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Admitted: 1986, California; 1987, US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit; 1987, USDC - Central District of California; 1991, USDC - Southern District of California; 1991, USDC - Northern District of California; 1995, USDC - District Court of Arizona; 2011, United States Supreme Court Law School: Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, J.D. Member: State Bar of California; Los Angeles County Bar Association (Bioethics Committee, 1987-2010; Co-Chair, 1998-2000); Joint LACBA-LACMA Bioethics Committee, 1998 ; United States Supreme Court Bar Association; American Bar Association (Family Law Section); American Society of Reproductive Medicine; Academy of California Adoption Lawyers/Academy of California Family Formation Lawyers; Society of Assisted Reproduction Professionals; Chicago-Kent Alumni Association of Southern California (Founder); CEB Business & Intellectual Property Law Advisory Committee. Reported Transactions: Successfully prosecuted and defended multiple cases involving breach of contract, fraud, tort, real estate, partnership and control disputes; Won cases and injunctions against former employees for unfair competition, unfair business practices, and misappropriation of trade secrets and proprietary business information; Won judgments and obtained favorable settlements for business owners against unfair business practices, unfair competition, breach of contract and fraud; Successfully represented employers and employees in numerous litigation, arbitration and mediation matters against claims of wrongful termination, unlawful harassment, discrimination, wage and hour violations, exempt and independent contractor status, breach of contract and other workplace related issues; Favorably settled wage and hour class actions on behalf of employers; Counseled numerous employers and employees with respect to legal compliance, employment contracts, employee handbooks, audits, management training, sexual harassment training, HIPAA training, wage and hour issues, exempt status, independent contractor agreements, leaves of absence, disability, investigating and resolving complaints of discrimination and harassment and other workplace issues, litigation holds, substance abuse, discipline and terminations, downsizing and layoffs, claim avoidance, evidentiary hearings before agencies and court trials; Negotiated partnership, vendor, lease and sales agreements for business owners; Successfully prosecuted and defended construction defects cases; Favorably resolved an involuntary bailment action involving commercial property; Obtained fraud judgment against debtor in bankruptcy; Defeated preference claims in bankruptcy for manufacturers of goods; Successfully defended producer in arbitration of claim brought by Muhammad Ali for breach of contract, false light, interference with prospective economic advantage, and related business torts; Filed as amicus in the California Supreme Court regarding the appropriate standards for a court appointed guardian's powers; Served as arbitrator and mediator in many cases of the Los Angeles Superior Court. Biography: Received Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating for Legal Ability and Ethics. Law Clerk to: The Honorable N. Fred Woods, Superior Court, County of Los Angeles, Central District, California, 1986; The Honorable Prentice H. Marshall, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 1985. Co-Author: "Ethical Aspects of Genetic Testing," 20 Whittier Law Review, No. 2, p. 411 (1998); "Advising California Employers" (CEB, 2003) and Supplement; "Genetic Testing in Assisted Reproduction," Hastings Center Report (November-December 2003). Author: "Considerations in Surrogacy Contracts," 21 Whittier Law Review, No. 2, p. 429 (1999); "Equal Employment Law Development," CEB Business Law Quarterly (Spring 2004); "Reducing Employer Liability to Whistleblowers", California Business Law Practitioner, Volume 20, No. 4 (CEB Fall, 2005) p. 112; "The Facts of Life: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Child Care Leave Laws for Litigators", Civil Litigation Reporter, Volume 27, No. 3, (CEB June 2005) p.88.; "Reducing Employer Liability to Whistleblowers", California Business Law Practitioner, Volume 20, No. 4 (CEB Fall, 2005) p. 112. "Advising California Lawyers and Employees", (co-authored), Ch. 16 "Whistleblower Issues" CEB 2005), Volume 2, pp1449-1463 and Updates for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010; "Coping With Leave Laws", California Business Law Practitioner, Volume 23, No. 2 (CEB Spring, 2008) p. 63. Reviewer: Practice Under the California Family Code, Ch. 8a "Parentage" (CEB 2009), pp. 363-423. Visiting Scholar: 9/03-10/03 The Hastings Center for Bioethics, Garrison, New York. Guest Lecturer, University of California at Los Angeles Law School, 1987-1990. Adjunct Professor: California State University, Los Angeles, 1991-1992; Whittier Law School, 1993-1997. Mediator, Los Angeles County, Superior and Municipal Courts, 2002-2008. Arbitrator, Los Angeles County Superior and Municipal Courts, 1991-1997. Board Member: The Center for Research & Training in Humane and Ethical Medical Care; Santa Monica/UCLA Medical Center, 2003. Born: Chicago, Illinois, August 16, 1958 Cases: Price v. 7-Eleven, et al., (CA2/7 11/25/09) (not to be cited), http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/nonpub/B212597.DOC (last accessed 12/9/09) (limited availability - copy available upon request); In re Conservatorship of Wendland, 93 Cal.Rptr.2d 550 (2/4/2000), review granted; Bluestein v. Producstion Arts Management, et. al. (DLSE 11/4/99), http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/TAC/24-98.pdf (last accessed 3/14/09); B.U.M. International, Inc. v. Kaplan, (PTO 9/23/97) (not to be cited) http://uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/foia/ttab/2dissues/1997/98027.pdf (last accessed 3/14/2009); Malee Bureerong, et al., v. Tavee Uvawas, et al., 922 F.Supp. 1450 (C.D.CA 1996); Malee Bureerong, et al. v. Tavee Uvawas, et al., 167 F.R.D. 83 (C.D.CA 1996); In re NSB Film Corp., 160 Bankr.Rep. 151 (Bankr.C.D.CA 1993).
When you hire me, I work for you. I keep you informed, I help you make the best decisions for you. I do not take control and leave you in the dark.
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