California Lawyers - Newport Beach Melinda Gomez to Nicholas Kontogiannis

Firm: LAW OFFICE OF MELINDA GOMEZ

2901 W. Coast Highway, Suite 200 , Newport Beach , California 92663

Practice Areas: Family

Melinda received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of California at Davis.  While at UC Davis she was actively involved in local non-profits assisting survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault with various legal issues.. She later earned her Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School in 2009, where she received the 2007 Public Interest Scholarship from the California Bar Association for her continued volunteer work.  While at Whittier law school she served as the President of the Hispanic American Law Student Association while also competing and serving as the Vice President of the Trial Advocacy Honors Board.. While in law school she worked with Amnesty International in their Stop Violence Against Women Project as well as at the District Attorney’s offices in San Diego and Orange County.  Upon graduating from law school she was awarded the Center for Children’s Rights Certificate, Trial and Appellate Practice Certificate, and Criminal Law Certificate due to her courses and active participation in school programs.. Melinda is a member of the Orange County Bar Association, Orange County Hispanic Bar Association, and continues to assist in advocacy and policy development for survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault through her work with the California Partnership for Domestic Violence (CPEDV) and Human Options.. As an attorney, Melinda has been involved in many high asset and high conflict custody and dissolution matters during her career.  Her ability to advocate for her clients with up to date advice and compassion allows  her to obtain client centered results in the most efficient manner possible.

Firm: Klein & Wilson

4770 Von Karman Avenue , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: Litigation

Michael S. LeBoff brings nearly 25 years of business trial practice to Klein & Wilson, handling and winning high-stakes trials and arbitrations.. Michael represents clients of all sizes in a wide variety of business cases, including shareholder, partnership and joint venture disputes, trade secret claims, fraud, breach of contract, business torts, real estate, attorney fee disputes and legal malpractice actions.. Michael attended Loyola Law School on a full academic scholarship, graduating second in his class of nearly 400 students. At Loyola, Michael received countless academic awards and served as an editor for the Loyola Law Review.. After graduating from law school, Michael clerked for the former Chief Judge of the Central District of California, Manuel L. Real, where he saw firsthand the importance of always being prepared before entering the courtroom. Following his clerkship, Michael developed his trial skills working at some of the finest law firms in Orange County where he had the opportunity to go up against Klein & Wilson in a complex joint venture litigation. Having developed mutual respect for each other’s skills and civility, Michael joined Klein & Wilson in 2016. Less than two years later, he was named the first new partner in the firm’s 25-year history.. Michael also served as in-house litigation counsel for ACC Capital Holdings, the parent company of large, nationwide financial services companies. As in-house counsel, he managed nationwide litigation and worked daily with outside counsel to develop and implement cost-effective litigation strategies. Michael also reviewed and approved outside counsel bills and reported to senior management on significant litigation activities. In this role, Michael learned the importance of billing efficiencies and litigation results.. He currently serves on Council for the American Bar Association Litigation Section. Michael previously served as a co-chair of the Professional Liability Litigation Committee of the ABA’s Litigation Section from 2019 to 2022 and as co-chair of the Section’s Young Lawyers Leadership Program from 2022-2023. Michael also served as co-chair of the section’s largest committee, the Commercial and Business Litigation Committee, and co-chaired its Ethics Subcommittee.. In 2019, Michael was elected to the Orange County Bar Association’s (“OCBA”) Board of Directors and reelected to a second term in 2022. He also served on the OCBA’s Audit Committee since 2019. Michael previously served as the Chair of the OCBA’s Business Litigation Section and Banking and Lending Section.. Michael frequently speaks and writes on topics relating to legal malpractice and legal ethics.. Out of the office, Michael is a husband and father of two daughters. Michael is a die-hard Las Vegas Raiders fan, a fantasy sports athlete, and a recreational poker player.

