Michael D. Van Loy Ph.D.

Rebecca L. O'Toole is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Rebecca L., 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 Rebecca L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Aaron M. Olsen is a partner at Haeggquist & Eck, LLP, and a trial lawyer standing up for employees who have experienced retaliation, discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. Aaron has resolved hundreds of individual labor and employment law cases on behalf of employees. He has recovered millions of dollars in damages. Notably, Aaron was on the trial team in a unique associational disability discrimination matter against Kaiser Permanente that resulted in one of the top 50 la...

Melanie Gold spent more than three decades as a research attorney for California appellate courts. She primarily worked with the justices of the Fourth District Court of Appeal in San Diego, but also with those of the Sixth District Court of Appeal in San Jose as well as the California Supreme Court in San Francisco. During that time, Melanie analyzed thousands of briefs, motions, and petitions, advised justices on hundreds of appeals, and developed a deep understanding of how appellate court...

Gayle M. Blatt 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. Gayle M., who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2012. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Gayle M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

Rachel R. James is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Rachel R., 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 Rachel R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Alreen Haeggquist is the Managing Partner at Haeggquist & Eck, LLP. Motivated by the pains of her childhood, Alreen became a lawyer and has been standing up for those who have suffered sexual assault, sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation for 20 years. Alreen is a best-selling author of Fired Up: Fueling Triumph from Trauma. She shares her deeply personal story of childhood abuse and the steps she took to overcome the long-lasting effects. Her lived experience and trauma-info...

Roberta Taylor Winston is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law and Litigation - Insurance. Roberta Taylor, 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 Roberta Taylor is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Michelle Graham focuses her practice on estate planning and tax planning strategies for domestic and international clients. She advises U.S. and non-U.S. individuals on tax planning matters, including strategies to minimize global taxation and IRS compliance regarding foreign reporting. Michelle works with non-U.S. individuals investing in the United States and U.S. individuals residing abroad on their U.S. tax filings and global estate planning. Her cross-border experience spans Latin Americ...

Ms. Kosch joined the firm in 1994 and is a partner in the Employment Law Practice Group. Her practice emphasizes the litigation of harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, and wage and hour matters, including class action defense. In addition to litigation, she regularly counsels employers on employment-related issues that range from hiring to firing of employees, writing and reviewing policies and handbooks, analyzing adverse impact and advising employers on mass layoffs, conducting...