Our latest featured speaker is Jason Liang of Liang Ly LLP!

Jason is teaching Depositions at our upcoming 19th Annual Superior Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts program on September 24 & 26, 2024 (Jason is co-teaching the art of the deposition on September 24th).

This dynamic and information-packed program will teach you all about litigating in California State Court. It will also teach you what you need to know to be a successful litigator in any court. You will hear from four Superior Court judges across California, in addition to plaintiff and defense attorneys from large and small firms and solos, to make sure you get a variety of perspectives on each topic. The program covers your case in state court from the start until right before trial (we now have a separate Trial Training program in the works).  The speakers teach everything from developing your case themes, to CMCs, complex case scheduling, discovery, depos, and motions moving on through to your pre-trial tasks. You can sign up to attend live or pre-order OnDemand Streaming or a recorded package here.

Jason previously spoke at this same program in 2023: 18th Annual Superior Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts. He was very popular and so we invited him back!. You can purchase a recorded package or OnDemand Streaming of that program here.

Jason represents corporate and individual clients in various complex civil and criminal matters. His experience includes litigating issues involving trade secret and intellectual property theft, defamation, breach of contract, fraud, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO Act”), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Economic Espionage Act, the False Claims Act, conspiracy, anti-trust and unfair competition laws, and cross-border disputes involving Chinese law. In 2019, after a two-week jury trial, Jason successfully obtained a complete defense verdict exonerating his client of any and all civil liability under the federal False Claims Act.

Prior to founding Liang Ly LLP, Jason was an associate at the Los Angeles office of Jones Day and Murphy Rosen LLP, a boutique litigation firm located in Santa Monica. He also worked closely with the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice (“LACLJ”) to represent, on a pro bono basis, victims of domestic violence who seek representation to obtain permanent restraining orders against their abusers. In 2012, LACLJ awarded him with the Excellence in Community Service Award for his pro bono work. In addition, Jason had served on the board of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association and is a former president of the organization.

Jason earned his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Washington University in St. Louis, School of Law, in 2007. He received his BA in Economics from University of California, Irvine (UCI). Jason is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in the State of California, and is also a member of the bar of the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit. Jason has been consistently recognized by his peers as a Southern California Super Lawyers “Rising Star.”

Thank you for joining us again this year Jason – we are glad to have you back!

Our latest featured speaker is Rebecca M. Plasencia of Holland & Knight LLP!

Rebecca is teaching Brief Writing, alongside Monica Castro, at our 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts program. You can sign up to attend liver pre order OnDemand Streaming or the recorded package here.

This program is set for September 17 and 19, 2024 (Rebecca is speaking on September 19th). It is designed to teach the attorney new to appeals at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Boot Camp everything – or most everything – they need to know to handle an appeal at the 11th Circuit. Attorneys looking for an Eleventh Circuit refresher will also benefit from the program. It is based on our very popular 9th Circuit program, held last year and in 2021.

Rebecca previously spoke at our Advanced Appellate Practice program, held in 2022, and was very popular with our attendees. You can find the recording available for purchase as a download or via OnDemand Streaming here.

Rebecca M. Plasencia is an attorney in Holland & Knight’s Appellate and Litigation Practice Groups. Her practice areas include appeals, complex commercial litigation, product liability and creditors’ rights. Since joining Holland & Knight’s Appellate Team, Ms. Plasencia has argued appeals in the Florida District Courts of Appeal and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Ms. Plasencia has also worked on numerous appeals before the Florida Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. She has also litigated cases in state and federal courts and worked on several arbitration disputes.

In her commercial litigation practice, Ms. Plasencia has defended hotels in consumer class actions arising from the imposition of automatic gratuities and service charges at restaurants. Ms. Plasencia also represents financial institutions and law firms in cases alleging a variety of tort claims, including aiding and abetting fraud, aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, and conspiracy. She has also represented a wide range of clients in claims arising from employment agreements, including obtaining emergency injunctions to prevent dissemination of trade secrets.

