News

In May, Gordon & Rees welcomed thirty four new attorneys to our Charleston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Florham Park, Fresno, Houston, Indianapolis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Providence, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Westchester, and Williamsburg offices. They join us as members of the Business Transactions, Commercial Litigation, Construction, Cyber, Privacy & Data Security, Employment Law, Environmental/Toxic Tort, Health Care, Insurance, Maritime, Product & General Liability, Professional Liability Defense, and Trucking & Transportation Practice Groups.

Dalia joins the Detroit office as a member of the Commercial Litigation practice group. She has handled numerous litigation matters throughout the Midwest for commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) clients. She also represents residential loan servicers in litigation matters throughout the country. Her broad background includes assisting financial institutions and real estate related entities in complicated foreclosure matters and lien priority disputes as well as defending financial institutions in a variety of state and federal consumer protection matters. Dalia earned her J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law and her B.A. from Wayne State University.

Russell joins the Chicago office as a member of the Environmental/Toxic Tort practice group. Russell earned his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law and his B.A. from Knox College.

Joel joins the Irvine office as a member of the Maritime practice group. Prior to joining the firm, Joel worked as a legal associate for one of the largest insurance defense firms in Phoenix. He developed and fine-tuned his writing and oral advocacy skills, including participating in mediations, depositions, and oral arguments. Joel earned his J.D. from the University of Arizona and his B.A. from the University of San Diego.

Roberto joins the Florham Park office as a member of the Commercial Litigation practice group. He focuses his practice on defending cases in general liability insurance matters, including automobile liability, premises liability, construction defects, and products liability, as well as commercial litigation matters and employment law matters. Roberto earned his J.D. from Boston College Law School and his B.S. from Seton Hall University.

Steven joins the Providence office as a member of the Business Transactions practice group. His practice focuses on commercial real estate transactions throughout New England. From preparation of purchase and sale agreements through closing, he assists his clients to ensure a smooth transaction from start to finish. With more than a decade of experience, Steven is well versed in the many facets of commercial real estate matters. From title review to LLC formation, he can provide clients with seasoned guidance on how to navigate the ever-changing and highly competitive real estate market. Steven earned his J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Rhode Island.

Chris joins the Chicago office as a member of the Business Transactions practice group. He regularly advises privately held businesses in corporate matters, including strategic business planning, corporate structuring, formation of business entities, corporate governance, creation and implementation of employment policies, contractor agreements, and providing guidance for companies raising capital. His practice includes a broad range of transactional matters. He has extensive experience in the areas of business transactions, tax, employee benefits and executive compensation. Chris earned his LL.M. from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and his B.S. from DeVry University.

Eric joins the Dallas office as a member of the Employment Law and Commercial Litigation practice groups. He has practiced all manner of labor and employment claims in a variety of fora, including federal and state courts, arbitration, federal and state agencies, administrative law courts, local government proceedings, and school boards. He has represented and counseled clients regarding discrimination and retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), among others, as well as matters involving the Family and Medical Leave Act, wage and hour issues under the Fair Labor Standards Act, workplace health and safety issues under OSHA, federal and state whistleblower laws, and many others. Eric earned his J.D. from Baylor University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Oklahoma.

Faith joins the Fresno office as a member of the Employment Law practice group. She assists union and non-union employers in resolving disputes involving claims of unpaid wages, discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination. She also drafts employment agreements and contracts, handbooks and provides training for business owners, supervisors and human resource practitioners. As an advocate, she develops legal strategies for discovery, investigations, hearings and trials. She has represented employers in court, as well as before the ALRB, OSHA, the EEOC, DFEH and Labor Commissioner in all stages of litigation. She also conducts workplace investigations, wage and hour audits, and employee training. Faith earned her J.D. from San Joaquin College of Law and her B.S. from California State University, Fresno.

Kyle joins the Phoenix office as a member of the Insurance and Commercial Litigation practice groups. He has successfully defended corporations, architects and engineers, long term care facilities, medical professionals, private schools, commercial property owners, transportation companies and management companies. He has experience in all phases of trial litigation, including deposition practice and successfully trying jury trials to verdict. He also has extensive experience with excess carriers as defense, monitoring and coverage counsel. He values identifying and managing risk for his clients at the earliest stages of litigation. Kyle earned his J.D. from the University of Dayton School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Illinois.

Jessica joins the Chicago office as a member of the Environmental/Toxic Tort practice group. Prior to joining the firm, Jessica worked for a Chicago based law firm where she zealously defended clients in environmental/toxic tort related matters. She is skilled in defending clients in discovery and evidence depositions. Jessica earned her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law and her B.A. from DePaul University.

