FIRM NOTES 2026
We at the Firm hope everyone had a restful and joyous holiday season to end 2025. As we enter 2026, we thought we would share some of the Firm’s 2025 highlights. Among many other accolades and accomplishments, the Firm is pleased to announce that the Firm and several of our lawyers have been singled out again as being tops in their field by such prestigious organizations as Best Lawyers in America, Thompson Reuters’ Super Lawyers publication, U.S. News & World Report, and the Los Angeles Business Journal.
MEET OUR NEWEST PARTNER
We are pleased to announce that Senior Counsel Stephanie B. Kantor** **was elevated to Partner in the Firm on January 1. Stephanie has been a valuable member of the Firm since 2011. We welcome Stephanie to the partnership and look forward to you having the chance to work with her. For more information about Stephanie, please click here .
MEET OUR NEWEST ATTORNEYS
We added four new attorneys to the Firm: David Lyon, Alec DiMario, Megan Sadler, and Inbal Giron. Alec (a 2015 graduate), who joins our Encino office, has extensive experience in large firms representing employers in litigation and advice matters. Megan (a 2004 graduate) and David (a 2012 graduate) joined our Charlotte office, which continues to grow under the steady leadership of partner Matt Wakefield. Inbal (a 2024 graduate) has joined our Encino office. For more about our newest lawyers, click below.
Alec DiMario , David Lyon , Megan Sadler & Inbal Giron .
BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA
The 29th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America was just published. It highlights the top 6% of private practicing attorneys in the US. According to the publisher, our partners have been selected for their expertise and consistently strong performance in the following practice areas: Employment Law/Management, Labor Law/ Management Litigation & Labor and Employment. We are pleased to announce that five of our partners were selected for this prestigious listing for the 2025-26 edition of Best Lawyers In America. For Ken Ballard, Richard Rosenberg, and Linda Miller Savitt, this marks their 17th consecutive year in this prestigious ranking. Partners Eric Schwettmann and Matthew Golper have been on the Best Lawyers list since 2023 and 2024 respectively. Senior Counsel Amanda Koziol was named to the Best Lawyers’ “Ones To Watch” list.
**THOMSON REUTERS' SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SUPER LAWYERS LIST **
Several of the Firm’s lawyers were included on this years’ Thomson Reuters Southern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. Thompson Reuters rates lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. According to the publisher, no more than five percent of the lawyers in Southern California are selected for the Super Lawyers list. This year’s Southern California Super Lawyers list includes partners Richard Rosenberg, Linda Miller Savitt, Eric Schwettmann, Matthew Golper and Senior Counsel Linda Hurevitz. Richard Rosenberg and Linda Miller Savitt have been included on this list since the inception of the ranking 20+ years ago. In addition, Senior Counsel Alec DiMario was recognized as a Rising Star.
LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL VALLEY 200
We are pleased to announce that Richard Rosenberg was once again named to the Valley 200 Leader of Influence/Trusted Advisors list by the publishers of the Los Angeles Business Journal. According to the publisher, the honorees were chosen among hundreds of nominees based on a demonstration of impact made on the profession and on the San Fernando Valley community. According to the Journal, all the professionals on the Valley 200 list genuinely prepare a business for foundational success, financial stability and positioning for years to come, and offer highly specific plans to protect, bolster and amplify a business while servicing its most critical and specific needs.
INSIDE THE VALLEY LABOR & EMPLOYMENT ROUNDTABLE
Partners Katherine A. Hren & Stephanie B. Kantor participated in the 2025 Labor & Employment Roundtable published by the Los Angeles Business Journal’s for its “Inside the Valley” publication where they and other area labor law experts offered insights and commentary regarding the current state of employment legislation, what changes have come to the employment law landscape in light of recent challenges, and the various trends that they have been observing. (To see the article click here )
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Partner David J. Fishman was featured in the L.A. Times 2025 Labor & Employment Law Roundtable. David was called upon by the Times to participate in a Q&A to offer employers his thoughts and insights regarding the most important “need to know” trends, updates and assessments regarding the current state of labor legislation, the new rules of hiring and firing, and various other trends. (To see the article click here )
COMMITTEES, AWARDS, AND OTHER NOTABLE ACTIVITY
The Firm remains very active as thought leaders in the employment law community with articles published in notable business or trade publications.
Eric Schwettmann completed his 5-year term on the ASCDC Executive Committee as Past President in 2025 where he continued to serve on the ASCDC employment law and jury instruction sub-committees. As a member of the California Defense Counsel, Eric works on legislative issues of state-wide importance to employers and businesses. Eric also continued serving on the planning committee for the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s annual Employment Law Symposium.
Richard Rosenberg was a featured panelist at the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Employment Law in the Cannabis Industry: Risks, Realities, and Emerging Trends conference. Richard also wrote an article that appeared in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Inside the Valley” publication (September/October edition) on “The Current State of DEI in the Workplace.” (To see article click here ).
Linda Miller Savitt was a featured speaker last October at the American Board Of Trial Advocates Masters in Trial Program in Sacramento. She also presented a seminar on Civility In the Litigation Process to the incoming class at Loyola Law school.
Katherine Hren was a featured speaker at the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s 2025 Valley Economic Trends program. The Business Journal hosted a panel discussion with leading experts on the hottest topics on the minds of San Fernando Valley region’s business leaders with key labor and employment law updates.
Eric Mueller has been selected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Southern California Labor & Employment Relations Association. He was a featured panelist at the Southern California Labor & Employment Relations Association 42nd Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference where he spoke about collective bargaining impasse and mediation.
Linda Hurevitz produced the Masters in Trial Program for the Los Angeles chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates for the seventh year. The program featured the top trial attorneys in Los Angeles sharing trial advocacy tips. Linda also remains on the faculty of the prestigious ABOTA Jack Daniels Trial School. In the past year, Linda gave presentations to clients, bar associations, and business development groups on employment law matters. She also serves as a volunteer mediator for the ResolveLaw LA program.
Stephanie Kantor was featured in the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s “Inside The Valley” publication where she wrote an article on the Employer’s obligation when overseeing hybrid work. (To see the article click here )
Amanda Koziol was a panelist at the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Valley Women’s Leadership Symposium and Awards where she spoke about evolving changes in the workforce and offered insight for emerging leaders to address these changes. (Click here )
Olga Pena was a guest on the professionals of the Inland Empire Podcast (To see podcast click here ). She was also a speaker at the Los Angeles Paralegal Association’s Annual Conference and was featured in an article about mentorship which appeared in the USC Gould School of Law’s Magazine. The Gould Instagram page featured her in a video as well.(Click here to see video)
Sincerely,