Firm: Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys

Newport Beach 20371 Irvine Ave. , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: Personal Injury

Nicholas P. Kohan spent the first 10 years of his career being hired by large corporations, Fortune 500 companies and insurance companies to protect their interests against claims made by individuals and businesses who were allegedly hurt. These companies hired Nick for his trial skills, attention to detail and outside the box thinking that saved the companies millions of dollars.  Time and time again, Nick’s efforts resulted in total success – either an outright win for the defense at trial or the payout of settlements which were pennies to the dollar sought by those who brought the claim. With the creation of Dickson Kohan & Bablove LLP, Nick is now able to use his skill, expertise and knowledge of the insurance industry and risk management departments to help individuals achieve maximum compensation for their injuries.  Clients and opposing counsel alike have lauded Nick’s trial skills, work ethic, legal strategy and professionalism.  Nick’s fellow lawyers rated him as Preeminent with the nationally regarded Martindale-Hubbell directory.. Nick was born and raised in Orange County.  Prior to law school, Nick attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he majored in Applied Economics and was a McVoy Scholar.  Nick attended law school on a Dean’s Admission scholarship, served as Editor of the Law Review and a Teaching Assistant. Nick lives in Newport Beach with his wife and two children. When not working or spending time with his family, Nick enjoys playing golf and cheering for the Angels.

Firm: Shegerian Conniff

620 Newport Center Drive , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: Employment & Labor

Monica Rokhman is a law clerk for Shegerian Conniff LLP. Before joining the firm, Ms. Rokhman gained valuable experience in Criminal Defense and Personal Injury. Since joining Shegerian Conniff LLP, Ms. Rokhman has developed a strong interest and passion for Employment Law. Prior to her legal career, Ms. Rokhman was a National Team Rhythmic Gymnast and competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro. Her pursuit towards a legal career was catalyzed by her experiences as an Olympic Gymnast, fueling a strong commitment to advocacy. She strives to demonstrate the same dedication and drive in her legal career.

Firm: Sussman & Assoc.

2901 W. Coast Hwy , Newport Beach , California 92663

Practice Areas: Real Estate

Now living in Las Vegas, he still consults on legal issues and enjoys playing golf and music in his spare time.

Firm: Klein & Wilson

326 Old Newport Blvd , Newport Beach , California 92663

Practice Areas: Litigation

In addition to being one of the more accomplished federal and state court law and motion attorneys in Orange County, Michelle L. Carder has successfully arbitrated, tried, and argued on appeal numerous cases ranging from insurance coverage and bad faith to real estate and general business disputes. Ms. Carder is a "client's lawyer" who has built a reputation for developing novel, unexpected legal arguments which minimize exposure for defendants and maximize probabilities of success for plaintiffs. She is known for her top flight writing and oral advocacy skills, which have resulted in an outstanding record of winning seemingly unwinnable cases, as a matter of law, before or during trial. As an insurance coverage lawyer, Ms. Carder has provided critical advice to national insurance carriers and guidance and presentations to Fortune 500 companies in connection with complex, high exposure cases and pre litigation coverage disputes. She has served as coverage counsel for first and third party coverage matters venued in California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Texas, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Arizona, Virginia, Florida, and South Carolina.. Ms. Carder first met Gerald A. Klein and Mark B. Wilson in 2002 as an opponent. Impressed with Ms. Carder's extensive knowledge of insurance coverage and her fearless approach to advocacy, Klein & Wilson continued over the years to consult with Ms. Carder to the benefit of their clients. Equally impressed by Klein & Wilson's unparalleled legal ethics and reputation as outstanding trial lawyers, Ms. Carder decided to join the firm in 2015, adding her experience as an insurance litigator to the firm's already impressive depth.. Prior to joining Klein & Wilson, Ms. Carder spent more than 17 years with the firm Hines Carder, where she was instrumental in building the firm's successful insurance coverage and bad faith litigation practice. While practicing at Hines Carder, Ms. Carder won numerous summary judgment and dispositive pre trial motions that postured cases for trial wins and extremely favorable settlements. She was lead counsel for the trial resulting in the firm's first insurance bad faith defense verdict in 2014, winning the matter after the close of evidence on directed verdict. Ms. Carder has successfully argued appeals before the Second District Court of Appeal, the Fourth District Court of Appeal, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal and has also tried and arbitrated legal malpractice and business litigation matters. Before joining Hines Carder, Ms. Carder was an associate at two plaintiffs' firms where she practiced in the areas of general tort, medical malpractice, and insurance bad faith. While working as a plaintiff's lawyer, Ms. Carder first chaired bench and jury trials, deposed hundreds of witnesses, and arbitrated dozens of cases before finishing her third year of practice.. Ms. Carder obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law where she was a member of the Moot Court Honor Board and served as the Washington State Attorney General's law clerk for the trial of the seminal Native American treaty rights case, United States v. State of Washington. Ms. Carder received her undergraduate degree in English from the University of California, Los Angeles.. In addition to her successes as a lawyer, Ms. Carder has been an accomplished equestrian. She won the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Association all around championship twice, was a world championship finalist, and won state championships and top three national rankings in multiple events. Ms. Carder also served four years as President of the Old Towne Preservation Association, a non profit organization dedicated to preserving the historic and economic viability of California's largest national register district.

