Laguna Niguel Lawyers

Since 2004, Ms. Smith has dedicated her practice to representing individuals - including employees and consumers - in complex litigation against some of America's largest companies. She has successfully fought for these plaintiffs in cases involving labor law (wage and hour) violations, consumer fraud, unfair competition, securities fraud, antitrust, asbestos exposure and defective products.

Prior to joining Aegis Law Firm, Ms. Smith worked with the Hon. Scott B. Cooper at The Cooper Law Firm prior to him being appointed to a judgeship with the Orange County Superior Court, where they represented employees and consumers in wage and hour and consumer...

Kevin G. Liebeck began his career defending physicians and hospitals in medical malpractice lawsuits. With that knowledge, he decided to start representing victims of medical malpractice in suits against their health care providers in 2003. Since then, he has seen success in trials of personal injury, medical malpractice and consumer and business fraud actions.

As a former nurse, current lawyer and longtime advocate of social justice, Jennifer Johnson has dedicated both her personal and professional life to making a difference in her community. "Often, the people I represent wouldn't otherwise have a voice," she says, "and that's why it's such an incredible honor to represent them in the court of law."
In her legal practice, Ms.Johnson concentrates on catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice and elder abuse, providing injured individuals with committed and compassionate representation in Southern California and many other parts of the...

Ron Cordova has been named a Southern California Super Lawyer sixteen times since 2007 and has been selected by OC Metro Magazine as one of Orange County's top five criminal defense lawyers every year since 2009. He has also been recognized by Newsweek Magazine as one of the best criminal defense attorneys nationwide in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Ron's representation in high-profile cases has given him national prominence, but he prides himself most on the skill and personal attention that he devotes to every client's matter.

Joshua A. Smisko was born in Valencia, California. He attended the University of California, Irvine, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts. Mr. Smisko received his Juris Doctorate degree from Whittier Law School where he was a member of the Entertainment and Sports Law Society and a contributor to their quarterly newsletter and he also obtained a certificate in Intellectual Property. Mr. Smisko previously worked for a National Law Firm representing Banks, Mortgage Loan Lenders, Mortgage Loan Servicers and Foreclosure Trustees dealing with Wrongful Foreclosure claims, Fair Credit Reporting Act claims, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act claims, Evictions, and Bankruptcy...

A. Jason Velez is the founding partner and creator of 1LAW®, a culmination of his lifelong efforts to provide compassionate, accessible legal services in a modern environment. 1LAW began as a thriving practice based in his hometown of St. George, Utah, and has since expanded to provide representation to clients in Utah and Nevada, with offices in Arizona and California on the horizon. Velez is an alumnus of the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Utah College of Law, and was admitted to the Utah State Bar in 2001. He also completed international studies at the Universidad...

I am a patent attorney that focuses on obtaining software patents. Having an engineering degree in computer science in addition a law degree, I routinely work with software engineers in terms they understand. I have eperience in a wide array of software technology areas, such as mobile app development, networks, machine learning, virtual reality, augmented reality, and databases.

Allison Ross is an associate at Bick Law LLP. Before joining Bick Law, Allison was an associate in the Litigation Department at O’Melveny & Myers, where she handled matters pertaining to qui tam actions; False Claims Act litigation; derivative claims; class actions; contract disputes; intellectual property litigation; and employment discrimination. She also has arbitration, discovery, and significant motions practice experience in both state and federal trial and appellate courts. Allison graduated from the University of Southern California Law School in 2014. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Allison studied opera, performing at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, and at Vassar College,...

Edwin V. Woodsome, a Phillips ADR neutral, was managing partner of Dechert LLP’s Los Angeles office and head of Global Litigation at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. With over 35 years of trial experience, he has handled consumer fraud, False Claims Act, securities, product liability, trade secrets, employment, antitrust, and intellectual property cases in state and federal courts. He has extensive appellate, mediation, and arbitration experience, including the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California’s mediation panel. Woodsome represented major firms in transportation, banking, technology, aerospace, and entertainment, serving as U.S. national litigation counsel for a global logistics company and...

