March 1, 2005

SAN DIEGO – Employment and benefits attorneys David Wolds, Laura Riesenberg and Jeff VanderWal have joined Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP from the San Diego labor and employment law firm of Merrill, Schultz & Wolds, Limited. The group will be joining the firm’s Business & Technology Team.

David Wolds joins Procopio as a partner. Formerly an incorporator of Merrill, Schultz & Wolds, Limited, David provides consultation on labor and employment law matters, and also specializes in employee benefit plans and represents employee benefit clients in litigation including ERISA preemption, employee benefit claims and fiduciary duty cases. Prior to incorporating Merrill, Schultz & Wolds, Ltd., he was a partner at Donaldson & Kiel in Seattle, Washington.

Laura Riesenberg joins Procopio as an associate specializing in employment law and benefit matters, including both counseling and litigation for ERISA matters. Riesenberg also counsel employers regarding compliance with wage and hour laws, discrimination and harassment laws, and represents employers in Department of Fair Employment and Housing proceedings, California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement hearings, and in actions brought in state and federal courts.

Jeff VanderWal joins Procopio as an associate specializing in ERISA benefit plans, labor, wage and hour law and employment law litigation matters.

Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP is one of the oldest and largest law firms in the region, with offices in downtown San Diego and Carlsbad. The firm’s 80 attorneys provide comprehensive legal services to businesses and their principals in a wide range of practice areas including: mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, financing, international business, tax, financial services, real estate, construction, land use, environmental law, litigation, estate planning, employment and benefits and insolvency. Procopio’s clients include: Qualcomm, WD-40, Discovery Partners International, Sunrise Medical, AMCC, Bio-Hydration Research Labs, Forward Ventures, Union Bank of California, Kyocera, Ericsson Wireless Communications Inc., Hamilton Apex Ventures, GMS Realty, Fairfield Residential and The Junior Seau Foundation.

Watanabe Nason & Seltzer brokered the move.