WLALA
Board of governors

Michelle Cheng, Business Development
Michelle Cheng Business Development Michelle is a health care litigation partner in Reed Smith’s Global Commercial Disputes Group. Her practice involves defending and counseling managed health care companies in high-stakes,

Poonam Kumar, Business Law
Shelby King Public Interest Law Shelby is an Associate Justice Deputy in the Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. She recently graduated from UCLA with her law degree

Kimberly Kamkar, Young Lawyers
Kimberly Kamkar Young Lawyers KIMBERLY KAMKAR is an associate in Nossaman LLP’s Los Angeles office and is a member of the firm’s Corporate practice. As part of her Corporate practice,

Wendy T. Wu, Career Mentoring
Wendy T. Wu Career Mentoring Wendy T. Wu is a partner at Wallbrook, an investigation, ESG, and due diligence consultancy based in the UK. She leads the firm’s cybersecurity and investigations

Mia Munro, Labor & Employment
Mia Munro Labor & Employment Mia Munro is a litigation attorney at Genie Harrison Law Firm in downtown Los Angeles. Mia represents employees to enforce their rights against discrimination, harassment,

Danielle Garcia , Law Student Rep
Danielle Garcia Law Student Rep Danielle Garcia (she/her) is dedicated to race and social justice. She has nearly a decade of experience as a direct service provider, policymaker, and coalition

Kimberly D. Jaimez, Membership
Kimberly D. Jaimez WLALA Racial Justice & Equality Advisory Council Kim Jaimez, currently a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, is a former federal prosecutor and experienced trial attorney

Hon. Maggie Reyes-Bordeaux
Hon. Maggie Reyes-Bordeaux Member at Large Magdalena Reyes Bordeaux was appointed to serve as bankruptcy judge for the Central District of California, Riverside Division on January 18, 2022. Before her

Jennifer Leland, WLALA Foundation President & WLALA Member at Large
Jennifer Leland WLALA Foundation President & WLALA Member at Large Ms. Leland has over 20 years of experience as a litigator representing a wide range of clients in all forms

Cat Zhang, Young Lawyers
Cat Zhang Young Lawyers CAT ZHANG is a managing associate in Sidley Austin LLP’s office in Century City and is a member of the firm’s M&A and Private Equity practice.

Jessica Walker, Career Development & Life Balance
Jessica Walker Career Development & Life Balance Jessica N. Walker is a litigator in the Los Angeles office of Foley & Lardner LLP. Her practice includes representing clients on class

Taylor Wagniere, LACBA Liaison
Taylor Wagniere LACBA Liaison Taylor C. Wagniere is a deputy city attorney in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. Prior to joining the City Attorney’s Office, she was an associate at Blecher

Leana Taing, Access to Justice
Leana Taing Racial Justice & Equality Advisory Council Leana Serey Taing practices dependency law as a Deputy County Counsel for the Office of County Counsel. In 2017, Taing contributed to

Ariella Thal Simonds, Equity, Belonging & Anti-Racism
Ariella Thal Simonds Equity, Belonging & Anti-Racism Ariella Thal Simonds is a partner at KTBS Law LLP (f/k/a Klee, Tuchin, Bogdanoff & Stern). Ms. Simonds has a broad restructuring practice,

Hon. Laura Seigle, Membership
Hon. Laura Seigle Membership Laura A. Seigle was appointed to the Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles in 2015. Prior to her appointment, she was a partner in

Andrea Schoor-West, Legislation
Andrea Schoor-West Legislation Andrea M. Schoor-West is a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice. She is in the Business Litigation Section (formerly known as the Business and Tax

Arin Scapa, Appointive Office
Arin Scapa Appointive Office Arin R. Scapa is a plaintiffs’ lawyer with Mary Alexander & Associates, P.C., a boutique woman-owned law firm specializing in catastrophic personal injury, childhood sexual abuse,

Melody Saadian, Litigation
Melody Saadian Litigation Melody Saadian is a plaintiffs’ attorney at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, and focuses her practice on catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death. Ms. Saadian currently represents

Merete Rietveld, Conference of Delegates
Merete Rietveld Conference of Delegates Merete Rietveld practices public law with the litigation group at Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley. She previously worked for the Second District of the California Court

Meehan Rasch, Investment Supervisor
Meehan Rasch Investment Supervisor Meehan Rasch is a civil appellate attorney at appellate litigation firm Greines, Martin, Stein & Richland. Her practice spans California Court of Appeal, Ninth Circuit, and

Amy Proctor, Legislation
Amy Proctor Legislation Amy E. Proctor is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Irell & Manella LLP. An experienced patent litigator, she advises clients on intellectual property issues

Commissioner Ashley Price, Law Student Mentoring
Commissioner Ashley Price Law Student Mentoring Ashley Price is a Commissioner for the Los Angeles Superior Court, currently assigned to the Edelman Children’s Court. Prior to becoming a Los Angeles

Stephanie Peatman, Career Mentoring
Stephanie Peatman Career Mentoring Stephanie Peatman is a trial lawyer who represents companies faced with complex disputes, ranging from mass tort to commercial litigation. Stephanie is one of the youngest

Karen Pazzani, Business Law
Karen Pazzani Business Law Karen Pazzani is a partner at Pazzani & Sandhu LLP. Karen represents colleges and universities in Title IX matters, including representing clients in administrative mandamus actions filed

Meena Patel, Equity, Belonging & Anti-Racism
Meena Patel Equity, Belonging & Anti-Racism Meena has worked in employment law and human resources with a particular emphasis on diversity and inclusion through pipeline sourcing, onboarding and professional development.

