Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani has elevated 26 attorneys to partnership. Located in offices throughout the country and experienced in a broad range of legal areas, these new partners are positioned to collaborate with our national practice groups to meet the various legal needs of our clients.
"These accomplished individuals hail from many different locations throughout the country and, as such, represent the firm's broad geographic footprint as well as the substantive depth and diversity of our practice groups," said Dion Cominos, Firm Managing Partner. "We congratulate our new partners on their accomplishment which is well-deserved and the product of much hard work and commitment to the firm."
Brooke Anderson is a partner in the San Francisco and Boise offices. She is a member of the construction and health care practice groups. Her practice focuses on representing developers, general contractors, design professionals, and consultants in litigation and transactional matters. Her experience includes a wide range of general litigation matters from medical malpractice, elder abuse, construction defect, water rights litigation, property/quiet title disputes, breach of contract, and claims against administrative agencies (City Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, Idaho Board of Occupational Licenses).
Derek Bishop is a partner in the Seattle office and a member of the employment law practice group. His practice focuses on complex civil litigation and employment law. He defends employers involved in class action lawsuits, especially those involving claims of wage and hour violations, discrimination, and other issues related to a client’s employees. In addition, he helps employers defend single-plaintiff claims involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and breach of contract claims. In addition to his employment practice, he defends clients involved in other complex civil disputes, including commercial disputes. Bishop also counsels employers with regard to employment law issues in an effort to avoid potential litigation and other issues. He has successfully represented clients before state and federal agencies, in arbitration, as well as state and federal trial and appellate courts.
Joseph Blyskal is a partner in the Harford office. He is a member of the insurance, commercial litigation, employment law, product & general liability and construction practice groups. He has significant experience representing private business clients and closely-held companies, individuals, and institutional clients before administrative bodies and state and federal courts in multiple states in all stages of litigation, including appeals. He regularly advises and represents insurers involved in first- and third-party coverage and bad faith disputes. He also litigates commercial and business disputes for private clients under a variety of federal and state laws respecting employment, intellectual property, ownership interests, contract rights, professional liability and fiduciary claims, and business and other torts. He also handles construction-related disputes involving both contractual, defect and design claims.
Michael Burke is a partner in the Boston office. He is a member of the commercial litigation practice group. His litigation experience representing clients at trial and arbitration, drafting and arguing dispositive motions, conducting internal investigations and managing large-scale discovery. Within his general commercial litigation practice, he focuses on matters involving complex financial disputes, government and internal investigations, defending securities class action matters, and intra-company disputes. He represents clients in both the state and federal courts of Massachusetts as well as in other jurisdictions.
Rebecca Cain is a partner in the Phoenix office. She is a member of the commercial litigation, retail & hospitality, trucking & transportation, employment, and class action practice groups. She is committed to delivering personalized results, handles all stages of litigation and has significant experience and success in early case assessment, including identifying issues and evaluating likely outcomes; simplifying complex factual and legal issues for presentation to judge or jury; developing comprehensive, yet efficient, discovery plans; mediation and settlement negotiations; trials to the court, to a jury, or to arbitrators; and defense of class actions at both the pre- and post-certification stages, including successfully advocating for class decertification.
Amy Curley is a partner in the Westchester office. She is a member of the commercial litigation practice group and focuses on insurance defense litigation. She handles a wide variety of high exposure matters including labor law, premises liability, motor vehicle accidents, products liability, and malpractice.
Daniel DiMuro is a partner in the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania offices. He is a member of the commercial litigation, franchise law, intellectual property, class action, professional liability defense, and employment law practice groups. He handles matters nationwide before federal and state trial and appellate courts as well as administrative agencies. He has extensive experience representing corporate clients in mediations and arbitrations before alternative dispute resolution panels. DiMuro represents a diverse group of major corporations, franchisors, closely-held businesses, and individuals in multiple jurisdictions in a wide range of complex commercial disputes. He is licensed in several jurisdictions and has obtained pro hac vice admission at the request of his clients in numerous other jurisdictions across the country.
Jillian Fairchild is a partner in the San Diego office. She is a member of the employment litigation practice group. Fairchild represents employers in various industries, including transportation, staffing agencies, restaurants, technology firms and non-profits. She primarily practices in the defense of employers against claims for wrongful termination, sexual harassment, retaliation, discrimination, and breach of contract as well as other employment related cases. In addition to defending employment litigation matters, Fairchild works to assist her clients in developing policies and procedures designed to minimize the risk and damages associated with law suits. She also has significant experience defending clients in general civil litigation matters, including catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims and has participated in preparation of several matters for jury trial leading to successful results.
Raymond Gill is a partner in the Irvine office. He is a member of the product & general liability practice group. He is an accomplished trial attorney who regularly represents Fortune 100 companies and other large multinational corporations. His practice focuses on products liability litigation, mass torts, and catastrophic personal injury cases. He has first-chaired numerous jury trials, argued “landscape-changing” appeals, and served as National Coordinating Counsel for large corporations embroiled in high-risk mass litigation. Over the years, he has managed elite and highly successful litigation groups, including very robust groups that defended hundreds of active lawsuits annually.
