Atwater Civil Rights Lawyers

Glenn Katon is an experienced litigator who has handled numerous trials and appeals. His practice has focused on plaintiffs’ civil rights for the last ten years, preceded by over ten years of commercial litigation. He has litigated racial profiling, immigrants’ rights, police misconduct free speech, and religious freedom cases, and been quoted on civil rights law in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Newsweek.

Because divorce is a problem to be solved, not a battle to be won, I focus on alternatives to the court system, through Collaborative Law and Mediation. I believe that most families and children are best served by being supported to work together in resolving their family matters. The fundamental goal in both Collaborative Divorce and Mediation is client empowerment.

With either mediation or the Collaborative process you will have control of the decisions that are made and will be firmly supported, legally and emotionally, in achieving a successful dissolution of your relationship. This not only allows but also encourages you...

Human / Civil Rights Attorney working with clients in the public and private spheres for over 25 years in over 75 countries. Significant experience serving non-profits in the public health and international development spheres assisting refugees, asylum seekers, and those suffering from various forms of trauma. Particular focus on LGBTQ and non-binary clients with legal / personal concerns related to gender expression and its effects and helping spearhead international initiatives addressing the same.

Current Director of the Gamelan Council - Asia-Pacific Public Health, Microfinance, and Development Center. Previous experience includes working as a primary care clinician / rural health officer for...

Kenneth Chike Odiwe is a skilled attorney with extensive experience in Civil Rights and Personal Injury litigation. He primarily focuses on representing clients in Civil Rights cases. Some of the areas of expertise he covers include: Police Misconduct: Mr. Odiwe is well-versed in handling cases related to police brutality, excessive force, officer-involved shootings, and custodial deaths. He also specializes in cases involving restraint asphyxia, positional asphyxia, excessive tasing, baton strikes, beanbag shotgun use, and 40mm rubber rounds. Medical Care: Chike Odiwe has a deep understanding of cases that involve inadequate or denied medical care, as well as interference with familial relationships. He...

Bryan Schwartz is an Oakland, California-based attorney dedicated to helping employees protect their rights in the workplace. He has fought prohibited discrimination, retaliation, and harassment, obtained reasonable accommodations for disabled employees, vindicated whistleblowers' rights, and ensured that corporations pay workers all wages they are owed. He has successfully litigated individual and class action complaints nationwide, helping to recover millions of dollars for thousands of employees, forcing corporations and Government agencies to change their practices and punish wrongdoers. Bryan Schwartz is also one of the few Bay Area-based attorneys with extensive experience representing Federal employees in their unique Merit Systems...

David E. Mastagni is a partner with the law firm of Mastagni Holstedt, APC, who specializes in labor and employment law representation of public safety employees, including trial and appellate litigation in California and federal courts. In particular, he handles complex civil, class action and collective action litigation, claims arising out of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the U.S. and California Constitutions, the California Public Records Act (CPRA), the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights (POBR), the California Labor Code, the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, and other statutes protecting the rights of employees.
Among his other legal activities, David is an...

Mr. Tade is an experienced civil litigator specializing in personal injury, workers' compensation, labor and employment law.

Since starting Varlack Legal Services in 2009, I have been on the front lines of litigation as a trial attorney. Valuable experience in the courtroom was gained as a member of the Alameda County Bar’s CAAP program and Lawyer Referral Service. These programs helped me grow my practice as a young attorney while allowing me to grow as a litigator. As a graduate of Howard Law School, I chose to become “a social engineer” rather than a “parasite on society.” After law school, I served on the Charles Houston Bar Association’s Board of Directors, as membership...

Scott Cole is the founder and principal attorney at Cole & Van Note, one of California's best-known and most highly-respected employment and consumer rights class action law firms. He is a graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law (1992), and San Francisco State University (B.A., Speech Communications; 1989). He is a member of the California State Bar and the State Bar’s Labor and Employment Law Section, is admitted to practice before all California federal courts (including the 6th and 9th Circuit Court of Appeals), has prosecuted cases in numerous states including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida,...

"I am dedicated to my clients and work hard to achieve the results needed in every case" I have represented clients and continue to to serve the counties of San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, Napa, San Joaquin and all other Northern California Counties. No case is to big, and no case is to small. Each one has a certain value to the client and each deserves 110% effort. This is what I do! We Handle everything from: Traffic stop signs; to DMV suspensions; to DUI cases; to serious felonies.

Mr. Johnson has been practicing law for over 27 years. He has been a partner in The Law Office of Johnson & Johnson since 1998. The Law Office of Johnson & Johnson defends clients in matters related to Criminal Defense; Juvenile Dependency; Driving Under the Influence; Juvenile Delinquency, Civil Rights Litigation and related matters. Mr. Johnson and the attorneys at The Law Office of Johnson & Johnson are committed to their clients and their clients' circumstances.

