SAN DIEGO’S TOP ATTORNEYS 2025
William W Eigner He is the “go-to guy for M&A and emerging companies.” He has often been recognized for many years in The Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers and by SD METRO Magazine as one of California’s best business lawyers. He is a partner at Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch, San Diego’s largest law firm, with nearly 200 lawyers in offices in San Diego, Del Mar, Palo Alto, Orange County, Las Vegas, Scottsdale and Washington. His practice emphasizes M&A, venture capital, angel financing, seed capital and the financing, governing, operating, buying, selling and mering of growing and established technology, life science and other businesses. He serves as a director of EvoNexus and currently serves or, has served, on the boards of advisors or directors of Acenda, Quantum AI Health, Cross Ocean Ventures, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and other companies and organizations. He graduated from Stanford University and the University of Virginia School of Law, and served as a Judicial Intern at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Jenny L. Dixon A partner with Hahn Loeser, she has been selected by her peers to San Diego Super Lawyers in each of the past five years. In 2024, she was named among the San Diego Super lawyers Top 25 Women. She has practiced in both state and federal litigation for over 25 years and has secured multi-million-dollar judgments on behalf of clients. She represents individuals and companies in business and employment disputes, corporate and securities fraud, and violations of antitrust and competition laws. She has also guided clients on ways to cost effectively minimize liability. Her efforts contributed to meaningful reforms in director compensation because she litigated several challenges to excessive compensation plans in Delaware Chancery Court. After deposing Mark Zuckerberg, she was able to defeat Facebook’s motion for summary judgment in one such challenge. She as served as a Scout Troop Fundraising Chair and a girls youth soccer coach as well as a girls youth volleyball coach. She is a graduate of the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.
Frederick Schenk A former Casey Gerry partner, he recently joined forces with his sister, former congresswoman Lynn Schenk, and son, trial lawyer Benjamin Schenk, to launch The Schenk Law Firm. The firm specializes in personal injury, business and mass tort law. He is a pioneer in mass torts and has secured multiple multi-million-dollar verdicts, settlements and arbitration awards for victims of corporate negligence, especially in asbestos litigation, wrongful death, construction negligence, head injury and auto accidents. A specialist in auto collision litigation, he is co-author of the LexisNexis California Litigation Handbook. For a second time, he has been elected to serve as president of the Board of Directors of the 22nd Agricultural District Association (San Diego County Fair Board). He is also past president of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and a past president of the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, the Lawence Family Community Center of San Diego, and the Washington, D.C.-based Civil Justice Foundation. He was recently awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of San Diego School of Law. He earned his undergraduate degree at UCLA.
Thomas Crosbie He is a founding partner at Crosbie, Gliner, Schiffman, Southard & Swanson (CGS3), a commercial real estate firm which was established in 2013. He has over 30 years of experience in commercial real estate law, including acquisitions and dispositions, financial, leasing and construction in connection with commercial, residential, industrial, retail and mixed-use projects for local, regional and national real estate developers. He has negotiated the purchase and sale of numerous large commercial properties throughout the United States. Her has many years of experience in a broad variety of commercial real estate areas. He has been counsel to a vast number of borrowers. On the development front he has extensive expertise in all aspects of ground-up development and redevelopment projects, including drafting and negotiating development agreements VCCV&Rs, REAs, construction contracts and design contracts for commercial, industrial, multi-family residential and mixed-use projects. He is a graduate of Columbia University and the Northwestern University School of Law.
Gabe P. Wright He is a natural leader, serving on Hahn Loeser’s Board of Directors and the Firm’s National Diversity and Inclusion Committee. He recently served as Chair of Hahn Loeser’s San Diego Litigation Practice Group and has led San Diego office’s recruiting efforts. He represents clients from various industry sectors including assisted living communities, financial institutions, hoteliers, hospital and medical centers, product manufacturers, and the collections industry. Among his successes, he defeated class certification of a California statewide class action alleging violations of the Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Business & Profession Code against his client. He thereafter eliminated any ability for the remaining plaintiff to obtain an injunction against his client that could have had an adverse impact throughout the client’s industry. He also defeated certification of a California statewide class action brought on behalf of 500,000 class members seeking $100 million in damages against a manufacturer of shower pans. He has a top peer review rating of AV Preeminent for legal ability and professional ethics. He is a San Diego Super Lawyer and volunteer and supporter of Promises2Kids. He is a graduate of the Washington & Lee University school of Law.
Sean Gaffney He is a partner with Crosbie, Gliner, Schiffman, Southard and Swanson (CGS3). A leading member of the firm’s litigation department, he counsels investors, developers and owners looking to minimize risks and handles litigation when disputes cannot be avoided. A skilled litigator, he has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in all phases of trial work and alternative dispute resolution. His practice spans the breadth of California real estate law, including claims arising from failed real estate transactions and construction and development projects; landlord/tenant disputes; corporate governance and insurance coverage disputes; and trespass, partition, easement domain cases. He is a member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers and the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program. He has a B.A. degree from the University of San Diego and a J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law.