I obtained my law degree from the University of Bucharest in 1998 and started as an in-house counsel for an established civil engineering company serving both Romanian and German markets. I learned a lot during that time, mostly about myself as a professional and about the ethic and beauty of a job well done. As my life changed and I immigrated to the United States in 2003, I had to start all over again and dare to hope that I can reinvent myself and do what I most liked. It started with the opportunity offered by a great mentor that...

Chatow Law is built on a foundation of Mark’s 20 years of business experience as a founder, executive, and CEO of companies across a range of industries including real estate development, technology, wellness, and consumer products.

Mark began his studies at USC Law in 1990, and earned his J.D. in 1993.

1993 – Consumer Products
Between his first and second years of law school, Mark became a founding partner of Roundhouse Products. After graduating from USC, Mark began to work full-time at Roundhouse as VP Sales & Marketing, and helped grow the company from its initial three partners to more than 200 employees,...

Chuck Stevens joined Phillips ADR after a 40-year career as a litigation partner at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, U.S. Attorney, and neutral in ADR matters. At Gibson Dunn’s San Francisco office, he served as managing partner for six years and was recognized by Lawdragon (2023 Leading Global Litigators), Benchmark Litigation (2024 Litigation Star), and Chambers (Band 1, California Litigation). He was named San Francisco’s Lawyer of the Year for Bet-the-Company Litigation (2019) by Best Lawyers. Chuck founded a boutique litigation firm, handling complex civil cases and qui tam matters. As a neutral, he mediated for the Eastern District of California’s Voluntary...

After 20 years as an attorney at large law firms and in house with a general contractor, Mr. Julander has the depth and breadth of experience to solve the most complex legal problems, with particular expertise in construction law, appellate practice, insurance coverage and business litigation. From 2008-2021, Mr. Julander served as General Counsel for Advent Companies in San Juan Capistrano, California, a general contractor specializing in the construction of affordable housing. As General Counsel, he was responsible for negotiating and drafting construction and intellectual property contracts, handling the company’s litigation and appeals, and counseling officers on employment issues. Prior...

Michelle Yoshida, a full-time mediator, arbitrator, and special master since 2007, joined Phillips ADR in 2014. Previously with Judge Daniel Weinstein’s team, she has mediated over 500 disputes with billions in settlements, excelling in complex cases involving securities, insurance, professional liability, ERISA, and trustee issues. Known for quickly grasping legal and factual complexities, she manages large ADR cases with objectivity and determination, finding practical solutions for disputes ranging from personal contracts to major corporate matters. Michelle builds trust and productive relationships with mediation participants. Before becoming a neutral, she was a trial attorney handling complex business litigation, including contracts, insurance, intellectual...

Attorney Rankin’s focus in his firm is representing employees involved in disputes with their employers. Mr. Rankin’s experience as a litigator representing only employees provides him insight and perception, allowing him to anticipate and defeat common strategies and ploys used by employers. He has substantial experience in resolving employment law disputes, including pre-litigation resolution, state and federal litigation, mediation, and negotiating severance agreements.

Mr. Rankin is an active member of the California Employment Lawyers Association, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the Consumer Attorneys of California. He is admitted to the California State Bar and the United States District Court for...

Aaron is a trial attorney who has secured numerous settlement and verdicts on behalf of his clients against large corporations and some of the largest auto manufactures in the world. Representing consumers and injury victims through the state of California, Aaron’s practice areas include personal injury, wrongful death and lemon law litigation. Aaron has a long record of success taking on large defense firms and he does not hesitate to take cases to trial when necessary to enforce his clients’ rights. Whether it be representing victims of car accidents, trucking accidents, vehicle defects, or representing those who have lost loved...

Eric is a proven problem solver. He represents individuals, businesses, homeowners, landlords, tenants, contractors, brokers, buyers and sellers in mediations, arbitrations and litigation as well as transactions.

