Charity Williams

Steven Cologne was elected Managing Partner of the Firm in 2016. He devotes his practice to complex Tort and Commercial litigation in State and Federal Courts. In 2020, Mr. Cologne achieved the distinction of being certified as a Fellow in the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) effective May 2020. On May 4, 2020, he was admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia. Mr. Cologne joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack in 1999 after previously enjoying 15 years as an associate, partner ...

Donald Sheppard is certified as a legal specialist in immigration and nationality law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Sheppard’s typical clients are companies in the high tech and start-up industries seeking to hire the brightest and best talent which includes foreign nationals who need employment sponsorship in a variety of professional fields. He works closely with client companies’ HR professionals, talent partners, corporate legal counsels, ma...

John E. Fitzsimmons is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. John E., who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Paul Leeds is a Commercial Litigation attorney with over 20 years of experience navigating the minefields of bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings for clients in state and federal courts. He frequently represents court appointed fiduciaries, creditors, and business owners looking to maximize recovery from distressed assets.Mr. Leeds first goal- always- is to find a cost-effective business solution to a complex dispute. When a business solution isn’t available, his in-depth knowledge of ...

Cheryl Dunn Soto is a seasoned attorney whose practice focuses on insurance coverage and bad faith litigation on behalf of commercial policyholders. Her clients have included contractors, developers, real estate professionals, medical groups, broker-dealers, accountants, law firms, HOAs, distributors and manufacturers, and other companies throughout California. Cheryl handles a wide variety of coverage matters and has significant experience with liability policies, including directors and off...

Aaron Olsen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Aaron, who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Aaron is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

A native of Southern California, attorney Randy Walton represents clients in counties throughout the region. His practice, based in North County San Diego , focuses on a range of personal injury and wrongful death cases, including those arising from motor vehicle accidents, work and property injuries, and brain trauma. Mr. Walton firmly believes that individuals harmed by the carelessness of others deserve justice, regardless of the case's size or the severity of the injury. This conviction h...

At Withers Bergman LLP, Steven focuses his practice on estate planning, trust and estate administration, charitable giving and representing tax-exempt organizations. He has designed and used computer modeling to show the economic consequences of various estate planning and charitable giving techniques. Steven is also experienced in the area of executive compensation, focusing on compensation and intermediate sanctions issues for tax-exempt organizations. Steven has represented exempt organiza...

Partner Alexis S. Gutierrez is the Chair of HFM's Litigation Department, in addition to serving on the firm’s Executive and Management Committees. With over 20 years of first chair experience, Mr. Gutierrez provides business and employment counseling and complex commercial litigation support to public and private entities, and non-profit organizations. He enjoys Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer rating (“AV Preeminent”) for Legal Ability and General-Ethical Standards. ...

In his law practice, HFM Partner Bruce O’Brien’s focuses on all aspects of federal and state taxation, with a particular emphasis on tax controversies, partnerships, limited liability companies, and business planning. Mr. O’Brien represents taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service, Franchise Tax Board, and State Board of Equalization. He also represents clients before the United States Tax Court, and he is a certified specialist in Taxation Law. Additionally, Mr. O&rsqu...