Downey Brand Welcomes Five New Associates to its Sacramento Office
December 14, 2023
Downey Brand is delighted to officially welcome new associates Thomas Gherini, Christopher Marelich, Stella Rugama, Jake Voorhees, and Jennie Woo to its Sacramento office. All five attorneys were previously summer associates at Downey Brand in 2022 before graduating from law school and passing the California Bar Exam.
- Thomas Gherini is a member of the firm’s Litigation group, where he prides himself on being a generalist, dedicated to surpassing expectations and achieving success for his clients in every legal endeavor. Tom earned his J.D., with great distinction, from Pacific McGeorge School of Law in 2023 and his undergraduate degree in advertising from University of Colorado at Boulder in 2015.
- Christopher Marelich is a member of the firm’s Natural Resources group, where he focuses on energy and environmental law, particularly proceedings and rulemaking before the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission. Chris earned his J.D. from University of Washington School of Law in 2023. He graduated with his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Irvine in 2020.
- Stella Rugama is a member of the firm’s Litigation group. Her practice encompasses a broad range of litigation topics, including employment disputes, food and agriculture matters, and trust and estate litigation. Stella graduated from the University of California at Davis School of Law in 2023. In 2020, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in legal studies magna cum laude from the University of California at Santa Cruz, with minors in history and literature.
- Jake Voorhees is a member of the firm’s Natural Resources group, where he specializes in new water rights, enforcement of existing water rights, and adherence to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. He earned his J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law in 2023 and his Bachelor of Arts in environmental science and political science from Duke University in 2019.
- Jennie Woo is a member of the firm’s Litigation group and focuses on representing clients in challenging family law matters. Jennie graduated from the University of California at Irvine School of Law in 2023. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with honors in politics and history from New York University, in addition to a Master of Arts in teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education in New York City.
The new associates exemplify Downey Brand’s assemblage of top legal talent in the core practice areas of business, litigation, and natural resources, and are dedicated to helping each and every client pursue creative and practical legal solutions tailored to their specific circumstances.