Thirteen Attorneys Elected to Senior Counsel at Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman LLP
LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) February 07, 2018 -- Kicking off the new year are promotions for thirteen of the nation’s most talented lawyers at Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman.
“Senior counsel criteria here at the Firm is one of the highest bars set by law firms in the nation. In addition to having sharp legal skills, litigation prowess and consistent results, lawyers enjoying this designation must have the “full package” which clients have come to expect,” said Stewart Reid, Managing Partner at WSHB. “This accomplished group includes a sports coach, an improv comedian, and a volunteer advocate for children’s literacy.”
Sarah Dennis - Based in WSHB’s Seattle office, Dennis’ practice consists primarily of providing insurance coverage advice to both domestic and international insurers. In this role, Dennis advises and represents a wide spectrum of London market and domestic insurers, reinsurers and intermediaries in all lines of insurance business, including professional liability, construction, property, general liability, environmental, energy, and directors & officers (D&O) in both first and third-party disputes.. She also represents insureds as appointed defense counsel in direct litigation involving a wide variety of claims, including construction defect, premises liability and personal injury claims. Dennis was seconded in London from 2016-2017 to three leading Lloyd’s syndicates, making her uniquely positioned to offer an in-depth knowledge base regarding the Lloyd’s market.
Allison Etkin – Based in WSHB’s Los Angeles office, Etkin practices in general and complex litigation in the areas of general liability, premises liability, and construction defect litigation. Her practice includes providing a vigorous defense to developers and contractors in complex multi-party litigation involving a variety of residential and mixed-use properties. She represents clients throughout all phases of litigation, including pre-trial discovery, motion practice and trial preparation.
Robert Monroe - Since graduating cum laude from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, Monroe has represented clients from all facets of the construction industry including owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers. He handles all claims that routinely arise before, during, and at the conclusion of construction projects. Based in WSHB’s Phoenix office, his practice focuses on construction defect litigation, general liability matters, and employment and discrimination. He has represented several national and local builders in defense of claims of construction defects made by homeowners. Prior to law school, Mr. Monroe worked for a large general contractor as part of the management team that constructed several hospitals and other healthcare facilities in the Phoenix area.
Jerarld Monson - From the Los Angeles office of WSHB, Monson specializes in professional liability, premises liability and elder and dependent adult abuse matters. Monson graduated with honors from Carthage College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration and marketing, and spent several years working in human resources and organizational development prior to returning to graduate school. He then attended Pepperdine University, completing his Master of Business Administration at the Graziadio School of Business and Management in 2011 and his Juris Doctor at the School of Law in 2012.
Randall Romero – Practicing in the Firm’s Los Angeles office, Romero’s practice centers on the defense of healthcare providers, including skilled nursing facilities, residential care facilities, hospitals, drug and alcohol rehabilitation providers, physicians and nurses, with focus in the areas of elder abuse, negligence, medical malpractice, personal injury and wrongful death. He has worked in healthcare litigation since 1999. In addition to Romeros’s extensive experience in healthcare, he has also gained valuable experience in mortgage lending litigation and professional liability with a focus on lender liability as an in-house counsel for one of the nation’s largest mortgage companies. Romero’s vast experience in mortgage lender liability includes compliance, strategic business alliances, marketing services agreements, and loan officer compensation issues.
Miko Sargizian - As senior counsel at WSHB’s Orange County office, Sargizian’s practice is focused on labor and employment, intellectual property, professional liability, general liability, and product liability matters, including complex tort litigation and business and commercial litigation. Throughout her career, Sargizian has defended professionals, corporations, Fortune 500 companies, developers, and investors. She is skilled in all aspects of litigation, including law and motion practice, mediation, arbitration, and trial practice. Sargizian received her law degree and a Certificate in Intellectual Property and Technology Law with Honors from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 2012. While in law school, she clerked with the Oakland Raiders, where she focused on employment litigation, including workers compensation and player injury grievances.
Steven Stutsman- From WSHB’s San Diego office, Stutsman handles various types of legal matters including employment, catastrophic injury, construction, premises and general casualty litigation. He is experienced in inverse condemnation, class action, mass tort, and employment litigation. He is also experienced in all aspects of civil litigation, having successfully mediated cases and received final judgments in favor of his clients through summary judgment. During law school, Stutsman was selected as a member of The Byrne Trial Advocacy Team at Loyola Law School of Los Angeles, ranked as the sixth best Law School Trial Advocacy Team nationally by U.S. News & World Report. Additionally, he provided pro bono services as a law student to The Surf Rider Foundation, a non-profit organization in Malibu, California promoting appreciation and preservation of clean coastlines.