Firm: Minyard Morris, LLP

1811 Quail Street , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: Family

Firm: Minyard Morris LLP

1811 Quail St , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: Family

Firm: Litchfield Law PC

3345 Newport Boulevard , Newport Beach , California 92663

Practice Areas: Litigation

Firm: Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, Attorneys at Law

660 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1600 , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: General Practice, Business

Firm: Melinda Luthin Law

23 Corporate Plaza Drive Suite 150 Newport Beach CA 92660 , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: Litigation

Firm: Roberts Jeandron | Injury Attorneys

5000 Birch , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: Personal Injury

Michael Jeandron is a partner and nationally recognized trial attorney at Roberts Jeandron | Injury Attorneys representing wrongful death and personal injury victims in cases against insurance companies, corporations, and government entities. In trial, Michael brings a record of success to this clients, with victories including many seven figure jury verdicts. In 2018, Michael was named to The National Trial Lawyers top 40 Under 40 list of civil trial lawyers and in 2019 was named the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association Member of the Year. In 2023, Michael was admitted to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an exclusive invitation-only organization of the best trial lawyers in the nation. Also in 2023, Michael was named the Top Gun Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association in the "Young Gun" category.. Prior to joining the firm, Michael served as the spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, the third largest prosecuting agency in the State of California. As the spokesman, Michael gave thousands of television, radio and newspaper interviews on issues such as multi-million dollar civil settlements, death penalty cases, gross vehicular manslaughter cases, and Marsy’s Law enforcement (Victims’ Bill of Rights Act). Among others, Michael has been quoted on FoxNews, NBC, CBS and TMZ.. Earlier in his career, Michael served as the District Director to a retired California State Assemblywoman. Additionally, Michael was appointed as a California delegate to the late U.S. Senator John McCain in the 2008 Presidential election.

