Bernanke to give deposition in AIG bailout lawsuit
A U.S. judge has ordered that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke can be questioned in a lawsuit against the government filed by the former head of American International Group Inc.
Education
Law School/Year: Santa Clara University School of Law, 1995
College/Year: University of California, Santa Barbara, 1990
Bar Admissions
California; United States Supreme Court; Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal; U.S. District Court, Southern District of California; Central District of California; Northern District of California; and Eastern District of California
Practice Areas
Employment Litigation, Counseling and Training
Professional Background
I have been practicing law for 18 years, after graduating from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1995. I moved to San Diego in 1999 and have been a partner at Wilson Turner Kosmo since 2006, where my practice focuses on the defense of employment litigation, training and counseling. I have represented local and national employers in a variety of cases, including wrongful termination, wage and hour class actions, discrimination, harassment, trade secret and employment contract disputes.
I have tried cases in state and federal court and before arbitrators, including trials in San Francisco, Orange County and San Diego, on issues ranging from sexual harassment, disability and race discrimination to defamation. My goal is to keep clients out of court. A significant part of my practice involves day-to-day counseling, working with employers to achieve resolution of workplace disputes, in order to avoid litigation. I regularly counsel employers on issues such as layoffs, hiring, investigations, disciplinary actions and terminations. I have also handled numerous government agency hearings and trials, and have argued employment issues before the California Court of Appeal.
As a first-year attorney, a mentor at my first job taught me two things that have nothing to do with law, but that I try to practice on a daily basis: (1) It isn't what you do, but how you do it; and (2) be nice to others because if you treat others with dignity and respect, they'll return the favor. That is something I stress with my clients. If you trust and empower your employees, they'll work their butts off for you and will be loyal. And if you're a jerk, guess what's coming your way. I’ve also found that generally, people like to hang out with nice people. So, I try to be someone that other people would want to hang out with, and I preach that to my clients as well, in dealing with employees.
Professional Affiliations
I have served on several boards, including San Diego’s Orchestra Nova and the State Bar’s Labor & Employment Executive Committee. I have also been active in local bar activities serving as co-chair of the San Diego County Bar’s Labor & Employment Section for two years (2005-06), and was a member of the State Bar’s Conference of Delegates (2006-07).
I am a frequent speaker on employment issues for groups such as the San Diego Employers Association, the Society for Human Resources Management, Employer Resource Institute and have been on the faculty of UCSD’s Leadership and Management Program since 2001, teaching managers practical human resources skills and employment law nuts and bolts. I have a passion for employment law and enjoy writing about recent developments. I’ve been a regular contributor and guest columnist for the Los Angeles Daily Journal on employment topics, have contributed articles to the San Diego Daily Transcript and also conduct regular Employment Roundtables for the San Diego Employer’s Association.
Personal Background
Outside of law, I enjoy spending time with my family, listening to music, hiking, cooking exotic food and baseball. My parents, older brother and I immigrated to America from the former Soviet Union in 1973 so that my brother and I could live in freedom. Arriving in a foreign land, with a different culture, and not knowing one word of English, my family struggled as my parents left behind professional careers and all of their friends and family. But, because this is the land of opportunity, my parents succeeded in realizing the American dream by providing me and my brother with excellent educational opportunities and instilling in me a work ethic that I could achieve anything through hard work and perseverance.
While I really enjoy what I do and get a lot of satisfaction from helping people avoid conflicts in the workplace, I am reminded of Tony Gwynn’s famous quote, “If you work hard, good things will happen.” I am now living the American dream, married to my soulmate, Christie (selected by the The Daily Transcript as a Top Corporate Counsel finalist in 2012), and have two beautiful, inquisitive and vibrant children, Sam and Sophia. Forty years after arriving in America, not knowing one word of English, I am blessed to watch my parents enjoy the fruits of their labor. Who could ask for more?
