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May 2024

  • Beth Appelsmith, ’86, and Camille Hemmer, ’83, two veteran family law attorneys, were named to the Forbes Advisor list of Best Divorce Lawyers in Sacramento. The former has carved out a niche as a lawyer who focuses entirely on collaborative divorce and mediation, and the latter is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers who was recently honored for her pro bono work.
  • Dena Coggins, ’07, was confirmed to the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, by the U.S. Senate. The Sacramento County Superior Court judge will take her seat on the federal bench in September when Chief Judge Kimberly Mueller takes senior status.
  • Erin Hallissy, ’95, was named co-managing partner of her new firm, Schonbuch Hallissy LLP, in Brentwood. A former partner with Daniels Fine et al., she is a veteran civil defense trial attorney who has handled a wide variety of major personal injury cases.
  • Doreen Spears Hartwell, ’00, was honored as a “Nevada Trailblazer” by the State Bar of Nevada. A partner at Hartwell Thalacker Ltd. in Las Vegas, she has won numerous awards over her 23-year career for civic leadership and pro bono service, including the Clark County Law Foundation Liberty Bell Award.
  • David Hayek, ’89, has joined Hinshaw & Culbertson as a partner in Los Angeles from Gordon Rees. He represents domestic insurers, syndicates, and consortiums in the London and European insurance markets.
  • Amy Holliday, ’97, has been appointed to serve as a judge of the Sacramento County Superior Court. The governor’s appointment allows her to immediately assume the position she was otherwise elected to begin in January 2025.
  • David Piper, ’95, has joined Stradley Ronon as a partner in Long Beach from Keesal, Young & Logan. He brings more than three decades of experience in advising individuals and global companies in commercial disputes.
  • Marshall Silberberg, ’73, was named to the Forbes Advisor Best Car Accident Lawyers in Irvine. He has represented clients and their families in personal injury and medical malpractice cases for the past 50 years with notable success.
  • John C. Taylor, ’77, was co-counsel for a plaintiff who won a $35 million verdict in Los Angeles Superior Court and another plaintiff who won a $35 million verdict in Santa Barbara Superior Court in two different school sexual abuse cases. He is a partner at Taylor & Ring in Manhattan Beach.
  • Curtis Vandermolen, ’20, has joined Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard as an associate in Sacramento, where he brings a decade of experience in public policy work to his focus on federal Indian law.

April 2024

  • Gina Anderson, ’04, was named the interim police chief of the City of Pleasanton. She previously served as the police chief of the City of Newark for the past four years.
  • Michael Bowman, ’88, was honored as Judge of the Year at the Sacramento County Bar Association’s 2024 Bench Bar Reception. Appointed to the bench in 2013, he recently completed two years of service as presiding judge of the Sacramento Superior Court.
  • Mark Dawson, ’93, and his defense team won a Santa Clara County Superior Court verdict in a case involving alleged intentional infliction of emotional distress. He is a principal at the Dawson Law Offices in Pleasant Hill.
  • Stacey Grassini, ’91, Adam Kook, ’12, and Andres Perez, ’96, were among a 10-member group of deputy district attorneys who obtained a $1.5 million settlement for the state in an environmental law strict liability case that was heard in Stockton. The three prosecutors represented San Joaquin, Contra Costa, Fresno, and Marin counties, respectively.
  • Robert Green, ’84, won a $5.5 million settlement in a Los Angeles Superior Court breach-of-contracts, declaratory relief case that spanned a decade. He is a partner at Green & Noblin PC in Tiburon. Scott Hyman, ’90, has joined Womble Bond Dickinson in Irvine as a partner. Most recently, a partner at Severson & Werson, he brings three decades of experience representing banks and other financial institutions.
  • Nicole Hisatomi, ’22, was appointed deputy secretary of legislation at the California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. She previously served as a deputy legislative commissioner at the state Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.
  • Tatum Kennedy, ’20, was installed as president of The Barristers Club of Sacramento, a professional organization for young attorneys in the capital area. She is an associate at Delfino Madden O’Malley Coyle & Koewler.
  • Jacqueline Roberts, ’13, has been appointed by the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors as the new county Counsel. She has worked in that office for six years, most recently as interim county counsel. Curtis Vandermolen, ’20, has joined Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard as an associate in Sacramento, where he brings a decade of experience in public policy work to his focus on federal Indian law.
  • Robert Vaage, ’82, was cited among the Forbes Advisor Best Personal Injury Lawyers in San Diego. The founder of Vaage Law, he has four decades of experience in major wrongful death, medical malpractice, and medical fraud cases.

