Sara G. Neva

Peter K. Hahn is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Patent. Peter K., who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Peter K. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

For more than 20 years, Jason M. Kirby has represented hundreds of clients in litigation cases in San Diego and throughout California. Kirby’s primary practice areas are business litigation and real estate litigation, but he has been involved in almost every type of civil case at some point during his career. Kirby is an experienced trial lawyer. Kirby handles both plaintiff’s cases and defense cases. As a plaintiff’s lawyer, he has had multiple jury verdicts in excess of a ...

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...

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...

Benjamin J. Howard is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Health Care, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Benjamin J., 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 Benjamin J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Steven Cologne was elected Managing Partner of the Firm in 2016. He devotes his practice to complex Tort and Commercial litigation in State and Federal Courts. In 2020, Mr. Cologne achieved the distinction of being certified as a Fellow in the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) effective May 2020. On May 4, 2020, he was admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia. Mr. Cologne joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack in 1999 after previously enjoying 15 years as an associate, partner ...

Josh Franklin is a business trial lawyer who has tried nearly fifty jury trials in his career. His practice focuses on insurance coverage/bad faith litigation and business litigation. In the area of insurance coverage, Josh regularly represents policyholders in matters arising out of an array of insurance policies, including directors and officers liability (D&O), errors and omissions (E&O), employment practices liability (EPL), commercial general liability (CGL), and cyber. Josh has ...

James C. Fessenden is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. James C., 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 James C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Brian M. Kramer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Patent and Patent Law. Brian M., 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 Brian M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...