PRESIDENT
Philip Michels, A.P.L.C. born 1944; admitted to bar, 1973, California. Education: University of California at Los Angeles (B.A., Mathematics, 1966); University of California at Santa Barbara (M.A., English, 1969); University of California at Los Angeles, School of Law (J.D., 1973). Named, Southern California Super Lawyers, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010; Top 100 Southern California Super Lawyers; Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles Trial Lawyer of the Year, 2003; 1st Vice President, 2009-2010; President, 2011; Certified in Professional Negligence, American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. Certification in Professional Negligence, Personal Injury and Trial Practice Law, Consumer Attorneys of California. Author: Partial listing of articles include: "Liability of Pre-paid Health Plans for the Medical Malpractice of their Subcontracting Providers," Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association, Advocate, July-August 1982. Co-Author with Dr. Joseph Mirra, "Attacking the Doubling Time Defense in Breast Cancer Cases," California Trial Lawyers Association Forum, October, 1980, Medical Trial Technique Quarterly, Winter 1981; with Robert Fox, "How to Obtain and Use Experts in Medical Malpractice Cases," California Trial Lawyers Association Journal v. 19, #1; Litigator Profile, Los Angeles Daily Journal, October 17, 1997; "Strategies for Dealing with the Statute of Limitations in Medical Malpractice Cases," Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Advocate, September, 1999; "Presenting the Best Case with An Unsympathetic Client," Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Advocate, August, 2001; "Motions in Limine," Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Advocate, December, 2001; "The Psychology of Depositions," Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Advocate, April, 2003; "Deposition Strategies," Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Advocate, December, 2005; Lecturer: Activities include: "Recreational Accidents: Liability and Immunity of Public Entities," California Trial Lawyers Association Forum, November, 1984; "Selection and Aggressive Management of Cancer Cases," California Trial Lawyers Association Convention Syllabus," November, 1986; "Finding Experts in Medical Malpractice Cases," Consumer Attorneys of California, Newport Beach Convention, November, 1986; "Selected Issues in Medical Malpractice," California Trial Lawyers Association, San Francisco Convention Syllabus, November, 1995; with David Corwin, MD, "Use of Videotaped Child Interviews in Civil Trials: Innovative Techniques, Technology and Trial Presentation," Children's Center for Child Protection, San Diego Conference on Responding to Child Maltreatment Syllabus, January, 1998; "Deposing Defendants Physician," Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Las Vegas Convention, November, 1999; "Opening Statements in Medical Malpractice Cases," Consumer Attorneys of California, San Francisco Convention, November, 2001; Moderator, Medical Malpractice Panel, Consumer Attorneys of California, San Francisco Convention Chair of Subsection, April, 2002; "Advanced Trial Skills," Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Las Vegas Convention, 2003; "Dealing with Unsympathetic Clients," Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Las Vegas Convention, 2004; "Finding and Retaining Experts in a Professional Negligence Case," Consumer Attorneys of California, Las Vegas Convention, September, 2005; "Techniques to Prepare and Take the Defense Expert's Deposition," Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Las Vegas Convention, September 2007; "Medical Issues in Discovery," Consumers Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Las Vegas Convention, September 2008; "Voire Dire Methods for the Plaintiff Lawyer," Consumer Angeles, Las Vegas Convention, September 2009. Member: Los Angeles County Bar Association; State Bar of California (Member: Committee on Rules and Procedures of Court, 1982-1985; Litigation Section); American Board of Trial Advocates; American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys; Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Consumer Attorneys of California; Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (Member, Board of Governors, 2001-2004; Treasurer, 2007; Vice President, 2008 and 2009). (Member of California Trial Lawyers Association, with recognized experience in the fields of Professional Negligence, Personal Injury and Trial Practice Law). Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice Law; Personal Injury Law; Sexual Abuse.Email: Philip Michels, A.P.L.C.
