Michael J. "Mike" Whitton

Aaron T. Winn is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Aaron T. practices law in San Diego, California Best Lawyers has recognized Aaron T. Winn since 2023. 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 Aaron T. Winn is held by other lawyers.

Roland Achtel is a trust and estate attorney with extensive litigation experience. In his practice, Mr. Achtel prioritizes establishing clear expectations with his clients and maintaining close contact with them throughout each case. Though his legal expertise is highly specialized – trust and probate litigation, trust and probate-related elder abuse, probate conservatorships, trust administration, and general probate matters – his cases are highly diverse. His typical clients inc...

William Low practices in the areas of complex tort and business litigation, with a current emphasis on professional liability, privacy, information security, product liability, and healthcare. Mr. Low, an HFM Partner, also serves as general counsel for the firm, a role in which he regularly advises the firm’s lawyers on issues related to ethics, conflicts of interest and professional responsibility. In addition, he has served as an expert witness in legal malpractice cases. Throughout h...

As a partner in the firm’s Corporate & Securities, Real Estate, and Employment practice groups, Kenneth Jones has more than 30 years of experience in all phases of corporate, real estate, finance, business, commercial and employment law. Mr. Jones’s broad experience, education and knowledge in real estate and business matters allows him to employ a practical, creative approach in representing his clients. Mr. Jones represents clients in business planning, entity formation, gov...

Marnie Smith is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Marnie practices law in San Diego, California Best Lawyers has recognized Marnie Smith 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 Marnie Smith is held by other lawyers.

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...

Haeggquist & Eck partner and trial attorney Amber Eck is a tenacious advocate for employees, consumers, and shareholders, and has been for the past 28 years. Amber has taken cases to trial in both state and federal court as lead trial attorney and has recovered millions of dollars for her clients in settlements, including multiple six- and seven-figure settlements. Amber doesn’t shy away from high-profile defendants — a fact well-illustrated by her role as co-lead counsel in t...

HFM Partner Susan Mercure specializes in representing high net worth clients in sophisticated estate planning and estate and trust administration. On the estate planning side, Ms. Mercure utilizes techniques to reduce the size of an estate for estate tax purposes and employs other techniques to accomplish the distribution goals of her clients. She effectively communicates technical concepts and is able to convey complex concepts in a way that is easy to understand. She also assists her client...

Lindsay Stevens joined the San Diego, California, offices of Baron & Budd’s Environmental Litigation Group as a shareholder in 2025. Ms. Stevens’ desire to utilize her lifelong passion for writing as a tool for advocacy eventually led her to pursue a legal career where she is honored to have a positive impact on the lives of the people she represents. Ms. Stevens’ practice has focused on protecting what’s right by holding some of the largest corporations in the wor...

Ben Coughlan is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs. Ben practices law in San Diego, California Best Lawyers has recognized Ben Coughlan 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 Ben Coughlan is held by other lawyers.