Ms. Plasencia routinely assists trial lawyers from the inception of a case, using her appellate knowledge to ensure that legal issues arising during the course of litigation are well-positioned for a favorable outcome, both at the trial and appellate levels. Ms. Plasencia has extensive experience in litigating nuanced jurisdictional and venue issues, including forum non conveniens motions and motions to compel arbitration. She also assists in litigation matters that arise after appeal, including postjudgment execution and enforcement of creditors’ rights.

Before entering private practice, Ms. Plasencia served as a law clerk to the Honorable Paul C. Huck of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, from August 2004 to September 2005. While at the University of Miami School of Law, Ms. Plasencia was a member of the University of Miami Law Review and the Moot Court Board. As a Moot Court Board member, Ms. Plasencia participated in numerous competitions and received the Best Oral Advocate Award for her participation in the Advanced Moot Court Competition in 2002. Ms. Plasencia interned for the Honorable Rodolfo Sorondo Jr., at the Florida Third District Court of Appeal and served as a Constitutional Law Dean’s fellow to Professor Keith Rosenn at the University of Miami School of Law. She also interned at the Florida Office of the Attorney General, Criminal Appeals Division, during which time she argued several cases before the Florida Third District Court of Appeal.

So glad to have you back again Rebecca!

Our latest featured speaker is Kristen Fiore of Akerman LLP!

Kristen is teaching Post-Decision Practice at our upcoming 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts program.

This program is set for September 17 and 19, 2024 (Kristen is speaking on September 19th).  It is designed to teach the attorney new to appeals at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Boot Camp everything – or most everything – they need to know to handle an appeal at the 11th Circuit. Attorneys looking for an Eleventh Circuit refresher will also benefit from the program. It is based on our very popular 9th Circuit program, held last year and in 2021.

Kristen was highly acclaimed by our attendees when she spoke at our Preserving the Trial Record for Appeal in Florida Civil Cases program last year. You can purchase a recording of that program here. 

Board certified in Appellate Practice by The Florida Bar, Kristen Fiore’s practice focuses on complex appellate matters. Prior to joining Akerman, Kristen served as a senior staff attorney for Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente and a staff attorney for Fourth District Court of Appeal Judge Fred Hazouri. During her clerkships at both the highest and intermediate levels of appellate courts in Florida, she reviewed hundreds of briefs and participated in countless appeals, exposing her to a broad range of appellate issues and providing clients invaluable insight in framing compelling arguments and preservation of error issues during the trial stage of litigation.

Kristen’s extensive experience encompasses civil and administrative cases touching on a wide range of law, including constitutional issues, discovery, class actions, damages, bankruptcy, malpractice, probate, Indian law, taxation, and family, among others. Significant areas of focus in her appellate work include financial, insurance, and labor and employment disputes.

Prior to entering the practice of law, Kristen held several roles in human resources and general management in the financial services and consulting industries. Kristen’s diverse background provides her unique perspective into the intricate issues facing her clients.

We are so glad to have you back Kristen!

Our latest featured speaker is Nerissa Coyle McGinn of Loeb & Loeb LLP!

Nerissa is speaking at our upcoming AI and the Practice of Law program on October 29 & 30, 2024, which will teach attorneys what AI tools are out there and how to use them, among other things. Nerissa will be giving an overview of the primary legal areas impacted by AI.  If you’d like more information about this program, please click the hyperlink above.

Nerissa Coyle McGinn’s practice focuses on matters involving the convergence of advertising and promotions, emerging media, technology, privacy and intellectual property law. More recently, she has focused her practice on counseling clients on legal issues related to NFTs and in the metaverse, including issues on enforcing and exploiting their existing rights.

