On June 5, 2021, Judy Kent and her wife went to a Bee Cave waste transfer station near Austin, Texas. They intended on disposing of lumber and a washing machine at the facility. Personnel directed Ms. Kent to back her pickup truck on a dock. At the edge of the dock there was a 10-foot drop into a steel container.

Ms. Kent backed her pickup truck close to the parking stop as directed. Her wife tried to open the tailgate but it was jammed. Ms. Kent then tried to climb into the bed of the pickup. When she did, the tailgate came open and she fell into the pit. The hit head-first, sustaining a traumatic brain injury as well as aggravation of preexisting neck and back issues.

Ms. Kent was hospitalized for several weeks. She sustained a brain bleed. However, she had what her doctors described as a “miraculous recovery.” Within months she had returned to her job as a highly-paid software executive.

Plaintiffs sued the company that had the license to operate the waste transfer station (Texas Disposal Systems Landfill) as well as the company that provided the employees who actually ran the facility (Texas Landfill Management). Plaintiffs also sued a related company, Texas Disposal Systems, because that company undertook a duty to inspect the premises, provide safety services, and provide safety training.

Defendant claimed that it owed plaintiff no duty because the hazard was “open and obvious. ”Plaintiff defeated summary judgment and a direct verdict by establishing the “necessary use” exception, showing that she had to use the dangerous dock in order to dump her refuse at Defendants’ facility.

Plaintiffs showed that the setup of the facility did not comply with industry standards and EPA guidelines. There was safer options that would have prevented Plaintiffs’ injuries.

Plaintiff discovered evidence that other people had fallen into the pit before her. However, the court excluded those incidents, finding that plaintiff had not met her burden to prove they were substantially similar to her incident. However, Plaintiff was able to introduce videos of two subsequent falls because those were substantially similar and were relevant to: (a) whether the facility was unreasonably dangerous; and (2) whether the danger was open and obvious.

Defendant also claimed that plaintiff had made almost a total recovery from the TBI, and that her neck and back pain were solely due to preexisting conditions.

Plaintiff did not introduce any evidence of past medical bills or lost earnings. Plaintiff did submit a life care plan as well as evidence of pain, mental anguish, and physical impairment.

The trial court granted a direct verdict on gross negligence but denied it as to premises liability and negligent undertaking. The jury found the defendants liable and assessed $8.5 million in compensatory damages ($2.5 million for future medical care and $6 million for non-economic damages). The jury also found Plaintiff negligent, assessing 10% comparative fault against her and 90% on the damages.

The case dealt with the following issues:

Establishing a premises defect, which is very difficult under Texas law.

Framing the case to defeat the argument that the danger was open and obvious. Instead of merely arguing that the drop off was dangerous, we argued that the combination of the placement of the parking stop at the edge combined with the lack of instructions to park further back created the danger.

Sequencing the case. We learned from focus groups that we needed to present the case in the following order:

Show examples of safe facilities that complied with the rules

Present the evidence of what happened in our case

4. Overcoming the pre-existing injury defense. We acknowledged that our client had pre-existing neck and back issues. We had our physician life care planner review all of her prior medical records and then compare the number of visits for neck and back pain before the fall to the number of visits after the fall.

5. The importance of knowing the medicine when cross examining experts. We were able to use our knowledge of medicine to get defense experts to give great testimony.

6. Mindset and dealing with a tough judge/adverse rulings.

7. Showing that our client sustained millions of dollars in damages when it appeared that she had a good recovery from the TBI. How we used friend-and-family witnesses to tell our damages story.

8. Dealing with a client who was in denial about her deficits. In fact, she downplayed the deficits in a child custody battle. (Her wife filed for divorce after the injury).

9. Similar incidents. Getting discovery. Admitting them at trial.

Michael Cowen

Przemek Lubecki

$8,500,000 Verdict. Premises Case. TBI 

Throughout his 30-year legal career, Ben Rubinowitz has made his mark as a leading trial lawyer combining hard work and dedication with his remarkable courtroom skills and presence. Mr. Rubinowitz began his career as a prosecutor, where he honed the trial skills that would become his hallmark. From there, he began serving as a trial lawyer representing severely injured plaintiffs in personal injury cases, eventually joining 

 in 1989. For the past 16 years Mr. Rubinowitz was featured in New York Magazines' article on "Best Lawyers in New York". For the past 2 years Ben has been recognized in the New York Times as one of the "Top 10" lawyers in the New York Metro area, as evaluated by New York Super Lawyers. Ben was honored by being elected to be a member of the prestigious Inner Circle of Advocates. The Inner Circle of Advocates is limited to 100 members considered among the best plaintiffs attorneys in the United States and also to be "lawyers of excellent character and integrity."

Ben's meticulous approach to the preparation and trial of cases has produced 28 verdicts and over 180 settlements in excess of one million dollars in cases arising out of car accidents, premises accidents, 

, medical malpractice, civil rights violations and products liability. Mr. Rubinowitz has a thorough grasp of the nuances of complex issues. This, coupled with his ability to translate complicated information into clear terms for a jury, has left an indelible impression on all those who have witnessed him in action--including even defendants' medical experts that he has cross-examined. In addition to his skills as a trial lawyer, Mr. Rubinowitz has successfully argued appellate cases before the Appellate Division and the highest court in the State of New York, the Court of Appeals.

Ben B. Rubinowitz

I am a partner at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP, an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School, and the father of three boys. I am so lucky to be married to Smitha who is an amazing mother and the CEO of USC Care Medical Group, the physician group of Keck Medicine of USC. My wife understands and appreciates my passion for teaching so much so that she was cool when I worked to schedule our Trial College at the time that best worked for everyone – despite it starting the day after my 20-year wedding anniversary! I made the mistake a while back of asking Smitha what my top five qualities were that made her want to marry me. Much to my surprise and disappointment, my sense of humor did not make the list! She is right, I am not funny, but that doesn’t stop me from trying. I love the Buffalo Bills, “Dad Jokes”, and taking selfies (especially with my Snapchat filters).

Rahul Ravipudi

I grew up in Birmingham, MI. I am the youngest of eight children and attended an all-boys catholic school my whole life until I went to college at the University of Michigan. I went to night school at Detroit College of Law. My dad, my uncle, two of my brothers, and sister were lawyers. My first job was cutting lawns at age 10. I started working for my brother as a house painter at age 12. When I was 16 I started my own painting business and continued throughout high school, college, and law school, and a few years after until I was 32. I practiced criminal defense for eighteen years in Michigan until ten years ago when my roommate from the Trial Lawyers College, Nick Rowley, encouraged me to move to LA to become a PI lawyer. The California Bar took me four tries. I moved to Las Vegas this past March. I have recently taken up pickle ball, skiing and golf. I also think I'm competitive at connect four, backgammon, chess, and ping pong.

