Brian Panish
Founding Partner & Trial Attorney at Panish, Shea & BoylePanish Shea & Boyle LLP founding partner Brian Panish is recognized as one of the leading trial attorneys in the country. He has obtained some of the most significant jury verdicts in United States history on behalf of plaintiffs in personal injury, wrongful death, and product liability cases, including a $4.9 billion verdict in the landmark products liability case Anderson v. General Motors, as well as over 100 verdicts and settlements in excess of $10 million, and 6 verdicts in excess of $50 million. Mr. Panish's verdicts in brain injury cases include a $21 million verdict for an Iraq War veteran who was involved a car collision with a van, a $20 million verdict for a woman whose vehicle was struck by a transport truck that ran a red light at an intersection, and a $15 million verdict for a teenage boy who was a passenger in his mother’s car when it was struck by a Southern California Gas Company truck. Mr. Panish is a member and currently serving as Vice President of the prestigious Inner Circle of Advocates -- comprised of 100 of the nation’s top plaintiffs’ lawyers – and is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Among his recent honors and accolades, Mr. Panish is a recipient of the 2019 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award in the area of Personal Injury, named a 2019 Plaintiffs' Lawyers Trailblazer by the National Law Journal and he continues to be recognized by numerous organizations and publications nationwide for his work in the legal profession and his commitment to civic and community engagement.
Steven Vartazarian
Founder & Trial Lawyer of The Vartazarian Law FirmSteve Vartazarian is a trial lawyer involved in trying major catastrophic injury cases with numerous 7 and 8 digits jury verdicts in the past 10 years. His verdicts have accomplished the re-writing of policies and procedures for the County of Los Angeles, other governmental municipalities and several major hospitals in an effort to keep consumers safe. He is a member of ABOTA, is on the board of CAALA, and on the executive committee of LATLC. Mr. Vartazarian maintains his trial practice in Encino, Ca.steve@thevlf.com
Arash Homampour
Founding Partner & Trial Attorney at The Homampour Law FirmArash Homampour is a trial attorney that represents individuals in catastrophic injury/wrongful death, employment and insurance bad faith matters throughout the State. He was naed one of the top 30 Plaintiff attorneys in 2016 and 2018 in the State by the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He was named CAALA’s 2010 trial attorney of the year and has been nominated as trial attorney of the year every year since 2004. In 2017, he was named the Ventura County Trial Lawyer’s Association as Trial Attorney of the Year. In 2018, he was named the Orange County Trial Lawyer’s Association as it’s product liability Trial Attorney of the Year. In 2007, he was named one of the Top 20 Attorneys Under the Age of 40 by the Los Angeles Daily Journal. From 2005 through the present, he has earned the distinction of being a "Super Lawyer", with the additional recognition since 2010 as one of the top 100 Southern California Attorneys. He also handles appellate work, including successfully briefing and arguing before the California Supreme Court. He also appears as a legal analyst on television.
Gary A. Dordick
Founder and Trial Attorney of Dordick Law CorporationGary has held the record for the highest jury verdicts in numerous courthouses, including a record breaking $125 million dollar jury verdict in Ventura County in 2016.
Gary A. Dordick is a trial attorney in Beverly Hills specializing in plaintiff jury trials and has over 100 trials in his career. He is an Emeritus member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) Board of Governors. He won CAALA’s Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2001. He has been nominated for CAALA’s Trial Lawyer of the Year an unprecedented eleven times. He is CAOC’s (Consumer Attorneys of California) 2009 Trial Attorney of the Year. He was announced one of the Daily Journal’s Top 100 Lawyers in California in 2017, as well as one of the Daily Journal’s Top 30 Plaintiff Lawyers in California for 2016. Mr. Dordick was named Jury Verdicts Trial Lawyer of the Year. In 2016, he was awarded the Loyola Law School Champion of Justice Award for his career achievements representing Plaintiffs. In 2015, he received the “Civil Advocate Award” from the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (ASCDC). In 2003, Mr. Dordick received the University of West Los Angeles’s highest honor – The Bernard Jefferson Award.
Talin Babikian, MD
Clinical Neuropsychologist at UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT ProgramDr. Talin Babikian is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist with over 15 years of experience in private practice working with a broad spectrum of children and young adults, and their families. She is also Assistant Clinical Professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Associate Director of BrainSPORT at UCLA, an inter-departmental and multi-disciplinary program for identifying and treating brain injuries — including concussions — in youth and professional athletes, where she oversees the Sports Neuropsychology Fellowship training program.
Rahul Ravipudi
Partner & Trial Attorney at Panish Shea & Boyle LLPRahul Ravipudi is a partner at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP and has spent his legal career handling catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases involving commercial vehicles, pedestrians, industrial or construction accidents, utility negligence, dangerous conditions of public and private property as well as victims of sexual abuse and sexual assault. Licensed in California and Nevada, Mr. Ravipudi currently serves as Individual Plaintiffs Co-lead Counsel in the Southern California Fire cases litigation arising out of the Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flows in Montecito, California as well as on the Plaintiffs Executive Committee in the California North Bay Fires litigation and on the Steering Committee in the Blythe bus crash litigation.
Chris Dolan
Founding Partner & Chief Legal Counsel at Dolan Law FirmThe founder and lead trial counsel at the Dolan Law Firm, Chris Dolan has successfully tried over 45 cases and settled hundreds of lawsuits. Chris' unparalleled success in civil litigation includes the largest verdict - $61 million - ever in U.S. history for individuals subjected to racial discrimination and harassment in violation of their civil rights. Under Chris' leadership, Dolan Law Firm PC has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlement and become one of California's premier plaintiffs' firms serving clients injured due to the fault of another or were discriminated against or treated unfairly in the workplace.
Chris has been recognized by numerous California and national publications as one of the foremost trial lawyers and skilled negotiators in California. The Daily Journal selected Chris twice as one of California's Top 25 Plaintiffs' Lawyers. Chris has served as President of the Consumer Attorneys of California and the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association. Both the CAOC and SFTLA have honored Chris with their trial lawyer of the year awards.
Tina Odjaghian
Founder & Managing Attorney of Odjaghian Law GroupMrs. Odjaghian specializes in catastrophic injury workers compensation litigation with an emphasis on brain injury. She has secured over 100 million dollars in settlements and awards on behalf of catastrophically injured workers with over 30 seven-figure settlements and awards just in the last few years alone. Her trial work has resulted in many published and even notable decisions in the workers compensation arena which have helped injured workers gain access to care industry wide.
Mrs. Odjaghian was recently installed as a board member to the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery and Neurosciences. She also sits on the Board of Governors of the Armenian Bar Association where she serves on their Judicial Evaluation Committee.