Cecilia joins the Irvine office as a member of the Employment Law practice group. Cecilia earned her J.D. from Chapman University School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Southern California.

Ben joins the Oklahoma City office as a member of the Employment Law practice group. He is a trial attorney with a broad base of experience acquired over the 30 years of the practice of law in Oklahoma. He maintains a diverse practice of law representing clients in the areas of professional liability, personal injury, tort & product liability and health care. He uses his unique skills and knowledge of the state to meet his client’s business objectives. Ben earned his J.D. from the University of Tulsa and his B.S. from the Centre College of Kentucky.

John joins the Irvine office as a member of the Environmental/Toxic Tort practice group. He represents manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, and premises owners in toxic tort, product liability, and construction cases, including cases arising out of asbestos and chemical exposures, catastrophic injury and high value property damage. John is called upon to first-chair high value mesothelioma cases in which plaintiffs routinely seek multi-million dollar awards. His clients have included Fortune 500 companies, the world’s largest construction contractor, and an international chemical company. He has tried over 20 mesothelioma cases since 2003 with 15 to verdict and the balance settled after plaintiff’s attorneys dramatically reduced their settlement demands during trial. He has also won defense verdicts in claimed asbestosis and lung cancer cases. Additionally, John has successfully briefed and argued appeals in asbestos cases before the California First District Court of Appeal and the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. John earned his J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law and his B.A. from Stanford University.

Alyson joins the Indianapolis office as a member of the Commercial Litigation, Trucking & Transportation, and Environmental/Toxic Tort practice groups. Prior to joining the firm, Alyson practiced trucking and insurance defense at a Midwest litigation firm in federal and state court. She has experience representing both large and small transportation carriers in both pre-suit investigations and litigation phases. Alyson earned her J.D. from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and her B.S. from Butler University.

Madison joins the San Francisco office as a member of the Commercial Litigation and Cyber, Privacy & Data Security practice groups. She assists clients in operational, governance and compliance matters with an emphasis on privacy and data security, including information governance, cyber incident response, and cyber due diligence for corporate transactions. Madison earned her J.D. from California Western School of Law and her B.Com from the University of British Columbia.

Robert joins the Indianapolis office as a member of the Commercial Litigation practice group. His practice covers a wide array of commercial litigation matters with a focus on insurance and products liability. Comfortable in a court room, he seeks every opportunity to conduct oral arguments and advocate for his clients. Prior to joining the firm, Robert practiced civil litigation at a medium-sized boutique firm in Southern Indiana where his cases ranged from small claims work to complex construction cases and everything in between. Robert earned his J.D. from Indiana University – McKinney and his B.A. from Xavier University.

Michael joins the Williamsburg office as a member of the Commercial Litigation practice group. He is trusted as counsel for out-of-state attorneys, small and middle-market businesses, insurance carriers, public officials, and local governments. He defends clients in all manner of lawsuits in state and federal courts throughout the Commonwealth, including claims involving torts, contracts, civil rights, insurance coverage, defamation, bankruptcy, corporate governance, consumer finance laws, complex litigation, and class-action litigation. Michael has put in the time and work over the years to develop the knowledge and instincts to be able to litigate effectively. Michael earned his J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law and his B.S. from Virginia Commonwealth University.

James joins the Sacramento office as a member of the Product & General Liability practice group. James earned his J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and his B.A. from Colgate University.

Amy joins the Charleston office as a member of the Commercial Litigation practice group. She has spent her legal career as a litigator. She has tried numerous cases, both in front of juries and bench trials, to verdict. She is an experienced civil defense attorney but also began her practice as a plaintiff personal injury attorney, so she brings her understanding of the opposition to her work today. In addition to her experience in the courtroom, Amy effectively advocates for her clients through her writing skills. Amy earned her J.D. from Charleston School of Law and her B.A. from James Madison University.

Kayla joins the Houston office as a member of the Commercial Litigation practice group. Prior to joining the firm, Kayla gained valuable litigation experience representing individual and business clients in personal injury, premises liability, and products liability disputes. Over the course of her career, she has represented clients from case inception to conclusion, handling all stages of litigation, from numerous depositions, hearings, mediations, and jury and bench trials. Kayla earned her J.D. from South Texas College of Law and her B.B.A. from Baylor University.

Ali joins the San Francisco office as a member of the Construction practice group. Ali earned his J.D. from the University of San Francisco, School of Law and his L.L.B. from the University of Allame Tabataba’I.

