Alumni Updates

Jan. 24, 2013

Steve Hansen,'11, was featured in lengthy profile in the Sacramento News & Review. A lobbyist for Genentech, he is a new member of the Sacramento City Council.

Jan. 15, 2013

Allison Bates, '91, has been named a referee in the Jackson County Friend of the Court program, an adjunct of Michigan's 4th Judicial Circuit Court. After spending much of her career with the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's office and the Jackson County Prosecutor's office, she has done criminal defense work with Brandt & Decker for the last two years.

Jan. 14, 2013

Alejandro Angulo, '01, was honored with a Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Maker Award for his community activism and volunteerism by the City of Long Beach. A partner at Rutan & Tucker LLP in Costa Mesa, he was co-counsel for a company that won a $4 million bench decision in an Orange Superior Court case last fall involving fraud and breach of fiduciary duty.

Jan. 9, 2013

Casey Campbell, '81, has been appointed as a Family District Court Master in Nevada. She is a principal in the Law Office of Casey Campbell PC in Reno.

Jan. 8, 2013

Barbara Brenner, '89, has partnered with several other high-profile attorneys to form Churchwell White LLP in Sacramento. Previously, the environmental law expert was a partner at two major law firms.

Jan. 7, 2013

Joshua Baker, '05, has been promoted to partner at the Sacramento energy law firm of Day Carter & Murphy. His practice focuses on oil and gas, energy and real estate transactional matters.

Jan. 6, 2013

Erica Rosasco, '02, has joined Flesher McKague LLP as a partner and Aerin Murphy, '12, has joined the Folsom firm as an associate. Rosasco will represent businesses and insurance companies in employment, casualty and general litigation matters, and Murphy will litigate in asbestos, employment, railroad and general litigation matters.

Jan. 5, 2013

Dennis Seley, '74, has joined Reynolds Maddux LLP in Auburn in an "of counsel" capacity, and his practice now focuses on business law, product liability and real estate.

Jan. 4, 2013

David Boyd, '76, has joined Porter Scott in Sacramento in an "of counsel" capacity where his practice focuses on defense of a variety of professionals.

Jan. 3, 2013

Olena Likhachova, '12, has joined Spector Weir LLP in Sacramento as an associate where her practice will focus on trust and estate litigation.

Jan. 2, 2013

Micaela Neal, '12, has joined McCormick Barstow LLP as an associate in Fresno where she concentrates her practice on insurance coverage matters.

Jan. 1, 2013

Cara O'Neill, '94, has opened the Law Offices of Cara O'Neill in Roseville. She was previously with the Ulan Legal Group.

Dec. 31, 2013

Mario Zamora, '08, was honored as one of the Central California's "40 under 40" by Business Street Online. He is a fifth-year associate with Hanford's Griswold LaSalle Cobb Dowd & Gin LLP, the largest law firm in Kings and Tulare counties.

Dec. 30, 2013

Dean Derleth, '92, has been named as the first full-time city attorney of Corona. He served as that city's contract attorney for the past 11 years during his 20-year stint with Best, Best & Krieger in Riverside.

Dec. 29, 2013

Marcus Arneson, '11, has joined Harrison, Temblador, Hungerford & Johnson LLP in Sacramento as an associate where he will focus on environmental and natural resources issues. He previously worked in private practice representing property owners and government agencies in land acquisition and litigation.

Dec. 27, 2013

Pamela King, '77, was named to the San Bernardino County Superior Court by Governor Jerry Brown. She has served as a county deputy public defender since 1998 after beginning her legal career as a deputy district attorney and practicing law for eight years with Markman Arczyski Hanson Curly & Slough in Rancho Cucamonga.

Dec. 27, 2013

Michael J. Reinhart, '83, was named to a judgeship in the Kings County Superior Court by Governor Jerry Brown. He has been the owner and principal attorney at the Law Office of Michael J. Reinhart in Hanford since 2011. He worked at the Kings County District Attorney's Office as chief deputy district attorney from 2006 to 2011 and deputy district attorney and chief trial attorney from 1992 to 2006.

Dec. 22, 2013

Carissa Bouwer, '12, and Megan (Cosgrove) Sammut, '12, have joined DLP Piper as associates in Sacramento.

Dec. 20, 2013

James Ritchey, '85, was named the 2013 recipient of the Andreoli Faculty Service Award, which recognizes a faculty member who has made outstanding contributions to the development of biotechnology programs in the 23-campus California State University system. A chemistry professor at CSU Sacramento, he is a partner at the law firm of Bannion & Richey who taught also IP law and patent law as an adjunct at Pacific McGeorge for 15 years.

