Principals & Associates
DONALD P.
TOBIN — Mr. Tobin is a founding and managing partner of the firm.
After earning his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University School of Law, Mr.
Tobin served as Counsel and Assistant Vice President for Republic Indemnity
Company of America from 1963-74. He spent the next eight years as a partner in
a private Workers Compensation defense firm and co-founded Tobin · Lucks
in 1982.
Mr. Tobin, a Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law, has served on the Executive Committee of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and belongs to the American Bar Association.
IRVIN L. LUCKS — Mr. Lucks, a founding partner of the firm in 1982, earned his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has 37 years of trial experience representing employers and insurance companies in the areas of workers' compensation, employer practices, human resources issues, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Mr. Lucks has lectured widely to employers and insurance companies regarding the interplay of workers' compensation, employer practices, and ADA issues. He is a certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law, a member of the Workers' Compensation Defense Attorneys Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and the Workers' Compensation Section of the California State Bar.
EDWIN J. LUCKS — Mr. Lucks received his Juris Doctor degree from the UCLA School of Law in 1970. He has managed the firm's civil litigation department since 1984. Mr. Lucks specializes in representing management in all areas of employment litigation and counseling including employment discrimination and harassment claims, and wrongful termination litigation.
Mr. Lucks' practice includes providing mediation services to the legal community as a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Panel of the Los Angeles Superior Court, through which he has mediated numerous cases throughout Southern California. He received his mediation training from the Straus Institute For Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University and the California Academy of Mediation Professionals.
Mr. Lucks is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute and the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel.
FRANK CHRISTINE III — Mr. Christine is a Cum Laude graduate of UCLA and received his Juris Doctor degree from UCLA School of Law in 1981. A Deputy District Attorney with the Ventura County District Attorney's office from 1981 to 1987, Mr. Christine handled hundreds of non-jury and jury trials in Municipal, Traffic and Juvenile Courts, and successfully prosecuted eight felony jury trials with a 100% conviction rate.
He joined the firm in 1987 and became a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law in 1993.
Mr. Christine has spoken to a number of groups and organizations on workers' compensation law and is a member of the American Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Langston Bar Association.
NATHAN G. HALPRIN — Nate Halprin is the managing partner of our Santa Ana office. He joined the firm in 1992 after serving five years as the senior workers' compensation attorney in the Los Angeles office of a national management-side labor and employment law firm. Mr. Halprin has served as Judge Pro Tempore of the Los Angeles Municipal and Superior Courts and the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board.
In addition to 23 years litigation experience in all aspects of workers' compensation litigation, Mr. Halprin is litigation qualified in employment-related civil matters. He has participated as lead counsel in complex jury litigation in both unicipal and superior courts of the State of California.
Mr. Halprin has lectured nationally and locally at human resource and risk management seminars on labor and employment-related subjects. He is a member of the California Bar, Colorado Bar and Federal Bar.
RANDAL I. KLEIN — Randal I. Klein is a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law and is currently the managing partner of the firm's Los Angeles office. Mr. Klein has twenty two years of experience in the workers' compensation field. Since joining the firm in 1987, he has handled all aspects of workers' compensation defense. He received his B.A. degree from UCLA and Juris Doctor from Pepperdine Law School.
He belongs to the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
JOHN LAMOUTTE — John Lamoutte is the managing partner of our Ventura / Santa Barbara office.
Mr. Lamoutte represents insurance carriers and self-insured employers in the defense of workers' compensation claims. This includes the defense of Labor Code Section 132(a) petitions, as well as serious and willful misconduct claims.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Lamoutte acquired extensive experience as an applicants' attorney before the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. He also represented plaintiffs in the civil court.
ROBERT C. TOBIN — Mr. Tobin is currently the managing partner of the San Diego office. Mr. Tobin has defended all aspects of workers' compensation claims since 1986, including Labor Code §132a, Serious & Willful Misconduct, Asbestosis, fraud and uninsured employers.
Mr. Tobin was Claims Examiner, Senior Examiner, Longshore & Harbor Examiner, and Reinsurance Examiner at major workers' compensation carriers from 1986 through 1992, holding certificates in claims from the I.E.A. and the W.C.C.A.
