Peter M. Hughes

In his practice, HFM Partner James “Jim” Peterson focuses on business and employment litigation. Mr. Peterson advises and litigates disputes for a number of business clients on various aspects of the employment relationship, including misappropriation of trade secrets and proprietary information, protection of customer lists and employees, discrimination, sexual harassment, breach of contract, wage and hour laws, and wrongful termination. Mr. Peterson is an expert on employment-re...

Nicole M. Martinez is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Nicole 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 Nicole M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

Stephen J. Oddo represents the firm's clients in complex litigation. Mr. Oddo spent more than a decade representing individual and institutional shareholders in corporate merger and acquisition class actions. In so doing, he has secured tens of millions of dollars of additional consideration for shareholders whose investments have been adversely impacted by corporate transactions. Mr. Oddo has also achieved disclosure of material information to shareholders ensuring they are informed on the t...

James P. Frantz 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. James P., who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2010. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James P. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Frederick Schenk, managing partner of the Schenk Law Firm, achieved the largest verdict ever in San Diego against an asbestos manufacturer – Owens Corning Fiberglass – obtaining a $2.4 million verdict in punitive damages as well as economic losses.In addition, he is a specialist in auto collision litigation and co-author of the LexisNexis California Automobile Litigation Handbook. Over the years, Schenk has received numerous awards and honors for his work – including recogni...

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...

Marnie Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Marnie, who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Marnie is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Leslie is a partner in the family law team at Withers. Her practice focuses on handling all aspects of family law, concentrating in the area of complex financial issues and custody disputes. While Leslie is adept at litigating cases, she prefers to utilize her experience to achieve settlement whenever possible. Leslie is also experienced at negotiating and drafting cohabitation, prenuptial, and postnuptial agreements. Leslie has been recognized as a Best Lawyer by US News and World Report sin...

Robert Zadek focuses his practice on matters involving factoring, asset-based lending, purchase order financing, commercial loan documentation, trade finance and letters of credit, loan workouts and bankruptcy. For the past 18 years, Mr. Zadek has been the keynote speaker at the Annual Convention of the International Factoring Association, the largest factoring trade association in the world. Bob has also been a frequent panelist at the Convention. Every year the IFA offers Bob’s two-da...