubbert, Bauer defended public employees and public entities against employment- related lawsuits, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and FEHA claims, before state and federal courts. He also served as a policy consultant to California State Senator Charles S. Poochigian (R-Fresno) and the Senate Local Government Committee's Republican members. Bauer received his Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration and Minor in Economics from California State University at Fresno, and his Juris Doctor from McGeorge School of Law.

Palmer Kazanjian Holden, LLP is pleased to announce that Julie A. Gonzales has joined the firm's Sacramento office. Ms. Gonzales has extensive experience representing public and private sector employers in labor and employment matters. She also specializes in advising employers on difficult employment issues in the hopes of avoiding litigation. Ms. Gonzales is a member of the American, California, and Federal Bar Associations as well as the Sacramento County Bar. Ms. Gonzales also does pro bono work for the Voluntary Legal Services Program, providing employment counsel to low income clients. Ms. Gonzales received her Juris Doctorate, Order of the Coif, from Loyola Law School in 1990.

The Sacramento law firm of Trainor Robertson is pleased to announce the addition of two new attorneys. Daniel M. Steinberg has joined the firm's litigation group. Mr. Steinberg will assist the firm's clients with construction-related claims and business litigation. Mr. Steinberg earned his degree from the McGeorge School of Law in 1997. Mr. Steinberg is also an adjunct professor at Sacramento City College, teaching courses in business law, finance and economics, and sits on the Mercy General Hospital Community Council Board.

Winnifred Ward has joined the Trainor Robertson's Transactional Group. Ms. Ward will assist the firm's clients with matters relating to real estate law. Ms. Ward earned her law degree from University of California, Davis, School of Law, and received her A.B. in International Relations from Brown University. She is a member of the State Bar of California and the Real Property Law Section of the Sacramento County Bar Association.

McDonough Holland & Allen announced that Stephen Lerner has been elected president of the Sacramento Society for the Blind's board of directors. Lerner's election as president comes just nine months after joining the board of the 50-year-old nonprofit organization.

Lerner, who has been at McDonough since 2000, is a member of the firm's litigation section, and his practice focuses on business litigation and environmental law. A successful litigator, Lerner also represents clients in administrative proceedings and litigation regarding business disputes, federal and state Superfund statutes and real property disputes. He has represented private businesses and public agencies in environmental counseling, permitting and compliance matters relating to air quality regulations, hazardous waste issues, underground storage tank regulations, soil and groundwater contamination and discharges of water and pollutants. Lerner previously served as environmental assistant to the mayor of San Diego, developing and implementing programs and policies in the areas of water supply and conservation, parks and open space, air quality, and solid and hazardous waste. He earned his J.D., with distinction, from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (1994) in Sacramento and his B.A. from the University of California, San Diego (1988).

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP announced that Marc A. Levinson, a bankruptcy and restructuring partner in the firm's Sacramento office, recently was appointed Ninth Circuit Regent of the American College of Bankruptcy (the "College") by the College's Board of Directors. The College is a national, honorary, professional and educational association of bankruptcy and insolvency professionals. Its mission is to honor and recognize distinguished bankruptcy professionals in an effort to set standards of achievement for others in the national and international insolvency community, and to fund and assist projects that enhance the highest quality of bankruptcy practice. It counts among its ranks over 500 Fellows selected by the Board of Regents.

Levinson will chair the Ninth Circuit Admissions Council, which is responsible for the nomination of qualified Ninth Circuit candidates to fellowship in the College. Only one Regent is appointed from each of the eleven federal judicial circuits and three Regents are appointed At Large. The D.C. Circuit has no Regent. The Board of Regents, of which Levinson is now a member, has the sole authority to elect Fellows to the College.