I was born and raised in Stockton, California with my parents and sister. From a young age, I loved participating in sports, but by high school, I was focused on swimming. I competed throughout the state and nationally and then went on to swim at Columbia University, where I attended college. I was successful in sprint and middle-distance events, including the 100 and 200 butterfly, and was elected team captain in both my junior and senior years. I am naturally competitive, but swimming taught me what it means to work hard and how that effort will nearly always manifest confidence and results.
After college, I worked in New York for two years before returning to California to go to law school at USC. I had always had an interest in a legal career because I watched my father and grandfather in practice as law partners for many years. They were general practitioners who could handle everything from wills and trusts to family law and criminal matters to land disputes and water resources management. Both were highly regarded by their peers and judges in the community due to their calm and reasonable dispositions. And, more importantly, they were respected and beloved by their clients who came to them year after year and decade after decade for guidance, advice, and support through the ups-and-downs of their lives. I attended countless dinners, weddings and baptisms for clients who treated my father and grandfather as family.
For the 20 years I have been in plaintiffs’ practice, I have worked to incorporate the lessons learned from many years of being a competitive athlete with the traits exemplified by my father and grandfather as lawyers in service to members of their community. I am mindful of my power and obligation to guide, advise, and support the clients who trust me with the most significant challenges they face in their lives. I strive to treat them as family and have found that this, combined with dedicated preparation, lead to results that are often life-changing for my clients.
I live in El Segundo with my spouse, Derek, and our two children, Jack (17) and Charlotte (6). We are big fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and traveling just about anywhere.
