Orrick has recently added private equity and M&A tax partner SeoJung Park in the firm's Bay Area office. Park joins Orrick from DLA Piper, where she was a partner, and previously practiced with Simpson Thacher in New York and London. She represents both U.S. and international private equity funds in all phases of their operations, including formation, acquisition, financing, restructuring and exiting portfolio investments. She also advises private and public companies, banks and financial institutions on the U.S. tax aspects of various financings, capital markets, cross-border mergers and other transactions.

Allen Matkins, a California-based full service real estate and business law firm, announced that partner Scott Leipzig has been named chair of the firm's litigation department; partners Kate Kraus and Jessica Chu were named co-chairs of the firm's tax and joint ventures group; and partner Kamran Javandel has been named co-chair of the firm's land use, environmental and natural resources group. Leipzig brings experience handling complex real estate, partnership, finance, insurance, entertainment and commercial disputes in state and federal courts, as well as domestic and international arbitration. Kraus has experience in tax planning and structuring for partnerships, REITs, Opportunity Zone funds and other types of investments and taxpayers, including formations, financing transactions, acquisitions, restructurings, debt workouts, liquidations, and bankruptcies. Chu's practice focuses on structuring, negotiating and documenting complex joint ventures and business transactions for equity investors, financial institutions, developers and others. Javandel combines environmental law experience with his background as an environmental toxicologist and consultant to help clients overcome challenging environmental hurdles.