Dan Ambrose

I was born in San Diego, California. I was the 4th of 5 kids and the first son. My Dad was a doctor but as a young man he was part of the fight for the establishment of Israel and it was always his dream to live there. My family emigrated to Israel when I was 5 years old. We lived there through the 1973 war after which we moved back to the United States – first to New York and then to Atlanta. After losing several friends in high school to DUI related crashes, I became a police officer. I investigated many crashes and testified in court a fair amount. I saw first-hand the difference that a good lawyer can make. I attended the University of Georgia School of Law, followed by a federal court clerkship and then entered private practice. I was appointed to serve part-time as a magistrate judge, while working full-time as a trial lawyer. Unlike lawyers who do lots of things at the same time, I have always specialized. I spent the first few years of my practice handling mostly birth trauma cases. I then happened into a case where a woman burned alive following a survivable rear impact crash. This led to me specializing this unique aspect of automotive product liability for about 10 years. I told Ford that I would stop suing them if the fixed the problem with the Mustang and while it took a while they finally did.

After some soul searching, I decided to focus on truck crash cases. At the time, lawyers focusing on truck crash cases was not a thing. I have done my part over the last 18 years to make it a thing. I have spent countless hours developing best practices for handling these cases. Knowing that I could only handle a small number of cases and wanting to have a big impact on highway safety, I set out to train lawyers all over the country on how to best handle truck crash cases. I have served in leadership of just about every organization in the Country for lawyers who handle truck crash cases. I am Co-founder of the Academy of Truck Accident Lawyers and the National Board of Truck Crash Lawyers (an NBTA sub-board responsible for Truck Crash Law obtaining ABA recognition as a legal specialty). Most recently I authored “A Law Enforcement Guide to Truck Driving Safety Standards” and I have worked hard to be the best human being I can be, the best husband and father I can be, and the best lawyer I can be. It is a work in progress. At this point in my life, I am trying to pay things forward. Closing in on 1000 days without missing on the Peloton!

Joe Fried

In 2016, at the age of 37, Benjamin P. Cloward became the youngest lawyer in the history of the State of Nevada to be awarded the prestigious “Trial Lawyer of the Year” by the Nevada Justice Association. That same year, he became the youngest member of the Nevada, Las Vegas Chapter of ABOTA (American Board of Trial Advocates), and at the time was also the youngest person in the State of Nevada to be Board Certified as a Personal Injury Specialist. He has received many additional recognitions including being AV-Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and receiving a perfect 10.0 by 

. He has been featured in several magazines in Nevada for his accomplishments and hard work.

Just recently, in February of 2020, Ben obtained a 

, which is believed to be the largest ever negligent security for wrongful death in the State of Nevada and was the 2nd largest wrongful death verdict in the entire United States in 2020. Other verdicts Ben has obtained include a 

 in 2016 on behalf of a family whose disabled son Harvey was allowed to choke to death on a paratransit bus. That verdict was upheld in a unanimous decision after four years of contentious appellate litigation with the final judgment ballooning to nearly 

. The defense in that case never formally offered a single penny. After obtaining the verdict, Ben continued working on the safety issue that led to Harvey’s death and with the help of many other people got “Harvey’s Law” passed in Nevada in 2017, which required certain training for all paratransit bus drivers to ensure others were protected. In 2016, Ben also obtained a 

 for a family whose life had been altered by a drunk driver that injured the mother and killed the daughter. He also obtained a 

 for a client who was significantly injured from a fall which resulted in a moderate brain injury. Ben has obtained multiple soft-tissue, low visible property damage jury verdicts including a 

 in 2014 and several 6 figure verdicts where Ben obtained verdicts over 

 greater than the defense offers prior to trial. Other notable results on behalf of his clients include a 

 against Jacuzzi Luxury Bath, dba Jacuzzi, Inc. and First Street for Boomers & Beyond, Inc. Also, he recently obtained an 

 verdict against FedEx Ground Package Inc. In addition to obtaining significant jury verdicts, Ben has also been involved in settling over thirty cases for values ranging from $1 million to $10 million as noted above. He has tried to verdict cases in both State and Federal Court in Utah and Nevada.

Benjamin P. Cloward

, a national law firm dedicated to representing real people against insurance companies, the government and big corporations. He has a history of service as a military medic having served both in the United States Air Force and Army.

Accomplishing a bachelor’s degree in Social Psychology by the age of 19 while on active duty, Nick went on to get a law degree, starting law school at 20. Nick is a proud father of his sons and daughters and the husband of Trial Lawyer and author Courtney Rowley.

Nick Rowley

Born and raised in Hawaii, Bibi Fell still has a hint of the Islands in her smile. Welcoming for jurors, it often causes her to be underestimated by opposing counsel, much to their peril. She started her own law firm despite a series of personal challenges over the last 2 years, including a cancer diagnosis in her 4-year-old daughter. With her daughter now cancer-free, she is back to the courtroom and sharing her skills with others. Bibi combines an ability to craft a persuasive argument with incredible trial preparation. She is a master storyteller who uses visuals to drive the story. She loves spending time with all of her girls and the doctor who helped saved the life of her youngest daughter.

Bibi Fell

David DeRubertis

I was named after Satchel Paige the baseball player. People often ask me why there is not a “t” in my name and the truth is that my parents were afraid I would be called a satchel bag at school. I was raised in the small town of Viola, Arkansas and give the credit of my success to my wonderful parents, Eddy and Jeanie Oliver. I basically drove my mentor, Frank Bailey, nuts until he agreed to hire me. The first three phone calls to Frank’s office resulted in failure because the office manager simply told me, “Mr. Bailey was not hiring.” I brainstormed magic words with my parents and called back a 4th time asking if I could just spend “5 minutes with Mr. Bailey.” Thank goodness Frank agreed. In those 5 minutes, Frank determined I had great potential and hired me to trim the boxwoods and plant begonias in the firm’s garden. I told Frank that I would do whatever he wanted me to do for little or no money under one condition… If Frank went somewhere on a case for any reason, he must take me with him. We have been together ever since. I am married to Codi Oliver who is a pediatric occupational therapist. We have two daughters, Reesa and Reagan. One of our favorite things to do is ride horses together on our ranch in beautiful Northwest Arkansas. I am passionate about my faith and discipling men to be their best.

Sach Oliver

I am a native of Monrovia, Liberia where my Grand Uncle was the president. During his presidency there was a lot of civil unrest which ultimately resulted in a coup d’etat in the early 80’s requiring my family to flee to America. We migrated to Los Angeles, California which has been my home since. I went to UCLA for undergrad where I ran the hurdles, then taught elementary school for a few years prior to attending law school part time. I started my legal career practicing criminal law, then civil rights and now personal injury. I teach at the Gerry Spence Method at Thunderhead Ranch program in Wyoming. I have recently taken up surfing which is even harder than I imagined it would be.

