Category Archives: Featured Speakers

Michael Colantuono is our Latest Featured Speaker

Posted on by Trong Mai
22 Sep

Our latest featured speaker is Michael Colantuono from Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley!

Michael spoke recently at our  Appellate Law Certified Legal Specialist Exam Four-Part Online Prep Course (CA) in August of 2023 as well as our February 2023 8th Annual Advanced Appellate Practice CA Webinar.

Michael is routinely rated as one of our most popular speaker – he is a fantastic teacher.  Because he is so popular, Michael is invited back time and again.  He’ll be speaking again at our upcoming 9th Annual Advanced Appellate Practice program, which has returned to an in-person with live streaming format in February of 2024. That program will be held in San Francisco on February 1st and in Sierra Madre/Pasadena on February 9th. It will also be live-streamed from both locations, if people cannot attend in person.

Thank you for joining us again, Michael!  We appreciate you coming back.

Michael is a shareholder at Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley where he specializes in municipal law. The Supreme Court appointed him the first Chair of the Board of Trustees of the State Bar of California; he was previously President of the Bar.

The State Bar has certified Michael as an Appellate Specialist and he is a member of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers, a prestigious association of fewer than 100 of California’s most distinguished appellate advocates.

In addition to his expertise in municipal law, Michael has mastery over a broad range of legal topics, including: local governments, constitutional law, land use regulation, open meetings, elections, conflicts of interest, public utilities, LAFCO issues, inverse condemnation, cannabis regulation, and various public finance issues involving taxes assessments, fees and charges.

 Michael is one of California’s leading experts on municipal revenues and has appeared in all six Courts of Appeal in California. In addition, he has argued nine public finance cases in the California Supreme Court since 2004 and briefed two others. 

We are excited to have him with us!

Rachel Gezerseh is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Trong Mai
20 Sep

Our latest featured speaker is Rachel Gezerseh from Panish, Shea, Boyle, Ravipudi!

Rachel will be speaking at our upcoming 18th Annual Superior Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts (CA) program on October 13, 2023 in Sierra Madre/Pasadena, California. The program is also scheduled for October 27, 2023 in San Francisco, California (though Rachel is only speaking at the Sierra Madre/Pasadena location). This will be her first time speaking with us and she comes highly recommended by other long-time speakers.

Welcome, Rachel! We are excited to have you join us this year.

Rachel is a trial attorney with Panish, Shea, Boyle, Ravipudi LLP. Rachel specializes in litigating complex catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death and products liability cases.

Throughout her career, Rachel has gained substantial experience in a broad range of litigation phases, including discovery, motion practice, mediation, and trial. She has taken and defended numerous party and corporate witness depositions and has extensive drafting experience with summary judgment and other critical motions at the trial level.

Rachel was previously an attorney at top international law firm, Jones Day, where she litigated large scale product liability and aviation disaster cases.  She regularly obtained outstanding results for her clients, which included consumer product and aircraft manufacturers, healthcare companies, and pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers.  Rachel has now taken the skills she gained at Jones Day and dedicated her practice to vigorously seeking justice for individuals who have been wrongfully harmed.

Recognized by her peers as a Southern California Super Lawyers “Rising Star,” Rachel  was named to the Super Lawyers list in 2020.  She has also been featured in Bloomberg Law and ABA for Law Students and is the author of the Law Career Playbook, the leading networking guide for law students and new lawyers.  Rachel is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law.

Thank you for joining us, Rachel!

Jeffery Bast is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Trong Mai
18 Sep

Our latest featured speaker is Jeffrey Bast from Bast Amron!

Jeff will be speaking at our upcoming Business Bankruptcy 101 Chapter 11 Nuts and Bolts Webinar on September 19 & 21, 2023.  Previously, Jeff spoke at our Business Bankruptcy 101: Chapter 11 Nuts and Bolts program in 2020 as well as at prior Circuit Court Boot Camps and Bankruptcy programs.

We are excited to have him back!

Jeff is a partner at Bast Amron, where he focuses his practice in corporate and bankruptcy law.

