Michael D. "Akiva" Newborn

Bio Deborah Chang, one of the founding members of Athea Trial Lawyers, has won record-breaking verdicts and settlements in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases across the country. As if this wasn’t enough, she’s also a partner at Los Angeles firm Chang | Klein LLP. As a trusted advocate at two powerhouse firms, Deborah has made a name for herself as an attorney capable of fighting complex and high-profile cases. At Athea Trial Lawyers, Deborah has been involved in some of ...

Steven Hilst is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs. Steven, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Steven is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Andrea Fugate Balian is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Andrea Fugate, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Andrea Fugate is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Christine Parkins Johnson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Health Care Law. Christine Parkins, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Christine Parkins is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Paul Grossman is a partner in the Employment Law practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Mr. Grossman represents major private employers in all aspects of employment law, including class action, wage and hour, wrongful discharge, discrimination, sexual harassment, and whistleblower cases. He is the general counsel of the California Employment Law Council (CELC), an organization of approximately 70 of California’s largest employers. Its mission is t...

Jesse Creed is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Jesse, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jesse is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Rick Kirkbride is a partner in the Real Estate practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Century City office. Mr. Kirkbride is also Chair of the Global Hospitality & Leisure practice group and brings over 35 years of experience representing institutional real estate companies and capital providers in the acquisition, development, finance and operation of hotels, resorts, other hospitality properties, and businesses throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, E...

Julian W. Poon is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. Julian W., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Julian W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

H. Mark Mersel is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation - Bankruptcy. H. Mark, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which H. Mark is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Stanton (“Larry”) Stein is a partner and the head of Russ August & Kabat’s Media & Entertainment group. Larry’s clients include actors, writers, directors, producers, music artists, high-net-worth individuals, entertainment guilds, talent agencies, personal and business management companies, independent production companies, and video game companies. Larry is widely known in the entertainment industry for his work taking on Hollywood studios. Throughout the las...