(Main Office)

Over the last 40 years, Clifford & Brown has developed a reputation as an experienced and respected law firm providing a wide range of legal services. Centrally located in California, San Joaquin Valley, the firm is uniquely positioned to provide its clients with business and personal legal services throughout the state.

The firm provides transactional and litigation representation in areas including business formation and disputes, business and civil litigation, mergers and acquisitions, agriculture, real estate and land use, water and environmental, estate planning and probate, personal injury and wrongful death, tax and wealth planning, employment, oil and gas, intellectual property, professional malpractice and appellate advocacy.

With twelve of its partners having over twenty years of experience, four having greater than thirty years and its two name partners having practiced nearly forty years each, the firm utilizes its breadth of experience to benefit all its clients.

Statement of Practice

General Civil Practice in all State and Federal Courts, as well as General Transactional Practice, in the State of California.

Clifford and Brown diverse practice includes Business and Transactions, Civil and Business Litigation, Estate Planning and Probate, Agriculture and Farming, Real Estate and Land Use, Energy Oil and Gas, Tax and Wealth Planning, Professional Liability, Environmental and Water, Mergers and Acquisitions, Personal Injury, Employment and Labor, Intellectual Property and Appellate Advocacy.

Clients

Clifford & Brown's comprehensive approach is reflected in its client list. We are proud of the fact that many of these clients have been with us for decades. Below is a listing of some of the companies Clifford & Brown is honored to serve.

GENERAL BUSINESS & TRANSACTIONS CLIENTS: Bill Wright Toyota, San Joaquin Bank, The Westmark Group, H.M. Holloway, Jim Burke Ford, Kern Ridge Growers, Inc., Three-Way Chevrolet, Wm. Bolthouse Farms, Inc., The Barber Automotive Group, Clifford & Bradford Insurance, Sierra Toyota, Pandol Bros. Inc., H.F. Cox, Inc., Three Brand Cattle Co., Vignolo Farms, Ace Hydraulics Sales & Svc., Chancellor Oil Tools, Inc., Valley Sun Mechanical, Fanucchi Land Co., Fleet Card Fuels, W.P. Davies Oil Company, D.M. Camp & Sons, Buttonwillow Land & Cattle Co., Four Star Fruit, Inc., Sierra Toyota, Sill Properties, Sullivan Petroleum Co., LLC, Superior Acura, Trans-West Security Services, Valley Republic Bank, Fanucchi Land Co., CB Bakersfield Partners, Inc., Geo Drilling Fluids, Inc., Driltek, Inc., Bos Family of Companies, Cauzza Bros. Farming, Community Recycling & Resource Recovery, Delano Farms, Donald Valpredo Farms, JSA Company, Gardiner Farms, Gm Motor City, Golden Empire Concrete, Klassen Corporation, McKinzie Commercial Real Estate, Barber Honda, Bolthouse Properties LLC, Ensign U.S. Drilling (Ca.) Inc., Sunridge Nurseries, Inc.

CIVIL & BUSINESS LITIGATION CLIENTS: ARB, Inc., Chevron USA Inc., GM Acceptance Corporation, City of Bakersfield, Aera Energy LLC, Calcot LTD, Adventist Healthcare, Catholic Healthcare West, Golden Empire Mortgage, Inc, Delano Regional Med. Center, Flying J, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., P.G. & E. Nat. Energy Group, Self Ins. Schools of California, Target Corp., The Vons Companies Inc., AT & T, Hawaii Drillers Inc., Adventist Health Systems, Central Ca. Fnd. for Health, Walgreens Co., Ensign Drilling, George Borba & Son Dairy, Healthsouth Corp., Kern Crane (H & B Equip.), Kern Oil & Refining Co., Bayer Crop Science.

LIABILITY & CASUALTY CLIENTS: CHUBB Group of Ins. Co.'s, CIGNA, Farmers Insurance Group, Travelers Ins. Companies, Allied Group, State Farm, Progressive Insurance Co., Beta Healthcare, Harco National Insurance Co., Lawyers Mutual Insurance Co., Meadowbrook Insurance Grp., Unitrin, Network Adjusters Inc., Monitor Liability Mgrs., National Alliance Ins. Co., ACE USA, National Insurance, Nonprofits Ins. Alliance of Ca., 21st Century Insurance Co., E.S.I.S., Northland Insurance Co., Am. Nat. Prop. & Cas. Co., Great-West Casualty, Precision Risk Management.

TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS CLIENTS: BNSF Railway Co., H.F. Cox Trucking Inc., Ryder Truck Inc, Union Pacific Corporation, Gazelle Transportation, Schneider National Trans., ACME Truck Line, Inc., Golden Empire Transit District.

Rate Information

Fixed Hourly Rates
Fixed Fees Available

Address

1430 Truxtun Avenue, Suite 900
Bakersfield, CA 93301, (Kern Co.)

Phone

Phone: 661-322-6023
Fax: 661-322-3508

Website

http://www.clifford-brownlaw.com

Office Hours

Monday: 08:30 AM - 05:00 PM
Tuesday: 08:30 AM - 05:00 PM
Wednesday: 08:30 AM - 05:00 PM
Thursday: 08:30 AM - 05:00 PM
Friday: 08:30 AM - 05:00 PM

PARTNERS OF FIRM

Stephen T. Clifford (Partner) born Bakersfield, California, November 27, 1940; admitted to bar, 1966, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California. Education: University of California at Davis (B.S., 1963); Hastings College of the Law, University of California (LL.B., 1966). Phi Delta Phi. Member: Kern County Bar Association; State Bar of California; American Board of Trial Advocates; Defense Research Institute; National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel; International Association of Insurance Counsel. Fellow: American College of Trial Lawyers. Practice Areas: Civil and Business Litigation; Professional Liability; Agriculture and Farming.Email: Stephen T. Clifford

James E. Brown (Partner) born Grand Forks, North Dakota, November 23, 1940; admitted to bar, 1966, California. Education: University of North Dakota (B.S., 1963); Hastings College of the Law, University of California (LL.B., 1966). Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers. Member: Kern County Bar Association; State Bar of California; Northern California Association of Defense Counsel. [With U.S. Army, 1966-1968]. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Civil and Business Litigation; Personal Injury Defense; Mediation.Email: James E. Brown

Robert D. Harding (Partner) born Pasadena, California, January 24, 1949; admitted to bar, 1974, California and U.S. District Court, Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of California. Education: University of California at Santa Barbara (B.A., 1970); University of California, Hastings College of the Law (J.D., 1974). Member: Kern County Bar Association; State Bar of California; American Board of Trial Advocates; Northern California Association of Defense Counsel; Defense Research Institute; Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (Member, Board of Directors, 1987-1991). Practice Areas: Civil and Business Litigation; Professional Liability.Email: Robert D. Harding

Arnold J. Anchordoquy (Partner) born Bakersfield, California, August 16, 1948; admitted to bar, 1973, California and U.S. District Court, Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of California. Education: St. Mary's College (B.A., 1970); University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (J.D., 1973). Phi Alpha Delta. Member, Moot Court Honors Board, 1972-1973. Member: Kern County Bar Association; State Bar of California; American Board of Trial Advocates (President, San Joaquin Chapter, 2002); Northern California Association of Defense Counsel. Practice Areas: Civil and Business Litigation; Professional Liability; Personal Injury Defense.Email: Arnold J. Anchordoquy

Patrick J. Osborn (Partner) born Bakersfield, California, July 28, 1951; admitted to bar, 1977, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern and Central Districts of California. Education: University of California at Riverside (B.A., 1973); University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (J.D., 1977). Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers. Member: Kern County Bar Association; State Bar of California; Defense Research Institute; Association of Defense Counsel; American Board of Trial Advocates (President, San Joaquin Chapter, 1999); Trial Attorneys of America. (Board Certified, Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy). Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Business Litigation; Professional Liability; Personal Injury.Email: Patrick J. Osborn

Michael L. O'Dell (Partner) born Pasadena, California, March 7, 1955; admitted to bar, 1980, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern and Central Districts of California. Education: San Diego State University (B.A., 1977); Hastings College of the Law, University of California (J.D., 1980). Member, Diocesan Advisory Board of Education, Diocese of Fresno, 1995-2001. Member: Kern County and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California; Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (Member, 1980— Board of Directors, 2003—). Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Business Litigation; Personal Injury; Professional Liability.Email: Michael L. O'Dell

Grover H. Waldon (Partner) born Bakersfield, California, October 7, 1958; admitted to bar, 1983, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California; 1984, U.S. District Court, Central District of California and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Education: California State University, Sacramento (B.S., 1980); University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (J.D., with distinction, 1983). Member: Traynor Society; Trial Advocacy Competition Team; Community Legal Services Honor Board. Recipient, Best Combined Brief and Oralist, International Moot Court. Member: Kern County Bar Association; State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Business and Transactions; Agriculture and Farming; Civil and Business Litigation; Energy Oil and Gas; Employment and Labor.Email: Grover H. Waldon