Cynthia Organ, Website & Social Media
Cynthia Organ Website & Social Media Cynthia E. Organ is a litigation associate in Glaser Weil’s Century City office. She has represented clients in state and federal litigation and arbitration

Virginia Milstead, Business Development
Virginia Milstead Business Development Virginia F. Milstead has a broad commercial litigation practice, representing clients in both federal and state courts, with a particular emphasis on securities and merger litigation,

Karen Luong, Litigation
Karen Luong Litigation Karen Luong is a senior counsel at Husch Blackwell, LLP. She is a member of the product liability and mass tort litigation group. She is well versed

Jennifer Lieser, Criminal Justice
Jennifer Lieser Criminal Justice Jennifer is a partner at Kaplan Marino whose practice primarily focuses on federal and state white collar and complex criminal litigation, including but not limited to

Shelby King, Public Interest Law
Shelby King Public Interest Law Shelby is an Associate Justice Deputy in the Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. She recently graduated from UCLA with her law degree

Neelu Khanuja, Website & Social Media
Neelu Khanuja Website & Social Media Neelu K. Khanuja, Esq. is the Founding Partner of Khanuja Law. Ms. Khanuja graduated from University of Southern California with a Bachelor’s Degree in

Laura Jane Kessner, Career Development & Life Balance
Laura Jane Kessner Career Development & Life Balance Laura Jane Kessner currently serves as the Director for Central Operations for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. In that role,

Kirra Jones McDaniel, In-House Counsel
Kirra Jones McDaniel Membership Kirra Jones serves as Assistant General Counsel for global nonprofit AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest provider of HIV medical care in the world. Prior to joining

Shaun Dabby Jacobs, Conference of Delegates
Shaun Dabby Jacobs Conference of Delegates Shaun Dabby Jacobs has worked as a deputy city attorney in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office since 2002. Since November 2016, Ms. Jacobs

Stacy Horth-Neubert, Litigation
Stacy Horth-Neubert WLALA Foundation Immediate Past President, WLALA Foundation Ex Officio Officer, and Litigation STACY HORTH-NEUBERT is Counsel in Sidley Austin LLP’s Litigation Practice Group. Stacy’s practice covers a range

Patricia Fullinwider, LACBA Liaison
Patricia Fullinwider LACBA Liaison Patricia Fullinwider is a Senior Deputy Alternate Public Defender at the Los Angeles Alternate Public Defender’s Office. In this capacity, she defends the rights of indigent

Hon. Holly Fujie, MCBA/Sister Bar
Hon. Holly Fujie MCBA/Sister Bar Judge Holly J. Fujie, a graduate of U.C. Berkeley and the U.C. Berkeley School of Law, is a 2011 appointee to the Los Angeles Superior

Hon. Susan Formaker, California Women Lawyers
Hon. Susan Formaker California Women Lawyers Susan L. Formaker is the General Jurisdiction Division Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Office of Administrative Hearings for the State of California. She

Hon. Michelle DeCasas, Judicial-State Court
Hon. Michelle DeCasas Judicial – State Court Michelle DeCasas was appointed to the Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles in 2020 by Governor Gavin Newsom. She is currently

Sarah Conway, Amicus Briefs
Sarah Conway Amicus Briefs Sarah Conway is a partner at Jones Day, where she has practiced since 2008. She represents corporations, businesses, and individuals in a range of commercial litigation

Hon. Judith C. Chirlin (Ret.), Member at Large
Hon. Judith C. Chirlin (Ret.) Member at Large Judge Judith C. Chirlin (Ret’d), served on the Los Angeles Superior Court from 1985 to 2009. Upon retirement from the Court, Judge Chirlin became

Connie Chen, Labor & Employment
Connie Chen Labor & Employment Connie L. Chen is a Principal in the Los Angeles office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Connie’s practice focuses on representing employers in all types of

Hon. Maria Byrum, Family Law
Hon. Maria Byrum Family Law Maria Rivas Byrum is Cuban American and proud of her Hispanic heritage. She has been a Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner since 2019 and

Amy T. Brantly, Pro-Choice and Reproductive Rights
Amy T. Brantly Business Law Amy T. Brantly is a founding partner of Kesselman Brantly Stockinger LLP. Ms. Brantly has significant experience in a range of complex litigation cases, including antitrust,

Celene Chan Andrews, Awards & Recognition
Celene Chan Andrews Racial Justice & Equality Advisory Council Celene Chan Andrews is a partner at LippSmith LLP. She has dedicated her entire practice to representing plaintiffs and consumers. Celene

Vanessa Adriance, Pro-Choice and Reproductive Rights
Vanessa Adriance Pro-Choice and Reproductive Rights Vanessa C. Adriance is an associate in the Los Angeles office of Arnold & Porter. She currently practices in the firm’s Litigation Department. Ms.

Elizabeth Bock, Litigation & BRO Scholarship
Elizabeth Bock BRO Scholarship & Litigation Elizabeth Bock is a partner in the Los Angeles office of O’Melveny & Myers, where she represents health insurers on matters involving state and

Joan Kessler, Member at Large & WLALA Inner City Law Center Liaison
Joan Kessler Member at Large & WLALA Inner City Law Center Liaison

Jessica Kronstadt, Access to Justice
Jessica Kronstadt WLALA President & WLALA Foundation Member at Large Jessica Kronstadt is a Deputy District Attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. She is currently assigned to