Inner City Law Center

BIOGRAPHIES James D.C. Barrall Latham & Watkins LLP Term Ends: September 2012 Jim Barrall is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Latham & Watkins LLP and specializes in employee benefit and executive compensation matters. He is the Global Chair of the firm's Benefits and Compensation Group and Chair of the Los Angeles Tax Department. He earned his J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. On a pro bono basis, he advises charitable organizations on employee benefits and executive compensation matters. He serves on the Board of Advisors of the UCLA School of Law and on the Board of Directors of the Friends of Jazz at UCLA. Mr. Barrall joined the Board in 2001. David A. Binder UCLA School of Law Term Ends: September 2010 David Binder is a pioneer in developing clinical methods of teaching law. He currently teaches Civil Procedure and Depositions and Discovery in Complex Litigation. He is a recipient of both the University's Distinguished Teaching Award and the School of Law's Rutter Award for Excellence in Teaching; and after only two years at UCLA, the Class of 1972 elected him Professor of the Year. In 2001, the School of Law honored him with a special award commemorating his thirty years of dedication to clinical legal education. Mr. Binder joined the Board in 2008. Gary Blasi UCLA School of Law Term Ends: September 2012 Gary Blasi is a Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law and Associate Director of the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. He has taught at UCLA since 1991, following 15 years as a public interest lawyer working primarily on issues of slum housing and homelessness. His research and pro bono practice continues in these areas. Mr. Blasi teaches and writes about advocacy on behalf of children in substandard schools, homeless families and individuals, low income tenants, low wage workers, and victims of discrimination. He has received numerous awards for distinction in the field of public interest law and for providing legal services to the poor. Mr. Blasi joined the Board in 2006. Terree Bowers Arent Fox LLP Term Ends: September 2011 Terree Bowers is a partner in the Securities Litigation, Government Enforcement and White Collar Defense Practice Group at Arent Fox LLP in Los Angeles. As the former United States Attorney for the Central District of California, Mr. Bowers has almost 30 years experience in supervising and litigating complex commercial cases and white collar criminal and regulatory matters. He earned a B.A. with high honors from the University of Texas and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law. Mr. Bowers joined the Board in 2005.		Board Member Gary Blasi Board Member Tom Freiberg with Chief Justice Ron George at luncheon Board Member Dorothy Wolpert with Monica Mercado and Elizabeth Ng at Awards Luncheon Board Member Tom Freiberg at luncheon Board Chair Dan Woods at 2010 Luncheon
John H. Brinsley Term Ends: September 2012 John H. Brinsley received the Shattuck-Price Memorial Award in 2001, the Los Angeles County Bar Association's highest honor. The award is given to an individual who has shown outstanding dedication to the high principles of the legal profession, to the administration of justice and to the progress of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Mr. Brinsley received his B.A. and J.D. from Cornell University. He joined the Board in 2004. George Buehler Buehler & Kassabian Term Ends: September 2011 George Buehler has distinguished himself in both civil and criminal law with an emphasis on business litigation and white collar criminal defense. He earned his J.D. from the University of Southern California. From 1997 to 2000 he served on the Blue Ribbon Commission for Slum Housing, which developed legislation to improve the enforcement of building codes which was adopted by the Los Angeles City Council. Mr. Buehler joined the Board in 1997. Caroline Heindel Burgos Greenberg Glusker Term Ends: 2011 Caroline Heindel Burgos is an attorney in the litigation practice group of Greenberg Glusker, where she represents a diverse group of individuals and companies in entertainment, real estate and general business disputes. She coordinates the firm's foster care benefits program in conjunction with the Alliance for Children's Rights. Ms. Burgos earned a J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (cum laude, Order of the Coif) and holds a B.S. in Business Administration from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She joined the Board in 2008. Evan Y. Chuck Bryan Cave LLP Evan Chuck is the Lead Partner in charge of Bryan Cave LLP’s Shanghai office and China Practice. Mr. Chuck is a member of the International Trade and Transactions Client Service Groups. He earned his B.A. from John Hopkins University and J.D. from George Washington University. Mr. Chuck joined the Board in 2006. Carla T. Clement LexisNexis Term Ends: September 2010 Carla Clement, a strategic account manager at