John R. Szewczyk (Partner) born Inglewood, California, February 5, 1957; admitted to bar, 1983, California and U.S. District Court, Central District of California; 1984, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Education: University of California at San Diego (B.A., History, 1980); Loyola Law School (J.D., cum laude, 1983). Phi Alpha Delta. Member, Sir Thomas Moore Law Honor Society. Member: Kern County (Director) and American (Member, Sections on: Litigation; Employment Law) Bar Associations; State Bar of California (Member, Employment Law Section). Practice Areas: Employment and Labor; Appellate Advocacy; Civil and Business Litigation.Email: John R. Szewczyk

Stephen H. Boyle (Partner) born San Tomé, Venezuela, May 12, 1953; admitted to bar, 1978, California and U.S. District Court, Southern District of California; 1986, U.S. Tax Court. Education: University of California at Santa Barbara (B.A., Political Science, 1975); California Western School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1978; LL.M., 1984). Member, Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Team. Member and Lead Articles Editor, California Western International Law Journal, 1983-1984. Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award in Civil Procedure. Member: Bakersfield City Planning Commission, 1994-2001; Christian Legal Society. Member: Kern County Bar Association; State Bar of California (Member, Section on Taxation Law); Estate Planning Counsel of Bakersfield. Practice Areas: Estate Planning; Probate Law; Business Law; Taxation Law.Email: Stephen H. Boyle

James B. Wiens (Partner) born Porterville, California, April 7, 1949; admitted to bar, 1978, California; 1982, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of California. Education: University of Oregon; University of California, Berkeley (B.A., Psychology, 1971); California Western School of Law (J.D., 1977). Deputy District Attorney, District Attorney's Office, Tulare County, 1979-1982. President, Estate Planning Council of Bakersfield, 1995-1996. Member: Kern County Bar Association (Past-President, Estate Planning Law Section, 1995-1996); State Bar of California; Estate Planning Council of Bakersfield (Past-President, 1995-1996). Practice Areas: Estate Planning and Probate; Business and Transactions; Agriculture and Farming; Real Estate and Land Use; Energy Oil and Gas; Tax and Wealth Planning.Email: James B. Wiens

Richard G. Zimmer (Partner) born Vestal, New York, May 19, 1956; admitted to bar, 1982, North Carolina and U.S. District Court, Western District of North Carolina; 1983, California. Education: Rochester Institute of Technology (B.S., with highest honors, 1979); California Western School of Law (J.D., 1982). Moot Court Champion. National Moot Court Team Leader. Member: Advocacy Honors Board, National Order of The Barristers. Author: "Anonymous Political Literature: California's Compulsory Identification Statute Held Unconstitutional in Fourth District," 18 California Western Law Review 363, 1982. Member: Kern County Bar Association; State Bar of California; North Carolina State Bar; American Board of Trial Advocates. Practice Areas: Civil and Business Litigation; Environmental and Water; Personal Injury.Email: Richard G. Zimmer

Charles D. Melton (Partner) born Bakersfield, California, April 29, 1962; admitted to bar, 1987, California, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit and U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. Education: University of the Pacific (B.S., cum laude, 1984); Hastings College of the Law, University of California (J.D., 1987). Judicial Extern for Judge William R. Channel, California Court of Appeals, First District, 1986. Member: Kern County Bar Association (Chairman, Law Library Book Committee); State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Business and Transactions; Real Estate and Land Use; Agriculture and Farming; Energy Oil and Gas; Mergers and Acquisitions.Email: Charles D. Melton

T. Mark Smith (Partner) born Bakersfield, California, June 27, 1966; admitted to bar, 1992, California; 1995, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Central Districts of California. Education: Claremont McKenna College (B.A., magna cum laude, 1988); University of California School of Law, Los Angeles (J.D., 1992). Phi Alpha Delta. Judicial Extern, Judge Edward Rafeedie, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, Fall, 1991. Member: Kern County Bar Association; State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Environmental and Water; Professional Liability; Appellate Advocacy; Civil and Business Litigation.Email: T. Mark Smith