Firm: Phillips Whisnant Gazin Gorczyca &Curtin

24 Corporate Plaza Dr 2nd Fl , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: Family , Family, Family

Michael H. Gazin was born in Los Angeles, California in 1949, and has been a resident of Orange County since 1974.  He and his wife have lived in Irvine since 1976 where they raised their two daughters.. Mr. Gazin graduated from San Jose State University with honors in 1971, earning a BA degree in Political Science. He attended the University Of Santa Clara School Of Law where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree in 1974.  Mr. Gazin was admitted to the California State Bar in 1974, when he commenced his practice in Orange County.  In Mr. Gazin’s early years of practice, he handled a broad spectrum of cases ranging from criminal defense, personal injury, business litigation and family law.  Commencing in the mid 1980’s, Mr. Gazin began focusing his practice primarily in the area of family law, and now limits his practice to Family Law.. Mr. Gazin’s approach to the practice of Family Law comes from his perspective that, to the extent possible, an amicable, equitable and expeditious resolution of the issues best serves the parties’ interest in their time of personal and inter-family crisis.  To achieve that goal, Mr. Gazin’s first focus is to evaluate the case to determine if such a method is both an appropriate and viable option.. Mr. Gazin has been an active member of the Orange County Bar Association since 1976, serving as a member on its Board of Directors from 1980 through 1985.  Mr. Gazin was elected Secretary of the Orange County Bar Association in 1986, Treasurer in 1987, President-Elect in 1988 and President in 1989.  Mr. Gazin recently completed a 3 year term as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Orange County Bar Foundation.  He is a former Treasurer of the Orange County Bar Family Law Section.. Mr. Gazin chaired the Client Relations Committee of the Orange County Bar Association from 1983 to 1985 after serving as a Committee member from 1977 to 1983; he has served as a delegate to the State Bar Conference of Delegates every year from 1980 through 2003.  Mr. Gazin served as a member of the Orange County Bar Association Judiciary Committee in 2003, and he has served as a Judge Pro Tem for the Orange County Superior Court.. Mr. Gazin has an AV Rating with Martindale Hubbell.  Mr. Gazin has been named and is currently recognized by the Los Angeles Magazine as one of Orange County’s Super Lawyers; and he is currently listed in the U.S. News and World Report Best Lawyers guide.

Suite 550, 4675 MacArthur Court , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: Real Estate, Business

Firm: The Burke Law Firm

4000 MacArthur Blvd , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: Litigation

Actively engaged in a national law practice, The Burke Law Firm represents closely held corporations, partnerships, and small and medium business enterprises in litigation and general business matters.   One measure of his expertise is that Michael Burke is frequently consulted by other law firms and attorneys on litigation strategy, business strategy, and ethics issues. The firm provides a range of legal services, from general counsel services to intellectual property, trade secret, employment and business litigation.  Michael is a dynamic and sought after speaker on current legal issues.

Firm: Daily Aljian LLP

100 Bayview Circle , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: Business

Firm: The Petrofsky Law Firm

260 Newport Center Drive , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: Employment & Labor

Melissa Petrofsky is the founder of The Petrofsky Law Firm in Newport Beach, California. Her focus is on employment litigation and advice and counsel for small businesses. She received her B.S from Culver-Stockton College and her J.D. from Whittier Law School before eventually becoming an associate for Sessions & Kimball LLP in 2008.Ms. Petrofsky has successfully litigated cases throughout Southern California. Her guiding principle has always been to empower her clients by using her legal skills to advocate for truth and justice.. Additionally, The Petrofsky Law Firm is a trusted legal adviser for small businesses across Southern California. Ms. Petrofsky can draft agreements, handbooks, and forms, check employment practices, ensure state and federal compliance with laws and regulations, guide claim evaluations, and offer advice on unemployment matters, termination and/or discipline of employees, or any other employment practices.. Her clients have ranged from part-time sales clerks to CEOs, from teenagers to great-grandmothers, from warehouses to drug addiction treatment facilities, from music schools to medical practices. She approaches every case with zealous representation -- she understands that every case is a person or business’ life.. Embracing the core values of authority, inspiration, and empowerment, Ms. Petrofsky has been named to the Superlawyers Rising Star list for 2015- 2017, including the distinction of being named to the Top 100 Rising Stars of Southern California and the Top 50 Women Rising Stars of Southern California. She has also been named to the Southern California Superlawyers list for 2018 and 2019.. She is a member of the Orange County Bar Association, The National Association of Professional Women, The Orange County Women’s Lawyers Association, and The California Women’s Lawyer’s Association.. She has served on the executive committee for the Labor & Employment Section, and on the Legislative Resolutions Committees for the Orange County Bar Association (“OCBA”) and the California Women’s Lawyers Association. She is the Chair of the Labor & Employment Section for 2019 and the Chair of the Legislative Resolutions Committee of the OCBA.Ms. Petrofsky has served as a valued speaker on employment issues at industry events and has taught employment issues to graduate students at Loma Linda University.

