Sean Southard

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.

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...

Jim’s practice, throughout his career, has focused on defending and advising professionals, including attorneys, accountants, architects, engineers, construction management companies, doctors and other health professionals, real estate professionals, insurance agents and brokers, directors and officers, and financial advisors. He also has extensive experience providing general business representation, including risk management counseling and contract review/drafting, and handling comple...

Rachel R. James is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Rachel R., 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 Rachel R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Reza Torkzadeh is the Founder of The Torkzadeh Law Firm, a Plaintiff's only personal injury law firm with offices throughout California and Illinois. Reza has been recognized by his peers since 2010 as being a SuperLawyers Rising Star. Every year since 2014, Reza has been selected by his peers to the SuperLawyers list in California - an honor saved for no more than 5% of the lawyers in the country. In the past two years alone, Reza has obtained verdicts, judgments and settlements in excess of...

Nicola A. Pisano is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property. Nicola 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 Nicola A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mr. Rowles is Chair of the San Diego Corporate Group and former co-chair of the firm’s Emerging Company Venture Capital Group and Private Equity Fund Formation Group. He has practiced in San Diego for over 20 years and has a wealth of experience as corporate counsel to public and private companies, and the venture capital and private equity funds that invest in those companies. Mr. Rowles has extensive industry experience in telecommunications, software, internet, semiconductors, entert...

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...

Robert Wright is a founding partner of the firm and has a long history of successfully representing corporate, governmental, and individual clients in a wide range of cases involving unfair competition, product liability, antitrust, securities, corporate, banking, fidelity bond, real estate, trust and estate, and employment, constitutional, and admiralty law. He has considerable experience with complex procedural matters, including mass tort, coordinated, and class actions. In addition to rep...

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 ...