Eugene G. Illovsky

Ralph Jacobson received his law degree from Stanford University in 1969. His concentration has been in personal injury and employment litigation for over 30 years. He has written numerous articles for the CEB Civil Litigation Reporter, a leading professional journal for attorneys. One such article was cited by the California Supreme Court in an opinion. Ralph has served as a consultant to Bancroft Whitney, a leading legal text publisher, for its California Civil Practice Series. He has lectur...

Bennett Lee is a founding member of Varela, Lee, Metz & Guarino, and manages the firm's San Francisco office. Bennett is a recognized expert in federal government contracting on issues ranging from compliance, bid protests, to claim preparation, pricing, and dispute resolution. He has extensive experience in claim preparation, prosecution and dispute resolution on federal, state, municipal and private contracts.

Shana has achieved hundreds of millions of dollars in recovery for classes in antitrust matters, and has been named a Northern California Super Lawyer and top California antitrust attorney. CURRENT ROLE Partner, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP Managing Partner of Hagens Berman’s Berkeley office Practice is devoted entirely to representing plaintiffs in complex litigation, and primarily in the areas of antitrust and unfair competition RECENT SUCCESS Ms. Scarlett has played a leading role...

Jim Larsen received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1982, and his law degree from the University of Oregon in 1986. He has tried numerous jury and court cases and has argued at the appellate level in California and Oregon. Jim’s case results include many recoveries for his clients in excess of $1,000,000. He joined the firm in 1988. Bar Admissions: California, 1987 U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 1987 U.S. Federal Court, ...

Shane R. Ford is a family law attorney with The Ford Firm PC in Oakland, California. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in the area of Family Law since 2019, based on peer-review evaluations from attorneys practicing in the same geographic region and legal field. Mr. Ford represents clients in a wide range of family law matters and is actively involved in organizations connected to the practice of family law throughout California. His professional involvement includes service on the Board...

Luke Ellis is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He is a past and current selection for California Super Lawyers as well as The Best Lawyers in America. In 2012, he was selected as one of the Top 100 Attorneys Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers. Mr. Ellis was named Lawyer of the Year for 2014-Personal Injury, by Best Lawyers of America. In 2014 he was selected as one of the ‘Lions of Litigation’ by Berkeley Law (Boalt Hall), University of California. Mr. Ellis has one of the...

Kristin M. Lucey is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Kristin M. practices law in Orinda, California Best Lawyers has recognized Kristin M. Lucey since 2016. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Kristin M. Lucey is held by oth...

Founding Partner On January 16, 2025,, Gary Gwilliam received the first ever, Legend of The Law, Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Alameda Contra Costs Trial Lawyers Association. Gary Gwilliam is considered one of the best consumer trial attorneys in the state. His reputation and skill in representing seriously injured plaintiffs is well known. He has tried over 180 jury cases, of which almost 150 were plaintiff civil personal injury cases. He has handled major cases in every area o...

Mark L. Venardi is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Admiralty and Maritime Law. Mark L. practices law in Walnut Creek, California Best Lawyers has recognized Mark L. Venardi since 2025. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Mark L. Venardi is held by other lawyers.

Michael L. Rains is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Criminal Defense: General Practice. Michael L. practices law in Pleasant Hill, California Best Lawyers has recognized Michael L. Rains since 2019. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Michael L. Rains is held by other lawyers.