Law. (Newsmakers).

David H. Benz, Laura K. Chai, Teresa Cho, Tomas Ortiz and Anne L. Bigley have joined the law firm of Musick, Peeler & Garrett LLP. After leaving Arthur Andersen's Los Angeles office, Benz will become a member of the law firm's tax, trust, and estate group in Los Angeles. Chai will work in litigating business disputes and defending professional liability actions. She was formerly with the law firm of Manning, & Marder, Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez. Cho is senior counsel in the firm's insurance coverage and litigation groups. She was with Chapin Shea, McNitt & Carter. Ortiz will continue his litigation practice in the firm's Los Angeles office after leaving Dunnington, Bartholow & Miller in New York. Bigley has joined the Los Angeles litigation department. She was an associate in the Los Angeles office of Gilbert, Kelly, Crowley & Jennett.

Mark A. Juhas, Steven J. Kleifield, Charlaine F. Olmedo and John Shepard Wiley Jr. have been appointed by Gov. Gray Davis judges of the Los Angeles Superior Court. Juhas has practiced law with the Los Angeles firm of Harrington, Foxx, Dubrow & Canter since 1979. His practice emphasizes insurance defense and the representation of self-insured companies. He previously was a Judge Pro Tempore for Los Angeles County Superior Court, presiding over traffic and small claims cases, uncontested divorces and judgment debtor examinations. Kleifleld, a partner with the law firm of Gordon, Edelstein, Krepack, Grant, Felton & Goldstein since 1989, has a civil trial and appellate practice emphasizing the representation of plaintiffs in personal injury, product liability, insurance bad faith, medical malpractice, wrongful termination and discrimination cases. Olmedo has been assigned to the Organized Crime Strike Force of the United States Attorney's office since 1994. She serves as the Labor Crimes Coordinator for the Organ ized Crimes Strike Force. Wiley teaches antitrust, intellectual property, evidence and criminal law at UCLA School of Law.