David J. Dorne

William Smelko is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation - Bankruptcy. William, who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jason Dawson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Jason, who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jason is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jeremy is a partner in the trust and estate litigation team at Withers Bergman LLP and is the Office Managing Director of the San Diego office. He focuses on trust, estate, conservatorship and fiduciary related litigation. He represents clients in litigation and administration matters, including trust administrations, probate administrations, wills and trust contests, accountings, fiduciary representation, creditor’s claims proceedings, conservatorships, and elder abuse matters. Jeremy ...

Ryan H. Nell is an employment attorney responsible for representing California employers statewide in both counseling and comprehensive litigation support. With the ever-changing landscape of California and federal employment law, Ryan prides himself on assisting clients in staying ahead of the curve in an effort to avoid legal trouble before it arises. He has extensive experience representing clients in harassment, retaliation, and discrimination matters, as well as large-scale wage and hour...

This firm is devoted exclusively to the practice of family law. Mr. Cruse and his three support staff handle complex family law cases and child custody disputes. Mr. Cruse is in his 43rd year of the practice of law. His clients are business professionals, business owners, military officers, those with professional practices and the financially independent. Mr. Cruse is a recognized expert in electronic discovery.

After two decades prosecuting white collar crimes in federal courts throughout the country, Eric Beste now represents businesses and individuals facing domestic and international investigations and enforcement actions. A seasoned trial lawyer with a natural aptitude for advocacy, Eric takes each client’s story and turns it into a compelling narrative to achieve the best possible result. Eric focuses his practice on white collar criminal defense, internal investigations and compliance ma...

Hayden Trubitt is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Hayden, 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 Hayden is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ellen Bronchetti represents a range of employers in both employment matters and traditional labor disputes. She litigates on behalf of employers in wage and hour matters, trade secret misappropriation cases, and matters involving whistleblowers, statutory leave, breach of contract claims, and accusations of wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Ellen’s litigation practice spans both state and federal courts, including complex class actions and representative...

John Rice, a former federal prosecutor, represents both individuals and corporations in a wide range of complex white collar matters, including SEC enforcement actions, anti-money laundering and bank secrecy act compliance matters, and foreign corrupt practices act investigations. Mr. Rice is an experienced litigator who has tried numerous cases to verdict, including dozens of federal jury trials, and argued cases before federal appellate courts. His practice focuses on white-collar criminal ...

David S. Casey, Jr., a senior partner in the firm, has practiced for over 30 years in the area of serious personal injury and wrongful death litigation. He has been recognized as Lawyer of the Year by the San Diego County Bar Association, listed in "Best Lawyers in America,” and named by the Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in California. In 2003, Mr. Casey was elected by his peers to be the president of the 65,000 member Association of Trial Lawyers of America. (...