Speakers

Allyson Ostrowski spent almost 15 years as a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney before switching to civil practice and focusing on catastrophic personal injury cases. With a 98% success rate in the nearly 60 cases she tried, Allyson set herself apart in the courtroom by obtaining justice for victims of crime. Allyson was widely regarded as one of the top trial advocates [...]

Ghazal Amy Vahdat graduated magna cum laude from University of California Los Angeles, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Education. She earned a Certificate in Dispute Resolution and a Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles California, where she served as an advocate of women’s right and graduated in the top third of her class.

While attending law school, Ms. Vahdat served as a law clerk for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, Target Crimes Division. After being admitted to practice law before all California State Courts, [...]

Angela Belty is a litigation associate at Omega Law Group. She has over a decade of litigation experience dedicated exclusively to plaintiff’s personal injury and wrongful death matters. Angela is deeply committed to achieving justice for those who have been injured due to the negligence of another. In her practice, she has focused on understanding and getting to know each client to truly understand each client’s loss and gather the framework to tell their stories. [...]

Anna Dubrovsky has been a dedicated personal injury attorney for over 20 years, earning a stellar reputation for securing favorable settlements and verdicts. Known for her expertise and determination, she understands the unique needs of those suffering from personal injuries caused by negligence.

Educational Background and Early Career

Anna Dubrovsky began her legal education at the prestigious Moscow State University Law Faculty in Russia. [...]

Anne L. Thompson is the Chief Claims Officer for Lawyers’ Mutual Insurance Company. Lawyers’ Mutual Insurance Company has been providing professional liability insurance to California lawyers since 1978. The company primarily insures sole practitioners and lawyers in small firms, as well as bar associations throughout California. In the 1970s, legal malpractice claims of all types were escalating. As a result, legal malpractice insurance premiums were increasing rapidly, making liability insurance too expensive for many [...]

After serving as a defense lawyer for over a decade Ariella now leverages her considerable experience to represent plaintiffs, fighting for their rights and interests. A veteran of over 30 civil jury trials, The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) accepted Ariella with the honorary rank of Associate in recognition of her work. As an active member of the ABOTA Foundation, Ariella attends chapter, National, and International Board Meetings, giving her [...]

Beth is a trial attorney at Stalwart Law Group where her practice focuses on medical malpractice, birth injuries, and dependent adult abuse. In 2019, Beth helped her brain-injured client obtain a verdict against the County of San Diego for over $12.6 million, one of the largest recorded verdicts at the time against the county for jail-related injuries. In 2022, Beth helped her 9-year-old brain-injured client obtain a $25.6 million arbitration award as a result of medical malpractice from the care he received as an infant. [...]

Betty Aquino has devoted her career to positioning banking and legal services organizations—and the clients they serve—for continued growth. She has created strategies, teams, models, programs, networks, and products that have improved market positions, strengthened customer relationships, and elevated the financial performance of national law firm financing as well as commercial and consumer lending platforms. [...]

Ms. Engelman is the Founder of Engelman Law, where she practices primarily in the areas of Personal Injury, including high profile wrongful death cases, catastrophic injury, auto accidents, premises liability, brain injury, civil rights; and Employment Litigation, including wrongful termination based on all facets of discrimination and retaliation. Prior to founding Engelman Law, Ms. Engelman worked as a Senior Associate at The Cochran Firm (the Los Angeles-based offices of late esteemed attorney, Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr.) for 5 years. Prior to joining The Cochran Firm, Ms. Engelman worked as a defense attorney—giving her the unique ability to be able to see every case from both the defense and plaintiff’s perspective. [...]

Brooke Goff is the visionary founder of Goff Law Group, bringing passion, dedication, and a human-centered approach to personal injury law. Hailing from Hudson Falls, New York, Brooke established roots in Connecticut after graduating from Quinnipiac University School of Law, where she discovered her calling as an advocate for those who have been injured.
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Chandra is a partner at Elder & Spencer, LLP. For nearly 10 years prior to forming her own law firm, Chandra was a defense attorney for California cities in code enforcement, tort liability and police misconduct matters. In 2007, Chandra formed her own law practice to provide quality legal representation to improve housing and public safety for tenants. In 2013, she formed Elder & Spencer, LLP, in partnership with Margaret Elder, to further expand this practice throughout California.[...]

