Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

Attorney Mark Johnson is a retired police lieutenant and accomplished trial attorney, who has obtained excellent results for his clients. His unique background gives him an edge in the courtroom unlike other attorneys.

Mr. Johnson offers affordable superior legal representation. in some cases, a payment plan for services may be accepted.

Mr. Johnson appreciates that the justice system can go wrong, and he is available to assist with your legal problems day and night. He welcomes an opportunity to advocate on your behalf.

Kevin Kump has practiced law in southern California for 23 years. He and his staff are very patient and helpful in explaining the bankruptcy process. There is no pressure and, unlike other bankruptcy firms, you will always meet the attorney. The office handles bankruptcy in the counties of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange.

An honors graduate of UC-Berkeley and Harvard Law School, Neil Shouse served five years as Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County. He prosecuted more than 60 criminal trials, and handled more than 1,000 evidentiary hearings. He earned a reputation as one of the toughest and most successful trial prosecutors, with an astounding 96% success rate in felony criminal jury trials to verdict.

As a trial prosecutor, Mr. Shouse's cases ranged from DUIs and drug charges to complex, high profile murders. He worked in close partnership with police, detectives, the California Highway Patrol, criminalists and fellow prosecutors.

Among his cases was the successful prosecution of Shadae Schmidt, a college student who shot and killed her mother and then staged a fake robbery scene. Shadae Schmidt was defended at the trial by Michael Jackson lawyer Thomas Messereau.

Mr. Shouse frequently speaks as a guest legal commentator on national television. He has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, Court TV, Fox News Channel and Public Television.

Prior to serving as a trial prosecutor, Mr. Shouse was a litigator for several of the nation's top law firms, including the global law firm Sidley Austin Brown & Wood. In that role, he represented such clients as AT&T, Microsoft, Metropolitan Life, Western Union and KPMG.

Michael C. Hackworth is a partner with lawfirm of Fernandez & Lauby LLP. Mr. Hackworth has a variety of experiences in defense litigation. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, Riverside, and held internships at the City of San Bernardino Mayor's Office performing legal and political research. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from Hastings College of the Law in 1996 where he specialized in litigation and served externships with the Public Law Research Institute, where he worked on the research and drafting of ethics bills.

Before attending law school, Mr. Hackworth served as a licensed real estate appraiser, determining the values of residential properties in several Southern California counties. This background, and his experience working for the Resolution Trust Corporation (an agency of the FDIC) led to an early practice in real estate transaction and litigation.

Mr. Hackworth's current practice includes insurance defense, premises liability, general liability, construction defect litigation, construction accidents, and general business litigation. He also has experience in professional and medical negligence cases, employment litigation, drafting of employment agreements and handbooks, business transactions, real estate issues, and public entity defense. He has represented various public entities, such as Cities, Counties, Special Districts, and School Districts in various litigation matters, including employment claims, contract disputes and injury claims.

Mr. Hackworth is licensed to practice before the Federal Courts, and has extensive experience at that level. He also has experience with appellate issues, in both State and Federal forums. His practice is enhanced by membership in local county bar associations. Additionally, he has served as a judge at the annual Hispanic National Bar Association Moot Court competition.

Derek K. Early is an associate with Fernandez & Lauby. His expertise includes both transactional and litigation matters, with clients ranging from large companies to nonprofits and private individuals. Mr. Early graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2003, where he was a member of Penn's 2000 Ivy League Championship football team. He graduated from Indiana University School of Law Bloomington in 2008. At Indiana, Mr. Early was President of the Sports & Entertainment Law Society, a Managing Editor for the Indiana Law Journal, an intern for the Nonprofit Legal Clinic, and a participant in the Intellectual Property Practicum. He also researched and wrote extensively on NCAA enforcement and compliance issues, including completing projects for the Indiana University Athletics Department. Mr. Early's current practice includes employment law, business law, intellectual property, sports law, entertainment law, and insurance defense.

