Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation Elevates Three Senior Attorney Investigators to Partner

Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation (VM), a nationally recognized leader in neutral workplace and campus investigations and Title IX adjudications, elevated Kayleigh Birks, Christina Petricca, and Matthew Rose to partner as of Sept. 1, 2026.

This next generation of leadership exemplifies VM’s unwavering commitment to developing and elevating attorney investigators who bring deep experience, empathy, and impartiality to the most sensitive issues facing workplaces and campuses today.

“This trio of new partners reflects the depth of experience and shared values that define VM,” said Managing Partner Eli Makus. “Kayleigh, Christina, and Matt are exceptional attorneys who care deeply about our work, our clients, and our team. They lead by example and demonstrate each day their commitment to the vitally important work we do to create fair workplaces and safe campuses. They are well respected by our team and our clients and are poised to help lead VM for years to come. I could not be more excited about where our Firm is headed.”

The new partners bring deep knowledge and expertise in workplace investigations, Title IX investigations, and Title IX adjudications, adding breadth to VM’s pioneering practice and augmenting its partner ranks in Sacramento and the Bay Area. Their elevation also ensures VM will remain a sustainable, enduring business delivering neutral legal services for years to come.

Kayleigh Birks, a Sacramento-based partner, conducts impartial investigations for private and public clients across the education, construction, security, technology, medical, legal, and nonprofit sectors. Her work includes allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and misconduct involving multiple parties, athletic teams, senior executives, and administrators.

Prior to VM, Birks practiced family law and was a misdemeanor criminal prosecutor, roles that prepared her to comfortably handle complicated and highly sensitive subject matters. Birks earned her law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Elon University. She is a member of the Association of Workplace Investigators Advocacy Committee and has been named a Super Lawyers Northern California Rising Star annually since 2023.

Christina Petricca, a Bay Area-based partner and sought-after Title IX hearing officer, brings extensive Title IX and public sector experience to her neutral investigations and adjudications practice. Petricca also conducts complex investigations for educational institutions, public agencies, and private companies in a variety of industries including energy and technology.

Before joining VM, Petricca served as the Title IX and Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator for a Bay Area university, where she oversaw investigations and hearings. Earlier in her career, she represented public safety employees involved in critical incidents, disciplinary and workplace investigations, due process hearings, and arbitrations. She has presented for T9 Mastered and the California Public Employers Labor Relations Association. She earned her law degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento.

Matthew Rose, a Sacramento-based partner, regularly investigates complex and sensitive allegations involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, bullying, employee theft, and ethical and policy violations. He has extensive experience in public sector investigations, including matters involving public safety personnel, executives, and elected officials. Rose also handles investigations for private companies, including matters involving high-level and C-suite employees.

A former criminal prosecutor and civil litigator who defended employers, Rose has broad interviewing and fact-finding experience across a plethora of criminal, civil, and administrative matters. Rose earned his law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University.