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ERICA PHAN

EDUCATION

ERICA PHAN completed her undergraduate education at the University of California, Los Angeles where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics with minors in Accounting and African American Studies. She continued on to receive her Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law. During her time at Pepperdine, Ms. Phan was a recipient of the Kimberly Dawn Ellis and completed a study abroad program in London where she held a Criminal Defense externship and focused her studies on corporations, international commercial arbitration and federal taxation.

BACKGROUND

After being admitted to the State Bar of California, Ms. Phan began her practice in civil litigation specializing in the areas of complex commercial and insurance coverage litigation, products liability and contracts. She gained experience in all phases of litigation including trial preparation, court appearances and settlement negotiations.
In 2012, Ms. Phan transitioned her focus to Workers’ Compensation defense and has practiced exclusively since. She excels in aggressively defending files while expediting closure through trials and settlements. Ms. Phan is well versed in all phases of litigation, including case in chief, lien resolution, and contribution and has received many favorable outcomes including several Take Nothings. Ms. Phan became a Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation in 2017.

We are pleased to have Ms. Phan as a Partner in our Newport Beach office.

PRISCILLA SHIRKHANLOO

EDUCATION

PRISCILLA SHIRKHANLOO graduated Cum Laude from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a minor in Middle East and North African Studies. She continued on to receive her Juris Doctorate from Chapman University Law School in 2012 where she was in the top 16% of her class. Ms. Shirkhanloo was admitted to the California State Bar in 2012.

BACKGROUND

Before joining the Law Offices of Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela & Brown, LLP, Ms. Shirkhanloo was a Supervising Attorney for a large defense firm in Orange, representing clients in all aspects of workers’ compensation defense. While Ms. Shirkhanloo attended law school, she started her career as a Law Clerk for Paris Law Group. There, she drafted legal documents on various issues in civil law, including worker’s compensation and employment discrimination. Ms. Shirkhanloo also conducted legal research and writing projects. During the summer of her second year and throughout her third year of law school, Ms. Shirkhanloo was a Law Clerk for Lanak & Hanna. There, she wrote memoranda and Motions for construction matters; complied reports and graphics of the firm’s findings to be used during expert witness testimony; and drafted and responded to discovery.

RECOGNITIONS

  • Dean’s Honor List, 4 quarters, UCLA
  • CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Property II
  • L.S. Palmos Award, 2012, Chapman Law School
  • OCBA Barbri Law Review Scholarship Recipient, 2012, Chapman Law School
  • Certificate in Environment, Land Use and Real Estate Law, 2012, Chapman Law School

Ms. Shirkhanloo joined the law offices of Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela & Brown, LLP as a Partner 2017 where she handles Workers’ Compensation Defense in our Newport Beach and San Diego offices.

HENRIK KARAPETIAN

EDUCATION

HENRIK KARAPETIAN completed his undergraduate education at California State University, Northridge, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Business Law. Mr. Karapetian received his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School and was admitted to the State Bar of California shortly after. He is a member of the American and Los Angeles County Bar Associations.

BACKGROUND

After admitted to the Bar, Mr. Karapetian started his own litigation practice, specializing in all types of injury cases. He has represented clients in a variety of different claims and gained experience handling request for orders, emergency motions, depositions and trials.
In 2012, Mr. Karapetian was an associate at a large Workers Compensation Defense firm where he defended insurance companies and self-insured employers in all phases of litigation. He joined Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela and Brown in 2016 and has continued to zealously defend insurance companies. He is well versed in court appearances, having handled numerous status conferences, mandatory settlements conferences, priority conferences and expedited hearings. Through his extensive litigation experience, Mr. Karapetian has adapted an aggressive and effective litigation style that has helped him achieve favorable results for his clients. Mr. Karapetian works diligently to maintain strong relationships with his clients, placing their goals and needs as his primary focus.

We are pleased to have Mr. Karapetian as an attorney in our Burbank office.

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.

KARINA YANOVSKY

EDUCATION

KARINA YANOVSKY graduated from San Francisco University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She then received her Juris Doctor from John F. Kennedy School of Law in Pleasant Hill, California and was admitted to the California State Bar shortly after. Ms. Yanovsky is admitted to the United States District Court, Northern District and is a Board Member for the Diablo Valley Industrial Claims Association.

BACKGROUND

Ms. Yanovsky began her career practicing family law with an emphasis on child custody, support disputes and domestic violence claims. As an associate attorney she handled a wide variety of tasks including preparation of legal documents, interviewing litigants and attending short-cause, reissuance & proceedings. In 2007, Ms. Yanovsky began practicing Workers’ Compensation Law, representing injured workers in many different phases of litigation. On top of serving as the principal negotiator for her firm, Ms. Yanovsky was the sole attorney responsible for handling Expedited Hearing’s Priority Conferences and formal/informal settlements. Prior to joining Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela and Brown, Ms. Yanovsky was a partner for a busy Workers’ Compensation Defense firm in Oakland. In addition to handling all aspects of Workers’ Compensation defense, she served as Lead Counsel for several high end accounts and also assisted in acquiring new business for the firm. Over the years, Ms. Yanovsky has gained substantial experience in all phases of litigation and has successfully handled a heavy caseload at a high volume litigation practice. Her aggressive approach and excellent oral advocacy skills have gained her favorable results in the courtroom, including multiple Take Nothing Awards.