David T. Bartels is an experienced business attorney, representing businesses, and their officers and directors, in government enforcement actions, class actions and complex commercial litigation, as well as transactional and regulatory issues.

His experience includes securities and government enforcement litigation, complex commercial litigation, and intellectual property litigation. Mr. Bartels advises corporate directors and defended individuals, companies, underwriters, financial institutions and accounting firms in shareholder class action and derivative lawsuits, merger and acquisition disputes and in proceedings before the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”). Mr. Bartels...

Elliot Brown, a Phillips ADR neutral, is the former managing partner of Irell & Manella LLP. He spent nearly 30 years in IP litigation, counseling, and licensing at a top IP practice. Elliot graduated cum laude from Harvard College (1985), earning Phi Beta Kappa and a John Harvard Scholar award. He studied philosophy of science at Princeton, receiving an MA (1987) and a Mellon Fellowship, where game theory and Daniel Kahneman’s work on bargaining and cognitive bias shaped his approach to dispute resolution. He earned his J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School (1990), serving as a Harvard Law Review...

Niki, a Phillips ADR neutral for six years, brings 25 years of experience in complex litigation, claims administration, mediation, arbitration, and special master roles. A protégé of Judge Layn Phillips, she has co-mediated hundreds of cases, applying his innovative practices in mediations she leads and in court-appointed special master roles nationwide. Before Phillips ADR, Niki was Vice President of Client Strategy & Development at a national class action claims administrator. For nearly 15 years, she litigated securities fraud and complex commercial cases at a national class action law firm, securing court-approved settlements in high-profile matters. She also represented defendants in insurance...

Gregory P. Lindstrom, a Phillips ADR neutral since 2014, brings extensive litigation and business experience from his roles as a Latham & Watkins litigation partner and General Counsel of The Irvine Company. A full-time mediator and arbitrator since 2012, he specializes in complex disputes, including antitrust, securities, intellectual property, and commercial matters. Born in California, Greg graduated summa cum laude from UCLA (Economics, 1975) and earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School (1978), working with Professor Richard Posner. At Latham & Watkins (1978–2008), he became a partner in 1986, managed the San Francisco office, and served on the...

Andra Greene, a Phillips ADR neutral, has mediated OR COMEDIATED disputes from seven to 11 figures in NUMEROUS AREAS INCLUDING mass torts, class actions, EMPLOYMENT, securities, sexual misconduct, insurance, and intellectual property. She spent 35 years at Irell & Manella LLP, leading the Class Action Defense practice and serving as managing partner of the Newport Beach office and on the Executive Committee. A seasoned trial lawyer, Andra handled complex litigation in class actions, professional liability, employment, business torts, securities, and intellectual property in state and federal courts. She often represented lawyers and law firms. Recognized as a “Top Woman Lawyer in...

Clay joined Judge Phillips’ ADR practice in 2011. He graduated cum laude from Pepperdine University (B.A., History, 2006) and earned his J.D. from Fordham Law School (2011). He is admitted to the New York and California State Bars. Clay began mediating small claims in Bronx County Civil Court during law school. With over a decade at Phillips ADR, he now mediates complex disputes involving major companies in areas like antitrust, class actions, intellectual property, environmental, mass tort, insurance, securities, and contract disputes. He has worked on over 500 mediations, assisting Judge Phillips before, during, and after sessions, and directly engaging parties...

Yasir Elbiali, a seasoned attorney with over 25 years of experience, founded Elbiali Law, APC to cater to the legal needs of entrepreneurs and businesses. He has held senior positions at Panasonic, Western Digital, Aramco, and Mitsubishi Electric, gaining deep insights into a broad spectrum of business legal challenges. Over the years, Mr. Elbiali has developed an exceptional reputation in the following areas: • Advising stakeholders across sectors like energy, healthcare, consumer products, technology, and entertainment, offering Outside General Counsel services; • Drafting and negotiating various agreements such as sales, licensing, consulting, supply, and commercial lease agreements; • Handling Commercial Transactions including mergers, acquisitions, and global...