Jeremy J. Schroeder (Partner) born Sacramento, California, January 31, 1976; admitted to bar, 2002, California; 2003, U.S. District Court, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Central Districts of California. Education: University of California at Santa Barbara (B.A., 1999); University of San Diego (J.D., 2002). Phi Alpha Delta. Member: Kern County Bar Association; State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Business Litigation; Personal Injury.Email: Jeremy J. Schroeder

Daniel T. Clifford (Partner) born Bakersfield, California, August 14, 1974; admitted to bar, 2003, California, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Education: University of Oregon (B.A., History, 1997); McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific (J.D., 2003). Member: Kern County and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California; Southern California Association of Defense Counsel. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Business Litigation; Professional Liability; Business and Transactions; Personal Injury.Email: Daniel T. Clifford

Christopher J. Hagan (Partner) born Modesto, California, April 18, 1976; admitted to bar, 2003, California; 2004, U.S. District Court, Northern, Southern, Central and Eastern Districts of California. Education: California State University (B.S., Criminal Justice Administration, 2000); McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific (J.D., 2003). Phi Alpha Delta. Dean's List. Recipient: Top Oral Advocator Competition, Trial Advocacy Honors. Clerk, U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California, 2001-2003. Member: Kern County and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California; Southern California Association of Defense Counsel. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Business Litigation; Professional Liability; Personal Injury; Appellate Advocacy.Email: Christopher J. Hagan

ASSOCIATES OF FIRM

Winifred Thomson Hoss (Associate) born Bakersfield, California, November 19, 1951; admitted to bar, 1981, California. Education: University of California at Berkeley; University of California at Davis (B.S., Environmental Education, with honors, 1976; J.D., 1981). Lecturer, Real Property Law, California State University at Bakersfield, 1985 and 1987. District Board Member, Kern County Air Pollution District, 1986. Member: Kern County Bar Association; State Bar of California (Member, Agribusiness Committee, Business Law Section, 1999-2001); Kern County Women Lawyers Association (President, 1985). Practice Areas: Business Transactions; Agriculture and Farming; Energy Oil and Gas; Estate Planning and Probate.Email: Winifred Thomson Hoss

Shelly S. Maurer (Associate) born El Centro, California, April 6, 1966; admitted to bar, 1995, California and U.S. District Court, Central District of California; 1998, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: University of California at Los Angeles (B.S., 1989); Pepperdine University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1995). Dean's List. Member: Kern County Bar Association; State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Business and Transactions; Real Estate and Land Use; Intellectual Property; Agriculture and Farming; Energy Oil and Gas.Email: Shelly S. Maurer

Victoria M. Trichell (Associate) born Bakersfield, California, November 22, 1977; admitted to bar, 2002, Virginia; 2004, California and U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. Education: Bakersfield College (A.S., Biology, 1997); University of California at San Diego (B.A., Literature in English, cum laude, 1999); University of San Diego (J.D., 2002). Phi Delta Phi. Member: State Bar of California; Virginia State Bar. Practice Areas: Business and Transactions; Estate Planning and Probate; Real Estate and Land use; Agriculture and Farming; Energy Oil and Gas.Email: Victoria M. Trichell

Nicholas J. Street (Associate) born Bakersfield, California, January 30, 1980; admitted to bar, 2007, California. Education: University of California at Santa Barbara (B.S., Biological Psychology, 2002); Whittier College School of Law (J.D., 2006). Highland High School, 1998. Senior Member, Whittier Journal of Child and Family Advocacy. Law Clerk, United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California, 2005. Member: State Bar of California, American Bar Association. Practice Areas: Civil and Business Litigation; Personal Injury.Email: Nicholas J. Street

Marc E. Denison (Associate) born Houston, Texas, 1976; admitted to bar, 2007, California. Education: Texas A & M University (B.S., Industrial Distribution, 1999); University of San Francisco School of Law (J.D., 2007). Member: Kern County Bar Association; State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Business Law; Estate Planning and Probate; Real Estate and Land Use; Agriculture and Farming; Energy Oil and Gas; Employment and Labor.Email: Marc E. Denison

OF COUNSEL

Anthony L. Leggio (Of Counsel) born Bakersfield, California, September 12, 1952; admitted to bar, 1977, California. Education: University of the Pacific (B.A., summa cum laude, 1974); University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (J.D., with distinction, 1977). Phi Delta Phi. Member, Traynor Society. Member, Moot Court Honors Board. Member: Kern County and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California; Association of Defense Counsel of Southern California. Practice Areas: Business Planning Law.

All Partners and Associates are members of the California State Bar Association.