S. Andrew Pharies

Catherine M. McBain is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs. Catherine 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 Catherine M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

After two decades prosecuting white collar crimes in federal courts throughout the country, Eric Beste now represents businesses and individuals facing domestic and international investigations and enforcement actions. A seasoned trial lawyer with a natural aptitude for advocacy, Eric takes each client’s story and turns it into a compelling narrative to achieve the best possible result. Eric focuses his practice on white collar criminal defense, internal investigations and compliance ma...

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...

Cheryl Dunn Soto's practice has focused on representing commercial policyholders in insurance coverage matters and insurance/bad faith litigation since 2008. Her clients include law firms, accountants, contractors, developers, real estate professionals, medical groups, broker-dealers, HOAs, distributors and manufacturers, and other companies throughout California. Cheryl handles a wide variety of coverage matters and has significant experience with liability policies, including directors and ...

Robert A. Shields is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Robert A., who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Robert A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Raymond Bertrand is Chair of the San Diego Office and San Diego Employment Law Department. Mr. Bertrand is one of the nation’s premier litigators. A skilled trial attorney with more than 20 defense verdicts, he has represented numerous Fortune 500 companies in their most challenging, high-profile employment cases. Mr. Bertrand is equally adept at helping his clients navigate the court of public opinion, helping protect their interests and reputations by working closely with media and co...

Kenneth M. Fitzgerald is a highly experienced trial lawyer, practicing business litigation with an emphasis on complex commercial cases and intellectual property disputes. Before joining the firm, Mr. Fitzgerald was a partner at Latham & Watkins, where he successfully tried numerous cases to verdict in state and federal courts throughout the country. Mr. Fitzgerald has handled a wide variety of commercial litigation matters involving contracts, business torts, trademarks, trade dress, cop...

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 ...

Jeremy is a partner in the trust and estate litigation team at Withers Bergman LLP and is the Office Managing Director of the San Diego office. He focuses on trust, estate, conservatorship and fiduciary related litigation. He represents clients in litigation and administration matters, including trust administrations, probate administrations, wills and trust contests, accountings, fiduciary representation, creditor’s claims proceedings, conservatorships, and elder abuse matters. Jeremy ...

Ed Chapin is the Managing Partner in the San Diego office of Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP, a national law firm with offices in the District of Columbia, New York, California, Tennessee, and Maryland. Ed received his J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law and his B.S. from Southwest Missouri State University. Ed is a veteran litigator whose practice spans class actions, unfair business practices, professional negligence, insurance coverage, bad faith, toxic torts, serious personal in...