Squire Patton Boggs Makes Double Hire in Los Angeles

Squire Patton Boggs has continued the strategic expansion of its Los Angeles office with the additions of Carmen J. Cole, partner in the Labor & Employment Practice, and Dennis Huang, principal in the Tax Strategy & Benefits Practice.

“Our Southern California growth strategy further builds momentum with the addition of Carmen and Dennis. We continue to add services important to our clients, as their demand drives our expansion particularly into labor and employment counseling for our multinational corporate clients and sophisticated cross-border estate planning for our high-net-worth clients,” said James L. Hsu, managing partner of the Los Angeles office. “We are thrilled to welcome Carmen and Dennis to our team.”

Ms. Cole works with employers to navigate complex employment law issues, providing advice and counseling to employers on workplace compliance, such as wage and hour laws, reductions in force, recruitment and hiring, employee classification, leave laws and terminations. Ms. Cole also focuses her practice on litigation, defending employers in cases involving individual and class violations of state and federal law, such as wage and hour violations, California Labor Code violations, worker misclassification, wrongful termination, breach of contract and other employment-related torts. Licensed in California and Georgia, Ms. Cole has experience in a range of industries, including entertainment, education, healthcare, retail and hospitality.

Ms. Cole was recently selected among the “50 Most Influential Minority Attorneys in Los Angeles” by the Los Angeles Business Journal and recognized by Benchmark Litigation as a 2019 Labor and Employment Star. Ms. Cole serves on the Board of Directors for Public Counsel, the nation’s largest pro bono law firm, and is a Founding Member of Pepperdine University School of Law’s Board of Advisors.

“Now, more than ever, employment issues are at the top of every employer’s mind. I am excited to be part of such a collaborative, talented and diverse team, with a global network that allows us to serve clients around the world in this rapidly changing environment,” said Ms. Cole.

Mr. Huang specializes in comprehensive estate and business planning, working with small businesses, as well as high-net-worth clients on a range of issues, from trust formation through business succession. Proficient in Mandarin Chinese, Mr. Huang has extensive experience working with cross-border US estate and wealth planning among international Asia-based clients, particularly in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. Licensed to practice in California and New York, Mr. Huang started his career working for a number of AmLaw 100 firms.

“Squire Patton Boggs full-service platform, strong transactional capabilities and geographic reach will benefit my clients in the US and abroad,” said Mr. Huang. “I look forward to working alongside my global colleagues and continuing to work on a wide range of complex matters.”