Edward A. Fernandez has over 25 years' experience in general civil litigation with an emphasis in personal injury, premises liability, construction (both injury and defect) and business litigation. He has tried, arbitrated and mediated hundreds of cases throughout Southern and Central California. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of California San Diego in 1979 and his Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego in 1982. More recently, he completed the Pepperdine University School of Law/Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution Mediating the Litigated Case program. Mr. Fernandez also recently attended "Impasse Is A Fallacy" a 14-hour Advanced Mediators' Forum with Lee Jay Berman, Doug Noll, and Tim Corcoran of the American Institute of Mediation. He is licensed to practice in the State of California and before the United States District Court and is currently a member of the California Bar Association, the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Riverside Bar Association, The Los Angeles County Bar Association, The American Inns of Court [Leo A. Deegan Chapter], and the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel.

Mr. Fernandez is the recipient of the 2008 Defense Attorney of the Year Award presented by The International Association of Special Investigation Units, Southern California Chapter. He is a former director for Southern California Insurance Professionals and in addition to doing private mediations, also serves as a mediator for the Riverside Consolidated Courts and the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two. From a personal standpoint, he is married and has five children. He and his family live in Riverside and he has been actively involved in the AYSO Soccer Program where he served as a Board Member, Referee Administrator, Coach and Referee. He is an instrument-rated private pilot and enjoys activities such as flying, skiing and playing golf.

Michael Tam is an associate in the Riverside office of Fernandez & Lauby. Mr. Tam graduated from University of California, San Diego in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Science. In 2008 he received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. While in law school Mr. Tam received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Professional Responsibility. Additionally, during his time in law school, Mr. Tam was a research assistant for a renowned corporate law professor and participated in the Tax Clinic for low income tax payers. He also clerked at Mayfield & Associates, a corporate transaction and business litigation firm, for almost two years. Mr. Tam's current practice includes general civil litigation, business litigation, construction defect, insurance defense and personal injury.

Brian Mankin is an experienced attorney who primarily represents clients in employment disputes, class action and mass tort litigation. His practice also consists of general business, personal injury and construction matters.

Brian completed his undergraduate degree from San Diego State University while serving six years as a military police officer in the California Army National Guard. He received his law degree from Whittier Law School where he was on the Dean's Honor List, and a member of all three Honors Boards - Law Review, Moot Court and Trial Advocacy - on behalf of which he competed in national competitions.

Brian originally joined Fernandez & Lauby LLP in 2004. He is admitted to practice before Federal and California courts, and is a member of local bar associations.

In his time away from the office, Brian and his wife enjoy spending time with their baby boy, house projects, and the thrill of motocross and road bike racing.

Graham J. Baldwin is an associate attorney with Fernandez & Lauby LLP. He has a wide variety of experience in civil litigation encompassing the fields of personal injury, wrongful termination, professional liability, construction accidents, construction defect, and general business, at both the trial and appellate levels. Mr. Baldwin has been a past civil litigation arbitrator and is a current member on the Riverside County Fee Arbitration panel. Mr. Baldwin graduated from California State University (Long Beach) with a B.A. in 1971 and obtained his J.D. from Western State University in 1976. He is admitted to practice before the Federal and California state courts.

Kirk A. Lauby has a varied and comprehensive background in business management which is of particular benefit to the firm's business and business litigation clients. Mr. Lauby was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1978, and has combined his legal practice with business endeavors in the food marketing industry, oil and gas exploration, and real estate building and development.

Mr. Lauby is an experienced trial attorney with a focus on business litigation, construction defect litigation, construction injury litigation, premises liability, contractor general counsel assignments and personal injury. He has the distinction of having represented the developer defendants in what was at the time the largest construction defect jury trial held in Riverside County. Mr. Lauby has vast experience representing plaintiffs, developers, manufacturers and subcontractors in all construction trades.

His published opinion in Lopez v. C.G.M. Development, Inc. (2002) 101 CA 4th 430 is an established and often cited authority which limits liability of owners, developers and general contractors for injuries sustained by subcontractor employees.

Additionally, Mr. Lauby has had the opportunity to participate with multiple insurance carriers in their special investigation unit (SIU) automobile defense activities. He has tried and arbitrated several hundred SIU cases.

Mr. Lauby is licensed to practice in the State of California, and before the United States District Court. He is available to represent appellants in the California Appellate Court system.

