Firm Also Appoints Steven Ragland as General Counsel
(San Francisco, Calif., 06/01/2026) – Keker, Van Nest & Peters has appointed veteran trial lawyers R. James Slaughter as Managing Partner and Steven Ragland as General Counsel.
Slaughter succeeds Laurie Carr Mims, who resumes her full-time focus on high-stakes commercial and life sciences litigation after leading Keker through a period of significant growth and public engagement.
Slaughter joined Keker in 2001 after serving as a law clerk to the Hon. Kim McLane Wardlaw of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and the Hon. Martin J. Jenkins of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. His practice focuses on high-stakes complex litigation in courts across the country.
“I’ve spent my career at Keker, and I’m honored to help guide the firm’s next chapter,” Slaughter said. “What makes this place special is that we are not afraid of a tough fight — whether standing up for our clients in their most challenging cases or defending the rule of law when it comes under attack. We attract exceptional lawyers, trust them with real responsibility early, and remain committed to serving the communities around us. Those values have defined my time at Keker, and they will continue to guide us as the firm moves forward.”
“Jamie is an outstanding trial lawyer and a respected leader within the firm,” Elliot Peters said. “Over more than two decades at Keker, he has earned the trust of clients and colleagues alike through his judgment, work ethic, and unwavering commitment to excellence. He is exceptionally well suited to lead the firm into its next chapter, and we are thrilled to have him serve as Managing Partner.”
During Mims’s tenure, Keker grew from 118 to 140 lawyers, added 23,000 square feet to its San Francisco office footprint, rolled out AI tools to improve client service, and increased revenue by more than 45%. She also led the firm through a period of significant public engagement, steering Keker’s response to President Trump’s attacks on law firms and speaking out against executive orders targeting law firms and the federal courts. At the same time, the firm stood fast on its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, awarding $100,000 in scholarships to four rising 2Ls through its Diversity Scholars Program. The American Lawyer recognized Mims for her leadership, naming her a finalist for Attorney of the Year in 2025.
New General Counsel
The firm also appointed Steven Ragland as General Counsel. Ragland, who has served as Associate General Counsel since 2023, succeeds Jan Little, who served as the firm’s General Counsel since 2024, and previously served as Associate General Counsel.
Ragland is a veteran trial lawyer who has represented clients in high-stakes commercial, intellectual property, cryptocurrency, professional responsibility, and criminal matters. He recently secured a full acquittal on all ten charges in a multi-week criminal trial of a real estate developer accused of bribery, and led a trial team representing one of the world’s largest technology companies that scored a complete victory on all disputed contractual issues and interpretations following a multi-day arbitration hearing, paving the way for a resolution that recovered more than $50 million in cash and saved hundreds of millions for our client in ongoing royalties. He is widely recognized for his work in trade secret and technology-related disputes.
As General Counsel, Ragland will advise the firm and its lawyers on ethics, professional responsibility, and risk management.
About Keker, Van Nest & Peters
For more than 45 years, Keker, Van Nest & Peters has litigated complex, high-stakes civil and criminal cases across the country. The firm takes the cases where companies, products, and careers are riding on the result. Our clients are high-profile individuals, as well as some of the world’s most successful companies, including OpenAI, Google, Major League Baseball, Meta, Netflix, Qualcomm, Dexcom, and Genentech. The firm’s areas of expertise include copyright, intellectual property, professional liability, class actions, general contract and commercial litigation, antitrust, white collar, and appellate.