SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – Klinedinst welcomes attorney Ted S. Wolter to the Sacramento office. Mr. Wolter represents clients in business and environmental litigation.

In addition to his significant litigation experience, Mr. Wolter has twelve years of experience as Chief of Staff to a member of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. In this position, he gained extensive experience in environmental, local agency, regulatory, and related legal matters. He has also dealt with the Great Recession’s revenue- and service-related impacts on the County of Sacramento’s operations.

As Chief of Staff, Mr. Wolter influenced and communicated public policy decision-making through internal and external coalition building, complex advocacy campaigns, engaging business and community leaders. By partnering with management and front-line officers in state and local law enforcement agencies, Mr. Wolter maximized community confidence in public safety. He is able to leverage this experience in identifying concerns and obstacles for his clients, providing counsel on solutions for overcoming those challenges.

“All of us at Klinedinst are excited to welcome Ted to the firm,” said Lindsey N. Casillas, Co-Managing Shareholder of the Klinedinst Sacramento office. “Our mission is to provide clients with agile counsel. Ted, who joins our growing team with experience as Chief of Staff, will help us fulfill that objective.”

Mr. Wolter earned his Juris Doctorate with Great Distinction and an Environmental Law concentration from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. Named to the Order of the Coif, Mr. Wolter was recognized for his academic achievement in law school. Mr. Wolter earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Within the community, Mr. Wolter serves as Vice-Chair of the California Highway Patrol. He assists with leadership in providing a citizens’ voice directly to the California Highway Patrol Commissioner on matters of public safety and law enforcement policy. He is also a member of the Fair Oaks Planning Commission, where he helps develop land use plans and assess environmental impacts.

Klinedinst PC is pleased to welcome Mr. Wolter to the firm. To learn more about his background and achievements, please visit: 

https://klinedinstlaw.com/profiles/attorney/ted-wolter

About Klinedinst

Klinedinst is the go-to firm for clients looking for litigation, trial experience, transactional representation, and legal counsel.  The firm’s offices in Irvine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and Seattle service clients across the West, handling matters in California, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona. What sets Klinedinst apart is the relationship our attorneys foster with each and every client. Klinedinst lawyers are indispensable strategic partners to business leaders, helping to achieve business objectives and create proactive solutions to resolve the many legal challenges that businesses are confronted with every day.  Whether vigorously advocating for business clients in court, or guiding business transactions and negotiations, Klinedinst is the trusted legal advisor to have by your side.

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – Klinedinst PC is very pleased to announce the promotion of Lindsey N. Casillas to Co-Managing Shareholder of the Sacramento office.

Photo of Lindsey N. Casillas
Lindsey N. Casillas

Since joining Klinedinst in 2014, Ms. Casillas has built a diversified counseling and litigation practice, focusing on professional liability, employment, intellectual property, and financial services. She has handled complex class action litigation in both state and federal courts. She also guides growing businesses as they navigate a variety of issues such as hiring, training, employee conflicts, protecting intellectual property, ADA compliance, and more.

“Lindsey has been a positive presence in the Sacramento office for over seven years,” said Natalie P. Vance, who also serves as Co-Managing Shareholder of Klinedinst Sacramento. “She continues to build a business while exemplifying our core values, mentoring, and providing opportunities to others. Lindsey’s involvement in this new position will bring a fresh perspective as the office continues to grow and diversify.”

Ms. Casillas has been named a Rising Star by Northern California Super Lawyers. She earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Klinedinst congratulates Ms. Casillas on her elevation to Co-Managing Shareholder. To learn more, please visit:

https://klinedinstlaw.com/profiles/attorney/lindsey-casillas

About Klinedinst

Klinedinst is the go-to firm for clients looking for litigation, trial experience, transactional representation, and legal counsel.  The firm’s offices in Irvine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and Seattle service clients across the West, handling matters in California, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona. What sets Klinedinst apart is the relationship our attorneys foster with each and every client. Klinedinst lawyers are indispensable strategic partners to business leaders, helping to achieve business objectives and create proactive solutions to resolve the many legal challenges that businesses are confronted with every day.  Whether vigorously advocating for business clients in court, or guiding business transactions and negotiations, Klinedinst is the trusted legal advisor to have by your side.

Teresa M. Beck

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – Klinedinst PC is excited to announce the promotion of Teresa M. Beck to Managing Shareholder of Klinedinst’s work in Arizona and Nevada.

Ms. Beck has extensive experience representing employers in employment-related litigation, personal injury defense, construction disputes, contracts, and civil litigation. She also operates as outside general counsel for various companies, advising them on corporate filings, records, partnerships, agreements, and other related services.

