Education

Law School/Year: Duke, 1983   

College/Year: Ohio Wesleyan, 1980

Bar Admissions

California

Practice Areas

Insurance          

Major Cases

My practice consists exclusively of representing business clients in insurance coverage disputes against insurance companies. My client base ranges from small sole proprietors to a number of large, publicly held corporations. Existing or recent clients include Callaway Golf Company Inc., Costco Inc. Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc., Hokojitsugyo Inc., Jack in the Box Inc., Newland Communities LLC, Provide Commerce and the San Diego Sports Arena.  Recoveries for these and other clients have ranged from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.

Professional Background

I began practicing law in San Diego in 1983 with the law firm of Higgs Fletcher & Mack. I helped open the San Diego office of Brobeck Phleger & Harrison, a large San Francisco-based firm, in 1987. After practicing with Brobeck as an associate and partner for seven years, I started my own firm in 1993. 

Initially, I practiced generally in the field of business litigation. For at least the last 15 years, my practice has consisted entirely of representing business clients (and, occasionally individuals) in disputes with insurance companies.    

Professional Affiliations

I have an AV rating. I have been elected a Master in the Wallace Inn of Court. I am the founder and past chairman of a number of County Bar sections including the Insurance/Bad Faith Section and the Carmel Valley Section. I have been an active supporter of the Volunteer Lawyers Section of the County Bar, and was a guest lecturer for the program on fire loss claims in the wake of the 2003 and 2007 wildfires. I am a frequent speaker for lawyer and industry groups on the subject of insurance coverage disputes.