|   | | Law Firm in Fresno, California | |
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| | Address | | Five River Park Place East | | Fresno, California 93720-1501 | | (Fresno Co.) | | Mailing Address: P.O. Box 28912, Fresno, CA, 93729-8912 | | | |
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(Main Office)
| McCormick, Barstow, Sheppard, Wayte & Carruth LLP practices in the following areas of law:
General Civil, Trial and Appellate Practice. Agricultural and Water Law, Anti-Trust, Bad Faith, Banking, Bankruptcy and Reorganization, Business, Charitable Organizations, Civil Practice, Civil Rights Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Commodities Law, Construction, Construction Defect, Corporate and Partnership, Coverage Alert, Discrimination, Elder Abuse, Employment Law, Environmental, Estate Planning and Probate, Family Law, Franchise Law, General Business, Health Care Law, Insurance Coverage, Insurance Fraud and SIU Defense, Intellectual Property, Professional Liability Defense, Land Use Planning, Legal Malpractice, Litigation, Medical Malpractice, Mold Litigation, Municipal Law, Personal Injury, Product Defect, Products Liability, Public Entity, Real Estate, Sexual Harassment, Trucking, Transportation, and White Collar Crime. | | Year Established: 1951 | Firm Profile:
McCormick, Barstow, Sheppard, Wayte & Carruth LLP was founded in the early 1950's and has grown to be one of the largest law firms in central California. McCormick, Barstow's experience and statewide reputation is reflected in its clientele, and is demonstrated by the frequent appearances of its attorneys as lecturers and panelists on programs sponsored by national, state and local bar associations and professional organizations. In addition, several of the firm's partners have been appointed as judges to the federal and state courts. Most importantly, the attorneys at McCormick, Barstow believe that excellence begins with quality and timely responsiveness to the needs of its clients. McCormick Barstow is organized in the Following Practice Groups: Business and Personal Planning; Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith; Commercial Litigation; Tort/Specialty Litigation; Professional Liability and Employment Law. | | Firm Size: 95 | Languages:
Languages: Spanish, French, Arabic, Berber Dialect, and Ukranianian. | Clients:
GENERAL COUNSEL FOR: |
Adventist Health; American International Group (AIG); Allstate Insurance Company; Arch Insurance Company; Blackburn Farming Company; California State Automobile Association; Campos Brothers Farms; CAN Insurance; Ceclia Packing Corporation; Club One Casino, Inc.; Command insurance; Delta Packing Company; Doctors Company; Dumont Printing, Inc.; Encompass; F.A.C.T.; Farmers Insurance; Fireman's Fund Insurance Company; Fourchy Farms; George Brown Sports Club; Gottschalk's, Inc.; Griffin Produce Co. dba Misionero Vegetable Sales; Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co.; House of London dba London Properties; Insurance Corp. of New York; Kemper Insurance; Lance-Kashian Co.; Lawyers Mutual Insurance; Liberty Mutual; Mercury Insurance Company; Modesto Irrigation District; Mutual of Omaha; Norcal Mutual Insurance; O.P.C. Farms; Optima Healthcare; Pacific Printing; Penny-Newman Gain Co., Inc.; Performance Trailers, Inc.; Prudential Insurance; Ranchwood Homes Corp.; Republic Insurance Company; Safeco Insurance; Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc.; State Farm; Taxpayers Association of Madera County; Travelers; Trinity Fruit; Valley Taxpayers Coalition; Ward North America; Wathen-Castanos, Inc.; Zurich-American. |
LOCAL COUNSEL FOR: |
Adventist Health Care West; Central Valley General Hospital; Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula; Corrections Corporation of America; Dantel, Inc.; E&J Gallo Winery; Eurodrip USA, Inc.; GE Lighting Systems, Inc.; Granite Construction Co.; Gruma Corp.; Hanford Community Hospital; Madera Community Hospital; Monument, LLC; Netfim USA; Saint Agnes Medial Center; Sealed Air Corporation (U.S.); Selma Community Hospital; Stewart Title Guaranty Company; The Permanente Medical Group; Triangle T Ranch, Inc. |
TRIAL COUNSEL FOR: (Insurance Clients) |
21st Century Insurance; Adventist Health; Aetna Life and Casualty Co.; Allstate Insurance Company; American Farmers & Ranchers Insurance Company; American International Group (AIG); American Modern Home Insurance; American States Insurance Co.; Arch Insurance Company; Broadspire, a Crawford Company; California State Automobile Association; CAMICO; CAN Insurance; Century National Insurance Co.; Cherokee Insurance Co.; CIGNA; Command Insurance Managers; Coregis Insurance Co.; Crum & Forster Insurance; Employers Reinsurance; Encompass; Esurance; Explorer Insurance Company; F.A.C.T.; Farmers Insurance; Farmland Insurance - Nationwide Agribusiness; Fireman's Fund Insurance Company; First American Title Insurance Company; Freese & Gianelli Claim Service; General Fire & Casualty; Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company; Great American Insurance Company; Hanover Insurance; Harco National Insurance Company; Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co.; INSCORP; Insurance Corp. of New York; Kemper Insurance; Lawyers Mutual Insurance; Lexington Insurance; Liberty Bell Agency; Liberty Mutual; MedAmerica Mutual; Mercury Insurance Company; Mercury Insurance Group; Mutual of Omaha; National Claims Management; National Fire & Marine; Nationwide Ins. Co.; Norcal Mutual Insurance; Northland Insurance Co.; OneBeacon; Optima Healthcare Insurance Services; Oregon Mutual Insurance Co.; Primero; Prudential Insurance; Reliance Ins. Co.; Republic Insurance Company; Risk Enterprise Management; RSUI Group, Inc.; Safeco Insurance; Sedgwick CMS; Self-Insured Schools of California; Sequoia Insurance; Specialty Risk Services; State Farm Insurance; The Dentist's Insurance Co.; The Doctors Company; The Hartford; Transguard Insurance Company of America; Travelers; Trinity Health; Tudor Insurance; United States Aviation Underwriters; Ward North America; Western United; York Claim Service; Zurich-American Insurance |
TRIAL COUNSEL FOR: (Business/Institutional Clients) |
Builders Concrete; Century 21 - C. Watson/J&J Realty; Cilion, Inc.; City of Hanford; Community Medical Providers; Corrections Corporation of America; County of Calaveras; County of Fresno; County of Madera; County of Merced; County of Tulare; E&J Gallo Winery; Food Maxx; Fresno County Office of Education; Fresno Unified School District; Gallo Cattle Co.; Genesis Underwriting; Genuine Parts Company (Napa Auto Parts); Granville Homes; Gunner & Andros; Harris Farms — Harris Ranch Beef Co.; Home Depot; Investors Underwriting Managers; Judicial Council of California; Matheson Trucking; Merced Union High School District; National Cement Co.; National Retail Transportation - Keystone Freight Corp.; NovaPro Risk; Regents of the University of California; RMC Constructors; Saint Agnes Hospital; Save Mart Supermarkets; Southland Corporation (7-Eleven); State of California — California Department of Transportation (CalTrans); Stewart Title of California, Inc.; Table Mountain Casino; Table Mountain Rancheria; The Hall Company; Tri County Medical Transport Services, Inc.; United Security Bank; Viking Ready Mix; Walbro Engine Management; Wathen-Castanos; Western Milling. |
OUTSIDE COUNSEL FOR: |
ABR Electric; Building Industry of Association of Fresno/Madera Countries; California State University, Fresno Foundation; Central California Development Council; Don Pickett & Associates, Inc.; Fresno Unified School District; Generation Homes, Inc.; Granville Homes, Inc.; Gunner & Andros; Gunner Ranch West; J & B Valley Constructions, Inc.; L&G Land, LLC; S&N Builders, Inc.; Steiner Development, Inc.; Stockbridge Development Inc.; Thomason Development; Wathen-Castanos, Inc.; |
COVERAGE COUNSEL FOR: |
Allied; Encompass; Infinity; USAA; Victoria Insurance. |
Other Office Locations of McCormick, Barstow, Sheppard, Wayte & Carruth LLP
Modesto, California, U.S.A.