In addition to her work with clients, Ms. Beck is a passionate advocate for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I). She has served as Co-Chair of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee since joining Klinedinst in 2021. She is also President-elect for the National Conference of Women’s Bar Association (NCWBA), which supports and promotes leaders of women’s bar associations across the country. She is the driving force behind GOOD Guys, an NCWBA program designed to encourage women’s advancement in the industry through involvement of male leaders in the legal profession. GOOD Guys has gained significant traction since its introduction as a model program that can be replicated and hosted by other member organizations.

Ms. Beck has achieved the highest AV®-Preeminent™ rating by Martindale in the areas of Litigation, Labor, and Employment. She has been recognized by San Diego Super Lawyers® every year since 2017. She was also recognized with the prestigious Belva Lockwood Award by Lawyers Club of San Diego in 2014.

Within the legal community, she serves as board member of the American Bar Association’s Immigration Justice Project, and Vice President of the Southern California Chapter of the National Diversity Council. The NDC recognized her efforts in promoting diversity with the Diversity First Award in 2016. She is a proud alumna of the University of San Diego School of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude.

Klinedinst congratulates Ms. Beck on her elevation to Managing Shareholder of Arizona and Nevada. To learn more, please visit:

https://klinedinstlaw.com/profiles/attorney/teresa-beck

About Klinedinst

Klinedinst is the go-to firm for clients looking for litigation, trial experience, transactional representation, and legal counsel.  The firm’s offices in Irvine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and Seattle service clients across the West, handling matters in California, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona. What sets Klinedinst apart is the relationship our attorneys foster with each and every client. Klinedinst lawyers are indispensable strategic partners to business leaders, helping to achieve business objectives and create proactive solutions to resolve the many legal challenges that businesses are confronted with every day.  Whether vigorously advocating for business clients in court, or guiding business transactions and negotiations, Klinedinst is the trusted legal advisor to have by your side.

Matthew D. Batista

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – Klinedinst San Diego is excited to welcome corporate lawyer Matthew D. Batista to its growing office. Mr. Batista joins with significant experience in transactional practice areas, including corporate, intellectual property, sustainability, and real estate matters. Before joining the firm, he handled transactions for businesses, non-profits, athletes, entertainers, and other professionals.

Mr. Batista is a former Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force as a Security Forces member. He oversaw nuclear weapon security operations and trained with national security organizations such as the FBI, CBP, and foreign militaries. He also deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom, both of which were counter-terrorism missions. His military experience has helped him be flexible and adapt to any situation, a trait that serves clients well in the transactional and mergers and acquisitions areas.

Following his service in the military, Mr. Batista was awarded a full merit scholarship to California Western School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree. During law school, he was honored with three American Jurisprudence Awards, obtained his LEED Green Associate certification, and was selected as a 2020 Presidential Management Fellows Program finalist through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

“We are thrilled to be working alongside Matthew,” said James Snyder, Senior Counsel at the firm’s San Diego office and head of the firm’s transactional practice group. “He brings a wealth of knowledge to the transactional practice and is an excellent addition to our team.”

Mr. Batista currently sits as Vice-Chair of the Environmental Disclosure Committee for the American Bar Association’s Section on Energy, Environment, and Resources. He understands the complexities of environmental law as well as how to develop innovative solutions to environmental issues. Mr. Batista also contributes to the California Lawyers Association (CLA), a 100,000-member organization that promotes professional advancement of attorneys practicing in California.

Klinedinst PC is pleased to welcome Mr. Batista to the firm. To learn more about his background and achievements, please visit: https://klinedinstlaw.com/profiles/attorney/matthew-batista

About Klinedinst

Klinedinst is the go-to firm for clients looking for litigation, trial experience, transactional representation, and legal counsel.  The firm’s offices in Irvine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and Seattle service clients across the West, handling matters in California, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona. What sets Klinedinst apart is the relationship our attorneys foster with each and every client. Klinedinst lawyers are indispensable strategic partners to business leaders, helping to achieve business objectives and create proactive solutions to resolve the many legal challenges that businesses are confronted with every day.  Whether vigorously advocating for business clients in court, or guiding business transactions and negotiations, Klinedinst is the trusted legal advisor to have by your side.

With over 500 attendees, the Western Secondary Conference brings together leaders in the real estate finance industry to share updates on a variety of topics, including capital markets, technology, and other business trends. Mr. Rambarran serves as Chair of California MBA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and updated attendees on progress the organization and the industry as a whole are making in this important area.