With 30 years of experience, Jeff is a seasoned expert in the insolvency and litigation arena. Jeff guides business clients through all types of insolvency-related issues including bankruptcy and bankruptcy avoidance, emphasizing corporate reorganization, workouts, and liquidation. Jeff has also been recognized by his peers and numerous publications for professional excellence including: Best Lawyers in America, Chambers and Partners, Martindale Hubbell, South Florida Legal Guide, and Florida Super Lawyers. 

Jeff is a frequent speaker and writer both in the U.S. and abroad on topics related to insolvency. He recently wrote an article about Subchapter V bankruptcy. If you’d like to learn more about Subchapter V. For more information on the topic,  Jaime Leggett, also at Bast Amron, will spend a good 90 minutes on this topic at our upcoming Business Bankruptcy 101 Chapter 11 Nuts and Bolts Webinar on September 19 & 21, 2023 (the same one at which Jeff is speaking again).

It promises to be an excellent seminar, and we are glad to have him join us!

Matthew Slentz is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Trong Mai
15 Sep

Our latest featured speaker is Matthew Slentz from Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley!

Matthew will be speaking at our upcoming 18th Annual Superior Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts (CA) program on October 13, 2023 in Sierra Madre/Pasadena, California. The program will also be held in San Francisco on October 27th (Matthew is speaking at our Sierra Madre/Pasadena program. Most recently, Matthew spoke last at our 17th Annual Superior Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts (CA) program as well as our Art of Jury Selection in California: The Nuts and Bolts Webinar. Matthew has been consistently described as a knowledgeable and informative speaker.

We are excited to have him back with us!

Matthew is an associate with Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley’s litigation practice group. Matthew litigates a range of disputes for our public agency clients in both trial and appellate courts, including suits involving inverse condemnation, utility user taxes, Public Records Act disputes, post-redevelopment disputes, rates and fees, government contracts, land use and cannabis regulation.

Before joining CHW, Matthew served as Chief Deputy Public Defender for Stanislaus County. In this role, Matthew managed a team of attorneys defending misdemeanor cases, including violations of local ordinances, coordinated with city and county officials on nuisance abatement strategies, and helped formulate his agency’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a deputy public defender, Matthew conducted 25 jury trials to verdict in felony and misdemeanor cases. He has filed writs and appeals in local and appellate courts and has extensive motion-practice, including Pitchess motions and Cervantes hearings.

Thank you for joining us again, Matthew!

Nicole Mariani Noel is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Trong Mai
13 Sep

Our latest featured speaker is Nicole Mariani Noel from Kass Shuler!

Nicole will be speaking at our upcoming Business Bankruptcy 101 Chapter 11 Nuts and Bolts Webinar on September 19 & 21, 2023. Most recently, Nicole spoke at our Bankruptcy 101: Chapter 7 and 13 Nuts and Bolts program.

We are excited to have her back with us!

Nicole is a Shareholder at Kass Shuler, where she heads the Bankruptcy practice group for the firm and handles cases throughout the State of Florida, including the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts.

Since 2009, Nicole has honed her practice in various legal fields, including: bankruptcy, creditors’ rights and insolvency, real estate, consumer and business litigation. 

Outside of the firm, Nicole is an adjunct professor at Stetson University College of Law, St. Petersburg College and Hillsborough Community College teaching bankruptcy, real property finance, business law and civil litigation. She participated in the 2016 NextGeneration program held by the Bankruptcy Judges during the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (NCBJ). Nicolel was honored to become a Fellow for the Florida Bar Leadership Academy. She has also been named one of ALFN’s Junior Professionals and Executives Group (JPEG)’s stand-out young professionals to watch in 2016. Nicole also frequently volunteers her time to speak at local Universities on topics which include ethical concerns facing young attorneys, time management, and first year law practice pointers.

Thank you for joining the program, Nicole!

Reno Fernandez is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Trong Mai
07 Sep

Our latest featured speaker is Reno Fernandez from Complex Appellate Litigation Group (CALG)!

