Orange County Lawyers

John S. Kiernan retired from Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in 2022 after 40 years, serving on the Management Committee, co-chairing the Litigation Department, and chairing the Ethics Committee. He handled commercial litigation, arbitrations, mediations, and investigations in contracts, corporate governance, securities, intellectual property, and mass torts. Recognized by Chambers USA as an “extraordinary commercial litigator” with “great judgment” and by IFLR Benchmark Litigation as a leading litigator since 2010, John is also noted in The Legal 500 US and Best Lawyers for securities and dispute resolution. He chairs the Boards of Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York, the William Nelson Cromwell Foundation,...

Nicola C. Richards Nicola C. Richards is an associate attorney at the Sanders Law Group and is currently focused on advocating for her clients in consumer protection through the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”). Prior to joining Sanders Law Group Ms. Richards worked as a paralegal handling insurance claims for credit cards, mortgages and loans. Ms. Richards went on to intern at Nassau County’s social services department where she managed cases for daily Fair Hearings. Moreover, Ms. Richards used her time to work with Lawyers Helping Our Community (LHOC) to increase business production for companies in Chicago IL for the Asian...

Joshua D. Vera is an associate attorney in the Intellectual Property Division of Sanders Law Group with a focus on copyright infringement. Mr. Vera takes great pride in advocating on behalf of his clients and ensuring the rights of intellectual property owners are respected.

Jacqueline Mandel is an attorney at Sanders Law Group and is a member of the Copyright Infringement team. Prior to joining the team, she avidly defended her clients in contract disputes, evictions, criminal defense actions, and other civil matters. She has trial and litigation experience and is now looking forward to bringing those skills to defend the intellectual property rights of our clients.

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...

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...

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

Danielle Menitove is an independent arbitrator and mediator specializing in commercial, consumer, and sports-related disputes, including antitrust, employment, intellectual property, gambling, anti-doping, and player-agent issues. Before 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, trade secrets, non-compete agreements, and unfair competition. In her sports practice, she represented major organizations like the PGA TOUR, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and NCAA, and served as a clerk for arbitration panels...

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...

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...

Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney representing clients in Laguna Niguel.

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...

Lee Meryash

Former Electrical Engineer with over 5 years of circuit design experience of semiconductor integrated circuits. In-house counsel experience at software companies licensing CAD tools for the design of semiconductor integrated circuits. Now having over 10 years of patent application preparation and prosecution at the US Patent and Trademark Office. Now having over 10 years of trademark application preparation and prosecution at the US Patent and Trademark Office.

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,...

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...

Mr. Stevens is the Senior Partner with the law firm of Stevens, Carlberg & McMillan. Mr. Stevens received his J.D. from Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, California in 1992, having graduated Summa Cum Laude from Western State University as the valedictorian of his class. During law school Mr. Stevens was Chief Editor of the student newspaper and was selected for a California Court of Appeals internship with Justice Henry Moore. Mr. Stevens became a member of the Bar of the State of California in 1993, passing the bar on the first attempt. Mr. Stevens has practiced law in...

With offices in both Rancho Cucamonga and Riverside, Atlantis Law Firm proudly offers services to individuals and families who are facing financial struggles. The attorneys specialize in providing services in various bankruptcy-related matters including debt settlement, foreclosure defense, loan modifications, wage garnishment/ bank levy, and credit restoration. The firm is led by Attorney Keith Q. Nguyen, Esq. and Attorney Andy Nguyen, Esq. Attorney Keith Q. Nguyen earned his Bachelor’s degree in Economics and History from UCLA, and his Master’s degree in Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He then received his Juris Doctorate from the American University, Washington...