Mrs. Odjaghian serves in an advisory capacity to several other governing boards in the brain injury community. Mrs. Odjaghian is a certified course instructor licensed by the California Department of Insurance. She speaks to colleagues, doctors, and nurses on various continuing education panels regarding complex issues surrounding brain injury litigation.
Mrs. Odjaghian was honoured to be named a Super Lawyer in Los Angeles Magazine’s list of Southern California Super Lawyers for the fifth consecutive year in 2019.
Brian Chase
Partner and Trial Attorney at Bisnar Chase Personal Injury AttorneysBisnar | Chase is a nine attorney AV-rated national law firm founded in 1977 in Newport Beach, California. Brian Chase is managing partner and senior trial attorney that heads up the litigation department of the firm. The firm specializes in automotive defect cases, catastrophic personal injury cases, mass torts (pharmaceutical and medical devices), automotive defect, employment, and consumer class actions. Mr. Chase was the 2015 President of the Consumer Attorneys of California and the 2007 President of the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association. He is a member of ABOTA. In 2014 and 2004 he was named Trial Lawyer of the Year in products liability by the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association. In 2012, Chase was named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys Association of California and a Trial Lawyer of the Year Nominee by the Consumer Attorney’s Association of Los Angeles. He’s been listed as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the American Trial Lawyers Association since 2007. He’s also been listed as the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of distinguished Counsel. In 2009, Mr. Chase published a book - "Still Unsafe at Any Speed" - dealing with litigating automotive defects and catastrophic injuries. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, including appearances on the CBS Morning Show, Good Morning America, CBS Special Reports, CNN, World News Tonight, and Fox 11 News. He was lead attorney on four important, precedent-setting appellate opinions: Martinez-Mazon v. Ford Motor Company (dealing with forum non-conveniens); Romine v. Johnson Controls (dealing with using the consumer expectations test exclusively to prove an auto defect); Schreiber v. Estate of Kiser (dealing with the scope of non-retained expert testimony); and Hernandez v. State of California (dealing with design immunity). http://www.BestAttorney.com
John Carpenter
Founding Partner & Trial Attorney at Carpenter, Zuckerman & RowleyFor over 25 years, John C. Carpenter has helped attorneys achieve unprecedented results
in complex, high-value cases. And, as a founding partner of Carpenter, Zuckerman & Rowley, he
has dedicated the firm and its resources to the principle that justice for injured people is more
important than insurance company profits. CZR is one of the largest plaintiffs firms in California
dedicated solely to personal injury cases, consistently achieving outstanding and record-setting
results for its clients.
John began his legal career handling and trying cases that other law firms rejected. He
prides himself on trying tough but meritorious cases. He is a graduate of Gerry Spence’s Trial
Lawyers College. As a trial lawyer, John has won over $100 million in verdicts and settlements
for individuals and their families. In addition to trial work, he has an active appellate practice and
has had two petitions reviewed by the Supreme Court of California.
In 2017, John was nominated for trial lawyer of the year by the Consumer Attorneys
Association of Los Angeles (CAALA). He considers the nomination to be one of the highlights of
his career. John has also been selected as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer and has been recognized by
VerdictSearch and by numerous other legal organizations in Los Angeles and across the nation.
CZR is a law firm that mobilizes and shares its knowledge, resources, and experiences –
wins and challenges – so that all injured people can have justice.
In his free time, John is an avid surfer, sailor, and ocean enthusiast. He always cherishes
time spent with his wife and two children, Charlotte and Jack.
Education: Southwestern Law School
Doctor of Law (JD): 1989 – 1991
University of California, Los Angeles: 1985-1988
Nick Rowley
Founding Partner & Trial Lawyer at Carpenter, Zuckerman & RowleyNick Rowley has won, through caring about his clients and justice, hundreds of millions of dollars in record setting verdicts and settlements for injury victims and their families.
Courtney Rowley
Trial Attorney at The Rowley Law FirmCourtney Rowley is passionate about personal injury law. Courtney focuses her practice on serving people who have suffered permanent or serious injuries. She is an accomplished trial lawyer with extensive courtroom experience representing victims of serious injuries, wrongful death, traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries and medical malpractice.
David Ball
Trial Strategist and Author at Malekpour & Ball/Jury Watch, Inc.David Ball, who wrote trial advocacy’s best-selling strategy book – David Ball on Damages -- is a litigation researcher and strategist with North Carolina’s Malekpour & Ball Consulting (JuryWatch, Inc.). He is the nation's most influential jury consultant, communications expert, and advocacy teacher. His training is in science, engineering, and small-group communications, and he is a 30-year veteran of the professional theater.
Ibiere Seck
Founder & Trial Lawyer of Seck Law, PCIbiere is a trial lawyer and principal attorney at Seck Law PC where her primary practice is catastrophic injuries, wrongful death and sexual abuse of minors. Ibiere Seck has been recognized by her peers as a zealous advocate former clients. Since 2010, she has been named a “Rising Star” by the Super Lawyer's Magazine and was featured as the 2018 magazine cover story. She was also the recipient of Consumer Attorneys Association of California’s Street Fighter of the Year award for 2016.
Ibiere is the Secretary of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the largest plaintiff trial lawyers association in the nation, and will lead the association as its President in 2024. She is the immediate past-president of the The National Black Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40. When not advocating for her clients, Ibiere enjoys volunteering in underserved communities and spending time with her family.
Bobby Saadian
Founding President & Managing Attorney at Wilshire Law Firm PLCBobby Saadian, Esq. is the Founding President and Managing Attorney of Wilshire Law Firm. Possessing a sincere desire to help people who are in need, Mr. Saadian focuses his practice on representing Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Catastrophic Injury victims and their families in complex Motor Vehicle, Personal Injury, Product Liability, and Wrongful Death cases, as well as Employment Law and Class Action victims.
Utilizing an intricate network of highly-qualified medical and forensic experts, Mr. Saadian has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of his clients, including multiple eight-figure and countless 7 figure recoveries for his deserving clients. He puts his clients first, knowing that what Wilshire Law Firm fights for is not dollars and cents, but valuable human beings. A powerful advocate for the most vulnerable among us, Bobby supports childhood education, local communities, and more as an Executive Board Member of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities (LATLC).
Mr. Saadian’s expertise in brain injury cases has been honored with numerous awards and accolades, including an invitation to the National Trial Lawyers Top 25 Brain Injury Lawyers Association. He also serves on several leadership boards, including the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) Board of Governors, the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) Board of Directors, and the Dean’s Council of Pepperdine University School of Law.