Stephen King

I’m Jennifer Gore—a nationally recognized attorney, legal entrepreneur, and the founder of Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group. Today, I serve as the Managing Attorney for Sweet James in Georgia, leading our East Coast operations. I was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, New York, the eldest of three daughters. My entrepreneurial spirit was shaped early on by watching my father build and run his own business. I earned my degree in Business Management with a concentration in Finance and Marketing from Marist College, but it was a serious car accident during college that shifted the trajectory of my life. The legal challenges I faced during my recovery ignited a deep passion for the law. That passion became a mission after the tragic loss of my high school sweetheart in a motorcycle crash—an experience that further cemented my commitment to helping others navigate the aftermath of trauma and injury. After moving to Atlanta, I enrolled in Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School’s evening program while working full time as a personal injury paralegal. I passed the bar and launched Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group in 2013. Over the next decade, I scaled the firm to a powerhouse team of over 35 employees and 6 attorneys across multiple locations. We became known for our tech-driven systems, client-centered care, and the results we delivered. Our growth was recognized nationally, including multiple placements on the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Companies from 2022 to 2024. In 2025, I merged my firm with Sweet James, a leading personal injury brand, and now lead the expansion of our footprint across the eastern U.S. as Managing Partner. I’m proud to be part of a mission-driven team that’s redefining what exceptional personal injury representation looks like. I’ve been honored with awards like the Avvo Clients’ Choice Award, Avvo Top Personal Attorney, and inclusion in National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40. I also co-authored 

 and regularly speak on legal operations, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Beyond my work in the firm, I actively coach personal injury attorneys and law firm owners across the country—sharing what I’ve learned about growing a business, building strong teams, and developing systems that scale.Community is core to who I am. In 2025, I created the Jennifer Gore Scholarship through the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers Foundation to support women in law school. I also contribute to initiatives like The Backpack Project and regularly sponsor community programs and scholarships for students. I’ve served as Past President of the Alumni Association at Atlanta’s John Marshall and currently serve as President of the GAWL Foundation. I remain involved in the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and other organizations that advocate for access to justice and support plaintiffs’ rights. Most importantly, I’m a proud mom of three. I love traveling, staying active, diving into business podcasts, and making time for the people who matter most. I’m a lifelong learner and visionary at heart—committed to evolving myself while helping others rise with me.

Jennifer Gore

Dale K. Galipo obtained his J.D.from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in 1984. Mr. Galipo has since earned a reputation as one of the top civil rights attorneys in the nation. With the formation of The Law Offices of Dale K. Galipo in 1991, Mr. Galipo began specializing in personal injury cases and soon thereafter, he started obtaining multi-million dollar jury verdicts on personal injury cases. During the 1990’s, Mr. Galipo also handled numerous criminal cases and was dubbed “The Strikes Man” by the Daily Journal for multiple jury acquittals in “three strikes” cases. From 1995 thru 1996, Mr. Galipo obtained six consecutive jury acquittals on major felony cases.

In 2002, Dale Galipo started to specialize in civil rights cases involving police misconduct and excessive force and shortly thereafter, Mr. Galipo began obtaining multi-million dollar jury verdicts for victims of police misconduct and police abuse. In 2012, Mr. Galipo was awarded the Defender of the Constitution Award by the Inland Empire Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and was more recently the Honoree for the MLK award presented in his name at the UC Davis School of Law. In the last eleven years, he has prevailed in over 50 Jury trials and has obtained over 100 seven-figure verdicts and settlements.

With approximately twenty published opinions in civil rights cases, Dale Galipo has also been selected to the Southern California’s SuperLawyers list every year. Having been awarded the CAALA Trial Lawyer of the Year 2020 and also the CAOC 2020 Consumer Attorney of the Year, he is often asked to speak about his civil rights practice, most often on how to successfully try a civil-rights case. As an active member of The Inner Circle of Advocates and as a Fellow of The American College of Trial Lawyers, Mr. Galipo has gone to trial and won more cases against the police than any other attorney in the country.

Dale Galipo

I’m a tax lawyer who originally planned to be a trial lawyer. Now I serve as Tax and Settlement Counsel to plaintiff firms, focusing on settlement language and arrangements that plaintiffs use to keep far more of their winnings.

As an aspiring trial lawyer at NYU Law I clerked in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Federal Tort Claims Act Section. Everything changed when NYU cancelled my 2L Evidence Course and I switched to a Tax Policy Course. In it I wrote my Law Review Article on a critical plaintiff tax issue raised during my clerkship: the strategic use of Qualified Settlement Funds. To do so I interviewed plaintiff lawyers and advisors across the country, many of whom later became my clients.

I obtained my Tax LL.M at NYU Law and then served as a Fellow in the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Tax Policy. While at the Treasury I focused on plaintiff tax issues in addition to transactional, trust, and international taxation, which would later help me vet and build arrangements used at settlement today.

After my time at the Treasury I joined a Northwest Law Firm and focused my practice on plaintiff and plaintiff firm taxation. I now serve on the ABA TIPS Plaintiffs’ Practice Committee and Chair the Society of Settlement Planners’ Legal Committee. I write and speak on the subject in a Forbes Column, for trial lawyer audiences, and on CNN, Fox News, and CNBC.

Through my law firm Structured Legal I advise plaintiffs and plaintiff firms. Through my consulting firm Structured Consulting I build new settlement arrangements with trust companies, insurance companies, and other financial institutions.

Using my past experience advising nonprofits I worked with other plaintiff supporters to build the Plaintiff Fund, a 501(c)(3) charity that allows plaintiffs to raise medical funds from their community without losing government benefits.

An extra sentence in the settlement agreement can dramatically increase what a plaintiff keeps. Even in tax-free cases you can save your client from significant taxes – for example, by preserving millions in future medical expenses deductions, or by securing valuable tax subsidies.

This is a presentation for trial lawyers, not financial advisors. How can you issue-spot for tax opportunities (and risks) at settlement? And what steps can you take at engagement to protect you and your client from missing them?

The settlement agreement is your best tax tool. You can force the IRS to bear the burden of proof on audit. You can dramatically reduce the risk of audit. And you can memorialize facts needed to secure tax benefits.

To do so we’ll discuss how to spot potential taxation before signing and flag opportunities to avoid it. We walk through the use of the settlement agreement to effect and protect tax-saving strategies.

We’ll also walk through tax-subsidized and tax-advantaged arrangements. Each “solution” solves a unique problem. What is the “plaintiff double tax”? How can you avoid it? How can you settle while still preserving structured settlement options?

Lastly, we’ll cover the plaintiff firm’s ethical obligations on tax and financial issues. What if you don’t spot these issues? Can you exclude them from your scope of representation? What should you know when referring clients to settlement advisors?

No one expects you to become a tax lawyer. But your team may be in the best position to spot tax opportunities and risks. We’ll walk through what to watch for.

Jeremy Babener

I started Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers in 2009 with my partners, Steven DeBosier and James Peltier. The firm now has over 50 attorneys and 200 team members, representing thousands of clients each year. Additionally, I am the CEO of cj Advertising, an advertising agency that is a full service agency exclusively for plaintiff firms. Cj Advertising represents over 70 brands across the U.S. I frequently speak across the country on the topics of law firm management, marketing and technology. I am also a management coach to many of the top firms in the country and I have worked with over 200 plaintiff firms in the past 15 years.