Cydney has been successfully representing injured individuals across Washington State since 1993. A Shareholder at GLP Attorneys and a key leader on the firm’s Seattle team, she is widely recognized for her skill in handling complex construction injury, automobile accident, and defective product cases. Cydney’s leadership in the firm’s construction injury practice has helped secure significant recoveries for workers and their families. [...]

Attorney Cynthia Santiago, is the daughter of immigrant parents from Oaxaca, Mexico and Guatemala. From an early age her family experienced injustice with the criminal justice system. From that point the seed was formed that developed her passion to defend the rights of her community.

Throughout her life, Cynthia has been driven to succeed. She was awarded a full scholarship to Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where she graduated with honors.​ [...]​

Deborah Chang is a trial lawyer, and is also a partner and founder of Athea Trial Lawyers LLP. She focuses her practice representing plaintiffs in complex catastrophic injury/wrongful death cases and has achieved some of the highest verdicts and settlements in the country. She is the 2022 President of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and the 2021 President of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC). [...]

Debra Bogaards, Esq. has served as a private mediator for over six years, as well as a mandatory settlement conference officer in San Francisco for over five years and in Marin County for almost 30 years. Her extensive career highlights a remarkable track record of successfully mediating hundreds of cases, achieving a consistent settlement rate above 98%. Ms. Bogaards brings a distinct advantage to her role, offering a clear and balanced perspective derived from having represented both plaintiffs and defendants throughout her 40-year career. [...]

Denisse O. Gastélum; Founder/Trial Lawyer, Gastélum Law, APC
Denisse is a civil rights attorney, who specializes in police shootings and in-custody death cases, representing plaintiffs in state and federal courts throughout the State of California. She previously worked as a public entity defense attorney [...]

Eydith (“Eydie”) Kaufman is a panelist for Alternative Resolution Centers. In addition to private mediation, she gives back by serving as a volunteer mediator for the community. She has over 25 years of experience as a civil litigation attorney, including working in high volume trial firms and handling a variety of cases including medical malpractice, wrongful death, commercial and contractual disputes, sexual harassment, and personal injury, among other areas. She has worked cases on both the defense and plaintiff side. [...]

Attorney Erin Joyce has extensive experience in State Bar investigations and disciplinary proceedings, plus over twenty-five years of civil litigation practice. Erin was admitted in 1990 and practiced for nearly eight years in an intellectual property boutique before joining the Office of Chief Trial Counsel as a prosecutor for the State Bar, from 1997 through 2016. Erin has over twenty years of experience handling all aspects of discipline cases against attorneys in State Bar Court, from the filing of the complaint through trial and review. She has personally tried dozens of State Bar trials and several appeals. [...]

Heather Carroll, a dynamic professional who holds a Doctor of Business Administration in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, joined the Vista team in 2020. With her unique specialization in areas such as job satisfaction, motivation, burnout, and organizational commitment, she brings a fresh perspective to the legal industry, one that is grounded in understanding the underlying psychology that drives great businesses. [...]

Judge Jessica Kronstadt received her B.A. from Yale University, where she was a member of the Varsity Women’s Volleyball Team. She received her J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, where she received a Distinguished Young Alumni Award. After graduating from law school, Judge Kronstadt worked as a litigation associate at Latham & Watkins and as a staff attorney at Bet Tzedek Legal Services.[...]

After a distinguished career spanning two decades as a judge for the Orange County Superior Court, Judge Linda Marks returns to Judicate West as a full-time neutral. During her judicial tenure, she presided over a wide variety of civil matters ranging from contentious real estate disputes to emotionally charged sexual assault and all types of wrongful death and injury cases. She notably also held a two-year assignment as a Justice Pro Tem for the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three. Her kind and approachable yet firm demeanor, combined with her fairness, legal acumen, and skill in active listening and connecting with people, position her exceptionally well as a mediator, arbitrator, and private judge.[...]

