Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

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.

Stacey M. Dippong is an associate in the Riverside office of Fernandez & Lauby. Ms. Dippong graduated from Boston College in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. In 2007 she received her Juris Doctorate degree from Northeastern University School of Law. While in law school, she participated in the Domestic Violence Clinic as an advocate, and served as a lawyering fellow for Northeastern's first year legal skills class. She also held internship positions with the Honorable Bruce M. Selya of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Prior to joining Fernandez & Lauby, she worked as a law clerk in the litigation department of Baker & Hostetler, LLP. Ms. Dippong's current practice includes general civil litigation, business litigation, construction defect, insurance defense, and personal injury.

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.

DON FEATHERSTONE is the Managing Shareholder and Founder of the Firm. He has the distinction of being peer reviewed and rated by Martindale-Hubbell for professional skills and ethics; and is one of the Inland Empire's leading Employment Law and Workers' Compensation Defense attorneys.

Since 1987, Mr. Featherstone has successfully represented a broad range of clients on matters relating to employment, workers' compensation, wage and hour, discrimination, privacy, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, subrogation, and fair employment/housing/civil rights law. He also has a substantial amount of appellate experience with case law on record.

Mr. Featherstone taught workers' compensation law at U.C. Riverside from 2002 to 2008, and has attended numerous speaking engagements as an expert on employment and workers' compensation law. Mr. Featherstone aims to help clients avoid litigation by assessing risk, providing tools to resolve risk issues and offering resources to mitigate future risks.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Workers' Compensation Law, Employment Law, Appellate Law, Administrative Law, Wage & Hour, Labor Code Section 132a, Discrimination, Privacy, Wrongful Termination, Sexual Harassment, Subrogation, Fair Employment/Housing/Civil Rights, OSHA, Unfair Business Practices, Serious & Willful Allegations

OTHER SERVICES OFFERED:
Personal Disability Rating Services
Employee Handbooks
Policy and Procedures Manual
Sexual Harassment Training/ Policy Creation
Customized Seminars / Training
Creation of Employer Programs:
Medical Provider Network
Return to Work Programs
Speaking Engagements

"I will get you the quality treatment you need and the money you deserve"

I have been practicing Workers Compensation and Employment law cases including FEHA and 132 a discrimination cases for over 13 years with a nearly flawless track record in representing injured employees in all industries.