Ronson J. Shamoun He is a distinguished tax attorney and a three-time graduate of the University of San Diego. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Accountancy, followed by his Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Master of Laws in Taxation (LL.M.) A native of San Diego, he has practiced tax law for over 22 years. As the founder and CEO of RJS Law, a tax law firm, he specializes in federal and state taxation, with a focus on tax controversy., criminal tax defense, international tax matters, bankruptcy and estate planning. Beyond his legal practice, he is a co-founder of the USD School of Law-RJS Law Tax Institute. The annual event serves as a premier forum for tax professionals, including attorneys, CPAs, enrolled agents, and tax preparers, to stay informed on the latest developments in tax law. He actively guides and advises students at the USD School of Law. He has established two annual $5,000 scholarships at both the USD School of Law and the USD School of Business. He donates billboard space across San Diego to support causes like the Girl Scouts of San Diego and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. He exemplifies leadership, generosity and a genuine commitment to helping others.
Alex Brizolis He is a partner in Glaser Weil’s San Diego office and a seasoned litigator with extensive experience in complex business and real estate litigation. His practice spans state and federal courts, as well as arbitration, where he represents clients in high-stakes disputes involving fraud, unfair competition, breach of contract business interference, partnership disputes, business divorce and corporate control matters. He won a $26 million settlement in fraud for a government entity client in a breach of contract litigation against a multi-billion-dollar foreign software company. He represented a charter school client in winning a binding, emergency arbitration compelling a former officer to return trade secrets and other materials. He won a weeklong arbitration for a corporate client/seller against a buyer for specific performance and a breach of contract related to the sale of commercial real estate in Los Angeles. He is a Barrister in the American Inns of Court, a graduate of UCLA with a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Elizabeth Sperling She is litigation partner at Glaser Weil and co-chair of the firm’s Banking and Financial Services practice. She focuses on the representation of financial institutions and other consumer-facing businesses (including in the food and beverage, consumer products, retail, and gaming spaces) real estate companies, property owners, and high net worth individuals in high-stakes and consumer litigation. She has extensive trial, arbitration and appellate experience in class action, business torts, unfair business practices and related consumer protection actions (Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA). Her recent notable accomplishments include her representation of Fanie Mae and James B. Nutter & Company in two putative class-actions-turned-mass actions filed by hundreds of Puerto Rico residents against numerous banks and mortgage servicers. She and her team defeated class certification and obtained the dismissal of hundreds of borrowers’ claims related to their mortgages. She earned her B.A. at Arizona State University and her Juris Doctor at the University of Arizona.
Emil Petrossian He is an experienced trial attorney and the managing partner of Glaser Weil’s San Diego office. His practice covers all facets of complex commercial litigation in federal and state courts and arbitral forums, and he is routinely called upon to handle his clients’ most sensitive and pressing business matters. He is recognized as one of the leading Joseph commercial litigators in California and a business leader in San Diego, He has extensive first-chair experience litigating high-stakes commercial dispute for major businesses and corporations throughout the country. He has litigated numerous arbitrations and has substantial appellate experience in federal courts of appeal and the California Court of Appeal. He represented Gensler, a leading architecture and design firm, in an eight-figure indemnity dispute relating to the construction of the Shore Hotel in Santa Monica which resulted in a complete summary judgment victory and a $1.6 million fee award in Gensler’s favor. He is a cum laude graduate of Whitman College with a Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School.
Joseph Leventhal He is a partner and the head of litigation at Glaser Weil. He is an accomplished trial attorney with extensive experience in complex commercial litigation, class actions, and real estate, employment and intellectual property disputes. He has led jury trial teams in both state and federal courts and achieved successful outcomes through appeals. His clients range from business executives to Fortune 500 companies. His notable accomplishments include his representation of Sony Electronics in Riddick et al v. Sony Electronics, Inc. et al, a high profile class action lawsuit challenging Sony’s Alpha Female Creator program under California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act. Plaintiffs alleged the program, which awarded grants to female photographers, videographers and filmmakers, discriminated against male creators by restricting their eligibility for funding. He won a decisive outcome. He is a cum laude graduate of UCSD with a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Jamie Altman Buggy She is an extraordinary attorney and passionate advocate for her clients. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in business administration, she pursued her Juris Doctor at the University of San Diego School of Law, where she graduated cum laude and as a member of the Orde of the Coif. She started her legal career clerking for the Honorable Judge William C Hillman of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts in Boston. She then practiced commercial litigation at Procopio and then at CGS3. She joined Harvest LLP as a partner in 2022 where she currently serves as General Counsel and head of the firm’s litigation department. She won a major case on behalf of publicly traded REITs through her litigation of those REITGs’ landlord-tenant disputes for large portfolios of commercial real estate. Her guiding principle is her behalf that her role as a lawyer is to help her clients close their deals and accomplish their business goals. Outside of the law, she serves her community through charitable work including tenures on the boards of Home Stat and Veterans Research Alliance.
