Becky James, a former chief of criminal appeals at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles, has joined business litigation boutique Greenberg Gross as head of its appellate practice.

Greenberg Gross, a 21-lawyer firm, announced this week its addition of James from her own firm, Los Angeles-based James & Associates, which she formed seven years ago after spending three years as a partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, having co-chaired that firm's appellate practice.

James' addition comes on the heels of an expansion effort by Greenberg Gross, a firm founded only four years ago by Greenberg Traurig litigation duo Alan Greenberg and Wayne Gross, the latter of whom convinced James to leave her boutique practice and join the growing firm, which is based in Costa Mesa, California, and in January opened an office in downtown Los Angeles.