LOS ANGELES, May 1, 2014—Duane Morris LLP has appointed Cyndie M. Chang managing partner of its Los Angeles office. Chang succeeds partner Russell W. Roten, who served in that role since the launch of the office in 2006. The firm's Los Angeles office serves clients throughout Southern California, as well as throughout the United States and internationally.
"Cyndie has proven herself an excellent leader through her highly regarded litigation practice and through her many community and civic activities," said John J. Soroko, Chairman and CEO of Duane Morris. "She is a natural choice to spearhead the future growth of our Los Angeles office."
"I'm honored to be asked to lead our Los Angeles office," said Chang. "Duane Morris is committed to the Southern California market, and working with my colleagues here, I hope to develop our Los Angeles presence in a strategic and client-focused way."
Chang handles complex business and commercial disputes involving contracts, unfair competition, trademark, trade secrets, products liability, broker disputes, entertainment and real estate law, and has received favorable results at both trial and arbitration. She represents clients in insurance coverage issues, including significant environmental, asbestos, toxic tort and long tail liability claims, as well as subrogation, contribution, bad faith and reinsurance disputes. In addition, she has counseled insurers on complicated claims management and coverage issues.
Chang was named one of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association ("NAPABA") 2010 "Best Lawyers Under 40," awarded to 20 lawyers across the country. In 2014, she was named a "Super Lawyer" in the Southern California Super Lawyers edition. From 2010 to 2013, she was named a "Rising Star" in Los Angeles Magazine's Super Lawyer Rising Star section, and has been listed yearly in that publication's "The Top LA Women Lawyers" since 2012. The Recorder named Chang a "2013 Lawyer on the Fast Track." Chang was also named in the Lawyers of Color Inaugural Hot List, which honored 100 early-to-mid-career minority attorneys for excellence in the legal profession.
Chang is the outgoing president of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, one of the oldest and largest Asian-American bar associations in the country. She is also an executive officer of NAPABA, as its current Vice-President of Communications and past Secretary and Regional Governor for the Central District, which encompassed more than 10 minority interest bar organizations in Southern California. Chang participated in the American Bar Association's Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section ("TIPS") 2010 Leadership Academy. She was appointed as the Vice-Chair of the ABA-TIPS Business Litigation Committee and a member of the Standing Committee on Diversity in the Profession. In addition, she is the Duane Morris Pro Bono Coordinator for Los Angeles and an inaugural Fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. Chang has also served as a board member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles. She has been involved in the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, the California State Bar Breakfast Club, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles and the Southern California Business Litigation American Inn of Court. Chang has been featured in the Los Angeles Business Journal, the Daily Journal and other legal publications.
Chang is a graduate of Loyola Law School, where she was a published Note and Comment Editor for the Entertainment Law Review, the Student Editor of the ABA Student Lawyer national magazine and a member of the National Moot Court Team and Scott Moot Court Honors Board. She earned a B.A., with honors, in 2000 from the Johns Hopkins University.
Roten will continue to represent clients in a variety of commercial, insurance and bankruptcy matters. He has tried numerous jury and court cases to verdict, has handled large bankruptcy cases for London-based insurers and has also resolved cases in arbitration and mediation. Notably, he represented the London insurance market in a declaratory relief action filed against BP America Inc. and Atlantic Richfield Co. concerning the scope of a policy buyback agreement. The trial court entered judgment in the clients' favor on all claims following trial. On September 13, 2012, the California Court of Appeal issued an opinion affirming the judgment in full. He also won a trial in San Francisco state court with approximately $3.4 billion of insurance coverage at issue.
Roten also maintains an active transactional practice, assisting clients with a range of commercial matters, both domestic and international.
About the Duane Morris Los Angeles Office
Duane Morris' Los Angeles office offers a wide range of services to clients throughout the country and internationally, and works closely with the firm's offices on the West Coast, including San Francisco, Silicon Valley and San Diego. The firm's Los Angeles lawyers practice in a broad array of areas, including complex litigation and alternative dispute resolution; insurance and reinsurance; real estate; bankruptcy; and intellectual property.
About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP, a law firm with more than 700 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally, is asked by a broad array of clients to provide innovative solutions to today's legal and business challenges.