Pejman Ben-Cohen
Trial Lawyer at Carpenter, Zuckerman & RowleyPej believes in his core that being a trial lawyer is a noble calling. He has dedicated his career to standing up to insurance companies and large corporations on behalf of injured people.
Pej’s accomplishments – at the young age of 38 – are numerous. Pej has recovered tens of millions of dollars in jury trial wins and settlements. He is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and was named a Super Lawyer in 2014 – 2016. He was named a Top Attorney in California in 2010 and a Leader in Personal Injury Law in 2012 by Newsweek Magazine’s Showcase. The National Trial Lawyers Association named Pej as a “Top 100 Lawyer Nationwide” and placed him in the “Top 40 Under 40.” Pej was named to the 2018 10 Best Personal Injury Attorneys by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys.
More than anything, Pej is a dyed-in-the-wool trial lawyer. Pej focuses on our community’s need for another trial lawyer who has the freedom, skill, and passion to handle back-to-back jury trials. A graduate of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College, Pej understands that insurance companies and corporations are waging a quiet war on ordinary people who have been injured. Their well-orchestrated public relations campaign demonizes victims who simply wish to be made whole.
Pej teaches young lawyers that our job is to push back against insurance companies and, through jury trials, hold them accountable to the members of our community. Pej teaches young lawyers that only by going to trial and obtaining verdicts will corporations begin to pay victims fair compensation.
More important, Pej practices law by getting to know his clients. To insurance companies, clients are merely a file or a collection of medical records. To Pej, clients are people who have hopes, dreams, and families, all of which have been disrupted or even destroyed by the misconduct of others. Pej teaches that it is only by spending time – a lot of time – with one’s clients can a trial lawyer understand his or her client’s human losses. Pej goes to his clients’ homes, meets with their families and friends, and ultimately tells the human story of what happened.
Finally, Pej embraces CZ&R’s deep commitment to community service. Pej was the second founding president of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charities, a non-profit organization committed to improving the quality of life for people in need, with a focus on education, children, and the homeless. Pej is similarly active in the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) and Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC).
Lisa Bloom
Owner & Trial Lawyer at The Bloom FirmHost of her own national live daily talk show on Court TV for eight years, Lisa Bloom is interviewed daily for major news outlets like CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the LA Times, and hundreds of others all over the English speaking world, including news organizations in Australia, the UK, India and South Africa.
Rubina Aqeel, MD
EndocrinologistDr. Rubina Aqeel is an endocrinologist in Upland, California and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Kindred Hospital-Ontario and Montclair Hospital Medical Center. She received her medical degree from Fatima Jinnah Medical College and has been in practice for more than 20 years.
Spencer Lucas
Trial Lawyer at Panish, Shea & Boyle LLPSpencer Lucas is a trial lawyer at Panish Shea & Boyle and specializes in litigating complex catastrophic personal injury, products liability, wrongful death, sexual abuse and sexual assault cases. Mr. Lucas has extensive experience in cases involving traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and amputations. He has successfully recovered over $400 million for his clients and prides himself on helping survivors of trauma and their families recover from tragic situations.
Deborah Chang
Trial Attorney at Panish, Shea & Boyle LLPDeborah Chang is a Los Angeles personal injury trial attorney with Panish Shea & Boyle LLP and focuses her practice representing plaintiffs in complex torts, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, product liability, sexual assault/abuse/harassment/discrimination, and business tort cases. She is known throughout California as one of the few female trial lawyers who actually tries significant cases and obtains some of the largest record verdicts and settlements for her clients. As a leader in the legal community, she serves as a mentor for other women trial lawyers.
Ammar A. Chaudhry, MD
Radiologist at City of Hope National Medical CenterAs a child, Ammar Ahmed Chaudhry, M.D., watched his parents struggle with complex medical conditions. He admired the doctors who treated them.
“Seeing the direct impact health care providers have on their patients’ lives and well-being gravitated me towards the field,” he says.
A super-achiever from the start, the much-honored Dr. Chaudhry double-majored in college and graduated summa cum laude, received his medical degree with honors from University of South Florida, and completed residency at Stony Brook University Hospital (including service as chief resident, co-director of Radiology Clerkship, and member of the Dean’s Executive Committee). He successfully completed his fellowship training at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where he stayed on as faculty before joining City of Hope.
Dr. Chaudhry says his goal is to expand the options for noninvasive diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases. Much of his research – hundreds of published articles, presentations and abstracts – takes that direction. Dr. Chaudhry is a reviewer for several peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition to being a physician scientist, Dr. Chaudhry is an excellent teacher, having received several teaching awards, and has given several CME lectures at national/international scientific conventions. Dr. Chaudhry is faculty advisor and one of the editors for the prestigious USMLERX and USMLE First Aid series.
Dr. Chaudhry calls City of Hope a “perfect fit” because it matches his own commitment to “transforming patient care through research and precision imaging.” Dr. Chaudhry is the founder and director of the Precision Imaging Lab at City of Hope and his translational research is centered on applications of advanced imaging (fMRI, PET-MRI, PWI, hyperpolarized MRI) in oncology, metabolic disorders and inflammation. Dr. Chaudhry’s work has been well-received at City of Hope, recently earning him the Young Investigator Award at City of Hope in September 2017.
Meeryo C. Choe, MD
Pediatrics, NeurologyDr. Choe grew up in the Los Angeles area, traveled east to attend Amherst College, and then returned to L.A. to attend medical school at USC. She came to UCLA in 2004 for a pediatrics residency and child neurology fellowship. After completing training, Dr. Choe combined her personal interest in sports with her professional interest in the developing brain by serving as a Neurotrauma/Sports Neurology Fellow at UCLA with Dr. Christopher Giza. Her clinical and research interests include post-traumatic headache/migraine, gender differences in outcome after concussion, and dysautonomia.
Elizabeth Cisneros, Ph.D.
Neuropsychologist at Casa ColinaNeuropsychologist at Casa Colina Centers for Rehabiliation Neuropsychologist in Private Practice
Siannah Collado Boutte
Trial Lawyer at The Simon Law GroupSiannah Collado Boutté was born and raised in San Pedro, California to Panamanian immigrant parents. She is fluent in Spanish. After graduating from the sixth grade she moved to Panama and attended the prestigious St. Mary’s School in the Canal Zone. She graduated as Valedictorian and Class Vice President and moved back to California. She attended El Camino College in Torrance, where she was the student representative on the Board of Trustees and graduated with an A.S. in Business Administration. Siannah then transferred to USC where she was the founding member/coordinator of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund – Scholar Chapter. She graduated from USC with a BA in International Relations with honors. After graduating she took a year off to figure out if she wanted to teach or go to law school.
