New Faces
Partner
Los Angeles
Ellen Yang
Meet Ellen, a partner in our Los Angeles office who came to DTO after years as in-house counsel at various companies including Public Storage, Taco Bell, Penske Motor Group, and Cruise. Ellen was inspired to join DTO Law because of her long-time relationship with Will and Megan, dating back to their formative years as young associates at Quinn Emanuel.
Among Ellen's favorite things are her family, her dog, and discovering new eats—though the precise ranking depends on her kids' behavior. (She is quick to note, however, that despite their roasting of her, there is no one she'd rather spend time with.) Ellen also loves meeting new people and is always up for coffee in case you are in town. It'll be her treat.
If she could have dinner with anyone, it would be her paternal grandmother who passed away before Ellen was old enough to truly appreciate the depth of the hardship she lived through. Ellen would want to hear her stories of a childhood in imperialist China, escaping during the Cultural Revolution, and starting over in the United States in her fifties—amazing feats of strength and resilience by someone who stood a mere 4'11" inches tall.
Scott Paetty
Partner
Los Angeles
Meet Scott, a former fighter pilot, police officer, soldier, murderer, dancer, publishing tycoon, and boyfriend of Jennifer Aniston....at least on the big screen. A former actor who transitioned from playing a lawyer to being a lawyer, Scott comes to DTO most recently after 11 years at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, most recently as the Deputy Chief of Major Frauds. As an Assistant United States Attorney, Scott prosecuted many high profile matters, including as lead prosecutor in the federal government's fraud case against well-known California attorney, Tom Girardi.
Scott joined DTO because, in his own words, he was impressed by the firm's passion for elite litigation while maintaining a refreshing (and sometimes irreverent) entrepreneurial approach to legal work. He is looking forward to leveraging his experience as a prosecutor, including his significant trial experience, in an effort to continue to build the firm's white collar and internal investigations practice.
In his free time, you can find Scott hanging out with his wife and their dog, surfing at a nearby beach, sitting by the piano bar at Chateau Marmont, eating cajun food, or walking the Louisiana marsh with his role model, his father. On his list of to-dos is jumping into the water in Antarctica next to an iceberg and, of course, surviving to tell about it.
Associate
New York
Hannah Miller
Meet Hannah, the most recent associate to join our New York office. After over a decade in Big Law, she was drawn to DTO by the opportunity to work on sophisticated matters at an agile, forward-thinking litigation boutique.
Even when not lawyering, Hannah can often be found negotiating with her 2- and 5-year-olds, who have already mastered the art of leverage. From her home base in Brooklyn, she spends most of her free time wandering playgrounds, parks, and museums with her husband and two kids, sampling bakeries and local eats along the way, sneaking in Broadway shows (she’s a not-so-reformed musical theatre nerd), and mapping out her family’s next international adventures.
Her colleagues in the New York office can attest that Hannah is almost always holding a cup of coffee—no matter the hour. And although she usually works best in silence, you might occasionally find her blasting reggaeton—a holdover from the summer she spent living on the beach while clerking in the District of Puerto Rico.
One of Hannah’s favorite pearls of wisdom comes from a surprising source: her high school morning announcements, which always ended with, “Make it a great day…or not. The choice is yours!” Simple but enduring, this daily sign-off stuck with her as a reminder that while circumstances may be outside our control, how we show up is up to us—and she now repeats it to her kids each morning at school drop-off.
Michael Panek
Associate
Los Angeles
Meet Michael, an associate in our Los Angeles office. Like many associates who join DTO, Michael was excited at the prospect of working on high-stakes matters at a boutique known for its tight-knit culture and its commitment to giving associates plenty of early responsibility.
Outside the office, Michael is an avid sports enthusiast. He loves college sports (Go Terrapins!) and loves to visit different colleges during football season to see their stadiums and traditions. But he's not just a couch (or stadium) potato. Michael loves snowboarding and playing golf, though not at the same time. In addition to sports, he loves to travel, having spent last summer in Poland visiting family and eating his grandmother's home-made pierogi, but he quietly admits that Spain, with its natural beauty, great architecture, and even better food, has been his favorite country to travel to so far. And, thankfully, he survived running with the bulls in Pamplona.
Like Scott, Michael is a Beatles fan who admires his father and holds him as a role model. Unlike Scott, Michael identified Lionel Messi as his favorite athlete of all time because of his humble attitude and generational talent.
