Capistrano Beach Lawyers

Education J.D., Harvard Law School (1989) LL.M., University of Cambridge (1986) M.A., University of Cambridge (1986) B.A. (Hons.), University of Cambridge (1984) A.B., College of William and Mary, summa cum laude (1982) Phi Beta Kappa Admissions • California • United Kingdom (Barrister, Lincoln’s Inn) Courts • United States Supreme Court • California Supreme Court • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal, First, Second, Sixth, Seventh and Ninth Circuits • U.S. District Court for the Northern, Eastern and Central Districts of California • U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

A trusted legal advisor and trial attorney for over four decades, Eric Landau represents public and private companies, directors, officers, shareholders and business leaders in a variety of industries, including financial, technology, energy, entertainment, health care, pharmaceutical, fashion, media, alcohol beverage, gaming and hospitality. Taking on the toughest of issues, Mr. Landau has been at the forefront of pivotal decisions in state law-based merger challenges and the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws. Appearing before state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout the country, he has defended directors, officers, and issuers against securities class and derivative actions. With his...

Charles G. Hemming III is the principal attorney for Hemming, P.C.. Mr. Hemming founded Hemming, P.C. because he strongly believes in empowering his clients with the tools necessary to achieve the justice which the law affords, and which they deserve. To that end, Mr. Hemming has vowed to make certain that Hemming, P.C. offers nothing but integrity driven, client-focused legal representation to the fellow members of his community. Mr. Hemming graduated cum laude from Western State College of Law in Irvine, CA where he received his Juris Doctor degree. Western State College of Law is...

Richard E. Masson focuses his practice in the areas of Estate Planning, Family Law and Probate. Mr. Masson’s specialized knowledge and expertise in family law, estate planning and tax provides an edge for his clients in that he is uniquely able to attack an issue from all angles which creates better opportunities and advantages for those he represents. Moreover, and more importantly, Mr. Masson understands the emotional and complex nature of his clients needs and goals in order to ensure them the best result possible.

Mr. Masson has been duly recognized for his outstanding work and numerous accomplishments as a family...

Paul Dagostino is a highly experienced attorney who has handled numerous complex and high-profile cases throughout his career. He has been involved in major litigation against General Motors LLC related to a faulty ignition switch issue and worked on the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder cancer cases in California State Court. Additionally, he has represented military service members in actions against earplug manufacturer 3M for injuries caused by their products.

Joshua D. Vera is an associate attorney in the Intellectual Property Division of Sanders Law Group with a focus on copyright infringement. Mr. Vera takes great pride in advocating on behalf of his clients and ensuring the rights of intellectual property owners are respected.

Lee Meryash

Former Electrical Engineer with over 5 years of circuit design experience of semiconductor integrated circuits. In-house counsel experience at software companies licensing CAD tools for the design of semiconductor integrated circuits. Now having over 10 years of patent application preparation and prosecution at the US Patent and Trademark Office. Now having over 10 years of trademark application preparation and prosecution at the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Muhammad Ali is an Associate Attorney at the Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates, bringing valuable expertise to his legal practice through a robust educational background and diverse experiences. Mr. Ali earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Cal State University Los Angeles before pursuing his legal education at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. While at Loyola, he excelled in the Civil Litigation & Advocacy and Criminal Justice Concentrations. During law school, Mr. Ali gained practical experience as a clerk at the Los Angeles Public Defender’s Office and Farmers Insurance, broadening his perspective on the legal system. He also...

Larita Yusuf is an experienced litigator and a registered patent attorney. As an intellectual property attorney, she has helped creators secure design patents with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Office (ARIPO) and their original works with the U.S. Copyright Office. She earned a Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law and a B. Sci. in Biology from Francis Marion University. While in law school, she worked as a federal judicial intern in the District of South Carolina and as a patent legal intern at a boutique intellectual property law...

Melissa Arzave Trujillo is an Associate Attorney at the Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates. A San Diego native, Melissa earned her undergraduate degree from San Diego State University in 2017, graduating with a double major in Criminal Justice and Spanish, along with a minor in Psychology. She also spent a year studying abroad at Swansea University in Wales. Melissa went on to earn her Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law in 2020, where she served as Treasurer of the Women’s Law Caucus. That same year, she passed the California State Bar. Before joining the firm, Melissa gained valuable...

Jacqueline Mandel is an attorney at Sanders Law Group and is a member of the Copyright Infringement team. Prior to joining the team, she avidly defended her clients in contract disputes, evictions, criminal defense actions, and other civil matters. She has trial and litigation experience and is now looking forward to bringing those skills to defend the intellectual property rights of our clients.