Michelle Conover, Ph.D.
Psychologist at Southern California Neuropsychology GroupDr. Michelle Conover is a licensed psychologist and Q.M.E., trained at Pacifica (as a Jungian psychoanalyst), Fielding and UCLA. She specializes in clinical and forensic neuropsychology with particular training and experience with traumatic head injury and neurodegenerative diseases. She has worked with children, adults and geriatric populations as well as specific populations such as professional athletes and criminal offenders. Dr. Conover has treated individuals with TBI, PTSD, ADD/ADHD, learning difficulties, stroke, addiction and other complicating diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Bradford S. Davis, M.D.
In-House Medical Director of Michels & LewBradford S. Davis, M.D. has been caring for patients in Los Angeles since 1980 when he started his medical internship at USC Medical Center. In 1983 he began his tenure at St. John's Hospital in the Emergency Department. He was the Clinical Director of that Emergency Department from 1986 until 1994. And because he is Board Certified in Quality Assurance, he knows that the highest standards of care must be a priority for every physician, hospital and medical care provider.
Lourdes De Armas
Senior Trial Attorney at Dolan Law FirmA Senior Trial Attorney and team leader at the Dolan Law Firm, Lourdes De Armas represents plaintiffs in catastrophic personal injury, premises liability, sexual abuse, and wrongful death cases. Lourdes is a member of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (“ABOTA”), where she serves as an Instructor at the Los Angeles ABOTA Jack Daniels Trial School and will serve on the 2020 Executive Committee.
Lourdes’ passion is advocating for her clients in the courtroom. Just in the last couple of years, Lourdes has had multiple trials resulting in several 7 figure jury verdicts. Most notably, Lourdes obtained back to back jury verdicts that were 4x the defendant’s insurance policy with minimal offers going into trial. Dedication to her injured clients and love of the law are what make Lourdes an invaluable member of the team at Dolan Law Firm.
Prior to joining Dolan Law Firm, Lourdes represented clients in a variety of cases from contractual disputes, class actions, amusement park injury, wrongful death litigation, catastrophic personal injury, insurance bad faith, and educational fraud. Most notably, Lourdes represented over 800 inmates of the California Department of Corrections in cases involving inadequate medical care and treatment. She also represented over 22 named plaintiffs and a certified class of former students alleging that the post-secondary school violated the California’s Education Code and consumer protection laws by falsely claiming that school was accredited. The case culminated in a multi-million dollar settlement. Lourdes also represented a client in an amusement park injury case that resulted in a design change in the ride. The case resulted in a confidential settlement.
Lourdes’ work does not end at the courtroom steps. She proudly fights to bring awareness and hopefully change to the issue of sexual assault or harassment by empowering women. She is one of the founding members of the BHBA’s Committee on Empowering Women and serves as an executive member. The Committee was awarded the 2018 Board of Governors Award for the BHBA for their dedication to supporting the professional and personal growth of women through networking, educational programs and mentorship.
Lourdes’ family is originally from Cuba and she is fluent in Spanish.
Alex Deaconson
Senior Visual Consultant at DK GlobalBeing no stranger to the court room, Deaconson has 13 jury trials under his belt, acting as a trial technician and consultant. In his career at DK, Alex has consulted on over 500 cases resulting in hundreds of millions in verdicts and settlements. He has consulted on some matters involving major corporations, such as FedEx, Nestle, US Airways, Honda, Ford, Toyota, Sears, and many other national and international entities. Alex has also consulted on matters involving numerous medical device product defects, medical malpractice suits, wrongful death matters and pretty much everything personal injury related. Deaconson has also consulted on the recent Takata Airbag lawsuits where presentations were produced to assist the attorneys in securing over 10 million dollars in awards for three of their clients.
Carl E. Douglas
Trial Lawyer & Partner at Douglas HicksCarl E. Douglas is the former Managing Attorney at the Law Offices of Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr, best known for his work as the Coordinator of O.J. Simpson’s criminal defense team. His work as a member of O.J. Simpson’s criminal defense “Dream Team” was prominently featured in ESPN’s 30 for 30, Academy Award winning documentary, O.J.: Made In America.
While at The Cochran Firm, Mr. Douglas tried dozens of cases to verdict, in a wide array of personal injury, civil rights, and criminal law matters. After going out on his own in 1996, he broadened his list of accomplishments. Mr. Douglas was the attorney for the lead plaintiff in Patricia Anderson v. General Motors Corporation, a product liability trial where the jury returned a $4.9 billion dollar verdict, which was then the largest personal injury verdict ever awarded in United States. As lead counsel in a seven-week trial against the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, concerning the police death of an unarmed African-American man, Mr. Douglas helped the victim’s family obtain a verdict of $8,000,000.00.
In 1994 and again in 1999, Mr. Douglas was honored as the “Loren Miller Lawyer of the Year” by the John M. Langston Bar Association. He became the second attorney in the more than 85-year history of that Association, to be awarded that coveted honor more than once. In 2006, the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the largest local association of plaintiffs’ attorneys in the United States, named Mr. Douglas its Trial Lawyer of the Year.
Prior to joining Mr. Cochran’s office, Mr. Douglas was employed from 1981 through 1987 as a trial attorney at the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Los Angeles, where he represented indigent defendants charged with various federal crimes including bank robbery, drug possession, and white-collar fraud. He began his legal career in 1980 working at the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C. analyzing tariff changes filed by various satellite companies in the Commission’s Common Carrier Bureau. A frequent lecturer and motivational speaker and a legal commentator on various radio and television programs throughout the nation, Mr. Douglas earned his undergraduate degree at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and his law degree at the Boalt Hall School of Law of the University of California, Berkeley.
Ricardo Echeverria
Trial Attorney at Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley, LLPRicardo Echeverria is a trial attorney with Shernoff Bidart Echeverria LLP handling insurance bad faith and catastrophic personal injury cases. Mr. Echeverria is a past-president of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) the nation’s largest local association of plaintiffs’ attorneys. He was recognized as one of the Top 30 Plaintiff Lawyers in California in 2018 and 2019 and was named one of the Top 100 Attorneys in California in 2017 and 2018 by the Los Angeles Daily Journal. In 2019, he was honored with the Lifetime Legal Achievement Award from Consumer Watchdog.