Chad Dudley

Michael Alder

I was born and raised in warm, sunny, Sherman Oaks, Ca. As a child, I loved to dance. Anywhere, anyhow, life was a stage, and I loved performing. Despite my distaste for cold weather, one day in 1997, I strapped into a rented snowboard and fell in love. Like dancing, but on jumps and handrails.

By the following fall, I moved to South Lake Tahoe to attend community college at night, and ride during the day. Almost immediately I was competing on the women’s professional slopestyle snowboard circuit and gaining sponsorship support.

After many years traveling, competing, coaching, and training year-round, I was ready to pass the torch to the next generation of kick assery girls who were just slaughtering it out there. On to law school I went.

People often ask, “Wasn’t it hard to go from Professional Snowboarder to Trial Lawyer?” The answer is an easy, “NO!” It’s almost identical. Nothing beats the feeling of standing on top of your run, about to drop in, all eyes on you, legs shaking in fear and excitement, visualizing the countless practice runs in your head, laser focus, adrenaline pumping, wondering why you keep putting yourself through this! Swearing that you’ll never do it again…. Then you drop in and everything around you just stops, and you’re in your moment. And somehow, it’s absolutely silent. And then you land, and the world comes back, and you sit down and think…. Man, I love this! Can’t wait to do that again!

Today I love sharing my passion for adventure and adrenaline with my ex-pro-freeskier husband and my 3 & 6-year-old boys. Between zoom meetings and trial prep, you'll find us riding dirt bikes while RV camping, skiing or snowboarding, and cheering from the little league or soccer fields.

Sarah Havens

I’m from Milwaukee, WI. I’m the oldest of six kids and three of us are lawyers. I’m married with two girls, 10 and 12. I enjoy skiing, working out, yoga, traveling with my wife and watching my kids play volleyball and going to their dance competitions. I went to Marquette Law School (no Wisconsin bar exam! Yeah) and graduated in 1998. I took the California bar last summer and passed on the first try. Looking forward to learning from all the great lawyers at the conference.

Robert Welcenbach

The accomplishment that defines who I am in life happened when I was 11 years old - winning a watermelon eating contest for children 13 years and below. The prize was a brand new BMX mountain bike. To understand why, you need to know where I come from. I grew up in a very modest household as one of four children. My parents immigrated from Iran in the 1980s after the Iraq War destroyed the country. My parents made sacrifices so that their children could get an education in the US. In the early 90s, I used to go with my father to work at a clothing factory in Vernon, California. Other days, I went to the hair salon with my mother, who would work for $10 per day. My mother saved that $10 dollar salary every day so that my older brother and I could take SAT prep courses. The greatest gift my parents gave me was the hunger to succeed. Although I always wanted a mountain bike, my parents couldn’t afford those kinds of luxuries. The watermelon eating contest was three rounds and I was the scrawniest contestant. There were kids two years older than me and at least 25 pounds heavier. I was a longshot. My dad told me, “outsmart the other kids, be methodical, don’t just bite.” I woke up early in the morning, jogged two miles to build my appetite and cut water at home for practice to figure out the best way to speed eat. My gameplay was simple, let the other contestants exhaust themselves trying to bite, while I scooped the watermelon with my teeth and ingested with minimal chewing. By the third round, I was sure I would throw up. Fortunately, I held it together and won first place. The same work ethic and determination from 28 years ago has helped me create a multi-jurisdictional personal injury practice today in Georgia and California.

Ray Kermani

Michael Sanchez

A graduate of Loyola Law School, I have been an associate with the Carrillo Law Firm, for over 10 years where my practice has been focused on representing victims of childhood sexual abuse, molestation, sexual harassment and violations of civil rights, including inmate jail deaths. I also have several years of civil litigation experience as a plaintiff’s attorney involved in wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits.

I am committed to advocating for survivors of sexual abuse and believe that each survivor should be made whole to the fullest extent possible. I pride myself on approaching each case with sensitivity and a trauma informed approach. I believe it is critical to really take the time to listen to each survivor’s story and ensure that they have a voice and feel empowered and supported throughout the legal process. Just as I have advocated for my children throughout the years, I believe it is important to apply the same zealous advocacy for each survivor I represent. I believe applying this approach has facilitated favorable case results including several multimillion dollar verdicts and settlements, helping clients obtain justice and closure

Laura Jimenez

Jay is the Founder & CEO of Eve, the AI litigator that streamlines casework built with collaboration from hundreds of forward-thinking law firm owners. He has over 15 years of experience in AI and Machine Learning. Prior to Eve, Jay was an early stage Enterprise AI investor at Lightspeed Venture Partners, primarily looking for companies enabling others to build with AI. Before that, he was the First Engineer and Head of Product Engineering at Rubrik, helping build the company from the ground up.



Jay Madheswaran

Jordanna Thigpen

I grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. I first came to the U.S. in 1994 for college, where I played baseball for Pepperdine University for four years (I was a catcher). I had big plans of playing professionally after college, but none of the 30 MLB teams shared my vision. I chose being a lawyer because the idea of trying cases resembled the competition in baseball—and I also figured there’s less chance of breaking my thumbs or aggravating my knees in a courtroom. Just before law school, I married my college sweetheart Marni (who swam at Pepperdine) and we celebrated our 26th anniversary in August. We’re an adoptive family with three daughters. Our middle daughter has cerebral palsy and is deaf (and non-verbal) so we’ve all learned sign language (ASL) as a family. (Unanticipated perk: Being able to sternly parent misbehaving children from 50 feet away without making a sound.)

David Sugden

Taylor is a partner at Gideon Asen LLC (www.gideonasen.com). He specializes in medical malpractice and catastrophic injury cases in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Taylor has multiple seven figure verdicts, including the largest sex abuse verdict in the history of Maine.

Taylor Asen

I grew up on the southside of Milwaukee going to Catholic school, playing tons of baseball, and working at my parents’ ice cream shop at the age of 12. I added a job selling shoes at a local shoe store during high school to help make ends meet for my family. It’s at these jobs I learned at a young age the value of hard work, developing relationships with people, and the art of selling. As the second person to go to college (after my older sister) and the first person to go to law school in my family, I thought a law degree would propel me to a career as a progressive politician. But after clerking for a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice after graduating from law school, working at big silk-stalking corporate firm, and then taking a leave to run for the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2004 and losing, what I was really meant to do found me. I was recruited to join the firm I’ve been at over 20 years, Cannon & Dunphy, by an attorney I met during the State Assembly campaign. Everything happens for a reason – it’s crazy – and I’m so lucky. I’ve been fortunate to be trained and mentored by Inner Circle member Pat Dunphy. I credit his mentorship for the successes I’ve had including the 2017 Wisconsin Trial Lawyer of the Year, being a member of ABOTA, as well as a member of the International Society of Barristers (ISOB). And I got to itch my political bug after serving as the 2023 President of the Wisconsin Association for Justice (WAJ) and continue to do so as co-chair of WAJ’s Legislative Task Force – so I get to take our fight in the courtroom to Wisconsin’s capitol in Madison.