Kirsten Gough is a partner in the Boston office. She is a member of the environmental/toxic tort and commercial litigation practice groups. She specializes in the defense of complex environmental claims, mass toxic tort cases, and product liability actions. Gough has extensive experience representing Fortune 500 companies in claims involving alleged groundwater contamination, site cleanup and remediation, natural resources damages, and legacy asbestos exposure. She has represented companies at every stage of preparing a case for trial including case evaluation, e-discovery, witness and expert depositions, dispositive motions, and motions in limine. She has counseled clients on their e-discovery obligations, both internally and in the context of litigation. She has guided clients through searching for, collecting, analyzing and producing data, as well as utilizing various platforms to distill massive amounts of information into complex legal strategies and narratives.
Holly Heffner is a partner in the San Diego office. She is an experienced litigator representing commercial clients of varying sizes in diverse and often complex business disputes in federal, state, and appellate courts. Heffner handles a wide range of business matters, and has significant experience with contract disputes, intellectual property disputes and prosecution, fraud claims, business torts, officer and director litigation, unfair competition and other state and federal consumer protection laws, and class action defense.
Nathan Huey is a partner in the Missoula and Denver offices. He is a member of the product & general liability, insurance, and commercial litigation practice groups. His practice includes a diverse range of civil litigation matters in both state and federal courts, and at both the trial court and appellate levels. His practice focuses on tort, consumer fraud, and employment litigation, including class actions, mass torts (particularly coordinated pharmaceutical and toxic tort cases), qui tam lawsuits, taxpayer actions, and other claims involving wrongful death and personal injury. He also has wide-ranging experience in insurance defense, including product liability, premises liability, libel/defamation, construction defect, and bad faith claims. He has counseled various entities, including product manufacturers, regarding risk management, regulatory considerations, recall management, integration of industry standards, product warnings, and product marketing.
Christopher Ryan Jones is a partner in the Denver, Albuquerque and Cheyenne offices. He is a member of the firm's health care and employment law practice groups. He has represented clients up and down the I-25 corridor for more than a decade. From minor automobile accidents to multi-million-dollar malpractice litigation, he has represented clients ranging from individuals to one of the nation’s largest owners of long-term care facilities. As an attorney licensed in Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico, Jones provides his clients with a “one stop shop” for all their litigation needs throughout the Rocky Mountain region.
Jeffrey Kopco is a partner in the New Jersey, New York, Long Island and Philadelphia offices. He is a member of the firm's insurance, employment, professional liability and commercial litigation practice groups. He regularly appears before the trial and appellate courts of New Jersey, the trial courts of New York and Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for New Jersey and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Third Circuit United States Court of Appeals. He also often appears before panels of the American Arbitration Association and state and federal agencies, representing the interests of employers and businesses in matters affecting employment, labor rights, civil rights, and housing discrimination. Kopco utilizes effective strategies to protect against litigation and to support and protect his clients’ interests when litigation has already commenced.
Christine Kroupa is a partner in the Denver office. She is member of the firm's professional liability defense, insurance, construction, and ERISA practice groups. She represents insurers in a variety of insurance matters particularly focusing on first party bad faith litigation. She has significant experience handling high exposure, complex litigation. She handles commercial property claims, appraisals, uninsured/underinsured motorist claims, homeowners’ insurance claims, and coverage opinions. Kroupa is also experienced in the defense of professional liability disputes. Licensed to practice law in Colorado, Nebraska, and South Dakota, Kroupa has vast experience working with a large variety of clients ranging from individuals to Fortune 500 companies on various matters.
James Kuhne is a partner in the Irvine and Los Angeles offices. He is a member of the firm's maritime, product & general liability, and real estate practice groups. His practice focuses on delivering civil litigation, casualty and incident investigation, and corporate advisory services to clients in the maritime, transportation, and real estate industries. He has successfully represented industry-leading shipowners, P&I Clubs, marine terminal operators, tug and barge operators, vessel charterers, and their insurers in state and federal courts across the country, with particular emphasis on personal injury defense, occupational exposure claims, and business litigation. As a former commercial real estate agent for an international real estate brokerage firm, Kuhne also has extensive real estate transactional and litigation experience and assists owners, users, managers and brokers of commercial real estate to successfully bring their “deals” to conclusion.
W. Greg Lockwood is a partner in the Portland, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis offices. He represents businesses, executives, and professionals in courts, arbitrations, and administrative proceedings across the country. Lockwood has second-chaired three cases to jury verdict, first chaired more than 10 arbitrations in front of AAA, ASP, and FINRA panels, deposed parties and experts in multi-million dollar cases, and successfully briefed and argued high-stakes dispositive motions in state and federal courts. His practice focuses on commercial, employment, and products liability litigation.
Tara Lynch is a partner in the Boston and Manchester offices. She handles a wide range of litigation, including matters involving construction defect litigation, the defense of real estate and design professionals, the defense of toxic tort claims, product liability claims, and employment matters. Lynch has experience in the defense of complex personal injury and wrongful death claims and premises liability claims. A former appellate clerk, Lynch also represents clients at the appellate level.
