Capistrano Beach Civil Rights Lawyers

We are a small California law firm that represents employees.

We have represented employees for over 20 years. This includes representing employees against large, well-funded and defended employers such as Georgetown University and the Smithsonian Institution (represented by the Department of Justice) - where we have obtained six and seven figure settlements respectfully.

We have 4 published cases, have participated in Congressional Hearings, have changed the law in both the 4th Circuit and the District of Columbia, and have twice won the plaintiff’s case on a summary judgment motion (a rare event).

We have also received a recent accolade made in...

C. Tracy Kayser is an associate attorney who is experienced in civil defense litigation. Ms. Kayser joined Fernandez and Lauby LLP as an associate attorney in 2007. She completed her undergraduate degree from California State University at Pomona. Before attending law school, Ms. Kayser was a real estate agent selling single family residential commercial real estate. She received her Juris Doctorate degree from Southwestern University School of Law in 2001. Since being admitted to the bar, Ms Kayser has defended a wide variety of cases in personal injury, products/premises liability, construction defect, general business law, civil rights cases and has...

Raeet (Rita) D. Taddesse is a Partner with Fernandez & Lauby LLP. She has handled a wide variety of complex matters, including quasi class actions, professional liability, securities fraud, intellectual property, trade secrets, unfair competition, slip & fall, construction accidents, construction defect, antitrust, banking, real estate, community association, and insurance litigation. Ms. Taddesse has experience in mediation, arbitration, trial, and appellate practice. Ms. Taddesse graduated with honors from California State University at Long Beach in 1994 and obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Whittier College School of Law in 1996, where she was on the Dean's Honor List. Ms. Taddesse is admitted...

Harry Harrison is a San Diego based attorney and a partner at Bodell Law Group a San Diego employment firm. Harry focuses his practice on personal injury, employment, insurance, harassment, workplace sexual harassment, wrongful termination and business litigation matters

Chris is a seasoned litigator with a decade of experience working on complex cases for and against insurance companies, municipalities, and Fortune 500 companies. After gaining a deep knowledge of the insurance industry and the interworkings of his corporate clients, he decided to pursue his passion and fight for individuals who have been harmed. Now, he applies his unique knowledge of how insurance companies and corporations operate to help navigate his clients to extraordinary results. Chris has consistently prevailed for his clients in all aspects of a claim, from pre-litigation negotiation, to settlements, and through trial.

Chris graduated from the University...

Our office is well-versed in many areas of practice. We will not advocate for you in an area we are not experienced in. Our team brings a diverse background to the table, allowing us to advocate for you in many areas of law. This gives the Law Offices of Thomas R. Chapin an edge when dealing with complex legal matters. Often, more than one area of expertise is required. No need to hire a multitude of attorneys. We can provide you with comprehensive legal support in many areas.

After years of practice at one of the world’s largest law firms, the California Court of Appeal, Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and the United States Department of Justice, Mr. Zandi joined with his mentor, friend, and one of California’s leading trial lawyers, Shawn Steel, to form Steel Zandi, APLC. Mr. Zandi is nationally recognized as one of the leading experts in Qui Tam and state and federal whistleblower litigation and policy. While serving as an assistant United States attorney with the United States Department of Justice, Mr. Zandi led the DOJ’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Task Force (ACE). As director of...

Yitz Weiss is an Employment Law attorney with over a decade of experience in litigating a variety of employment law cases, including unpaid wage and overtime claims, discrimination, harassment, FEHA, Unequal Pay Act, wrongful termination, and sexual assault cases. Yitz counsels clients on pre-litigation employment disputes and represents them from the inception of a lawsuit all the way through trial and even on appeal. Yitz routinely serves as counsel in mediations, binding arbitrations and in major trials. Upon graduating with a Bachelors degree in Economics from Yeshiva University and obtaining a Degree of Rabbinic Ordination, Yitz Weiss then entered Southwestern University...

Jonathon Kaplan is one of the state’s top trial lawyers, having tried dozens of significant cases involving civil rights, employment claims, wage and overtime matters, discrimination, harassment, hostile work environment, FEHA, Equal Pay Act, personal injury, product liability, consumer claims, fraud claims and business disputes. He has obtained an overwhelming number of highly successful verdicts for his clients. Jon has served as appellate counsel on many cases, resulting in published California opinions and establishing law in his areas of practice. Based on his winning track record, opposing lawyers know Jon and his law firm, Kaplan Weiss LLP, are ready, willing...

Mr. Hermansen focuses his law practice on state and federal criminal trials, appeals, and habeas corpus. He's been a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization since 2009, and he's been recognized as a Super Lawyer in criminal law in San Diego every year from 2008 to the present. In addition to representing criminal defendants at state and federal felony jury trials, he frequently argues before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the California Court of Appeal. He's also argued before the United States Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, and en...

Spolin Law P.C.’s founder, Aaron Spolin, is a former prosecutor and award-winning criminal appeals attorney. He has achieved successful outcomes on hundreds of criminal cases, including numerous dismissals of major felony cases; non-criminal resolutions to complex fraud and insurance fraud defense cases; successful appellate outcomes from various appellate courts; and multiple not-guilty jury verdicts at trial. Innocent Spolin Law clients wrongfully accused of murder and other serious crimes are now free because of his work. Aaron is the recipient of various awards for his advocacy, including the American College of Trial Lawyer’s Medal for Excellence in Oral Advocacy as well as...