March 2024

  • Paul Bacigalupo, ’87, has joined ADR Services panel of neutrals. A former president of the California Judges Association, he served as a judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court for 22 years before his recent retirement.
  • Sue Bajwa, ’92, has been named vice president at NorthBay Health, a Solano County medical/hospital organization. Previously, she worked for more than 20 years in private practice and was a partner in a civil litigation firm in the East Bay.
  • Shay Billington, ’15, has been promoted to senior counsel at CDF Labor Law’s Sacramento office, where she defends companies against wage-and-hour class actions and single-plaintiff claims involving employment-related torts.
  • Kevin Cheng, ’07, has been appointed to the Dental Board of California. He is the director of construction at the City of Hope, a major national cancer research center headquartered in Duarte.
  • Paul Clark, ’96, has been named the executive director of the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau. A cattle rancher, he is a partner at Clark, Cali & Negranti in Paso Robles.
  • Dena Coggins,’07, has been nominated by President Biden to fill a future vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. A former administrative law judge, she has served as judge of the Sacramento County Superior Court for three years.
  • Peter Devencenzi,’09, won a judgeship in San Joaquin County, garnering more than 50 percent of the vote in a two-way race. After beginning his career as a civil attorney, he switched to the criminal side and has served more than a decade as a prosecutor in the county district attorney’s office.
  • Amy Holliday,’97, was elected to the Sacramento County bench, picking up the majority of votes in a race against two fellow alums. She is an assistant chief deputy at the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
  • Lawrence Marks, ’90, was co-counsel for a plaintiff who won a $61.8 million verdict in a Los Angeles County Superior Court wrongful-death auto accident case. He is a senior attorney at Mardirossian Akaragian LLP in Los Angeles.
  • Sean McGah, ’09, was promoted to partner at Manning Gross + Massenburg LLP in Irvine. He dedicates his practice to multi-party complex litigation, with a primary focus on asbestos and talc litigation.
  • Cole McKnight,’07, was unopposed in a race for an open seat on the Kern County Superior Court judgeship. He is a veteran prosecutor in the Kern County District Attorney’s office.
  • Winston Moody, ’14, was listed among Forbes Advisor ‘s Top 10 Personal Injury Lawyers in Oakland. He is a partner with Gwilliam Ivary Chiosso Cavalli & Brewer APC.
  • Christine Suk Hi Dehr, ’04, has been appointed as a commissioner of the Placer County Superior Court, where she has served as a senior legal research attorney for the past 12 years.
  • April Van Dyke,’10, ousted an incumbent judge in a Humboldt County contest. She has worked for more than 13 years as a public defender in several state counties.
  • Connor Worden, ’16, has been hired as the City of Goleta’s new community resource deputy. He had a three-year stint with the Santa Barbara County Sherriff’s Office after beginning his legal career in the U.S. Marines JAG Corps.

February 2024

  • Julie Capell, ’03, was elected partner in charge of the Los Angeles and Culver City offices of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. She specializes in defending employers in all facets of employment litigation.
  • Dana Caudill, ’93, was appointed to a judgeship on the Ventura County Superior Court by Governor Gavin Newsom. A longtime defense lawyer, she has been a trial attorney, supervising attorney, and managing attorney with the Los Angeles office of Farmers Insurance.
  • Gregory Fayard, ’00, was on a defense team that won a summary judgment in Solano County Superior Court in a product liability case involving a serious golf cart accident. He is a partner at Cardinale Fayard APLC in Sacramento.
  • Daniel Glass, ’88, was installed as president of the Capitol City Trial Lawyers Association. He is a principal at the Law Office of Daniel S. Glass in Sacramento.
  • Robyn Hosmer, ’90, has joined Nationwide Insurance’s trial division as managing trial attorney for its Sacramento staff counsel office, bringing her extensive expertise in litigating complex matters on behalf of individual and corporate defendants.
  • Betty Julian, ’02, received the Stanislaus County Commission for Women’s 2024 Outstanding Woman Award. A state-certified family law specialist and the co-chair of McCormick Barstow LLP’s Modesto office, she was honored for her extensive volunteer community service.
  • John P. Kelley, ’93, won a defense verdict as co-counsel in a Shasta County Superior Court personal injury trial in which the plaintiff sought $6.7 million in damages. He is a partner at Morgan & Kelley in Redding.
  • Kelley Mahoney, ’11, was promoted to partner at Manning Gross + Massenburg LLP in San Francisco, where she concentrates her practice on general, product, toxic tort, and premises liability.
  • Gael G. Mueller, ’85, is serving as adjunct professor at San Luis Obispo College of the Law, which is affiliated with the Monterey College of Law group. She brings 30 years of experience as a criminal defense attorney to the legal education classroom.
  • Gary Nelson, ’86, was cited in the Forbes Advisor Best Personal Injury Attorneys in Stockton category. A principal at the Law Office of Gary Nelson in Modesto, his 36 years of legal experience includes a specialty in workers’ compensation representation.
  • Alissa Pleau-Fuller, ’08, was a member of a defense team that received a summary judgment in a U.S. District Court, Southern District of California case involving an alleged breach of contract. She is senior counsel at Buchalter APC in Sacramento.
  • Tom Richard, ’92, was appointed to the board of directors of the Goodnation Foundation, a major philanthropic organization headquartered in New York. A senior counsel at RTGR Law LLP in Oakland, he is also the managing director of Dignity Fund.
  • Douglas Ropel, ’14, has been promoted to shareholder at Littler Mendelson PC in Sacramento, where he advises and represents employers in a wide range of labor and employment matters.
  • Jamie Taylor, ’17, has been named DEI director at the California State Senate. He brings 28 years of experience in political, legislative, and community affairs to the post, most recently serving as director of the Senate Fellows program.