Judge Bachner has garnered an outstanding reputation over the course of her impressive four-decade legal career. As a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge for over 20 years, she sat in criminal and civil departments, during which she presided over a civil unlimited independent calendar and trial court for the last seven years.

Prior to her appointment, she was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, where she served in a variety of managerial positions, including as chief prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Orange County office.[...]

"Judge Shondeana Morris was appointed to the DeKalb County Superior Court on June 17,2019. Prior to Judge Morris’ appointment, she served as a DeKalb County State Court Judge.
A graduate of Lakeside High School in DeKalb County, Judge Morris earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The University of Georgia and a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Albany State University. She graduated from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law in 1997 and was admitted to the Georgia Bar that same year.
After graduating from law school, Judge Morris served as an Assistant Solicitor in Atlanta,Georgia. [...]"

Janet Gusdorff, Certified Appellate Law Specialist (California Board of Legal Specialization), handles state and federal appeals, with an emphasis on plaintiffs’ employment and personal injury matters.
Ms. Gusdorff took a non-traditional path to appellate law, receiving her bachelors degree with academic honors from the New England Conservatory of Music (Trumpet Performance). After receiving her juris doctorate in 2006 from Loyola Law School, [...]

I was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, NY, and am the eldest of three daughters. My father was an entrepreneur, and I started working at the age of 14. I continued working all through my college and law school years. I pursued my undergraduate degree in Business Management, specializing in Finance and Marketing, from Marist College. During my college days, I was involved in a serious car accident, [...]

Jennifer Russell is a seasoned personal injury attorney with a proven track record of successfully resolving hundreds of cases through mediations, arbitrations, and trials. She has expertly tried numerous high-stakes cases involving catastrophic injuries, brain injuries, and wrongful death, consistently achieving favorable outcomes for her clients [...]

With over a decade of litigation and courtroom experience, Jessica Wetzel is a trusted and proven advocate for those who have been harmed by the wrongful conduct of others. An experienced trial lawyer, she has tried numerous cases to verdict and secured millions of dollars in jury awards for her clients across California.Her unwavering dedication to justice and her exceptional skill [...]

Kandy L. Williams is an experienced transactional attorney who strategically advises clients on a variety of matters, running the gamut from corporate governance to M&A transactions. Kandy represents clients from a diverse array of industries, including tech, manufacturing, real estate, physician groups and dental groups, venture capital, and private equity. She also acts as outside general counsel to companies handling their day-to-day needs. [...]

Often, the cases I handle are ones that other attorneys don’t want or when the client needs extra help getting over the finish line. One company called me 30 days before trial, asking me to parachute in to help sort out complex medical and toxic exposure issues on a potentially significant property claim. I stepped in, took expert depositions, filed the appropriate motions, and handled experts along with co-counsel in trial. The tighter the window, the more challenging the case, the more focused I get.[...]

Kim Lyons is a seasoned legal marketing executive with more than a decade of experience handling all manner of marketing and communications roles for some of the most prestigious firms in the nation. Ms. Lyons has worked across multiple areas of law, from large corporate defense firms to boutique family law practices, handling various high-level responsibilities, including: managing CRM processes; overseeing client intake; responding to RFPs; directing digital marketing campaigns; [...]

Kira Fonteneau has represented clients successfully in administrative proceedings, state, and federal courts in Alabama, California, Georgia, and Virginia. Whether your case is tried to a jury or settled before or during litigation, we have the know-how and experience to help you solve your legal problem.

Kira Fonteneau is committed to helping people fight illegal employer actions and government misconduct. [...]

"Attorney Laura Tamez is a fierce advocate for people who are in need of help. Nobody is more passionate about advocating for her clients in the courtroom. This same belief drives Laura to create opportunities for others throughout the community.
As a partner/shareholder in the Herrera Law Firm, Laura Tamez represents plaintiffs in tort and business litigation. She has persevered for her clients for more than a decade, [...]"