Nerissa also has particular experience advising on matters involving digital advertising and promotions including on social media platforms; loyalty programs; the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA); and the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU). Nerissa has a diverse roster of clients ranging from some of the best-known brands to start-up digital companies and app developers. Embracing a business-minded approach, she helps all of her clients develop new brand assets and assists them in promoting and advertising their brands and products. As a thought leader in her industry, Nerissa frequently publishes and speaks at events and conferences. She also serves as the Co-Chair of INTA’s Leadership Development Programming Sub-Committee.

We are so glad to have you join us Nerissa!

Our latest featured speaker is Christopher Bellows from Holland & Knight!

Chris is teaching Oral Argument at our upcoming 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts program, along side 11th Circuit Senior Judge Charles Wilson.

This program is set for September 17 and 19, 2024 (Chris is speaking on September 19th).  It is designed to teach the attorney new to appeals at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Boot Camp everything – or most everything – they need to know to handle an appeal at the 11th Circuit.  Attorneys looking for an Eleventh Circuit refresher will also benefit from the program. It is based on our very popular 9th Circuit program, held last year and in 2021.

As an appellate attorney, Chris has spoken several times at our appellate related programs, always to rave reviews. Chris most recently spoke at our terrific Persuasive Appellate Brief Writing and Oral Argument 101 program in June 2024. If you’d like to hear him speak, as well as multiple appellate judges and other outstanding appellate attorneys, you can find that program on our website (by clicking the link).

A partner at Holland & Knight, Chris Bellows focuses his practice on appellate cases. He has handled complex civil appeals in the Supreme Court of Florida, all Florida District Courts of Appeal and the federal appellate courts.

Mr. Bellows also has significant experience in complex commercial litigation, including areas of contract law, Uniform Commercial Code, business torts, foreclosures, receiverships, replevins, construction disputes, landlord-tenant litigation, product liability, personal injury, first amendment, employment discrimination, housing discrimination, environmental law, professional malpractice, antitrust, securities fraud and shareholder disputes.

We are so glad to have you with us again Christopher!

Our latest featured speaker is Paul Traina of Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP!

Paul, an experienced, fiercely competitive litigator and trial lawyer, is speaking at our upcoming Master the Depositions 101: The Nuts and Bolts (CA) program. Designed for newer litigators, this program will teach attorneys what they need to know to succeed at taking and defending depositions. This in-depth deposition training program will provide you with both a comprehensive understanding of the process, as well as strategies to take and defend better depositions.  Most sessions include demonstrations to show the topic taught in action. If you are interested in attending live, or watching it OnDemand, please click the link above.

Paul has previously spoken at our 19th Annual Federal Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts (CA) program, and was very popular. You can purchase the recording of our 2024 version of this program here.  Paul has spoken at many of our annual boot camps – both state and federal – as well as our Jury Selection and Depos programs in the past.

Paul is a very popular speaker and we love having return to speak year after year.

Paul Traina has practiced law for the past 25 years spending his first five years representing automobile manufacturers and insurance companies and the last twenty years representing consumers on a pure contingency basis. Paul is an experienced, fiercely competitive litigator and trial lawyer and has obtained verdicts and recoveries for his clients totaling over 3 billion dollars.

Paul has and continues to represent clients in matters involving catastrophic injuries, defective products, whistleblower litigation, class actions, professional liability cases, and business/commercial litigation and is a frequent guest lecturer at Loyola Law Schools Trial Advocacy Class. Paul has lectured around the country on topics ranging from class actions, conflicts of interest, opening and closing arguments, and direct and cross examinations of both lay and expert witnesses.

Paul was born and raised in Charlotte, Michigan. He attended the University of Minnesota where he earned degrees in History, Political Science and Philosophy.  After college, he moved to California for law school where he attended Pepperdine University.  During law school, he clerked at various firms and the Ventura Public Defenders Office. After graduation, Paul started his legal career at the defense firm of Harrington, Foxx, Dubrow and Canter where he worked for 4 years doing heavy litigation and trying cases.

