Tara Burd

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...

Cecilia O’Connell Miller is a Shareholder in Buchalter’s San Diego Office. She is Co-Chair of the Insurance Law practice group and a Member of the Firm’s Board of Directors. Ms. Miller’s practice encompasses trial and appellate representation of her policyholder clients in arbitrations, state courts and federal courts across the country. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and pre-litigation counseling with an emphasis on insurance coverage recovery f...

Callie A. Bjurstrom is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Patent and Trade Secrets Law. Callie A., who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Callie A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mark K. Stender is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Mark K., 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 Mark K. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jeremy A. Roth practices exclusively in the area of labor and employment law, representing retailers, hotels, and other management clients in state and federal courts and before various governmental agencies. He defends employers in all phases of litigation, up through and including trial by jury or bench, and has handled countless mediations and arbitrations. His experience includes: Alleged discrimination Wrongful termination Employment-related torts Wage and hour claims Class and collectiv...

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 ...

Karen Albence is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Karen, 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 Karen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

Michael Kalt is a partner in the Employment Law Practice Group of Wilson Turner Kosmo LLP, where he has worked since 1996. His employment law practice emphasizes the litigation and trial of wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination cases in state and federal court. Michael also provides advice and training to employers on employee discipline and investigations, employment policies and procedures, and fair employment practices. Michael represents businesses of all sizes and in most indu...

William Low practices in the areas of complex tort and business litigation, with a current emphasis on professional liability, privacy, information security, product liability, and healthcare. Mr. Low, an HFM Partner, also serves as general counsel for the firm, a role in which he regularly advises the firm’s lawyers on issues related to ethics, conflicts of interest and professional responsibility. In addition, he has served as an expert witness in legal malpractice cases. Throughout h...