After graduating from law school in 1991, Mr. Tobin was House Counsel for Republic Indemnity Company of America from 1992 through 1995, handling all aspects of the defense of workers' compensation claims including extensive litigation of asbestosis claims. Mr. Tobin is an active member of the San Diego Workers' Compensation Forum and the San Diego County Bar Association. As a Certified Specialist in workers' compensation law, Mr. Tobin lectures throughout the State on workers' compensation issues including Labor Code §132a, Serious & Willful Misconduct and fraud.
JOHN F. SALISBURY — John Salisbury joined the firm in 1990. Mr. Salisbury specializes in representing employers in all areas of employment litigation and counseling, including employment discrimination, harassment claims, wrongful termination, wage and hour claims, and insurance coverage disputes.
Mr. Salisbury also represents insurers in insurance coverage disputes, bad faith litigation, workers' compensation subrogation suits, and Medicare issues.
Mr. Salisbury is a member of both the California and Illinois Bars and is admitted to practice in the United States Central District Court and the United States Supreme Court. He has extensive Appellate experience, and is responsible for a number of written Court of Appeals decisions. He is the author of Tobin · Lucks's manual on workers' compensation subrogation and is the editor of the firm's newsletter.
BENJAMIN R. HERSCHBEIN — Benjamin Herschbein joined the firm in 1992. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Herschbein was in private practice handling all aspects of workers' compensation and personal injury cases, including trials, appeals, serious and willful misconduct, and discrimination claims before the WCAB and Municipal and Superior Courts. Mr. Herschbein is a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law.
Benjamin Herschbein has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at Pepperdine University School of Law since 1981 where he is presently teaching workers' compensation law. He has also taught Lawyering Skills and Trial Preparation and Settlement.
JEANNINE M. ARCE — Jeannine Arce joined the firm as an associate in 1994.
Ms. Arce represents insurance carriers and self-insured employers in all phases of the defense of workers' compensation claims, including serious and willful misconduct actions and Labor Code Section 132(a) claims.
ALAN J. BEARDSLEY — Mr. Beardsley was admitted to the California Bar in 1981, after graduation from New York University School of Law that same year. Since becoming a member of the Bar, he has specialized in civil litigation, including such employment and labor related matters as wrongful terminations, workplace drug testing, ERISA, and sex, age and race discrimination.
Mr. Beardsley has both trial and appellate experience with wrongful termination cases, as well as a variety of other civil matters, and has defended against filings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Mr. Beardsley has also participated in hearings before the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and other administrative agencies.
SEAN V. RIVERA — Sean Rivera joined the firm in 1998. Mr. Rivera started in the field of workers' compensation in 1989 as a claims examiner until 1994 when he received his Juris Doctorate from the University of La Verne. From 1994 to 1998 he worked as an in-house counsel for a major carrier handling all aspects of the defense of workers' compensation claims.
Mr. Rivera has continued to practice in all phases of defense workers' compensation claims including serious and willful misconduct actions, and labor code section 132a claims. Mr. Rivera is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the American Bar Association and a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law.
THERESE M. WALSH — Therese Walsh is a graduate of Southwestern University School of Law. She received B.A. degrees in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of Southern California. Ms. Walsh joined the firm as an associate in July of 1997 and is the managing partner of our Inland Empire office. In addition to her previous experience as a defense attorney, she has ten years of experience in the field of workers' compensation as a claims examiner.
Ms. Walsh is a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law.
JESSE R. PEREZ — Jesse R. Perez is the managing partner of our Fresno office. He has practiced law since 1988 with an emphasis in workers' compensation and civil liability. He has represented private enterprises as well as public and governmental agencies in all aspects of workers' compensation matters. He is an active member of the Cuban American Bar Association and the Workers' Compensation Section of the Los Angeles County Bar.
JUDITH R. PELAYO — Judith Pelayo joined the firm in June of 1999.
Prior to joining Tobin · Lucks, Ms. Pelayo practiced in the area of workers' compensation defense at both a private defense firm and as in-house counsel for a major insurance defense firm.
GREGORY J. CAMERON — Mr. Cameron received his Juris Doctor Degree from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. He works out of the Santa Barbara office and is local to the central coast region, having received his undergraduate degree from UC Santa Barbara.
Mr. Cameron has been representing insurance carriers, self-insured employers and third-party administrators since 1997. This includes all aspects of defending Workers' Compensation claims including the defense of 132a discrimination claims and allegations of serious and willful misconduct.
Mr. Cameron is a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law.
