14 Community News

n Brown & Charbonneau, LLP is proud to announce that Gregory G. Brown has been selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2021 publications of The Best Lawyers in America® for the fourth year in a row and California Super Lawyers® magazine for the 12th year in a row. GREGORY BROWN

Attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America® are recognized by their legal industry peers for their legal excellence in specific fields. More than 9.4 million votes were analyzed, resulting in the inclusion of more than 67,000 lawyers—approximately 5% of lawyers in private practice in the U.S.

Super Lawyers undertakes a rigorous multi-phase selection process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, independent evaluation of candidates by attorney-led research staff, a peer review of candidates by practice area, and a good-standing and disciplinary check. Only five percent of the lawyers in the state are named by Super Lawyers.

n Jennifer Keller, a nationally prominent trial attorney at Keller/Anderle LLP in Irvine, has been named to the 2021 Benchmark Litigation “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America,” an exclusive list of the top courtroom advocates in the United States. This is the 4th JENNIFER KELLER year in a row that Jennifer has been selected. In addition, Ms. Keller was selected to Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 20 Trial Lawyers in California” list for the 3rd year in a row (every year since inception of the list).

In announcing the Top 100 list, Benchmark Litigation notes: “This elite group consists of partners who have been venerated by peers and clients as being the best in breed at the nuanced practice of trial law, with this acclaim supported by representative work (public or confidential) to exemplify this status.”

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Email it to PR@AttorneyJournals.com n Snell & Wilmer is pleased to announce that California Partner Steffi Gascón Hafen has been re-elected for a second term as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Orange County Head Start, Inc. Hafen has been a board member since 2016, having served as Secretary and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors before first being elected as Chairman in 2019.

Hafen is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, STEFFI GASCÓN HAFEN Trust and Probate Law, California Board of Legal Specialization. She is a partner of the firm’s Private Client Services and General Federal Tax practice groups. Hafen’s practice is concentrated in tax, trust, and estate matters with emphasis in estate planning, trust and probate administration, and estate and gift taxation. She received her L.L.M. in Taxation from Loyola Law School, her J.D. from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law and her B.A. from University of California, Santa Barbara.

n Butterfield Schechter LLP is pleased to announce that Senior Paralegal Kristine Custodio Suero was selected as the 2020 California Paralegal of the Year, awarded by the California Alliance of Paralegal Association, and nominated by the San Diego Paralegal Association. Kristine teaches at the University of San Diego School of Law Paralegal Program, frequently speaks at seminars and conferences on a variety of legal topics, on KRISTINE CUSTODIO SUERO issues concerning the paralegal profession, and on leadership. She also coaches and mentors paralegal students and other working paralegals. Kristine writes numerous articles for various publications and focuses much of her current work on access to justice issues. She frequently volunteers for events including Wills for Heroes and the San Diego High School Mock Trial Competition and has spearheaded local conferences on combating human trafficking.

n The 2019-2020 Higgs Fletcher &

Mack (HFM) Diversity Scholarship

in honor of Craig Higgs has been awarded to Nicole Cohen and the 2019-2020 Steven J. Cologne Annual Scholarship has been awarded to Carola Murguia San Roman. Both scholarship recipients are University of San Diego School of Law graduates who have earned their law degrees and will soon take the California Bar Exam.

HFM has been granting scholarships in support of diversity and inclusion efforts to local law students for several years. The diversity scholarship is funded by contributions from HFM’s attorneys and the firm itself. The Steven J. Cologne Annual Scholarship is funded solely by HFM Managing Partner Steven Cologne.

“Our community and the legal profession flourish when we make diversity and inclusion a priority,” said Cologne. “HFM stands behind our commitment to diversity, and we are proud to support a future generation of lawyers who have already shown their commitment and support for diversity efforts.”

PowerDuo

Attorneys Annee Della Donna and Eric Dubin Take on Some of the Biggest Cases in America as One Team

by Dan Baldwin

Although maintaining their individual law practices, for the past four years attorneys Annee Della Donna of The Law Offices of Annee Della Donna, and Eric Dubin, of The Dubin Law Firm, have combined their strengths to fight high-profile wrongful death cases that frequently touch on critical issues facing America today.

They met when Dubin prepped Della Donna’s husband as an expert in Dubin’s recent $10.2 million jury verdict. Della Donna says, “I was really impressed with Eric’s level of knowledge of the law, of his cases, of strategies, and with him as a person. He is a very ethical and honest attorney who cares about his clients. Later, I brought him on a case, and we have partnered on numerous cases since then. Each of us has our own law firm. So, it’s not the usual partnership.”

