Best Lawyers in California, United States for Appellate Practice
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Dan Marmalefsky specializes in complex civil and criminal business litigation. His civil practice covers issues relating to securities, unfair competition, fiduciary and shareholder rights and obligations, and general business litigation. His civil cases have included matters related to the subprime banking crisis, alleged backdating of stock options, fraud and breach of fiduciary duty, inaccurate financial reporting, and deceptive sales practices in the insurance, telecommunications and food...
Michael Von Loewenfeldt is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. Michael, who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Michael Berger is one of California’s preeminent appellate lawyers and is a partner in Manatt Real Estate and the appellate practice. One of the top land use and condemnation lawyers in the United States, his appellate cases have involved planning, zoning, eminent domain, various kinds of business litigation, landslides, contract, due process, equal protection, defective construction, nuisance, insurance and environmental law. Michael has argued four cases before the United States Supre...
James R. Sigel is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. James R., who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Greg Pimstone leads the firm’s healthcare litigation practice. He is one of the country’s leading healthcare litigators, having been recognized on multiple occasions by the Daily Journal as one of the top 100 attorneys in the state of California. Greg has been lead counsel in numerous high-profile cases that produced landmark decisions transforming the legal landscape in the healthcare field. Greg is a trial and appellate litigator for California’s largest healthcare entitie...
Mira Hashmall is an accomplished trial lawyer with a record of success in federal and state courts, and in arbitration. She is recognized by the Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Appellate Practice and Litigation – Labor and Employment. She has been honored by the Daily Journal on its lists of Top 100 Lawyers in California, Top Women Lawyers, Top 40 Under 40, and Top Labor and Employment Lawyers. Los Angeles Business Journal has recognized Mira on its lists of Top Litigators,...
Gerry Serlin is a California appellate lawyer and a co-founder of Benedon & Serlin LLP, established in 1993. Based in Woodland Hills, California, he has devoted nearly four decades to Appellate Practice, handling civil appeals in state and federal courts throughout California and beyond. His career reflects sustained involvement in shaping appellate advocacy through briefing, oral argument, and strategic counseling. Gerry’s professional background includes numerous recognitions refl...
Ms. Sungaila’s appellate work, which focuses on complex tort cases raising cutting-edge issues, has helped define the scope of the duty to warn sophisticated users of product hazards, set the guidelines for admitting expert testimony at trial, and overturned multimillion dollar judgments. Ms. Sungaila has also consistently helped secure important rights for women and girls internationally, nationally, and throughout California. Ms. Sungaila has been pro bono counsel of record for amici ...
Education : Occidental College (B.A., Psychology/Theater, cum laude, 1979); University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law (J.D. 1983). Admitted to : California and New York State Bars; U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; U.S. District Courts in California. Professional Experience : Benedon & Serlin, LLP (2015-present); Senior Counsel head of Law and Motion & Appellate Department, Collins Collins Muir & Stewart (2012-2015); Associate, Lit...
William E. Thomson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. William E., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.