Elite Trial Boutique Rushing McCarl Adds Am Law 50 Partner Kim Chemerinsky

Veteran securities and complex-litigation lawyer expands Los Angeles boutique's high-stakes practice

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rushing McCarl LLP, a Los Angeles–based business-litigation boutique known for elite advocacy at trial and on appeal, announced today that Kim Chemerinsky has joined the firm as a partner. Chemerinsky joins from Alston & Bird, an Am Law 50 firm, where she built a national practice representing companies in high-profile disputes.

At Rushing McCarl, Chemerinsky will continue representing California businesses in high-stakes litigation, including regulatory and internal investigations, class actions, securities litigation, and complex contract and tort disputes. Her practice combines a strategic approach to litigation with practical business judgment.

Chemerinsky's experience includes representing UnitedHealth Group in the largest federal multidistrict litigation in U.S. history; securing a Ninth Circuit decision for Stanford University affirming dismissal of a $468 million False Claims Act action; and winning a full acquittal after a six-week federal jury trial for a former Nomura Securities bond trader.

"Kim is the lawyer you want in the room when everything is at stake," Rushing McCarl co-founder John Rushing said. "Fortune 50 clients have entrusted her with managing cases with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake. Her arrival expands our practice into securities litigation, regulatory defense, and internal investigations. It enhances our ability to serve clients who need trial-ready representation."

Founded in 2020, Rushing McCarl has established itself as one of Southern California's premier business-litigation boutiques. In its first five years, the firm secured eight-figure trial victories in business tort and contract disputes and total defense victories in trade-secret, trademark, and secured-transactions cases; won pathbreaking cryptocurrency fraud litigation that led to an FBI investigation and indictment; served as lead counsel in a putative national class action against the manufacturers of Stanley tumblers; and filed an amicus brief in Harbaugh v. Big Ten co-signed by 1,700 University of Michigan alumni.

Ryan McCarl, co-founder of the firm, said Chemerinsky's arrival reflects the firm's continued growth. "This is a significant moment for us," McCarl said. "Kim built a distinguished career at one of the country's most respected firms. Her decision to join Rushing McCarl reflects what we've built: a litigation boutique uniquely suited to handle cutting-edge cases with the same sophistication as Am Law 50 firms while offering clients focused attention and strategic flexibility. Kim's arrival further cements our status as a top trial boutique in Southern California."

At Alston & Bird, Chemerinsky advised companies navigating complex legal risks and helped clients reduce exposure in matters involving consumer protection, privacy and data security, and regulatory compliance. In 2023, she was recognized as Alston & Bird's firmwide mentor of the year for her leadership.

"Rushing McCarl had been on my radar for a long time," Chemerinsky said. "They are doing fearless, best-in-class work in complex business disputes, and they are doing it in their own way. I look at the firm and see top lawyers working together to build a thriving practice, and I'm thrilled to be joining them."

Before her nearly two-decade tenure at Alston & Bird, Chemerinsky served on the faculty of Duke University School of Law. She serves on the boards of Bet Tzedek Legal Services and the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.

Rushing McCarl focuses on disputes that demand trial-ready representation, serving clients in matters ranging from contract and business-tort disputes to trade secret, intellectual property, regulatory, partnership, and shareholder conflicts. Its work has been covered in Forbes, Law360, Reuters, and the Los Angeles Times.

With Chemerinsky on board, Rushing McCarl enters its next chapter with expanded practice areas and an enhanced ability to take high-stakes disputes from complaint through verdict and appeal.

About Rushing McCarl LLP

Rushing McCarl LLP is a Los Angeles–based business-litigation boutique focused on elite advocacy at trial and on appeal. Founded in 2020 by John Rushing and Ryan McCarl, the firm represents companies and individuals in complex, high-stakes disputes in federal and state courts nationwide. Its partners are thought-leaders in the legal community who have been sought out by the Department of Justice, the ABA Litigation Section, and the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office for advice on effective advocacy and briefings on cutting-edge areas of law. Ryan McCarl's Elegant Legal Writing (Univ. Cal. Press 2024) is a paradigm-shifting book that has further cemented the firm's national reputation.

SOURCE Rushing McCarl LLP