Dubin says, “Annee and I knew each other for some time, and we waited for a perfect case to work on together. That eventually happened and then we evolved into this amazing collaboration. Our styles comfortably complement each other, and our work ethic is strong and our passion for justice is intense. It’s amazing to work with someone who feels exactly the way I feel.”

A Bulldog in High Heels

Della Donna’s aggressive advocacy for her clients earned her the nickname “Bulldog in High Heels” among her colleagues. She has traveled some distance since her early days when she was planning a career in medicine. However, during high school a judge pointed her in the direction she would eventually take.

She was living on her own with five other women her senior year when she and one of her roommates decided to move out. Although they didn’t give a formal 30 days’ notice, they informed the landlord of the move. They also removed a carpet her roommate had purchased. The landlord, the young woman whose parents owned the house, sued, and won.

“I didn’t think the court was right, so I filed an appeal to Orange County Superior Court.” The appellate judge said that he was going to rule in Della Donna’s favor, adding that he was really impressed with her presence and ability in the courtroom and that she should seriously consider a career in law. He said, “You are so good at arguing. You have a great manner in the courtroom and you’re already very analytical at this young age.”

Annee Della Donna

At that time, she was signed up as a pre-med student in college. She had been a dental assistant in high school, loved medicine and was planning on becoming a dental surgeon or going to medical school. Things began changing the first couple of weeks in college. One of the students insisted that she join the debate team. She did and her team became number one nationally while she was there. She stayed with pre-med for three years and then switched over and graduated in political science with a minor in biology.

Eventually the judge’s advice took hold. She put herself through law school and began her legal career—32 years so far—and a total commitment to justice. Working at Wylie Aitken’s office she handled a major case involving nine people who had contracted cancer from exposure to electromagnetic fields. Her experience at the Aitken firm was invaluable

A case in point involves a former LA police officer who asked her to look into a case in which he believed the convicted persons were innocent. Two young men, ages 17 and 18, were accused of shooting at a house. No one was injured, but they were sentenced to 11 consecutive life sentences.

“As busy as I was, I agreed. You think you don’t have time, but you always have time to do what is right. I went to the prison and met with one of the prisoners and cross examined him for two hours. I went through every fact in that case and when I was done, I told the officer that the man was innocent.”

Della Donna won in the Appellate Court and Supreme Court this year, in In Re Juan Rayford. 5 Cal.App.5th 594. “We pretty much overturned the kill zone theory, which is what these young men were prosecuted under. I was granted a writ of habeas corpus, overturning all 11 consecutive life sentences, and vacating their sentences.”

A Visit to the Courthouse Leads to a Career in the Courthouse

Dubin grew up in Detroit and one day a field trip to the courthouse set him on the path to a career representing people in such surroundings. © Christopher TODD Studios The students observed a murder trial being battled out by two aggressive lawyers. Dubin says, “Afterwards, we happened to be riding the elevator down with the two lawyers and I saw them being cool with each other. It was almost as if they were planning to go out and have a beer together. I thought that was awesome how they could play that hard and still be friendly when it was over. It reminded me of sports. As long as you play clean, everything off the field should be cool. Two people at the top of their game in battle, but once the battle was over, they could shake hands and be human beings again.”

He followed that path and became a successful trial lawyer, but a meeting with famous attorney Gerry Spence changed the entire direction of his career. “Once I met Gerry, the light came on. I was on the wrong side. I wanted to train with him, and he wouldn’t train you unless you were a plaintiff lawyer. I made a deal with Gerry that if I opened my own firm, he’d train me. My life has never been the same.”

That change of direction led to Dubin’s participation in the biggest investigation in LAPD history in which actor Robert Blake was accused of murdering his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. Dubin says, “It was like climbing Everest without oxygen. But you learn what you’re capable of when meeting challenges like that.”

The experience reinforced what Spence said about honesty and credibility winning the day. Dubin says,

“After all the horrible things Robert Blake’s lawyers had said about Bonny Lee Bakley, winning $30 million in general damages alone was especially important to the family. There were no special or punitive damages, but I convinced the jury Bonny was a loving mom regardless of the mass media trashing of her name and life. Collecting was great, but the validation of the award was powerful for that family.”

