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December 2025

  • Kaleigh Adams, ’25, has joined Kennaday Leavitt PC as an associate in the Sacramento firm’s health care and employment law practice.
  • Kara Anderson, ’25, and Brandon Rizotto, ’25, have joined Boutin Jones as associates in its real estate group and corporate practice group, respectively.
  • Christina Bucci Hamilton, ’13, and Gabriel Herrera,’ 12, were named to the Sacramento Business Journal’s Forty Under Forty list of young community leaders. Bucci Hamilton is a partner at Duggan McHugh Law Corp., and Herrera is a shareholder at Kronick Moscovitz Tiedemann & Girard.
  • Judith Chapman, ’93, and Amie Bears, ’05, won a summary judgment as co-counsel for the defense in a civil rights U.S. District Court, Northern District of California dispute. Chapman is a senior deputy counsel at the Office of the Tulare County Counsel, and Bears is a deputy attorney general at the Office of the California Attorney General.
  • Jessica Johnson, ’19, was recognized by Meritas for her work in the water and environmental law practice at Baker Manock & Jensen in Fresno.
  • Alex Katofsky, ’99, was co-counsel for plaintiffs who obtained a $1.95 million settlement in a San Joaquin Superior Court wage and hour dispute. He is a principal at the Law Offices of Alex P. Katofsky in Westlake Village who has achieved successful outcomes in numerous class action cases.
  • Patrick McNicholas, ’86, was named to the Daily Journal’s Top Plaintiff Lawyers 2025 list. A partner at McNicholas & McNicholas LLP in Los Angeles, his most notable achievement came with the $4 billion settlement between Los Angeles County and the thousands of survivors of sexual abuse at county-run juvenile detention centers- the largest municipal settlement in U.S. history for sexual abuse.
  • Bill Oxley, ’88, joined Kirkland & Ellis in Los Angeles after moving over from Orrick Herrington. The former longtime Baker Hostetler partner brings decades of experience in high-profile complex product liability, mass tort, and commercial litigation matters.
  • Estela Pino, ’83, has joined Fennemore as a director. She brings four decades of experience in representing bankruptcy clients and other litigants in a variety of complex proceedings as the founder of Pino & Associates in Roseville.
  • Scott Radcliffe, ’11, won a $1.44 million bench decision in a Placer Superior Court breach of contract dispute. He is a partner at Alves Radcliffe LLP in Gold River.
  • Vanessa Raven, ’13, was co-counsel for a plaintiff who reached a $1.5 million out-of-court settlement in a medical malpractice case. She is an associate at Ikuta Hemesath LLP in Santa Ana.
  • John C. Taylor, ’77, was named again to the Daily Journal’s annual Top 100 Lawyers list in California. A partner at Taylor & Ring in Manhattan Beach, he has been in numerous plaintiff cases that have made local and national headlines.

November 2025

  • Will Camy, ’13, and Megan Boelter, ’21, obtained a defense verdict on behalf of the city of Roseville in a Placer County Superior Court case in which the plaintiff asked the jury to award more than $2.75 million in damages. He is a shareholder, and she is an associate at Porter Scott in Sacramento.
  • Diana Connaughton, ’10, was co-counsel for plaintiffs in five medical malpractice cases in various state courts, each of which settled for more a $1.2 million. She is an attorney at Ikuta Hemesath LLP in Santa Ana.
  • Stephen Harrington, ’02, was co-counsel for a victorious defense team in a San Francisco Superior Court case involving an alleged dangerous condition of public property. He is a deputy attorney with the Office of the San Francisco City Attorney.
  • Michael Johnson, ’98, has returned to The Kleinfelder Group as senior vice president, national power marketing manager. He boasts more than 25 years of experience in the power industry.
  • Tahmina Morrow, ’12, has been appointed to serve as a judge of the Sutter County Superior Court. A former senior associate at Sims, Lawrence & Broghammer, she has served as chief deputy county counsel at the Yuba County Counsel’s Office since 2022.
  • Jennifer Mouzis, ’98, was named the recipient of the Sacramento Bar Association’s Distinguished Attorney of the Year Award. An assistant public defender at the Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office, she also operates Mouzis Criminal Defense.
  • Theresia Ortiz, ’12, has joined Amundsen Davis LLC in an of counsel capacity in Chicago, where she specializes in immigration law, assisting businesses and individuals in securing a wide range of U.S. visas.
  • Denise Pereira, ’05, is serving as the president of the San Joaquin County Bar Association this year. The owner of Pereira Law APC in Stockton, she boasts 20 years’ experience in personal injury and criminal defense practice.
  • Peter Rausch, ’86, has joined the national firm of Offit Kurman as a principal in its Aptos office. A veteran complex business and commercial litigator, he was the owner of the Law Offices of A. Peter Rausch Jr. in Stockton and Lodi for several decades.
  • John C. Taylor, ’77, was the lead attorney for a plaintiff team that obtained a $9.5 million settlement in Los Angeles Superior Court in a wrongful-death case involving a police shooting. He is a founding partner at Taylor & Ring in Manhattan Beach.
  • Clifford Tong,’06, has been appointed to serve as a judge of the Stanislaus County Superior Court. A career public defender, he has served as a chief deputy at the Stanislaus County Alternate Defender’s Office since 2022.