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Shirley K. Watkins (Senior Associate) born Yokosuka, Japan, July 19, 1957; admitted to bar, 1982, California; 1991, U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. District Court, Central and Southern District of California. Education: University of California at San Diego (B.A., 1979); California Western School of Law (J.D., 1982). Recipient: American Jurisprudence Award in Remedies; Faculty Awards in Employment Law, Discrimination Law and Anti-Trust Law. Twice nominated as Trial Lawyer of the Year, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. Named: "Southern California Super Lawyers," 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010; Named "Top 50 Women Lawyers," Southern California Super Lawyers," 2009 and 2010; Author: "Interrogatories" in California Discovery Practice, California CEB; Contributing Editor: "Trial Practice & Procedure," Plaintiff Magazine. Judge Pro Tem, Los Angeles Superior Court, 1991. Member, Board of Editors, James Publishing Company, California Causes of Action. Former Settlement Officer, VAST and CRASH settlement panels, Los Angeles Superior Court. Volunteer arbitrator and mediator, Los Angeles Superior Court. Member: Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (Emeritus Member, Board of Governors, 1991); Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (Board of Governors, 1993-1996; Lifetime Sustaining Member); Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (Board of Directors, 1996-1997); Los Angeles County Bar Association (Board of Trustees, 1999); Consumer Attorneys Association of California. Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice(75%, 500); Personal Injury(25%, 500).Email: Shirley K. Watkins
ASSOCIATES
Jin N. Lew (Associate) born Texas; admitted to bar, 1988, California and U.S. District Court, Central District of California; U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of California. Education: University of California at Los Angeles (B.A., History and Certificate of Completion of Business Administration, 1985); Loyola Law School (J.D., 1988). Member, Los Angeles County Superior Court. Author and Presenter: "Roles of Minorities in the Legal Profession," Southwestern School of Law; "Sexual Harassment and the Emergency Room," National Board of Directors for Janzen, Johnson & Rockwell Emergency Medical Group, 1996; "Civil Liabilities for Involuntary Psychiatric Holds, " Los Angeles County Fire Department and Department of Health and Human Resources; "Medical Malpractice: How To Protect and Preserve the Line Between Patient and Provider," REHAB MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE; "Healthcare Providers Confronting the Legal Process," American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; "Understanding Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Laws," Little Company of Mary Medical Center, Torrance, California/White Memorial Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. Author: "Admissibility of Computer Documents at Trial," Plaintiff Magazine, October 2007. Named, "Southern California Super Lawyers," 2009. Member: State Bar of California; Korean-American Bar Association; Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. Fellow: Litigation Counsel of America. Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Elder Care; Personal Injury; Labor and Employment.Email: Jin N. Lew
Alyssa K. Schabloski (Associate) born Seoul, Republic of Korea; admitted to bar, 2008, California, U.S. District Court, Central District of California and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Education: Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Certificate in International Political Science, 2000); Chambre de Commerce de Paris (Certificate in Business French, with highest honors, 2001); Columbia University, Barnard College (B.A., Political Science, French and Francophone Studies, cum laude, 2001); University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health (M.A., Public Health, 2008); University of California, Los Angeles School of Law (J.D., 2008). Recipient, UCLA, Morris Greenspan Memorial Prize in International Law, 2008; Editor-in-Chief, UCLA Journal of International Law & Foreign Affairs, 2007-2008; Founder & Coordinator, UCLA Mobile Clinic Legal Services, 2006-2008; Recipient, UCLA School of Public Health, Ruth J. Roemer Award for Social Justice, 2006; Barnard College, Columbia University, Honors for thesis (L'ajusement structurel de la vie feminine a Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire); Author, Health Care Systems Around the World, Insure the Uninsured Project white paper (2008); Teaching supplement to Chapter 22, The Continuing Issue of Medical Malpractice Liability, in R.M. Andersen, T.H. Rice & G.F. Kominski, Changing the U.S. Health Care System: Key Issues in Health Services Policy and Management (2007). Member: Los Angeles County Bar Association; State Bar of California; Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. Fellow: American Board of Trial Advocates, 2008. Languages: French. Practice Areas: Cerebral Palsy; Birth Trauma; Failure to Diagnose; Medical Negligence; Nursing Malpractice; Obstetric Malpractice; Nursing Negligence; Oncology Law; Personal Injury; Aquatic Injuries; Bodily Injury; Brain Injury; Catastrophic Injury; Head Injury; Plaintiffs Personal Injury; Severe Burns; Sexual Abuse; Spinal Injury; Traumatic Brain Injury; Wrongful Death.Email: Alyssa K. Schabloski