BRIAN T. RILEY— Mr. Riley received his Juris Doctorate at Whittier Law School in 2000, where he was a Dean's Scholarship Recipient as well as a member of the Trial Advocacy Board. Mr. Riley also holds a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration from the University of Delaware.
Prior to Mr. Riley's admission to the State Bar, he was employed as a hearing representative as well as a claims examiner for several major insurance companies. Mr. Riley is a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law.
CINDY PEARSON — After a thirteen year career as a claims representative, hearing representative, and education coordinator for a major insurance company, Ms. Pearson joined the firm's Los Angeles office. Her practice focuses on the defense of workers' compensation claims. Ms. Pearson is a member of the State Bar of California.
BRENT E. LEVINE— Mr. Levine practices in our Santa Barbara office defending insured and self-insureds in workers compensation and related employment matters including discrimination claims. In addition to case in chief trials, Mr. Levine has been called upon by several clients to exclusively litigate and try liens in several Southern California venues filed by various healthcare providers including outpatient surgery centers.
Mr. Levine attended the University of California at Santa Barbara, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and Society in 1994. Thereafter, he was admitted to California Western School of Law in San Diego, California with First Year Recruiting Scholarship. Mr. Levine is a member of the State Bar of California. He was formerly an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) practicing in Santa Barbara.
STEVEN M. ROSENFELD— Steven Rosenfeld pratices in our Los Angeles office. He earned his BA in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara and graduated Cum Laude in 1999 from Loyola of Los Angeles Law School, where he was awarded the American Jurisprudence Award for Trial Advocacy. He was admitted to practice in California in 1999. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Rosenfeld was in private practice representing plaintiffs and defendants in civil and criminal cases, and Applicants in Workers Compensation. Mr. Rosenfeld is a certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law.
W. SCOTT PLYLER — Scott Plyler received his juris doctor degree from Western State University in 1979. He has been actively involved in the workers' compensation field since 1980, handling the defense of insurance carriers as well as self-insured, including government entities.
Mr. Plyler has been certified by the State Bar of California as a Workers' Compensation Specialist since 1993. Mr. Plyler is assigned to our Ventura / Santa Barbara office.
TIMOTHY S. TOBIN— Timothy Tobin joined Tobin · Lucks' Los Angeles office, after working as an applicants attorney handling cases before the WCAB.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Tobin was an investigator for several private firms for over ten years, most recently specializing in workers’ compensation fraud cases. He also investigated construction site accidents, reconstructed accident scenes and evaluated potential subrogation.
Mr. Tobin is an active member of the Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley Bar Associations. He holds certificates of outstanding achievement from his law school for courses in remedies and criminal procedure as well as certificates for I.E.A. and W.C.C.A.
Mr. Tobin became a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law in 2010.
NICOLE C. ANTHONY— Nicole Anthony practices in the firm's Santa Ana office. Ms. Anthony received her Juris Doctor degree from Pepperdine University School of Law, and a Certificate in Dispute Resolution from the Straus Institute in Malibu, California. She received her Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of San Diego, where she graduated magna cum laude.
Ms. Anthony was admitted to the California State Bar and the U.S. District Court in December, 2000.
KARMEN K. MOSELEY— Karmen Moseley practices in the firm's San Diego office. Ms. Moseley received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. Ms. Moseley's practice has focused on workers' compensation defense since her admission to the California State Bar and the U.S. District Court in December 1997.
She has also practiced in the areas of insurance coverage, bad faith defense and employment law.
BRENT E. SMITH— Mr. Smith practices in our Santa Ana office. He received his B.A. degree from the University of Arizona and his Juris Doctor from Whittier College School of Law. While at Whittier, he was an active member of the Trial Advocacy Honors Board and participated in Moot Court.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Smith was employed as a Senior Medical Consultant for Pfizer/Pharmacia from 1993-2003. He was admitted to the California State Bar in February 2003.
CHRISTOPHER A. BALL— Christopher Ball practices in the firm's Inland Empire office. Mr. Ball is a graduate of Long Beach State University earning a B.S. in Business Administration. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Western State University College of Law.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Ball was an associate for a large workers' compensation firm in Ontario.
He is a certified specialist in workers' compensation and a published author on workers' compensation law.
