April 2, 2024 By: Leah Lively and Alexandra Shulman On June 6, 2024, new amendments to Washington State’s noncompetition statute (RCW 49.62) will go into effect, which place further limitations on the use of noncompetition agreements in Washington. Substitute Senate Bill 5935 introduces several modifications to RCW 49.62 that Washington employers (and employers with Washington employees) should be aware of: Broader definition of “noncompetition covenant...
Buchalter
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Overview
Buchalter is a full-service business law firm that has been teaming with clients for eight decades, providing legal counsel at all stages of their growth and evolution, and helping them meet the many legal challenges and decisions they face. Our clients are engaged in a diverse global economy governed by complex laws and regulations, and they trust us as advisers and business partners because we are involved in their world. They rely on our forward-thinking to help them resolve problems before they arise.
At Buchalter, we practice in that spirit.
Our founding principle-providing our clients with the best business solutions-continues to lead us. We value each client relationship, recognizing that their success is our success. Our overarching goal-getting the best results for the client in a timely manner with sensitivity to cost-has engendered client loyalty, and the firm has grown from that loyalty.
Our lawyers are accessible, resourceful, skillful and adept at responding to change. Our technological capabilities keep case law and rule changes at our fingertips and client communications current, enabling us to create efficient, superior outcomes.
We strongly believe that technology is a tool that furthers the practice of law and have used that belief to develop a cutting edge platform for our firm. We use a meshed (NVPN) network to facilitate work among offices, Cisco VoIP telephony and Video-over-IP conferencing. Sharing documents is seamless through FileSite, which is also utilized to create our Client Extranets. To support our litigation matters, we use Concordance and Opticon, as well as LiveNote and Sanction. Unlike many firms, we have the capacity to process e-Discovery in-house, reducing client costs.
Buchalter lawyers are also active members of the communities in which they live and work. Leadership is a value the founding partners practiced and passed on to the current generation of attorneys. Our lawyers sit on the boards of prominent organizations, teach and lecture frequently. We actively participate in many associations and groups including the Public Law Center, San Francisco Legal Aid Society, Practicing Law Institute, California State Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the LACBA Domestic Violence Project, the Sojourner Center, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Phoenix and many others.
Buchalter is consistently ranked among the leading law firms by Chambers and Partners, Best Lawyers, The Daily Journal and the Los Angeles Business Journal. It is also ranked among the leading firms nationally by American Legal Media and the National Law Journal.
Buchalter's commitment to reflecting and enhancing the rich diversity of the clients and communities in which we practice is more than eight decades strong. The firm's diversity of attorneys and staff provides clients with a greater array of creative talent and alternative thinking, benefiting all.
Areas of Practice
Professionals
Partners
Valerie Bantner Peo
ShareholderPeter G. Bertrand
ShareholderFaith K. Bruins
ShareholderShawn M. Christianson
ShareholderMatthew S. Covington
ShareholderJason Croft
ShareholderKirsten J. Day
ShareholderDenise H. Field
ShareholderManuel Fishman
ShareholderAlicia Guerra
ShareholderBenjamin M. Heuer
ShareholderJeffrey Judd
ShareholderNatacha Kolb
ShareholderJenni Krengel
ShareholderMonica Mazzei
ShareholderSharon Morrissey
ShareholderGwenneth O'Hara
ShareholderJay L. Paxton
ShareholderJosiah R. Reid
ShareholderNora Sheriff
ShareholderThomas M. Sherwood
ShareholderDouglas C. Straus
ShareholderMarlene J. Williams
ShareholderDylan W. Wiseman
ShareholderJames B. Wright
Partner EmeritusGlenn P. Zwang
ShareholderAssociates
Alexander Davis
AttorneyJessica Echeverry
AttorneyLotus Fung
AttorneySamir A. Hafez
AttorneyStephanie Huang
AttorneyBraeden J. Mansouri
AttorneyChristopher Parker
AttorneySamuel D. Sazer
AttorneyOf Counsel
Jonathan August
Special CounselJean L. Bertrand
Of CounselBrandon Carr
Special CounselJeanine M. Donohue
Of CounselJohn Epperson
Of CounselBukola Mabadeje
Senior CounselJulian (Pete) Mack
Of CounselRandall L. Manvitz
Of CounselPeter W. McGaw
Of CounselJames P. Mosher
Of CounselTiffany F. Ng
Senior CounselCecily Anne O’Regan
Of CounselMelissa Richards
Of CounselC. Jean Ryan
Of CounselSteven H. Winick
Special CounselArticles
The California Supreme Court Sends A Message That Any Employer Control Over Employees—Even If The Employees Are Not Actively Working—May Constitute Compensable Time Worked
By: Jennifer Misetich March 26, 2024 On March 25, 2024, the California Supreme Court issued its decision in Huerta v. CSI Electrical Contractors, which provides certain clarity on nuanced wage and hour issues and the scope of the term “hours worked.” In this case, Plaintiff George Huerta and other workers were hired by a subcontractor to assist CSI Electrical Contractors (CSI) with procurement, installation, construction, and testing services at a solar power facility located on privately owned land in Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties...
Press
Buchalter’s Community Development Finance Group Releases its 2023 Year in Review Report
Buchalter's Community Development Finance Group has experienced remarkable growth, boasting a team of 15 lawyers and 4 paralegals spread across 6 offices along the west coast. This year marked a significant milestone as we facilitated our clients' investments in projects exceeding $4.6 billion nationwide. These ventures encompass a diverse range of initiatives including the provision of safe and affordable housing, urban revitalization efforts, fostering community equity, and the implementation of much-needed renewable energy solutions...
Buchalter Welcomes New Shareholders in Denver, Expands Family Law Practice
10 April, 2024. Buchalter is proud to announce the addition of two new Shareholders in its Denver office - Rajesh “Raj” Kukreja and Kara Chrobak have joined the firm’s Family Law practice. Both come to Buchalter from Sherman & Howard. "We are thrilled to welcome Raj and Kara to the firm,” said Adam Bass, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Their wealth of experience and dedication to excellence will further strengthen our capabilities in serving clients' diverse family law needs." Buchalter launched their High Net Worth Family Law practice in March 2023, with the addition of Monica Mazzei, the chair of the Firm’s Family Law group...
Blogs
Chemical Law & Prop 65 Blog
Chemical Law & Prop 65