Laguna Beach Lawyers

Richard E. Masson focuses his practice in the areas of Estate Planning, Family Law and Probate. Mr. Masson’s specialized knowledge and expertise in family law, estate planning and tax provides an edge for his clients in that he is uniquely able to attack an issue from all angles which creates better opportunities and advantages for those he represents. Moreover, and more importantly, Mr. Masson understands the emotional and complex nature of his clients needs and goals in order to ensure them the best result possible.

Mr. Masson has been duly recognized for his outstanding work and numerous accomplishments as a family...

Education J.D., Harvard Law School (1989) LL.M., University of Cambridge (1986) M.A., University of Cambridge (1986) B.A. (Hons.), University of Cambridge (1984) A.B., College of William and Mary, summa cum laude (1982) Phi Beta Kappa Admissions • California • United Kingdom (Barrister, Lincoln’s Inn) Courts • United States Supreme Court • California Supreme Court • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal, First, Second, Sixth, Seventh and Ninth Circuits • U.S. District Court for the Northern, Eastern and Central Districts of California • U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

Larita Yusuf is an experienced litigator and a registered patent attorney. As an intellectual property attorney, she has helped creators secure design patents with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Office (ARIPO) and their original works with the U.S. Copyright Office. She earned a Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law and a B. Sci. in Biology from Francis Marion University. While in law school, she worked as a federal judicial intern in the District of South Carolina and as a patent legal intern at a boutique intellectual property law...

Lee Meryash

Jeffrey Mishkin, a Phillips ADR neutral, is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of the NBA and head of Skadden’s Sports Practice. He specializes in sports-related disputes involving antitrust, intellectual property, labor, gambling, and commercial matters. At the NBA, Mishkin managed all legal affairs, including litigation, labor relations, commercial transactions, intellectual property, and anti-drug programs, leading collective bargaining and the 1998-1999 NBA labor dispute. At Skadden, he represented major sports organizations like the NFL, NHL, MLB, NCAA, and others, as well as high-profile athletes, including a top-ranked golfer. Now a full-time mediator and arbitrator, Mishkin serves on the Court...

Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney representing clients in Laguna Niguel.

EXPERTISE IN CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION Mari Frank is an attorney, mediator, Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP), author, professor, and radio show host in private practice in California and Florida. She worked in the District Attorney’s Office, practiced insurance defense law, and had a general civil law practice. She has successfully resolved thousands of disputes as a neutral since 1985. Ms. Frank was the founding President of the Orange County Chapter of the Society for Professionals in Dispute Resolution-Orange County, California. She served for three years as founding Chair of the State Bar of California Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee She is a...

Kimberly Huebner serves as the Insurance Liaison for Phillips ADR, specializing in Directors’ and Officers’ Management Liability and Employment Practices Liability Insurance for companies and public entities. She facilitates communication between insurance carriers and Phillips ADR, reporting to panelists and coordinating further interactions. Before joining Phillips ADR, Kimberly was Vice President of Technical Claims for D&O Claims at AIG Claims, Inc. She tracked litigation trends, analyzed potential exposures, and reported divisional loads. Kimberly evaluated complex claims for strategic resolution and trained colleagues on claims handling, coverage evaluation, and negotiation. Kimberly earned a B.S. in Psychology from Roanoke College and a J.D. from...

Ann Cook brings a business-focused approach to Phillips ADR, leveraging a decade at Ernst & Young LLP, including two years as General Counsel. Experienced as both plaintiff and defendant, she understands dispute dynamics and has litigated, arbitrated, and mediated cases in accounting, securities, contracts, and employment. A creative problem solver, Ann advised on complex corporate initiatives, balancing risk and business goals, earning recognition as a tenacious leader. At EY, Ann managed legal strategy for a $20B firm with 50,000 employees, overseeing litigation and regulatory matters during high regulatory activity. She advised on public disclosure and bankruptcy issues for over 1,000 public...

Sean Coffey, a Phillips ADR neutral, served as the 24th General Counsel of the Navy (2022–2025), leading over 1,100 attorneys worldwide. Previously a renowned trial lawyer, he handled plaintiff and defense cases in securities, class actions, and complex litigation. At Latham & Watkins, he secured a directed verdict in a bet-the-company case. At Bernstein Litowitz, he led the $6.2 billion WorldCom Securities Litigation recovery. As Chair of Complex Litigation at Kramer Levin, he advised corporate clients. As Navy General Counsel, Sean founded the Taxpayer Advocacy Project and led the exoneration of 256 African American Sailors from the 1944 Port Chicago courts-martial,...

Caroline brings extensive mediation and problem-solving expertise to Phillips ADR, drawing from her roles as General Counsel at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Principal Deputy White House Counsel. Known for her communication, judgment, and legal acumen, she excels in advising Boards and senior leaders on dispute resolution. At PwC, Caroline managed all legal, regulatory, compliance, and governance matters, handling lawsuits and regulatory issues with potential damages in the billions. She led settlement negotiations and mediations with opposing counsel, clients, and regulators like the SEC and FDIC, while resolving internal conflicts within PwC’s global network. As Principal Deputy White House Counsel under President Obama, she...

Danielle Menitove is an independent arbitrator and mediator specializing in commercial and sports-related disputes, including antitrust, employment, intellectual property, gambling, anti-doping, and player-agent issues. Danielle serves as an arbitrator on the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, and on the American Arbitration Association’s commercial, consumer, and national sports panels. Before starting her ADR practice, Danielle was a litigator at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in New York for over ten years, handling complex litigation in federal and state courts, government investigations, and advisory matters. Her cases involved antitrust, contract breaches, fiduciary duty, and unfair competition. ...

Brittany D. Forrester, Esq., is a Senior Associate at Tully Rinckey PLLC, where she focuses her practice primarily on national security law with experience in federal employment matters. Brittany represents clients who have security clearance issues with agencies such as the FBI, CIA, NSA, DIA, DOD, NRO, NGA, and DOE. She has represented numerous clients in security clearance revocation proceedings and has a proven record of saving clients’ jobs as well as anticipating and resolving potential future issues with their security clearances. Prior to joining Tully Rinckey, Brittany spent more than two years representing clients in security clearance cases and Administrative...

James Decker is an appellate attorney and founder of Decker Law. Prior to forming his own firm, James was a partner at a boutique real estate and business litigation firm in Orange County, and before then he served as lead attorney for a mid-size firm’s appeal and complex motion practice group. James attended law school at Chapman University School of Law, where he graduated with cum laude distinction. He also served on the Chapman Law Review and earned CALI awards (i.e., top class grade) in several courses. As an attorney, James’s expertise and passion is legal research and writing....

Nicholas Myers’ practice focuses on intellectual property, business litigation, and corporate formation and governance. He has represented clients in trademark, copyright, breach of contract, unfair competition, Internet, gaming, and sports and entertainment matters, and has also advised clients on corporate structuring and asset protection issues.

Nicholas has litigated cases in state and federal courts and has represented clients in private arbitration. He routinely prosecutes and defends clients in trademark, copyright and trade secret cases. He has also successfully represented multiple clients in trademark disputes before the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Nicholas is admitted to practice...

When you need an expert trial lawyer, look on the top shelf! That's where you will find Wayne Philips Law. Even if trial is not in your future, you have great comfort knowing a first rate trial attorney is in your corner. We practice law like you always wished someone would. Smart. Aggressive. Cost-effective. Wayne Philips personally tried hundreds of cases--as one client succinctly put it, "he doesn't like to lose!" Quality lawyering from a firm that knows how to win cases--that's what we offer. Our priority is to fix your problem as quickly, painlessly, and cost-effectively as...