And here’s a story that will tell you a little bit about me and my family: During the summer of 1994 I interned for a member of Congress in Washington, D.C. 1994 was the summer of O.J. and the white Bronco – and Coolio’s hit “Fantastic Voyage” – and Forrest Gump. One night I may have been stumbling back after a night out with my friends and stopped at a palm reader at like 2 a.m. The palm reader said I’d meet my wife in the next year and have four to six children. I met my wife Sherry eight months later (at a bar – another good story) and we have five children – four boys and our little a girl. Crazy.

Finally, as much as I love being a trial lawyer, if I could do it all over again I wouldn’t be a politician like I originally thought. Rather, I’d be a late-night talk show host, pro golfer, or late 80s to early/mid 90s alternative rock lead singer (think INXS – or maybe even a little Jane’s Addiction – and definitely some Beastie Boys).

Al Foeckler

Timothy C. Felice is the founder and principal of Felice Trial Attorneys, (formerly Felice Law Group), and is a highly skilled personal injury civil trial attorney dedicated to obtaining full justice for those who have been injured or killed because of the negligence of another person, company or defective product. Tim is passionate in his quest for full civil justice. He is not only an aggressive trial lawyer, but also takes the time to listen and get to know each client he is fighting for. In fact, many of the largest personal injury firms in Florida and the country refer cases to Felice Trial Attorneys to litigate and bring to trial.

Born in New Rochelle, NY, in 1976, he spent most of his early years in the little town of Hopewell Junction, NY, before deciding to get away from the cold and move to the paradise of South Florida. He currently resides in Palm Beach Gardens with his wife, Jessica, his three kids, Noah, Annabelle, and Julia, as well as his six (yes SIX!) dogs, Luna, Hugo, Jefferson, Oscar, Sherlock and Poppy. If he is not with his family, he prefers to be in a courtroom.

After graduating magna cum laude in 2001 from Florida Atlantic University, he attended Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center and graduated in 2004. He is admitted to the Florida Bar and licensed to practice before all Florida State courts, state appellate courts, the Florida Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the Southern and Northern Districts of Florida as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Tim is also a member of the Palm Beach County Bar, Florida Justice Association, American Association for Justice, and Palm Beach County Justice Association. He is currently a Board Member of the Palm Beach County Justice Association and co-chair of the CLE committee.

He is a member of multiple other merit-based organizations such as the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Elite Trial Lawyers, and Seven Figure Litigators. All of which require the settlement or verdict at trial to be at least $1,000,000.00. Tim has accomplished that feat as lead trial counsel more than 17 times. Very few lawyers in the country have obtained results like this during their entire career. Tim is only 46 years old right now.

Tim is passionate about aiding other trial lawyers in improving their expertise. He has been devoted to the PBCJA, facilitating the growth of educational possibilities for lawyers via webinars and seminars with some of the top trial lawyers in the world. He has taught the intricacies of trial advocacy through both webinar and seminar formats across the country and is now in the process of constructing a modern courtroom in his building to carry on teaching other lawyers trial work.

Tim Felice

I was born in Poland and lived there until the end of second grade, when my family emigrated to what was then West Germany to escape communism. We lived in West Germany for two years before being granted political asylum in the U.S. – my dad’s ultimate goal – and got on a plane to St. Louis. I went on to college at Tulane University and law school at Loyola Chicago. I then hit the trial lottery and went to work for a Chicago defense firm that each year tried the most cases of any law firm in the state, and had a culture built around trying cases. I tried over 100 civil jury trials to verdict, and in 2006 was recognized by the Cook County Jury Verdict Reporter for having tried the 2nd-most jury trials in the state of Illinois. In 2012, I moved to New Orleans for an opportunity to do plaintiff’s work exclusively. Two years ago, I had my first 8-figure verdict, in no small part thanks to what I learned at TLU and from the great trial lawyers Dan Ambrose put me in touch with.

I fought in the Chicago Golden Gloves boxing tournament in the light-heavyweight and heavyweight divisions between 2005 and 2011. Since moving to New Orleans, I’ve taken up competitive pistol and rifle shooting and compete regularly across the country in the Elite Men’s division of The Tactical Games and currently hold an A-class ranking from the United States Practical Shooting Association in Carry Optics pistol. I live in New Orleans with my wife and three daughters, ages 8, 6, and 4.

Przemek	Lubecki

Ricardo Echeverria

I grew up in Ohio, with 3 sisters and a brother. Growing up,basketball was my life, but I decided not to play in college. I went to Ohio University, where my father, my mother, my older sister, and my older brother all went before me. I studied abroad in London and traveled Western Europe. After college I wanted to move to a big city, so it was LA, NY, or Chicago and I was sick of freezing my ass off, so it was LA. I chose Southwestern Law School because it had the only 2-year program in the country at the time. Then when I started, I decided I wanted to study abroad again and travel during the 1stsummer and work at the DA’s office for a summer so I switched to the 3-year program. I studied abroad in Madrid in law school and traveled again. I worked in the Los Angeles DA’soffice my second summer and I did my first jury trial in law school. I got a conviction on a domestic abuse case with a recanting victim. I was hooked on trial work. I love competition, public speaking and helping my clients obtain justice while making the community a safer place for us all. After law school, I started with a construction and family law firm, but hated it, so I was going to start my own firm when the firm we shared office space with asked me to join them. I said yes, the partner gave me the Reptile book, and we went to a seminar. I started working with Don Keenan on a couple cases and he became my mentor in 2010. I was an instructor with Keenan Ball Colleges since the beginning and that has since transitioned to the Keenan Trial Institute, where I’m the Dean of Closing Arguments. I have taught most of the KTI courses but now focus on teaching Trial and Closing. I am currently licensed in AZ, CA, IL, and TX, but handle cases across the country. I love to learn from anyone and everyone since I believe everyone knows something I don’t. I read and watch as much as I can on trial work, psychology, and neuroscience. I also still love to travel and have been to Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, and I’m now up to over 40 countries total visited. I’m married and we just welcomed our first child, a boy, to the world at the end of 2022. Being a father is the best, and I love that as well.

Ryan Skiver

Manny Starr

I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, the seventh of eight children. Interestingly, my mom “hid” from the family the fact that she never graduated from high school until she was 57 when she told us that she recently obtained her GED, and then told us that she had also enrolled in college. She graduated and spoke at the graduation ceremony when she was 62. After my dad graduated from high school, he entered the Navy to fight in WW2, then worked in many jobs including owning a construction supply company while serving as the mayor of our Salt Lake suburb city. After I finished law school at BYU, my wife and I moved to Las Vegas where we have raised four exceptional, productive, and talented young women, and where I have practiced law for 30 years as a defense lawyer, trying cases on behalf of Nevada’s largest hotels/casinos and various insurance companies. About one year ago, I switched sides and started working with a talented group of PI lawyers, one of whom frequently lectures for TLU, Ben Cloward. Why I did not make this switch earlier escapes me and others. I enjoy everything ocean-oriented (body surfing, boogie boarding, building sand sculptures, deep sea fishing, watching surfers), all things sports (watching and playing), and all things musical (playing instruments, singing back-up vocals, attending Broadway musicals, doing karaoke, and watching my children perform).