January 2024

  • Sarah Aghassi, ’99, was named San Diego County’s interim chief administrative officer. She has worked for 18 years in several key roles for California’s second-largest county.
  • Lori Costanzo, ’88, made the Forbes Advisor top 10 list of Best Personal Injury Lawyers in San Jose. Her Costanzo Law Firm provides a wide variety of legal services, including mediation.
  • Becky Diel, '14, was installed as the president of the San Joaquin County Bar Association. She is a partner at McKinley, Conger, Jolley & Galarneau LLP in Stockton.
  • Barry Fadem, ’79, co-authored a book, “Revolution Road Trip,” about a fateful journey by four friends to Eastern Europe in 1990 as the Iron Curtain fell. A Lafayette attorney, he is an expert consultant on state initiatives and referendums, and campaign and election law.
  • Sonia Fernandes, ’04, led a plaintiff team that obtained a $50 million settlement to conclude an investigation of a major corporation’s behavioral health care services. She is the deputy director and chief counsel for the California Department of Managed Health Care’s Office of Enforcement.
  • Christian Herrmann, ’02, has joined Nelson Mullins as a partner in Greenville, South Carolina, where his practice includes advising companies on managing corporate immigration programs. He was previously with Ogletree Deakins.
  • Amy O’Neill, ’13, was promoted to partner at the Sacramento office of King & Spaulding LLP, where she focuses her practice on representing healthcare clients in complex litigation and arbitration.
  • Jacklin Rad, ’03, has joined Fisher Phillips as a partner in its Los Angeles office. Her previous experience includes working for a national labor and employment firm and serving as a senior deputy with the California Labor Commissioner’s Office.
  • Aaron Ralph, ’04, was promoted to partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in Los Angeles, where he helps government contractors and grant recipients with compliance obligations and concerns.
  • Brian Schall, ’11, was a member of a plaintiff team that obtained an $11 million settlement in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, in a securities fraud case. He is a principal at The Schall Law Firm in Los Angeles.
  • Daniel Zerga, ’23, has joined Parker & Covert LLP as an associate in its Sacramento office, where he will work in the firm’s large education law group that represents school districts, community colleges, and other clients.

In Memoriam

  • Phillip Urie,’81, died at the age of 74 on March 28, 2024, in Stockton. A judge of the San Joaquin Superior Court for 15 years, he began his career serving 23 years as a prosecutor in the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s office.
  • Sharyn Van Tassell Matin, ’73, died at the age of 77 on April 24, 2024, in Lafayette, Louisiana. She established her own law firm in Roseville and went on to practice personal injury law for 45 years before retiring because of illness and moving out of state.
  • Ben Scheible, ’82, died at the age of 71 on May 1, 2024, in Reno. He practiced real estate law for 13 years in California and Nevada, then found his true calling in education as a professor at Truckee Community College and other schools.
  • J. Douglas Buchanan, ’75, died at the age of 82 on April 7, 2024, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He practiced law for 42 years in Bishop while also serving as a deacon and later a priest in Episcopal parishes in the eastern Sierra Nevada before retiring to Virginia.
  • Lillian ‘Dit’ Jenks, ’67, died at the age of 103 on March 16, 2024, in Sacramento. A former president of the Women Lawyers of Sacramento, she was a private practitioner specializing in personal injury litigation for almost 40 years until her retirement in 2005.
  • Richard Gary, ’69, died at the age of 87 on January 20, 2024, in Carmichael. He practiced law in Sacramento for 47 years, including a stint as a partner with Gary, Till & Burlingham.
  • Michael Campos, ’75, died at the age of 84 on February 13, 2024, in Sacramento. A former executive director of the State Water Board, he began a 27-year career in private practice as an environmental and water law attorney, including service with Graham & James.
  • Roy Peters, ’78, died after an eight-month battle with cancer at the age of 80 on February 3, 2024, in Palo Cedro. A radio personality, community activist, and solo practitioner in Redding for 45 years, he specialized in estate planning, elder law, and probate.

Faculty In Memoriam

  • Charles Kelso, who taught Constitutional Law to thousands of future attorneys in a 40-year career at McGeorge, died at the age of 95 on January 31, 2024, in Sacramento. A former Supreme Court clerk, he was the youngest law professor in the country at age 22 when he began teaching at Indiana University. His recruitment to Sacramento was one of the shrewdest moves ever made by the late Dean Gordon Schaber. McGeorge not only landed a talented professor, but his wife Jane also served as the Dean of Students at the law school from 1982 to 2001. Their son, Clark, carries on the family tradition at McGeorge, where he has been a faculty member for almost 40 years.