Danielle Menitove is an independent arbitrator and mediator specializing in commercial and sports-related disputes, including antitrust, employment, intellectual property, gambling, anti-doping, and player-agent issues. Danielle serves as an arbitrator on the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, and on the American Arbitration Association’s commercial, consumer, and national sports panels. Before starting her ADR practice, Danielle was a litigator at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in New York for over ten years, handling complex litigation in federal and state courts, government investigations, and advisory matters. Her cases involved antitrust, contract breaches, fiduciary duty, and unfair competition. ...

Nicola C. Richards Nicola C. Richards is an associate attorney at the Sanders Law Group and is currently focused on advocating for her clients in consumer protection through the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”). Prior to joining Sanders Law Group Ms. Richards worked as a paralegal handling insurance claims for credit cards, mortgages and loans. Ms. Richards went on to intern at Nassau County’s social services department where she managed cases for daily Fair Hearings. Moreover, Ms. Richards used her time to work with Lawyers Helping Our Community (LHOC) to increase business production for companies in Chicago IL for the Asian...

Jeffrey Mishkin, a Phillips ADR neutral, is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of the NBA and head of Skadden’s Sports Practice. He specializes in sports-related disputes involving antitrust, intellectual property, labor, gambling, and commercial matters. At the NBA, Mishkin managed all legal affairs, including litigation, labor relations, commercial transactions, intellectual property, and anti-drug programs, leading collective bargaining and the 1998-1999 NBA labor dispute. At Skadden, he represented major sports organizations like the NFL, NHL, MLB, NCAA, and others, as well as high-profile athletes, including a top-ranked golfer. Now a full-time mediator and arbitrator, Mishkin serves on the Court...

Kimberly Huebner serves as the Insurance Liaison for Phillips ADR, specializing in Directors’ and Officers’ Management Liability and Employment Practices Liability Insurance for companies and public entities. She facilitates communication between insurance carriers and Phillips ADR, reporting to panelists and coordinating further interactions. Before joining Phillips ADR, Kimberly was Vice President of Technical Claims for D&O Claims at AIG Claims, Inc. She tracked litigation trends, analyzed potential exposures, and reported divisional loads. Kimberly evaluated complex claims for strategic resolution and trained colleagues on claims handling, coverage evaluation, and negotiation. Kimberly earned a B.S. in Psychology from Roanoke College and a J.D. from...

Ann Cook brings a business-focused approach to Phillips ADR, leveraging a decade at Ernst & Young LLP, including two years as General Counsel. Experienced as both plaintiff and defendant, she understands dispute dynamics and has litigated, arbitrated, and mediated cases in accounting, securities, contracts, and employment. A creative problem solver, Ann advised on complex corporate initiatives, balancing risk and business goals, earning recognition as a tenacious leader. At EY, Ann managed legal strategy for a $20B firm with 50,000 employees, overseeing litigation and regulatory matters during high regulatory activity. She advised on public disclosure and bankruptcy issues for over 1,000 public...

Sean Coffey, a Phillips ADR neutral, served as the 24th General Counsel of the Navy (2022–2025), leading over 1,100 attorneys worldwide. Previously a renowned trial lawyer, he handled plaintiff and defense cases in securities, class actions, and complex litigation. At Latham & Watkins, he secured a directed verdict in a bet-the-company case. At Bernstein Litowitz, he led the $6.2 billion WorldCom Securities Litigation recovery. As Chair of Complex Litigation at Kramer Levin, he advised corporate clients. As Navy General Counsel, Sean founded the Taxpayer Advocacy Project and led the exoneration of 256 African American Sailors from the 1944 Port Chicago courts-martial,...

Caroline brings extensive mediation and problem-solving expertise to Phillips ADR, drawing from her roles as General Counsel at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Principal Deputy White House Counsel. Known for her communication, judgment, and legal acumen, she excels in advising Boards and senior leaders on dispute resolution. At PwC, Caroline managed all legal, regulatory, compliance, and governance matters, handling lawsuits and regulatory issues with potential damages in the billions. She led settlement negotiations and mediations with opposing counsel, clients, and regulators like the SEC and FDIC, while resolving internal conflicts within PwC’s global network. As Principal Deputy White House Counsel under President Obama, she...

Renee J. Aragona is a litigation associate of the Sanders Law Group. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Aragona represented and litigated mortgage lenders and loan servicers in creditor’s rights, landlord/tenant, and replevin actions. Ms. Aragona is now focused on representing and protecting the intellectual property of our clients through copyright infringement litigation. Ms. Aragona is passionate and fights for her clients rights.

Justin Kincheloe has been licensed to practice law in the State of California since December of 2009. He has extensive litigation experience in the area of trust and estate law. Justin is a senior litigation associate at Gostanian Law Group, PC in Newport Beach, CA.