Reno will be speaking at our upcoming Business Bankruptcy 101 Chapter 11 Nuts and Bolts Webinar on September 19 & 21, 2023. This will be his first time speaking with us and we have had many attorneys from CALG speak over the years and everyone has been terrific.

Welcome, Reno!

Reno is a counsel at Complex Appellate Litigation Group where he focuses his practice on protecting the interests of creditors, debtors, trustees, and other parties in bankruptcy-related appellate matters. He is also a certified specialist in bankruptcy law by the California Board of Legal Specialization. 

Throughout his career, Reno has appeared in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Ninth Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and other courts sitting in an appellate capacity under the Bankruptcy Code. He also consults on general bankruptcy litigation in the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts.

Reno’s experience includes representing technology companies, equipment manufacturers, equipment lessors, banks, hedge funds, medical clinics, residential care facilities, shopping centers, apartment and office buildings, hotels, food and beverage, retail chains, farms, wineries, churches, and nonprofits. Reno has also overseen creditor recovery, receiverships, and assignments for the benefit of creditors.

Additionally, Reno was chair of the Insolvency Law Committee of the State Bar of California, a member of the organizing committee of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges’ Next Generation Program, a member of the board of directors of the Bay Area Bankruptcy Forum, and chair of the Commercial Law & Bankruptcy Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco.

We are excited to have him join us!

Andrew Friedman is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Trong Mai
05 Sep

Our latest featured speaker is Andrew Friedman from Helmer Friedman!

Andrew will be speaking at our upcoming18th Annual Superior Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts (CA) program on October 13, 2023 in Sierra Madre, California. Most recently, Andrew spoke at our Employment Law Year in Review – 2022: New Cases and Laws (CA & Federal), which showcased a comprehensive review of the most significant developments in California and Federal employment law for 2022.  Andrew is so popular that he has also spoken at our Annual Superior Court Boot Camps for the past several years.

He is also scheduled to speak at our January 2024 Employment Law Year in Review for 2023.

We are excited to have him back with us!

Andrew is a partner with the law firm of Helmer Friedman LLP. He primarily represents employees in all aspects of employment law, including not only individual discrimination, harassment, and retaliation cases but also complex multi-party wage and hour class actions. He also represents clients in catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, civil rights, and product liability cases.

Through his extensive experience in employment-related litigation in state and federal courts, Andrew recently won (with Tony Lewis of The Lewis Law Firm) a $4.1 Million jury verdict in a fraud and breach of employment contract lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court and he also prevailed (along with his law partner, Gregory D. Helmer) in a three week sexual harassment jury trial in the Orange County Superior Court. He also settled a $2.4 Million wage and hour class action lawsuit in federal court (U.S. District Court for the Central District of California), a $1.575 Million class action discrimination lawsuit in the Orange County Superior Court and he recovered a $1.5 Million settlement in federal court (U.S. District Court for the Central District of California) in a wage and hour class action.

Andrew has received the highest possible Martindale-Hubble rating (“AV”), indicating that he is ranked at the highest level of professional excellence with “very high to preeminent legal ability” and “very high” ethical standards as established by confidential opinions from members of the Bar. Law & Politics Magazine and the publishers of Los Angeles Magazine selected Andrew as a 2006 – 2021 Southern California “Super Lawyer” in the category of Labor and Employment Law. 

Additionally, in 2020 & 2021, Super Lawyers named Andrew H. Friedman to its list of the Top 100 Super Lawyers in Southern California and Lawdragon named Andrew to its list of the nation’s top 500 plaintiff employment and civil rights attorneys.

Thank you for joining us again, Andrew!

Judy Posner is our Latest Featured Speaker

Posted on by Trong Mai
30 Aug

Our latest featured speaker is Judy Posner from Benedon & Serlin!

Judy recently spoke at our Appellate Law Certified Legal Specialist Exam Four-Part Online Prep Course (CA) (Parts 1-3 held August 22, 23, 24 with Part 4 coming up on September 7, 2023). Judy received terrific reviews and we can’t wait to have her speak again.

