Kaufman Dolowich Expands Footprint in Southern California Adding a Torrance Office and Eight Lawyers from Greenberg, Whitcombe, Takeuchi & Gibson
Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck LLP, a leading national law firm, is pleased to announce the expansion of its Southern California presence with eight lawyers from Greenberg, Whitcombe, Takeuchi & Gibson and the addition of a Torrance, CA office.
The move adds Greenberg, Whitcombe’s strengths in general business law, corporate law and complex commercial litigation as well as its marquee real estate transactional practice. GW lawyers represent large and small businesses and high net worth individuals, as well as international and domestic clients in California and in the western United States.
“This is another important step in extending KD’s presence and influence as a nationwide law firm,” said Michael A. Kaufman, KD co-managing partner. “We now have more than 200 attorneys in 13 offices from coast to coast and are even better positioned to help our clients in California and across the country achieve their most important business goals.”
The GW group will add significant strength in real estate transactions, one of KD’s rapidly expanding practices in California, enabling the firm to enhance its preeminent real estate services statewide.
The GW attorneys joining KD include named partners Richard C. Greenberg, John D. Whitcombe and Michael J. Gibson as well as partners Michael E. Adler, Joel Luna Benivedes, Samantha F. Lamberg, Michael J. Weinberger, and of counsel Jeffrey L. Parker.
Six lawyers from KD’s Los Angeles office will move to GW’s current space where KD will reside in Torrance. They are partners Brian D. Peters, Allyson K. Thompson and Andrew J. Waxler; of counsel Cynthia D. Kinney; and attorneys Laura Birnbaum and Jennifer E. Newcomb.
Other KD offices in California are in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland and Sonoma. Andrew Waxler and Barry Brodsky, currently co-managing partners of KD’s Los Angeles office, will serve as co-managing partner of the Torrance office as well. Brodsky will continue to work from KD’s LA office.
“KD has a stellar reputation in Southern California, highly regarded for its professional liability, insurance coverage and labor and employment practices,” Waxler said. “Simply put, the opportunity to move into the South Bay area by joining forces with the best corporate and real estate lawyers in the region was a no-brainer, and with our combined bench strength, complimentary goals and a great culture fit, this is a win-win for all our clients.”
The new KD lawyers serve as business counsel to local sole proprietors and Fortune 500 companies alike, and as preeminent real estate counsel to some of the largest REITs, brokers, lenders, developers, property managers and HOAs, as well as some of the most powerful national corporations with constantly revolving real estate needs in California.
“We look forward to growing our practices at KD on a larger California platform and leveraging KD’s well-established national platform of more than a dozen offices with experienced lawyers from coast to coast,” said John Whitcombe. “We will also appreciate having exceptional bandwidth in-house for handling complex employment and litigation matters. This expansion will allow us to continue doing what we love the most and do the best – providing excellent legal service to our clients.”
The three named GW partners joining KD as partners include:
Richard C. Greenberg, founding member of GW in 1981, has extensive experience in both transactional matters and commercial litigation, concentrating on real estate, business and construction disputes. His broad corporate and real estate transactional practice includes the purchase, sale, financing and leasing of real property, corporate governance, and private offerings, acquisitions, sales and mergers. Greenberg represents clients as general counsel, providing them with both corporate governance and advice; he also represents private and public clients in select litigation matters in state and federal courts, including complex business, real estate and construction disputes as well as probate, employment and intellectual property litigation, both at the trial level, and on appeal.
John D. Whitcombe brings experience ranging from first chairing complex business trials to serving as lead counsel in mid-market mergers and acquisitions. He currently serves as outside general counsel to a number of companies, both public and private. He has extensive experience in commercial real estate matters from acquisition and development to leasing and property management. His more than three decades of legal experience, combined with an MBA from the University of Southern California and prior experience serving as CEO of several private companies, allows for the unique blend of both a commonsense and an institutional approach when advising clients on business and real estate issues.
Michael J. Gibson enjoys a wide-ranging practice in business and real estate transactional law with nearly four decades of experience. He represents manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and professional services firms with respect to the formation of business entities, buy and sell arrangements among business owners, the purchase and sale of business assets and of ownership interests in business entities, and provides counsel on business financing matters, employment and consulting agreements and on all types of commercial transactions.
Additional GW partners joining KD as partners:
Michael E. Adler brings 36 years of experience as the senior executive at both private and public companies, including primary responsibility for oversight of their business and legal needs. His practice encompasses a range of transactional matters, including the formation, acquisition and sale of business and real estate entities and the counseling of business and real estate clients in all facets of their ongoing legal and business affairs.
Joel L. Benavides maintains a litigation practice focused on business, real estate and employment disputes. He also counsels employers on hiring, retention, severance, pre-litigation matters, employment policies and handbooks, mass layoffs, and human resources training. Benavides advises national and multinational corporate clients on business transactions and employment issues and manages international litigation at both the trial court level in California state and federal court, as well as in the California appellate courts.
Samantha F. Lamberg, a litigator with more than 25 years of experience, represents businesses, homeowners’ associations, individuals and trustees in varied real estate, business, employment and trust litigation matters. Lamberg’s practice focuses on advising small to mid-size employers, including employment litigation focused on defense and alternative resolution of wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation and harassment claims, as well as non-compete, trade secret, defamation, privacy, and wage disputes. She also provides preventive counseling to help minimize the risk of employment litigation prior to termination.
Michael J. Weinberger focuses his practice on commercial litigation and strategic counseling across various sectors including public works projects, real estate, sales and creditors’ rights matters. In addition, his appellate advocacy experience covers areas as diverse as the enforceability of mandatory arbitration provisions, the California False Claims Act and the force and effect of retail sales provisions under the Uniform Commercial Code.
Joining as of counsel from GW:
Jeffrey L. Parker focuses his practice in the areas of business and real estate litigation. He represents large and small business entities, as well as individuals, in state and federal court cases, administrative hearings and alternative dispute resolution proceedings throughout Southern California and elsewhere in the United States. His principal areas of litigation include real estate, land use, commercial landlord/tenant, business or contractual disputes, business fraud, construction, banking, bankruptcy, commercial law, foreclosures, receiverships, wrongful termination, employment discrimination, and wage and hour claims.
KD’s new Torrance office is located at 21515 Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 450.
For more information, contact Jamie Moss, newsPRos, 201-493-1027, jamie@newspros.com