Tom Feher
Trial Lawyer at The Simon Law GroupTom Feher is a personal injury and product liability trial lawyer with the Simon Law Group. In 2018, he obtained $39 million in verdicts. He’s worked on hundreds of injury cases with a focus on spine, brain, and catastrophic injuries. At just 36 years old, he’s tried 40 cases and been honored with 2018 CAALA’s Rising Star, 2017 OCTLA’s Young Gun, and 2016 CAOC’s Street Fighter awards. He has given lectures, presentations, and workshops on trying cases throughout the country and on behalf of CAALA, OCTLA, and CASD. He is a board member of CAOC and the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charity where he volunteers his time in the community. He is a 2013 graduate of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College and a 2010 graduate of Pepperdine Law School with a Certificate in Dispute Resolution. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Philosophy, and Political Science from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Mauro Fiore
Founder, President of Law Offices of Mauro Fiore, Jr.The Law Offices of Mauro Fiore, Jr., focuses exclusively on personal injury law. Attorney Mauro Fiore, Jr,. is the founder, president and head attorney in charge. The firm is comprised of a staff of experienced, courteous and knowledgeable personal injury attorneys, paralegals, investigators and supporting managerial and secretarial assistants to better service the clientele. Each and every employee at the Law Offices of Mauro Fiore, Jr., is bilingual in English and Spanish.
Attorney Mauro Fiore, Jr., has been a practicing member of the California State Bar since 1998. He has a proud record of over forty $40 million in personal injury cases resolved. He is an active member of the Eastern Bar Association of Los Angeles County, American Association for Justice, the California Applicant Attorney Association, and both the California and Los Angeles Consumer Attorneys associations. Attorney Fiore, Jr., is well-known and highly regarded as a personal injury attorney throughout Los Angeles County. He and his experienced staff work closely together with leading medical doctors and technical experts on cases that require the assistance of expert testimony.
Carl Garbus, DO
Neuro-Optometrist at Family Vision Care OptometryCarl Garbus, O.D. graduated from the Southern California College of Optometry in 1980. He has two private practices in Valencia; Family Vision Care Optometry and Neuro Vision Rehabilitation Institute. Currently the practices emphasize care for children and adults with vision deficits from traumatic brain injury, stroke, binocular vision problems and developmental learning problems. Dr. Garbus has served as the president of the Neuro Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA). His term was 2010 to 2014. NORA is a multidisciplinary organization emphasizing rehabilitation of patients with neurological disease and traumatic brain injury. He is a member of the American Optometric Association and has been a member for the past 40 years. He is a fellow in the American Academy of Optometry. Currently Dr. Garbus serves as the Chair on the AOA Vision Rehabilitation Committee. He also serves as Chair on the NORA Student Relations Committee. He has hospital privileges at two hospitals, the California Rehabilitation Institute in Century City and Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital in Santa Barbara. Interests include running, hiking and yoga.
Stephen P. Grifka, MD
Otolaryngologist/Head and Neck Surgeon at Center for Fall PreventionDr. Stephen Grifka is a Board Certified Otolaryngologist/ Head and Neck Surgeon.
At the age of 15, Dr. Stephen Grifka graduated with academic honors from La Canada High School in Southern California. He was also the #1 player on the school Chess Team, the President of the Math Club, and the MVP of the tennis team. After graduation he then entered prestigious Occidental College and graduated with honors with a degree in Biochemistry, while continuing to play tennis with the college team. Upon graduation, he was nominated and accepted into the renowned academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa. He was hired by the UCLA School of Medicine and became the youngest ever UCLA Medical School Biochemical Researcher. While accepted into several institutions, he opted for Creighton University School of Medicine matriculating at the age of 19 and earning his M.D. by the age of 22 while continuing to play in tennis tournaments.
Dr. Grifka returned to California to enter two residency and specialty programs in Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery/Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Southern California university medical centers. During his specialty training he was recognized by the Mayor of Los Angeles with a formal ‘Letter of Recognition’ for the “highest medical ethics”. Upon successful completion of his specialty training programs, Dr. Grifka was honored to be chosen to join the academic faculty practice at the Loma Linda University affiliated hospital, White Memorial Medical Center. After gaining a few years of group private practice experience and acting as the group’s chief of interpretation of the Balance Testing (Electronystagmograms-ENGs), Dr. Grifka launched a solo private practice in West L.A. & Beverly Hills. Dr. Grifka also served as the Chairman of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at The Southern California Hospital of Culver City.
Dr. Grifka has shared his medical expertise in movies, on television, and on radio. His opinions on cosmetic surgery are sought by magazines and newspapers as well. Dr. Grifka created the ‘Hate Crimes Response Network’, and volunteered with the ‘Flying Samaritans’ to provide free medical care to impoverished areas.
He presently helps patients, serves as a Medical Expert in legal cases, and is the CEO of A Medical Expert Network. He serves as a Peer Reviewer for the Board of Medical Quality Assurance of the Medical Board of California, is a member of the Physicians Innovations Committee for the AMA, and is involved in the study and treatment of traumatic brain injury, with his company, Center for Fall Prevention.
Sana Khan MD
Chief Radiologist at Expert MRISana Khan, M.D., Ph.D., is the Chief Radiologist at Expert MRI. Dr. Khan is an accomplished radiologist, researcher, teacher and entrepreneur. He has built advanced medical diagnostic centers nationally focused on accurate dignoses of musculoskeletal injuries utilizing the Upright, Kinetic MRI. He also brings extensive experience in the medico-legal aspect of industrial injuries as well as Sports Medicine Imaging.
Huma Haider, MD
Medical Director of National Brain Injury InstituteHuma Haider MD
CEO and Medical Director at the National Brain Injury Institute
Traumatic Brain Injury Specialist
Board Certified Neurocritical Care
Board Certified Internal Medicine
Board Certified Anesthesiology
Board Eligible Brain Injury Medicine
Board Eligible Interventional Headache Management
Masters in Psychology in progress
Rami Hashish, PhD DPT
Principal Director of National Biomechanics InstituteDr. Rami Hashish is a Principal at the National Biomechanics Institute. Dr. Hashish holds a PhD in Biokinesiology (with an emphasis in Biomechanics) from the University of Southern California, a Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) from the University of Washington School of Medicine, a Diploma in Traffic Crash Reconstruction for the Forensic Engineer from Northwestern University, and is a certified Slip and Fall Tribometrist by Excel Tribometers. Dr. Hashish specializes in determining injury potential and mitigation across a variety of settings, including, motor vehicle accidents, slip, trip, & fall events, criminal offenses, workplace environments, and athletic participation.
Dr. Hashish’s primary research focus is in human injury biomechanics. He also has experience with human factors and medical imaging, examining the effects of dual tasking in both neurologically intact and impaired individuals, and conducting cadaveric and computational studies on the foot and calf. In addition to his role at NBI, Dr. Hashish is Adjunct Clinical Faculty in USC’s Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, and is a Medical Correspondent for Dignity Health. As an instructor in musculoskeletal and systems anatomy at USC, Dr. Hashish has participated in more than 100 human cadaver dissections.