Mr. Johnson has personally conducted well over 100 jury trials in courts throughout the state and federal court. He has engaged...

I am an accomplished California attorney. I represent employees and tenants in a broad range of Employment, Landlord-Tenant and Civil Rights matters.

Dedicated to exceptional advocacy, I am diligent in fighting for the rights of my clients. I am genuine, experienced, and committed to justice.

I am also active in the community, currently volunteering at both Centro Legal and the Western Service Workers Association where I provide pro bono assistance to low-wage workers.

Daniel Horowitz is Contra Costa County's "Top 100 Trial Lawyer". Daniel is an active community member serving on the Lafayette Crime Prevention Commission and a strong supporter of LPIE, Generations in Jazz and the Acalanes and local sports programs. His law group, Lawyers in Lafayette is a community law firm handling all types of cases "in house" or assisting in a referral to the best attorney for your needs. Daniel Horowitz and his legal team have exceptional qualifications in targeted areas. His group of affiliated attorneys includes a licensed physician who practices as a lawyer, a licensed...

Charles “Chuck” Piccuta is a founding partner of the Piccuta Law Group, LLP and has practiced law for more than forty years. He attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois on a full-ride athletic scholarship for football and graduated with highest honors with a major in Political Science. He then attended Northwestern University, School of Law in Chicago on an academic scholarship. He was a member of the prestigious Northwestern University Law Review and earned his law degree in 1972 graduating with honors.

After graduating from law school, Chuck made the decision to serve his country and proudly joined the U.S. Navy...

Marlon Monroe brings a background of court battles and life experiences rarely found in employment law & civil rights attorneys. Prior to practicing law, Marlon taught middle school in Los Angeles for five years and worked in the music industry. After graduating from law school in South Florida, he began his legal career and moved back to Oakland, CA, where he practiced criminal defense for 15 years and became known as “The People’s Champion” due to his zealous advocacy, successful outcomes and representation of prominent members of the local community. While cultivating his skills in the courtroom, Marlon also worked with...

Ms. Szeto-Wong completed her undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley. She obtained her law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law and has been litigating civil rights, family law, and employment cases in state and federal court since 2012. Ms. Szeto-Wong has a successful track record including favorable verdicts and awards in the millions of dollars. She is bilingual in English and Cantonese.

Attorney Adam M. Carlson is managing partner at Casper, Meadows, Schwartz & Cook. While he is skilled in various areas of law, he focuses the majority of his practice handling cases related to wrongful death, civil rights, and personal injury. He believes that tailoring each case to each client’s needs is key to providing aggressive and compassionate legal representation.

Before joining the firm, Carlson served as an intake assistant for our team, where he was responsible for fielding calls from potential clients. It was at this time that Carlson decided he wanted to do more. He found that he was passionate...

John Hyland is a partner with Rukin Hyland & Riggin LLP. He practices exclusively in the area of employment law. John was Of Counsel with Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker in the firm’s San Francisco office where he advised and represented companies in State and Federal court actions covering all areas of employment law, including wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, disability law, employee privacy, employee leaves, and wage and hour issues. John regularly conducts training seminars and presents on a wide array of employment law issues. Law & Politics Magazine selected John as one of its Northern California Super Lawyers...

As a partner with San Francisco's Rukin Hyland & Riggin LLP, Peter Rukin represents Bay Area clients in a wide array of complex litigation matters, including employment, wage and hour, and business disputes. Mr. Rukin has built a reputation as a thoughtful and strong advocate for his clients, whatever their disputes may be. Mr. Rukin specializes in complex litigation, with a focus on wage and hour and equal employment opportunity claims. Since 2003, as class counsel he has recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of thousands of California employees and consumers. Peter also represents clients with respect...

Aaron Clefton is the Managing Partner of Rein & Clefton. He is dedicated to advancing the civil and economic rights of persons with disabilities and all people who are vulnerable or impoverished. Aaron is lead counsel on all ADA cases for Rein & Clefton. He has over 17 years working in the field of disability rights, 5 years of that as an attorney. He has received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer honor of “AV-Preeminent” in 2021, given to attorneys “who are ranked at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards by their peers.” That same year...

Melanie is a distinguished advocate for those who have been wronged or exploited, earning the moniker "the people's attorney." Her unwavering dedication to justice fuels her tireless representation of individuals from all walks of life—consumers, employees, business owners, private members, and homeowners. If you have suffered harm due to the dishonest or unlawful actions of others, Melanie stands ready to champion your cause to restore what you've lost. While on a different life and career path, fate stepped in and the legal profession found Melanie. After overcoming her own legal challenges, largely due to an attorney's advocacy, she felt called to...