Dec. 16, 2013

Katie Oldham, '11, was hired as an attorney for the domestic violence project at Casa Cornelia Law Center, a public interest law firm providing pro bono legal services to victims of human and civil rights violations, in San Diego.

Dec. 6, 2013

Christopher Hamner, '98, was plaintiffs' co-counsel and negotiated a $1.1 settlement in a class-action lawsuit for false advertising against Toys "R" Us in Los Angeles Superior Court. He is a principal in the Hamner Law Offices in Los Angeles.

Dec. 4, 2013

Adam Koss, '06, was co-counsel for a defense team that won a bench dismissal in a malicious prosecution case in Alameda Superior Court. He is an associate at Murphy, Pearson, Bradley in San Francisco.

Dec. 18, 2013

Herb Santos, '91, was appointed to the Nevada Commission on Tourism by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval. He is the managing partner of the NBA D-League Reno Bighorns basketball team and the owner of the Law Firm of Herb Santos, Jr. in Reno.

Dec. 17, 2013

William Lapcevic, '03, has joined the Sacramento law firm Ellis Law Group, LLP as a senior associate attorney. He previously practiced commercial and professional liability law with Arata, Swingle, Sodhi, & Van Egmond in Modesto.

Dec. 15, 2013

Daniel Dooley, '82, was reappointed to the California State Board of Food and Agriculture by Governor Jerry Brown. He is the senior vice president for external relations for the University of California system.

Dec. 14, 2013

Randy Pollack, '86, has selected by the California Self Storage Association to act as its lobbyist with state legislators next year. A former chief deputy for legal affairs Governor George Deukmejian, he is a principal in the Law Office of Randy Pollack, which specializes governmental affairs.

Dec. 13, 2013

Angelique Ashby, '03, the vice mayor of the city of Sacramento and owner of Ashby Consulting LLC was named to the Sacramento Business Journal's "40 Under 40" list of most accomplished, talented and influential young professionals in Sacramento.

Dec. 13, 2013

Kresta Nora Daly, '98, a partner at Barth Tozer & Daly LLP and one of the few female private defense attorneys in Sacramento, was named to the Sacramento Business Journal's "40 Under 40" list of most accomplished, talented and influential young professionals in Sacramento.

Dec. 10, 2013

Jim Pettis, '02, has been elected to partnership at Bryan Cave LLP in Los Angeles. His litigation practice concentrates on complex and multidistrict aviation-related product liability actions throughout the United States and its territories, Canada and Europe.

Dec. 7, 2013

Chris Micheli, '92, wrote an op-ed, "It's Tax Time in the Capitol," which appeared in the Sacramento Business Journal. He is a principal in with Aprea & Micheli Inc., a Sacramento governmental affairs firm.

Dec. 6, 2013

Amy Glad, '91, has been elected chairwoman of the board of directors of the California Building Industry Association. She is the senior vice president of governmental affairs for Los Angeles-based Pardee Homes, one of the country's leading homebuilders.

Dec. 4, 2013

Christine Jacob, '01, was sworn in as president of the Women Lawyers of Sacramento. She is a partner at the Roseville office of Hansen Kohls Jones Sommer & Jacob LLP where her civil litigation practice focuses on professional liability defense and business litigation.

Dec. 2, 2013

Julia K. Vlahos, '12, has joined Klein, DeNatale, Goldner, Cooper, Rosenlieb & Kimball LLP in Bakersfield as an associate attorney in its business litigation department. She previously worked at KDG in 2010 and 2011 as a summer law clerk, and served as a certified legal intern at the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office.

Dec. 1, 2013

Raissa Morris, '12, has joined Considine Sorensen & Trujillo APC, the leading immigration law firm in Sacramento, as an associate.

Nov. 30, 2013

Daniel Custodio, '11, has joined the HMS Law Group in Sacramento in an "of counsel" capacity. Previously in-house counsel with Numonyx Inc. and Micron Technology Inc., the registered patent attorney focuses his practice on intellectual property.

Nov. 29, 2013

Kelly Ryan, '94, has joined Wilke Fleury in an "of counsel" capacity. She will practice in the Sacramento firm's healthcare group.