In 1996, Paul joined the prestigious law firm of Engstrom Lipscomb & Lack, a firm made famous by the PG&E chromium-6 matter portrayed in the blockbuster movie Erin Brockovich.  As a young partner, Paul litigated and tried large complex injury cases on behalf of businesses and consumers with both Walter Lack and Thomas Girardi and continued litigating and trying cases during his tenure at Engstrom before joining the Stalwart Law Group in July of 2017.

Paul is a member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles and Consumer Attorneys of California. He was recognized as one of Southern California’s Super lawyers from 2004-2009.

Paul routinely speaks on legal matters with sitting federal and state judges and other experienced litigators.

We are so glad to have you back (again) Paul!

Our latest featured speaker is Nic Roethlisberger of Kwun Bhansali Lazarus LLP!

Nic is speaking at our upcoming Master the Depositions 101: The Nuts and Bolts (CA) program. Designed for newer litigators, this program will teach attorneys what they need to know to succeed at taking and defending depositions. This in-depth deposition training program will provide you with both a comprehensive understanding of the process, as well as strategies to take and defend better depositions.  Most sessions include demonstrations to show the topic taught in action.

Nic was very popular when speaking at our 18th Annual Superior Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts (CA). If you are interested in that program, you can still purchase it and watch it via OnDemand here. Our 2024 version will be taking place in September and you can watch it live or pre-order the OnDemand program by purchasing it here.

Nic has broad litigation practice and has tried cases in state and federal court, as well as private arbitration. He has experience in everything from complex commercial litigation and class action defense to intellectual property and shareholder derivative lawsuits.

Nic has handled large, high-stakes matters worth hundreds of millions of dollars and smaller, sensitive cases where clients faced both monetary and reputational risk. Nic’s experience ranges from pre-litigation negotiations through depositions, motion practice, trial, and appeal. He has examined witnesses at trial, argued dispositive motions, and written appellate briefs in both the California Courts of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit.

Nic is a Bay Area native and before law school was a newspaper editor.  He now lives in Oakland with his wife and daughter.

We are so glad to have you back Nic!

Our latest featured speaker is Andrew Owen of Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP!

Andrew is speaking at our upcoming Master the Depositions 101: The Nuts and Bolts (CA) program. Designed for newer litigators, this program will teach attorneys what they need to know to succeed at taking and defending depositions. This comprehensive deposition training program will provide you with both a comprehensive understanding of the process, as well as strategies to take and defend depositions successfully.

Our attendees loved Andrew when he spoke at our 2022 18th Annual Federal Court Boot Camp. You can find our 2024 version of that program here.

Andrew Owen focuses his practice on litigating and trying catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases involving trucks, commercial vehicles, pedestrians, industrial or construction accidents, as well as dangerous conditions of public and private property.  Mr. Owen also devotes a portion of his practice to consumer class actions against businesses that engage in unfair and illegal business practices.

Prior to joining Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP, Mr. Owen worked as a paralegal, law clerk and attorney at O’Donnell & Associates, a boutique civil litigation and trial firm that specialized in complex, multi-million dollar state and federal lawsuits involving antitrust, entertainment, intellectual property, energy, securities, products liability, toxic tort, real estate, constitutional law, finance, and business disputes.

Some of Mr. Owen’s prior work included: In re Katrina Canal Breaches Consolidated Litigation:  twin suits against United States and a private contractor alleging their negligence caused plaintiffs’ flood damage during Hurricane Katrina. State of California ex rel. Hindin v. Hewlett Packard Company and Agilent Technologies Inc.: qui tam suit for violation of California False Claims Act. The State of Nevada v. Watanabe:  white-collar criminal defense of gambler involving a gaming debt of over a million. In re Natural Gas Anti-trust Cases I, II, III, IV:  consumer class action antitrust case concerning natural gas price fixing during 2000-01 energy crisis.

Mr. Owen has been named among the Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, recognized as a Southern California Rising Star by the Super Lawyers publication, and is a member of the State Bar of California, the United States District Court for the Central District of California, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.  He is also an active member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles.