The Blake case is just one that established Dubin as a powerhouse lawyer for the past 28 years. In 2013, OC Weekly Magazine named him the Best Lawyer in Orange County, and in 2019 Best Lawyers Magazine featured him on the cover as the Best Personal Injury Lawyer in Orange County. The Los Angeles Daily Journal named him one of the top 20 lawyers in the state of California before 40. He is known for winning big, and paying generous referral fees to many of the top attorneys in southern CA.

Fellow attorneys agree. “I have known Eric for the better part of 20 years and he has proven over and over again why he is successful; he is a tenacious litigator who never loses sight of how important the case is to his client. Eric not only gets results the old-fashioned way—he wins in court—but he delivers true client satisfaction by guiding and supporting them through the very difficult process of litigating personal injury, wrongful death, and other matters. I have recommended Eric to many people in need of an excellent personal injury or wrongful death attorney and Eric has delivered every time.” Dale Giali, Partner, Mayer Brown LLP.

Doubling Down on Hard Work

The pair often cite a phrase representing their total commitment to their clients: Justice is Mandatory; Sleep is Optional. One of the many factors that makes this team such a powerhouse is their dedication to doing whatever is necessary to prepare for victory in the courtroom or across the negotiating table. Dubin says, “We are relentless in the pursuit of justice. It starts with preparation. We obsess over details. When it comes to trials and prelitigation we just dominate. There’s no fear, we come ready to shine every single time. Annee and I play off each other’s strengths, and the flow we create is incredibly special and powerful. We have active cases involving police killing an unarmed African American, the Marine AAV tragedy off San Clemente Island, Uber and Lyft safety protocol, and other cases of national importance. We are about to start the first police killing trial of the Black Lives Matter movement, a case that exactly parallels what happened to George Floyd here in Orange County.

Dubin and Della Donna each are hands-on with every case and don’t hand them off to a young associate. They have often found victory over larger firms with more resources because those firms use multiple or inexperienced lawyers to cover important aspects of the case, such as critical depositions or discovery, he says. “Cases are won at deposition and we need to be the ones in the room asking the questions and running the show. We put our heart and soul in every single case we accept, and nobody will ever know our cases better from the defense side.”

Della Donna is sometimes called “Nancy Drew” by her clients and fellow attorneys due to her commitment to conducting her own investigations. “On every case I’ve ever handled there’s been one thing that I have discovered through my own investigation that has turned the case around,” she says.

She also says that her biggest strength going is that she knows her client far better than the other side knows their client. “I make my clients members of my team. I know what they need, want and their expectations, and all my weaknesses and strengths.”

Eric Dubin and Annee Della Donna hold a press conference on behalf of the parents of Christopher Eisinger. Eisinger’s parents say that Anaheim police officers held a knee to their son’s neck and back for up to five minutes while he couldn’t breathe. He died in the hospital eight days later.

Living on a Two-Way Street

Each attorney’s commitment to the law is matched by their commitment to their community and their families— finding a comfortable balance between the two worlds.

Della Donna and her husband of 26 years, Eric, have two daughters, Eliana (25) and Shira (22) and a son Aaron (23). Much of her time out of the office involves work through the Innocence Rights of Orange County, a pro bono law clinic at UCI Law School she founded seven years ago. She is active in the Laguna Pantry, Laguna Playhouse, Hoag Hospital Foundation, Laguna Friends in Need, the Assistance League. As if preparing for a career in the up and down world of law wasn’t enough, she also used to fly aerobatic planes

Dubin and his wife, Dalia, have a daughter Alexa (19) and a son, Jakob (16). He has written several books, one with Larry King. He hosted a legal radio show in LA on FM 97.1, Legally Speaking with Eric Dubin. His book, The Star Chamber, has been cited world-wide on high-profile trials. He is a legal expert for ABC News and has received prestigious front-page profiles in both the OC Register and LA Times. He has volunteered legal services at the Mesereau Free Legal Clinic for many years. Dubin was invited to be a guest speaker on winning high-profile trials for the William P. Gray American Inn of Court, where he has been a member ever since.

Dubin and Della Donna have been joining forces for specific cases for four years, a combination of skills and talents they see continuing. “We come together as separate law firms on a single case. There is incredible strength in doing it that way. We really do double-team the opposition.” n

Contact

Annee Della Donna Law Offices of Annee Della Donna 301 Forest Avenue

Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (949) 376-5730 delladonnalaw.com innocencerightsoforangecounty.com killthekillzone.com

Eric Dubin Dubin Law Firm 19200 Von Karman Avenue, Sixth Floor Irvine, CA 92612 (949) 477-8040 dubinlaw.com

Jan M. Eckermann MD, FAANS Diplomate, American Board of Neurological Surgery Brain and Spine Surgeon

Jan M. Eckermann, MD, FAANS is a boardcertified neurosurgeon with over 10 years of experience in managing complex neurosurgical patients.

