Farella Braun + Martel is proud to announce that senior associates Ashley Breakfield and Cynthia Castillo were selected to be members of the 2022 class of Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Pathfinders. The Pathfinders Program is designed to train diverse, early-career emerging leaders who have distinguished themselves within their organizations.

Ashley represents large-scale urban developers, real estate investors, renewable energy companies, and private property owners in sophisticated land use and real estate matters. She is particularly skilled at advising clients on Bay Area mid-scale project development strategies, beginning at the project’s inception through the administrative process. She counsels developers and real estate investors on acquisitions, dispositions, financing (including construction financing) and leasing of office, industrial, retail, and agricultural real estate. Ashley is a member of the board of directors for the Commercial Real Estate Women of San Francisco (CREW) and previously served on CREW Network's Diversity & Inclusion Task Force. She is on the board of directors and a Minority Bar Coalition (MBC) Liaison for the Bar Association of San Francisco. She also serves as an MBC co-chair. Ashley earned her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law(2011).

A skilled litigator with trial experience, Cynthia represents clients in a wide range of complex litigation matters, including business disputes, government enforcement actions, and consumer class actions. She has experience with all phases of litigation, including achieving early resolutions of disputes through pre-litigation negotiations, drafting dispositive motions, managing complex e-discovery, and representing clients at trial. Cynthia is a member of the board of directors for the San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association. She also serves on the Executive Committee for the Barrister’s Litigation Section and is a member of the Edward J. McFetridge American Inn of Court. She served as a law clerk for the Honorable Philip Martinez of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. Cynthia earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law (2014).

Founded in 2009, LCLD includes more than 400 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners who are personally committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive legal profession. Designed to supplement training initiatives at LCLD member corporations and law firms, the Pathfinder Program provides participants with practical tools for developing and leveraging internal professional networks, foundational leadership skills, and an understanding of career development strategies.

Celebrating our 60^th anniversary, Farella Braun + Martel is a leading Northern California law firm representing corporate and private clients in sophisticated business transactions and complex commercial, civil and criminal litigation. Clients seek our imaginative legal solutions and the dynamism and intellectual creativity of our lawyers. We are headquartered in San Francisco and maintain an office in the Napa Valley that is focused on the wine industry.

Contact:
Cheryl Loof
Farella Braun + Martel LLP
415.954.4433 / [email protected]