While working as a law clerk, Mr. Owen attended the night program at Southwestern Law School where he graduated cum laude.  He earned Highest Honors in Legal Research & Writing, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and California Pretrial Practice.  Mr. Owen was also an active member of Moot Court and competed in the 2008 National Telecommunications Competition at Catholic University, where his team won First Place and he won Best Oralist.

We are so glad to have you back Andrew!

Our latest featured speaker is Mythily Sivarajah of Peck-Law, Employment & Civil Rights! 

Mythily is speaking at our upcoming Master the Depositions 101: The Nuts and Bolts (CA) program. Designed for newer litigators, this program will teach attorneys what they need to know to succeed at taking and defending depositions. This comprehensive deposition training program will provide you with both a comprehensive understanding of the process, as well as strategies to take and defend better depositions.

Mythily will also be speaking at our upcoming 19th Annual Superior Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts (CA) program, which you can purchase to watch live or recorded. This dynamic and information-packed program will teach you all about litigating in California State Court. It will also teach you what you need to know to be a successful litigator in any court. The program covers your case in state court from start until right before trial (we now have a separate Trial Training program in the works).  The speakers teach everything from developing your case themes, to CMCs, complex case scheduling, discovery, depos, and motions moving on through to your pre-trial tasks. Our 2023 version of this program had outstanding reviews and you can purchase the recording here. 

Mythily Sivarajah (“MY-THE-LEE SIVA-RAJA”) has more than a decade of experience solely representing plaintiffs/ employees and she has committed her entire legal career to advocating for workers’ rights and social justice issues. Mythily has broad experience in handling employment and civil rights matters of diverse complexities through all stages of litigation, as demonstrated by her positive results on behalf of numerous plaintiffs against a range of employers and businesses, including public entities. Prior to joining PECK-LAW, Employment & Civil Rights, Mythily practiced at other litigation firms advocating for plaintiffs and workers, where she successfully represented plaintiffs in various employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblower, sexual assault, wage theft and defamation cases.

Mythily pursued her passion for learning about workplace issues by focusing her undergraduate degree at Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. While at Cornell, along with conducting extensive research on workers’ rights, she also became involved with unions and other employment organizations, which further bolstered her interest and resolve in making a difference in the lives of aggrieved and injured employees. In 2000, Mythily graduated in three years with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University as a Cornell National Scholar.

Recognized by her peers as a “Super Lawyer” in 2020 and a “Rising Star” with Super Lawyers’ Magazine for 2017-2018, Mythily is also actively involved with the California Employment Lawyers Association (“CELA”) as co-chair of the Mentorship Committee, and she is committed to advancing knowledge of workplace issues, diversity and mentorship amongst her peers, mentees, and other bar associations in the Bay Area. She is a former co-chair of the pro-bono committee for the South Asian Bar Association of Northern California and former co-chair of the bay area chapter of the South Asian Women Attorneys Network.

Mythily enjoys baking and cooking different cuisines, and traveling. Oftentimes, you will find her hiking in the Bay Area’s outdoors with her husband and two kids.

We are so glad to have you again Mythily!

Our latest featured speaker is Evangeline A.Z. Burbidge of Lewis & Llewellyn LLP!

Evangeline (Evan) is speaking at our upcoming Master the Depositions 101: The Nuts and Bolts (CA) program. Designed for newer litigators, this program will teach attorneys what they need to know to succeed at taking and defending depositions. This comprehensive deposition training program will provide you with both a comprehensive understanding of the process, as well as strategies to take and defend better depositions.

Attendees loved Evan when she taught at this program in 2021, which you can purchase here.

Evan was also very popular when she spoke at our 2022 17th Annual Superior Court Boot Camp.  The 2023 version of that program is available now and you can find more information here. Our 2024 version of that program will take place on September 24th and 26th and you can register to attend live here. This program has received phenomenal reviews and comes highly recommended as an essential litigation program for newer attorneys and those new to litigation.

It is always fabulous to have you speak at our programs Evan!