Cynthia Clarfield "Cindy" Hess

Armando Castro is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law. Armando, who practices law in Palo Alto, California, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Armando is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David Jakopin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property. David, who practices law in Palo Alto, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Dori is the Co-chair of Hopkins & Carley’s Litigation Department. She represents a wide range of clients in complex real estate, land use, and business litigation matters. Dori regularly represents developers and property owners in disputes involving: Real estate purchase and sale transactions Real estate investment fraud Commercial landlord-tenant Boundary and property lines Easements Dori also regularly appears on behalf of clients at City Council meetings, Planning Commission mee...

Bhanu K. Sadasivan is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Patent. Bhanu K., who practices law in Menlo Park, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Bhanu K. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jay Ross is Co-chair of Hopkins & Carley’s Litigation Department. He handles contract, fulfillment, and payment disputes as well as real estate disputes, including construction, purchase and sale transactions, commercial landlord-tenant disputes, easements, and land use. A wide variety of businesses associated with the real estate industry rely on Jay to apply his years of business litigation experience and practical approach to solve their problems. These include: Commercial genera...

After almost forty years at "Big Law" firms, Lester Brown opened his own firm on October 1, 2024. Les offers deep knowledge and insights in complex commercial litigation, with a focus on representing policyholders in challenging insurance coverage disputes, achieving substantial recoveries for his clients. Les has served a diverse range of clients including electric and gas utilities, tech firms, telecommunications companies, chemical and oil corporations, as well as manufacturers, landlords,...

Erika is the Co-chair of Hopkins & Carley's Trust and Estate Litigation practice. She represents and advises professional fiduciaries, trustees, beneficiaries, high net-worth individuals, family offices, and businesses on a range of trust and estate litigation and trust administration matters.

As Managing Partner and Founder of Patent Law Works LLP, Greg brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the practice of patent law. He developed a new model of patent practice for providing intellectual property services that combine a smart combination of legal, technical, and business insights reflecting deep expertise. Greg’s new model for patent practice synthesizes his beliefs that with the ubiquity of the global marketplace, the growing complexity of patent laws in many geogr...

Lance A. Etcheverry is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Lance A., who practices law in Palo Alto, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Lance A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Erik Puknys’ career in intellectual property began more than 25 years ago, when he joined the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office as a patent examiner. Erik started his legal career at Finnegan’s Washington, D.C. office in 1994, and moved to California in 1997 to help open the firm’s Silicon Valley office. He has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in district courts around the United States, in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and in the U.S. Supreme Cour...