Waymaker partners Scott Malzahn and Keri Curtis Axel are “Legal Visionaries,” according to LA Times Studios’ 2026 list. This year’s visionary lawyers were selected based on exceptional legal skill and a commitment to positively impacting their clients and the broader legal community.
Scott, Waymaker’s managing partner, is an accomplished trial and appellate lawyer who handles intellectual property, fintech, and class actions in the securities arena, with a particular emphasis on anti-SLAPP litigation. Notably, he crafted the legal arguments adopted unanimously by the California Supreme Court in a 2019 decision that is now the leading California decision for anti-SLAPP cases under the catchall provision. Scott’s longstanding commitment to political advocacy has taken him to both courtrooms and boardrooms, where he uses his legal skills to empower the community and effect positive change. He currently serves on the boards of Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles and Equality California.
Keri focuses her practice on white collar criminal and government enforcement defense. In the past nine months, she has served as lead or co-lead counsel in two blockbuster cases that garnered national media attention, defending both crypto software developer Roman Storm and former LA Dodgers star Yasiel Puig against prosecution from the federal government. On behalf of her clients, Keri serves as a board member of the Investor Choice Advocates Network (ICAN), a nonprofit public interest organization dedicated to breaking down barriers to entry to capital markets and pushing back against SEC overreach.
