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KARL FRANCOIS

EDUCATION

Karl Jeff Francois received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Economics from Florida International University. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law and was admitted the following year.

BACKGROUND

Mr. Francois began his career as a legal assistant/paralegal where he specialized in probate, family, and foreclosure defense cases. During law school, Mr. Francois worked as a legal intern with the Miami Dade Public Defender’s Office and gained experience assisting the lead attorney during trial. He then worked as an intern at the University of Miami School of Law Immigration Clinic furthering his experience with administrative law at the federal level including significant legal research and law and motion drafting.

Since law school, Mr. Francois has worked exclusively in defending Federal workers’ compensation cases under the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act and its extensions, including the Defense Base Act. He is continuing this practice at the firm’s Long Beach office handling every aspect of cases.

JOSHUA LARSON

JOSHUA LARSON received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Riverside, with a major in Political Science. He attended Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California and earned his Juris Doctor in December of 2008. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in June of 2009. In December of 2012, he earned his Business and Economics Law LL.M. at Chapman University School of Law.

BACKGROUND

In Law School, Mr. Larson was active student leader. He was a member of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA) and served as their Vice President and President. He was a member of the Thomas Jefferson Student Bar Association and served as the Social Chair Officer and Vice President.  While in Law School, Mr. Larson interned with Office of the Alternate Public Defender, Intellectual Property Legal Advisors, and Simo Holdings, Inc., f/k/a No Fear, Inc.

Upon being admitted to the California State Bar, Simo Holdings promoted Mr. Larson to Corporate Counsel where he was responsible for all its U.S. legal matters relating to this prominent action sports brand. Subsequently, Mr. Larson expanded his legal experience practicing Bankruptcy, Intellectual Property, Business, and finally, Workers’ Compensation litigation.

Mr. Larson has been practicing Workers’ Compensation Defense since 2013. He is experienced in defending claims under the Federal Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) and California State Labor Code.

Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela and Brown is pleased to have Mr. Larson in our Long Beach Office.

GEORGE JONES

EDUCATION 

GEORGE JONES received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Hawaii in 1980 and his Juris Doctorate from the University of San Francisco in 1992, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the USF Maritime Law Journal.  George was admitted to the California Bar in 1992.  

BACKGROUND  

George Jones has been practicing maritime law for over 25 years in the Long Beach/Los Angeles area and has significant experience litigating a wide variety of maritime claims including Jones Act, USL&H/DBA, cargo, vessel liability and general insurance claims. 

Prior to joining Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela & Brown, George served as Vice-President of one of the nation’s premier maritime adjusting firms. Prior to that, George managed his own law firm, Jones Maritime Law, APC, which specialized in maritime personal injury litigation, including Jones Act, USL&H and DBA matters. George is licensed to practice law in all state and federal courts in California. He is a Proctor of Admiralty Member of the Maritime Law Association of the US. George is also A/V Preeminent rated by Martindale Hubbell, the highest independent, peer review rating awarded for excellence in both competency and ethics. 

GENA C. STRATEGOS

EDUCATION

GENA C. STRATEGOS completed her undergraduate education at the University of Southern California where she received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with an emphasis in Strategic Studies. She continued on to receive her Juris Doctor from the USC Law Center and was admitted to the California State Bar immediately following. Ms. Strategos was admitted to the California 9th District Court of Appeals in 1989 and is a Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law.

BACKGROUND

Ms. Strategos began her career in Workers’ Compensation as a partner of a small defense firm representing large self-insured companies and municipalities. In this role, she gained experience handling client meetings, cross examining AMEs, doctors and raters, and appearing at trial. Her strong performance resulted in an increase in case load and level of service with major self-insured clients for the firm.

Prior to joining Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela and Brown, Ms. Strategos was a partner at a large Workers’ Compensation Defense Firm. In addition to managing a large case load, Ms. Strategos was also in charge of training new attorneys for the firm. Some of her biggest accomplishments in this position were an Answer to Writ to the Supreme Court and an Arbitration which included a win against the California Insurance Guarantee Association. Over the years, Ms. Strategos has become an expert in the areas of depositions, arbitrations, appellate briefs, cross examinations and trials. She has achieved remarkable success in all phases of litigation and has received many take nothing awards. Ms. Strategos has over 25 years of experience representing employers, insurance carriers, and third party administrators making her an asset to our firm.

We are pleased to have Ms. Strategos as an associate in our Long Beach office.

Long Beach

211 East Ocean Blvd
Suite 500
Long Beach, CA 90802

TEL:  310.831.0872
FAX:  310.831.1333

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.

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.

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.

JAMES A. MORRISON

EDUCATION

JAMES A. MORRISON received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Business Economics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1979. He received his Masters in Business Administration from Dowling College in New York in 1981. Mr. Morrison received his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1986. He was admitted to practice in the State of California in 1987.

BACKGROUND

Beginning in 1987, Mr. Morrison has been a Workers’ Compensation defense attorney for Wausau Insurance, Kemper Insurance, and TIG Insurance Company. He joined the Long Beach office of Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela & Brown in February of 1999 solely practicing Workers’ Compensation Defense.

DANIEL F. VALENZUELA

EDUCATION

DANIEL F. VALENZUELA received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Santa Clara in 1977 and his Juris Doctor (Cum laude) from Arizona State University College of Law in 1980. He was admitted to practice in Arizona in 1980 and in California in 1982.

BACKGROUND

Mr. Valenzuela’s experience includes instruction in legal education as well as an attorney for the U. S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. where he represented the Department in hearings and appeals involving Workers’ Compensation claims under the Black Lung Benefits Act. He joined Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela & Brown in 1982 and continued his Workers’ Compensation defense practice handling claims filed pursuant to the Workers’ Compensation Laws of California and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. He was certified as a specialist in Workers’ Compensation law in May of 1994. He is currently the firm’s President and Managing Partner of the Long Beach office.

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