Hanson Bridgett Announces 2024 Partner Class

December 12, 2023 (San Francisco, CA) - Hanson Bridgett LLP is pleased to announce that six attorneys have been promoted to partner. The 2024 Partner Class includes Patrick Burns (Sacramento), Nancy Dollar (San Francisco), Sean Herman (San Francisco), Kaylen Kadotani (San Francisco), Ellis Raskin (Los Angeles) and Nicole Witt (Walnut Creek). The promotions are effective January 1, 2024.

"We feel incredibly fortunate to welcome this exceptionally talented group to the partnership," said Hanson Bridgett Managing Partner Kristina Lawson. "They have truly distinguished themselves through their contributions, client service, and dedication to their respective practice groups. Collectively, their substantive legal expertise further elevates the type of forward-thinking services Hanson Bridgett clients know and expect. Congratulations, new partners!"

Meet Hanson Bridgett’s 2024 Partner Class:

Patrick Burns is a member of the firm's Appellate practice group and is based in San Francisco. He focuses on appeals and law and motion in the state and federal courts. Before joining Hanson Bridgett, Burns worked at a global law firm where he focused on commercial litigation. He has litigated complex and high-stakes disputes in bankruptcy, class actions, products liability, and multi-district actions. He received his B.A. from the University of California, Irvine; his M.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara; and his J.D., magna cum laude, from UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings).

Nancy Dollar is a member of the firm’s Tax practice group and is a Certified Specialist in Taxation Law by the State Bar of California. She focuses on tax planning, counseling and transactional matters. Her practice includes advising founders, investors, and companies on specialty tax incentives and federal income tax matters. She regularly provides analysis and thought leadership for various publications including Bloomberg Tax and Law360. She received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Kenyon College and her J.D., cum laude, and LL.M. from Boston University School of Law.

Sean Herman is a member of the firm’s Environmental and Land Use practice groups and co-leads the Water practice group. He serves as both a litigator and regulatory compliance attorney for public agencies (including water agencies, transit agencies, and sanitation districts) and private developers, manufacturers, and agricultural companies. Sean sits on the Environmental Law Section’s executive committee for the Bar Association of San Francisco and teaches environmental law at Golden Gate University School of Law. He received his B.S., cum laude, from Boston College and his J.D. from Rutgers University.

Kaylen Kadotani is a member of Hanson Bridgett’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice group, serving clients in a variety of settings, including business and commercial disputes, product liability and other tort and injury claims, real estate, public entity litigation, among others. He also assists clients in responding to subpoenas and other third-party inquiries, and provides advice with respect to internal policies and procedures. Kaylen received his B.A. from the University of San Francisco and his J.D., magna cum laude, from UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings).

Ellis Raskin is a member of the firm’s Real Estate + Environment practice group. He represents clients in matters involving CEQA, NEPA, the California Coastal Act, the Subdivision Map Act, and other environmental and land use legislation. He also advises clients in matters involving California’s housing laws, including the Housing Element Law, the Housing Accountability Act, and various state and local rent control laws. Raskin’s work has involved a range of large-scale development projects in high-stakes administrative proceedings and litigation. He is the current Vice Chair of the City of Santa Monica's Planning Commission, and he will begin a term on the Executive Board of the Sierra Club’s Angeles Chapter in January 2024. He received his B.A. from Occidental College and his J.D. from UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings).

Nicole Witt is a member of the Government practice group. She serves as General Counsel to West County Wastewater District and as Deputy General Counsel to Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District, San Joaquin Regional Transit District, and Menlo Park Fire Protection District. Witt assists the firm's public agency clients with various legal issues such as public contracts and procurements, legislation, revenue measures, governance laws, and ethics issues, including conflict of interest analyses. She has particular expertise in public contracting and assists clients with complex procurements and infrastructure projects, including complex design-build agreements. Witt also provides guidance and advice in navigating and responding to FTA audits. Witt received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago, and her J.D., cum laude, from UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings).

About Hanson Bridgett

Hanson Bridgett LLP is a full service AmLaw 200 law firm with more than 200 attorneys across California. Creating a diverse workforce by fostering an atmosphere of belonging and intentional support has been a priority at Hanson Bridgett since its founding in 1958. We are dedicated to creating an environment that provides opportunities for people with varied backgrounds, both for attorneys and administrative professionals. We are also committed to the communities where our employees live and work and consider it part of our professional obligation to serve justice by encouraging and supporting pro bono and social impact work.