COSTA MESA, Calif., Jan. 6, 2016 – Chelsea Epps, Jennifer Farrell, John Fitzgerald, Jeff Fohrer, Kevan Graydon, Heather Herd, Bill Shaeffer and Brandon Sylvia have recently been named partners at Rutan & Tucker, LLP, California’s largest full-service business law firm based in Orange County.
Ms. Epps is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation, Corporate/Securities and Intellectual Property Sections, where her practice consists of a wide range of civil and intellectual property litigation matters as well as providing legal advice, contract drafting and negotiation across several different subject matters. She has represented entities and individuals in a number of substantive areas, including breach of contract, fraud, unfair competition, corporate governance, real property disputes, issues of patent, trademark and copyright infringement and prosecution, publicity and privacy rights, employment matters, personal injury defense, marketing and advertising law, e-commerce, licensing and product distribution. She received her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with high honors.
Ms. Farrell is a member of the firm’s Government & Regulatory Section, where she specializes in a wide range of litigation and transactional matters relating to both municipal governments and school districts. Ms. Farrell currently serves as Assistant City Attorney for the cities of Dana Point and Twentynine Palms. In this role, she regularly attends both planning commission meetings and city council meetings and advises these cities on a host of legal issues ranging from the Brown Act to the California Environmental Quality Act. She received her Juris Doctor from Chapman University School of Law, magna cum laude and her Bachelor of Science from Loyola Marymount, with honors, magna cum laude.
Mr. Fitzgerald is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Section, where he specializes in the prosecution and litigation of patents, trademarks, copyright, licensing and trade secret matters, concentrating on high technology matters in the fields of mechanical, analytical, biomedical, optical, e-commerce, computer, network, software and material technology. He has prosecuted and litigated patents and trademarks, and provided counsel to clients, in many technologies, including medical devices, biomedical equipment and systems, atomic force microscopy, aerospace, e-commerce, network technology, graphic display systems, fiber optics, radio controlled equipment and toys, digital electronics, internet related systems, computer software and exercise equipment. He received his Juris Doctor from Whittier Law School, cum laude and his Bachelor of Science from DePaul University and his M.B.A. at Central Michigan University.
Mr. Fohrer is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation section where his practice consists of a wide range of business and civil litigation matters. Mr. Fohrer represents a wide range of companies and individuals in various matters involving partnership disputes, construction projects, business contracts, real property disputes, and intellectual property. Mr. Fohrer practices regularly in both state and federal courts, and his experience includes appellate proceedings in the California Courts of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, arbitrations, and court and jury trials in various counties in California. He received his Juris Doctor from Washington University in St. Louis and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern California and his Bachelor of Science from the University of Southern California.
Mr. Graydon is a member of the firm’s Corporate and Securities section, where his practice focuses on corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financings and other private placements of equity and debt securities. Mr. Graydon has experience in drafting and negotiating limited liability company operating agreements, as well as modeling complex capital structures, financing scenarios and liquidity events. In addition, Mr. Graydon regularly advises clients on various other business matters. He received his Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University and his Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University.
Ms. Herd is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation Section and represents companies and individuals in a wide variety of disputes, including matters involving creditors’ rights, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of trust by trustees of private trusts, business ownership, separation and termination, landlord/tenant relationships and breach of contract. She has significant experience representing lenders – both banks as well as individuals and other entities – in disputes with debtors, particularly in the context of personal guarantees of real estate secured loans involving the California anti-deficiency and “one form of action” rules and in the receivership process. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of California Los Angeles, School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Irvine, magna cum laude.
Mr. Shaeffer is a member of the firm’s Government & Regulatory Section, primarily specializing in representing school districts, public agencies, school administrators and other private and public sector management employees throughout California. He has extensive litigation experience in most areas involving employment law and many areas of education law. Mr. Shaeffer has briefed and argued many cases in the state and federal appellate courts. He received his Juris Doctor from Southwestern University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California Los Angeles.
Mr. Sylvia is a member of the firm’s Employment & Labor Section. His practice involves representing and counseling employers in all areas of employment law, including harassment, workplace discrimination, terminations, employment agreements, leaves of absence, wage and hour issues, trade secrets, unfair competition, accommodating disabilities, and employment policies and procedures. Mr. Sylvia has represented employers in various civil litigation matters – including appellate proceedings before the California Courts of Appeal, the California Supreme Court, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals – and before state administrative agencies. He received his Juris Doctor from Chapman University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from San Diego State University.
“We are pleased to elevate these outstanding attorneys to the level of partner in recognition of the unique strengths they bring to our clients,” said Steve Nichols, the firm’s managing partner.
About Rutan & Tucker, LLP
Rutan & Tucker is one of California’s largest full-service law firms with offices in Orange County and Palo Alto. Primary practice areas include corporate and securities law, business, real estate and intellectual property litigation, labor and employment law, intellectual property, real estate, government and regulatory law, land use law, political and government law, bankruptcy, condemnation and property valuation, environmental law, and taxation and estate planning. Detailed information about the firm is available at www.rutan.com.
