Ch-ch-ch-changes.

In line with the emerging trend of going with shorter names, law firm DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP has truncated its shingle to DLA Piper US LLP. The abbreviation comes 20 months after the merger of Piper Rudnick, Gray Cary Ware and Freidenrich and DLA.... Dina Appleton has joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP's entertainment practice in the media and communications group. Appleton previously spent about ten years as general counsel at Writers and Artist Agency. She is co-author of the book, "Hollywood Dealmaking: Negotiating Talent Agreements." ... Mary McKelvey and Daniel H. Wu have joined Carroll, Burdick & McDonough LLP as associates.... Transactional tax specialist Chad Coombs joined Buchalter Nemer PC last month as a shareholder. He will focus his practice on tax, real estate and tax credit transactions.... Gary Pancer, Edward Stumpp and Victoria Brunn have joined Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP. Grancer will be Of Counsel. Stumpp and Brunn are associates.... Giam Nguyen has joined Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham as an associate in the intellectual property department. He was previously with Jones Day.

Staff reporter Emily Bryson York can be reached at [e-mail] or at [phone], ext. 223.