Rachelle T. Golden, is admitted to practice in California and in Washington D.C. She is currently admitted to practice in all California State and Federal District courts within the State of California. Ms. Golden regularly consults with private and public entities in proactive ADA compliance, which includes creating policies and procedures that comply with Federal and State laws. She is a defense litigator who represents both public and private entities in ADA defense and employment defense. Ms. Golden is a consultant and educator for various political organizations throughout California. She collaborates with and assists elected officials and lobbyist groups in drafting...

Aaron J. Lodge received his BA degree and first graduate work in math. He taught math at both the high school and college level for nearly 10 years, before changing careers and going to law school. Mr. Lodge now has a general practice law firm, where he focuses on family law, mediation, civil rights, and is now affiliated with other larger firms for personal injury and other areas of law. Mr. Lodge is highly dedicated to his clients, is very personable, and excellent in both litigation (in court), and in mediation.

Jeffrey W. Peterson was born and attended high school in Fresno, CA. He graduated from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law-located in Macon, Georgia-in 2014. His undergraduate work was completed at Reed College in Portland, OR where he majored in Comparative Religion. In 2008, he earned a Master’s degree in Eastern Classical Literature from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM. These early educational achievements provided Mr. Peterson with a deep understanding of the Liberal Arts and cultivated his appreciation for virtue.

In the summer of 2013, Mr. Peterson traveled to Shanghai, China with Santa Clara University School of...

Robert M. Dowd was born and raised in Hanford, California. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from San Francisco State University. He was an honor graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps The Basic School. He graduated magna cum laude from California Western School of Law. He is a Retired Colonel in the United States Marine Corps. He is married with two children and three grandchildren. Mr. Dowd is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, has been awarded the highest personal rating of AV by Martindale-Hubbell, and has been selected by the San Francisco Magazine as a Super Lawyer in...

After 22 years as a trial attorney, I have decided to limit my practice to furthering the cause of disability access and ending disability discrimination in the workplace, at home and in public places. If you are disabled temporarily or permanently, you have special rights but no government agency to enforce them. If you think you have been the victim of discrimination, call us now for a free consultation.

Christopher C. Phillips was born in Sacramento and raised in Glen Ellen, CA (the heart of Sonoma Valley). Growing up, Chris was always a good student, but was consumed with Baseball. Following his dream, Chris attended Santa Rosa Junior College and then Texas Tech University to play Baseball. After graduating with an Exercise and Sports Science degree from Texas Tech, Chris decided he had just about reached the end of the line as far as baseball was concerned, so he refocused his goals and decided on Law School. After Graduating from University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, Chris clerked for,...

Alden Knisbacher has represented clients in the Bay Area and across California since 1994. He has litigated hundreds of cases in various areas of law including employment, real estate, contract and business disputes, probate disputes, civil rights and other matters.

Mr. Knisbacher is a Georgetown Law graduate.

When not practicing law he can be found hiking, biking, running or cycling with his two children. Or, perhaps, playing with their pet bunny, Bobby.

I was born in Latin America and grew up in San Francisco. A product of the Bay Area, I studied economics at UC Berkeley before moving to Washington, DC, where I worked at both the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Reserve. In 2003, I embarked on my legal studies at Cornell Law School in Ithaca, NY. Upon graduation, I worked as a corporate associate in Manhattan at a boutique international law firm. There I had the opportunity to work on a wide array of corporate transactions, from financing the construction of a hotel in NYC, structuring investments...

I am licensed to practice law in California and have received federal admissions to practice law in the Northern and Central Districts of California. I have developed extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of Civil, Family, Juvenile, and Criminal Law from the inception of a case through the appellate process. I have extensive state and federal litigation experience in drafting and arguing law and motion, engaging in and defending depositions, and have engaged in dozens of hearings and Court trials. I have drafted writs and appeals in most appellate districts within the state and and have successfully received multiple...

Attorney Gustavo Magaña is a personal injury and civil rights attorney who was born in San Jose California and has been a Bay Area native his entire life. After working for prominent firms in the Bay Area, Mr. Magaña decided to open the Law Office of Gustavo Magaña to provide better service to his community. Mr. Magaña’s unique background and experience allows him to provide his clients with distinctive representation and personal service. Mr. Magaña attended Santa Clara University for both his undergraduate and law school education. Mr. Magaña graduated from Santa Clara undergraduate school with a Bachelors degree in Political Science...

Dylan graduated from Cornell University (1986) and magna cum laude from UC Hastings College of the Law (1990). He clerked for Judge Melvin Brunetti in the Ninth Circuit and then spent a year teaching legal methods at Stanford Law School. From 1991-2001 Dylan practiced appellate law with Dennis Riordan until going out on his own in 2001. Thereafter he worked with lawyers around California on complex trials and appeals in both the civil and criminal arenas. Dylan joined Edward Kerley’s practice in 2014 and has since focused on the rights of California policyholders. He obtained two key victories on behalf...