Dr. Hashish has more than 35 peer-reviewed publications, serves as an editor for the Journal of Ergonomics, and on the editorial review board for various high impact medical and biomechanics journals. Prior to joining NBI, Dr. Hashish served as a Senior Consultant in Biomechanics at Exponent, as the Director of Rehabilitation Medicine at UrbanMed in Los Angeles, California, as a Contributing Columnist for The Huffington Post, and as a Medical Expert for Runner’s World.
Serina Hoover, Psy.D.
Psychologist at Psychological Assessment CenterDr. Hoover is an award winning clinical psychologist who specializes in neuropsychology. She graduated with a doctoral degree in psychology from Pepperdine University. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology. She holds a leadership position with the Rehabilitation Psychology Board and is also the exam coordinator for the Board of Directors. Dr. Hoover is on staff at the nationally recognized Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center (Rancho). She holds an administrative position on the Medical Executive Committee and is the Continuing Medical Education Director at Rancho. She is a clinical supervisor for psychology students and postdoctoral training candidates. She has extensive experience with brain injury and has evaluated thousands of brain injury patients over the course of her career. She has been actively involved in consultation, worker's compensation evaluations, personal injury, expert testimony and capacity evaluations since 2008.
Bradley Jabour, MD
CEO & Chief of Radiology at Smart Brain & Health: Advanced Brain TherapeuticsDr. Jabour is an internationally recognized Neuroradiologist with more than 30 years of experience in academic and clinical practice having authored dozens of peer reviewed research articles as well as text book chapters.
Dr. Jabour served his radiology residency at Stanford University and University of Southern California (USC). He is a senior member of the American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR), having performed Fellowship in Neuroradiology at USC and Interventional Radiology and Head and Neck fellowship at University of California- Los Angeles (UCLA). He was appointed to the radiology faculty at UCLA where he was Attending Professor in Head and Neck Radiology and was Chief of Neuroradiology at the VA UCLA Medical Center. Until as recently as 2013, he was Attending Radiologist at the UCLA Head and Neck Grand Rounds.
Lyn Gaudet Kiehl
Attorney at MINDSETLyn Gaudet Kiehl is an attorney with a forensic psychology and behavioral neuroscience background. She is the founding Director of MINDSET and together with Jason Kerkmans they manage all aspects of the forensic consultation practice. She works closely with both civil and criminal attorneys to help them support their cases with peer-reviewed, published science. Lyn is the former Research Director for the Center for Law, Science & Innovation (LSI) at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, the first and largest academic center focused on the intersection of law and science. The mission of the Center for LSI is to facilitate the relationship between law and science by fostering the development of legal frameworks for new technologies and advancing the informed use of science in legal decision-making. Her research focus while at the Center was the ethical, legal, and social implications of emerging technologies, including neuroscience and genetics. Her present research is in the translation of scientific research into effective legal practice and policy, with a particular focus on neuroethics as it relates to legal applications of neuroimaging, both in the United and abroad.
Stephen A. King
Trial Lawyer at Carpenter, Zuckerman & RowleyStephen A. King is a reputable and seasoned trial lawyer with over 100 jury trials to verdict. His passion for justice has led him to obtaining several million dollar jury verdicts including serving as a lead trial lawyer on a team of lawyers who obtained the largest non-economic damages verdict in Riverside County of $40 million in 2015. Stephen’s other recent successes include a $1.1 million verdict against the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department for First Amendment violations in 2015 and a record-setting $3.1 million verdict against the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services in 2016 for Fourteenth Amendment violations.
Aimee Kirby
Trial Attorney at The Dolan Law FirmThe Managing Attorney of the Torts Practice Group at Dolan Law Firm PC and a Senior Trial Attorney, Aimee Kirby supervises significant and precedent-setting lawsuits for individuals who suffered grave injuries and for families whose loved ones died.
With more than 15 years of experience in the courtroom to draw upon, Aimee is a skilled, compassionate, and accomplished trial lawyer who practices law in courtrooms across California. She is also admitted to practice law in Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and Texas.
Candice Klein
Trial Attorney at Panish, Shea & Boyle LLPIntent on helping those victimized by insurance companies and big businesses, trial attorney Candice Klein goes to battle for countless people in physical and mental anguish, and recovers the compensation that they deserve. Whether fighting for a child with autism who was mistreated in school, or giving a voice to those discriminated against because of a mental disability, Ms. Klein works on every case with an unshakable devotion to help those who have suffered permanent or serious injuries — she spends an enormous amount of personal time with her clients and finds that by experiencing a part of their life with them, she can better understand and therefore translate their losses to a jury.
Jin Lew
Senior Lawyer at Michels & LewJin Lew is a senior lawyer of the law firm of Michels & Lew which represents consumers and patients in the area of complex catastrophic personal injury and medical malpractice law. He received his JD from Loyola Law School and his BA from the University of California at Los Angeles. For several years, Jin has been recognized by his peers as a Super Lawyer in the area of California medical malpractice. Jin has been included in the list of National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 and was a finalist for the Consumer Attorneys of California Lawyer of the Year for 2014. Jin is a Fellow in Trial Advocacy with the Litigation Counsel of America. He has been invited to speak on the evolution of personal injury and medical malpractice law by the UCLA School of Law, Loyola Law School and Southwestern Law School. Jin previously served as President of the Korean American Bar Association of Southern California. In his spare time, Jin is a black belt instructor in the martial art of judo.
Micha Liberty
Owner & Chief Counsel at Liberty LawMicha Star Liberty is the owner of the Liberty Law Office — a diverse legal practice primarily representing individuals who have suffered a serious injury or abuse, including child sexual abuse. The firm also represents employees who have been discriminated against or harassed in the workplace, and Micha has assisted businesses with finding a common ground when releasing an employee on best terms.
Ms. Liberty is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She has held the title of President and Vice President of multiple legal and political organizations, expanding her network of associates and resources, which often helps to expedite the legal process for the greater benefit of her clients.