October 2025

  • Andria Borba, ’01, was selected as the new Vacaville City Attorney by the municipality’s City Council. She has served as an assistant attorney for a decade after beginning her legal career in state service and private practice.
  • Melissa Currier, ’17, has joined Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard as an associate in Sacramento, where she will work with the firm’s public agency clients.
  • Dustin Ericson, ’07, has been appointed to serve as a judge for the Box Elder County Justice Court and the Tremonton Justice Court in Utah. An estate planning and municipal law attorney, he is a partner at Daines & Jenkins LLP in Logan.
  • Randall Miller, ’84, will begin a three-year term as chair of the ABA’s Standing Committee on Professional Liability next month. An expert on legal malpractice law, he is the co-founder of Miller Waxler LLP in Los Angeles.
  • Farbod Nourian, ’15, was a member of a plaintiff team that obtained a $5.8 million settlement in Kern County Superior Court in a wage-and-hour case against a major health care organization. He is a senior attorney with Felehy Employment Law in Los Angeles.
  • Robert Packer, ’76, was co-leader of a defense team that was victorious in a Los Angeles County Superior Court wrongful death trial. He is a principal at Packer, O’Leary & Colson APLC in Glendale.
  • Jamie Pesce, ’04, was elected assistant presiding judge of the El Dorado County Superior Court. Appointed to the bench in 2018, she sits in the Placerville branch of the court and oversees criminal misdemeanors.
  • Trevor Quirk, ’03, was co-counsel for a plaintiff team that won a $9 million verdict in a Ventura County Superior Court wrongful death trial. He is the founder of the Quirk Law Firm LLP in Ventura.
  • Jeannie Romas, ’96, has been appointed as the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control General Counsel. She has held several leadership positions in the Chicago area public sector in the past decade, most recently with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.
  • Sara Rutkowski, ’11, has been named the community development director for the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He was promoted to her position after serving as an assistant director and then interim chief of that office.
  • Monah Shah, ’99, was recognized among the 2025 Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives. She has served as the executive director of the South Asian Bar Association of North America for five years and is an adjunct professor at USC’s Gould School of Law.
  • Wayne Strumpfer, ’92, has returned to the Imperial Irrigation District as its general counsel in El Centro. His extensive background in state government includes a leadership position with the California State Auditor.

September 2025

  • Ric Asfar, ’06, has joined Adams & Reese as a partner in its Tampa office. A Florida attorney for the past two decades, he is a construction litigation expert who has represented individuals, government entities, interest groups, and businesses in major cases.
  • Micaela Banach, ’03, has joined Nuuk-Freeman & Cerra as a partner in its San Diego office. A former president of the San Diego County Bar Association, she brings two decades of experience in major litigation cases.
  • Eric Brenneman, ’11, was co-counsel for a defendant who won a summary judgment in San Diego Superior Court in a breach of contract case. He is a partner at the Sacramento office of Demler Armstrong & Rowland.
  • Christine Carringer, ’87, has joined Judicate West as a neutral, available statewide as a mediator, arbitrator, and private judge. She recently retired as a judge of the Solano County Superior Court after 12 years on the bench.
  • Kimberly Cilley, ’94, was selected by the Livermore City Council as the new City Attorney. She has served as an assistant city attorney in Mountain View, Morgan Hill, and Pleasanton.
  • Laura Enderton-Speed, ’08, has been named The State Bar of California’s new executive director. Her extensive career in public service includes leadership positions with several state agencies and key roles with the Judicial Council of California.
  • Bobby Luna, ’10, has been appointed as a judge of the San Francisco County Superior Court. A solo practitioner from 2011 to 2024 in Sacramento, he most recently served as a court commissioner in San Francisco.
  • Milad Sefidpour, ’22, has joined Boutin Jones as an associate, where he advises on complex federal and state tax matters with a focus on transactional planning and compliance.
  • Katharine Spaniac, ’83, was co-counsel for a defense team that impeached a plaintiff’s claims of injury and defeated a $3 million demand for damages in a Riverside Superior Court trial. She is a partner at ClouseSpaniac Attorneys in Rancho Cucamonga.
  • Elizabeth Ulsh, ’13, has been appointed as a judge of the San Bernardino County Superior Court. She has served as a deputy public defender at the San Bernardino Public Defender’s Office since 2014.

In Memoriam

  • Karen L. Lobring, ’90, died at the age of 61 on December 11, 2025, in Edinburgh, Indiana. She started her legal career at Barnes & Thornburg and later developed her own private business law practice, Lobring & Associates.
  • Michael Coder, ’74, died at the age of 77 on November 4, 2025, in Tucson, Arizona. He operated a general law practice for three decades in Sacramento and later Santa Rosa.
  • John Morrow, ’80, died at the age of 90 on November 1, 2025, in Reno, Nevada. Following 20 years of service as a fighter pilot in the USAF, he enjoyed a lengthy legal career as a criminal defense attorney with the Washoe County Public Defender’s Office.
  • James Mikacich, ’69, died at the age of 85 on September 20, 2025, in Lincoln. A former football star and Army captain, he was a well-known sole practitioner in the Sacramento area for more than 45 years.
  • Richard Hettinger, ’74 died at the age of 80 on September 25, 2025, in Seguin, Texas. After starting his legal career in California, he moved to San Antonio and served as an assistant U.S. Attorney before becoming a partner and bankruptcy specialist at what is now the firm of Davidson, Troilo, Ream & Garza.
  • Fifi Zeff, ’75, died at the age of 91on October 7, 2025, in Sacramento. An attorney and longtime political activist, her career included representing labor unions, state and local agencies, a solo practice in Woodland, and service as school board president.
  • Ronald S. Erickson, ’76, died at the age of 83 on October 7, 2025, in Carmichael. He served as the Sutter County Counsel for 11 years, culminating more than three decades in Yuba City practicing municipal law in that office.
  • Brian S. Turner, ’83, died at the age of 71 on September 2, 2025, in Sacramento. He was an associate at Cole, Cross and Culbreath, a partner at Rust, Armenis & Schwartz, and ended his legal career with the California Department of Justice.