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STEVEN A. SCHWARTZ

August 28, 2014 , , , Comments Off on STEVEN A. SCHWARTZ

EDUCATION

STEVEN A. SCHWARTZ graduated from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He went on to pursue a law degree from the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California, and was admitted to the California State Bar in 1993. Mr. Schwartz has also passed the certification examination as a Legal Specialist in Workers’ Compensation.

BACKGROUND

After graduating from law school, Mr. Schwartz assisted the Deputy District Attorney at the Office of the District Attorney of Sacramento County. His first experience in workers’ compensation was as an Applicant’s Attorney, before shifting his practice to defense in 1998. While working for several statewide law firms, he has held positions of an Associate Attorney to Managing Attorney and Partner. He also has experience handling matters of subrogation.

As an instructor for the Insurance Education Association (IEA), Mr. Schwartz provided training to legal and insurance professionals on topics including permanent disability assessment under AMA guidelines. His familiarity with rating guidelines have greatly assisted in calculating accurate impairment and ratings determinations, as well as assessing errors in AME/PQME reporting as to the application of the AMA impairment standards and reductions in permanent disability exposure.

Mr. Schwartz has appeared on matters at all Northern California WCAB Offices.

JONATHAN LUNDGRIN

November 26, 2013 , , Comments Off on JONATHAN LUNDGRIN

EDUCATION

Jonathan Lundgrin received his Bachelor’s Degree in History from Walla Walla University in Washington and his Masters of Business Administration from La Sierra University. He obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego Law. Mr. Lundgrin was a McLennon Moot Court Honor participant and wrote for the San Diego Journal of Climate and Energy Law.

BACKGROUND

While in Law school Mr. Lundgrin worked as a law clerk at the San Diego County Office of the Public Defender. He also was a Legal Intern at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office where he acted as a trial attorney and prosecuted a DUI trial with a guilty verdict.

Since passing the California State Bar, Mr. Lundgrin has gained experience handling workers’ compensation and personal injury cases. Mr. Lundgrin’s strategic negotiation skills have led him to many successful and cost-effective settlements for his clients. Mr. Lundgrin has appeared at and gained useful working knowledge of all the Southern California Workers Compensation Appeals Boards as well as a vast majority of the Workers Compensations Judges. Mr. Lundgrin’s criminal and civil trial experience provides him with an effective and assertive deposition technique that he has utilized when deposing many AME/QME physicians and hundreds of applicants.

Mr. Lundgrin has obtained multiple “take nothing” decisions at
AOE/COE Trials and Lien Trials.

Jonathan Lundgrin is an associate in our Newport Beach office.

DELINI M. SAMARASINGHE

October 23, 2013 , Comments Off on DELINI M. SAMARASINGHE

EDUCATION

Delini M. Samarasinghe attended University of California, Los Angeles where she received a Bachelor’s of Art in History. She obtained her Juris Doctor from Chapman University School of Law where she received the CALI Award while working in the Elder Law Clinic.

BACKGROUND

As a pre-med student interested in the possibility of practicing medicine, Ms. Samarasinghe explored her options and worked as a medical assistant. It was there she realized that she was fascinated with science and medicine in theory and application, but not within a medical setting. Ms. Samarasinghe decided to pursue a legal degree so she could practice law and apply the medical knowledge that she had gained as a pre-medical student as well as a medical assistant.

During law school, she interned at Chapman’s Family Violence Center, in association with the Anaheim Justice Center, where she represented victims of domestic violence. As an intern, she independently developed a recurring (and still ongoing) workshop for the Anaheim Justice Center, which was open to anyone who has filed a restraining order.

Following her graduation from Chapman, Ms. Samarasinghe began her career as an associate attorney representing mainly peace officers and firefighters. Accordingly, she gained experience with both Police and Fire claims, including cases where presumptive industrial injuries and LC 4850 benefits.

From her experience as an associate attorney, Ms. Samarasinghe has become well versed in reviewing medical reports and performing depositions. She has a broad knowledge of the terms and information in medical labs and doctor’s reports as well, having a thorough understanding of how they are interpreted in a legal perspective. Ms. Samarasinghe also has experience conducting hearings, negotiations, mediations and motions.

Ms. Samarasinghe is an attorney in our Corona office.

TINA M. BACKER

September 14, 2012 , , Comments Off on TINA M. BACKER

EDUCATION

TINA M. BACKER obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, majoring in History with Honors. She received her Juris Doctor from the Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, California.

BACKGROUND

Ms. Backer served as a Paralegal Instructor prior to becoming an attorney. Ms. Backer practiced as an applicant attorney for more than three years in Workers’ Compensation for a large firm where she handled 132(a) discrimination complaints and Serious and Willful violations as well. Her background in applicant work has given her the knowledge and skill to practice Workers’ Compensation Defense aggressively. She now solely represents large employers, third party administrators and insurance companies in Workers’ Compensation for all Southern California boards. On the weekends, she devotes her time to being team mom for her daughters’ OC Allstar dance team as well as helping her son coordinate various charity activities through his service organization. Ms. Backer joined the Newport Beach office of Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela and Brown in 2008.

