Hanson Bridgett Names Eight Attorneys to New Roles, Strengthening Diversity of Management Committee and Senior Ranks
January, 2021 - San Francisco, California
Jan. 5, 2021 (San Francisco, CA) – Hanson Bridgett LLP, a leading California law firm advising clients nationwide, today announced that eight attorneys have been named to new roles within the firm, effective Jan. 1. They include four partners who have joined the firm’s Management Committee, a senior counsel promoted to partner, and three associates elevated to senior counsel.
The new members of Hanson Bridgett’s Management Committee are Michael Gorback and Constance Liu, partners in the Business Section; Sandra Rappaport, a partner in the Labor & Employment Section; and Mohammad Walizadeh, a partner in the Real Estate and Environment Practice Group.
“I’m so pleased Sandy, Mohammad, Constance, and Michael have assumed these important roles and I look forward to each of them contributing their unique perspectives and expertise for the benefit of our clients, our communities, and the firm. Hanson Bridgett has long been committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce in which attorneys of any race, ethnicity, religion, sexual-orientation, gender identity, age, and other personal characteristics are welcomed, supported and promoted. While we’ve made significant strides in recent years in increasing the representation of diverse attorneys at all levels across the firm, we understand we need to do much more,” said Managing Partner Kristina Lawson. “Our commitment must be integrated into our decision making, our processes, and the way in which we identify objectives for the firm – and so it must start at the top.”
Gorback, Liu, Rappaport, and Walizadeh will fill committee roles vacated by partners Kurt Franklin and Janet Eisenbeis, each of whom contributed nearly a decade of invaluable service.
Hanson Bridgett is also delighted to announce that Chris Rheinheimer, who joined the firm’s Real Estate and Environment Practice Group in April 2019 as senior counsel, has been elevated to partner. Rheinheimer’s practice involves complex trials and litigation, focusing on representing and advising clients in environmental, energy, and real estate-related matters, including representation of leading energy companies, national health care organizations, and numerous real estate developers and investors. He also represents clients in land use and CEQA litigation, and has significant experience challenging voter initiatives in court. He earned his J.D. from New York University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of California, Davis.
"Chris’s accomplishments since joining the firm nearly two years ago have exceeded even the high expectations we had for him,” said Lawson. “I’m thrilled to welcome him to the partnership and to support him in this new phase of his career.”
In addition, three associates have been promoted to senior counsel: Ann Mary Olson in the firm's Health Care Litigation Practice Group, who holds a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law; Nicole Witt in the firm's Government Practice Group, who earned her J.D. from University of California, Hastings College of the Law; and Elisha Yang in the firm's Real Estate and Environment Practice Group, who earned her J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law.
Remarked Lawson, “I’m also delighted to see Ann Mary, Nicole, and Elisha step into their well-deserved new roles, where I am confident they will continue to impress their colleagues and clients alike with their standout expertise and vision. I’d like to thank the members of the Attorney Evaluation Committee for their diligent work overseeing the evaluation and promotion process, and to the mentors and sponsors who have helped this talented group of attorneys reach new career heights.”