We partner with personal injury attorneys to better serve your clients.

Conditions Treated:

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Dr. Eckermann has two locations:

Newport Beach Office

1617 Westcliff Drive, Suite 203 Newport Beach, CA 92660 Phone: 949-514-7456 Fax: 949-209-4687

Bakersfield Office

2323 16th Street, Suite 407 Bakersfield, CA 93301 Phone: 661-479-7240 Fax: 661-843-7882

RYAN W. COOPER

Young Attorney Rises to the Occasion Through Positivity, Reliability, and a Competitive Spirit

by Dan Baldwin

How does an attorney with just two years of experience enter the “Rising Star” category? For Ryan W. Cooper, Associate Attorney at Fielding Law, APC, obtaining more than $12 million for his clients is a good start, a success record he attributes to three factors: positivity, reliability, and a competitive spirit.

Cooper learned the incredible power of positivity from his father, Bill Cooper, who won a very tough battle against throat cancer. “During that time when my dad was in and out of treatments and obviously very sick, he was incredibly positive. He was positive about his treatment and positive with others. Many other people with his exact same illness might go through the exact same treatment, but not beat the cancer like my dad did. The positivity was the X-factor. Now, I try to find the good in everything, even when my back is against the wall. I preach the same thing to my clients as well: after an accident, they must stay positive, stay resilient, and always keep moving forward.”

In terms of reliability, Cooper says he was given a tremendous amount of responsibility early on at his previous firm where he personally handled more than 600 cases in his first two years of practice. “I was the sole point of contact between our clients and the defense lawyers and the insurance companies and they relied on me to get the job done, to conduct myself in a responsible manner, to keep our clients happy, and to maximize case results,” he says.

His competitive spirit was inborn and brought out in life through his commitment to and love of sports. “You know that the defense lawyers are competitive and they want to do the best job they possibly can. I am the guy squared off directly against them. Every point of my life has had some form of competition involved and I channel that drive into my work,” he says.

Cooper’s commitment to positivity, reliability, and his competitive spirit were showcased in June when he resolved a case for the full available insurance policy limits of $1.1 million despite his client being placed at fault in the police report and by defense insurance. His client, a member of the Elks Lodge, was helping another member drive a truck out of a very narrow garage during a Lodge event. In doing so, Cooper’s client found himself pinned between the truck and the garage wall, and consequently suffered major injuries. The police officer concluded that Cooper’s client caused the accident because he put himself in harm’s way, and the defense lawyers agreed with the officer. Cooper quickly obtained multiple witness statements and spoke with other Lodge members to overturn the liability decision and obtain the maximum available insurance compensation for his client. Other firms had passed on this case because they did not believe they could overcome the liability hurdle. Not only did Cooper overcome that challenge, but he made a policy limit demand which was met and properly accepted, and the case was resolved within five months of the accident.

His areas of responsibility at Fielding Law primarily include automobile accidents, wrongful deaths, slips, trips and falls, pedestrian accidents, bicyclist accidents, dog bites, trucking accidents, and motorcycle accidents.

FEATURED FEATURED

RISING STAR OF THE MONTH 2020 2020

A Talent for Championship Performance

Cooper has always had a knack for cultivating championshipquality teams. When he was twelve-years-old, his Pop Warner football team won a national championship. During his senior year in high school, Cooper led his baseball team, the Esperanza Aztecs, to the Division 1 CIF Championship game. In college, he played Division 1 baseball for the UC Irvine Anteaters and competed in the College World Series. Now, in joining Fielding Law, Cooper has no doubt that he has once again joined a “championship-caliber” team.

Cooper was attracted to Fielding Law by the people and the vision of the firm. Clark H. Fielding quickly became a mentor to the young attorney. “He taught me the laws, the practical application, how to navigate client issues and strategize to maximize case value. Clark also taught me how to conduct myself with peers and clients. I totally trust Clark. There is still a lot I can learn from him and his team. This is a group who I am eager to work with day-in and day-out. They are all experienced and passionate advocates who will sharpen me every day,” he says.

The vision Cooper mentions is a reference to the way the people in the firm view themselves and their focus on the future. “Here I have the opportunity and expectation to fully invest my time, energy, and attention into each case. My approach will be much more personal. I look forward to meeting more clients in person, hearing their stories, and building relationships with the clients,” he says.