Santa Barbara, California, U.S.A.
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.
| | Richard A. McCormick (1915-1981). | | Dudley W. Sheppard (1907-1997). | | James H. Barstow (1920-2001). | | PARTNERS | | Lowell T. Carruth (Partner) admitted to bar, 1963, California. Education: Stanford University (A.B., magna cum laude, 1959), Phi Beta Kappa; University of California at Berkeley (LL.B., 1962). Phi Delta Phi. Associate Editor, California Law Review, 1961-1962. Deputy District Attorney, Fresno County, California, 1964-1966. Member: Fresno County (Secretary, 1964) and American Bar Associations; The State Bar of California; Association of Defense Counsel (President, 1982; 1st Vice President, 1981; 2nd Vice President, 1980; Secretary-Treasurer, 1979); American Board of Trial Advocates (Diplomate; President San Joaquin Valley Chapter, 1973-1974). ABOTA California Trial Lawyer of the Year, 1997. Fellow: American College of Trial Lawyers. [Capt., U.S. Army Reserve, 1964-1968]. Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Professional Malpractice; Insurance Bad Faith; Negligence Defense; Wrongful Termination. Email: Lowell T. Carruth | | Mario Louis Beltramo, Jr. (Partner) admitted to bar, 1972, California. Education: University of San Francisco (B.A., 1969); University of Notre Dame (J.D., cum laude, 1972). Administrative Editor, Vol. 47, Notre Dame Lawyer, 1971-1972. Author: Case Comment, "Riley v. State Farm Auto Insurance," Vol. 46. Notre Dame Lawyer, Winter Issue. Member: Fresno County and American Bar Associations; The State Bar of California; Association of Defense Counsel; American Board of Trial Advocates; California Medical/Legal Committee. Practice Areas: Trial Practice; Medical Malpractice Defense; Products Liability Defense. Email: Mario Louis Beltramo, Jr. | | Michael G. Woods (Partner) admitted to bar, 1973, California. Education: Fresno State University (B.A., summa cum laude, 1970); University of California at Davis (J.D., 1973). Phi Kappa Phi. Chairperson of Employment Law Practice Group. Member: Fresno County, Federal and American Bar Associations; The State Bar of California (Member, Labor and Employment Section); American Board of Trial Advocates; American College of Trial Lawyers; Association of Business Trial Advocates. Reported Cases: McClatchey Newspapers vs. Superior Court of Fresno County (1988) 44 Cal 3d 1162; Robert Mendez vs. Superior Court of Merced County (1988) 206 Cal App 3d 557; E.B. Wills Company, Inc. vs. Superior Court of Merced County (1976) 56 Cal App 3d 650; Renna vs. County of Fresno (2000) 78 Cal App 4th 1; Phillips vs County of Fresno (1990); 225 Cal App 3d 1240. Practice Areas: Employment Law; Defense of Public Entities; Trial Practice; Civil Rights; Litigation. Email: Michael G. Woods | | James P. Wagoner (Partner) admitted to bar, 1973, California. Education: St. Mary's College of California (B.A., 1970); University of Santa Clara (J.D., cum laude, 1973). Law Clerk to Hon. George A. Brown, Presiding Justice, 5th District Court of Appeals, Fresno, California, 1973-1974. Member, Board of Directors, Fresno-Merced Counties Legal Services, 1976-1992. Member, Advisory Board, Trials Digest. Member: Fresno County (Chairman, Insurance Committee) and American Bar Associations; The State Bar of California; Association of Defense Counsel (Member, Board of Directors, 1987-1988); Defense Research Institute. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage; Insurance Bad Faith; Appellate Practice. Email: James P. Wagoner | | Gordon M. Park (Partner) admitted to bar, 1976, California, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Northern Districts of California and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit; 1999, Nevada and U.S. District Court, District of Nevada; U.S. District Court, Central and Southern Districts of California. Education: California State University at Long Beach (B.A., summa cum laude, 1973); University of California at Los Angeles (J.D., 1976). Recipient: Angel Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Work, California Lawyer Magazine, 2007; Hon Blame Pettit Mentor of the Year Award, Fresno Bar Association, 2003. Listed in Northern California's Super Lawyers, San Francisco Magazine, 2006 and 2007. Instructor and Lecturer: "Examinations Under Oath: Everything You Wanted to Know But Were Afraid To Ask and Insurance Fraud and Arson Reporting Requirements: Truth or Consequences," Western States Auto Theft Investigators Insurance Fraud Seminar, Monterey, California, September 26-27, 2005; "Nevada Insurance Law Essentials: What Every Lawyer Should Know About Insurance Coverage—First Party Property Coverage and Issues," Nevada State Bar CLE Seminar, Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada, August 25-26, 2005; "Advanced Civil Procedure Before Trial: Summary Judgment Motions," Rutter Group, San Diego, January 29-30, 2005; "Civil Procedure Before Trial," Rutter Group, Fresno, October 14-15, 1998, November 3-4, 1999 and March 12-14, 2002. Lecturer and Author: "Now You See It, Now You Don't: Dealing With Missing Records and Inadequate Proof," ABA Tips Section, Property Insurance Law Comm. Seminar on Handling Catastrophe Loss Claims, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, April 19, 2001 and New York City, November 5, 2001; "How Do You Plead So You Won't Get Burned? - - An Insurer's Guide for Affirmative and Defensive Pleadings in a Civil Arson Action," ABA Property Insurance Law Committee, ABA National Institute on Litigating a Civil Arson Case, New Orleans, March 1993; "So You're Going to be Deposed — Preparing for and Testifying in Depositions," Defense Research Institute, Insurance Claims Supervision Seminars, Atlanta, September 1991, New York, December 1991 and San Diego, March 1992. Lecturer and Co-Author: "Ethics and Experts: Best Uses of Consulting Experts in Property Claims," ABA Tips Section, Property Insurance Law Committee Mid-Year Meeting, San Antonio, Texas, April 15, 2005; "Counsel for The Defense: Tarp v. E & W Associates Case Study," Clearing the Air: Exposing and Managing the Real Risk of Toxic Mold, Active Communications Int'l, Dallas, Texas, November 5-7, 2002; "Trying the Damages Case: Mold Taking Over Life?" Lifestyle Injury/Vocational Rehabilitation, Mold Litigation Conference on Preparing Your Case for Trial, Mealey's Publications, West Palm Beach, Florida, October 31, 2002; "The Coverage Trigger in Environmental Contamination Property Claims: Who Gets Shot for the Loss," ABA Property Insurance Law Committee, Mid-Year Meeting, 1989; "Employment Practices Liability Policy: Real Cure or Costly Placebo?" ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Mid-Winter Meeting, Phoenix, 1998; "Bad Faith Litigation in California," National Business Institute, Inc., October 1996; "Coverage Trigger Update: A Discussion of Prudential-LMI and Montrose Decisions," ABA Property Insurance Law Committee, Mid-Year Meeting, March 1996; "Arming and Disarming the Expert Witness," DRI Third Party Liability: Current Trends and Issues Seminar, San Diego, January 1996; "Building the Circumstantial Case: Confronting the Claimant," Mealey's Insurance Fraud and Bad Faith Conference, Phoenix, February 1995; "Fighting Fraud: A Team Effort; A Discussion of Several Topics Relevant to the Investigation and Litigation of Fraudulent Insurance Claims," Northern California Fraud Investigators Association Annual Training Seminar, Monterey, March 1994; "Successful Strategies and Tactics in the Defense of a Bad Faith Action (or: How to Slay the Dragon)," Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California, Monterey Seminar, August 1990; "The Insurance Agent: Friend or Foe," ABA Property Insurance Law Committee, Mid-Year Meeting, 1990. Co-Author: "Regional Editor, First Supplement to Bad Faith and Punitive Damages: Annotation to First Party Insurance Cases, Statutes and Regulations," A.B.A. Property Insurance Law Committee, 1989; Trial Attorney, "A Mold Case Study: Tarp v. E & W Associates III, et al.," Mealy's Litigation Report: Mold, Vol. 1, Issue 2, February 2001. Guest Speaker: "How to Avoid Being Sued and How to Win If You Are," Central Valley Insurance Agents and Brokers Association, Merced, January 2000; "Examinations Under Oath," Sacramento Claims Adjusters Association, Sacramento, August 2006; "Examinations Under Oath," East Bay Claims Adjusters Association, Pleasanton, April 2006; "The Year's Hot Topics in Property Insurance Law," Central California Adjusters Association and Fresno County Property Insurance Forum Luncheon Meetings, 1983-2006. Qualified Expert, California Superior Court. Officer and Director, Several Local School, Church and Civic Organizations. Active Coach, Referee and Elected Board Officer, Local Leagues of California Youth Soccer Association. Coach: Buchanan High School Mock Trial Team; Fresno State's College Mock Trial Team. Advocate, American Board of Trial Advocates, San Joaquin Chapter, 1989—. Member: Fresno County (Elected President), Clark County, Federal and American (Member, Product Liability, Litigation, Insurance Coverage Litigation