Insights & News

Join Us for a Virtual Town Hall

The Judicial Fairness Coalition, in collaboration with the California Lawyers Association, is hosting a Virtual Town Hall on April 10 at 4:30 PM PT for an in-depth discussion on the intersection of law, politics, and ethics. This event will explore the importance of judicial independence, the ethical challenges judges face, and how the judiciary ensures fairness in an increasingly complex legal and political system.

Patrick M. Ryan Earns Repeat Recognition as 2025 Top 100 Lawyer

Partners named as 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers

Congratulations to Patrick M. Ryan and Jason A. Zweig on being named to the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers!

Bartko LLP Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers® Award Recipients

We’re proud to announce that four Bartko, LLP attorneys have been named in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected lawyer ranking service, using a peer-review process to ensure credibility and trust. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.

Steve Vieux Featured in Law360 Coverage of the California Lawyers Association’s Golden State Institute

Law360 Spotlights Ian Papendick’s Arrival at Bartko Pavia

Ian Papendick, a seasoned antitrust attorney and former enforcer with the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, was recently featured in Law360 following his arrival at Bartko Pavia LLP as a litigation and antitrust partner.

From the Chair

To the members of the lawyer referral and information service (LRIS) community across the country, I want to say that it is a great honor and a privilege to serve as the Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on LRIS for the coming year.  See a copy of the article here.

Steve Vieux to Chair the California Lawyers Association’s Golden State Institute

ABA Antitrust Plaintiffs’ Roundtable Will Feature Insights from Ian Papendick

Bartko Pavia Continues Strategic Expansion with Addition of Antitrust Partner Ian Papendick

San Francisco, CA, August 1, 2025 - Bartko Pavia is pleased to announce that Ian Papendick has joined the firm as a partner in its Litigation Group and Antitrust Practice Team. Ian brings deep experience as a government enforcer, in-house lawyer, and litigator representing companies across industries in antitrust litigation and enforcement matters.

Steve Vieux Authors Article for Law360

Steve Vieux, Senior Counsel at Bartko Pavia LLP, authored an article in Law360, State AGs’ Focus On Single-Firm Conduct Is Gaining Traction, examines the growing trend of state attorneys general pursuing enforcement actions against unilateral conduct by dominant firms.

Rob Bunzel, Publishes Article In The Recorder

Rob Bunzel’s published piece in The Recorder, read PDF copy of the article, highlights the recently released grand jury transcripts of Richard Nixon’s 1975 Watergate testimony over two days.  The piece demonstrates how Nixon, with his combination of phenomenal memory, lawyerly tricks, misdirection and humor gave the prosecutors little to work with and give us now a new window on Watergate and the corrupt and colorful characters from that period.

Restoring CMIA’s Intended Balance

California’s Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA), Civil Code section 56 et seq., carefully balances obligations to handle and dispose of medical information in a manner preserving confidentiality with patients’ CMIA rights of action for nominal or actual damages. Disruption of this balance has recently been threatened by multiple class action lawsuits seeking to dictate privacy procedures and recover millions or, in one case, billions, of dollars from health care providers in response to the theft or loss of electronic databases. View a PDF of the article.

C. Griffith Towle is the Moderator at the Annual International Franchise Association’s Legal Symposium

C. Griffith Towle moderates the speech entitled Franchise Litigation — Frequently Arising Issues in Litigation.

Ben Riley Speaks About Federal Vaccine Injury Cases

On August 5, 2021, Ben Riley spoke on a Bar Association of San Francisco panel about Vaccine-Related Legal Issues concerning production, administration, and litigation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine-related issues have been elevated to front page news. As the international scientific community races to develop safe and effective vaccines, debates rage about the government taking over private manufacturing facilities for production of critical medical equipment and vaccines, employers mandating vaccination for its employees, and disease and disability claims arising from vaccines. Professor Dan Farber from Berkeley Law addressed the Defense Production Act and limits on the government’s ability to use private facilities for the public good, while Steve Hirschfeld spoke on employment law issues relating to vaccination requirements and status.

The Return of Winter: How Federal Law Enforcement, with Assistance from a Private Foundation, Recovered Nazi-Looted Art

J. Eric Bartko, Director of Investigations for Bartko Bunzel & Miller, the Gari Melchers Home and Studio, and the Department of Justice gather for a webinar hosted by the Gari Melchers Home and Studio intended to educate the public in relation to the complicated issues surrounding Nazi Looted Art and its recovery.