Firm: High Vibe Mediation, LLC

2618 San Miguel Dr., #2071 , Newport Beach , California 92651

Practice Areas: Family, Divorce, Alimony, Child Support, Child Custody, Mediation

Melissa is a divorce and family law mediator, licensed attorney, as well as a Co-Parenting Specialist (CoPS). Melissa provides virtual mediation services throughout California on a flat-fee basis.. While Melissa is a California-licensed attorney, she has elected to focus on providing neutral mediation services and one-on-one mediation and negotiation coaching. Holistic mediation allows Melissa to intertwine her passions for family law, spirituality, and finding collaborative solutions in challenging circumstances. While Melissa enjoyed being a family law litigator for about a decade, she truly believes in the transformative power of mediation, and knows most people and families will find benefits in mediation that litigation just cannot provide. In mediation, Melissa is best able to serve parties seeking amicable resolution in their divorce and custody cases who are not looking to create unnecessary conflict or expense.. For people who value equity, collaboration, and respect, they will prefer mediation with Melissa over traditional litigation. These parties are willing to make some compromise to preserve peace; they understand that family law conflict can be highly traumatic for children, and will prioritize keeping trauma and conflict to a minimum. Melissa’s extensive family law experience makes her well-suited for cases with parties who take accountability for their role in the divorce and are seeking clear solutions and well-defined obligations in any written agreement produced through the mediation process.. Melissa is a distinguished divorce attorney based in California who was captivated by family law due to the intricate psychological, emotional, and financial dynamics it encompasses. Her dedication to her clients is evident in her unwavering commitment to their cases, particularly those involving divorce and high-conflict custody disputes. Throughout her legal career, Melissa has demonstrated an exceptional ability to guide clients through every phase of the marital dissolution process including mediation, pre-trial litigation, settlement discussions, mediation, evidentiary hearings, and long-cause trials.. Melissa is trained in Insight Mediation, has completed the 40-hour Family Law Mediation training with Mosten Mediation Training, and is a certified Co-Parenting Specialist (CoPS). Melissa regularly volunteers her time as a Mediator for the State of California Superior Court in Orange County, helping to settle Small Claims cases with the Groundswell non-profit organization. She is also a vetted member of the Amicable Divorce Network and the Academy of Professional Family Mediators. Melissa also hosts the High Vibe Divorce podcast.

Firm: Chudnovsky Law

23 Corporate Plaza , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: Criminal Defense

Professional license defense and criminal defense law firm serving California. Nationally recognized team of former prosecutors and top defense lawyers with decades of experience handling over 8,500 cases, trials, and administrative hearings.. The firm’s professional license defense practice defends licensed professionals and businesses during investigation, accusation, probation, and disciplinary matters involving 44 licensing agencies, such as medical, nursing, pharmacy, dental, engineer, insurance, real estate, and chiropractic boards.. Provides legal representation in matters before Department of Consumer Affairs agencies, Division of Investigation, California Attorney General, Office of Administrative Hearings, DEA, Medicare, Medi-Cal, Medicaid, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health Care Services, and U.S Department of Justice.. Chudnovsky Law’s criminal defense practice represents clients under law enforcement investigation or charged with any misdemeanor or felony offense in state and federal courts in Southern California. The firm defends clients at all phases of criminal prosecution, including pre-filing defense to stop a case before it begins, pre-trial defense to resolve the matter before it gets to trial, and trial defense. The firm has a special competence in representing licensed professionals and non-citizen immigrants charged with a criminal offense.. For a Free Consultation call or visit

Firm: Law Offices of Schneider Hosmer

4685 Macarthur Ct Ste 200 , Newport Beach , California 92660

Practice Areas: Tax