Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP
01 August 2007
Lee Paul, Robert Hastings and Leonard Janofsky established the office of Paul Hastings Janofsky in 1951 in downtown Los Angeles. Charles Walker joined in 1962 to form what is now known as Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP. Its first foray outside Los Angeles came with the 1974 opening of the Orange County office. Since then the firm has continued to expand both nationally and internationally, boasting 1,200 lawyers in 18 offices across the globe. Now a worldwide name in the legal community, Paul Hastings remains strong in its Californian heartland. This is illustrated by the 18 nominees in nine of the publication’s chapters.
Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP in Who's Who Legal: California
Paul Hastings’ employment law department boasts an excellent international reputation and received the 2007 Who’s Who LegalManagement Labour & Employment Law Firm of the Year’ award. The firm’s pre-eminence in representing management on workplace issues is evident – we list nine of its lawyers in our labour and employment chapter. Not only is this more than double its nearest competitor, it’s also the greatest collection from a firm in any chapter. Paul Grossman received more nominations than any other labour and employment specialist and comes recommended as “one of, if not the best employment lawyer in California”. Grossman serves as general counsel to the California Employment Law Council and was variously described as “an icon”, “outstanding” and “top-notch”.
Nancy Abell is another of the area’s leading lights and she chairs the firm’s 200-strong department. One source stated she was “too good to put into words”. Paul Cane is “first-rate for appellate briefings for employment appeal cases” and is joined in the chapter by Kirby Wilcox, “one of the best wage and hour attorneys in California”. The group also boasts the government background of Al Latham in Los Angeles, formerly President Reagan’s appointee as staff director of the US Commission on Civil Rights and chief counsel to Patricia Diaz Dennis, (a member of the National Labor Relations Board). Partner William Waldo is another leading light. Bradford Newman chairs the firm’s Palo Alto employment law group and our sources welcomed his nomination. In Los Angeles, James Zapp boasts “great industry experience”. He is joined in the chapter by Jeffrey Wohl, who practises in the same office. Unsurprisingly, Paul Hastings also features in the employee benefits section. Ethan Lipsig founded the firm’s ERISA practice group, which has now grown to 40 lawyers. Lipsig was praised as a “very bright guy” and is “the best around” according to some.
The firm also provides multiple nominees in the real estate chapter. Philip Feder is chairman of the department and boasts both national and international experience. His work on behalf of US-based investors on transactions in Asia and Europe was noted. He’s also said to be an “engaging public speaker”.
Charles Thornton chairs the San Francisco real estate department and is highly regarded.
Shiobhan McBreen Burke represents the firm in the private funds chapter, where she was recommended for her work on behalf of sponsors and institutional investors, such as corporate and government pension plans. Superlatives used to describe her include “very good and very able”, “outstanding”, and “unbelievably great”. Nancy Iredale was appointed to the advisory group of the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service and her reputation sees her feature in the corporate tax chapter. Sources noted that she’s a “skilled litigator” and “great practitioner”, and “very well respected” for her tax advice to international and domestic clients. John Hilson is Paul Hastings’ man in the banking chapter. One source remarked that he “wrote the book on asset based lending but is also great across the board”. Clients include Goldman Sachs and Silver Point Capital.
Douglas E. Olson represents the firm in the patents chapter, an area in which he boasts “a fantastic reputation”. Michael Lindsey’s nomination in the franchise section rounds off what is an excellent showing for the law firm. Lindsey is rated as a “stellar practitioner” and is a member of the steering committee of the international franchise and distribution division of the American Bar Association’s forum on franchising.
To see more profiled firms from California, vist the Firm Profiles page in the California Special Report