My firm, Vanaman German LLP, focuses exclusively on special education, disability discrimination, and cases involving the injury or abuse of students with disabilities. We specialize in special education litigation from IEP representation through due process hearings and into federal court. Our areas of expertise include: Special Education We offer the full range of special education representation, from IEP advocacy to due process to federal court litigation. Our attorneys combine their deep knowledge of the substance and procedure of special education law with an understanding of education, assessment, and how school district's function, to ensure that our clients are provided...

John Jahrmarkt, Esq. is the owner and managing partner of Jahrmarkt & Associates. John has more than 20 years of experience handling all kinds personal injury claims - from complicated catastrophic injuries to garden variety "soft tissue" pain. John knows how the insurance industry works and the steps their adjusters can take to protect their profits. All of our accident and injury claims are managed by John, experienced in fighting back against any low-ball insurance offers. We have recovered a number of multi-million dollar rewards for our clients, and we have established a reputation for excellence and professionalism...

We are Employment Law, Sexual Harassment, Wrongful Termination, Workplace Discrimination, Wage & Hour, and Whistleblower Attorneys in New York City, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, & Miami. With decades of experience and over $200 Million recovered throughout this time, call now for free consultation. No fee unless we recover.

Haeggquist & Eck partner and trial attorney Amber Eck is a tenacious advocate for employees, consumers and shareholders, and has been for the past 26 years. Amber has taken cases to trial in both state and federal court as lead trial attorney, and has recovered millions of dollars for her clients in settlements, including multiple six- and seven-figure settlements. Amber doesn’t shy away from high-profile defendants — a fact well-illustrated by her role as co-lead counsel in the well-publicized class action against President Donald Trump and Trump University, which settled for $25 million. For her work in the case,...

For nearly 25 years, Sa'id Vakili has represented businesses and individuals in litigation matters involving complex business and contract disputes, business torts, direct and derivative shareholder disputes, intellectual property disputes, and all forms of employment claims. He has also handled a variety of serious injury tort claims including those arising under maritime and aviation law. Mr. Vakili is admitted in California, New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. and has handled cases in various other jurisdictions such as Florida, Nevada, Ohio, South Dakota, and Virginia through associations with local law firms in those locations. Mr. Vakili has also served...

Dwight Ritter is a trial attorney at Ritter & Associates in San Diego, California. He holds degrees from Indiana University Law School and the London School of Economics. He is also licensed in California, Arizona, Indiana, and the Island of Guam, as an expert on maritime law. Having built his reputation on personal attention to detail, Dwight strives to create a personal relationship with his clients. With a specialization in personal injury, Dwight is prepared to handle cases that involve wrongful death, sexual harassment, auto accidents, and civil rights claims. In addition, he has earned the title of Master Trial...

Alana Yakovlev is a stellar trial lawyer with a heavy emphasis on criminal defense and civil rights. Rated one of the top trial attorneys in the country, Ms. Yakovlev's advocacy leads to immediate and effective results for her clients.

Alreen Haeggquist is on a mission to stand up with individuals to enrich their lives and inspire change by dismantling fear and shame and empowering those who have faced discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, and sexual assault to stand up and demand accountability. Today, the overwhelming majority of Alreen’s clients are women who have suffered egregious wrongs at the hands of their employers. No defendant is too large or powerful for her to tackle: she has recently represented plaintiffs in employment claims against such major corporations as Trader Joe’s, Sharp Healthcare, Wyndham, Kaiser Permanente, and the Grand Del Mar. ...

Jessica Pride is San Diego's top sexual assault civil lawyer and a premiere personal injury attorney. She believes in her clients and is dedicated to end sexual violence. Not only will Jessica help regain your power and strength, but fight for the justice you deserve through the civil court. Her passion for the law stems from a lifetime of watching her stepfather, an attorney, and her disdain for bullying. After graduating from the University of California, Irvine, she felt earning a law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law was a natural progression....

Ms. Janeen Steel has 21 years of advocating on behalf of students with disabilities. She uses a variety of approaches to fight for justice for students. Having a learning disability herself, which was not diagnosed until she was 27 years old, she knows the struggle those with learning disabilities must experience in order to obtain an education. While at UCLA Law School, Ms. Steel founded Learning Rights and obtained an Echoing Green Fellowship in 1999 to start fighting for the rights of students with disabilities living in poverty. In 2005, Learning Rights Law Center was launched as a...

DISMISSALS. ACQUITTALS. CHARGE REDUCTIONS. MILLIONS RECOVERED. Named a Top California Criminal Defense and Civil Rights Attorney, Mr. Sterling is an accomplished trial lawyer with an extensive track record of winning in both federal and state court. In addition to defending his clients in criminal court, Mr. Sterling has also recovered millions of dollars for his clients who have been victimized and unlawfully targeted by law enforcement.

The Law Offices of Justin E. Sterling is a top-rated law firm committed to the exclusive practice of criminal trial defense and civil rights litigation. The firm brings high-end and aggressive representation to...

Howard Rutten is consistently rated by his peers as a top employment lawyer in Los Angeles and throughout California. He has been selected for inclusion in the Super Lawyers list for six consecutive years (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018). Super Lawyers is a patented selection process and demonstrates credibility as an impartial rating given to less than 5 percent of attorneys in the state. Howard Rutten is AV Preeminent peer-review rated,* the highest rating attainable through Martindale-Hubbell.