He is a member of the State Bar of California, the Riverside County Bar Association, and the American Inns of Court and a former member of the American Bar Association, and the Los Angeles and Orange County Bar Associations.

Fernandez & Lauby LLP strongly supports alternative dispute resolution programs as the best means to control litigation costs and exposure. Mr. Lauby has successfully completed the mediator's training certificate from the Strauss Institute for Mediation at Pepperdine University School of Law. Mr. Lauby serves as a private mediator for construction, business litigation, real estate and personal injury disputes and is on the panel of mediators for Dispute Resolution Services. He also serves on the panel of arbitrators for the Riverside County and San Bernardino County courts.

Mr. Lauby received his Bachelor of Arts degree from U.C.L.A. in 1974 and his Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern University in 1978.

In 1998, Ms. Lauby received her Bachelor of Science degree in Social Policy from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. As a student, Ms. Lauby interned at the Chicago Department of Human Services. There, she participated in various aspects of the policy making process including research and analysis regarding the local impact of the federal transition from Aid to Families with Dependent Children to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. In addition to her academic pursuits, she also pitched for the Wildcatsâ Varsity Softball team.

After college, Ms. Lauby joined the Chicago office of the prestigious, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, as a case assistant on the tobacco litigation team. There, she learned the ins and outs of complex litigation and traveled to Seattle, Washington and Kansas City, Missouri to provide trial support.

In 2000, Ms. Lauby returned to her native Southern California and transferred to the Kirkland & Ellis office in Los Angeles where she continued to work until 2003. While still at Kirkland, Ms. Lauby decided to take the next step in her legal career and simultaneously attended law school.

After moving to the Inland Empire, Ms. Lauby became a law clerk for Fernandez & Lauby, marking the beginning of her in-depth exposure to the practice of construction and insurance litigation.

Ms. Lauby received her Juris Doctor degree in 2005 from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, California. As a first year student she was recognized as a finalist in the Moot Court writing competition.

After going through her own divorce, Ms. Lauby became interested in family law. She has cultivated a philosophy that encourages parties to reduce costs, stress and harm to children by taking control of the outcome of their case though mutual negotiation rather than litigation. While litigation is sometimes unavoidable, Ms. Lauby believes that it should be a matter of last resort.

Grant’s Law Firm, is a business oriented law firm composed of experienced attorneys delivering aggressive and innovative services in a cost-effective manner. While we offer the kind of work product, expected from a large law firm, we retain small firm efficiency and focus on personalized service to individuals, businesses and business owners throughout Orange County, Riverside County, and Los Angeles County, California.

Our business lawyers craft creative and efficient solutions to various legal problems, no matter how complex the issues may be. In doing so, we seek to build long term relationships with our clients, so that we can contribute to the overall success of their business.

Working personally with you and your business

Our lawyers practice in a variety of specialized legal areas, including:

Business Law: (sometimes known as Commercial Law) is the body of law that governs business, corporate law, and commercial transactions. We provide practical legal advice in negotiating and documenting business transactions and agreements for individuals, business owners and entrepreneurs.

Business Formation: We assist clients in selecting the appropriate organizational form for their new business endeavor, and document the selection by formalizing it with the appropriate State entity, whether it’s a corporation, a limited liability company (LLC), or a partnership.
We also help those clients acquire the appropriate business licenses, permits, and tax registrations so they can conduct business.

Employment Law: Helping business owners and start-ups with their day-to-day employment related issues, resolving employment disputes, and drafting clear and concise executive and key employee contracts, handbooks, policies, confidentiality agreement, and invention assignment agreements.

Entertainment: We advise on, draft and negotiate contracts for music recording, music and book publishing, and movie and television production packaging deals.

Franchise Law: We represent companies on a regional and national level, from first-time franchisors to multi-unit systems. Our law firm provides comprehensive services from development, operation and expansion to termination, non-renewals and contractual disputes.

Intellectual Property (IP) Law: We assure client ideas, whether protected by patents, trademarks, domain names, copyrights, trade secrets, and/or trade dress, are up to date and current to continuously guard against any infringement and counterfeiting.

Patent: We represent clients in the prosecution and protection of utility and design patents. We will research prior art, prepare all filings, respond to requests and office actions from the Patent Office, and handle all appeals. We also handle all litigation to enforce or defend patents.