Aug. 14, 2013 -- Reporter Doug Sherwin talks with attorney Lonny Zilberman, a partner with Wilson Turner Kosmo LLP and a 2013 Top Attorney, about sexual harassment lawsuits and the nuances of these types of cases.
A U.S. judge has ordered that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke can be questioned in a lawsuit against the government filed by the former head of American International Group Inc.
Partner liability has emerged as one of the most important issues for law firms and is increasingly the crucial factor that determines building selection and the structure of other economic lease terms. Arguments over liability complicate — even kill — otherwise easy lease transactions. Law firm decision-makers contemplating a relocation or renewal would be well-served to understand and carefully consider how they intend to deal with partner liability from the outset.
Top Attorneys 2013 pays tribute to San Diego County's legal cream of the crop. It is the culmination of a lengthy peer voting process that began in April with the announcement of a call for nominations. San Diego County lawyers were asked who among their peers -- with whom they had professional experience -- were worthy of recognition.
When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in June, it opened up more than 1,000 federal benefits and responsibilities to legally married same-sex couples.
Thomas Guernsey has been at the job as Thomas Jefferson School of Law's new dean and president for less than two months and he's already made quite an impression.
Recently, I received calls from two human resources managers regarding articles in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. They were concerned about the WSJ’s claim that the position of legal secretary is extinct and USA Today’s assertion that the growth of temporary hiring is a negative devolvement.
Established in 2001, Morris, Sullivan & Lemkul was founded by Shawn Morris and Mike Sullivan. Shawn and Mike are former partners of Wingert Grebing, one of San Diego's oldest and most respected law firms.
The U.S. Department of Treasury recently announced that it is delaying until 2015 the enforcement of the so-called “employer mandate” provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA” or “Obamacare”), which were supposed to take effect in 2014.
#1. Put all commission agreements in writing (Labor Code section 2751).
RJS Law is a full-service law firm that can help resolve your personal, small-business or corporate tax problems with the Internal Revenue Service and California state tax authorities.
As the practice of law adapts to meet the changing needs of clients and organizations, opportunities exist to develop partnerships between law firms and law schools. Together, firms and schools can prepare profession-ready graduates and meet the growing need for legal services. California Western School of Law, San Diego’s oldest law school, is poised to lead the way in this national effort.
The University of San Diego School of Law develops resources and clinics that offer practical training to law students while making it possible for them to give back to the community. With San Diego County’s estimated veteran population of 250,000 and more than 2 million veterans living in California, there is no doubt that many have and will benefit from the school’s Initiative to Protect Student Veterans.
California’s employers are burdened with a long list of onerous regulations, so it’s no surprise that many employers fail to recognize the daunting requirements of the California Labor Code -- until it’s too late.
Gomez Iagmin Trial Attorneys is a plaintiff's only law firm based in downtown San Diego, specializing in catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, complex product liability and mass torts.
The attorneys at CaseyGerry specialize in serious personal injury and traumatic brain injury cases, and are at the forefront of the complex medical issues related to brain injury. These include chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease thought to be caused by repeat concussions or blows to the head, and second impact syndrome, a condition in which the brain swells rapidly after a person suffers a second concussion.
Ralph Nader has a new cause.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has declared that, at least when it comes to voting rights, the U.S. Supreme Court is guilty of wishful thinking. He is also showing both how difficult and how important it is to overcome that kind of thinking.
A federal jury in Oregon awarded $18.6 million to a woman who spent two years unsuccessfully trying to get Equifax Information Services to fix major mistakes on her credit report.
A coalition of environmental groups is suing the Cuomo administration over dairy farm regulations intended to bolster the state's growing yogurt industry, the groups announced Monday.
It was late at night on Feb. 27, 2001, and Penn State's then-president, Graham Spanier, one of academia's most prominent administrators, typed a brief email to two other top administrators as they debated how to respond to a thorny situation.
FedEx Corp., the world’s largest cargo airline, will pay $21.5 million to settle a lawsuit over claims that it overcharged customers by billing for deliveries to businesses and governments at higher residential rates.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |