And now, a little bit about me: 

I have practiced almost exclusively in the area of civil appeals and writs since 1980, preparing over 400 appellate briefs and writ petitions.

My most important strength is being able to distill the information provided to me in the court record and present it to a reviewing court in a way that is concise and persuasive. Behind every case there is a story about people. I seek to bring out that story in very human terms, not forgetting that I need the law on my side. In that way, the court sees my client as a real person, not just some legal case. And unless the court intervenes, a real injustice will be done. If the story is persuasive, and the law is on my side, the court will do the right thing.

After graduating from Western State University, School of Law in 1977, I specialized in law and motion matters, including an assignment to the Law and Motion Department of the Orange County Superior Court. While acting as a consultant to attorneys on their law and motion needs, I wrote hundreds of motions and oppositions. Handling appeals was a natural progression and took full advantage of my skills.

I am admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Eastern, Southern, and Central District Courts in the State of California, the California Supreme Court, and all courts in California. I was a certified specialist in Appellate Law from 1999-2018 but I no longer maintain my certification. (Too much money and who cares anyway.) I have been named as a Super Lawyer for Southern California every year since 2007.

I was the founding Editor-in-Chief of Plaintiff magazine, a publication distributed to over 5,000 Northern California attorneys. I was a former Editor-in-Chief of Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles’ monthly magazine, The Advocate. I also served as the Editor-in-Chief of Consumer Attorneys of California’s monthly magazine, The Forum, in 2005. Before that, I was the Editor of the Orange County Trial Lawyer’s quarterly publication,The Gavel, for three years. I have served on the boards of the Orange County Bar Association, Consumer Attorneys of California, and Orange County Trial Lawyers Association. I am a contributing writer to various publications and have spoken at legal seminars for several bar associations.

I received my J.D. degree from Western State University, College of Law in 1977. In law school, I was awarded the American Jurisprudence Award (Am. Jur.) in Constitutional Law. I also attended the International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France in 1979. 

When I am not working (or sleeping), I can be found engaging in my favorite hobbies: traveling, writing and photography.