Riley Clayton

My parents divorced when I was a very impressionable 6-years-old, and my mom could not afford a divorce lawyer. After hearing about the difficult situation that my mom was trying to escape from, a solo practitioner decided to help my mom 

. Ever since, I’ve wanted to be a lawyer so that I could help people in need. A couple of decades later, I find myself doing exactly the kind of work my 6-year-old self hoped I would be doing. As the cherry on top, I get to work with my family, which is a great joy that I do not take for granted.

Brittany Sanders Robb

I grew up working in Coachella at my father’s swap meet clothing store, where I learned how to speak Spanish and work my ass off to earn the privilege of playing the Street Fighter Arcade next to my dad's store. I bring a Street Fighter mentality into every trial, unfortunately or fortunately. At my last trial, that mentality helped me earn a $51.3 million verdict while almost landing me in jail during trial! I can stay calm during a firestorm and also create a storm when things are eerily calm.

Mohamad Ahmad

I was born and raised in Irvine, California. I am the oldest of three boys. My father was a lawyer. We were always active, playing sports, going to the beach, whitewater rafting, and camping. I continued playing sports through two years of college. After graduating from the University of Arizona, I oversaw the construction and lease-up of a 300-unit apartment complex. I then attended Chapman University School of Law. During law school, I clerked in the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and with a film financier focusing on bridge financing. I started my legal career at a defense firm and became a partner at a regional commercial litigation firm before joining a top plaintiff firm in Las Vegas. I joined Panish |Shea | Ravipudi LLP and have the privilege of working with an incredibly talented team pursuing justice for individuals and families. I now have three sons of my own and love coaching their flag football and baseball teams.

Colin Cavanaugh

Ryan Jensen

Maxey Scherr

Michael Kelly

I was born in New York and lived there until my parents lost everything in the winter of 79-80 and moved us to Florida. We first lived in a campground in South Florida. Working our way back from a tent to an RV, to a townhouse was a character-building experience for our whole family. I am proud of those humble beginnings, and they steeled in me a mantra to never take things for granted and that with hard work anything is possible. I grew up for the most part in Ponce Inlet, Florida surfing and playing sports. I attended the University of Florida, obtaining my BSBA in Finance and Juris Doctorate degrees with honors. I went to law school to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 Company. Along the way, I took Trial Practice and fell in love with the Courtroom and being a trial lawyer. I worked as an insurance defense attorney for over 7 years, defending car crash cases, medical malpractice cases, insurance claims, etc. In 2001, I switched sides and started my own firm representing those injured and killed at the hands of others. My crusade into trucking and CMV crash cases started in 2008 when I signed up my first real trucking case. I represented the family of a beautiful 19-year-old girl killed by a tractor pulling double trailers down a little county road in Florida. The truck driver was illegally driving the county roads between Jacksonville and Tampa, but logging the miles like he drove I-95 to I-4, so he could run one more trip without being over hours in his logbook, even though he clearly was. What was worse, the local terminal managers for the over 5,000-unit national motor carrier were training its drivers to do this! I dove into the applicable regulations and laws, I was relentless in written discovery and depositions, and consulted the pioneer trucking attorneys like Joe Fried. At the conclusion of that case, we were able to: 1) tell the family exactly what happened and why; 2) obtain a substantial recovery for her family; 3) educate the trucking company of the improper training and company sanctioned hours of service violations; and 4) get the large national motor carrier to agree to never drive tractors pulling double trailers on the county roads of Florida again. I was hooked. The greatest reward in handling trucking cases is when you can get safety measures changed or improved and knowing that there are potential clients you will never meet because you prevented future crashes and saved their lives. Since that case, I decided to jettison all other types of PI cases and for the last 8 years have handled almost exclusively tractor trailer, bus, and commercial motor vehicle crash cases. I was among the initial class of 9 lawyers that achieved NBTA board certification in Truck Accident Law. I am also Board Certified in Civil Trial by the Florida Bar and the NBTA. I have been in leadership in many of the national trial lawyer leadership organizations that deal with these cases. I am a past president of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys, past chair of the AAJ Bus Litigation Group, Chair-Elect of the AAJ Interstate Truck Litigation Group, Co-Chair of the Florida Justice Association Truck Litigation Group, and remain on the board of the National Board of Trucking Trial Advocates and the Board of Regents for the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys. My passion is pursuing justice for these families and helping other great trial lawyers do the same. Whether through being active on listserv, sharing forms, depositions and documents, teaching at various programs, or helping strategize via zoom or a telephone call. When I am not working, I am hanging out with my wife and daughters, coaching soccer, when I can surfing or playing golf.

Joseph Camerlengo

I was born into a family of trial lawyers. My parents started their husband-and-wife Plaintiffs’ firm in the mid-80s, and growing up in the 1990s I thought that all law partners had to be married to each other. Sure enough, after clerking and a couples of years at a biglaw firm in New York City, I joined my parents’ law firm and I am married my law partner, Brittany. We now have the privilege of representing injured people and their families in their greatest time of need, with a focus on aviation accidents. Because I get to work alongside my family on behalf of such deserving clients, I consider myself to be a very, very lucky lawyer.

Andrew Robb

Ashkahn Mohamadi is a top-rated award-winning trial lawyer with Sweet James and is a partner based in the California office. He was selected to Super Lawyers Rising Stars for 2019 – 2023 and works on the firm’s significant matters.

Ashkahn’s focus areas include personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, premises liability, mass torts, class actions, employment, fraud, toxic torts, and commercial torts. Ashkahn graduated from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, where he played varsity basketball. Later, Ashkahn graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara. While at UCSB, Ashkahn participated in the UCDC program, which allowed him to spend time in Washington, D.C. as an intern with the Federal Public Defender’s Office.

Ashkahn then went on to graduate from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles. While at Loyola, he completed the Hobbs Program, during which he externed with the District Attorney’s office in Compton, California. Ashkahn is also an active member of many legal organizations, including the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), and the American Association for Justice (AAJ).

Ashkahn has had remarkable success as a trial attorney in his career, recovering over $100 million dollars for his clients.

In 2016, Ashkahn obtained a verdict in the matter of Bedford-Oppong v. Hereu. This verdict was ranked 40th on the annual list of Top Verdicts in California.

In 2023, Ashkahn along with Bobby Taghavi obtained a verdict in the matter of 

. This verdict was ranked 25th on the annual list of Top Verdicts in California.

In 2024, Ashkahn along with Bobby Taghavi obtained a verdict in the matter of 

. This verdict is the largest of its kind in the history of Kings County, California.

Ashkahn Mohamadi

I was born into a military family. Originally from Texas, my father was in the US Army. He retired to Houston, Texas when I was in high school. I have been in Houston ever since. I played college soccer at Houston Christian University, and graduated with a double major in political science and communications. I went to law school at South Texas College of Law. I started my career doing defense work at Fulbright & Jaworski, and have been practicing plaintiffs’ law for 34 years. I have been president of the Houston Bar Association and State Bar of Texas, and have been active in several other bar associations and groups. I am board certified in personal injury law, as well as in civil trial law. My wife, Alex Farias-Sorrels, and I started our firm about four years ago and we have 20 lawyers now. On a personal basis, I have six children, including two who are lawyers.