MICHAEL K. MARMER

September 14, 2012 , , Comments Off on MICHAEL K. MARMER

EDUCATION

Undergraduate, California State University at Long Beach, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, 1973-1978

Graduate, Southwestern University School of Law, Juris Doctor, 1978-1981, Admitted to California Bar 1981

BACKGROUND

Mr. Marmer specializes in the following practice areas: Defense of employers and carriers in workers’ compensation claims arising under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA), the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the Defense Base Act (DBA), the War Hazards Compensation Act, as well as representation of employers and carriers in civil subrogation claims arising under the Jones Act, the Federal Maritime Law, and Suits In Admiralty Act.

Mr. Marmer also practices defense of workers’ compensation claims arising under the California Labor Code as well as representing employers and carriers pursuing civil subrogation in the California Superior Courts.
Mr. Marmer has jury, and administrative trial experience in the U.S. District Courts, California Superior Courts, the U.S. Office of Administrative Law Judges, and before the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board of California.

PUBLIC SPEAKING/LECTURES

Speaker: Longshore Claims Association, Attorney fee issues under the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act, and Defense Base Act, arising within the jurisdiction of U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. San Diego, CA 2012.

Speaker: Hearing Loss Claims under the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act; National Association of Waterfront Employers, West Gulf Maritime Association, June 2014.

Speaker: Hearing Loss Claims under the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act, Longshore Claims Association, Annual Conference 2014. Newport Beach, CA.

Speaker: Workers Compensation Institute; Defending Employers and Carriers in foreign nationals’ claims arising under the Defense Base Act. Orlando, FL August 2018.

Speaker: Work Comp Central Annual Seminar; Civil Subrogation: Employers Rights, Remedies, and Litigation Strategies. May 2019.

Member: Joint Department of Labor Bar Association which is a Claimant and Defense counsel bar regarding practices and procedures under the LHWCA and DBA of claims before the federal Office of Workers Compensation Programs, and the federal Office of Administrative Law Judge.

ROBERT R. CAMPBELL

September 14, 2012 , , Comments Off on ROBERT R. CAMPBELL

EDUCATION

ROBERT R. CAMPBELL, II graduated on the Deans Honor Roll for all semesters from California State University, San Bernardino in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Minor in Psychology. Mr. Campbell received his Juris Doctor from University of Laverne, College of Law, in 2004 with an American Jurisprudence Award in Criminal Law.

BACKGROUND

Mr. Campbell has over 21 years of experience handling Workers’ Compensation. He started his career as a Hearing Representative, Vocational Rehabilitation Coordinator and Paralegal. Thereafter, Mr. Campbell became a Managing Attorney where he operated and managed an office in the Riverside area and concurrently handled the case management of over 1000 Applicants from case inception to settlement and/or trial. Mr. Campbell also served as a Senior Associate Attorney where he had daily appearances at numerous Workers’ Compensation Appeals Boards including: San Bernardino, Riverside, Pomona, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Van Nuys, Marina Del Ray, Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego. Mr. Campbell has settled 1000’s of cases, taken over 500 depositions throughout his career and filed numerous Petitions for Reconsideration resulting in persuasive law. Mr. Campbell has a winning record in the courtroom and in ADR proceedings based on strong capabilities in preparing expert witnesses for court testimony. With Mr. Campbell’s extensive experience as an Applicant Attorney, he understands how to most thoroughly represent Employers, Insurance Companies and third party administrators on their Workers’ Compensation claims.

Mr. Campbell brings great knowledge and experience to the firm. He joined the law office of Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela and Brown as an Associate in 2010 and is currently a partner where he handles Workers’ Compensation Defense in our Newport Beach office.

DAVID UTLEY

September 14, 2012 , , Comments Off on DAVID UTLEY

EDUCATION

DAVID UTLEY graduated from Whittier College in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Western State University College of Law in 1977, and has been a member of the California Bar since 1978.

BACKGROUND

Mr. Utley has forty-six years of personal injury and workers’ compensation trial and litigation experience in California and Federal court venues. He has expertise in the litigation of claims arising under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, Defense Base Act, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Nonappropriated Funds Instrumentalities Act, and the California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. He has additional experience handling subrogation claims in multiple forums.

