Sidley Austin announced that effective Jan. 1, six lawyers have been elected partners and four lawyers promoted to counsel in the firm’s California offices. In the Century City office and the M&A and private equity practice, Luke R. Ashworth, Daniel J. Belke and Eric H. Geffner were elected partner; in the Los Angeles office in the restructuring practice, Genevieve G. Weiner was made partner; Sara M. Carian of the Palo Alto office M&A and private equity practice was elected partner; and in the San Francisco office litigation practice, Sarah A. Hemmendinger was made partner. In the Century City office, Sheri Porath Rockwell of the regulatory and enforcement practice was made counsel; In the Los Angeles office, Todd Gilbert of the capital markets practice and Sean Raven of the litigation practice were made counsel; and Naomi A. Igra of the litigation practice in the San Francisco office was promoted to counsel.

Ogletree Deakins has promoted Melis Atalay to shareholder in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Atalay focuses her practice on defending employers against putative class and Private Attorneys General Act representative actions. She has defended clients in a variety of industries against off-the-clock, meal and rest break, expense reimbursement and overtime calculation claims. She also has substantial experience auditing companies’ timekeeping and pay practices and policies to enhance wage-and-hour compliance.