Fernando Landa He specializes in commercial real estate matters with broad expertise working on large transactions working across the country and across the asset spectrum. He brings his experience as a former General Counsel of s large real estate company to his representation of public real estate investment trusts, private equity funds, institutional investors, and entrepreneurial developers in the acquisition, development, financing leasing, and disposition of commercial real estate assets. While her specializes in transactional matters, he also posses a unique expertise in distressed real estate workouts and the sale of commercial real estate assets though the judicial process. He represented a San Diego-based owner-operator in the preparation and negotiation of a 32,421 square foot office lease to Nashville-based music label Concord Music Group Inc. in Beverly Hills. Represented the purchaser of a $130 million of mixed-use assets in Los Angeles. He considers one of his most rewarding achievements of his career to be the launch of Harvest LLP, a boutique law firm focused on serving the commercial real estate industry which he founded in 2022. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and holds degrees in law (Juris Doctor) and a master’s in real estate from the University of San Diego.
Cheryl Nieman Brechlin She is a gifted attorney and dedicated advocate for her clients. After graduating magna cum laude from the George Washington University, she pursued her Juris Doctor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where she was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society. She began her legal career as an associate with Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP in New York City, litigating high-profile commercial cases in various areas of the law. She returned to California, working at a boutique real estate and corporate law firm in Bel Air and CGS3 in Los Angeles and San Diego before joining Harvest LLP in May of 2022 as Senior Counsel. She negotiated numerous commercial leases for one of California’s largest privately held REITs, serving as master planner for a portfolio of high-end shopping centers in Southern California. She represented the buyer of the most expensive condominium sold in recent years in Los Angeles, which sold for $39.1 million. She represented San Diego FC in negotiating its leases of office space in downtown San Diego and Mission Valley. She fosters rescue dogs through a New Life Charitable Foundation and has been a mentor for Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters in Los Angeles.
Matthew E Cannon He has devoted his career to advocating for vulnerable children through his work as the managing attorney of the Children’s Program at Casa Cornelia Law Center. For over 10 years he has provided expert immigration legal services to children in San Diego County, as well as those detained across the United States and released in San Diego. His work ensures that children facing deportation proceedings have access to critical legal protections and relief. In addition to his representation of children in deportation proceedings, he also represents those eligible for immigration relief outside of deportation. He is a tireless advocate for those who would otherwise be left without legal assistance. He has an unwavering commitment to community service and social justice. He has helped raise awareness of the challenges faced by immigrant children in San Diego., He graduated from Cal State San Marcos with his law degree from California Western School of Law.
Liza Perkins-Cohen She is the managing attorney of the Litigation Program at Casa Cornelia Law Center. The litigation program provided legal representation to victims of human and civil rights violations, assisting them in obtaining asylum and other forms of immigration relief through the courts and USCIS. She supervises a team of attorneys and support staff, mentors volunteer attorneys from the private bar and continues to provide direct representation to clients. She also regularly trains other attorneys in asylum law and has been an invited speaker on the subject on numerous occasions. Her introduction to Casa Cornelia came through pro bono work while serving as an Associate Attorney at Latham & Watkins where she practiced from 2001 to 2007 American equities analyst in Sao Paulo and New York. She has a Master’s in Taxation from the USD School of Law. She also has a law degree from the New York University School of Law and a degree from the University of Chicago.
Evelyn Alicia Lopez She has dedicated her legal career to advocating for immigrant rights and serving vulnerable communities through her work at Casa Cornelia Law Center. Since joining Casa Cornelia as a post-bar volunteer in January 2013, she has demonstrated exceptional commitment to justice and pro bono legal services. In recognition of her contributions, she received Casa’s Special Recognition Award in 2014.She has taken on increasing leadership roles starting as a legal assistant in the Domestic Violence Program before becoming a staff attorney in 2025. She works extensively within the Children’s Program and the Victims of Crime Program, including complex cases involving asylum for children, VAWA petitions, U-visas, T-visas and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIIJS cases. She is dedicated to community advocacy through her extensive Know Your Rights presentations. Throughout her tenure at Casa Cornelia, she has made a profound impact on those she serves. She is a graduate of the Thomas Jefferson School of Law.
Honorable Mentions:
Jennifer Trowbridge Procopio
Sara Neva Procopio
Kareem A. Salem Manatt
Troy Zander Manatt
Randy Grossman Manatt
Marco Garcia Jackson Lewis
Maxwell C. Agha Banker’s Hill Law