Ms. Yanovsky is an attorney in the San Francisco Office of Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela & Brown.

PATRICK G. ROSE

EDUCATION

PATRICK G. ROSE graduated Suma Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology from California State University, Fresno. He then obtained his Juris Doctor from Southwestern School of Law, where he received an award for academic achievement in the area of Constitutional Law. Mr. Rose was admitted to the State Bar of California immediately following graduation and is currently admitted to all U.S. District Courts. In addition to being a lifetime member of the Golden Key and Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Societies, he is also a member of the California Bar Association, American Bar Association, Los Angeles Bar Association and Sacramento Bar Association.

BACKGROUND

Mr. Rose began his legal career working as in-house counsel for Amwest Surety Insurance Company. He managed civil litigation cases from claim referral through trial and handled a wide variety of claims including defense and subrogation of automobile accidents, general negligence, premise liability and fraud investigations. Later on, Mr. Rose continued to practice civil litigation for a small firm in San Jose, CA, specializing in Insurance Defense, Governmental Liability, Construction Defect and Employment.

In 2001, M. Rose started practicing Workers’ Compensation law while employed with a mid-sized firm in Northern California. Although he managed some Personal Injury plaintiff casework, his caseload primarily consisted of Workers’ Compensation applicant claims.

Mr. Rose has practiced Workers’ Compensation Defense since 2002. Prior to joining Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela & Brown, he was a partner at a large firm in Northern California, specializing in Insurance Defense, Workers’ Compensation and Personal Injury. He served as the Directing Partner for the firm’s Subrogation and Civil Litigation Department and managed a caseload consisting of general/civil insurance defense, US Federal Litigation and Appeals, Workers’ Compensation Defense, Subrogation and Appellate work. In addition to his large role at the firm, he also prepared and conducted numerous seminars, presentation and webinars for clients. Mr. Rose prides himself on providing clients with superior litigation while staying mindful of client costs and expenses.

Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela & Brown is pleased to have Mr. Rose as an attorney in our Sacramento Office.

MARICELA PICAZO

EDUCATION

MARICELA PICAZO obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley. She received her Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University, School of Law in 2003 and was admitted to the California State Bar later that year. During her time at Santa Clara University, Ms. Picazo was a member of the Student Admissions committee where she reviewed and analyzed applications for Law School candidates.

BACKGROUND

Ms. Picazo began her legal career as a Legal Intern for the San Francisco Office of the District Attorney where she conducted legal research and writing for motion hearings and trials in addition to assisting with overall case preparation. She later on became a Certified Legal Intern for District Attorney’s Office in the Juvenile Division specializing in legal research, drafting legal memoranda of points and authorities and trial briefs, and case preparation. As a Certified Legal Intern she also assisted with the in motion calendar, which included the presentation of oral arguments.

While waiting for bar results, Ms. Picazo worked as a Law Clerk at a firm in San Francisco where she gained experience in discovery review and claim analysis. She also assisted attorneys with case research, preparation for depositions, hearings and trial and the negotiation of lien settlements.

Ms. Picazo has exclusively practiced Workers’ Compensation Law since she passed the California Bar in 2003. For the first 11 years of her career, Ms. Picazo worked in-house for a large insurance company where she handled complex files for their national accounts. She is well versed in all phases of litigation, appearing at court proceedings and negotiating settlement agreements.

Ms. Picazo has worked for Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela and Brown since 2015, where she has continued to aggressively handle files, always with an eye toward early resolution. Absent early resolution she creates plans of action to move the file quickly through the process of discovery, negotiations and trial if necessary.

Ms. Picazo is fluent in Spanish.

Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela and Brown is pleased to have Ms. Picazo as an Attorney in our San Francisco Office.

ELIA YURIDITSKY

EDUCATION

ELIA YURIDITSKY received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, Robert H. Smith School of Business, with a Double Major in Finance and Accounting. He went on to attend the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor and graduated in the top 20% of his class.

BACKGROUND

Mr. Yuriditsky began his legal career as a contractor for a prominent Criminal Defense firm, where he researched and analyzed case law for summary judgment motions and wrote internal legal memoranda on tort, contract, and real estate issues. He went on to intern for a busy Civil Litigation firm, where he participated in arbitration hearings, wrote resulting award letters, and assisted in negotiating settlements with insurance companies. As an intern for the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, he prepared appellate briefs and motions for habeas and prepared presentations for expert testimony. Mr. Yuriditsky also has years of experience as Legal Consultant in Corporate, Contract, Trademark, Patent, and Commercial Litigation.

Since then, Mr. Yuriditsky has been practicing Workers’ Compensation Defense, putting his client’s interest at the utmost priority. He is accustomed to handling a large caseload, and is aggressive in his approach to early closure of his cases. Being familiar with all Northern California venues, Mr. Yuriditsky is a great asset to our clients and their needs.

Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela and Brown is pleased to have Mr. Yuriditsky in our San Francisco Office.

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

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.

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