LexisNexis, has 20 years of diverse law-related experience, ranging from in-firm litigation support to operations management, trial consulting, and hands on marketing and sales experience. She has a Bachelors Degree in Marketing from the University of Cincinnati where she graduated summa cum laude. In addition to serving on the Board of Inner City Law Center, Ms Clement is on the Board of Learning for Life, an organization focused on career exposure and civic development of teenage youth. Michael E. Cobo DecisionQuest Term Ends: September 2012 Michael Cobo is Chief Operating Officer and a founding member of DecisionQuest, a firm dedicated to understanding juror decision making, persuasion, demonstrative visuals and trial technology. He has a B.S. in Marketing and Accounting from the University of Southern California. Mr. Cobo has over 20 years of experience in trial consulting and has been involved in over 700 cases worldwide. He joined the Board in 1995. Janet Combs Southern California Edison Term Ends: September 2011 Janet is a Senior Attorney in Southern California Edison’s Law Department, where she has practiced regulatory litigation and transactions for over seven years. Janet represents SCE in proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission, specializing in customer service, tariff, municipalization and bypass issues. Recent cases include the Edison SmartConnect™ application, in which Janet successfully represented SCE in obtaining authority to install state-of-the-art “smart” meters in approximately 5.3 million households and small businesses through its service territory -- a $1.3 billion capital investment for the company. Janet also currently serves on the Edison Law Department’s Pro Bono Committee, and has represented pro bono clients in the areas of disability rights, employment rights, tenant rights, and adoptions. Janet began her legal career in 2000 at McCutchen Doyle Brown & Enersen (now Bingham McCutchen) practicing corporate law in the Los Angeles office. Janet received her J.D. from University of California Hastings College of the Law in 2000, and her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1992. Jeffrey H. Dasteel Attorney at Law Jeff Dasteel has a nationwide litigation practice and represents clients in international and domestic arbitrations. In addition, he has a nationwide franchising litigation and transaction practice. Mr. Dasteel is an adjunct professor of franchise law at Loyola Law School of Los Angeles. He received his J.D. from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles, cum laude. Mr. Dasteel represents clients across a variety of industries in high-profile international, national, and local complex commercial litigation. He joined the Board in 1992. Timothy P. Dillon Law Offices of Timothy P. Dillon Term Ends: September 2012 Timothy Dillon’s practice is devoted to helping consumers with a focus on representing policyholders in first party disputes against their own insurance companies. Mr. Dillon has experience in many areas of commercial litigation as a founding member of a large Los Angeles law firm. He graduated from State University of New York at Albany with a B.S. summa cum laude, and went on to earn his J.D. from the College of William and Mary. Mr. Dillon has served as President of the Laguna Beach Community Clinic, which provides excellent healthcare to 20,000 patients each year, regardless of a patient's ability to pay. Mr. Dillon participated in the successful settlements of the Pineda case and the Bellevue case with Inner City Law Center lawyers and other counsel. He joined the Board in 2006. Mitra M. Eskandari-Azari Alston & Bird LLP Mitra Eskandari-Azari practices in both IP litigation and IP transactional work. Her IP litigation practice includes patent, trade secret, trade dress, trademark and copyright disputes. Mitra’s transactional practice focuses on the procurement, protection and licensing of intellectual property rights, including trademarks and copyrights, and the enforcement of these rights on the internet. She searches and clears trademarks, prosecutes both domestic and international trademark applications and represents clients in opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. She also advises clients in the naming and branding process, manages domestic and international trademark portfolios, and negotiates and drafts licensing deals of intellectual property rights. James R. Evans, Jr. Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP Term Ends: September 2012 James Evans is a Partner at Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP. Mr. Evans received a B.S. from the University of Southern California and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall). Among his many clients, he represents publicly traded companies, business owners, property owners, developers, architects, contractors, and professional and amateur athletes. Mr. Evans is an avid community volunteer concerned with improving the quality of life for the less fortunate. He joined the Board in 2006. Thomas A. Freiberg, Jr. Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP Term Ends: September 2010 Thomas Freiberg specializes in litigation involving eminent domain, inverse condemnation, and land use at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp. Mr. Freiberg earned a B.A. from Yale College and a J.D. from the University of Southern California. Mr. Freiberg has served as a member of the Board of Directors at ICLC since 1997 and has served as President from 2004-2007. Valerie M. Goo Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP Valerie Goo, a partner in the Los Angeles office, is a member of the Litigation Practice Group. Ms. Goo is a trial lawyer with a focus on intellectual property and complex commercial litigation. Ms. Goo has had significant litigation experience in the areas of trademark, copyright, trade secret, right of publicity and patent infringement litigation, as well as general business and complex commercial litigation including fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and class action matters. Gordon A. Greenberg McDermott, Will & Emery LLP Gordon A. Greenberg is a partner in the Trial Department, of McDermott Will & Emery. Mr. Greenberg graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and earned a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law (with honors). Mr. Greenberg is acknowledged by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the top 50 trial lawyers in Los Angeles and is recognized in his field of practice in The Best Lawyers in America. Brian S. Kabateck Kabateck Brown Kellner, LLP Term Ends: September 2012 Brian Kabateck is a plaintiffs-only attorney who has helped consumers recover more than $1 billion in settlement awards for injury and wrongdoing. He currently represents thousands of victims in mass torts litigation, class actions, insurance bad faith, insurance litigation, personal injury, wrongful death and commercial contingency litigation. Mr. Kabateck brought the only cases for victims of the Armenian Genocide against banks and insurance companies, and is currently litigating on behalf of the families of other ethnic minorities, such as Greeks, who were victimized during the Genocide. He is also working on behalf of consumers to recover millions in unlawfully denied insurance claims resulting from recent fires, earthquakes and hurricanes. A nationally-recognized expert on consumer protection, Mr. Kabateck has worked with the California Legislature and California Department of Insurance to draft several laws including the Policyholder's Bill of Rights and a groundbreaking law to help earthquake victims recover claims from their insurance companies. Mr. Kabateck joined the Board in 2009. Stephen Kristovich Munger Tolles & Olson LLP Steve Kristovich is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP. Mr. Kristovich received his A.B. degree from Stanford University with distinction and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall). His practice consists principally of complex business, environmental and toxic tort litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout California. Mr. Kristovich has been an ICLC Board member since 1992 and has served as President of the Board. Margaret Levy Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP Term Ends: September 2012 Margaret Levy is a Partner at Manatt Phelps & Phillips, LLP. She earned a B.A. from Michigan State University and a J.D. from UCLA School of Law. Ms. Levy has more than 30 years of civil trial and appellate litigation experience, with an emphasis on representing life, health and disability insurance companies in "bad faith" and ERISA litigation. She has been a member of the Board since 1996, and has also served on the Boards of Public Counsel, the Los Angeles County Bar Foundation, UCLA Law School Alumni Association, Women and Philanthropy at UCLA and the Association of Business Trial Lawyers. Michael M. Maddigan O'Melveny & Myers LLP Term Ends: September 2011 Michael M. Maddigan is a partner in O'Melveny & Myers' Los Angeles office and a member of the Health Care and Life Sciences and Class Actions, Mass Torts, and Aggregated Litigation Practices. Mr. Maddigan graduated from Georgetown University, B.S.F.S., cum laude, and earned a J.D. from the University of California Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall). He joined the Board in 2003. Nancy Mintie Uncommon Good Founder of Inner City Law Center Nancy Mintie started Inner City Law Center in 1980. Since leaving Inner City Law Center in 2002, Nancy has continued to challenge the way we address the problems we face. She runs Uncommon Good, an organization which aims to make sure that the poor have access to affordable health care, quality education, and legal services. Uncommon Good provides mentoring programs for youth living in poverty, and assistance to young doctors and lawyers who hope to serve the poorest communities. Thomas