Hinshaw Boosts West Coast Capabilities With Addition of Two Partners in Los Angeles

April 25, 2024

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP today announced that David T. Hayek and Brian A. Paino have joined the firm as partners in the Los Angeles office. Formerly with Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, Hayek has joined the firm's Insurance Services industry group. Paino, who was formerly with McGlinchey Stafford, has joined the firm's Consumer Financial Services practice.

"With the addition of Brian and David in Los Angeles, the firm has added additional skill and depth to our existing deep bench in two key client practice areas," said Hinshaw Chairman Peter Sullivan. "We remain focused on strategic growth and attracting top talent in this critical geographic market. Along with recent additions to our insurance and consumer financial services practices in California and Texas, the firm has greatly expanded our capabilities to serve our clients."

Hayek represents domestic insurers, syndicates, and consortiums in the London and European insurance markets. He handles first and third-party insurance coverage matters for clients in a broad range of industry sectors, including the sharing economy, aviation, real estate, environmental, and construction. He also represents companies in product liability and toxic tort liability cases and has an active appellate practice. Prior to entering private practice, Hayek served as a law clerk to former California Supreme Court Justice John A. Arguelles.

Hinshaw's geographic footprint, collegial environment, and nationally recognized insurance industry practice were chief among the reasons he decided to join the firm.

"I'm impressed with the firm's dynamic and entrepreneurial focus," Hayek said. "I could not pass up the opportunity to join such a talented group. I'm excited to expand my practice and bring in new business while continuing to serve existing clients."

Hayek earned his B.A. in government from the University of Texas, Austin, and his J.D. from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law. He is currently licensed to practice in California.

Paino has almost 20 years of experience successfully representing mortgage servicers, lenders, and other financial services companies in litigation related to a wide range of state and federal consumer protection laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Truth-in-Lending Act, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, California Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act, and California's Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. He also handles commercial litigation involving complex business disputes, bankruptcy matters, and federal, state, and bankruptcy appeals. He was previously the managing partner of McGlinchey's Irvine, CA office.

According to Paino, he joined Hinshaw because of the firm's nationally recognized Consumer Financial Services practice, coast-to-coast geographic footprint, and long-standing work relationships with many of the firm's attorneys, including partner Brian McGrath, who co-chairs Hinshaw's Consumer Financial Services practice.

"Joining Hinshaw provides me the opportunity to rejoin Brian and other former colleagues and to be part of a top-notch team of attorneys," Paino said. "Hinshaw's wide range of resources and complementary practices offers me a chance to grow my practice and better serve my clients."

Paino received his B.S. in sports management from Ithaca College and his J.D. from California Western School of Law. He is currently licensed to practice in California, Texas, Arizona, and Virginia.

In January, Min Kang, R. Wardell Loveland, Rebecca D. Martino, H. Gregory Nelch, and Christiane Sinclair joined the firm's Insurance Services industry group in Los Angeles and San Francisco from Coddington, Hicks and Danforth. 

In a significant expansion of its marquee Consumer Financial Services group, the firm opened a Dallas office in February 2023 with seven attorneys from Akerman, including Charles Townsend, Michael McKleroy, Walter McInnis, Bryan T. Brown, Matthew Lindsey, Jessica A. Riley, and Taylor Hennington. Alfredo "Fred" Ramos joined the firm in Houston, also from Akerman. In July 2023, partner Stephen T. Masley joined the practice in Dallas, along with New Jersey partner Margaret J. "Peggy" Cascino and Ft. Lauderdale senior counsel Ralph W. Confreda Jr. In December, partner Cathy Mulrow-Peattie joined the New York office, expanding the firm's privacy, cyber, and artificial intelligence capabilities. In January 2024, financial services litigator S. Sherry Xia joined the firm as a partner in New York. In March 2024, consumer financial services partner Gregg Stevens joined the firm in Dallas along with senior counsel Aimee Szygenda and Helen Mosothoane.

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Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is a U.S.-based law firm with offices nationwide. The firm's national reputation spans the insurance industry, the financial services sector, professional services, and other highly regulated industries. Hinshaw provides holistic legal solutions—from litigation and dispute resolution, and business advisory and transactional services, to regulatory compliance—for clients of all sizes. Visit www.hinshawlaw.com for more information and follow @Hinshaw on LinkedIn and X.