ROY TAN-SANCHEZ— Mr. Tan-Sanchez practices in our Los Angeles office. He started in the field of Workers' Compensation as a claims examiner in 1992. He was admitted to the California Bar in 1994 and immediately joined the legal department of a major defense firm as a staff counsel.
Mr. Tan-Sanchez earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at Southwestern University and Bachelor of Law at San Beda College, in the Philippines.
He was a member of the Philippine Bar and specialized in Corporate and Labor Laws. Mr. Tan-Sanchez is a member of the San Fernando Bar Association.
DEBRA M. SHACKELFORD— Debra Shackelford joined Tobin · Lucks office an associate in the Los Angeles office in 2004. Ms. Shackelford earned her Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern University School of Law where she holds a certificate of outstanding achievement in Federal Corporate Taxation. She has a B.A. in economics from California State University Northridge where she graduated with honors. While attending law school, Ms. Shackelford practiced as a law clerk for the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service.
SHRUTI S. BAWEJA— Ms. Baweja received her BA from University of California Santa Ana and Juris Doctor from Lincoln Law School of Sacramento. While attending law school, Ms. Baweja practiced criminal and employment law as a certified law clerk. Ms. Baweja was admitted to the California State Bar in June 2003.
Ms. Baweja currently practices in our Irvine office.
SARAH M. FLYNN—
Ms. Flynn received her Bachelor of Science in Law while concurrently obtaining
her Juris Doctorate Degree from Southern California Institute of Law school.
While attending law school, Ms. Flynn was granted an internship with
the Santa Barbara Public Defender's Office. Ms. Flynn researched and drafted
motions with the SBPD's office in reference to serious felonies, three strikes
law and capital punishment crimes.
Ms. Flynn was admitted to practice law in the State of California in June of 2004. She practiced in the general civil spectrum of the legal field until she joined Tobin Lucks in 2005. Ms. Flynn currently practices in our Santa Barbara office.
JOSEPH P. FLANAGAN— Mr. Flanagan joined our Irvine office in July of 2005. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California School of Law in 1978 and his B.A. degree from USC in 1975. From 1993 to 2005, Mr. Flanagan served as Managing Attorney for a large reputable company. Prior to that he was a partner in a private workers' compensation defense firm in Irvine. He is a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law and was named a Superlawyer in the February 2005 issue of Los Angeles Magazine.
ERIC V. JACKSON— Mr. Jackson practices in our Fresno office. He received his B.A. in Legal Studies from State University of New York at Buffalo in 1995 and his Juris Doctorate degree from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco in 1999.
Mr. Jackson began practicing in the field of workers' compensation in August 2000 and worked for private firms in San Francisco.
During law school he was a bar certified intern working in the San Francisco District Attorney's office Gang Unit and Domestic Violence Unit. Mr. Jackson is a member of the California Bar and the American Bar Association.
LEIGH J. BOVE— Leigh Bove practices in the firms San Diego office. Ms. Bove received her Juris Doctorate from Rutgers University in New Jersey in 1993.
Ms. Bove is admitted to the California, Pennsylvania and New Jersey State Bars. Her practice focuses on the defense of workers’ compensation claims. She also has a significant amount of experience with workers' compensation subrogation matters.
Ms. Bove has been employed as an in-house attorney for a workers’ compensation insurance carrier and was also in private practice with a law firm specializing in workers’ compensation defense prior to joining Tobin Lucks.
MARK G. STEPHENS— Mr. Stephens received his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles in 2005. Mr. Stephens began working for Tobin · Lucks as a calendar clerk in the Santa Barbara office shortly after graduating from Westmont College in 2001 with a B.S. in Psychology.
He continued to work with Tobin · Lucks thoughout his law school career, with the exception of the time he spent at Fordham Law School in New York City.
Mr. Stephens has passed both the New York and California Bar exams, and is currently working out of the Woodland Hills office.
MICHAEL MENSE — Michael Mense practices in the firm's Los Angeles Office. Mr. Mense graduated from Cal State Northridge with honors and a double major in English and Sociology. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School in 2001 and has practiced workers' compensation defense since being admitted to the California Bar that same year. Mr. Mense is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California and the U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit.
COURTNEY NAKATANI — Ms. Nakatani graduated in the top of her class from Southwestern Law School in 2002 and was admitted to the California State Bar the same year. Ms. Nakatani has been practicing workers' compensation law for over 6 years having represented employers and insurance carriers in all phases of litigation.