J. Nolan Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Tom Nolan is co-chair of Skadden’s West Coast Litigation Practice. Mr. Nolan earned a B.B.A. and J.D. from Loyola University. He is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading trial attorneys and has extensive experience representing corporations and individuals in complex civil and criminal litigation in state and federal courts. Mr. Nolan received Inner City Law Center’s Katherine Krause Award for his pro bono work on behalf of tenants in slum housing in 2001. Jenie Oh Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Term Ends: September 2011 Jenie Oh is Senior Counsel in the Legal Group of Wells Fargo Bank and primarily focuses on international commercial credit matters. Ms. Oh earned her B.A. from Dartmouth College and her J.D. from NYU Law School. She joined the Board in 2009. Sharon Oxborough Law Offices of Sharon Oxborough Term Ends: September 2010 Sharon Oxborough is the principal of Law Offices of Sharon Oxborough, which specializes in monitoring consent decrees and administering alternative dispute resolution systems. Its most notable present activity is administering the arbitration system that resolves disputes between Kaiser Permanente and its six million members in California. Ms. Oxborough earned a B.A. from Hamline University, summa cum laude, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. She joined the Board in 2007. Alfredo Sanchez Banamex USA Term Ends: September 2011 Alfredo Sanchez is Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Banamex USA, a subsidiary of Citigroup Inc. Mr. Sanchez earned his B.A. from California State University at Fullerton and his J.D. from the University of Southern California. He joined the Board in 2009. Nicole Simonian Bryan Cave LLP Term Ends: September 2010 Nicole Simonian is a partner in Bryan Cave LLP's Santa Monica office. She concentrates her practice in the areas of international transactions, including acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures and strategic alliances. She represents a broad array of U.S. and foreign companies in structuring their international operations in Asia, Europe and Latin America. She was selected as a Southern California Super Lawyer "Rising Star" for 2005, 2006 and 2007 by the publishers of Law and Politics. Ms. Simonian received her J.D. from Loyola Law School-Los Angeles and her B.A. from University of California-Los Angeles. She joined the Board in 2008. Michael Spindler Capstone Advisory Group, LLC Term Ends: September 2010 Michael Spindler is an Executive Director of Capstone Advisory Group, LLC. Prior to joining Capstone, Mr. Spindler was a partner at Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP. He has more than 25 years experience in forensic accounting, investigations, anti-fraud programs and auditing services, with extensive experience in conducting a broad range of dispute consulting services. Mr. Spindler earned a B.S. in Accounting from State University of New York at Albany and is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner and a Certified Information Systems Auditor. He joined the Board in 1995. Geoffrey Stover Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP Term Ends: September 2010 Geoffrey Stover represents clients in a variety of civil litigation and pre-litigation contexts. Mr. Stover has defended and prosecuted claims involving large commercial contractual disputes, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair business practices, construction defects, Proposition 65 failure to warn, environmental matters and partnership disputes. Mr. Stover received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Wesleyan University in 1995. He graduated with honors and was a founding member of the Wesleyan chapter of MeCHA, a Chicano student organization. Christopher Tayback Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP Term Ends: September 2012 Chris Tayback spent eight years as a prosecutor before joining the Quinn Emanuel firm in 1997. He was a Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles County from 1989-1991, where he tried over 20 cases before juries in the municipal and superior courts. He then served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California, Criminal Division, receiving numerous awards from the various federal and local law enforcement agencies with which he worked. Mr. Tayback received a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, magna cum laude and his J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude. Mr. Tayback annually serves as a visiting trial advocacy instructor at Harvard Law School. He has appeared on ABC television's "Nightline" discussing criminal law issues, and has had his cases featured on the television program "Arrest and Trial." He has represented lawyers in court proceedings and in investigations and hearings conducted by the Department of Justice, the Securities Exchange Commission and the United States Senate. Mr. Tayback joined