Fred Vasquez - Vasquez is a litigation attorney in WSHB’s Rancho Cucamonga office. He specializes in the defense of developers and contractors in complex multi-party litigation involving residential properties. Vasquez’s cases range from single-family home disputes to actions involving hundreds of properties, handling all aspects of litigation including motion practice, depositions, mediation and trial. Prior to joining WSHB, Vasquez practiced at a civil litigation firm where he successfully litigated premises liability product liability and catastrophic personal injury cases.
Ben Veralrud - As senior counsel in WSHB’s Portland office, Veralrud’s practice focuses primarily on complex civil litigation involving construction, general liability and casualty, and products liability. Prior to joining WSHB, Veralrud practiced at a general civil litigation firm in Portland, where he managed all phases of litigation in the areas of construction, personal injury, business litigation, consumer protection, and debt collection. Previously, he clerked for the Honorable Edward J. Jones of the Multnomah County Circuit Court. A graduate of the University of Oregon School of Law, Veralrud served as both the senior associate editor for the Oregon Law Review and the assistant director of the Moot Court Board during law school.
Brian Wolensky - As senior counsel in WSHB’s Philadelphia office, Wolenseky’s practice is focused on products liability, toxic tort, and transportation litigation. Additionally, he has experience in defending international automobile manufacturers in litigation involving personal injuries, commercial disputes, and consumer warranties. On behalf of these manufacturers, Wolensky has arbitrated matters to defense verdicts and prepared and argued various dispositive motions that resulted in dismissals in both small and complex matters. He has hands-on experience managing cases of all sizes, from small issues to complex cases involving catastrophic losses, in all phases of litigation. Wolensky has also been admitted pro hac vice in Courts across the country.
Anthony Wong – From WSHB’s Las Vegas office, Wong practices in the areas of commercial litigation, construction defect and insurance defense. A graduate of Brooklyn Law School, Wong served as the Executive Editor for the Brooklyn Journal of International Law and was a member of Phi Delta Phi International Legal Honor Society. During law school, he also served as a judicial intern for District Judge Jack Weinstein and Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Additionally, Anthony was a Dean’s Merit Scholarship Recipient and graduated with honors from Brooklyn Law School. Prior to joining WSHB, Anthony defended residential developers and general contractors in the state and federal courts of Nevada.
Elisa Wyatt – Also from the Firm’s Las Vegas office, Wyatt’s practice areas primarily include construction defect litigation, general liability, and insurance coverage. Wyatt was admitted to the Michigan state bar in 2012 after completing law school at Wayne State University where she received a Dean’s Merit Scholarship. During law school, Wyatt was an editor on the Journal of Law and Society and a senior member of the Mock Trial team. She also participated in the Small Business Clinic where she assisted clients with setting up small businesses and non-profit organizations.
Eugene Zinovyev – From WSHB’s Northern California office, Zinovyev practices in a broad range of complex civil litigation matters including professional liability defense, construction defect litigation and employment defense with a focus on wrongful termination litigation and wage and hour disputes. He also specializes in landlord-tenant disputes and unlawful eviction litigation. Zinovyev has experience representing a variety of individual and institutional clients including major construction developers, nationwide employers as well as small business and property owners. Prior to coming to WSHB, he started and operated his own practice, the Zinovyev Law Firm, focusing on labor and employment law.
About Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP
Founded in 1997 by David Wood, Kevin Smith, Stephen Henning and Daniel Berman, WSHB is one of the fastest growing law firms in the United States. WSHB currently employs over 200 attorneys in 21 offices in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington. With active practices in professional liability, employment, commercial, medical malpractice and healthcare, construction, environmental, real estate, transportation, subrogation, toxic tort and intellectual property litigation, WSHB has tried over 900 cases to verdict and is internationally recognized for an exceptionally high rate of success. WSHB is proud to be one of the most diverse law firms in the country, receiving a top 5 ranking on the American Law Journal’s Diversity Scorecard as well as being the recipient of DRI's Law Firm Diversity Award.
Deborah Lawrence, [email protected], +1 (760)809-2622, [email protected]
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