Trademark: We assist in the selection of trademarks, conduct trademark clearance searches, prosecute trademark applications before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), maintain and monitor our clients’ trademark registrations and litigate trademark infringement and related actions.

Trade Dress: Refers to the packaging, bottling or labeling of a product, which focuses on the appearance of a manufactured item. We can help register the Trade dress of your product, in a process that is similar to trademark registration.

Trade Secret: Guard the intensive work you have invested while developing your business know-how, customer lists, market intelligence and business plans over the years. We can help you protect those secrets.

Copyright: Protects your creative work by properly registering copyrights for your websites, writings, marketing materials, music or developed software. These represent your competitive advantage in the market place. We will protect your rights against those who violate your copyright.

Domain Names: We advise and represent clients in connection with their use of IP on the Internet — authorized or otherwise — blogging, social networking, web compliance, privacy statements, terms of use, disclaimers, and the application of the doctrine of fair use.

International Protection: In a global economy based upon instantaneous communication, securing intellectual property protection worldwide has never been more important. We offer assistance to our clients in pursuing all forms of intellectual property protection in foreign countries and especially in neighboring countries such as Canada and Mexico. We coordinate with foreign specialty firms practicing before foreign tribunals and agencies, to secure, defend and exploit our client’s IP rights, worldwide.

International Clients: We offer assistance to our foreign associates and foreign attorneys who seek protection for their International Clients U.S. Patents and International Client U.S. Trademarks. Our office serves as a US associate for foreign law firms seeking to file patents and/or trademark in the United States. We coordinate with those foreign attorneys to ensure all of their intellectual property needs are met for our foreign clients.

Licensing: Our intellectual property attorneys have vast experience crafting licensing agreements that protect businesses intellectual property while optimizing revenue. We have drafted and negotiated numerous franchise licenses, patent licenses, and trademark licenses.

Contract Negotiation, Development and Litigation: Our attorneys have the experience to review and advise you on any negotiable instruments including all types of contracts, agreements, memoranda of understanding and letters of intent related to intellectual property and technology. We can help you develop contractual agreements that protect you and your business. If you find your business in conflict, our contract litigation attorneys are experienced in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and civil procedures, including pre-litigation analysis and investigation.

Civil Litigation: Our litigation attorneys are equipped to litigate in California and federal courts regarding business, commercial, employment, and intellectual property disputes involving trade secret theft, confidentiality violations, IP counterfeiting, non-compete agreements, trademark and unfair competition litigation, patent litigation, copyright litigation, and litigation matters.

At Grant’s Law Firm, we value the relationships we have created with our clients in handling their various legal issues. Contact an Orange County, Riverside County, or Los Angeles County attorney for an initial consultation.

EDWARDS-SWIFT & ASSOCIATES

Pamela Edwards-Swift is dedicated to changing the way divorce is viewed and handled. Ms. Swift is actively involved in a revolution designed to give couples more options in the divorce process. Through her firm Edwards-Swift and Associates, Ms. Swift is proud to offer many alternatives to individuals divorcing. Those options include, her innovative Divorce In a Day, Mediation, Collaboration, and aggressive litigation.

Ms. Swift has many professional distinctions, including designation by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization as a Certified Family Law Specialist and named a Southern California Super Lawyer for two consecutive years 2010 and 2011, by Law and Politics, which is only awarded to the top 5% of attorneys. Ms. Swift is a regular editorial contributor to West Coast Media Magazine, instructor for Divorcing 101 and is a founding member and Vice President of the Collaborative Divorce Professionals of the Inland Empire [CDPIE].

Edwards-Swift & Associates consists of attorneys, Pamela Edwards-Swift, Sherrie L. Davidson and Farhaad Azimi. The firm has been located in Chino Hills since 1996. They are now located in the Pine Corporate Center off the 71 freeway. A special feature of the office is a client library, which has resources available exclusively to the firm's clients.

On a personal level Ms. Swift is active with the Ayala Track and Field Booster Club, the Webb Affiliates, and is co-leader of a Christian Womens Bible Study Group at Inland Hills Church. She actively supports local charities.