Civil Litigation Attorney

GRSM adds Five partners across Bay Area offices. Contacts. September 2026 Five partners have expanded Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani's Bay Area presence, with Anna Branson, Maureen Duffy, Jacklyn Kim, and Ellyn Moscowitz joining in San Francisco and S. Michael Lee joining in Walnut Creek. Their backgrounds across employment and labor, commercial litigation, environmental and toxic tort litigation, appellate matters, education, and cyber, privacy, and data security further strengthen the firm's capabilities in Northern California and nationwide. "The addition of Anna, Maureen, Jacklyn, Michael, and Ellyn further strengthens our Bay Area team," said Mollie Burks, Regional Oversight Partner for GRSM's West Region. "They bring extensive experience, strong client relationships, and proven litigation capabilities that deepen our bench in Northern California and further enhance the service we provide to clients across our national platform." Branson focuses her practice on labor and employment matters. She represents employers in matters involving wage and hour and PAGA claims, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, workplace investigations, and compliance with the FMLA, ADA, and FLSA. She also advises employers on employee relations, workplace policies, disciplinary actions, and other compliance issues. She is admitted to practice in California and Arizona. Duffy focuses her practice on employment and labor matters, providing counsel and advocacy to organizations. She represents employers in state and federal court, as well as in arbitration and mediation, in disputes involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, disability accommodation, defamation, breach of contract, fraud, wage and hour, and other statutory and common law claims. She is admitted to practice in California, Illinois, and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Northern Districts of California. Kim focuses her practice on environmental and toxic tort litigation, insurance defense, trucking matters, asbestos, talc, and silica claims, and trial practice. With more than 20 years of litigation experience, she represents insurance carriers and insureds in complex matters, advising clients on liability, damages, case valuation, settlement strategy, and regulatory compliance. She is admitted to practice in California, New York, the U.S. District Courts for the Central and Eastern Districts of California, and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. Lee focuses his practice on commercial litigation and cyber, privacy, and data security matters. He brings substantial experience advising businesses on legal, regulatory, and operational issues, including experience serving in senior legal roles for Silicon Valley companies. He is admitted to practice in California. Moscowitz focuses her practice on employment, labor, appellate, and education matters. She has successfully argued dozens of cases before the California Courts of Appeal, the California Supreme Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She has also significant traditional labor experience in California and has extensive mediation and arbitration experience. She is admitted to practice in California.

GRSM adds seven partners in Sacramento as growth continues. Contacts. September 2026 Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani continues its strong 2026 hiring momentum with the recent addition of Partners David Gillen, Marylin Jenkins, Jane Goldfeder Kuppermann, Shannon Mallory, Michael McDonald, Richard Placido, and David Semel in its Sacramento office. Their collective backgrounds span commercial litigation, employment, environmental matters, insurance, real estate, artificial intelligence, data privacy, intellectual property, and community association matters, further strengthening the firm's capabilities in Northern California and nationwide. "The addition of these seven partners builds on what has already been a record year of growth for our Sacramento office," said Bobby Kalra, Sacramento Office Managing Partner. "Their broad experience, strong client relationships, and commitment to client service further strengthen our Sacramento team and the support we can provide to clients throughout California and across the country." Gillen focuses his practice on civil litigation matters, including real estate, professional liability, employment, public entity liability, finance and securities, intellectual property, class actions, corporate governance, insurance, trusts, trademark and trade secret matters, and community association litigation. With more than 30 years of experience, he serves as a litigator, mediator, arbitrator, and consultant in complex disputes and alternative dispute resolution proceedings. He is admitted to practice in California and the U.S. District Courts for the Central, Southern, and Eastern Districts of California. Jenkins focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, environmental matters, antitrust disputes, insurance litigation, intellectual property, employment issues, construction disputes, and real estate matters. She has served as lead counsel in more than 50 jury and non-jury trials. Her environmental practice includes Superfund matters, CERCLA apportionment proceedings, toxic tort litigation, regulatory negotiations, and remediation projects. She is admitted to practice in California, the U.S. District Court for the Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of California, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit and Second Circuit, and the United States Court of Federal Claims. Kuppermann focuses her practice on complex civil litigation and insurance defense. With more than 30 years of experience, she represents individual and corporate clients in high-exposure disputes involving catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, paralysis, and significant property damage. Her practice also includes estate planning and trust administration matters involving fiduciary responsibilities, trust disputes, real property transfers, and related tax considerations. She is admitted to practice in California, New York, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Mallory focuses her practice on commercial litigation and the defense of motor vehicle, trucking, catastrophic personal injury, and wrongful death lawsuits in California state and federal courts. She also represents landlords in civil liability disputes arising in rent-controlled jurisdictions throughout Northern California. She is admitted to practice in California and the U.S. District Courts for the Central, Northern, Southern, and Eastern Districts of California. McDonald focuses his practice on commercial litigation, land use, environmental, and real estate matters. Drawing on his experience in municipal law, California Environmental Quality Act matters, and civil litigation, he represents clients in disputes involving local governments, property issues, and regulatory compliance. He also has experience advising public entities on privacy compliance and policy development. He is admitted to practice in California. Placido focuses his practice on commercial litigation, artificial intelligence, general liability coverage, privacy and data protection, and intellectual property matters. He counsels international businesses on AI governance, data privacy compliance, and intellectual property strategy and also handles general liability, trucking and transportation, and public entity defense matters. He is admitted to practice in California and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Central, and Eastern Districts of California. Semel focuses his practice on general liability, real estate, commercial litigation, and insurance matters. He counsels and represents clients in matters involving rent and eviction control, recovery of possession, wrongful eviction, habitability issues, toxic torts, neighbor disputes, code violations, permits, disability accommodations, and insurance coverage. He is admitted to practice in California, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

GRSM continues growth in Little Rock and expands leadership team. Contacts. September 2026 Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani has continued the growth of its Little Rock office with the addition of seven attorneys and the appointment of Haley Heath as Assistant Office Managing Partner. Heath will serve alongside Office Managing Partner Ed Slaughter, supporting the continued growth and development of the Little Rock office. "Haley has been an important part of the continued growth of our Little Rock office, and I'm pleased to have her join me in this leadership role," said Slaughter. "The addition of these talented attorneys also strengthens our team and positions us well for continued growth across the region." The firm has recently welcomed Partner Charlotte Moore, Senior Counsel Robert Dalby, Hallie Flanagan, Marshall Jones, and Stevenson Smith, Of Counsel Molly McNulty, and Associate Michelle Palacios to the Little Rock office, bringing GRSM's number of Arkansas-based attorneys to 16. The additions enhance GRSM's capabilities in Arkansas and across the South, reflecting the firm's continued investment in its resources to support the evolving needs of its clients wherever they arise. GRSM's Little Rock attorneys represent clients across nearly every discipline throughout the United States, including product liability, toxic torts, including asbestos and talc, employment, food and agricultural law, construction, healthcare, medical malpractice, trucking and transportation, insurance, bankruptcy, restructuring and creditors' rights, commercial and consumer litigation, pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, D&O and shareholder litigation, and consumer protection litigation.