The Women in Trial Travel Summit (WITTS) is more than a summit—it's a movement. Founded to celebrate, support, and empower women trial lawyers, WITTS is where professional growth meets personal connection in unforgettable destinations around the world. We bring together an inspiring community of women who lead in the courtroom and seek adventure, balance, and belonging beyond it. [...]

Lita Abella, a native of Southern California, holds a Juris Doctor degree from Western State University College of Law and has experience as a law clerk for prosecutorial agencies. This legal foundation equips her with a deep understanding of conflict resolution and the complexities of the legal field.

As the founder of Lita Abella Coaching, Consulting and Mediation Services, she specializes in coaching and strategic consulting, guiding individuals and organizations to unlock their full potential. As a mediator, she is dedicated to helping parties reach amicable resolutions. [...]

Lora Smiley serves as Chief Communications Officer and Equity Partner at Outlier Creative Agency, where she leads dynamic teams of designers, editors, developers, and producers. With over two decades of experience in business and marketing, she specializes in building standout brands and crafting stories that resonate on a human level,[...]

Lourdes DeArmas advocates for equality in and out of the courtroom and coined the motto “There are no women trial attorneys. We are trial attorneys that happen to be women.”

Lourdes is a Partner and Lead Trial Attorney at Omega Law Group. She has dedicated her trial practice to representing plaintiffs in catastrophic personal injury, premises liability, sexual abuse, and wrongful death cases. [...]

Lyssa A. Roberts is an attorney with Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP who focuses her practice on catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death, as well as dangerous conditions of public and private property. She is deeply committed to the protection of the rights and interests of individuals who have been harmed by the negligent acts of others.

Ms. Roberts has extensive experience litigating single plaintiff lawsuits as well as cases involving thousands of claimants. A tireless advocate for her clients, she has secured hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements over her career. [...]

Marina Kats Fraigun is the founder of Fraigun Law Group. She is a Plaintiff's employment attorney in Sherman Oaks, California.  She has been practicing for over 27 years.  She has been named as a Super Lawyer and selected as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Southern California, Top 100 Lawyers in Southern California, and has earned the Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating.  She is an aggressive but reasonable employment attorney and has been called a "pit bull". [...]

Ms. Mary Caruso is a distinguished Partner at the Wilshire Law Firm with more than 24 years of experience in the field of Civil Litigation, specializing in personal injury cases. Her unwavering dedication to seeking justice for individuals who have suffered harm due to the negligence of others has earned her widespread recognition and numerous awards. [...]

Mary Ellen Murrah - a powerhouse of strategy, marketing, and innovation - joined the Vista Team in 2019. She was no stranger to the legal landscape and brought to the table more than 16 years of experience managing and marketing a national legal case management software company, a role that has given her an intimate understanding of the inner workings of personal injury law firms across the country. [...]

Meagan Verschueren leads Singleton Schreiber’s Sexual Assault and Sex Trafficking Practice Group, where she devotes her career exclusively to representing survivors of sexual violence and exploitation. Known for her trauma-informed and relentless advocacy, Meagan has dedicated her entire legal career to standing up for those harmed by abuse, assault, and systemic negligence. [...]

Megan Grothman is a key account executive and legal marketing strategist at Rankings.io, where she partners with law firms across the country to help them grow sustainably through data-driven digital marketing strategies. With more than a decade of experience in legal and agency marketing, Megan specializes in translating complex digital concepts into clear, actionable plans that attorneys can trust and confidently execute.[...]

Megan Hargroder is the Founder and CEO of Legends Legal Marketing.

Michelle Fonseca-Kamana is the Founder and Principal Attorney at West Coast Lemons APC, a law firm specializing in California lemon law. Having personally negotiated over $14 million worth of settlements from auto and RV manufacturers throughout her career, she is most proud of coupling incredible results with an unparalleled client experience, with her firm now having over 100 five star reviews on Google. [...]

