Patrick J. O'Malley

Matthew C. Bernstein is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Patent and Patent Law. Matthew C., who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2015. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Matthew C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Stacey E. James has practiced exclusively in the field of labor and employment law, with an emphasis on advising management on: Wage and hour matters Employee discipline and termination Leave of absence and disability accommodation situations Employment policies and procedures Employee benefits Fair employment practices Stacey has extensive experience defending employers in class actions and related matters in state and federal court and before numerous state and federal administrative agenci...

Partner Martin Eliopulos is the head of HFM's Bankruptcy Practice Group. Mr. Eliopulos is one of HFM’s home grown and more seasoned attorneys having joined the firm in 1990 and was admitted to practice law in all courts for the State of California that same year. He is also admitted to practice law in all four Federal Judicial Districts within the state of California including all Bankruptcy Courts, all District Courts, the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel and the Ninth Circuit ...

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...

Craig R. McClellan is the first and only San Diego personal injury attorney selected for admission to the Inner Circle of Advocates, a prestigious invitation-only group of top plaintiff's attorneys, limited to 100 members nationwide. Mr. McClellan has obtained more than 130 verdicts and settlements in excess of one million dollars, and is a three-time recipient of the "Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award" from the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego for cases in which million and multi-million dollar ...

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.

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

James Lance is an experienced trial attorney who has represented both plaintiffs and defendants for 38 years. He regularly represents defendants in bet-the-company litigation, and has obtained several 7 and 8 figure verdicts, judgments and settlements for personal injury and commercial plaintiffs. Lance obtained a judgment of $12,933,000 in 2024 for an individual plaintiff asserting an employment claim. In addition to commercial matters, Lance routinely represents individuals asserting seriou...

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...

Louis Mezzullo’s principal areas of practice are Taxation, Estate and Business Succession Planning, and Employee Benefits. He was on the faculty of the University of Miami School of Law Graduate Program in Estate Planning from 2004 to 2007 and on the faculty of the University of San Diego School of Law in 2009. He was an adjunct professor of law at the University of Richmond Law School from 1978 until 2006. He is listed in Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who in Emerging Leaders and Who...