Nov. 27, 2013

Gantry Griffin, '11, has joined Gaw Van Male where he will be a part of the firm's wealth preservation team. The Napa-based firm, which also has offices in Fairfield, Vacaville and Redlands, specializes in business law, estate planning and related litigation.

Nov. 26, 2013

Hanni Fakhoury, '07, was quoted in a front-page story of The New York Times. An attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Francisco non-profit, he discussed court decisions on privacy claims regarding searches of cell phones.

Nov. 26, 2013

Steve Hansen, '11, emerged as the winner of a hotly contested race for the District 4 seat on the Sacramento City Council winning 50.1 percent of the votes cast. He is a senior regional manager at the California-based biotechnology company Genentech.

Nov. 25, 2013

Lloyd Connelly, '77, was the subject of a feature story in the Sacramento Bee. He is retiring as a judge of the Sacramento Superior Court after 20 years on the bench

Nov. 24, 2013

Louinda Lacey, '11, has joined Somach Simmons & Dunn as an associate. The December 2010 Order of the Coif graduate will focus her practice on environmental litigation, water quality and natural resources law.

Nov. 23, 2013

Bill Brelsford, '99, was named a "Top 40 Under 40 Attorney" by the National Trial Lawyers and inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is a personal injury attorney and partner at the Sacramento firm of Poswall, White & Cutler.

Nov. 21, 2013

David Kauffman, '96, was appointed as the inspector general at the California Military Department by Governor Jerry Brown. A lieutenant colonel, he has served with the California Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve for nearly 20 years including tours of duty in Guantanamo Bay, Kosovo and Afghanistan.

Nov. 21, 2013

Gregory Syren, '85, was appointed to the Alameda County Superior Court by Governor Jerry Brown. An assistant public defender for Alameda County since 1987, he fills a vacancy on the court created by the elevation of one of its members to the federal bench.

November 20, 2013

John Taylor, '77, won an $8.756 million verdict in Los Angeles Superior Court in a wrongful death police shooting case. He is a senior partner at Taylor & Ring LLP.

Nov. 20, 2013

Michael Babikian, '97, was named president and CEO of Transamerica Brokerage, a distribution unit of Transamerica Life Insurance's Los Angeles-based Life & Protection Division. He previously held the position of executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the division.

Nov. 19, 2013

Matthew Olson, '09, has joined the San Francisco bankruptcy litigation firm of Macdonald Fernandez as an associate. Olson previously served as law clerk to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ronald Sargis of the Eastern District of California.

Nov. 16, 2013

Claire Priestley LeFlore, '80, was appointed chief counsel at the California Department of Parks and Recreation by Governor Jerry Brown. She has been a deputy attorney at the California Department of Transportation since 2007.

Nov. 15, 2013

Kevin Dunbar, '87, won voluntary dismissal with prejudice in a Los Angeles Superior Court case in which a plaintiff claimed slip-and-fall injuries in a bank lobby. He is a principal in the Long Beach firm of Dunbar & Associates.

Nov. 13, 2013

Alena Klimianok, '09, was co-counsel for a severely injured plaintiff who won a $6 million verdict against a psychiatric hospital. She is an associate at Bernard & Bernard in Los Angeles.

Nov. 10, 2013

Mark Ankcorn, '93, has joined, CaseyGerry LLP, in an "of counsel' capacity. Prior to joining San Diego's oldest plaintiff's law firm, he was in private practice, handling national consumer class actions, with more than $9 million in settlements to date. An ordained rabbi, Ankcorn began his professional career with the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Nov. 9, 2013

Ken Cooley, '84, was declared the winner of the California State Assembly 8th District race as the results of a hard-fought legislative race were made official by the California Secretary of State three days after the election. The Rancho Cordova councilman and former mayor won nearly 53 percent of the vote against a Republican incumbent in a district that comprises the eastern suburbs of Sacramento.

Nov. 9, 2013

Jeff Braun, '92, was co-counsel for a successful defense in an Orange County Superior Court auto injury trial in which the plaintiff sought $1 million in damages. He is a principal in the Costa Mesa firm of McNeil, Tropp, Braun & Kennedy.

Nov. 6, 2013

Renee Nash, '92, won election to the Eureka Union School District Board of Trustees. The former Pacific McGeorge adjunct professor, a longtime community activist in the Roseville area, operates the Law Offices of Renee C. Nash in Granite Bay.