and Property Insurance Law Committees, Torts and Insurance Practice Section; National Vice Chair, Property Insurance Law Committee) Bar Associations; State Bar of California (Delegate); State Bar of Nevada; Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California; Defense Research Institute; Northern California Fraud Investigators Association; California Conference of Arson Investigators; Property Claims Association of the Pacific; Public Agency Risk Managers Association; Fresno County Young Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage Defense; First Party Insurance Defense; Arson and Insurance Fraud; Insurance Bad Faith Defense; Products Liability Defense; Construction Defects. Email: Gordon M. Park | | Wade M. Hansard (Partner) admitted to bar, 1977, California; 2002, Nevada. Education: California State University at Fresno (B.S., summa cum laude, 1974); Hastings College of Law, University of California (J.D., 1977). Author: "Supplementary Payments Provisions - Another Pocket to Pick?" Nevada Lawyer Magazine, June 2007. Speaker: "Preservation of Evidence: Pitfalls & Penalties," International Association of Special Investigation Units, 22nd Annual Seminar and Expo on Insurance Fraud, September 9-12, 2007. Member, Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Practice Group. Member: State Bar of California; State Bar of Nevada; Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California (Member, Board of Directors, 1997-1999); American Bar Association; Defense Research Institute; Federal Bar Association; Fresno County Bar Association; Clark County Bar Association. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage Defense; Crop Damage; Automobile Insurance Coverage; Excess and Reinsurance; Excess Coverage; Extra Contractual Insurance Claims; Fire Insurance; Insurance Adjuster Liability; Insurance Agents and Brokers Defense; Insurance Agents and Brokers Errors and Omissions; Insurance Agents and Brokers; Insurance Bad Faith; Insurance Contracts; Insurance Coverage; Life and Health Insurance; Life Insurance; Property Insurance Coverage; Reinsurance; Unfair Insurance Practices; Extra Contractual Insurance Defense; Insurance Bad Faith Defense. Email: Wade M. Hansard | | W. F. Docker (Partner) admitted to bar, 1977, California. Education: Stanford University (B.A., 1972); University of Santa Clara (M.B.A., 1977; J.D., cum laude, 1977). President, 2002-2004, Vice-President and President Elect, 2006 and Member, Board of Directors, Fresno Philharmonic. Member, Board of Directors, Central California Blood Center. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California (Member, Executive Committee of Trusts and Estates Section, 2001—); Fresno Estate Planning Council. Practice Areas: Estate Planning; Trust and Estate Administration; Business Transactions; Agricultural Transactions. Email: W. F. Docker | | Justus C. Spillner (Partner) admitted to bar, 1975, California. Education: California State University at Hayward (B.A., with honors, 1972); University of San Diego (J.D., 1975). Deputy District Attorney, Alameda County, 1975-1979. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; The State Bar of California; American Board of Trial Advocates (Associate Member). Practice Areas: Governmental Law; Employment Law; Personal Injury Defense; Wrongful Death; Civil Rights; Agricultural Law; Products Liability. Email: Justus C. Spillner | | Hilton A. Ryder (Partner) admitted to bar, 1972, California, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Education: Iowa State University (B.S., 1962; M.S., 1964); University of Santa Clara (J.D., magna cum laude, 1972). Guest Lecturer, Agricultural Outlook Conference, California Society of CPA's, 1992. Panel Member and Speaker, Central California Bankruptcy Association. Panel Member: Central California Bankruptcy Institute, 2001, 2002; Eastern District Judicial Conference, 1998. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Bankruptcy and Insolvency Workouts. Email: Hilton A. Ryder | | D. Greg Durbin (Partner) admitted to bar, 1978, California, U.S. District Court, Eastern, Central, Northern and Southern Districts of California and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Education: University of California at Berkeley (A.B., with distinction, 1975); Hastings College of Law, University of California (J.D., 1978). Author: "Broach of Duty: The U.S. Foreign Trade Zones Program in Transition," 1 Hastings International and Comparative Law Review, 1977. Adjunct Professor, San Joaquin College of Law, 1987-1991. Member, Board of Trustees, San Joaquin College of Law, 2004—. President, 2005, National Delegate, 2006 and Member, 2000—, Board of Directors, San Joaquin Valley Chapter, Federal Bar Association. Co-Chair, Judicial Conference of United States District Court, Eastern District of California, 2001-2003. Member, Judicial Advisory Committee, United States District Court, Eastern District of California, 2001, 2003 and 2005. Member, Panel of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association. Member: Fresno County, Federal and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Real Estate Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Intellectual Property; Business Litigation; Business Arbitration; Industrial Property Rights; Securities Fraud; Real Estate; Franchise Distribution; Franchise Law; Competitive Injury; Water Law. Email: D. Greg Durbin | | Marshall C. Whitney (Partner) admitted to bar, 1978, California. Education: University of California at Santa Barbara (B.A., Mathematics with high honors, 1973); Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland (1972-1973); Hastings College of Law, University of California (J.D., 1978). Member, Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Committee for the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California. Lawyer Delegate, Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, 1992-1995. Evaluator, Early Neutral Evaluation Program for the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California. Co-Administrator, Fresno County Bar Association Fee Dispute Program, 1992—. Attorney Arbitrator, Fresno County Superior Court Judicial Arbitration Program. Member: Fresno County, Federal (President, San Joaquin Chapter, 1998-1999) and American (Construction and Business Litigation Sections) Bar Associations; State Bar of California; Association of Business Trial Lawyers (Member, Board of Directors). Practice Areas: Legal and Accounting Malpractice Defense; Business and Commercial Litigation; Construction Litigation; Real Estate Development. Email: Marshall C. Whitney | | Daniel P. Lyons (Partner) admitted to bar, 1980, California. Education: Santa Barbara City Community College (A.A., 1975); California State University at Chico (B.S., 1977); Hastings College of Law, University of California (J.D., 1980). Phi Kappa Phi; Beta Gamma Sigma. Recipient, Financial Executives Institute Award. Guest Lecturer, Civil Litigation and Premises Liability, San Joaquin College of Law. Member: State Bar of California; Fresno County Bar Association; American Bar Association; Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA); Defense Research Institute (DRI). Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Agricultural Tort Claims; Crop Damage; Complex and Multi-District Litigation; Construction Insurance Defense; Construction Products Liability; Negligence; Premises Liability; Personal Injury; Torts; Tort Defense; Transportation; Trucking Liability. Email: Daniel P. Lyons | | Michael F. Ball (Partner) admitted to bar, 1984, California; 1985, Illinois. Education: University of Miami (A.B., cum laude, 1981); University of Illinois (J.D., cum laude, 1984). Phi Delta Phi (Magister, Langdell Inn, 1982-1983); Phi Kappa Phi. Member, Board of Directors, Fresno County Young Lawyers Association, 1988-1990. Lecturer and Author: "Risk Management Jeopardy, Part II," Community Medical Providers Medical Group, 2007 Annual Provider Meeting, August 2007; "Understanding and Managing Your Risk", Community Medical Providers Medical Group, 2003 Annual Provider Meeting, Carmel, September 2003; "Avoiding Medical Malpractice," Central California Women's Healthcare, February 2003; "Malpractice Litigation - What You Can Do to Minimize Your Exposure", Kaiser Permanente Medical Center-Fresno, 2000 Medical Staff Annual Meeting, November 2000. Lecturer and Co-Author: "Analyzing Medical Records," National Business Institute, Inc., August 2003; "Nursing Home Malpractice in California -Successful Case Management From Investigation to Trial," National Business Institute, Inc., October 2002; "Medical Malpractice in California," National Business Institute, Inc., January 2002. Guest Speaker: "Managing & Improving Healthcare Delivery," Sante Community Physicians, 2003 Annual Meeting, September 2003; "Do Not Resuscitate Symposium," Fresno County Office of Education, June 2000. Member: The State Bar of California; Fresno County, Illinois State and American Bar Associations; American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA); California Medical-Legal