He served as a Court-appointed Mediator in personal injury lawsuits for the Los Angeles County Superior Court from 1999 to 2014 and prior to that time upon that court’s Arbitration and Settlement Conference volunteer panel. He has been an invited speaker at the 2009 Northwest Longshore Claims Administrators Seminar, 2010 Longshore Claims Association Seminar, 2012 Chartis Defense Base Act Seminar, 2013 Signal/LCA Maritime Conference, 2014 Annual Loyola Longshore Conference, 2016 Advance Consulting Inc. DBA Conference, 2019 and 2022 Longshore Claims Association seminars. He is available to serve as a Mediator in association with Longshore-DBA Mediators, Inc.

Mr. Utley has received a “AV- Preeminent 5.0 out of 5″ Martindale-Hubble Peer Review Rating for the past 26 years. Following a thirty-two-year career representing injured workers, he was invited to come to Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela and Brown in 2011 where his focus is upon the defense of Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, Defense Base Act claims, and the representation of the subrogation interests of employers and carriers.

BROOK A. ADAMS

September 14, 2012 , , , Comments Off on BROOK A. ADAMS

EDUCATION

BROOK A. ADAMS received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from University of the Pacific, California. She received her Juris Doctor from Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, California and was admitted to the State Bar the following year.

BACKGROUND

Ms. Adams began her career as a legal assistant where she specialized in intellectual property, patent and trademark law. She managed transcribing dictation, appeared in court, reviewed motions, and maintained client correspondences. During this time, Ms. Adams also worked a legal intern and learned the overall litigation process of contacting and prepping witnesses for trial, assisting the lead attorney during trial, presenting evidence to the courts, and drafting various legal documents including motions, discovery responses, and retainer agreements.

Since then, Ms. Adams has exclusively practiced Workers’ Compensation law and has gained notoriety for her extreme success with early settlement. Over the years, she has adopted an aggressive strategy and is a skilled negotiator. Ms. Adams possesses a careful attention to detail, which is demonstrated in her solid arguments in court. Growing up in Fresno, CA, it is only fitting that Ms. Adams is now our Managing Attorney in that office. Furthermore, her relations prove strong in these venues and she is well acquainted with the Fresno and Bakersfield Boards. Ms. Adams is a veteran attorney who is well versed in all areas of litigation, including directing depositions, appearing at court proceedings (including trials), and negotiating a variety of settlement agreements.

Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela & Brown is pleased to have Ms. Adams as Managing Attorney in our Fresno office.

SHAWN S. HAGHIGHI

September 14, 2012 , , , Comments Off on SHAWN S. HAGHIGHI

EDUCATION

SHAWN S. HAGHIGHI graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English (British Literature) and a minor in Policy Studies. He received his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and was admitted to the State Bar of California the same year.

BACKGROUND

In law school, Mr. Haghighi was an active member in Phi Alpha Delta International Law Fraternity, a Judicial Extern for the Los Angeles Superior Court, and volunteered for two years for VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) assisting low income families. In law school, Mr. Haghighi also served as a law clerk for the state’s leading firm in enforcement of family support judgments as well as interning for the business affairs department in one of the nation’s largest talent agencies.

Following law school, Mr. Haghighi served as an associate attorney in a well-known Orange County plaintiff’s firm handling a wide variety of civil matters from medical malpractice to class action lawsuits. Subsequently, he continued his civil experience at a high-volume Orange County plaintiff’s firm. Thereafter he began his defense career, exclusively handling civil matters for a large insurance authority, on behalf of self-insured cities, towns, and other public entities.

M. Haghighi joined the law offices of Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela and Brown as an associate attorney in 2011. He has been handling workers’ compensation defense in our Long Beach office, including both state matters and cases under federal jurisdiction. Mr. Haghighi strongly believes in a tailored and pragmatic approach to cases. He prides himself on being a detail-oriented and creative problem-solver. Mr. Haghighi became a partner in 2018.

AURORA R. AYALA

September 14, 2012 , , Comments Off on AURORA R. AYALA

EDUCATION

Aurora Ayala obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in 1999 from Pepperdine University, where she majored in Business Management. She also attended a Workers’ Compensation program through the University of Southern California.

BACKGROUND

Ms. Ayala began her career as a Hearing Representative in the area of Workers’ Compensation in 1990. She has attended a wide array of seminars on Workers’ Compensation and all its facets. She has covered over 700 appearances at Mandatory Settlement Conferences, Rating Conferences, Status Conferences, Trials, Vocational Rehabilitation Formals, depositions of applicants and witnesses and cross-examinations of physicians at various venues such as the San Diego, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Long Beach, Pomona, Riverside, San Bernardino, Oxnard, Bakersfield, Fresno, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, Redding and Marysville Appeals Boards.

She has also taught several seminars on rating including Rating under AMA Guidelines, and the Supplemental Job Displacement/Voucher issues.

She began working with Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela & Brown in early 2005 as a Hearing Representative in the Newport Beach office. Prior to that she worked at another defense firm for more than four years and prior to that she brought with her over 14 years of expertise and knowledge of handling applicants’ claims.

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