News

03.02.2023

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is pleased to announce that 10 attorneys have been promoted to partner. The 2023 Partner Class includes Emily D. Anderson (New York), Tyler Z. Bernstein (Orange County), Jack Burns (San Diego), Hilary A. Habib (Los Angeles), Sami Hasan (San Francisco), Chi L. Huynh (Century City), Andrew S. Kreider (Los Angeles), Gazal Pour-Moezzi (Orange County), Corey F. Steady (Orange County) and Edward Xia (Los Angeles). The promotions are effective March 1, 2023.

“This is an outstanding class, with each partner having a proven track record as a firm leader. They bring to our partnership diverse skill sets, backgrounds and experience, and each of them embodies an unwavering commitment to our clients and to promoting our firm’s culture and values,” said Luca Salvi, chair of Sheppard Mullin. “I am honored to welcome them to the partnership, and I look forward to working with them to lead the firm into the future.”

Meet Sheppard Mullin’s 2023 Partner Class:

Emily D. Anderson, based in New York, is a member of the Business Trial practice group and Construction industry team. Emily advises developers, contractors, construction managers and owners throughout all stages of construction projects, with an emphasis on alternative dispute resolution, litigation and contract negotiation. She has represented clients in matters involving breaches of contract on private and public projects, public-private partnerships, solar projects, delay damage claims, suretyship, mechanic’s liens, trust fund diversion claims, neighboring access and support and construction defects. Emily is active in the American Bar Association Forum on Construction, presently serving as the Chair of Division 10 “Transportation, Energy and the Environment,” and is also the Chair of the Design Build Institute of America’s New York City Metro Chapter Law and Legislation Committee. Emily was recognized by Super Lawyers as a New York Rising Star from 2015-2022, by Best Lawyers as One to Watch in Construction Law and Litigation from 2021-2023 and by Legal 500 as a Recommended Lawyer – Construction in 2022. She received her B.A. from University of Illinois, her Master of Urban Planning from Hunter College and her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.

Tyler Z. Bernstein is a member of the Labor and Employment practice group and is based in the Orange County office. He has a robust practice covering the full gamut of labor and employment litigation as well as counseling for employers of all industries. Tyler’s practice includes an additional focus on business-to-business disputes, risk and crisis management and corporate governance. Tyler is a first-chair litigator with extensive experience successfully defending against “bet the company” litigations and arbitrations. He also has deep experience litigating single-plaintiff claims of all types  as well as wage-hour representative and class actions in state and federal court. Tyler routinely provides general preventative advice and counseling to employers, management and boards of directors on the full spectrum of personnel and compliance matters. He received his B.A. from Cornell University and his J.D., cum laude, from Boston College. Tyler is admitted to practice in both California and New York.

Jack Burns is a member of the Business Trial practice group and Healthcare industry team and is based in the San Diego office. Jack focuses on complex healthcare litigation involving a wide range of healthcare issues, including regulatory, reimbursement, privacy, fraud and abuse, overpayment and class action matters. Jack also maintains an active pro bono practice, including providing pro bono services to indigent criminal defendants facing felony-level charges. Jack received his B.S. from the University of Colorado Boulder and his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Previously, he clerked for Judge Procter R. Hug, Jr. of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and for former Chief Judge Larry A. Burns of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

Hilary Habib is a member of the Labor and Employment practice group and is based in the Los Angeles office. Hilary specializes in labor and employment matters on behalf of employers, including defending wage-and-hour class actions and PAGA matters, as well as defending employment discrimination, wrongful termination and sexual harassment claims. She also advises employers in implementing proactive preventative measures to minimize exposure to litigation risks and developing compliant workplace policies and procedures. Hilary received her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles and her J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law where she was copy editor of the Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal. During law school, Hilary served as an extern to the Honorable Gene Gomes of the California Fifth District Court of Appeal.

Sami Hasan is a member of the Labor and Employment practice group and is based in the San Francisco office. Sami has extensive experience litigating employment claims before administrative agencies as well as state and federal courts. He has particularly deep experience in wage and hour class and Private Attorneys General Act actions, as well as discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims brought under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. Sami regularly counsels employers and prepares employment policies on wage and hour compliance, family and medical leave, disability and religious accommodation, employee onboarding and performance management, employee separation and severance, workplace investigations, arbitration programs and agreements and reductions in force. Prior to joining private practice, Sami was staff counsel at the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (now the California Civil Rights Department). He received his B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Chi L. Huynh is a member of the Corporate practice group and Healthcare industry team and is based in the Century City office. Her healthcare practice focuses on representing physician groups, hospitals, health systems, non-profit health foundations and other healthcare entities in mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances and general corporate counsel matters. She is also experienced in identifying and addressing complex healthcare-related regulatory issues, including information privacy, corporate practice of medicine, anti-kickback and federal Stark issues. Additionally, Chi is a seasoned legal advisor to private and public companies, private equity funds and their portfolio companies on a broad range of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, minority investments, joint ventures and general corporate governance matters. Chi received her B.A. from Loyola Marymount University and her J.D., Order of the Coif, from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.

Andrew S. Kreider is a member of the Corporate practice group and is based in the Los Angeles office. Andrew advises high-growth companies and their investors on organizational and founder matters, initial- through late-stage angel, venture capital and other debt and equity financings, complex commercial transactions including joint ventures and strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings and recapitalizations, and corporate governance and counseling. His clients span a number of industries, including technology, financial services, blockchain and fintech, digital media, entertainment, apparel, food and beverage, biotech and e-commerce. He received his B.S. and M.S. from the University of Colorado and his J.D., from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, where he was a member of the California Law Review.  

Gazal Pour-Moezzi is a member of the Intellectual Property practice group and is based in the Orange County office. She advises some of the world’s leading brands on trademark acquisition, protection and enforcement in the U.S. and abroad. She manages worldwide trademark portfolios and strategizes with clients regarding how best to establish and grow their portfolios. Additionally, Gazal litigates trademark infringement, false advertising and unfair competition claims under the Lanham Act and state laws. Gazal’s notable successes include a unanimous decision from the U.S. Supreme Court in a trademark infringement case, as well as several significant monetary awards on behalf of her clients, including trebled damages and recovery of attorneys’ fees under the Lanham Act’s “exceptional” standard. She received her B.A. from the University of California, San Diego and her J.D., cum laude, from the University of California, Hasting College of the Law, San Francisco.

Corey F. Steady is a member of the Tax practice group and is based in the Orange County office. Corey practices in family wealth planning, including all aspects of estate planning and probate and trust administration. He advises U.S. citizens, residents and nonresident noncitizens regarding U.S. gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer tax planning. Additionally, he helps clients plan and implement strategies to transfer family wealth and accomplish personal goals in a tax efficient manner. Corey advises fiduciaries in regard to the administration of trusts and estates. He also assists clients with their charitable tax planning. He counsels public charities and private foundations in their formation and with other tax or legal issues that arise in their operation and management. Corey received his B.A., cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles and his J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Edward Xia is a member of the Corporate practice group and is based in the Los Angeles office. He is also a member of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity and Blockchain and Fintech teams. He represents public and private companies, private equity funds and their portfolio companies, entrepreneurs and founders in corporate and transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, minority and growth equity investments, equity and debt financings, venture capital investments, joint ventures and strategic alliances, recapitalizations and corporate governance matters. Ed works with clients in a range of industries, including software and technology, blockchain and digital assets, fintech, retail, consumer products, healthcare, financial services, food and beverage, aerospace and defense, transportation and entertainment and digital media. He received his A.B., cum laude, from Princeton University and his J.D., as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, from Columbia Law School.