Committee; Northern California Association of Defense Counsel; Defense Research Institute. Practice Areas: Litigation; Professional Liability Defense; Medical Malpractice; Drug and Medical Device Defense; Negligence; Trial Practice. Email: Michael F. Ball | | Stephen E. Carroll (Partner) admitted to bar, 1984, California. Education: University of Santa Clara (B.A., magna cum laude, 1981); University of California at Los Angeles (J.D., 1984). Member, National Order of Barristers; UCLA Moot Court Honors Program Executive Board of Judges. Member: Fresno County, American and Federal (San Joaquin Chapter) Bar Associations; The State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Banking Litigation; Financial Law; Construction Litigation; Real Property; Franchise Law. Email: Stephen E. Carroll | | Kevin D. Hansen (Partner) admitted to bar, 1985, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern, Northern and Central District of California. Education: University of Southern California; Fresno State University (B.S., 1980); San Joaquin College of Law (J.D., 1985). Corpus Juris Scholar, 1981-1983; Bailey National Moot Court; Student Association President, 1983-1984. Co-Author: "The Coverage Trigger In Environmental Contamination Property Claims: Who Gets Shot For The Loss," ABA Property Insurance Law Committee, mid-year meeting, 1989; "Bad Faith and Punitive Damages," Regional Editor, 1st Supplement, ABA, 1990; "How Do You Plead So You Won't Get Burned," ABA Section of Tort and Insurance Practice, National Institute; "Litigating The Civil Arson Case: Winning Without Getting Burned," 1993; "Fighting Fraud: A Team Effort: A Discussion of several Topics Relevant to the Investigation and Litigation of Fraudulent Insurance Claims," Northern California Fraud Investigators Association, Fifth Annual Training Conference, 1994; "ADR: Is It Worth It?," ABA Property Insurance Law Committee, mid-year meeting, 1997. Regional Author: "Property Insurance Annotations--Fire and Extended Coverage," 3rd Edition, published ABA Tort and Insurance Practice Section, 1998; "Economic Loss: When Does it Amount to Physical Damage," Property Loss Research Bureau, 2001 Claims Conference, 2001. Member: Fresno County and American (Member, Torts and Insurance Practice Section and Property Insurance Law Committee and Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee) Bar Associations; The State Bar of California; Defense Research Institute; Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California; Property Insurance Claims Association of the Pacific; California Conference of Arson Investigators; Northern California Fraud Investigators Association. Practice Areas: First and Third Party Insurance Fraud; Bad Faith Law and Defense; First Party Insurance Coverage and Litigation; Arson, Tort and Insurance Defense; Product and Premises Liability Defense. Email: Kevin D. Hansen | | Kenneth A. Baldwin (Partner) admitted to bar, 1987, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern and Central Districts of California, U.S. Tax Court. Education: University of California, Davis (B.A., with honors, 1984; J.D., 1987). Member: Fresco County Bar Association (past Chairman of Probate, Trust and Estate Planning Section); Fresno Estate Planning Council; The State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Business Transactions; Corporate Law; Real Estate; Probate; Trust Planning; Estate Planning. Email: Kenneth A. Baldwin | | David R. McNamara (Partner) admitted to bar, 1987, Wisconsin; 1988, California, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit and U.S. District Court, Eastern and Central Districts of California and Western Districts of Wisconsin. Education: University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (B.S., magna cum laude, 1984); University of Wisconsin (J.D., 1987). Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California (Member, Labor and Employment Law Section); State Bar of Wisconsin; American Bar Association (Member, Labor and Employment Section); Federal Bar Association (Member, Labor and Employment Law Section). Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Employment. Email: David R. McNamara | | Timothy L. Thompson (Managing Partner) admitted to bar, 1988, California, U.S. District Court, Eastern, Northern and Central Districts of California and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Education: Loma Linda University (B.S., 1984); Santa Clara University (J.D., 1987). Chairman, Santa Clara University Moot Court Board, 1986-1987. Member: Fresno County, Federal and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Probate Litigation; Fraud; Real Estate; Construction Law; Business Dissolutions; Contracts; Business Torts; Crop Damage; Condemnation. Email: Timothy L. Thompson | | Gregory S. Mason (Partner) admitted to bar, 1990, California; 1991, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Central Districts of California. Education: San Diego State University (A.B., with distinction in Economics, 1987); University of San Diego (J.D., 1990). Phi Delta Phi. Member: Fresno County and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California (Delegate to State Bar, 1995-2000); Northern California Association of Defense Counsel; Fresno County Young Lawyers Association (Member, Board of Directors, 1993-1996). Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Products Liability; Toxic Torts; Insurance Defense; Crop Damage; Aviation Law; Governmental Law; Negligence; Premises Liability; Wrongful Death; Automobile Liability Defense. Email: Gregory S. Mason | | Mart B. Oller, IV (Partner) admitted to bar, 1990, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern and Northern Districts of California. Education: University of California, Irvine (B.S., cum laude, 1987); University of California, Davis (J.D., 1990). Phi Delta Phi. Member, Jessup International Moot Court Team. Member: Fresno County and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California; Northern California Association of Defense Counsel. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Employment; Professional Liability Defense. Email: Mart B. Oller, IV | | Paul J. O'Rourke, Jr. (Partner) admitted to bar, 1989, California. Education: University of California at Los Angeles (B.A., 1986); Loyola Marymount University (J.D., cum laude, 1989). Order of the Coif; Alpha Sigma Nu. Member, St. Thomas Moore Honor Society. Member, Loyola Law Review, 1988-1989. Member: Fresno County Bar Association. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage; Insurance Bad Faith Defense. Email: Paul J. O'Rourke, Jr. | | Deborah A. Byron (Partner) admitted to bar, 1982, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern and Central Districts of California; 1987, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit; 1988, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. Education: California State University at Fresno (B.A., cum laude, 1974); San Joaquin, College of Law (J.D., valedictorian, 1982). Senior Research Attorney, Court of Appeals, Fifth District. Member: Fresno County, American and Federal Bar Associations; The State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Employment Law; Civil Rights; Discrimination; Harassment; Employment Discrimination. Email: Deborah A. Byron | | Todd W. Baxter (Partner) admitted to bar, 1991, California. Education: University of Wisconsin-Parkside; University of Wisconsin (B.S., 1985); University of Nebraska (J.D., 1990). Recipient: American Jurisprudence Award for Civil Clinical Program, International Academy of Trial Lawyers Distinguished Achievement Award for Advocacy. Member: Fresno County, Federal and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California; State Bar of Nebraska; Northern California Association of Defense Counsel. Practice Areas: Appellate; Insurance Coverage; Insurance Bad Faith. Email: Todd W. Baxter | | Kurt F. Vote (Partner) admitted to bar, 1992, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California; 1995, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California; 1999, U.S. District Court, Central and Northern Districts of California 2004, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: University of California at Irvine (B.S., magna cum laude, 1989) University of Southern California Law Center (J.D., 1992). Engineer of the Year, UC Irvine, 1989. Chair, Hale Moot Court Honors Program, USC Law Center, 1992. Author: "What You Don't Say Can and Will Be Used Against You or: How Not to Settle Your Clients' Cases," May 2008; "Send in the Clowns: Construction Defect Litigation," January 2007; "The Price of Changing Your Mind," May 2006; "No More Belts and Suspenders," October 2005; "Barbarians at the Gate," February 2005. Chair, Board of Directors, Fresno County Chapter, American Diabetes Association, 1996-1997. Chair, Board of Directors, Western Region (California and Nevada), American Diabetes Association, 1997-1998. Chair, Board of Directors, Infant of Prague Adoption Service, 1999-2004. Member: Fresno County and Federal Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Construction