Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, a multidisciplinary, integrated professional services firm, announced today the advancement of 14 professionals, including 12 attorneys to partnership and the elevation of one consultant to managing director and one associate to counsel. All promotions are effective January 1, 2022.

“These 14 professionals reflect the hustle, drive and collaboration that make Manatt so unique,” said Donna Wilson, CEO and Managing Partner of Manatt. “We are proud of their success and dedication to excellent client service, and we look forward to all their future accomplishments as they continue to play an integral role in our mission to be the Professional Services Firm of the Future.”

Manatt Digital and Technology advanced the following to partnership in San Francisco:

• Christopher Dayans’ practice in the Venture Capital / Emerging Companies space includes representing private companies and entrepreneurs in venture finance, merger and acquisition, and other general corporate matters. He regularly guides venture-backed companies through all stages of the complex corporate life cycle, from formation to funding to exit. Additionally, Dayans advises fintech, blockchain and digital asset companies, as well as investors in those companies, on matters relating to formation and fundraising. He holds his J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law.

Manatt Entertainment elevated the below professionals to partnership in Los Angeles:

• W. Joseph Anderson focuses his practice on corporate transactional matters within the music and entertainment industries, as well as potential issues arising from intellectual property, copyright and corporate law. He has deep experience drafting and negotiating a variety of agreements for recording artists and entertainment entities, including those involving publishing, distribution, financing, licensing and development. Anderson holds his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
• Beau Stapleton has extensive experience working at the intersection of the music, film, television and digital industries. He represents a wide range of clients, including artists, directors, producers, composers, executives, audio studios, production companies, cable networks, media companies and the like. Stapleton received his J.D. from Loyola Law School.

Manatt Financial Services advanced the following to partnership in New York and Washington, D.C., respectively:

• Benjamin Brickner’s practice focuses on corporate finance, securities and capital markets transactions. He counsels clients on bank finance, initial public offerings, early-stage and startup venture financings, SEC compliance, broker-dealer/registered investment advisor compliance, blockchain technology, and digital assets. Brickner also has experience with community development and real estate finance involving federal tax credits as an investment feature, including the New Markets Tax Credit program. He earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School.
• Joseph Reilly advises lenders, fintech startups and other financial services providers on compliance, lending and authority matters. He also defends clients in enforcement actions, informal investigations and examinations by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Securities and Exchange Commission, state agencies and mortgage government-sponsored enterprises. Reilly received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and served as law clerk to the Honorable Dennis Jacobs of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit and to Federal District (now Circuit) Judge Reena Raggi.

Manatt Health elevated:

• Kaitlyn Dunn, based in the Firm’s Boston office, has been advanced to counsel. Dunn focuses her practice on health care fraud and abuse, regulatory compliance, government investigations, and strategic transactional matters. She works with a diverse array of clients, ranging from hospitals and health systems, physician practices, post-acute care providers, clinical laboratories, and pharmacies to pharmaceutical, medical device and other life sciences companies. Dunn received her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.
• Colin McGrath, based in the Firm’s Los Angeles office, has been advanced to partnership. His work as a member of the health care litigation team encompasses all aspects of civil and commercial litigation in federal and state courts, with a primary emphasis on health care litigation. He has represented health care providers and insurers in actions involving unfair competition and antitrust law, the False Claims Act, ERISA, and anti-SLAPP, as well as in disputes involving real estate contracts, business torts, and hospital medical staff and peer review matters. Prior to joining Manatt, McGrath served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Kim McLane Wardlaw in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He earned his J.D. from University of California, Irvine School of Law.
• Naomi Newman, resident in the Firm’s San Francisco office, has been elevated to managing director. Newman advises the leadership of major health systems, provider groups, health plans and digital health companies on strategic, organizational and policy priorities, with a particular focus on opportunities for growth, innovation and performance optimization. She received her M.B.A. from Yale University School of Management.
• Jessamyn Vedro, located in the Firm’s Los Angeles office, has been advanced to partner. Vedro handles complex, high-stakes business litigation for a variety of clients, with an emphasis on the health insurance and managed health care industries. She represents major health plans and insurers in individual and class action lawsuits in both state and federal courts, including actions for breach of contract, bad faith denial of benefits and unfair competition, among others. She has also represented clients in the energy, entertainment and technology industries. Before joining the firm, Vedro clerked for the Honorable Jacqueline H. Nguyen of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She also clerked for Judge Nguyen at the Central District of California, and served as an extern for the Honorable Kim McLane Wardlaw (Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals) during law school. Vedro holds a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law.

Manatt Real Estate advanced the below professionals to partnership in Orange County and Los Angeles, respectively:

• Jennifer Lynch, a member of Manatt’s Land Use practice, counsels and defends both public agencies and private developers regarding complex state and federal environmental and land use laws, with special emphasis on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the California Coastal Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. She received her J.D. from the UC Hastings College of the Law.
• Alison Weinberg-Fahey focuses her practice on commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, development, joint ventures, construction, secured loans, and workouts. She also advises and represents property owners, developers, tenants, lenders and investors in retail, office, hospitality, aviation and multifamily projects. Weinberg-Fahey holds her J.D. from the USC Gould School of Law.

Manatt’s Cross Industry Legal Services group elevated the following to partnership:

• Kishan Barot, based in Los Angeles, is part of the Firm’s Trial practice. He has prosecuted and defended a variety of business litigation cases, including employment, shareholder, real estate and consumer protection actions. Barot clerked for the Honorable Jay C. Gandhi, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California and holds his J.D. from UC Davis School of Law.
• Joshua Drian, member of the Trial practice in Washington, D.C., represents individual and corporate clients on a variety of issues, primarily focusing on complex civil litigation, white collar criminal defense, and government and internal investigations. He has experience in federal and state courts, arbitration, and pretrial investigative proceedings. Drian clerked for the Honorable Henry Coke Morgan, Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, where he worked on a wide range of civil and criminal matters, at all stages of litigation, involving complex procedural issues and intricate questions of law. He received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.
• Alexandra Krasovec, located in the firm’s Los Angeles office, is a member of Manatt’s Consumer Protection, Advertising and Competition practice. She focuses her work on class action defense, in particular with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, as well as on assisting clients in navigating the law’s implications and ramifications, providing tailored compliance advice, aiding in due diligence efforts, and defending class actions. During law school, she was a judicial extern to the Honorable Kim McLane Wardlaw of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Krasovec received her J.D. from Chapman University School of Law.