{"id":5442,"date":"2025-04-24T02:15:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T02:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/announcing-the-finalists-for-the-2025-california-legal-awards\/"},"modified":"2025-04-24T02:15:49","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T02:15:49","slug":"announcing-the-finalists-for-the-2025-california-legal-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/announcing-the-finalists-for-the-2025-california-legal-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Announcing the Finalists for the 2025 California Legal Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Recorder and Law.com’s editorial staff is proud to announce this year’s finalists for the California Legal Awards. The awards celebrate the achievements of lawyers and companies leading technology, innovation and the profession as a whole.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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To book tickets or sponsorships, please contact our sales director Andre Sutton at [email\u00a0protected]<\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Richard Heimann, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein
John Keker, Keker Van Nest & Peters
Laura Petroff, Winston & Strawn
William C. Price, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Law Firm of the Year Finalists<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Covington & Burling
Latham & Watkins
Munger, Tolles & Olson
Orrick
Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Attorney of the Year Finalists<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Theane Evangelis, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Robert R. Henssler Jr., Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd
Gary S. Lincenberg, Bird, Marella, Rhow, Lincenberg, Drooks & Nessim<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Dealmakers of the Year Finalists<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sarah Axtell, Rick Kline and Tony Richmond, Latham & Watkins
Alan Denenberg, Davis Polk & Wardwell
Minh-Chau Le, Ropes & Gray
Christopher R. Moore, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Robyn Polashuk, Covington & Burling
Kristin Seeger, Orrick<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Distinguished Leader Honorees<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hailyn Chen, Munger, Tolles & Olson
George Demos, O\u2019Melveny & Myers
Terrance J. Evans, Duane Morris
Emily Henn, Covington & Burling
Victor Leung, ACLU of Southern California
Michael Mugmon, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Neal Potischman, Davis Polk & Wardwell
Brian C. Rocca, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Charles Ruck, Latham & Watkins
Alex Weingarten, Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Donna L. Wilson, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Entertainment Lawyer of the Year Finalists<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jordan Bromley, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips
Davida Brook, Susman Godfrey
David Eisman, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
James Carlos McFall, Foley & Lardner
Robyn Polashuk, Covington & Burling
Neema Sahni, Covington & Burling
P.J. Shapiro, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole
Blanca Fromm Young, Munger, Tolles & Olson <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Environmental, Social, and Governance Initiative Finalists<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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BraunHagey & Borden
Kirkland & Ellis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion Finalists<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Atheria Law
Cox, Castle & Nicholson
Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Morrison & Foerster
Spencer Fane
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year Finalists<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Paul Andre, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel
Yar Chaikovsky, White & Case
Andy Gass, Latham & Watkins
Annette Hurst, Orrick
John Neukom, Debevoise & Plimpton
Michael Ng, Kobre & Kim
Courtland Reichman, Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg
Robert Van Nest, Keker, Van Nest & Peters
James Yoon, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Lawyers on the Fast Track Honorees<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Michael Adamson, Susman Godfrey
Jalpit Amin, Hogan Lovells
David Belcher, Faegre Drinker
Will Bennett, Saxe Doernberger & Vita
Jay Bhimani, Dechert
Michael Burshteyn, Greenberg Traurig
Daniel Chung, Spencer Fane
Jeremy Cleveland, Jones Day
H. Joseph Drapalski III, Norton Rose Fulbright
Christopher Foster, McDermott Will & Emery
Anderson Franco, Anderson Franco Law
Cydney Swofford Freeman, Davis Wright Tremaine
Christopher P. Hammond, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Brittany Kandela, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
Mahru Madjidi, Shegerian & Associates
Libby Moulton, Orrick
Ramela Ohanian, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton
Brittany Rogers, O\u2019Melveny & Myers
Malhar Shah, American Civil Liberties Union
Jeffrey L. Steinfeld, Winston & Strawn
Collin Vierra, Eimer Stahl<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mentorship Award Finalists<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ed Dudensing, Dudensing Law
Sophia Goring-Piard, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy
Veronika Nemeth, Baker McKenzie
Agustin Orozco, Crowell & Moring
Colleen Smith, Latham & Watkins
Lori Westin, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Dennis Wilson, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
Christine Wong, Morrison & Foerster<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Most Promising Newcomer Finalists <\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Soo H. Kim, Baker & Hostetler
Savannah Levin, Foley & Lardner
Matthew W. Linsley, Munger, Tolles & Olson
Isabella Ordorica, Crowell & Moring
Olivia Rosen, Freshfields
Katharine J. Ross, Hueston Hennigan
Annie Wanless, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein
Sarah Zandi, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Office Managing Partner of the Year Finalists<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Esther Cho, Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young
Gretchen Hoff Varner, Covington & Burling
Ben Hur, Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Kristina Lawson, Hanson Bridgett
Jeffrey Margulies, Norton Rose Fulbright
Julie Park, Morrison & Foerster
Gerald Singleton, Singleton Schreiber
Thomas A. Wuchenich, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Real Estate Lawyer of the Year Finalists<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Eve A. Brackmann, Munck Wilson Mandala
Jeff Diener, Baker & Hostetler
William Ellis, Akerman
Anita Famili, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips
Bruce Fischer, Greenberg Traurig
Misty Sanford, Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Hilary Strong, Latham & Watkins
Stephen Toohill, Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Tech Industry Advisory Team of the Year Finalists<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Covington & Burling
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Freshfields
Hogan Lovells
Orrick
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Tech Industry Litigation Department of the Year Finalists<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Irell & Manella
Keker Van Nest & Peters
Kirkland & Ellis
Latham & Watkins
Munger, Tolles & Olson
Orrick
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sam Dordulian, Dordulian Law Group
King & Spalding
Michael Rubin and Rene Mendoza, Latham & Watkins
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips
Willkie Farr & Gallagher<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Women Leaders in Tech Law, Corporate\/Transactions Honorees<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Aarthi Belani, Baker McKenzie
Claire Hart, Groq Inc.
Bomi Lee, Fenwick
Tessa Schwartz, Morrison & Foerster
Allison Spinner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Women Leaders in Tech Law, Intellectual Property Honorees<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rebecca Carson, Irell & Manella
Margret Caruso, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
Betty H. Chen, Desmarais
Rose Ehler, Munger, Tolles & Olson
Jennifer Estremera, Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg
Erin Gibson, DLA Piper
Rachael Lamkin, Baker Botts
Arri\u00e8nne M. Lezak, Polsinelli
Salima Merani, Knobbe Martens
Christine M. Morgan, Reed Smith
Amy Proctor, Irell & Manella
Terri Shieh-Newton, Mintz
Georgina Jones Suzuki, Ropes & Gray
Michelle Ybarra, Keker, Van Nest & Peters<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Women Leaders in Tech Law, Litigation Honorees<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Simona Agnolucci, Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Meredith Dearborn, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
Daralyn Durie, Morrison & Foerster
Emily Henn, Covington & Burling
Michele Johnson, Latham & Watkins
Lindsay Llewellyn, Lyft
Sonal N. Mehta, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Erin Meyer, Keker, Van Nest & Peters
Ann Marie Mortimer, Hunton Andrews Kurth
Sarah M. Ray, Latham & Watkins
Christina Von der Ahe Rayburn, Hueston Hennigan
Christine Woodin, Hueston Hennigan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Women Leaders in Tech Law, Regulatory Honorees<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ashlie Beringer, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Cassandra Gaedt-Sheckter, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Beth George, Freshfields
Ann Staggs, Grafana Labs Inc.
Shannon Yavorsky, Orrick<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For more information on the awards dinner on June 25, please visit the California Legal Awards <\/a>event site. To book tickets or sponsorships, please contact our sales director Andre Sutton at [email\u00a0protected]<\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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