Seth Aronson joined Phillips ADR in 2023, mediating disputes up to ten figures in securities, consumer class actions, privacy, false claims, shareholder derivative, antitrust, RMBS fraud, and complex litigation. He serves on the ADR panel for the U.S. District Court, Central District of California. Retiring from O’Melveny & Myers LLP in 2022 after 40 years as a trial and appellate lawyer, Seth was managing partner of O’Melveny’s Los Angeles office and chaired its Securities Litigation practice. Ranked by Chambers USA for 20 years, he was named California Securities Litigation Attorney of the Year twice by Benchmark Litigation, a “Top 100 Lawyer”...

Margaret B. Seymour, a retired U.S. District Judge (District of South Carolina, 1998–2022), was the first African American woman federal judge and chief federal judge in South Carolina. She served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge (1996–1998) before her district court appointment. Over 26 years, Judge Seymour presided over complex securities, contract, class action, commercial, banking, bankruptcy, employment, discrimination, and environmental cases, as well as criminal matters like drug conspiracies, white-collar crime, and Ponzi schemes. She sat by designation on the Fourth Circuit and participated in two three-judge-panel redistricting cases. She served twice on the Judicial Conference Committee on the Administration of...

Layn R. Phillips, founder of Phillips ADR Enterprises (PADRE), is a former U.S. Attorney and U.S. District Judge. Appointed at age 35 by President Reagan, he presided over 140+ trials in Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas, and sat by designation on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Earlier, Judge Phillips served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles, and at age 31, was nominated as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma. After leaving the bench, he spent 23 years at Irell & Manella, focusing on complex civil litigation, internal investigations, and alternative dispute resolution. He later founded PADRE, specializing...

Barry R. Ostrager, a retired New York State Supreme Court Justice (Commercial Division, 2015–2023), presided over numerous trials and resolved hundreds of commercial cases. Before his judicial role, he was a litigation partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, leading its 300+ attorney Litigation Department and serving on the management committee. As lead trial counsel, Ostrager handled high-profile securities, antitrust, and insurance cases, including Swiss Re’s World Trade Center dispute and Travelers’ environmental coverage case against Shell Oil, both resulting in jury verdicts. He tried five cases involving $1 billion+ disputes and led major arbitrations, such as Andersen Consulting’s $14 billion...

Bill Ohlemeyer brings 40 years of experience to Phillips ADR, representing plaintiffs, defendants, and working at Altria Group. He has litigated, arbitrated, mediated, and tried cases in state and federal courts, advising on legal and regulatory challenges. A Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Bill graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri Law School and clerked for Chief Judge Scott O. Wright. He joined Shook, Hardy & Bacon, becoming partner in 1991, then served as Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Altria (1999–2008), managing litigation for Philip Morris...

Michael G. Rhodes, a leading trial lawyer, served as Global Chair of Cooley LLP’s Litigation Department and cyber/data/privacy practice, and was on its Management Committee. He represented clients like Google, Meta, Open AI, the Kardashian-Jenner family, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Zoom, Coinbase, and the Golden State Warriors. For Meta, he won three IP jury trials and settled another during trial. He also secured a victory in a high-profile defamation trial for the Kardashian-Jenner family against Angela White (Blac Chyna). Retiring from Cooley in 2024 after 40 years, Rhodes earned accolades including American Lawyer "Litigator of the Year," Chambers USA top lawyer...

For over 40 years, Michael Crosner, Esq. has been providing highly skilled and personalized legal services. We have aggressively represented thousands of personal injury victims, and have recovered millions of dollars against individuals, corporations, and municipalities. Crosner Law Corp. is not afraid to litigate difficult cases, and will advance whatever legal costs are necessary to achieve justice. All personal injury cases are taken on a contingency fee basis, meaning our clients pay no legal fees until a successful settlement/verdict is achieved. We can assist you in obtaining medical care without health insurance, and a rental vehicle if your automobile is...