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA – Klinedinst Shareholder Ian A. Rambarran spoke today at the California MBA Western Secondary Conference on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) within the organization. The event, taking place in Dana Point, California, brings together secondary market leaders, decision-makers, and vendors in one of the first in-person events hosted by California MBA.

Photo of Ian A. Rambarran
Ian A. Rambarran

Mr. Rambarran presented August 25, 2021 on “More Than Just Talking About DE&I – What the California MBA DE&I Committee is Doing.” Mr. Rambarran was instrumental in launching the organization’s DE&I Committee, and serves as its inaugural chair. During the panel discussion, he was joined by Susan Milazzo, CEO of California MBA, along with Paul Gigliotti from Pinnacle Home Loans and Rosalyn Hardy, CEO of QCP Systems.

“DE&I is an important goal that many member firms in the real estate finance industry are working hard to achieve,” said Mr. Rambarran. “Our goal with this program is to shine a spotlight on where we stand as an organization, the progress we have made, and the steps we are taking to truly achieve DE&I in the years ahead.”

Jonathan C. Cahill

An experienced business litigator, Mr. Rambarran has a broad range of experience in financial services, employment, IP, real estate, transportation, and construction issues. He frequently counsels and represents clients in business and commercial disputes, and represents lenders and financial institutions in litigation throughout California. Mr. Rambarran will be joined at the conference by Jonathan C. Cahill, a business litigation attorney whose practice focuses primarily on complex lender liability, bankruptcy issues, and mortgage banking cases. In his practice,

To review the full schedule, click here.

Klinedinst thanks Mr. Rambarran for his work on this important issue, and for helping lead DE&I within the mortgage banking industry. To learn more about Mr. Rambarran’s CV, please visit:

www.ianrambarran.com


SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – Klinedinst is pleased to announce that several of its lawyers have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2022. Shareholders Gregory A. Garbacz and Tara R. Burd were both recognized lawyers.

Every year, Best Lawyers conducts a survey of peers in the region, selecting honorees by practice area. Mr. Garbacz earned his recognition in Employment Law – Management, while Ms. Burd was recognized in Consumer Law. Ms. Zhang was honored for her work in the Professional Malpractice Law arena.

Since it was first introduced in 1983, Best Lawyers® has been recognized as one of the definitive guides to legal excellence in nearly 150 practice areas. Each year, over 8 million votes cast are analyzed, resulting in the inclusion of more than 62,000 leading lawyers, or approximately 5 percent of lawyers in private practice in the United States.

Mr. Garbacz serves on Klinedinst’s Executive Committee as the firm’s Chief Strategy Officer. A skilled litigator, Garbacz provides unique business solutions, strategic advice and counseling to businesses and has significant experience in the courtroom. He dedicates his practice to employment matters, business/class actions, professional liability/securities, and real estate/housing discrimination litigation. Mr. Garbacz is a member of the respected American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

Ms. Burd is an experienced probate and trust litigation attorney, frequently called upon to handle complex trust litigation, probable avoidance, probate administration, and professional liability defense. When not handling cases in civil court or probate court, she serves as a Representative on the Board of the California Lawyers Association for the Real Property Law Section. She also previously served on The State Bar of California’s Access Through Innovation of Legal Services Task Force.

Klinedinst congratulates Mr. Garbacz and Ms. Burd on being recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2022. To learn more about the Best Lawyers and its methodology, please visit:

https://www.bestlawyers.com

About Klinedinst

Klinedinst is the go-to firm for clients looking for litigation, trial experience, transactional representation, and legal counsel. The firm’s offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, Irvine, and Seattle service clients across the West, handling matters in California, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona. What sets Klinedinst apart is the relationship our attorneys foster with each and every client. Klinedinst lawyers are indispensable strategic partners to business leaders, helping to achieve business objectives and create proactive solutions to resolve the many legal challenges that businesses are confronted with every day. Whether vigorously advocating for business clients in court, or guiding business transactions and negotiations, Klinedinst is the trusted legal advisor to have by your side.

Klinedinst PC is proud to welcome a new powerhouse litigation group, led by Teresa M. Beck. The addition of this legal team greatly enhances the firm’s litigation capabilities in key areas, while expanding the firm’s representation of clients to matters in Nevada and Arizona.

Briana M. Pendergrass, Teresa M. Beck, Neema Shojai, and Grace P. Gower
Briana Pendergrass (back left), Teresa Beck (back right), and Grace Gower (front right) are the newest additions to Klinedinst PC.


SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – Klinedinst PC is pleased to announce the addition of a new litigation group, led by respected San Diego litigator Teresa M. Beck. Ms. Beck and her team came to Klinedinst from a large 500+ lawyer firm, where they handled employment-related litigation, personal injury defense, construction matters, contracts and civil litigation in courts throughout California, Nevada, and Arizona. Ms. Beck and her team also serve as outside general counsel for several corporations, providing advice on corporate filings, records, franchises, contracts and related services. 

Klinedinst’s newest lawyers include:

Teresa M. Beck

Teresa M. Beck has litigated and supervised the litigation of innumerable civil cases over her legal career. Ms. Beck represents a wide variety of clients across California, Nevada, and Arizona. Her clientele includes small and large businesses, non-profits, governmental entities, senior care centers, grocery chains, parking management companies, developers, law firms, insurance companies, and individuals. She comes to Klinedinst as a Shareholder who has received the highest AV®-Preeminent™ rating by Martindale Hubbell in the areas of Litigation and Labor and Employment. She has been featured in San Diego Super Lawyers® each year since 2017, and has also been named Claim and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)’s 2018 Outside Counsel of the Year for her work on claims and litigation management. Within the community, she is a board member of the American Bar Association’s Immigration Justice Project, and Vice President of the Southern California Chapter of the National Diversity Council. Additionally, Ms. Beck is involved with the ABA Section of Litigation’s Woman Advocate Committee. She joins the firm as Co-Chair of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and will serve as President of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations in 2022.

Briana M. Pendergrass

Briana M. Pendergrass is Senior Counsel who focuses her practice on commercial litigation and employment law. She also works with clients defending matters alleging breach of contract and fiduciary duty, toxic tort, fraud, defamation, subrogation, premises and products liability, personal injury defense, wrongful termination, and other business disputes. Ms. Pendergrass represents resorts, grocers, retailers, construction companies, staffing agencies, municipal entities, homeowners’ associations, and various small businesses of all types, as well as individuals. She is also active in the community, including work with the Claims Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), Lawyers Club of San Diego, and the San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA). She served as a mock trial docent for the SDCBA’s Children at Risk Committee mock trial program, and has also volunteered at the Domestic Violence Clinic for the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program.

Grace P. Gower

Grace P. Gower joins as Senior Counsel with a wealth of experience handling cases involving complex matters, including business disputes, contractual disputes, commercial and residential real estate, and construction matters. She has represented business owners, individuals, property owners (commercial and residential), homeowners’ associations, developers, general contractors, subcontractors and real estate brokerages and agents. She has represented both healthcare and corporate clients in the defense of general litigation matters during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Gower also has experience in defending tort and casualty actions such as high-value personal injury actions, wrongful death, motor vehicle, and premises liability matters.

Klinedinst PC is pleased to welcome this all-star group of legal professionals to the firm along with legal secretary Patricia Schussler and paralegal Karen Hoey. To learn more about each, please visit klinedinstlaw.com/profiles.

About Klinedinst

Klinedinst is the go-to firm for clients looking for litigation, trial experience, transactional representation, and legal counsel.  The firm’s offices in Irvine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and Seattle service clients across the West. What sets Klinedinst apart is the relationship our attorneys foster with each and every client. Klinedinst lawyers are indispensable strategic partners to business leaders, helping to achieve business objectives and create proactive solutions to resolve the many legal challenges that businesses are confronted with every day.  Whether vigorously advocating for business clients in court, or guiding business transactions and negotiations, Klinedinst is the trusted legal advisor to have by your side.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – Klinedinst PC was featured in a new ABA Journal article for its groundbreaking remote work policy. At a time when many law firms are beginning to require employees to return to the office, Klinedinst is launching a new remote work option that will be available to both staff and attorneys.

Like all businesses, Klinedinst had to close its five offices due to COVID-19, converting its entire workforce to a completely remote environment in just three days. Lessons learned during COVID-19 as well as internal surveys with lawyers and staff demonstrated to firm managers that remote working provided tangible benefits for employees and clients of the firm.

Even after those offices officially re-open in September, the firm will permit most employees to continue working remotely to provide the ultimate in flexibility and work-life balance.

The article, written by Lyle Moran, goes into some of the benefits for both the firm and its employees. For instance, the article notes how remote working arrangements helped in balancing family obligations with their work. Firm employees who found themselves working remotely during COVID-19 also reported more efficiency in accomplishing tasks, as they were not spending hours in a car commuting to work or in-person court appearances.

