Looking back on the challenges and successes of 2025

It’s been an honor to serve you

Being CAALA President has been an eventful year indeed. When you run to be CAALA Secretary and are then in line to be its president six years later, you can be sure that a challenge will present itself during your presidency. This year was no different.

2025 began with fires ravaging our community. We came together. CAALA and LATLC together raised more than $100,000 for our local firefighters, first responders, and the local charities we support. We were out in the field delivering goods and supplies to those affected by the fires. The need for this support has not ended, nor has CAALA and LATLC’s commitment to service and helping others out.

Then came the raids and attacks on the rule of law. CAALA banded together with other local bar associations to create a Rule of Law Working Group. We met numerous times over the course of the year and created a forum for other local and affiliate bar associations to share information about the attacks on the rule of law, responses, training and education. This working group, together with the LA County Bar Association, created a library of legal resources related to the Rule of Law and Immigration Services. A special thank you to last year’s Los Angeles County Bar Association President Sarvenaz Bahar for her leadership with this working group.

2025 is ending with another fire – Uber’s planned fee initiative, which seeks to destroy access to justice for California consumers. We held our first Town Hall to share with our members about this initiative and our response.

In 2025, CAALA created its first ever Leadership Academy. The CAALA Leadership Academy brought together 20 attorneys to cultivate the next generation of powerhouse trial lawyer leaders. We succeeded beyond our imagination. The Leadership Academy explored authentic leadership, connected with mentors, learned about building trust, explored how compelling storytelling can enhance advocacy, connect with juries, and influence decision-makers. Leaders from the bench and bar came in to share stories about their path to leadership and how leadership comes in different forms. The CAALA Leadership Academy has also created 20 new friendships and relationships for the years to come. Thank you to Jes Averhart for helping us create this magical program with otherworldly results, and to the committee – Minh Nguyen, Gretchen Nelson, Maryann Gallagher, and Justin Palmer.

None of the above would have been possible without the amazing CAALA team. We all rowed in the same boat together this year, which was why we were able to accomplish so many amazing things and weather the storms, wildfires, and changes that the year brought.

Kwedi Moore, our executive director, has been walking side by side with me every day and every step of the way. We walked arm in arm through the ups and downs of the year. A relationship forged over more than a dozen years bore amazing fruit this year. Thank you, Kwedi, for all that you have done for CAALA and for me. I appreciate you.

The entirety of our CAALA staff has stepped up in so many ways. Bill Smith has always been, and always will be, there to listen and share insights into the inner workings of CAALA and how we can keep improving. Thank you, Bill, for listening and lending me your ear. Fatima Jones, Araceli Murillo, Jessica Kim, Margie Ruiz, you all keep this boat afloat and moving forward at warp speed. Thank you all for your kindness, friendship, and dance moves.

CAALA is its members. We are nothing without our members and our volunteer members who make up our Board of Governors, our committees, and the Executive Committee. To the other members of our Executive Committee – Doug Silverstein, Minh Nguyen, Ibiere Seck, Elizabeth Hernandez, Danny Abir, Olivier Tallieu, and Steve Vartazarian – thank you all for having my back this year.

CAALA’s committees – what an amazing group of people. Thank you. To our Education chairs, Torsten Bassel and Megan Klein, another great year of webinars is in the books! DEI committee chair, Ronni Whitehead, thank you for one more year in leadership. CAALA walked in WeHo Pride in 2025 and continued its commitment to DEI principles when they were under attack. Membership chairs Tim Loranger and Karina Lallande – our member numbers and retention are at all-time highs and trending higher. New Lawyers chairs Sonya Ostovar and Brenda Wong – two extremely successful events – our annual Trial Skills Conference and the brand-new Litigation Skills Seminar. Fabulous!

Vegas chair Lauren Horwitz, you dove into an enormous task and glided through it all as though you’d been doing this for years. Vegas vice chairs Molly McKibben, Daniel Pierson, and Lakshmi Odedra, thank you for all you did to make Vegas a triumph. Women in Law chairs Natalie Weatherford and Christina Coleman, you had the most successful Women in Law Summit in years!

If you are not involved in a CAALA committee, there is a spot for you. Go to the CAALA website and click on the Volunteer tab on the Committees page. (https://www.caala.org/?pg=Committees) Get involved. Have a say in how you want CAALA to be next year and the future.

To Shannon Ward, the consummate law partner and friend, thank you for everything. Most importantly, thank you to my wife, Azy, for your love, support and understanding this year while my CAALA obligations took me all over the place.

Thank you to everyone for allowing me to be your president this year. It’s been an honor.