Dennis J. Wickham

Caitlin M. Jones is a trial attorney focusing on business litigation, professional liability, and ethics. She has tried more than a dozen jury trials and over thirty bench trials to verdict. For business clients, Caitlin is adept at resolving a wide array of issues through every stage of litigation. Caitlin has represented corporate clients in such diverse matters as trade secrets litigation, breach of contract, fraud, partnership disputes, counterfeit and trademark infringement, injury to bu...

Throughout her 30-year career, Susan Basinger has effectively handled personal injury and wrongful death cases; medical and legal malpractice actions; and premises and products liability cases. Ms. Basinger also has extensive experience with complex business disputes, including those involving insurance and contract law, fidelity bond issues, and officer and director liability claims. Ms. Basinger has served as trial counsel for representative clients such as FedEx Ground Package Services, In...

Laura Nichols is a Shareholder in Buchalter’s San Diego office, and a member of the Tax, Benefits and Estate Planning practice group. Ms. Nichols is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and is also certified as an Accredited Estate Planner® by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils. Only approximately five percent of California’s attorneys are certified as specialists...

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

Michael J. Gleason is an AV-rated trial and appellate lawyer with over 20 years of experience handling key areas of business litigation, including consumer class action defense, California’s Proposition 65, product liability, fraud, real estate, escrow, and title insurance. He serves as Partner-in-Charge of Hahn Loeser’s San Diego office, is founder of the firm’s Proposition 65 defense group, and a member of the San Diego Litigation Team, which is ranked among the Top Tier P...

In his three decades of legal practice, Sean Coughlin has focused his practice on complex business and real estate litigation, representing commercial real estate lenders and bankruptcy litigation matters. Coughlin approaches each matter with the goal of achieving the best possible business result. Coughlin has successfully litigated, arbitrated and tried hundreds of complex disputes in state court, federal court and bankruptcy court. He is admitted to all California Courts, several U.S. Dist...

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. ...

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

Patricia Benke is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. Patricia, who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patricia is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Johanna Schiavoni is certified as a specialist in appellate law by the State Bar of California and has nearly two decades of appellate experience. She has argued more than 40 cases in the state and federal appellate courts, and has been the principal brief-writer in at least 100. Johanna is a leader of state and local legal associations. She was the 2020 President of the San Diego County Bar Association, which serves nearly 10,000 members of the San Diego legal community. In 2023, Johanna was...