Nov. 6, 2013

Jeff Gorell, '99, was re-elected in the 44th Assembly District 44 of the California legislature. The Ventura attorney spent half of his first term serving with the U.S. Navy on active duty in Iraq.

Nov. 6, 2013

Sarah Heckman, '99, won a seat on the Sutter County Superior Court bench, capturing more than 60 percent of the vote in a runoff election against Jud Waggoman, '90, to replace a retiring judge. She has served as managing attorney of the Sutter Courts Law Center self-help programs since 2002 after beginning her legal career as a deputy district attorney.

Nov. 6, 2013

Warren Stracener, '85, retained his seat on the El Dorado County Superior Court bench with a 52-47 percent victory over a formidable opponent. He had been appointed to a judgeship in December 2010 by outgoing Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Nov. 6, 2013

Kurt Anagnostou, '85 won election as a commissioner of the Cowlitz Public Utility District. The long-time Longview City Council member and former mayor is a principal in the law firm of Daggy & Anagnostou PS.

Nov. 6, 2013

Carol Mills, '79, retained her seat on the Fresno Unified School District board, easily warding off a challenge from a union-backed candidate. She is a senior attorney with the Fifth District Court of Appeal.

Nov. 6, 2013

Jeff Starsky, '89, was the leading vote-getter and won his fourth term on the Folsom City Council. He is general counsel for the Beutler Corporation.

Nov. 6, 2013

Andy Pugno, '99, lost his bid for the California State Assembly District 6 seat. The Folsom attorney fell to a fellow Republican who was running as an incumbent.

Nov. 6, 2013

Tony Amador, '88, was unsuccessful in his bid to knock off a Democratic incumbent in the California State Assembly District 9 race. He is a retired U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of California who has served as chairman of the Youthful Offender Parole Board and director of the California Youth Authority.

Nov. 5, 2013

Devin Donahue, '97, was co-counsel for a plaintiff who won a $3.5 million FINRA arbitration award in a breach of promissory note, wrongful termination case. He is a partner in the Los Angeles firm of Palmer, Lombardi & Donahue LLP.

Nov. 4, 2013

Edward J. Garcia, '58, was the subject of a lengthy profile in the Sacramento Bee. He is retiring after 25 years of service as a judge on the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California.

Nov. 2, 2013

Brian Tippens, '00, was the keynote speaker at the 8th Annual National Black Pre-Law Conference in Houston. He is the director of Hewlett Packard's Global Procurement Sustainability & Innovation group in Texas.

Nov. 2, 2013

Anne O'Donnell, '02, recently accepted a position as senior writer for legal professional content with Findlaw, a Thomson Reuters company. Previously a civil litigator in San Francisco, she continues to serve on the board of directors for the Queen's Bench Bar Association of the Bay Area.

Nov. 1, 2013

Amanda Gimbel, '08, wrote an article, "Justice Ming Chin Urges Civility," which appeared in the November/December issue of the Sacramento Lawyer magazine. She is the owner and founder of Gimbel Law and treasurer of the Barristers' Club of Sacramento.

Obituaries

Dec. 10, 2013

Roy "Bucky" Levin, '62, died after a short illness at the age of 81 in Sacramento. A former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, he operated the Law Offices of Roy R. Levin in downtown Sacramento and Elk Grove for nearly half a century. His death came just one month shy of his 50th year anniversary as an active member of the State Bar.

Dec. 10, 2013

Tiffanie Kalmbach, '93, died at the age of age of 45 in Piedmont. She worked for several major firms in the Bay Area, including Ropers Majeski and Crosby Heafey. Diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1997, she left the practice of law and worked for Michael Maguire & Associates while remaining active in her community.

Dec. 3, 2013

Brian Andelin, '75, died of chronic lymphocytic leukemia at the age of 64 on December 3, 2013, in Pierce City, Missouri. He was admitted to the State Bar of California following law school, but for most of his legal career he practiced law in Mesa, Arizona. He also lived in Texas, Missouri and Oregon.

Nov. 28, 2013

John Hawkins, '75, died of heart failure at the age of 77 in Reno. A major benefactor and loyal alumnus of Pacific McGeorge, he practiced law for more than 35 years in northern Nevada. He also served as a Nevada Supreme Court settlement judge.

Nov. 22, 2013

Jeffrey Kohan, '81, died at the age of 56 on November 22, 2013, in Northbrook, Illinois. He practiced law in the greater Chicago area for 25 years, many of them with the prominent bankruptcy firm of Zalutsky & Pinski Ltd.