A leader in public service and private enterprise, Rich Leib has decades of experience operating within legal, policy and regulatory frameworks across California

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, a multidisciplinary, integrated professional services firm, announced today the arrival of Rich Leib as a National Advisor to its Government Advocacy and Contracting practice. The most recent professional to join in San Diego, Leib’s arrival is the latest in Manatt’s continued expansion in the region since unveiling its office last year. He also joins the Firm as the San Diego office moves to a new space located at 12730 High Bluff Drive, positioning the Firm for further growth as it remains committed to supporting clients across Southern California and the country.

“An esteemed advisor and experienced business leader across California, Rich has a successful history working at the intersection of business, policy, education, technology and law, making him a perfect fit for Manatt alongside our prestigious bench of professionals in San Diego, which works with clients across the industries fueling the region’s growth, including financial services, hospitality, real estate, technology, health care and life sciences,” said Manatt CEO and Managing Partner Donna L. Wilson. “In addition to adding unique depth to our San Diego presence, Rich is the most recent addition to our National Advisor program, which gives clients access to accomplished leaders across health care, government and financial services with firsthand experience addressing complex business, political and operational challenges for companies of all sizes.”

Leib is currently a member of the UC Board of Regents for the University of California and recently completed a two and a half year term as chair of the board. In addition, he is a seasoned executive who has co-founded and led major companies across the state and brings decades of experience working across state government, education, technology, financial services and public service. At Manatt, he will add to the Firm’s strengths in these areas and be an invaluable resource for clients dealing with complex regulatory and policy issues throughout San Diego and California.

“Rich is an extraordinarily knowledgeable leader, who will provide clients with top-tier policy and regulatory guidance, and is a key addition to our Government Advocacy and Contracting team, which will greatly benefit from his hands-on experience in statewide policymaking,” said Brandon D. Young, partner and leader of Manatt’s Government and Regulatory practice. “Rich joins our national government and regulatory platform with renowned legal, advisory and consulting professionals who hail from all corners of government and private practice in many of the most influential policy hubs in the country, ranging from Sacramento to Albany, New York City, Boston, and Washington, D.C., and which most recently welcomed former Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel in Los Angeles.”

Over the past several years, Manatt has relocated to and launched nontraditional office spaces across the nation to reflect its unique and collaborative professional services model. With a longstanding presence and history of supporting clients in San Diego, Manatt officially opened its office there last year through the arrival of former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California and Office Managing Partner Randy S. Grossman. In less than a year, the office has experienced rapid growth as it continues to expand its presence in the market with other recent arrivals, including trial lawyer Kareem A. Salem, Financial Services Partner Troy Zander and Counsel Haley Fiallo. Manatt’s new location in Del Mar Heights significantly expands its footprint in San Diego. The collaborative-focused design of the new office, located at the Highlands Corporate Center 20 miles north of downtown, lends itself to an environment where lawyers, consultants, technologists and other business advisers can collaborate to provide truly integrated services to clients.

“With deep roots in San Diego and across California’s government and corporate landscape, Rich will contribute to Manatt's continued growth in the region’s key sectors, especially the technology, education, real estate and environmental industries,” said San Diego Office Partner Randy S. Grossman. “We’re honored to have him join our team as we further expand our work throughout the country and strengthen our professional services firm built for the future.”

In addition to his capacity as National Advisor at Manatt, Leib is president and CEO of a strategic consulting firm providing emerging companies with advisory services in education, health and other heavily regulated sectors. He previously co-founded one of the nation’s leading non-hazardous liquid waste recycling companies, where he served as executive vice president and general counsel for 15 years, and also co-founded the investment management group at the state’s largest municipal debt underwriter.

“Having developed, served and supported emerging companies, I’m thrilled to be joining a firm invested in solving clients’ problems from both a legal and business perspective,” Leib said. “Joining Manatt is a natural evolution of my background as an entrepreneur, business executive, lawyer, policy strategist and consultant, and I’m eager to build on the team’s longstanding track record of success in government strategy and consulting across San Diego and California.”

In addition to the Firm’s growth in San Diego, Manatt has continued to expand its roster of legal and consulting professionals in the past year across core industry sectors, including Corporate and Finance (Bill Broome); Digital and Technology (Tim Andrews and Lisa W. Rosaya); Entertainment (Binta Niambi Brown); Financial Services (Warren Biro, Mike Katz and Jessica Sklute); Health Care (Haider Andazola, Heide Bajnrauh, Tom Cassels, Pat Cerundolo, Richard Cho, Christina (Chrissy) Farr, Dr. Shamiram (Shami) Feinglass, Robert (Rob) Fraiman, Erin Estey Hertzog, Kendall Hussey, Paul Irving, Dr. Tracy Johnson, Jason Klimek, Anna Lansky, Ross Margulies, John O’Brien, Tina Papagiannopoulos, Lisa Sbrana, Melindah Sharma, Jerry Tichner, Mark Wietecha and Shaina Zurlin); and cross-industry Litigation (Schuyler G. Carroll and Justin Wolosz).

Leib earned his B.A. from University of California Santa Barbara, his M.A. from Claremont Graduate School and his J.D. from Loyola Law School. He was also a graduate of the Coro Public Affairs Fellowship program.

About Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, is a leading professional services firm, providing integrated legal and consulting services to a global client base. With offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento and Silicon Valley), New York (New York City and Albany), Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston, the Firm represents sophisticated clients — including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies — across a range of industry sectors such as health care; financial services; entertainment; digital and technology; and energy, environmental and real estate. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.

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