Ellen Yang
Partner, Log Angeles
Meet Ellen, a partner in our Los Angeles office who came to DTO after years as in-house counsel at various companies including Public Storage, Taco Bell, Penske Motor Group, and Cruise. Ellen was inspired to join DTO Law because of her long-time relationship with Will and Megan, dating back to their formative years as young associates at Quinn Emanuel.
Among Ellen's favorite things are her family, her dog, and discovering new eats—though the precise ranking depends on her kids' behavior. (She is quick to note, however, that despite their roasting of her, there is no one she'd rather spend time with.) Ellen also loves meeting new people and is always up for coffee in case you are in town. It'll be her treat.
If she could have dinner with anyone, it would be her paternal grandmother who passed away before Ellen was old enough to truly appreciate the depth of the hardship she lived through. Ellen would want to hear her stories of a childhood in imperialist China, escaping during the Cultural Revolution, and starting over in the United States in her fifties—amazing feats of strength and resilience by someone who stood a mere 4'11" inches tall.
Scott Paetty
Partner, Los Angeles
Meet Scott, a former fighter pilot, police officer, soldier, murderer, dancer, publishing tycoon, and boyfriend of Jennifer Aniston....at least on the big screen. A former actor who transitioned from playing a lawyer to being a lawyer, Scott comes to DTO most recently after 11 years at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. , most recently as the Deputy Chief of Major Frauds. As an Assistant United States Attorney, Scott prosecuted many high profile matters, including as lead prosecutor in the federal government's fraud case against well-known California attorney, Tom Girardi.
Scott joined DTO because, in his own words, he was impressed by the firm's passion for elite litigation while maintaining a refreshing (and sometimes irreverent) entrepreneurial approach to legal work. He is looking forward to leveraging his experience as a prosecutor, including his significant trial experience, in an effort to continue to build the firm's white collar and internal investigations practice.
In his free time, you can find Scott hanging out with his wife and their dog, surfing at a nearby beach, sitting by the piano bar at Chateau Marmont, eating cajun food, or walking the Louisiana marsh with his role model, his father. On his list of to-dos is jumping into the water in Antarctica next to an icerberg and, of course, surviving to tell about it.
Hannah Miller
Associate, New York
Meet Hannah, the most recent associate to join our New York office. After over a decade in Big Law, she was drawn to DTO by the opportunity to work on sophisticated matters at an agile, forward-thinking litigation boutique.
Even when not lawyering, Hannah can often be found negotiating with her 2- and 5-year-olds, who have already mastered the art of leverage. From her home base in Brooklyn, she spends most of her free time wandering playgrounds, parks, and museums with her husband and two kids, sampling bakeries and local eats along the way, sneaking in Broadway shows (she’s a not-so-reformed musical theatre nerd), and mapping out her family’s next international adventures.
Her colleagues in the New York office can attest that Hannah is almost always holding a cup of coffee—no matter the hour. And although she usually works best in silence, you might occasionally find her blasting reggaeton—a holdover from the summer she spent living on the beach while clerking in the District of Puerto Rico.
One of Hannah’s favorite pearls of wisdom comes from a surprising source: her high school morning announcements, which always ended with, “Make it a great day…or not. The choice is yours!” Simple but enduring, this daily sign-off stuck with her as a reminder that while circumstances may be outside our control, how we show up is up to us—and she now repeats it to her kids each morning at school drop-off.
Michael Panek
Associate, Los Angeles
Meet Michael, an associate in our Los Angeles office. Like many associates who join DTO, Michael was excited at the prospect of working on high-stakes matters at a boutique known for its tight-knit culture and its commitment to giving associates plenty of early responsibility.
Outside the office, Michael is an avid sports enthusiast. He loves college sports (Go Terrapins!) and loves to visit different colleges during football season to see their stadiums and traditions. But he's not just a couch (or stadium) potato. Michael loves snowboarding and playing golf, though not at the same time. In addition to sports, he loves to travel, having spent last summer in Poland visiting family and eating his grandmother's home-made pierogi, but he quietly admits that Spain, with its natural beauty, great architecture, and even better food, has been his favorite country to travel to so far. And, thankfully, he survived running with the bulls in Pamplona.
Like Scott, Michael is a Beatles fan who admires his father and holds him as a role model. Unlike Scott, Michael identified Lionel Messi as his favorite athlete of all time because of his humble attitude and generational talent.