Scott McCaskill is a partner in the San Diego, Los Angeles and Irvine offices. He focuses his practice in the areas of commercial litigation, contracts, real estate matters and defense of professional liability and tort claims, as well as consumer class actions. He also routinely represents directors and officers in direct actions for alleged breaches of fiduciary duties and related claims. He is also an experienced civil litigator and has tried multiple civil and criminal cases to verdict over the years. He has extensive experience negotiating settlements at meditation and during litigation.
Sara Moore is a partner in the San Francisco office. She is a member of the employment practice group and represents clients ranging from healthcare facilities and educational institutions to companies in the high-tech, hospitality, and manufacturing industries. She defends employers in all phases of litigation against employment-related claims including discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation and whistleblower claims, Title IX, breach of contract, and alleged wage and hour violations. She handles single plaintiff and class action matters in state and federal courts, as well as claims before state and federal administrative agencies. In addition to litigation, Moore counsels corporations, restaurants, and educational institutions on a wide-range of employment matters including employee discipline, disability accommodation, and wage and hour compliance.
Molly Mrowka is a partner in the San Francisco office. She is a member of the product & general liability and automotive litigation & autonomous vehicle practice groups. She has significant experience in commercial litigation, insurance coverage, and appeals. She predominately handles mass federal Multi-District Litigation complex matters, as well as California-state complex tort and contract litigation matters. Her experience encompasses defending manufacturers and distributors of a wide range of products, from silica to herbal supplements. She has successfully defended a Fortune 1000/NASDAQ company from a variety of product and premises claims, and successfully defended local government entities from 42 U.S.C. §1983 claims. She also successfully represented a German chemical company in landmark complex litigation involving the Silicon Valley microelectronics industry, which was commonly referred to in the industry, as "the computer chip manufacturing litigation” and "the ‘clean room’ chemical litigation.”
David Serrano is a partner in the San Francisco office. He is a member of the product & general liability and automotive litigation & autonomous vehicle practice groups. He represents both individual and corporate clients in catastrophic accident cases, domestic and international transport/shipping disputes, and consumer fraud actions. In addition, he defends international manufacturers in consumer and manufacturing companies. Serrano also advises on a number of pre-litigation concerns, including accident and claim investigations, Cal/OSHA or Federal OSHA matters, and corporate document retention and preservation practices.
Capri Trigo is a partner in the Miami and Tampa offices. She is a member of the commercial litigation, franchise law, employment law, insurance, drug & medical device and professional liability defense practice groups. Trigo represents clients in class action and multidistrict litigation including breach of contract actions, commercial litigation, franchise litigation, equipment financing and leasing issues, consumer protection claims arising under consumer protection and false advertising statutes. She has served as counsel in intellectual property disputes involving trademark and copyright infringement, employment disputes, and unfair competition in state and federal courts. Her practice also focuses on complex litigation in the areas of employment, professional liability, collections recovery, and commercial law in state, federal and administrative courts. She has handles claims for general negligence, premises liability, products liability, contractual indemnity, and insurance. Trigo is also experience with complex business torts and unfair competition, antitrust, breach of fiduciary duty, and ERISA claims.
Katelyn Werner is a partner in the Denver office. She is a member of the insurance, employment, and trucking & transportation practice groups. Werner is licensed in Colorado, Montana, and Nebraska. She focuses her practice primarily in the representation of corporations and professionals against various claims including contractual disputes, professional liability, employment discrimination, personal injury, and wrongful death claims. Werner represents insurance companies in cases involving complex extra-contractual matters such as alleged bad faith denials, Bashor and Nunn agreements, and coverage. She also represents Class I railroads and short line railroads in FELA lawsuits, crossing collisions, and administrative proceedings before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Werner has experience successfully representing clients in commercial disputes as well as all aspects of litigation in state and federal court, including pre-litigation matters, dispositive motions practice, settlements, trials, and appeals.
Julia Whitelock is a partner in the Alexandria, Washington, DC, and Baltimore offices. She is a member of the commercial litigation, employment law, banking & finance, community association law, consumer protection litigation, appellate, franchise law, and class action practice groups. Whitelock represents businesses, franchisors, financial institutions, and community associations in single plaintiff and class actions in state and federal trial and appellate courts and administrative agencies. She has experience litigating a wide range of civil claims, including claims for breach of contract, fraud, business torts, trademark infringement, copyright infringement, trade secret misappropriation, violation of federal and state consumer protection statutes, violation of federal and state employment laws, negligence, common law due process in higher education accreditation, and professional liability.
Steven Zakrzewski is a partner in the Hartford office. He is a member of the insurance, product & general liability, professional liability defense and environmental/toxic tort practice groups. He defends manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of a wide range of products. He has a deep knowledge of the Connecticut Product Liability Act, as well as Connecticut’s procedural rules, representing clients in both state and federal court. Zakrzewski also defends mass tort claims, including litigation regarding opioid medications, and handles a wide range of professional liability cases, including claims against insurance professionals, insurers, and real estate professionals. In the employment context, he has successfully defended discrimination claims as well as wage and hour claims.