Best Lawyers Near You in Hermosa Beach, California for Appellate Practice
A Shareholder and Co-Chair of the Appellate Practice Group, Robert C. Little is a seasoned business lawyer and appellate litigator with over two decades of legal experience. Mr. Little is certified as a legal specialist in the practice of appellate law by the State Bar of California, one of fewer than 350 attorneys who hold this distinction among California’s 191,350 practicing lawyers. He has served as counsel of record in over 200 state and federal appeals and writ proceedings for ins...
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...
Norman Pine, a Certified Appellate Law Specialist (State Bar, CBLS), has been singled out by CAALA (2003: “Appellate Lawyer of the Year"), CELA (Joe Posner Award), and the Daily Journal (“Top Employment Lawyers in California” 2009, 2011–2018, inclusive). For the past ten years he has been one of only a handful of appellate lawyers to make the “Top 100" Southern California Super Lawyers list (2009–2019, inclusive), and he has consistently been listed in Sout...
Rex Heinke is widely recognized as one of the most accomplished and experienced appellate practitioners in California, and among the best in the nation. He has argued more than 150 appeals in federal and state courts across the country. Between 2001 and 2020, Rex was co-head of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld’s nationally renowned Supreme Court and Appellate practice. He is regularly called on to defend major corporations and high-profile individuals in some of their most hotly conte...
Business owners, celebrities and trust beneficiaries across California turn to Christopher C. Melcher for his assistance protecting their most valuable assets. With deep experience in complex family law litigation and premarital agreements, Mr. Melcher helps his clients achieve successful outcomes despite extremely challenging circumstances. He understands the need to keep sensitive family matters private for his noteworthy clients and is dedicated to handling family law matters in a discrete...
Sharon Baumgold is an expert in the arcane science of California appellate writs. She spent nearly four decades as a writs attorney on the California Court of Appeal’s Second District. There, she reviewed, analyzed, and advised appellate justices on more than 10,000 appellate writ petitions in all areas of state law, including arbitration, business and commercial litigation, employment, entertainment, government, insurance, real estate, and probate law. Frequent topics included jurisdic...
Julian W. Poon is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. Julian W., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Julian W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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.
Scott Tillett is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. Scott, who practices law in Sherman Oaks, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Scott is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Benjamin G. Shatz is a partner in the firm’s Trial Practice Group , focusing on appellate advocacy and complex litigation matters. Benjamin represents clients in high-stakes appeals, writ proceedings, and discretionary review matters in state and federal courts across the country. His appellate experience spans a broad range of industries and legal issues, including complex commercial disputes, entertainment and copyright matters, employment litigation, real estate and land use, banking...
Nadia is a Certified Appellate Specialist who helps clients keep their wins, reverse their losses, and develop the law. She brings appeals to life with structured and vivid writing that distills messy facts, untangles convoluted areas of law, and effectively frames the issues in a way that resonates with appellate courts. Clients and colleagues rely on Nadia to successfully develop a case long before an appeal is filed. She collaborates on dispositive and other significant pre-trial motions a...
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,...
Douglas Benedon is a co-founder of Benedon & Serlin LLP and has practiced law since 1993, focusing on Appellate Practice in California state and federal courts. Based in Woodland Hills, California, his work has included representing rank-and-file employees, police officers, firefighters, district attorneys, and other public servants in employment discrimination and retaliation matters. Certified in Appellate Law by the State Bar of California for more than two decades. Recipient of the Pr...
Thomas R. Freeman is a principal at Bird Marella and a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Law. His practice is focused on civil litigation at the trial and appellate levels, and criminal appeals. He is certified as an appellate specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and has argued countless cases before federal and state appellate courts and case-dispositive motions before trial courts. Tom has handled a broad range of complex matters, including...
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...
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.