ABA Journal is the flagship publication of the American Bar Association, the largest bar association in America. To review the full article, click here:

https://www.abajournal.com/web/article/how-one-law-firm-plans-to-embrace-remote-work-even-after-reopening-its-offices

About Klinedinst

Klinedinst is the go-to firm for clients looking for litigation, trial experience, transactional representation, and legal counsel.  The firm’s offices in Irvine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and Seattle service the entire West Coast. What sets Klinedinst apart is the relationship our attorneys foster with each and every client. Klinedinst lawyers are indispensable strategic partners to business leaders, helping to achieve business objectives and create proactive solutions to resolve the many legal challenges that businesses are confronted with every day.  Whether vigorously advocating for business clients in court, or guiding business transactions and negotiations, Klinedinst is the trusted legal advisor to have by your side.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – Klinedinst shareholder Brian P. Murphy was featured at a press conference today to discuss the Supreme Court’s decision in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. The decision allows the plaintiff faith-based foster care agency to refuse to work with LGBTQ+ parents, but on very limited grounds specific to the facts of the case.

Murphy, who serves as a San Diego volunteer representative for Lambda Legal, said that while the decision will negatively impact LGBTQ+ parents and children in Philadelphia’s foster care system, it is expressly based on facts unique to this case, and should have very little impact on future cases seeking religious exceptions to anti-discrimination laws. 


Lambda Legal is the largest organization fighting for the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and individuals with HIV. Learn more at https://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/fulton-v-city-of-philadelphia .

Klinedinst congratulates Brian Murphy on his work on behalf of Lambda Legal. View Mr. Muphy’s biography, and learn more about Lambda Legal in our Community Spotlight at:

https://klinedinstlaw.com/community/lambda-legal

About Klinedinst

Klinedinst is the go-to firm for clients looking for litigation, trial experience, transactional representation, and legal counsel.  The firm’s offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, Irvine, and Seattle service the West Coast. What sets Klinedinst apart is the relationships our attorneys foster with each and every client. Klinedinst lawyers are indispensable strategic partners to business leaders, helping to achieve objectives and create proactive solutions to resolve the many legal challenges that businesses are confronted with every day.  Whether vigorously advocating for clients in court, or guiding business transactions and negotiations, Klinedinst is the trusted legal advisor to have by your side.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – At Klinedinst we recognize Juneteenth, a 156-year-old celebration of the end of slavery (almost three years after the Emancipation Proclamation). All of us at Klinedinst are pausing to recognize Juneteenth and use this day to reflect on the legacy of slavery and continued racial injustices.

In 2021 this holiday takes on new meaning. As we consider the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others, we reflect on the considerable barriers which people of color and other traditionally repressed groups continue to face.

It has been encouraging to see so many allies among our community. We all need to continue to be advocates and to speak out when we see injustice happening. This type of focused attention in advocacy work, in education, and in our own neighborhoods will help to shine a light on issues that as a society have not been addressed or confronted for too long.

The recognition of Juneteenth as an official holiday follows the firm’s Call to Action, first published in 2020. It established the firm’s commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion and addressing racial injustice. We are proud to have participated in educational events, funded scholarships, supported diversity programs and organizations, and expanded our Diversity Committee. In recent months, several of our firm have been featured presenters in programs focusing on equality and inclusion in the legal industry. Additionally, as part of its diversity initiative, the firm is expanding resources dedicated to recruiting, training, retaining, and promoting personnel and attorneys from different cultural, social, and economic backgrounds. 

Klinedinst has encouraged participation in and actively supports organizations that seek to effectuate positive change in our communities, including the California Lawyers Foundation, California ChangeLawyers, the Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Washington Initiative for Diversity. We have continued our longstanding participation of the San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA) and ACC Diversity Fellowship Program and the Sacramento County Bar Association Summer Diversity Fellowship.

While we are proud of our efforts, we know that there is much work still left to be done. We call on all change agents, and every member of our team, to make their voices heard and continue to identified tangible ways to build an inclusive environment, foster trust, and lead the legal profession in a manner that will make our children and grandchildren proud.

Please join Klinedinst in recognizing the importance of Juneteenth and honoring it as an official holiday. Visit our diversity section to learn about our efforts in improving diversity in the legal community, as well as the community as a whole.

About Klinedinst

Klinedinst is the go-to firm for clients looking for litigation, trial experience, transactional representation, and legal counsel.  The firm’s offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, Irvine, and Seattle service the West Coast. What sets Klinedinst apart is the relationships our attorneys foster with each and every client. Klinedinst lawyers are indispensable strategic partners to business leaders, helping to achieve objectives and create proactive solutions to resolve the many legal challenges that businesses are confronted with every day.  Whether vigorously advocating for clients in court, or guiding business transactions and negotiations, Klinedinst is the trusted legal advisor to have by your side.