Press Release

December 14, 2022 (San Francisco, CA) - Hanson Bridgett LLP is pleased to announce that six attorneys have been promoted to partner. The 2022 Partner Class includes Alan S. Bishop (San Francisco), Kate Bowles (Los Angeles), Sheila B. Bridges (San Francisco), Stefan Chacon (Sacramento), Anthony J. Dutra (San Francisco), and Stuart L. Eisler (San Diego). The promotions are effective January 1, 2023.

"Our 2022 Partner class is outstanding,” said Hanson Bridgett Managing Partner Kristina Lawson. "It's one of our largest classes ever and it shows not only our range of practices – but also our geographic diversity. Congratulations to this amazing new group of partners!"

Meet Hanson Bridgett’s 2022 Partner Class:

Alan S. Bishop is a member of the firm's Construction practice and is based in San Francisco.  He focuses on both transactional work and litigation. Clients benefit from his experience as a licensed civil engineer, allowing him to quickly identify and understand key technical issues as well as the legal issues. Bishop draws from a variety of alternative delivery models for transactional work, including Integrated Project Delivery and design-build, and incorporates collaborative tools like LEAN and BIM.  As a civil engineer, Bishop worked six years on the design, construction, and inspection of State Water Project facilities for the California Department of Water Resources.  He received his B.S. from the University of California, Davis and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where he was Publications Editor, Hastings WNW Journal of Environmental Law and Policy.

Kate Bowles is a member of the firm's Health Care practice and is based in Los Angeles.  She began her professional career as a Registered Nurse and her real world experience has translated to valuable strategic insights for her health care clients.  Bowles' practice uniquely fits in both the litigation and transactional aspects of healthcare in negotiating contracts, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, insurance payor disputes, and handling billing and reimbursement and business disputes.  She also works with entrepreneurial clients in setting up corporations, partnerships, and LLCs and strategically expanding throughout the country.  Bowles' transactional and regulatory clients have included hospitals, surgery centers, group practices, telehealth providers, laboratories, pharmacies, outpatient mental healthcare, home health, hospice, ambulatory infusion centers, and community support providers. She graduated with her B.S.N., magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania and received her J.D., cum laude, from Pepperdine University School of Law.

Sheila B. Bridges is a trusts and estates attorney in the firm's Family Wealth Planning practice. Sheila's practice is based in San Francisco, where she advises founders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and families on a broad range of planning and gifting strategies, and works closely with each client to meet objectives. In addition, Bridges counsels clients on international issues and teaches international estate planning as an adjunct professor. Bridges received her B.S., magna cum laude, from St. Mary's College of California; her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School; her MPhil, with honors, from the University of Cambridge; and her M.A., magna cum laude, from Cornell University.

Stefan Chacon is a member of the firm's Health Care Litigation practice and is based in Sacramento.  He represents clients in matters involving health care fraud and abuse, qui-tam actions, compliance and risk, government investigations, licensure, and general commercial and civil litigation. Chacon has successfully advised and counseled various clientele, including hospitals, nursing homes, Federally Qualified Health Centers, family medical practices, and dental offices.  He received his B.S. from the University of La Verne  and his J.D., from The George Washington University Law School.  He was judicial clerk for the Honorable Justice Richard C. Bosson, New Mexico Supreme Court.  He currently serves on the Governing Council of the American Bar Association Health Law Section.

Anthony J. Dutra is a member of the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice and is based in San Francisco. He focuses his practice in the areas of bankruptcy, business reorganizations, workouts and commercial litigation. His insolvency and bankruptcy practice has involved the representation of both debtors and creditors—individually and as counsel to the creditors’ committee. Dutra has experience both defending and prosecuting adversary proceedings, including preference actions. His broad-based commercial litigation experience includes representing both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide array of commercial disputes, including corporate ownership disputes; commercial contract disputes, breach of fiduciary and fraud disputes, defamation actions, and disputes concerning unfair business practices, anticompetitive conduct, violations of labor laws, and violation of the securities laws. He received his B.S., summa cum laude, from California State University, Hayward and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Boston University School of Law.

Stuart L. Eisler is a member of the firm’s Construction practice and is the firm's E-Discovery Counsel.  He is based in San Diego and practices out of the Los Angeles office.  He has extensive experience representing award-winning heavy civil, industrial, commercial, and residential owners, developers, and general contractors in complex construction disputes. His expertise has been utilized in a wide range of bet-the-company matters that include design-build and other alternative procurement projects, contract issues, strict products liability, project delay and disruption, loss of use, deficient quality, redevelopment matters, and LEED green building construction complications. In addition to his litigation practice, Stu provides transactional services, business counseling, and client presentations on a variety of topics key to the construction industry.  Eisler also serves as the Chair of the San Diego County Bar Association’s Construction Section.  He received his B.S. in Managerial Economics from the University of California, Davis and his J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law.