Sharon R. Smith

Lou Cisz concentrates his practice on insolvency, restructuring debts, creditors’ remedies and related litigation. His clients include lenders, special servicers, manufacturers, vendors, contractors, health care companies, insurers, indenture trustees, buyers and sellers of assets and business ventures in a large cross-section of industries. Mr. Cisz has also worked in the food and beverage industry and has represented clients in that industry throughout his career. He has represented p...

Jill Dodd chairs the firm’s estate planning and personal representation practice, focusing on gift, estate and philanthropic planning for very-high-net-worth individuals and families. Jill counsels very-high-net-worth individuals in all aspects of gift, estate and philanthropic planning. She has extensive experience designing and implementing a variety of sophisticated structures, including family limited partnerships, grantor retained annuity trusts, insurance trusts, complex grantor t...

Michael B. Newman is head of the firm’s Alcohol Beverage Team, focusing on counseling industry clients on national and international regulatory, contract, legislative, and licensing matters, advertising and promotional law, intellectual property rights, importation matters, trade practices, and inter-tier relations. He represents clients on matters before the federal Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and State Board of ...

Susan Mac Cormac is a partner in the Corporate Department of Morrison & Foerster’s San Francisco office. She serves as co-chair of the Clean Technology and Renewable Energy Group and the Private Equity and Venture Investment Practice. Ms. Mac Cormac has extensive experience representing startup to late-stage private companies primarily in the clean technology, renewable energy and sustainable space. She provides corporate and finance advice in connection with equity and debt financi...

Mr. Fried has represented chapter 11 debtors, creditors' committees, and companies in out-of-court workouts and restructurings. Mr. Fried is a graduate of Rutgers University, received his J.D. magna cum laude from Pepperdine School of Law, and an MBA from Cal State Northridge. He was listed in the 2019 edition of Best Lawyers in America for his work in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law. Mr. Fried is admitted to practice in California and New York.

Vivek K. Chavan is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Vivek K., who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Vivek K. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Barbara Schussman, a partner in the firm's Environment, Energy & Resources practice, focuses on securing federal, state and local agency approvals needed to develop a wide range of private and public projects, including industrial scale solar facilities, university campuses, hospitals, research and development facilities, water supply and storage projects, oil refineries, maritime port and airport expansions, and numerous industrial, commercial, housing and mixed use developments. Barbara...

Anthony B. Leuin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Insurance Law. Anthony B., who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Anthony B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ellen A. Friedman practices in the areas of commercial transactions, bankruptcy and insolvency. Ellen has extensive experience representing both debtors and creditors. She has represented creditors in bankruptcy cases all over the United States, including serving on unsecured creditors' committees. Ellen has represented secured lenders in a variety of workouts and bankruptcy cases, including real estate and retail. She has participated in financial restructurings ranging from small companies ...

Thomas J. Brandi represents people in consumer class actions, injury and wrongful death including aviation, dangerous roads, defective drugs, and unsafe products. Tom has 19 verdicts from $1 million to $1 billion, has tried cases to verdict in 15 California Counties, and settled over 150 cases over one million dollars. He has been Court appointed to numerous executive committees in mass tort cases. Tom has been recognized for his trial skills named Trial Lawyer of the Year by CAOC (2004), nom...