Environmental/Toxic Tort Attorneys

GRSM's Los Angeles office builds on continued growth. Contacts. October 2026 Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani's Los Angeles office continues to grow with the addition of Partners Trent Copeland, Jennifer Grace, and Tessa Lessner, Of Counsel Kelsey LaGaly, and Associate Karina Grobman. Their backgrounds in commercial litigation, employment ligation, and wage and hour defense further strengthen the firm's capabilities in Southern California and nationwide. Copeland focuses his practice on high-stakes civil and business litigation, criminal defense, defamation, employment, and products liability. A first-chair trial lawyer, he has successfully handled more than 60 trials and arbitrations throughout California. His experience includes representing businesses, executives, celebrities, and entertainment professionals in complex disputes involving significant legal exposure and media attention. He is admitted to practice in California. "Trent brings an impressive trial record and experience handling complex, high-stakes disputes," said Brandon Saxon, Regional Oversight Partner of GRSM's Southwest offices. "He further strengthens our Los Angeles litigation bench and the support we provide to clients." "Our Los Angeles Employment practice continues its exceptional growth with talented attorneys who strengthen the bench our clients rely upon," said Debra Ellwood Meppen, National Chair of GRSM's Employment practice and Ventura County Office Managing Partner. "Jennifer, Tessa, Kelsey, and Karina provide valuable experience and perspectives that broaden our ability to support employers with workplace litigation and bet-the-company disputes. Bringing on top-notch employment practitioners allows us to continue to provide exacting litigation strategy as well as narrowly tailored, in real time, advice and counsel to our clients." Grace focuses her practice on employment and traditional labor disputes and workplace investigations. Her background includes oversight of HR, employment, ethics, and compliance functions for a major federal agency, managing litigation in federal courts and before administrative agencies, and supporting board governance. Lessner represents public and private sector employers in labor and employment matters from inception to trial. She routinely handles federal and local agency claims, wrongful termination, and wage and hour disputes. The office's Employment team has also welcomed LaGaly, whose employment litigation experience and tenacity add significant depth to GRSM's Southern California employment litigation and counseling capabilities, and Grobman, the wage and hour team's newest addition. The additions build on significant hiring momentum for GRSM's Los Angeles office. Including this group, the office has welcomed 43 attorneys in 2026: 12 partners, six of counsel, eight senior counsel, and 17 associates.

GRSM Bay Area growth continues with four Partner additions. Contacts. October 2026 Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani's Bay Area offices have welcomed Partners Vladimir Andric, Samuel Kim, Karim Manji, and Kara Wild. Their experience in commercial litigation, employment, healthcare, immigration, construction and liability matters further deepens the firm's bench serving clients in Northern California and nationwide. "Vladimir, Samuel, Karim and Kara bring valuable experience and perspectives that further strengthen our Bay Area team," said Mollie Burks, Regional Oversight Partner of GRSM's West Region offices. "Our continued growth reflects the opportunities our national platform offers attorneys and the depth of support it provides to clients." Andric, based in San Francisco, focuses his practice on complex commercial, healthcare and employment litigation in state and federal courts. He also brings experience in intellectual property and information privacy law. His background includes advising global technology companies on complex commercial transactions, U.S. and international compliance, financial restructuring and risk management. He is admitted to practice in California and New York. Kim, based in San Francisco, brings more than 20 years of legal experience in government service, complex civil litigation, employment disputes, immigration proceedings and trial advocacy. His background includes serving as a Deputy Attorney General defending state agencies in employment and administrative matters, an Immigration Judge and Assistant Chief Counsel with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He also served as Chief Prosecutor for the U.S. Marine Corps, conducting jury trials, overseeing investigations and leading a team of prosecutors. He is admitted to practice in California. Manji, based in Walnut Creek and San Francisco, concentrates his practice on the defense of general liability, commercial litigation, product liability, transportation, and insurance-related matters. With more than 15 years of litigation experience, he works closely with businesses, insurers, transportation companies, and individuals in complex and high-exposure disputes involving catastrophic injuries, wrongful death claims, premises liability, and trucking and transportation accidents. He is admitted to practice in California. Wild, based in the firm's Walnut Creek office, focuses her practice on employment, construction, product liability, real estate and professional liability defense matters. She represents clients ranging from individuals to multinational corporations in complex disputes involving construction defects, homeowners association governing documents, premises liability, easements, contracts and landlord-tenant matters. She is admitted to practice in California, the U.S. District Courts for the Central, Eastern and Northern Districts of California, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

GRSM adds four partners across San Diego and Phoenix offices. Contacts. October 2026 Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani has added four partners across its San Diego and Phoenix offices, further strengthening its litigation capabilities in the Southwest. Lyn Bailey joins the Phoenix office, while Matthew Bures, Brett Ferguson and John Freeman join the San Diego office. Their backgrounds span commercial litigation, insurance defense, employment, professional liability, healthcare, and environmental and toxic tort matters. "Lyn, Matt, Brett and John bring valuable trial experience and perspectives that further strengthen our Southwest team," said Brandon Saxon, Regional Oversight Partner of GRSM's Southwest offices. "Their additions deepen the support we provide to clients in Arizona and Southern California, with the resources of our 50-state platform behind them." With more than 30 years of legal experience, Bailey handles trials, arbitration and complex litigation involving wrongful death, serious bodily injury, construction accidents, trucking accidents, multidistrict litigation, homeowners association disputes and construction defects. She is admitted to practice in Arizona. Bures focuses his practice on environmental and toxic tort litigation, representing insurance carriers and publicly and privately held entities. His experience includes groundwater contamination disputes, matters involving the Environmental Protection Agency and local agencies and litigation under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. He also brings broad litigation and trial advocacy experience. He is admitted to practice in California, the U.S. District Courts for the Central, Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of California, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. Ferguson focuses his practice on employment and civil litigation matters. With more than 15 years of experience representing plaintiffs and defendants, he handles matters from inception through trial, including jury trials, arbitration, mediation, appeals, workplace investigations and administrative proceedings. His employment litigation experience includes discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour, PAGA and worker misclassification disputes. He is admitted to practice in California. Freeman focuses his practice on general liability coverage, professional liability defense, healthcare and insurance matters. He brings more than 20 years of litigation experience in medical malpractice and general liability disputes, representing insurers, third-party administrators, public entities, school districts, healthcare providers and corporate clients. His background includes evaluating medical evidence, assessing case value and negotiating settlements. He is admitted to practice in California.