Defects; Construction Law; Construction Arbitration; Construction Insurance Defense; Construction Liability; Construction Liens; Construction Litigation; Construction Mediation; Contractor Performance Bonds; Mechanics Liens; Materialmens Liens; Public Construction Law; Debtor and Creditor; Debtor and Creditor Collections; Debtor and Creditor Remedies; Debtor and Creditor Workouts. Email: Kurt F. Vote | | Anthony N. DeMaria (Partner) admitted to bar, 1995, California; 1997, Colorado. Education: University of California at Davis (B.A., 1991); University of San Diego (J.D., cum laude, 1995). Order of the Coif. Recipient, American Jurisprudence Awards in: Torts and Legal Writing; Advanced Trial Advocacy. President, St. Thomas Moore Society, 1994-1995; Honor Court Counsel, 1994-1995. Author: "Protecting Against Being Sued as a Retailer (It Just Became Easier to Sue a Retail Store for a Slip and Fall in California): An Analysis of Ortega v. K-Mart Corporation (2001)," 26 Cal. 4th, April 2002; Sections 2, 4 and 6, "Essential Litigation Skills for California Paralegals," Institute for Paralegal Education, April 2002; "Selected Current Issues in California Uninsured Motorist Arbitration," September 1999. Co-Author: "Advanced Civil Discovery for the Litigation Paralegal in California", published for the Institute for Paralegal Education, October 2002; "Coverage Trigger Update For First and Third Party Insurance Cases: Who Gets Shot for the Loss? (An Analysis of Prudential-LMI v. Superior Court and Montrose Chemical Corp. v. Admiral Ins. Co.)," Tab 4, Tort and Insurance Practice Section of the ABA, April, 1996. Faculty Lecturer: "Advanced Civil Discovery for the Litigation Paralegal in California," Institute for Paralegal Education, Fresno, California, October 10, 2002; "Essential Litigation Skills for California Paralegals," Institute for Paralegal Education Fresno, California, April 5, 2002. Chairman, "Lawyers Have Heart" Charity Walk/Run, Fresno and President, Fresno Chapter, American Heart Association. Member, Board of Directors, Bullard Cal Ripken. Member: Fresno County and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California; Christian Legal Society; Fresno County Young Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Torts; Products Liability; Insurance Fraud; Civil Litigation; First and Third Party Insurance Defense; Personal Injury; Property Damage; Wrongful Death; Brain Injury; Slip and Fall; Crop Damage; School District Liability; Construction Defects; Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists Arbitration; Landlord and Tenant Law; Trucking Law; Employment Litigation; Civil Rights; Premises Liability. Email: Anthony N. DeMaria | | Jeffrey M. Reid (Partner) admitted to bar, 1984, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California. Education: Claremont McKenna College (B.A., cum laude, 1981); Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California (J.D., 1984). Deputy Secretary and General Counsel, 1990-1991 and Undersecretary, 1993-1996, California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. Member: Fresno County Assessment Appeals Board, 1992-1993; San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, 1993-1996; Policy Advisory Committee, Council of Fresno County Governments, 1997-2000. City Manager, City of Fresno, 1997-2000. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; The State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Real Property; Land Use; Business Transactions; Banking Law; Financial Law; State Government Law; Local Government Law; Construction Law. Email: Jeffrey M. Reid | | Christopher Lozano (Partner) admitted to bar, 1994, California, U.S. District Court, Eastern, Central, Northern and Southern Districts of California and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Education: The Johns Hopkins University (B.A., 1989); California Western School of Law (J.D., 1994). Recipient, American Jurisprudence Awards, Constitutional Law I, Products Liability. Co-Author: "A Mold Case Study: Tarp v. E&W Associates III, et al., "Mealy's Mold Litigation Report," February 2001. Member: Fresno County and American Bar Associations (Member, Tort and Insurance Practice Section); Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California and Nevada. [Lieut., JAGC, USNR]. Reported Cases: Utility Cost Management v. Indian Wells Valley Water Dist. (2001) 26 Cal.4th 1185. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage; Insurance Litigation; Insurance Bad Faith; First Party Insurance; Toxic Torts; Mold Litigation; Military Law; Appellate Practice. Email: Christopher Lozano | | Ruby Ann David Helsley (Partner) admitted to bar, 1997, California. Education: Santa Clara University (B.S., 1994; J.D., 1997). Phi Delta Phi (President, 1995-1996). Comments Editor, Santa Clara Law Review, 1995-1997. Copy Editor, The Advocate, 1994-1996. Recipient, Legal Research & Writing Certificate. Author: "Federal Preemption of a Federal Statute: The Case of Vornado Air Circulation Systems v. Duracraft," Santa Clara Law Review, Vol. 37. Member, Board of Directors, American Cancer Society and Better Opportunities Builder, Inc. Coordinator and Participant, Student Job Shadowing Program, McLane High School. Past President and Board Member, 2000-2006, Fresno County Young Lawyers Association. Past Board Member, Fresno County Women Lawyers Association. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California; American Bar Association; Association of Defense Counsel; Filipino Bar Association of Northern California. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage; Insurance Bad Faith Litigation; Civil Litigation. Email: Ruby Ann David Helsley | | Victoria R. Allard-Bernhardt (Partner) admitted to bar, 1991, California. Education: University of California at San Diego (B.A., 1987); University of San Diego School of Law (J.D., 1991). Member, Board of Directors, 1993-1996, Project Clean Air. Board Member, Teen Alternative Court of Kern, 1993-1997; Director and Mentor, R.O.S.E., Fresno (Realizing Options for Student Excellence). Member: Fresno County and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California; Fresno County Women Lawyers Association; Northern California Defense. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Products Liability; Premises Liability; General Negligence. Email: Victoria R. Allard-Bernhardt | | Matthew E. Fletcher (Partner) admitted to bar, 1998, California. Education: Wayne State College (B.A., 1995); McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific (J.D., 1998). Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California; American Bar Association. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Products Liability; Personal Injury; Construction Defects; Family Law; Divorce; Child Custody; Child Support; Visitation Rights; Paternity; Premarital Agreements; Spousal Support; Domestic Violence; Post Divorce Modification; Community Property Law; Appellate Practice. Email: Matthew E. Fletcher | | Mark B. Busick (Partner) admitted to bar, 1988, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California. Education: California State University at Fresno (B.S., 1983); San Joaquin College of Law (J.D., 1987). Member: Fresno County Bar Association; Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California. Practice Areas: Tort Defense; Insurance Defense; Products Liability Defense; Construction Law. Email: Mark B. Busick | | Timothy J. Buchanan (Partner) admitted to bar, 1981, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California; 1986, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Education: University of California at Los Angeles (B.A., magna cum laude, 1977); University of Santa Clara (J.D., 1981). Member, Board of Editors, Santa Clara Law Review, 1980-1981. Author: "Expanding the Standard for Attempts to Monopolize," Santa Clara Law Review, 1981. Adjunct Professor, San Joaquin College of Law, 2000. Member, Panel of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association. Member: Fresno County, Federal and American (Member, Sections on: Litigation; Alternative Dispute Resolution) Bar Associations; Association of Business Trial Lawyers. Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Business Litigation; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Construction Law; Real Estate; Intellectual Property Rights; Contracts; Business Dissolutions; Corporate Dissolutions; Fraud; Business Torts; Securities Litigation; Appellate Practice; Unfair Competition. Email: Timothy J. Buchanan | | Scott M. Reddie (Partner) admitted to bar, 1994, California. Education: University of California, Los Angeles (B.A., 1991); Pepperdine University (J.D., 1994). Phi Delta Phi. Author: Section 546 (a) of the Bankruptcy Code: A Plea for Predictability, 4 Journal of Bankruptcy Law and Practice 3 (1994); Home Mortgage Strip Down in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy - A Contextual Approach to Sections 1322 (b)(2) and (b)(5), 20 Pepperdine Law Review 425 (1993). Member: Fresno County Bar Association; Fresno County Young Lawyers Association; Central California Bankruptcy Association; Northern California Fraud Investigators Association. Practice Areas: First Party Insurance Fraud; Bad Faith; Business Litigation; Bankruptcy Litigation; Appellate. Email: Scott M. Reddie | | Brandon M. Fish (Partner) admitted to bar, 1999, California. Education: University of California at Irvine (B.A., 1995); Santa Clara University (J.D., 1999). Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage; Litigation. Email: Brandon M. Fish | | Jay A. Christofferson (Partner) admitted to bar, 1999, California. Education: University of Utah (M.S., 1995); McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific (J.D., with distinction, 1999). Author: "The Constitutionality of State Laws Banning Government Contracts With Burma: Upholding Federalism's Purpose," McGeorge Law Review; "Grand Jury Reform: Leveling the Playing Field," McGeorge Law Review and Migrant Farmworker Housing, McGeorge Law Review. Co-Author: "Coverage Alert: Schmitt v. NIC Insurance Co," California Association of Independent Insurance Adjusters, January 2008. Member: State Bar of California; Fresno County Young Lawyers (Board Member, 2003-2005). Reported Cases: American International Specialty Lines Ins. Co. v. Continental Casualty Ins. Co. (2006) 142 Cal.App.4th 1342 (settling insurers did not have a claim for equitable contribution based on a failure to notify the objecting insurer of its potential liability for contribution prior to a settlement); F & H Construction v. ITT Hartford Ins. Co. (2004) 118 Cal.App.4th 364 (a contractor could not recover the cost of modifying inadequate steel pile caps as property damage was not established by the mere failure of a defective product to perform as intended); St. Paul Mercury Ins. Co. v. Frontier Pacific Ins. Co. (2003) 111 Cal.App.4th 1234 (although a lessee had been dismissed from an action arising from an underlying tort claim, an insurer's action for contribution from other carriers was remanded for determination of the lessee's liability as necessary to allocate the contributions between the insurers); Valley Air Conditioning & Repair, Inc. v. Beneficial Life Ins. Co., U.S. Dist. LEXIS 70111 (E.D. Cal. 2007) (successful 12b(6) motion to eliminate claims for breach of fiduciary duty, intentional interference with a protected property interest and violation of Insurance Code § 790.03); Utilities Cost Management v. Indian Wells Valley Water District (2001) 26 Cal.App.4th 1185 (the 120 day statute of limitations applied to an action by a public agency to recover amounts paid to a public utility for capital improvements barred plaintiff's action). Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage; Bad Faith. Email: Jay A. Christofferson | | Christopher S. Hall (Partner) admitted to bar, 1999, California. Education: California State University, Fresno (B.S., 1996); McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific (J.D., 1999). Order of the Coif. Traynor Honor Society. Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award in Contracts and Negotiations and Settlements. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California (Member, Real Property Law, Litigation and Unfair Competition Subsections); American Bar Association. Reported Cases: California State University, Fresno Assoc., Inc. v. Superior Court, (5th Dist. 2001) 90 Cal.App.4th 810 [108 Cal.Rptr.2d 870], Newspaper's challenge under the California Public Records Act held invalid. Practice Areas: Commercial Business Litigation; Complex Litigation; Agricultural Law; Land Use; Crop Damage; Environmental Law; California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); Appellate Practice. Email: Christopher S. Hall | | Jerry D. Casheros (Partner) admitted to bar, 1999, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California. Education: University of California at Berkeley (B.A., 1995); University of California at Davis (J.D., 1999). Member: Fresno County and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Professional Liability; Family Law; Divorce; Child Custody; Child Support; Visitation Rights; Paternity; Premarital Agreements; Spousal Support; Domestic Violence; Post Divorce Modification; Community Property Law. Email: Jerry D. Casheros | | Geni K. Krogstad (Partner) admitted to bar, 1994, Oregon; 1999, California. Education: Loma Linda University (B.A., Biology, 1984); Lewis and Clark College (J.D., 1994). Co-Author: "Coverage Alert: Schmitt v. NIC Insurance Co.," California Association of Independent Insurance Adjusters, January 2008. California Secondary Teaching Credential, 1987. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California; Oregon State Bar; Fresno County Women Lawyers. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage; Appellate Practice. Email: Geni K. Krogstad | | Annette A. Ballatore-Williamson (Partner) admitted to bar, 1997, California; U.S. District Court, Eastern and Northern Districts of California and U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern and Northern Districts of California. Education: California State University, Fresno (B.A., 1991); San Joaquin College of Law (J.D., 1997). Author, "The End of the Subterranean Economy?" McCormick Barstow LLP Legal Update, July 2003. Co-Author, "California Insurance Law," Lorman Education Services, April 2000. Member: Fresno County and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California; Fresno County Women Lawyers Association; Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage(50%); Insurance Bad Faith Litigation(45%); Employment Discrimination(5%). Email: Annette A. Ballatore-Williamson | | William H. Littlewood (Partner) admitted to bar, 1999, California; U.S. District Court, Eastern, Northern, Central and Southern Districts of California. Education: California State University, Fresno (B.A., 1996); McGeorge School of Law of University of the Pacific (J.D., with great distinction, 1999). Order of the Coif. Traynor Society. Author: "Transferable Development Rights, TRPA, and Takings: The Role of TDRs in The Constitutional Takings Analysis," 30 McGeorge Law Review, 201 (1999). Member, Board of Directors and Chair, Community Food Bank, America's Second Harvest. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Business Litigation; Environmental Law; Antitrust and Trade Regulation; Industrial Property Rights; False Advertising; Breach of Contract; Business Torts. Email: William H. Littlewood | | John J. McGregor (Partner) admitted to bar, 1972, California. Education: University of San Francisco (A.B., 1968); Hastings College of the Law, University of California (J.D., 1971); New York University (LL.M., Taxation, 1974). Editor: The California Tax Lawyer; Fresno Bar Bulletin. Author: "Taxation of Real Property Transfers," and supplements, California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1981; articles, "Tax Notes"; articles, The University of Southern California Tax Institute. Lecturer: University of Southern California Tax Institute; Annual Meetings of the California Tax Bars; State Bar of California Section of Education Institutes; California CPA Society Farmer's Tax and Accounting Conferences; San Joaquin College of Law; California State University, Fresno; Fresno City College. Member, 1993-1998 and Chair, 1997-1998, Fresno County Assessment Appeals Board. Member: Fresno County Bar Association (Director, 1983-1986; President, Young Lawyers Association, 1982); State Bar of California (Member, Executive Committee, Taxation Section; Chair, Standards of Tax Practice Committee, Taxation Section, 1994-1995 and 1997-1998; Vice-Chair, Taxation Section, 1985-1986); American Law Institute (Member, Development of the Principles of the Law of Nonprofit Organizations). (Certified Specialist, Taxation Law, The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization). Reported Cases: Zaninovich v. Commissioner (9th Cir. 1980) 616 F2d 429; Giannini Packing Corp. v. Commissioner (1984) 83 TC 526; Salwasser v. Commissioner, TC Memo 1991-466; Estate of Frazier v. Commissioner (9th Cir. 2003) 2003-2 USTC 60,473. Practice Areas: Tax Planning; Tax Litigation; Business Transactions. Email: John J. McGregor | | Robert L. Sullivan, Jr. (Partner) admitted to bar, 1968, California. Education: University of California, Berkeley (B.S., 1964); University of San Francisco (J.D., 1967). McAuliffe Honor Society. Editor-in-Chief, University of San Francisco Law Review, 1966-1967. Speaker: Southern California Tax and Estate Planning Forum; University of Southern California Tax Institute; Annual Programs of the Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law Section, State Bar of California; Programs presented by California Continuing Education of the Bar; Programs presented by Fresno County Bar Association. Drafted, Proposal for the Enactment of Informal Administration of Decedent's Estate in California, State Bar of California. With California Taxation Law Advisory Commission, California Board of Legal Specialization, 1988-1989. Past President, Fresno Estate Planning Council, 1982-1983. Member: State Bar of California (Member, Executive Committee, Trust and Estate Section, 1985-1995; Chairman, Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Section, 1994-1995); International Academy of Estate Trust Law (Academician). Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. (Certified Specialist, Estate Planning, Trust, Probate and Taxation Law, The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization). Reported Cases: Dorothy Schwartz Rojas v. Commissioner 90 TC 1090, aff'd 901 F2d 801. Practice Areas: Estate Planning; Trust and Estate Administration Law; Taxation Law. Email: Robert L. Sullivan, Jr. | | Daniel L. Wainwright (Partner) admitted to bar, 1997, California; 1997, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California; 2001, U.S. District Court, Eastern Districts of California; 2004, U.S. Court of Appeal, Ninth Circuit. Education: University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A., 1994); Santa Clara University (J.D., 1997). Member: Tulare County Bar Association. Fresno County Bar Association. San Joaquin Valley Federal Bar Association. Practice Areas: Automobile Insurance Defense(10%); Medical Malpractice Defense(70%); Pharmacists Liability(3%); Legal Malpractice Defense(15%); Civil Rights(2%). Email: Daniel L. Wainwright | | Jack S. Fischer (Partner) admitted to bar, 1994, California; 1998, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California; 2003, U.S. District Court, Central District of California. Education: University of Maryland, College Park (B.A., Political Science, 1988); California Western School of Law (J.D., 1993). Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award in Constitutional Law, Legal Skills and Trial Practice. Member, California Western Law Review, 1992-1993. Judge Pro Tem, San Joaquin County Superior Court, 2000. Member: State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage(50%); Bad Faith(45%); Liability Defense(5%). Email: Jack S. Fischer | | David L. Emerzian (Partner) admitted to bar, 2005, California. Education: California State University, Fresno (B.A., Accounting, 1999); Santa Clara University (J.D., 2002). Judicial Intern to Honorable Oliver Wanger, Eastern District Court of CA. Intern, Legal Department of the Federal Reserve Bank, 12th District in San Francisco, CA, Spring 2001. Featured Speaker, Continuing Legal Education seminars on Landlord-Tenant laws and issues. Board Member, California State University, Fresno Alumni Association. Member: State Bar of California; Association of Business Trial Lawyers (Board Member). Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation(30%); Business Litigation(40%); Real Estate Law(30%). Email: David L. Emerzian | | OF COUNSEL | | Lawrence E. Wayte (Of Counsel) admitted to bar, 1962, California. Education: Stanford University (A.B., 1958); Hastings College of Law, University of California (J.D., 1961). Phi Delta Phi. Law Clerk, Justice Frederick E. Stone, California 5th District Court of Appeals, 1961-1962. Deputy District Attorney, Fresno County, California, 1963. Member: Fresno County (Member, 1992-1994 and President, 1994, Board of Directors) and American Bar Associations; The State Bar of California; American Board of Trial Advocates (Diplomate). Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Professional Liability Defense; Products Liability Defense. Email: Lawrence E. Wayte | | Steven G. Rau (Of Counsel) admitted to bar, 1975, California. Education: University of California at Berkeley (B.A., 1972); University of California at Davis (J.D., 1975); New York University (LL.M., Taxation, 1977). Phi Beta Kappa; Order of the Coif. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; The State Bar of California; Building Industry Association. Practice Areas: Real Estate Development and Finance; Land Use; Charitable Giving; General Business. Email: Steven G. Rau | | Wendy S. Lloyd (Of Counsel) admitted to bar, 1988, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California. Education: University of California, Los Angeles (B.A., 1985); University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (J.D., with high honors, 1987). Member: University of Arkansas Moot Court Board; University of Arkansas Law Review, 1986-1987. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage; Insurance Litigation. Email: Wendy S. Lloyd | | Michele A. Carli (Of Counsel) admitted to bar, 1989, California, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit; 2006, U.S. District Court, Eastern, Central and Southern Districts of California. Education: University of California, Irvine (B.A., 1985); University of California, Hastings College of the Law (J.D., 1988). Member: Fresno County, San Francisco (Member, 1989-1995) and American (Member, 1989-1995) Bar Associations; Fresno County Women's Lawyers. Reported Cases: Bruce A. Glass, et al v. Reza Najafi, et al 78 CA 4th 45 (2000). Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage Defense; Insurance Bad Faith Defense; Business Torts; Commercial Litigation; Real Estate. Email: Michele A. Carli | | Carol O'Neil (Of Counsel) admitted to bar, 1976, California (readmitted 2005); 1983, Michigan. Education: Occidental College (B.A., 1972); University of California School of Law, Davis (J.D., 1976). Instructor, Continuing Education Courses for attorneys and paralegals, National Business Institute. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California; American Bar Association; Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California and Nevada; American Business Trail Lawyers Association. Fellow: American Bar Foundation. Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice Defense; Products Liability Defense; Torts; Insurance Defense; Automobile Liability Defense; Civil Litigation; Premises Liability Defense; Negligence; Government Entity Related Matters; Recreation and Equine Law; Land Use. Email: Carol O'Neil | | Kenneth M. Klug (Of Counsel) admitted to bar, 1973, California. Education: University of California at Santa Barbara (A.B., 1969); Hastings College of the Law, University of California (J.D., 1972). Author: California's Estate Tax Apportionment Law. Writer and Lecturer,Estate Planning and Taxation: California Continuing Education of the Bar; University of California at Los Angeles-CEB Estate Planning Institute; University of Southern California Tax Institute; Hawaii Tax Institute; Texas Tax Institute; Southern California Tax and Estate Planning Forum; American Bar Association. Assisted the California Law Revision Commission, California Trust Law and Re-Writing California Probate Code. President, Fresno Estate Planning Council, 2005-2006. Member: State Bar of California (Member, Trusts and Estates Section; Chairman, Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Section, 1984-1985); American Law Institute. Fellow: American College of Trust and Estate Counsel; American Law Institute. [Capt., USAR, 1972-1980]. (Certified Specialist, Estate Planning, Trust, Probate and Taxation Law, The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization). Practice Areas: Probate Law; Estate Planning Law; Trust Administration Law. Email: Kenneth M. Klug | | ASSOCIATES | | Dana E. Denno (Associate) admitted to bar, 2003, California and U.S. District Court, Eastern, Northern, Central and Southern Districts of California; U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Education: University of California at Los Angeles (B.A., 2000; J.D., 2003). Co-Author: "Changing Rules for Calculating Actual Cash Value: Turning A Money Pit Into A Gilded Castlem," Claims Conference of Northern California, September 2006; "Documenting Property Claim Files in California: Best Practices and Pitfalls," Claims Conference of Northern California, September 2007. Coach, Clovis West High School Mock Trial Team. Team Captain, Firm's Susan G. Komen Fresno Race for the Cure team. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; American Bar Association (Member, Tort and Insurance Practice Section); Association of Defense Counsel. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage. Email: Dana E. Denno | | Shane M. Cahill (Associate) admitted to bar, 2003, California. Education: California State University (B.A., 2000); Golden Gate University (J.D., highest honors, 2003). Practice Areas: Tort Litigation; Specialty Litigation. Email: Shane M. Cahill | | Devon Darrow (Associate) admitted to bar, 2004, California. Education: California State University, Fresno (B.S., 1997); San Joaquin, College of Law (J.D., 2003). Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California; Association of Business Trial Lawyers. Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Business Litigation; Negligence; Restraining Orders; Wrongful Death. Email: Devon Darrow | | Leslie A. Soley (Associate) admitted to bar, 2004, California. Education: University of California, San Diego (B.A., Psychology, 2001); University of California, San Francisco (J.D., 2004). Recipient: CALI Award of Excellence, Legal Research Writing and Analysis; CALI Award of Excellence, Corporations. Judicial Extern, State Bar of California, Review Department, 2003. Member: State Bar of California; Fresno County and American Bar Associations; Fresno County Young Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith; Family Law; Divorce; Child Custody; Child Support; Visitation Rights; Paternity; Premarital Agreements; Spousal Support; Domestic Violence; Post Divorce Modification; Community Property Law; Appellate Practice. Email: Leslie A. Soley | | Mandy L. Jeffcoach (Associate) admitted to bar, 2004, California. Education: Arizona State University (B.A., English and Sociology, summa cum laude, 2001); Santa Clara University (J.D., cum laude, 2004) Order of the Coif; Phi Alpha Delta. Golden Key Honor Society (Arizona State). Member: State Bar of California; National Association of Women Lawyers; Fresno Bar Association. Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Construction Defects; Professional Malpractice. Email: Mandy L. Jeffcoach | | Lejf E. Knutson (Associate) admitted to bar, 2004, California. Education: Point Loma Nazarene University (B.A., 1990); University of California, Riverside (M.A., German and Comparative Literature, 1995); University of San Diego School of Law (J.D., 2004). Order of the Coif. Member, 2002-2004 and Lead Article Editor, 2003-2004, San Diego Law Review. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California. Languages: German. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith. Email: Lejf E. Knutson | | Benjamin T. Nicholson (Associate) admitted to bar, 2005, California. Education: Santa Clara University (B.A., English, 1999); McGeorge School of Law (J.D., 2005). Member: State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense. Email: Benjamin T. Nicholson | | Paul J. Whitfield (Associate) admitted to bar, 2006, California. Education: University of Southern California (B.S., Business Administration, 2001); University of California School of Law, Davis (J.D., 2005). Member: State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage. Email: Paul J. Whitfield | | Kirsten K. Corey (Associate) admitted to bar, 2000, California. Education: Santa Clara University (B.S. in Commerce Marketing, 1989); University of Nevada, Reno (M.B.A., 1991); San Joaquin College of Law (J.D., 1999). Member: Fresno County Bar Association; American Health Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Administrative Law; Medical Malpractice; Tort Liability; Employment. Email: Kirsten K. Corey | | Adam D. Wahlquist (Associate) admitted to bar, 2007, California. Education: University of Utah (B.A., 2003); University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law (J.D., 2006). Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Earl H. Carroll, U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, Phoenix. Member, Litigation Practice Group. Member: Fresno County and American Bar Associations; State Bar of California; J. Rueben Clark Law Society. Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation; Business Litigation; Contract Litigation; Corporate Litigation; Employment Litigation; Products Liability Defense; Real Estate Litigation; Securities Litigation; Trust Litigation. Email: Adam D. Wahlquist | | Summer Johnson (Associate) admitted to bar, 2006, California. Education: University of Nevada, Reno (B.A., 2002); McGeorge School of Law (J.D., 2006). Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California; Fresno County Young Lawyer's Association (Board Member). Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage(100%). Email: Summer Johnson | | Lara Zdravecky Moriarty (Associate) admitted to bar, 2001, New Mexico; 2006, California. Education: University of California at Santa Barbara (B.A., 1995); New England School of Law (J.D., 2000). Member: Fresno County and Federal Bar Associations; State Bar of New Mexico; State Bar of California; Fresno County Women Lawyers. Practice Areas: Commercial Litigation. Email: Lara Zdravecky Moriarty | | Michael J. Schmidt (Associate) admitted to bar, 2007, Wisconsin. (Not admitted in California). Education: University of Wisconsin-Madison (B.B.A., Finance, Investment and Banking, and Risk Management and Insurance, 2001); University of Wisconsin Law School (J.D., cum laude, 2007). Articles Editor, Wisconsin International Law Journal, 2006-2007. Judicial Intern, Honorable Justice Jon P. Wilcox, Wisconsin Supreme Court, Spring 2006. Author and Lecturer: "'Investor Protection' in Europe and the United States: Impacting the Future of Hedge Funds," Wisconsin International Law Journal, Spring 2007. Member: Madison Finance and Investment Society; Risk Management and Insurance Society; Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith, 2007. Member: State Bar of Wisconsin; American Bar Association. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage; Insurance Bad Faith; Civil Litigation. Email: Michael J. Schmidt | | Roger Bonakdar (Associate) admitted to bar, 2007, California. Education: University of California, San Diego (B.A., International Relations, 2003); Santa Clara University School of Law (J.D., 2007). Author: "Proposition 90: Why it Failed, and Why it Will be Back," Santa Clara Public Interest Law Journal, 2007. Member, Litigation Practice Group, 2007. Analyst, Office of the Attorney General, California Department of Justice. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Contracts; Consumer Law; Real Property; Landlord and Tenant Law; Professional Liability. Email: Roger Bonakdar | | A. Robert Rhoan (Attorney) admitted to bar, 2003, California. Education: University of California at Los Angeles (B.A., History and Political Science, 1999); Hastings College of the Law, University of California (J.D., 2003). Member: State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Antitrust and Trade Regulation; Antitrust; Antitrust Class Actions; Deceptive Trade Practices; Price-Fixing; Trade Regulation; Unfair Trade; Civil Appeals; Business Law; Business Litigation; Business Torts; Complex Business Litigation; Gaming Law; Civil Rights; Discrimination; Commercial Litigation; Corporate Litigation; Health Care; Health Care Litigation; Health Insurance; Indians and Native Populations; Federal Indian Law; Indian Child Welfare Act; Indian Gaming Law; Indian Law; Native American Civil Rights; Native American Law; State-Tribal Relations; Tribal Government; Tribal Law; Commercial Insurance; Excess Coverage; Extra Contractual Insurance Claims; General Liability; Indemnity; Insurance Bad Faith; Insurance Coverage; Insurance Litigation; Labor and Employment; Employer Intentional Torts; Employer Liability; Employment Claims; Employment Litigation; Employment Termination; Harassment; Labor Law; National Labor Relations Act; Sexual Harassment; Unfair Labor Practices; Wage and Hour Law; Wrongful Termination; Wrongful Termination Defense; Libel, Slander and Defamation; Civil Litigation; Complex Litigation; Defense Litigation; Federal Civil Litigation; Federal Litigation; Unfair Competition. Email: A. Robert Rhoan | | Shaun Culbreath (Associate) admitted to bar, 2008, California. Education: Asbury College (B.A., History, 2003); Thomas M. Cooley Law School (J.D., magna cum laude, 2007). Dean's List. Recipient, Academic Honors Scholarship. Best Advocate of the Final Round, Moot Court. Recipient, Certificate of Merit, Constitutional Law, Evidence, Professional Responsibility, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Intra-School Moot Court, Advanced Writing, Law Office Management. Senior Associate Editor, Thomas M. Cooley Law Review, 2006-2007. Member: Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Practice Group, 2008; History Academic Honor Society; Aldersgate Leadership Program. President, Christian Legal Society. Member: Fresno County Bar Association; State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Insurance Coverage; Insurance Bad Faith; Civil Litigation. Email: Shaun Culbreath | | Caroline E. Nickel (Associate) admitted to bar, 2007, California. Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (B.S., Biology, 2004); Pepperdine University School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2007). Member: Civil Litigation Practice Group, 2008; Pepperdine Special Education Advocacy Clinic. Research Assistant, Dean Kenneth W. Starr, Pepperdine University School of Law. Member: Fresno County, Federal and American Bar Association, Bar Associations; State Bar of California. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation. Email: Caroline E. Nickel | Other Office Addresses: Links to Other Offices
Modesto, California Office: Centre Plaza Office Tower, 1150 Ninth Street, Suite 1200, 95354. Telephone: (209) 524-1100. Fax: (209) 524-1188.
Las Vegas, Nevada Office: 8337 West Sunset Road, Suite 350, 89113. Telephone: (702) 949-1100. Fax: (702) 949-1101.
Cincinnati, Ohio Office: 1600 Scripps Center, 312 Walnut Street, 45202. Telephone: (513) 762-7520. Fax: (513) 762-7521.
Santa Barbara, California Office: 27 West Anapamu Street, #371, 93101. Telephone: (805) 965-5566. Fax: (805) 965-5533.
| | Maintains an office in more than one location. |
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