the Board in 2009. Steven Thomas Irell & Manella LLP Term Ends: September 2010 Steve Thomas, a partner in Irell & Manella LLP’s Los Angeles office, is the head of the firm's art law practice group, and a member of the real estate and commercial finance practice groups. Mr. Thomas has for many years advised on the loan, purchase, auction, sale, and collection of fine art, cultural property and memorabilia, both nationally and internationally (including, setting several world auction and private sale records), and has for several years taught a course in Art and Cultural Property Law at the UCLA School of Law. Mr. Thomas counts among his clients some of the world’s foremost and well-known art collectors, including trustees from a variety of museums. Mr. Thomas also has extensive experience in a wide array of real property matters, including development, acquisition, and sale of improved and unimproved real property, and developing construction and architect agreements for commercial and estate properties, including some of the larger casinos and resorts in the country. He has a J.D. from Yale University, where he was also book review editor for the Yale Law and Policy Review. Mr. Thomas joined the Board in 1998. David Vaughn FTI Constulting Term Ends: September 2013 David Vaughn is a managing director in the FTI Forensic and Litigation Consulting segment and is based in Los Angeles. He assists law firms, businesses and governmental entities with all aspects of investigations and litigation, from assembling and managing elite multi-disciplinary teams of investigators, forensic accountants and computer forensics professionals, to providing single expert witnesses. He leads domestic and international internal, fraud, due diligence, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) investigations, as well as accounting and technology projects for law firms and in house counsel representing multi-national manufacturers, energy businesses, technology companies, medical device manufacturers, major universities, and other entities. Mr. Vaughn is an honors graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. He received his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where he was a member of the Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly. He earned an M.P.A. from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he also studied at Harvard Law School. He is a member of the California and District of Columbia Bars, The American Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, and the Federal Bar Association, as well as an associate member of Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Bradley E. Wolf Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Term Ends: September 2012 Brad Wolf practices as Counsel in Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman's Insolvency & Restructuring, and Finance groups. He was also Senior Counsel at Wells Fargo & Co. for nine years with responsibilities for overseeing commercial workouts and bankruptcies within the Wholesale Bank. Mr. Wolf earned his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and his J.D. from the University of Southern California Law Center. He joined the Board in 2006. Michael L. Wolfram Wolfram Workplace Law Term Ends: September 2012 Michael Wolfram’s firm is devoted to the avoidance of workplace disputes, objective independent investigation of disputes that arise, and to fair and informed resolution of disputes that are mediated or arbitrated. Mr. Wolfram graduated from Harvard College, cum laude, and then went on to earn his J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, cum laude. He joined the Board in 1998. Dorothy Wolpert Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim, Drooks & Lincenberg Term Ends: September 2010 Dorothy Wolpert is a founding member of the firm, Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim, Drooks & Lincenberg. She earned her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. Ms. Wolpert’s practice includes trial experience in copyright infringement, environmental coverage disputes, legal malpractice (as both plaintiff and defendant), and several precedential cases related to the construction of the Los Angeles subway. Ms. Wolpert is a past President of ICLC and has served on the Board of Directors since 1999. She has partnered with ICLC on numerous cases such as the Bellevue Case where ICLC was able to secure $6.9 million for its clients. Dan Woods White & Case LLP Term Ends: September 2011 Dan Woods is a Partner at White & Case LLP. He specializes in complex business litigation throughout the United States and is head of the Los Angeles litigation practice. Mr. Woods received a B.A. from the University of Southern California, cum laude and his J.D. from the University of Southern California Law Center. Mr. Woods received Inner City Law Center’s Katherine Krause Award for his pro bono work on behalf of tenants in slum housing buildings in 2000. Mr. Woods joined the Board in 1999.