Los Angeles-based alternative dispute resolution provider Signature Resolution expanded its panel with the addition of retired Commissioner Gretchen W. Taylor and retired Judge Thomas Trent Lewis of the Los Angeles County Family Law Division. Taylor will serve as a mediator, arbitrator, private judge, special master, discovery referee and expert witness. Lewis will serve as a mediator, arbitrator and judge pro tem in family law disputes.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman brought on Peter Elias as a tax partner in San Diego. Before joining the firm, Elias was a partner at Jones Day. He primarily handles transactional tax matters such as mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions, fund formation and inbound investment strategies for offshore investors.

Snell & Wilmer is absorbing the West Coast commercial finance and creditors' rights law firm Assayag Mauss Legal Group and adding the firm's eight lawyers to its consumer finance and litigation practice. Six of the attorneys join Snell & Wilmer's Orange County office, including Assayag Mauss founding partners Michele Assayag and Byron Mauss. Assayag and Mauss will serve as partners at Snell & Wilmer, representing financial institutions and other businesses in transactional and litigation matters.

McGuireWoods Consulting announced that it is expanding its government affairs practice to the West Coast. Scott Frein, MWC's senior vice president, national education team co-leader, and national and multistate practice team member, moved to MWC's Los Angeles office to lead the initiative. Frein will work with companies that are based in California or looking to expand to California on government affairs issues.

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton's Century City office grew with the addition of David Schwarz as a partner in its business trial practice. Before the new role, Schwarz was a partner and appellate practice group co-chairman at Irell & Manella. He focuses his practice on complex commercial disputes and appeals, class actions and corporate governance matters.

Life sciences attorney Dennis Raglin joined Steptoe & Johnson LLP from Buchalter. In his new position, Raglin is a partner and handles counseling and litigation related to California Proposition 65 and products liability matters, particularly in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries.

Former Gagnier Margossian managing partner Christina Gagnier joined Carlton Fields' cybersecurity and privacy practice. Gagnier led the internet, intellectual property and technology practice at her previous firm and focuses her practice on cybersecurity and privacy, blockchain technology, international regulatory affairs, technology transactions and intellectual property. She is based in Los Angeles.

Buckley brought on partner James McGuire to lead its San Francisco office. McGuire represents banks and other financial services companies in financial services litigation with a focus on consumer class-action defense. He joins from Morrison & Foerster.

David C. Owen, former chief legal officer and global head of compliance and regulatory affairs at Allianz Global Investors, is now of counsel in K&L Gates' asset management and investment funds practice. Based in San Francisco, Owen counsels clients in fund formation, product structuring, transactional, regulatory, compliance and other securities law issues.