David R. Lira
Attorney at GIRARDI | KEESEDavid R. Lira specializes in the areas of products liability, insurance bad faith, general negligence, wrongful death, and commercial litigation on behalf of Plaintiffs. An advocate of trial by jury, Mr. Lira has obtained multi-million dollar outcomes against large corporations, including a $45.5 million verdict against Ford Motor Company for a defective seatbelt; a $30 million settlement against an insurance company for wrongful denial of a claim; and a $35.6 million dollar settlement against a bus manufacturer for failure to provide seatbelts, to name a few. Mr. Lira is a Member of the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only worldwide organization, limited to 500 trial lawyers and the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Sahm Manouchehri
Partner & Co-founder of Century Park Law GroupSahm Manouchehri was raised in Los Angeles from the time he was six months old. During his junior year, while working on a pre-med degree at UCLA, Sahm decided to switch gears and instead pursue a law degree after realizing his medical understanding could be of benefit to those in personal injury legal matters. After completing his undergraduate studies at UCLA, Sahm attended USC School of Law where he took courses on litigation and injury law with the intention of becoming a prominent personal injury attorney.
After graduating from USC, Sahm joined Tharpe & Howell LLP as an associate attorney. Sahm specialized in defending the interests of insurance companies against victims with injuries caused by truck and auto accidents through no fault of their own. Following this role, Sahm took an associate position at Wilson, Kenna & Borys LLP where he represented business establishments that had been sued by persons injured while on their property, continuing to represent insurance companies.
The years Sahm spent at both of these law firms gave him invaluable insights into the inner workings of personal injury litigation and the self-interests of insurance organizations. This experience was crucial to providing Sahm with the perspective needed to represent CPLG’s injured clients’ claims against the type of insurance companies that he once represented.
In 2006, Sahm left Wilson, Kenna & Borys, LLP to start his own personal injury law practice. In 2013, Sahm co-founded Century Park Law Group with the exclusive goal of representing injured clients.
Jonine Nazar-Biesman, Psy.D. ABPdN
Chief Neuropsychologist at NeuroSense NeuropsychologyDr. Jonine Biesman is a Board Certified Pediatric Neuropsychologist and Clinical Psychologist who has been licensed in the state of California since 2001 and in Private Practice since 2003. Prior to establishing a private practice, Dr. Biesman worked at a multitude of settings including nonpublic and public schools, community mental health centers, child and family agencies, residential treatment centers, brain injury facilities, and hospitals.
Jayme Neiman-Kimel, Ph.D.
Pediatric NeuropsychologistDr. Jayme Neiman-Kimel
Dr. Jayme Neiman-Kimel, Ph.D. is a board certified pediatric neuropsychologist and leading specialist in neuropsychological assessment for children and adults. Over the last 25 years, Dr. Neiman-Kimel has built a practice that has provided service to hundreds of clients, schools and expert witness testimony.
Robert T. Simon
Co-Founder of The Simon Law GroupRobert T. Simon is co-founder of the Simon Law Group and acts as the primary trial attorney. He founded the firm with his twin brother/wombmate/best friend Brad Simon in late 2009. Since then the firm has grown from a couple of people to a trial firm recognized by its peers. Robert grew up in Pittsburgh as being the oldest of 5 (tied!), and the son of a loving UPS Truck Driver and a nurturing stay-at-home mom. As a kid, his uncle was hit by a drunk driver and lost the use of his legs. Since then, Robert has made it his mission to fight for the injured and less fortunate. After graduating third in his high school class, he got a scholarship to the prestigious George Washington University in Washington D.C. After getting a degree in Criminal Justice, he went to law school at Pepperdine in Malibu California. He has dedicated his entire career to fighting for the injured. It was always his dream to work with his brothers Brad and Brandon.
Minh T. Nguyen
Founder & Trial Lawyer of Nguyen LawyersMinh T. Nguyen is a trial lawyer for people. He is the principal lawyer at Nguyen Lawyers, A Law Corporation, a boutique five person law firm that specializes in representing people with personal injuries. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Consumer Attorney Association of Los Angeles (“CAALA”) and will be its President in 2023. He will be the first Asian-American president of CAALA. He earned his B.S. in Economics with a minor in Asian American Studies from UCLA and his J.D. from UC Hastings. Minh began his legal career at Jeffrey S. Pop & Associates. He has gone on to recover over $120 million in settlements and verdicts for his clients. Minh is a Past President of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities, a nonprofit that raises money from lawyers and gives back to the community. Through his leadership, LATLC has given back over $3 million to the community through programs such scholarships to high school seniors, sponsorships of youth sports, and the building of special tricycles for children with disabilities. Minh also serves on the Board of Directors of LINC Housing, a nonprofit which develops affordable homes for low wage earners, veterans, and people with disabilities. He believes in justice for every man, woman, and child regardless of age, race, gender or sexual orientation.
Olivier Taillieu
Trial Attorney at The Dominguez FirmOlivier Taillieu is a distinguished and respected trial attorney. He has tried and won multiple jury trials in his prolific career, and has recovered tens of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for his clients. He is the chief trial attorney of The Dominguez Firm and handles complex and hard-fought cases.
Robert J. Ounjian
Trial Attorney at Carpenter, Zuckerman & Rowley, LLPRobert J. Ounjian, Esq. obtained his law degree from Southwestern Law School in 2000. His practice has focused on general liability and medical malpractice litigation with an emphasis in birth injuries. In July 2009, he joined Carpenter, Zuckerman & Rowley, LLP as an associate. In February 2013, he was promoted to partner.
David Patterson, MD
Medical Director of Casa Colina Hospital & Centers for HealthcareMedical and Rehabilitation Director: Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare Clinical Director of the Transitional Living Center: Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare
Chief Medical Officer: Prism Neuro Imaging and Brain Mapping Solutions
Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Western University of Health Sciences
Dr. Patterson has devoted his career to physical and rehabilitative medicine. He is the Medical Director of Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare.
Throughout his career, he has given numerous lectures to professional and community groups on such topics as rehabilitation education, concussion, stroke prevention, traumatic brain injury, metabolic joint disease and the acute management of spinal cord injury. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Physical Medicine. He graduated from the Creighton University School of Medicine in 1994. The following year, he pursued his residency at the University of California/Irvine Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation where he was designated Chief Resident in 1997.
Recently Dr. Patterson has been included in local, regional and national media coverage of Casa Colina Hospital’s rehabilitative treatment to soldiers with traumatic brain injuries. He is committed to ensuring that patients receive the highest level of medical and rehabilitative care available. Dr. Patterson is working with retired NFL players through the Retired NFL Players Counsel. He volunteers his time for sports medicine coverage with the LA County Sheriff's Department football team, the Grizzlies High School football team, California State Fullerton ATL team, Urban Youth Football and the Matt Leinart Foundation.
Marcel Ponton, Ph.D.