Cooper seemed destined to be an attorney. He was encouraged at an early age by his parents to consider a career in the law. “I was well-spoken and well-written at a young age, and they nudged me in the direction of the legal field,” he says.

His uncle, who is also his godfather, is a very well-respected trial lawyer at a civil litigation firm in Orange County. When Cooper was younger, he loved listening to his uncle tell stories about his cases and trials. While he didn’t understand the law or how a trial works at the time, he loved the sportslike characteristics of a civil case: “an attorney needs a good strategy, to play smart, work hard, fight through adversity, and out-play your opponent,” he says. “I could relate to the formula because I played sports my entire life, and the formula for victory isn’t much different. My uncle was also extremely passionate about his work. He is a warrior in the courtroom. Very few people talk about their job with the same level of excitement and passion that he did, and still does to this day. I like to think he passed on some of that to me.”

Cooper attended Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law, graduating Magna Cum Laude in the top five percent of his class. He served as the Managing Editor of the Law Review; competed in multiple mock trial competitions; was a finalist in the annual 1L oral advocacy competition; and was selected as the student speaker for his law school graduation ceremony.

While in college and law school, he worked at a civil defense firm doing insurance defense. “I was exposed early to personal injury cases and I liked everything that went into them. I liked the crossover between the medical and legal worlds. But, what it really comes down to is that I like representing a person rather than a corporation. It just clicks for me. It clicks with my personality. I know exactly who I am representing, what happened to them, and what they need from me. It’s very clear cut without any politics or games. My only goal is to make my client whole again,” he says.

Cooper taking the field for the UC Irvine Anteaters during his senior season (May 2015)

Cooper delivering his speech at Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law Commencement Ceremony (May 2018)

Attorney Clark H. Fielding, Attorney Ryan W. Cooper, and the Fielding Law Team

© Christopher TODD Studios

“Be Quick, but Don’t Hurry”

Cooper’s UC Irvine head coach preached a mantra of “Be Quick, but Don’t Hurry,” a guideline he still follows. “When people need help, they want it right away. They don’t want to wait for help, and they don’t want to prolong their suffering or frustrations any longer than necessary,” he says. “I take quick and aggressive action for my clients when warranted. I strike fast and stay on offense. But I never work to such a speed that would sacrifice the quality of my work. Quickness does not sacrifice quality if done right.”

Clients agree. One wrote, “RYAN COOPER IS THE BEST! He was able to recover so much more money than we thought and helped us recover our losses. We had our car totaled and now are able to get a new one for our family. He was so kind and so fast to respond anytime we had a question. He was understanding and bent over backwards for us to help us out every way he could!”

A True “People Person”

Cooper says, “I have always been a true ‘People Person’ with the ability to connect with very diverse groups of people.” The most important person is clearly his wife, Jayme. They were married in November 2019. “Jayme is my best friend and my rock. She has helped me get through some tough times and lends limitless support and encouragement to me. We believe in each other and help each other grow personally, religiously, and professionally.” The couple lives in Rancho Santa Margarita and plan to be residents of Orange County their entire lives. Cooper is also strengthened by amazing parents and a wonderful sister.

He is an “obsessed” golfer, which he says was the natural next step after changing career goals from baseball to the law. “I could go on and on about the similarities between the game of golf and a legal case. Perhaps the biggest similarity is that, whether it’s a round of golf or a personal injury case, you are guaranteed to face some unexpected challenges that you must overcome,” he says.

He hones his competitive spirit by participating in one to two triathlons a year. He is a history buff with an interest in U.S. presidents and is currently reading a biography of his favorite, Abraham Lincoln.

Cooper is licensed in the State Bar of California and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. His awards and associations include: Top 40 Under 40—American Academy of Attorneys (Personal Injury, 2020); Avvo Clients’ Choice Award (2019–2020); Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (Member); Orange County Bar Association (Member); Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (Member); California Young Lawyers Association (Member).

For Cooper, the awards and successes are, at the core, due to his commitment to representing people—the individual human beings whose lives have been damaged. He says, “Being an attorney has always felt completely natural to me. It just feels right. It feels more like a calling than a job.” n

Contact Ryan W. Cooper Fielding Law, APC The Boardwalk 18575 Jamboree Road, Suite 600 Irvine, CA 92612 (949) 288-5484 www.fieldinglawfirm.com ryan@fieldinglawfirm.com