SAN FRANCISCO, CA (November 15, 2004): Farella Braun + Martel LLP announced today that six attorneys have been elevated to the partnership, effective January 1, 2005.  The new partners are: Lara N. Gilman, John J. Gregory, Nan E. Joesten, Said C. Kordestani, Kelly A. Woodruff and Karen K. Yuen.

"As Farella Braun + Martel continues its growth, we are very fortunate to be able to welcome such a wonderful group of very bright and talented attorneys to the partnership," said William J. Schlinkert, Chairman.   “The new partners are drawn from many practice groups and reflect the firm’s diverse skills, talents and experience. We expect them to be an integral part of the firm's future.”

Farella Braun + Martel New Partners for 2005:

LARA N. GILMAN is a member of the Family Wealth Group and counsels families on estate planning and succession planning.  She has over 10 years of experience integrating and simplifying the complexities of wealth succession planning for individuals, families and businesses.  Ms. Gilman received her J.D. from the University of California, Davis and her LL.M., with honors, in Taxation from Golden Gate University.  She earned her B.A., cum laude, in History from the University of California, Santa Barbara. 

JOHN J. GREGORY is a member of the Environmental Department, where his practice emphasizes environmental due diligence, site cleanup and property redevelopment counseling, as well as assisting clients on regulatory permitting, compliance and enforcement matters.    Mr. Gregory is a Registered Professional Engineer in California, and has previously worked as an engineering consultant in the field of environmental and civil engineering.  He earned his J.D., his M.S. in Civil Engineering, and his B.S., magna cum laude, in Environmental Sciences Engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. 

NAN E. JOESTEN is a member of the Intellectual Property & Technology Department and maintains a diverse complex litigation practice with particular expertise in a variety of intellectual property matters, including patent and trademark infringement actions, trade secret misappropriation cases, and technology-related litigation.  Prior to her legal career, Ms. Joesten was a manufacturing engineer and an advertising brand manager for the Procter & Gamble Company.  Ms. Joesten earned her J.D. from Boalt Hall at the University of California at Berkeley, where she was an editor of the California Law Review and elected to membership in the Order of the Coif.  She received her B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

SAID C. KORDESTANI is a member of the Tax Group, where he counsels clients on a wide range of technical and strategic issues involving federal and state income tax issues, transactional matters and tax controversies.  Mr. Kordestani received an LL.M. in Tax from New York University School of Law, a J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of the Pacific.  He is admitted to U.S. Tax Court.

KELLY A. WOODRUFF is a member of the firm's Business Litigation and White Collar Crime Groups.  Her practice emphasizes bankruptcy litigation, securities litigation, officer and director liability claims, commercial contract disputes and appellate work.  Ms. Woodruff earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from Hastings College of the Law, where she was Senior Executive Editor of the Hastings Law Journal and was elected to the Order of the Coif.  She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Colorado. 

KAREN K. YUEN is a member of the Business Transactions Group and has a diverse transactional and general corporate practice involving representation of clients in mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions, and formation and operation of joint ventures, limited liability companies, partnerships and corporations.  She earned her J.D. from Stanford Law School, graduating with distinction.  Ms. Yuen received her B.S. in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Accounting and Finance, with highest honors from the University of California at Berkeley, where she was a Regent Scholar.  Ms. Yuen was formerly a CPA with Ernst & Young in San Francisco. 

About Farella Braun + Martel LLP

Since its founding in 1962, Farella Braun + Martel has achieved a national reputation for the acumen of its business practice, the high profile cases of its complex commercial litigation practice and its prestigious client base. Based in San Francisco, the firm serves a diverse group of clients from multinational corporations to emerging businesses.  The firm also has an office in the Napa Valley focused on the wine industry and related businesses.