Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani opens 2026 with the addition of three highly accomplished lateral partners, James Conley, Evan McBride, and Dustin Woods, and an impressive 15 total attorneys to its Sacramento office. Their extensive experience and diverse practice areas strengthen the firm’s capabilities in Northern California and beyond.
“We are thrilled to welcome James, Evan, Dustin, and the other talented attorneys joining us. This growth not only strengthens GRSM’s place as the largest legal presence in the Sacramento Valley, but also reflects our commitment to excellence, delivering unparalleled service, and attracting the finest legal talent,” said Mark Posard, the office’s Senior Partner and lead architect of its growth strategies.
Conley is a seasoned litigator whose practice focuses on defending the world’s largest retailers nationwide. He partners with retail clients to address their unique needs in a highly competitive market, providing guidance on the complex challenges of managing some of the nation’s largest workforces. His practice also includes defending Fortune 500 companies in wage and hour representative actions.
“I joined GRSM because of the vast resources available, with more than 600 lawyers in California and more than 120 in just our local Sacramento office,” shared Conley. “The ability to quickly assemble a high-quality team at any of our 50-state GRSM offices is a tremendous advantage for our clients, who have business across all corners of our nation. I’m excited to be here with such strong support and a great opportunity to grow my retail practice.”
McBride’s practice focuses on representing employers in workplace law matters, including wage and hour issues, harassment, discrimination, and class action litigation, while also providing preventive advice and counseling. Before beginning his legal career, McBride served as an executive-level manager for a national retail company. As a result, he often draws on his innate understanding of workplace and management issues, combined with his legal training, to provide clients with an unmatched insight into their needs and expectations. In addition to his employment practice, McBride previously worked for a major casualty insurer and has extensive experience in general liability defense. He is admitted to practice in California, Connecticut, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern and Eastern Districts of California.
Woods handles matters throughout California. He focuses his practice on representing national and local clients in catastrophic injury, wrongful death, survival, and defense actions, as well as defending national hotels and housing communities. He also focuses on professional liability, premises liability, products liability, elder abuse, non-profit organizations, commercial trucking, transportation, misappropriation of name and likeness/trade secrets, appeals, fraud, motor vehicle negligence, habitability, and landlord-tenant matters. He is admitted to practice in California, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has also handled cases based in Nevada, Florida, Oregon, Washington, and Montana.
According to Office Managing Partner, Jennifer Holly, “These attorneys have been on our radar for a long time, and adding elite talent like James, who is exceptional at directing team strategy and litigation in other markets across the U.S., as well as Evan and Dustin, allows them to leverage the firm’s expansive 50-state platform to deliver comprehensive legal solutions for our clients.”
Additionally, the Sacramento office recently welcomed Senior Counsel Matthew Vallejo, Diane Holland, Sandy Benlevy, Mishary Salem, Jill Guingcangco, Lindsay Vick, Trevor Luxon, and Melanie Alsworth, and Associates Jessica Shillings-Barrera, Cornelle Jenkins, Simranjeet Rai, and Lily Khosrowpour.
Learn more about GRSM’s Sacramento office and the exciting remote opportunities available in Northern California and across the country.