Judy is a partner at Benedon & Serlin where she focuses her practice on appellate law. She is also a certified appellate specialist by the State Bar of California. Among her many accolades, Judy has been recognized by the U.S. News & World Report as “Best Lawyers in America, Appellate Law” as well as being selected as one of Southern California’s “Super Lawyers” in appellate law by Law & Politics. 

Before starting at Benedon & Serlin, Judy clerked with Hon. Melvin Brunetti (Dec.) in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She previously worked as a Senior Judicial Attorney at the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, for Presiding Justice Frances Rothschild in Division One and for Presiding Justice Dennis M. Perluss in Division Seven. In addition, Judy was of counsel at Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May and Reed Smith and an associate at Horvitz & Levy LLP and Sidley & Austin.

Thank you for joining us, Judy!

John Querio is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Trong Mai
18 Aug

Our latest featured speaker is John Querio from Horvitz & Levy!

John will be speaking at our upcoming 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts Webinar on September 26 & 28. He most recently spoke at our previous 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Boot Camp in November of 2021 where attendees praised his teaching efficiency and knowledge on the topic.

We’re excited to have him back with us!

Additionally, John is co-author of the leading treatise on civil appeals before the Ninth Circuit, the Rutter Group’s Ninth Circuit Civil Appellate Practice. Because John is speaking at our 9th Circuit program, along with co-author Peder Batalden, the Rutter Group will give attendees at that program 40% off the Guide.  Attendees will learn how to take advantage of this discount during the seminar.

John is a partner at Horvitz & Levy, where he has worked on dozens of civil appeals in state and federal court. He has special expertise in federal, civil, and appellate procedure. John has argued numerous appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

John’s proficiency in a wide range of practice areas, including commercial contract disputes; arbitration and class actions; defense of claims based on professional conduct (including the anti-SLAPP statute and First Amendment issues, legal malpractice, and malicious prosecution); defense of insurance coverage and bad faith litigation; products and premises liability defense; civil rights litigation defense; and punitive damages. 

Due to John’s extensive experience in appellate procedure, he has counseled many significant companies on appellate matters, including Ford Motor Company, State Farm, American General Life Insurance Company, Hospital Corporation of America, QBE Insurance Corporation, Travelers, Kiewit, Dow Chemical Company, Philip Morris, and San Diego Gas & Electric Company. 

John has also represented cities, counties, and peace officers in federal civil rights actions; major hospitals and providers in healthcare matters; and large insurers in coverage disputes. He has worked with major trade associations to position cutting edge issues for appellate review, including the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, DRI-The Voice of the Defense Bar, the Washington Legal Foundation, the California Hospital Association, and the California New Car Dealers Association.

Thank you for joining us again, John!



Janet Schorer is our Latest Featured Speaker

Posted on by Trong Mai
16 Aug

Our latest featured speaker is Janet Schroer from Hart Wagner!

Janet will be speaking at our upcoming 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts Webinar on September 26 & 28. She previously spoke at our 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Boot Camp, where attendees gave her rave reviews for her teaching skills and terrific materials. 

We’re excited to have her back with us!

Janet is a partner at Hart Wagner, where she frequently serves the firm’s clients in the Oregon Court of Appeals and Oregon Supreme Court, and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  She also represents her clients’ business, professional and personal interests before various trial courts and professional licensing agencies.

Over the course of her career, Janet has handled well over 50 cases to final decision in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  She has argued over 30 cases and taken them to final opinion in the Oregon Supreme Court, and argued over 130 cases resulting in opinions in the Oregon Court of Appeals.  She has also handled appeals in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, Idaho Supreme Court, Nevada Supreme Court, and Washington Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.

Janet defends doctors, lawyers and other professionals in Oregon state and federal trial courts. She also handles all aspects of professional malpractice, commercial litigation, products liability and general litigation.

Janet also represents Oregon professionals in matters involving their licensing Boards. She works frequently with the various Oregon professional licensing Boards.

Thank you for joining us again, Janet!