J. Rod "Rod" Betts

Noah A. Katsell is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Noah A., 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 Noah A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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.

Leslie Ryland is a seasoned attorney who has spent the last three decades representing clients in all types of family law matters, with a special focus on custody issues. She is a Certified Family Law Specialist, a special designation from the State Bar of California reserved for attorneys who have “demonstrated a high level of experience in the specialty field, fulfilled ongoing education requirements and been favorably evaluated by other attorneys and judges familiar with their work.&...

Cynthia R. Chihak is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Cynthia R., who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Cynthia R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Shane P. Sanders represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative actions, securities fraud class actions, and mergers and acquisitions actions. Mr. Sanders has litigated a broad range of matters, including cases addressing stock option backdating, the subprime mortgage crisis, board entrenchment and elections, executive compensation, corporate takeovers, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and myriad forms of fraud, including violations of federal secur...

Carolina Bravo-Karimi is a member of the firm's Employment Law group. Her practice is focused on representing employers in a variety of employment disputes, including wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wage and hour litigation. Representing both public and private entities, Carolina is an expert in handling complex matters and balancing the needs of several high-profile stakeholders. Carolina also serves as Practice Chair of our recently launched Diversity, Equi...

Nicola A. Pisano is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property. Nicola A., 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 Nicola A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Andrew N. Kohn has a wide range of civil litigation and trial experience, primarily in the fields of personal injury, business litigation, and products liability. Drew has achieved Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards. In January 2014, Drew was elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), and in October 2018, was elevated in rank from Member to Associate. Drew has also been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America for 2019-202...

Dick Semerdjian is a founding partner of Schwartz Semerdjian and heads up the firm’s litigation department. Dick’s clients range from Fortune 100 and 500 publicly traded companies to small businesses and individuals. Dick is also experienced in both plaintiff and defense side work which lends to his unique ability to formulate creative and effective legal and resolution strategies in even the most complex of litigation matters. Over the span of his over 31 year career, Dick has be...

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...