Travis E. Downs III

Regina Petty is a partner in the San Diego and Los Angeles offices. She practices in state and federal courts at the trial and appellate levels and is experienced in multi-district and class action litigation. Regina advises employers and public agency boards and handles litigation for private and public employers. She successfully argued Jones v. The Lodge at Torrey Pines Partnership (2008) 42 Cal.4th 1158 before the California Supreme Court, a case noted on Bender's California Labor & E...

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.

In her practice, Jody A. Landry handles employment litigation matters of a broad variety, including both single plaintiff and class actions, that generally stem from claims of: Overtime misclassification Failure to provide meal/rest breaks Wrongful termination Sexual harassment Employment discrimination Retaliation Breach of contract Other wage and hour violations Appearing in state and federal courts, she regularly handles class actions involving a variety of wage and hour issues arising und...

Clark Hudson, a trial lawyer joined Neil Dymott in 1990 and has been a shareholder since 1997. Mr. Hudson specializes in civil litigation with emphasis in medical malpractice, professional liability, products liability and personal injury. Since joining Neil Dymott, Mr. Hudson has tried over 70 jury cases in various Southern California State Courts. Mr. Hudson is a former board member and Past President for the San Diego Defense Lawyers. He is a Senior Director (2017-2018) for the Federation ...

Erwin Shustak is the founder and Managing Partner of the Firm. He heads the Litigation and Arbitration Department, with over 40 years of extensive experience in a wide variety of complex disputes and transactions, across the country and overseas. Mr. Shustak specializes in litigations, trials, arbitrations and appeals of complex securities, financial and business disputes, with a particular emphasis in the areas of securities and financial services and regulation law. Few attorneys have the d...

Louis Mezzullo’s principal areas of practice are Taxation, Estate and Business Succession Planning, and Employee Benefits. He was on the faculty of the University of Miami School of Law Graduate Program in Estate Planning from 2004 to 2007 and on the faculty of the University of San Diego School of Law in 2009. He was an adjunct professor of law at the University of Richmond Law School from 1978 until 2006. He is listed in Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who in Emerging Leaders and Who...

Sarah T. Schaffer, CFLS is a family law attorney and mediator, holding the prestigious Certified Family Law Specialist designation from the State Bar of California. Schaffer Family Law Group, APC is a full-service Mediation, Divorce, and Family Law firm dedicated to delivering practical & effective results to high net-worth clients. Ms. Schaffer builds her practice on a thorough knowledge of the law, excellent research skills, superior presentation to the court, and most of all calm, comp...

Ryan H. Nell is an employment attorney responsible for representing California employers statewide in both counseling and comprehensive litigation support. With the ever-changing landscape of California and federal employment law, Ryan prides himself on assisting clients in staying ahead of the curve in an effort to avoid legal trouble before it arises. He has extensive experience representing clients in harassment, retaliation, and discrimination matters, as well as large-scale wage and hour...

Patty M. DeGaetano is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law. Patty M., who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patty M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...