CEO and Founder of Persona Neurobehavior GroupDr. Pontón is the CEO and Founder of Persona Neurobehavior Group. For the past 27+ years he has focused on the neuropsychological assessment and treatment of individuals with catastrophic injuries. He is an expert witness in the fields of head injury and trauma. Dr Pontón is also an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UCLA. He has served as an expert witness for the past 25 years (defense/plaintiff) in hundreds of evaluations. He continues to treat brain injury and trauma suvivors in his private practice. He has extensive expertise in the assessment of Spanish-speaking patients.
Anthony E. Reading, Ph.D.
Psychologist at UCLA
Krystale Rosal
Managine Attorney at Law Offices Of Mauro Fiore, Jr.Krystale Lee Rosal is the managing attorney at the Law Offices of Mauro Fiore, Jr. Her litigation practice focuses on personal injury and employment law.
Areas of Practice
Personal Injury
Employment Law
Workers Compensation
Medical -Malpractice
Litigation Percentage
100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
California, 2010
Education
Western State University College of Law, Fullerton, California
J.D. - 2010
California State Polytechnic University
B.S. cum laude
Major: Political Science
Professional Associations and Memberships
CAALA, Member, 2010 - Present
OC Hispanic Bar Association, Member, 2010 - Present
State Bar of California
Consumer Attorneys of California
Los Angeles County Bar Association
Past Employment Positions
Milstein, Adelman & Kreger LLP, Law Clerk, 2010
Milstein, Adelman & Kreger LLP, Legal Assistant, 2005 - 2007
Languages
Spanish
English
Jan Roughan
Rehabilitation Nurse Specialist at Roughan & AssociatesMs. Roughan is a rehabilitation nurse specialist who functions in the capacity of case manager, life care planner and expert witness. Her company, Roughan & Associates at LINC, Inc., is nationally recognized and provides both Case Management and Medical/Legal Consulting service. It has been in existence since 1987, providing coordination of patient care; construction of Life Care Plans; and, consultative services to both the defense and plaintiff bar on simple and complex cases….ranging from infancy to the senior population. Diagnoses with which Roughan & Associates nurse specialists work, include, but are not limited to Neurological Injuries (Brain and Spinal Cord Injury); Burns; Orthopedic Injures; Amputation; Chronic Pain; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; etc.
Nerses Sanossian, MD
Neurocritical CareDr. Sanossian is board certified in Neurology, Vascular Neurology and Neurosonology (neurovascular ultrasound). He specializes in the diagnosis and management of stroke (e.g., ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, cerebral vasculitits, stroke genetics, aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) Dr. Sanossian's research interests include: 1) the anti-inflammatory role of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in cerebral atherosclerosis, 2) vascular risk factors associated with cognitive impairment and dementia, and 3) stroke and cerebrovascular disease in underserved and Latino populations. Dr. Sanossian recently received a new investigator award from the American Heart Association.
Tony L. Strickland, Ph.D.
Clinical Neuropsychologist, Chairman & CEO of Sports Concussion InstituteDr. Strickland is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist with considerable experience in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of concussion and related disorders.
He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (Behavioral Medicine) at the University of Georgia. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship and research practicum in psychopharmacology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center; and a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the Semel Neuropsychiatric Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
He is a fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, the American Psychological Association Division 50 (Addictions), and the American College of Professional Neuropsychology.
Dr. Strickland is a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology. He is a member of the pop Warner Medical Advisory Board, and he consults on Concussion Management Programs for hundreds of club, high school, collegiate, and professional organizations. Dr. Strickland’s research seeks to better characterize traumatic brain injury, dementia, and related neurobehavioral disorders across the life span.
Nicholas Thaler, Ph.D.
Neuropsychologist at UCLA Pediatric TBI Research ProgramNicholas Thaler grew up in Santa Monica. He earned his B.A. in psychology at the UCSD, his M.A. in psychology at California State University, Northridge and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He completed his clinical internship at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and his two-year neuropsychology fellowship at the UCLA Semel Institute. He jointly holds academic appointments at the UCLA Semel Institute and Loyola Marymount University. He has a longstanding interest in pediatric traumatic brain injury and has authored over 15 peer-reviewed publications on this topic. Clinically he conducts neuropsychological assessments for adults and children.
Enrique Vega
Vocational Economic Analyst at Vocational Economics, Inc.Enrique N. Vega, M.S., CRC, CDMS is a vocational economic analyst with Vocational Economics, Inc. He provides expert testimony specific to earning capacity and worklife expectancy for persons with a disability. He is a board-certified rehabilitation counselor, certified disability management specialist,
a certified rehabilitation counselor by the U.S. Department of Labor, and a vocational expert under contract with the Social Security Administration.
Mr. Vega holds a master of science degree in Applied Economics/Financial Economics from Johns Hopkins University. In addition, Mr. Vega holds a master of science degree in counseling with an emphasis in rehabilitation counseling from California State University, Los Angeles, and an undergraduate degree from Yale University in Comparative Literature.
Enrique Vega has significant experience in terms of working with both physically impaired and psychiatrically impaired persons with a disability. Especially common are services he provides to individuals who sustained a traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and physical impairments severely restricting exertional capability. Mr. Vega has a thorough understanding of the way in which a worklife expectancy for persons with a disability is computed and the practical experience of applying a worklife expectancy value to a specific individual with a work disabling condition.
Mr. Vega is past president of the California chapter of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP) 2008 – 2010 and also served as board member in the disability management (DM) section of IARP. He has also served on the boards of the California Association of Rehabilitation and Re-employment Professionals (CARRP), and the Organization of Bilingual Rehabilitation Associates (OBRA).
Mr. Vega has written articles on issues related to employment of persons with disabilities on several issues of CARRP’s Keeping California Working newsletter. He is co-editor of the 2008 Certified Disability Management Specialist (CDMS) Study Guide published by Elliot & Fitzpatrick. He is a presenter and lecturer on career, employment, and earnings issues related to persons with disabilities. He has an active practice developing vocational rehabilitation plans and doing job placement of persons with disabilities for the federal Office of Workers’ Compensation Program (OWCP), the Social Security Administration’s Ticket-to-Work program, the California state worker’s compensation programs. He has testified at Workers’ Compensation Appeals Boards and Superior Court in California and at District Court in Nevada.
Anthony C. Wang, MD
Neurological Surgery at UCLA Department of NeurosurgeryDr. Anthony Wang specializes in pediatric, cerebrovascular, and complex cranial base surgeries, and has fellowship training in each of these subspecialties. His clinical specialties include pediatric brain tumors, moyamoya disease, bypasses for cerebral revascularization, aneurysm and AVM surgery, complex skull base surgery, and Chiari malformations. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Wang’s research focuses on tailoring immunotherapy for pediatric brain tumors.