OF COUNSEL
Gregg A. Farley (Of Counsel) born Sacramento, California, February 19, 1958; admitted to bar, 1984, California; 1985, U.S. District Court, Central and Southern Districts of California; 1992, U.S District Court, Eastern District of California; 2996, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit; 2006, District of Columbia. Education: University of California, Berkeley (A.B., Greek and Latin, summa cum laude 1981); University of California, Los Angeles School of Law (J.D., 1984). Phi Beta Kappa; Order of the Coif. Recipient, Southern California Super Lawyer, 2007-2009. Member, Board of Editors University of California at Los Angeles Law Review, 1983-1984. Author: "Can we Talk? The Guide to Communicating with Class Members," Plaintiff magazine, December 2008; "Class Action Dodge Another Bullet from Industry Gunslingers [But How Long Can This Last?]," Plaintiff magazine, December 2007; "Class Actions Under Attack... Again!," Plaintiff magazine, September 2007; "Supreme Court Hands Partial Victory to Supporters of Federal Preemption," Newsletter, Product Liability Law & Strategy, December 2005; "Sweeping Litigation Reform Expands Jurisdiction over Class Actions," Newsletter, Product Liability Law & Strategy, April 2005; "Certification of Class is Difficult in Cases of Medical Monitoring," Los Angeles Daily Journal, April 28, 2002; "Truncated Proof," American Bar Association, Section of Litigation Class Actions & Derivative Suits Newsletter, Spring 2000 issue. Former Partner, Sidley Austin LLP, 2003-2007; Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP, 1991-2003. Member, Boards of Editors, Products Liability Law & Strategy, Leader Publications, 2000. Board Member, Editorial Board, Los Angeles Lawyers, 1995-1997. Classes/Seminars/Presentations Taught or Instructed: "Class Actions for Non-Class Action Lawyers: Growing Your Business by Understanding the Basics and Recognizing Opportunities," Los Angeles County Bar Association, 2008; "Wage and Hour Teleconference, Stanford, 2008 and 2009"; "Class Actions Basics 2004," American Bar Association Section of Litigation Teleconference, 2004; Panel discussion on "Procedural Aspects of 17200 Claims: Arbitrability, SLAPP, Attorneys Fees and Class Actions," Mealey's California Section 17200 Conference 2002, 2002. Member: Los Angeles County (Committee Member, Legislative Activity Committee, 1995-1996) and American (Board of Editors, Class Actions Today, Litigation Section, 2008; Co-Chair of Committee, Class Actions and Suits Committee, Litigation Section, 2003-2007; Committee Member, Products Liability Committee, Litigation Section, 1998-2001) Bar Associations; State Bar of California (Executive Committee, Litigation Section, 2001-2003); Association of Business Trial Lawyers. Fellow: Los Angeles County Bar Association (Member, Board of Directors, 2003-2007). Practice Areas: Plaintiffs Class Actions(90%); Business Litigation(10%).Email: Gregg A. Farley
Steven B. Stevens (Of Counsel) admitted to bar, 1981, Illinois; 1982, California; 1983, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit; 1985, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Carleton College (B.A., Government, magna cum laude, with distinction in senior thesis); University of Illinois (J.D.). Recipient, Appellate Lawyer of the Year, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, 2001. Editor-in-Chief, "Advocate," 1995-2002 and Associate Editor, 1993-1995, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. Articles: Over fifty articles and columns on law and procedure. Frequent Speakers and Moderators of Minimum Continuing Legal Education, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles and Consumer Attorneys of California. Member: Los Angeles County Bar Association; American Association of Justice; American Constitution Society; Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (Member, Board of Directors and Board of Governors); Consumer Attorneys of California (Member, Amicus Curiae Committee); Cowboy Lawyers Association; Society of Professional Journalist. Practice Areas: Appeals, Writs and Law and Motion(100%).Email: Steven B. Stevens