Sean Southard

Lindsay Stevens is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs. Lindsay practices law in San Diego, California Best Lawyers has recognized Lindsay Stevens since 2027. 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 Lindsay Stevens 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...

Tara K. McGrath is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Tara K. practices law in San Diego, California Best Lawyers has recognized Tara K. McGrath since 2027. 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 Tara K. McGrath is held by other lawyers.

Mark A. Spiegler is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Real Estate Law. Mark A. practices law in San Diego, California Best Lawyers has recognized Mark A. Spiegler since 2024. 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 Mark A. Spiegler is held by other lawyers.

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...

Greg Pyke is a partner in HFM’s Corporate and Securities Law and Real Estate Law practice groups. Mr. Pyke is highly experienced in the structuring and operations of businesses in a variety of industries and sectors. His clients include manufacturing, wholesale, distribution, retail and service businesses. He also represents real estate developers and owners, as well as commercial borrowers and lenders. Additionally, Mr. Pyke is very familiar with high-tech and bio-tech startups, includ...

Michael Neil, a trial lawyer and senior partner of the firm, specializes in civil litigation with emphasis in personal injury, professional liability, products liability, as well as business litigation. Mr. Neil has tried over 140 Superior Court cases to jury verdict. He is a past Secretary/Treasurer and the current President of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel. Mr. Neil is a past President of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel and holds the rank of Diplomat...

HFM Trusts & Estates Partner Brian Tsu is a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estate Counsel and California Certified Legal Specialist. Mr. Tsu represents high-net-worth individuals in the areas of domestic and international estate planning, related areas of taxation and closely-held family business planning. He also advises fiduciaries in complex trust and estate administrations, particularly when tax or cross-border issues are present. His work includes: International Estate ...

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...

Christine De Santis is a Partner at HFM and is certified as a legal specialist in family law by the State Bar of California. Ms. De Santis specializes in handling dissolution of marriage and paternity cases, child custody and visitation, child support and spousal support, and division of assets and debts, and mediations. She also handles step-parent adoptions and child support cases through the San Diego County Department of Child Support Services. Ms. De Santis has been named a San Diego Sup...