COMMUNITY news 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 KRISTINE CUSTODIO Paralegal Association. Kristine SUERO 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 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 combatting 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.”
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Attorney Journals San Diego | Volume 207, 2020
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 ViceChairman of the Board of Directors before first being elected as Chairman in 2019. STEFFI GASCÓN HAFEN Hafen is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, 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 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. Attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America® are recognized by their legal industry GREGORY BROWN 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 year in a row that Jennifer has been selected. In addition, Ms. Keller was selected to Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 20 Trial JENNIFER KELLER 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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