Randall Sorrels

Pam Wickersham

 and has a passion for helping others and using her legal skills to make the world a better place. She strives to bring this same passion to each case, fighting diligently for injured individuals every step of the way and guiding them through the difficult experience with compassion. She listens to her clients to understand their unique situation and give them the support they need.

Always an advocate for the underdog, Sarah doesn’t back down from a challenge, and she is proud to stand up for her clients and for justice. Sarah has successfully litigated hundreds of cases in federal and state courts, as well as in arbitration tribunals, working tirelessly to protect her clients’ rights and achieve favorable outcomes.

Sarah was born and raised in Colorado. She attended the University of Denver, where she earned a B.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience and a B.A. in Economics and graduated Summa Cum Laude. She went on to earn her law degree from the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle. During law school, Sarah competed in multiple mock trial competitions and coached a high school mock trial team, developing keen trial skills.

Sarah is dedicated to her craft as a trial lawyer. Her keen trial skills and the countless hours of work and preparation she puts in have led to historical trial results for her clients, including the largest premises liability jury verdict in Colorado history and other verdicts amongst the highest of the year in Colorado for multiple years.

For her outstanding work as a young lawyer, Sarah has been recognized as the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association’s New Trial Lawyer of the Year, the Denver Bar Association’s Young Lawyer of the Year, a Super Lawyers Rising Star, and the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40.

Sarah shares her specialized knowledge and skills with other lawyers by regularly speaking at Continuing Legal Education events. She has also served in various leadership roles in the legal community, both at the national and local levels, including Chair of the Denver Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and serving on the boards of both the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice.

Sarah was born and raised in Colorado. Before law school, she studied economics, psychology, Spanish, and biology. She considers herself a lifelong learner, which fuels her curiosity about complex legal matters. In her free time, Sarah enjoys trying new recipes, hiking, playing volleyball, and traveling the world.

Contact our Denver personal injury law office

 at Zaner Law Personal Injury Lawyers to know more.

 – 63 page, 3-0 published opinion that affirmed the firm’s record-breaking 16 million dollar electrocution verdict. This opinion creates significant new law in the area of spoliation of evidence, setting new standards for when parties must hold onto evidence and how they may be punished if they do not preserve such evidence (blessing an irrebuttable presumption of liability and 

 punitive sanction). The case settled for 15.7 million shortly after this opinion.

Certificate in Maternal and Child Public Health

Student Health Law Organization, Co-President

Public Interest Law Association, Director of Logistics

· B.S., Cognitive Neuroscience, summa cum laude

J. Fagg Foster Award Recipient, Most Outstanding Economics Student

DBA Young Lawyers Division, Executive Council Member

District of Colorado, U.S. District Court

Eastern District of Washington, U.S. District Court

Western District of Washington, U.S. District Court

Northern District of Illinois, U.S. District Court

Sarah McEahern

Randi McGinn

Deena Buchanan

I was born in Flint, Michigan, and have always been drawn to the fight for justice. I attended Oberlin College before earning my law degree magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University, where I was published multiple times in national peer-reviewed law journals. From the start of my career, I dedicated myself exclusively to representing victims of severe nursing home neglect and abuse, securing record-breaking verdicts, including the largest recorded verdict against a nursing home in Ohio history—$26 million. My work has led to numerous seven- and eight-figure trial victories, and I’ve set records for the highest verdicts in multiple counties.

I’ve been recognized as one of the Top 10 Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Lawyers and named the Most Dedicated Nursing Home Prosecution Trial Attorney in the Midwest by AI Legal. Beyond the courtroom, I serve as faculty for Trial Lawyers University, lecturing across the country on trial strategy and case framing. I’m also an active member of the American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) and the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care (PALTC)—as far as I know, the only attorney to be accepted into these medical organizations.

When I’m not in trial, I spend much of my time traveling—especially in Central and South America—or restoring classic cars. I live in Peninsula, Ohio, but my work has taken me nationwide, fighting to hold corporations accountable for the vulnerable lives entrusted to their care.

Michael Hill

My father was a physicist, a quiet man who worked at General Atomic in San Diego, studying how the world might survive a neutron bomb. He introduced me to computers when I was young, and by the time I was in the eleventh grade, I had a contract with a subsidiary of IBM, writing a tutorial for what would become their Xenix operating system. They paid me twenty dollars an hour, which was enough to cover college in 1984. I went to UCSD, studied Applied Mathematics, but soon realized there wasn’t much money it.

In 1985, I joined my brother Scott in his business and started building and selling personal computers from our parents’ kitchen table. In six months, we went from $30,000 to over a million dollars a month in sales. I switched majors, first to philosophy, then economics, searching for something less demanding as our business grew. When I butted heads with the economics department head, I knew I needed a faster way to graduate. I tried Theater, but that was too time-consuming. Eventually, I landed in Chinese Studies, learning Mandarin while running our expanding business, traveling to China, and setting up deals.

By 1994, I finally graduated after ten years. Our business took off, opening warehouses in Mexico and navigating trade restrictions by any means necessary. But when trade laws eased, the risks outweighed the rewards. Feeling restless, I decided to study law, taking night classes while my wife and I juggled a new baby and work. I graduated and passed the bar in 2000, but by then the Dot Com bubble had burst, and our computer business folded.

I opened my own law practice, focusing on business litigation, but soon found my calling defending the civil rights of families caught in the child protection system. It wasn’t the most profitable path, but it has been meaningful. During the COVID lockdowns, I felt my mind going soft again, so I took and passed the bars in Washington, Arizona, and Oregon. I’m shooting for admission in all states in the 9th Circuit.

Along the way, I earned a pilot’s license, a third-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and some various awards for my work. After injuring my knee, I traded martial arts for boxing. I like to fish, hunt, surf with my kids, and travel to the sorts of places most folks might avoid. And so it goes.

Shawn McMillan

I was born in Ames, Iowa and immediately relocated to Ventura, CA. My family moved frequently while I was young and eventually settled down in a small town in Kentucky. I was fortunate to get an ROTC scholarship to Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. After Xavier, I attended the University of Kentucky for law school where I was on the National Moot Court Team that won the regional competition and placed nationally. After law school, I went on active duty in the U.S. Army serving as judge advocate. I served as prosecutor, defense counsel and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney culminating in handling a federal capital murder trial. Upon leaving the Army, I started handling asbestos cases and have tried mesothelioma cases across the country. In 1999, I attended the Trial Lawyers College and have continued to study trial advocacy. I have three beautiful children who will be fighting for justice when I am long gone.

