M&C Adds Two Partners and Senior Associates

March 16, 2011

LOS ANGELES – Murchison & Cumming, LLP is pleased to announce that Valarie H. Jonas and Gina Bazaz have joined the firm as Partners and that Mark M. Gnesin and Philip A. Kraft have joined the firm as Senior Associates.

Ms. Jonas, who joins the firm's San Francisco office, focuses her practice in the areas of first and third party insurance coverage, bad faith and complex commercial litigation, including toxic tort and environmental insurance coverage matters, fine art, specie and marine claims, and employment litigation. She specializes in handling matters for the London market. Earlier this month, Ms. Jonas spoke on jury trials at the 2011 ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE seminar and this fall will serve as a delegate to the 2011 International Fine Art and Specie Insurance Conference.

Ms. Bazaz joins the firm's Los Angeles office, bringing with her a depth of experience in defending clients in complex and large exposure litigation in the areas of product liability, personal injury, premises liability, habitability and construction defect. She is known and respected for her ability to think "outside of the box" to facilitate resolution of disputes. Ms. Bazaz works with the Barristers Domestic Violence Project, through the Los Angeles County Bar Association, assisting victims of domestic abuse with legal documents.

Mr. Kraft, whose areas of practice include general liability defense, business and real estate litigation, construction defect, CEQA and environmental and land use matters, has also joined the firm's Los Angeles office. He volunteers as an attorney-coach for a Los Angeles County High School Mock Trial team, and was Executive Editor for the Southern California Law Review.

Mr. Gnesin specializes in the areas of general liability and construction defect, also handling arbitrations and mediations in the firm's Orange County office. He also serves as an arbitrator for the Personal Injury Arbitration Panel of the Orange County Superior Court, and as Judge Pro Tempore for the Orange County Superior Court.

About Murchison & Cumming, LLP
With a firm history dating to 1930, Murchison & Cumming, LLP is a premier civil litigation firm with five offices in California and Las Vegas, whose attorneys specialize in the defense of domestic and international businesses, insurers and individuals, at trial and on appeal. The firm's attorneys also handle employment matters and business transactions. The firm is a member of the USLAW Network. For additional information, please visit our website at www.murchisonlaw.com.