Merrick A. Wadsworth

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. (...

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

John E. Fitzsimmons is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. John E., 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 John E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Edwin M. Boniske is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Edwin 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 Edwin M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Damian Dolin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Damian, 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 Damian is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Scott J. Ingold is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Scott J., 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 Scott J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Eric Acker is a partner and trial lawyer in the firm’s Intellectual Property Group. Mr. Acker has tried more than 50 trials (including more than 47 jury trials) in courtrooms across the country. Mr. Acker’s recent trials have involved a variety of technologies and significant legal issues. In the high-profile SCO v. Novell case, following a three-week trial, the jury affirmed our client Novell’s ownership of the copyrights to the UNIX software code and rejected SCO’s c...

Brian Fish focuses his practice on land use, public/private partnerships, public contracting, environmental and real estate matters. Mr. Fish assists public and private clients with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance, coastal permitting, planning and zoning issues, Subdivision Map Act processing, Williamson Act issues, condominium conversions and prevailing wage analysis. He also negotiates and drafts all other manner of documentation required to acquire, develop, finance,...

Danielle C. Humphries, a partner in the firm’s San Diego office and Chair of San Diego’s Trusts & Estates practice group, is a trusted wealth advisor to her clients and their families through her trusts and estates work. The majority of Danielle’s practice focuses on trusts and estates, including estate planning, wealth transfer and preservation, business succession planning, trust administration, probate, and probate litigation. Danielle also has extensive experience re...

Robert Wright is a founding partner of the firm and has a long history of successfully representing corporate, governmental, and individual clients in a wide range of cases involving unfair competition, product liability, antitrust, securities, corporate, banking, fidelity bond, real estate, trust and estate, and employment, constitutional, and admiralty law. He has considerable experience with complex procedural matters, including mass tort, coordinated, and class actions. In addition to rep...