Nejla joins the San Francisco office as a member of the Product & General Liability practice group. She has substantial experience in civil litigation matters including defending auto manufacturers in all stages of warranty litigation. She is a first-chair trial attorney who has successfully obtained a number of defense verdicts throughout California. Nejla earned her J.D. from Lincoln Law School.

Zachary joins the New York office as a member of the Product & General Liability practice group. Zachary earned his J.D. from Northwestern Prizker School of Law and his B.A. from Bowdoin College.

Jennifer joins the Sacramento office as a member of the Health Care practice group. She has experience in all aspects of health care litigation matters, investigations and counseling through trial. She counsels and represents clients on matters relating to medical malpractice, dental malpractice, veterinary malpractice, wrongful death, elder/dependent adult neglect and abuse, violation of patient rights, fraud, and breach of contract. Jennifer earned her J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law and her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Kyle joins the Pittsburgh office as a member of the Professional Liability Defense and Construction practice groups. His professional liability practice focuses on the defense of malpractice claims and governmental licensing issues against physicians, dentists, and veterinarians, as well as attorneys, accountants, real estate brokers, and design professionals. HIs construction practice focuses on the representation of developers, general contractors, and subcontractors arising out of claims from both residential and commercial projects. Kyle earned his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Oregon.

David joins the Minneapolis office as a member of the Commercial Litigation practice group. He is a trial attorney with 30 years of experience and a winning track record in complex litigation. He has handled more than 500 litigated matters across a broad range of industries. David has litigated over 50 jury trials to verdict and more than 100 administrative hearings, court trials and arbitrations to conclusion. He is elected to numerous organizations by his peers for excellence in the courtroom, including the American Board of Trial Advocates. David earned his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law and his B.A. from St. Olaf College.

Brian joins the New York office as a member of the Product & General Liability practice group. His practice involves litigating complex products liability and commercial actions in federal and state courts throughout the U.S. Brian earned his J.D. from Suffolk University Law School and his B.A. from Bryant University.

David joins the Detroit office as a member of the Commercial Litigation practice group. David earned his J.D. from Wayne State University Law School and his B.A. from Michigan State University.

Roy joins the Florham Park office as a member of the Environmental/Toxic Tort practice group. As a first-chair trial lawyer for more than 25 years, Roy has tried 35 jury trials across the country. He handles all aspects of litigation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including toxic tort, asbestos, talcum powder, contaminated food, environmental, and construction defect cases. He has also been involved in the opioid litigation, representing wholesale pharmaceutical distributors in both state and federal courts. Roy also litigates commercial, D&O, Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) cases. He actively participates in all areas of discovery, including depositions, motions, and strategy development. Roy earned his J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law - Newark and his B.A. from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Kevin joins the New York office as a member of the Commercial Litigation practice group. Previously, Kevin practiced both defense and plaintiff-side matters. Specifically, he defended health care facilities in medical malpractice and negligence matters, including premises liability. On the plaintiff-side, he prosecuted civil rights actions against the City of New York and the NYPD, personal injury actions, and product liability matters. Kevin earned his J.D. from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center and his B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany.

Merryl joins the Westchester office as a member of the Commercial Litigation practice group. She has extensive litigation experience. She has obtained record verdicts in Westchester County, New York in prosecuting medical malpractice cases. In addition to representing injured parties in medical malpractice matters, Merryl’s career has included representation of major corporate defendants and public authorities. Merryl earned her J.D. from New York Law School and her B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany.

Justin joins the Los Angeles office as a member of the Employment Law practice group. Justin earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law and his B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Farhan joins the St. Louis office as a member of the Environmental/Toxic Tort practice group. He practices complex mass torts products liability serving as defense counsel in toxic tort claims with a current emphasis on asbestos. He has previously defended as trial counsel in law firms a wide variety of corporations, individuals, and municipalities in toxic tort, negligence, wrongful death, personal injury, environmental nuisance, civil rights, family law, criminal, traffic, and insurance defense claims. He has victorious 1st chair trial experience. Farhan earned his J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law and his B.A. from Park University.

Jason joins the Pittsburgh office as a member of the Professional Liability Defense practice group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of dental malpractice, insurance defense, and professional malpractice, with a particular emphasis in medical malpractice. Focusing on the defense of physicians and hospitals, his representation spans throughout Western Pennsylvania at all stages of litigation up through and including trial. Jason earned his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and his B.S. from The Pennsylvania State University.