Managing Partner Scott Malzahn Elected President of LGBTQ+ Rights Group Equality California Reports LA Business Journal

The Los Angeles Business Journal reported February 20, 2023 that Waymaker Managing Partner Scott Malzahn has been elected president of Equality California, the largest statewide LGBTQ+ rights organization in the nation. “We are the primary voice in California for LGBTQ-plus issues,” said Malzahn.

“For a long time, we’ve played an important role in state politics and building the pipeline for local leaders in state and federal positions,” Malzahn said. He will serve a two-year term as president and previously was vice president of the organization. Before joining Waymaker, Malzahnwas at Gibson Dunn and a member of the trial team for Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the case that overturned Proposition 8 and legalized same-sex marriage in California.

“Scott has been an invaluable member of Equality California’s board of leadership and we’re so grateful for his and Waymaker’s generous support of our mission,” Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang said.

Given the conservative tilt of the U.S. Supreme Court, Malzahn said Equality California will focus on the state level. “Here in California, we playa leading role in terms of establishing a standard that the country can look forward to as a whole,” Malzahn said. In addition, “We’re going to be keeping our eyes closely on trans issues that arrive in other states … to make sure that families with trans kids are protected and that California is a place where they can be protected,” he said.

Malzahn has a complex commercial litigation practice that spans entertainment disputes, class actions in the securities arena, fintech, and intellectual property and has handled many high-profile disputes both in the trial court and on appeal.