Ms. Nakatani joined the firm in August 2009 and practices out of the Inland Empire office.
LISA A. GREGORIUS — Lisa Gregorius joined the firm as an associate in 2009 after practicing in the field of employment litigation representing private and public entities. Ms. Gregorius graduated from Chapman University School of Law in 2006. Prior to her legal career, she was a Risk Manager for a large Orange County-based corporation.
RANDY H. POLLAK —
Mr. Pollak graduated Summa Cum Laude from UCLA in 2006 with a Bachelor's Degree
in Political Science. Thereafter, he received his Juris Doctorate from Loyola
Law School in 2009, and was admitted to the California State Bar in December,
2009. Before becoming a member of the bar, Mr. Pollak worked several years for
a management side workers' compensation firm where he drafted appellate
documents.
Mr. Pollak joined Tobin Lucks in 2009, and practices in our
Los Angeles office.
MARK S. TOBIN —
Mark Tobin practices in our Los Angeles office. Prior to joining the firm, Mr.
Tobin had a successful high volume solo practice for 24 years. His practice was
limited to personal injury and workers’ compensation law. He earned his BA
degree in English from California State University Northridge and his juris
doctor degree from the University of San Fernando College of Law.
Mr.
Tobin has had extensive trial, arbitration and mediation experience at the
Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board and Superior Courts and has previously
lectured on the psychological injury aspects of workers’ compensation law
to the medical community.
CRAIG RICHLIN —
Craig Richlin joined the firm's Los Angeles office in April 2010. Since
graduating from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1978,
Mr. Richlin has practiced all aspects of Workers' Compensation and Personal
Injury law. He has been involved in private practice as a founding member of
Richlin and Theofanis, wherein he represented employers and self-insureds
before the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. For ten years prior to his
employment with Tobin · Lucks, Mr. Richlin represented applicants before
the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board while in sole practice.
Mr.
Richlin has been a Judge Pro Tem before the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board
and has held memberships in both the California Applicant Attorneys Association
and Workers' Compensation Defense Attorneys Association.
KARISA K. McNAMARA — Karisa McNamara practices in the firm's San Diego office. Ms. McNamara received her juris doctorate degree from the University of Southern California Law School. Prior to joining the firm Ms. McNamara worked as a deputy district attorney for Merced and Fresno Counties. Additionally Ms. McNamara spent several years working for a private firm doing workers' compensation defense. Ms. McNamara has been a member of the California State Bar since 1999.
REED R. HEUSTIS, JR.— Mr. Heustis practices in our Inland Empire office, having earned his Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law; and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from University of California, Irvine. He also graduated from the National Litigation Academy with a scholarship endowed by the Alliance Defense Fund.
Mr. Heustis began his career in the arena of workers' compensation in 2003 with State Compensation Insurance Fund, where he served as a claims representative for nearly three years. Later he worked as a staffer and in-house attorney with a small family-owned San Fernando Valley employment agency. Subsequent to that, Mr. Heustis served as a workers' compensation defense attorney for over three years with a firm in Orange County, representing employers, homeowners, and third party administrators throughout both Northern and Southern California.
DEBORAH T. CZECH— Bio information will be posted shortly.
HEATHER L. BRANDT— Heather Brandt graduated from University of California Los Angeles in June, 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in American Literature and Culture. Thereafter, she received her Juris Doctorate from University of La Verne College of Law, where she served as the Chief Managing Editor of the University of La Verne Law Review. She received her Juris Doctor in May of 2009. She was admitted to the California State Bar in December, 2009. Ms. Brandt has practiced before the WCAB since January, 2010.
THOMAS J. RAFACZ, 1949 - 1999— Thomas Rafacz joined the firm's Los Angeles office in September, 1988. Initially, he worked in the Civil Litigation Department, responsible for handling defense of civil litigation, Labor Code 132a and related employment law matters. He later began handling the defense of workers' compensation cases and became a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law.
Prior to attending law school, Mr. Rafacz worked for a nationwide transportation company for ten years as the Director of Risk Management. His responsibilities included management of a self-insured, self-administered workers' compensation program.
Mr. Rafacz became a partner in 1998, and was a well-respected attorney. Tom passed away suddenly in April of 1999. He was a friendly, sincere person who will be missed by his family, colleagues and many, many friends.
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