Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Page 3
Firms Announce New Partners in Los Angeles Offices
By STEVEN M. ELLIS, Staff Writer
Law firms Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis, Irell & Manella and Dykema each said yesterday that they have added partners to their Los Angeles offices.
Allen Matkins said former Latham & Watkins partner Alan Clark has joined its Litigation Department, while Irell announced the election of Ellisen S. Turner and Dykema announced the election of S. Christopher “Kit” Winter as a member, the firm’s equivalent of partner.
The news follows Murchison & Cumming’s announcement Monday that it has elevated Richard C. Moreno, chair of the firm’s Transportation Liability Practice Group, to senior partner and named Paul R. Flaherty an associate partner.
Clark has practiced commercial litigation at Latham & Watkins since beginning his legal career in 1975 after graduating from the University of Alabama and the University of Virginia Law School. He served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army for three years before attending law school, and holds a Diploma of Comparative Legal Studies from Cambridge University, England.
He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an associate of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and a former master of the George McBurney Business Litigation Inn of Court.
A former director and chairman of the board of the Skid Row Development Corporation, a Los Angeles charity for the homeless, and a former director of the Pacific Crest Outward Bound School, Clark currently serves as a director of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and of America Supporting Americans, a nonprofit group providing support for American troops.
Founded in 1977, Alan Matkins also has offices in Orange County, San Francisco, San Diego, Century City, Del Mar Heights and Walnut Creek. Approximately 80 of the firm’s 230 lawyers statewide are part of the litigation practice group joined by Clark.
Turner, 34 joined Irell in 2003, and his practice focuses on intellectual property litigation.
Admitted to the State Bar that year, he attended college at USC and law school at the University of Michigan, and served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Robert Payne of the Eastern District of Virginia.
Turner is a registered patent attorney and has advocated for clients in the U.S. Supreme Court, the International Trade Commission, the International Court of Arbitration and federal district courts nationwide. He is a member of Irell’s Hiring Committee and chairs the firm’s Los Angeles summer associate program.
Founded in 1941, Irell has 220 attorneys in offices in Los Angeles and Newport Beach.
Winter focuses on business litigation and strategic planning, with an emphasis on Internet, intellectual property and media law. A graduate of college at Yale University and law school at UCLA, he was admitted to the State Bar in 1997.
Dykema is a national firm with offices in California, Illinois, Michigan, Texas and Washington, D.C.
Moreno specializes in handling catastrophic injury cases and focuses his practice in the areas of transportation, product liability, general liability, warranty liability, and the defense of utility companies in wildland fire litigation. He also defends automotive, chassis and truck manufacturers and dealerships in “lemon law” and warranty actions.
Admitted to the State Bar in 1997, Moreno attended USC and graduated from Whittier College School of Law.
Flaherty focuses on defending product liability, aviation and general tort lawsuits. A graduate of Loyola Law School and of California State University, Northridge, he was admitted to the State Bar in 1994.
Murchison & Cumming has five offices in California and Las Vegas.
Copyright 2010, Metropolitan News Company