Michelle Marie West has been a partner at Robinson Calcagnie, Inc. since 2016 and practiced with the firm since 2008. Virtually all of her 23 years as a lawyer has been spent helping those who have been injured due to trucking accidents, automobile collisions, unsafe premises cases, traumatic brain injury, amputation, spinal cord injuries and other catastrophic personal injury and products liability matters. Ms. West handles cases that involving defective products, dangerous public and private property conditions, industrial and construction accidents, carbon monoxide poisoning, cruise ship injuries, [...]

Nicole Lahmani is a nationally recognized personal injury attorney and the founder of Lahmani Law, a premier boutique law firm based in Los Angeles. Known for her relentless advocacy, strategic legal mind, and compassion for her clients, Lahmani has built a reputation as one of California’s top litigators in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. In 2025, she was named Top Personal Injury Lawyer by Riviera Magazine, a recognition that underscores her standing as a leader in her field. [...]

Rosa Florentino is a Principal at Quest Settlements, specializing in attorney-client relations. As a Senior Settlement Consultant, Mrs. Florentino handles comprehensive settlement planning for attorneys and their clients in California, Nevada, Texas, Arizona and Washington as well as other states throughout the United States. She specializes in cases involving personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, cases involving minors, class action cases, and non-physical injury cases such as employment, discrimination, and attorney fees. [...]

Sara has litigated a variety of cases across the State of Alabama, including premises liability, motor vehicle negligence, wrongful death and trucking cases. Sara began her legal career as a civil defense attorney and has worked for some of the preeminent litigation firms of the State. She is now excited to have the opportunity to utilize her litigation skills to help those who have been injured and their families.[...]

Sheila LaCivita is the founder/CEO of 4 CORNERS Deposition Summaries, and four other companies in different fields ranging from software to ecommerce. Her entrepreneurial journey began with a paralegal business in her twenties and holds a paralegal certificate with distinction from UCLA Paralegal. She has extensive sales experience and was certified by Meg Whitman as a Power Seller in her early years before founding 4 CORNERS Deposition Summaries; [...]

Stacie Hausner, Esq. has been a full-time mediator with ADR Services, Inc. for the last 8 years. She has an exceptionally high settlement rate and has mediated thousands of disputes in the areas of personal injury, employment, real estate, business, entertainment, insurance coverage, and construction defect. Ms. Hausner has an LL.M. in Dispute Resolution from the Straus Institute at Pepperdine University School of Law, and when she is not mediating, she has taught [...]

Taylor Dordick is a personal injury attorney at Dordick Law Firm in California. With a passion for helping individuals who have been injured due to the negligence of others, she has established herself as a trusted advocate for her clients. In 2025, she was recognized as a Rising Star by the Super Lawyers Awards, positioning her as a future leader in the Southern California legal field. [...]

Teresa Diep Founder of Outlier Creative Agency Born in Vietnam, raised by immigrants in Los Angeles, Teresa Diep found her drive for a tireless work ethic and her penchant for humanitarianism at a very young age. Her father was an artist and her mother balanced running the family business with managing their household. Creativity and an enterprising spirit have been part of Teresa’s DNA from the start.

Spending many years as an accomplished event planner, Teresa conceptualized, [...]

Passionate about protecting consumers from unsafe products and unfair business practices, Tracy specializes in products liability and mass tort cases. She joined Robinson Calcagnie in 2022 from the Los Angeles County Counsel’s Affirmative Litigation and Consumer Protection Division, where she was the Consumer Protection Team Leader, and co-lead of the LACC People v. Juul Labs, Inc. and People v. Purdue Pharma et al litigation teams. As a Senior Deputy County Counsel, she coordinated two successful legislative initiatives to strengthen consumer protection enforcement in California. [...]

Whitney Betts is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Betts Law Group, a dynamic boutique firm in San Diego specializing in civil litigation for survivors of sexual assault, abuse, harassment, and discrimination, as well as professional athlete workers’ compensation claims. Partnering with her husband Tom Betts, who leads the workers’ compensation team, Whitney has propelled the firm’s rapid growth by leveraging their extensive defense experience [...]