Scott Frost

I grew up in Miami, Florida. From as far back as I can remember, I was always interested in theater, film, and storytelling. I was a theater major at NYU initially and then switched to UCLA, graduating with a degree in film. Prior to law school, I was a documentary filmmaker. I made several award-winning documentary films including “My Friend Jenny: Portrait of Addict” and worked as a series director on the critically acclaimed PBS series, Senior Year, which followed the Fairfax High School class of 2000. After law school I was a defense lawyer in Big Law for ten years until I made the leap to my dream job representing individuals and families who have suffered the wrongful death of a loved one and/or catastrophic injuries. Storytelling is now the center of my practice, and I am thrilled to dedicate all of my creativity towards helping my clients.

Rachel Gezerseh

Michael Carrillo is a trial attorney who fights for justice for his clients.He leads with compassion when working with families who have gone through immense suffering and prides himself on his advocacy for those who have been wronged.Michael Carrillo grew up seeing his father fight injustices but could not fully appreciate the gravity of the work his father was doing until he went to law school.

Michael graduated from Purdue University and then attended Whittier Law School.During law school, he began working for one of the most prestigious and well-known criminal defense and family law firms in Orange County. After working there, Michael went on to start his own firm, The Law Offices of Michael S. Carrillo, A Professional Corporation. In his solo practice, he handled criminal defense and family law matters and has taken numerous cases to trial. His practice continued for some time until he and his father joined to form the Carrillo Law Firm, LLP.

Working with his father, Luis Carrillo, the two have worked on a myriad of high-profile cases, such as the Miramonte Elementary School case out of south Los Angeles. Michael and his father were part of a nearly $140 million settlement with the Los Angeles Unified School District in which they represented children who had been sexually abused by their teacher, and serial predator, Mark Berndt while they attended Miramonte. This was the largest settlement ever garnered against a school district in the country. Thereafter Michael continued working on other high-profile sexual abuse and civil rights matters that resulted in multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts.Besides settlements and verdicts, he has had several published decisions in the area of child sexual abuse including D.Z v. LAUSD (35 Cal.App. 5th 210), Doe v. Superior Court (15 Cal.5th 40), and Victor Valley Union High School District v. Superior Court (91 Cal.App. 5th 1121).Michael has also advocated for changes in the legislation including working with state Senators for the passage of recent laws to further protect children.Those changes to the law include “Melanie’s Law,” which further enhanced the school safety plans to address possible drug abuses taking place on campus and “Suzie’s Law” which further enhanced the civil Rape Shield laws in the State of California. Some of his recent wins include a $48 million-dollar verdict against the Mountain View School District on behalf of children sexually abused by their elementary school teacher.

Other recognitions include in 2018 being featured in the Daily Journal Article entitled “Children’s Champions” and in 2024, he and the firm were finalists for “Street Fighter of the Year award” for their work on a civil rights restraint asphyxia case.

Michael continues to work on high-profile cases that have garnered national media attention. His practice today focuses on child sexual abuse cases, police misconduct cases, catastrophic injuries and other wrongful death matters.

Michael Carrillo

Kseniya Stupak is a partner at Strongin LLP. She was born and raised in Sevastopol, Ukraine, and moved to the United States at the age of 18. She taught herself English and went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Iowa. She also attended the University of Iowa College of Law, where she received High Service Honors in Public Distinction. Throughout her career, Stupak has successfully litigated civil and criminal cases in both state and federal courts. She has worked for the U.S. Department of Justice, where she successfully litigated a wide range of civil cases1. Stupak is highly involved in her community, dedicating much of her free time doing Pro Bono work for Russian-speaking citizens of Orange County and Los Angeles County, CA. She is a proud mother of three children: a fifteen-year-old son DJ and four-year-old twins Alexandra and Dominic.

Kseniya Stupak

Bobby Taghavi

I was born and raised Ocean Springs, Mississippi. I went to the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA and earned a degree in Civil Engineering. After working for an engineering firm while in college, I knew I was not meant to be an engineer. I went back to Mississippi for law school. My Dad got me a job back in Ocean Springs with a great trial lawyer after my first year of law school. This is where I knew I would dedicate my life to helping people. While waiting on my bar results, Katrina destroyed the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast. I went to work as a DUI defense lawyer, and having all my court closes lost in the storm, I began trying DUI cases in jeans, a golf shirt, and a borrowed sports coat. After court one day, I stopped by my Dad’s makeshift office – his building was being gutted from the flooding of Katrina. After speaking for a while, my dad suggested I come work with him. So, working with him, I tried every type of case you can imagine, divorces, custody, construction, possession, DUI, domestic violence, and the occasional car wreck. Each day going to a different court room and trying a different case. Trial by fire. Then in 2010, I was appointed to represent a 14-year-old charged with capital murder. In July, my co-counsel and I tried the case for a week and the jury stayed out for 8 hours. Then found the young kid guilty, Almost all the jurors were crying when the verdict was read. The Mississippi Supreme Court reversed. In summer of 2015, we tried it again – this time in Oxford, MS in the courthouse in the middle of the town square – right out of a seen of a John Grisham book. This time with the guidance of David Ball, our now 20-year-old client was set free after spending 6 years in some of the worst prisons in Mississippi as a kid. After that, I was asked to represent a number of people against a corrupt local sheriff and got a verdict against him for intentional infliction of emotional distress. Most importantly, I’m the father of four amazing children and have a wonderful wife. My wife, while being a truly badass trial lawyer, is an amazing mother to our children. We spend most of our time traveling trying to spend time with our children, whether it be at a soccer tournament, cheer competition, football game, or spending the weekend tailgating in Oxford or Starkville with our college age kids.

Ben B. Rubinowitz

Rahul Ravipudi

Dan Ambrose

Joe Fried

Benjamin P. Cloward

Nick Rowley

Bibi Fell

David DeRubertis

Sach Oliver

Stephen King

Jennifer Gore

Dale Galipo

Jeremy Babener

Chad Dudley

Michael Alder

Sarah Havens

Robert Welcenbach

Ray Kermani

Michael Sanchez

Laura Jimenez

Jay Madheswaran

Jordanna Thigpen

David Sugden

Taylor Asen

Al Foeckler

Tim Felice

Przemek Lubecki

Ricardo Echeverria

Ryan Skiver

Manny Starr

Riley Clayton

Brittany Sanders Robb

Mohamad Ahmad

Colin Cavanaugh

Ryan Jensen

Maxey Scherr

Michael Kelly

Joseph Camerlengo

Andrew Robb

Ashkahn Mohamadi

Randall Sorrels

Pam Wickersham

Sarah McEahern

Randi McGinn

Deena Buchanan

Michael Hill

Shawn McMillan

Scott Frost

Rachel Gezerseh

Michael Carrillo

Kseniya Stupak

Bobby Taghavi

Monte Tynes

Moses Kim

Jerry Zhou

Lyssa Roberts

Dirk Vandever

Kenneth Berger

Eric Oliver

Robert Byrne

Ranger Wiens

Lance Northcutt

Kimball Jones

Randy Calvert

Jason Waechter

Micki Love

Edward Ciarimboli

Jonathan Michaels

Eric Wilson

Sagi Shaked

Stephen J. Burg

Steven DeBosier

Conal Doyle

Michael Cowen

David Clark

Lloyd Bell

Phillip Miller

Giorgio Panagos

Patrick Salvi II

John Romano

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