Gerald Singleton began his legal career as a trial attorney at Federal Defenders of San Diego in 2000, where he represented federal criminal defendants in the Southern District of California and before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He left Federal Defenders in 2003 to start his own practice, which has grown from a sole proprietorship into the national firm of Singleton Schreiber, LLP, with over 90 attorneys and 400 employees and over a dozen offices throughout the United States. Mr. Singleton is one of the nation’s leading experts in fire litigation. Over the past two decades, he and his team have represented over 30,000 fire victims in more than 30 wildfires in California, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Colorado and Texas, and have recovered over $3 billion on their behalf. Mr. Singleton has served as liaison counsel and in other positions of leadership in complex civil cases in multiple states. He currently serves as court-appointed liaison counsel in the Eaton Fire case in Los Angeles and the Dixie Fire case in San Francisco. In 2020, Mr. Singleton was appointed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to serve on the Oversight Committee of the $13.5 billion Fire Victim Trust. He is the chair of the American Association of Justice’s national wildfire litigation group and has lectured on fire litigation across the country. Over the past several years, Mr. Singleton has expanded the firm’s practice to include representing public entities and individuals in environmental and toxic tort litigation across the country. In 2023, he and his team brought the first medical-monitoring claim to address carcinogens and other dangerous toxins in wildfire smoke. In 2024, Singleton Schreiber partnered with the NAACP to bring litigation on behalf of thousands of women who developed cancer and/or uterine fibroids from exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals in over-the-counter hair relaxer products. The firm’s Environmental practice group is working with state and local agencies and non-profit advocacy groups to bring pollution claims on behalf of frontline communities exposed to toxins from the oil and gas industry. Mr. Singleton graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College, where he earned high honors and the departmental prize in Government for his senior honors thesis. He received his juris doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2000, and is licensed to practice in the state courts of California, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Missouri, Ohio, Minnesota and the District of Columbia, multiple federal district courts, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. An active member of the American Association for Justice, the Consumer Attorneys of California, and numerous other state bar associations, Mr. Singleton is also a contributor and fundraiser for Democratic candidates and progressive causes.

Gervilyn Cadimas is a member of our Fire Litigation practice group, where she represents fire victims across California and Hawaii. Prior to joining Singleton Schreiber, Ms. Cadimas served as a judicial extern to former California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil Sakauye. She received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law, where she served as a board member for the Client Advocacy Team and competed in negotiation competitions. During law school, she also interned with the University of San Diego Legal Clinic – Civil Division and received the CALI Excellence Award in Employment Discrimination. She was awarded a California Changelawyers Scholarship, for her commitment to fostering a more equitable justice system. Ms. Cadimas holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University, Sacramento, where she graduated magna cum laude and received the Dean’s Award—an honor given to just one out of over 1,100 graduates in the College of Business. In her spare time, Ms. Cadimas enjoys scuba diving, hiking, and participating in triathlons. She is also actively involved in the legal community through her volunteer work with the Filipino American Lawyers of San Diego, where she supports mentorship and advocacy efforts within the Filipino American community.

Cassandra Griffith is an Associate Attorney at Singleton Schreiber’s San Diego office, where she focuses on personal injury. With more than six years of experience representing plaintiffs in personal injury cases, Cassandra brings comprehensive litigation skills and a deep commitment to advocating for clients who have been injured through the negligence of others. Fluent in Spanish, she is able to serve the diverse communities of San Diego with cultural understanding and accessibility. Cassandra manages a substantial caseload of personal injury matters, guiding clients through every stage of the litigation process. Her experience includes drafting demand packages, conducting settlement negotiations, initiating lawsuits, managing discovery, taking and defending depositions, and preparing cases for mediation and trial. She consults with medical and accident reconstruction experts to build strong cases and ensure her clients receive the compensation they deserve. Her approach combines strategic legal thinking with genuine empathy for those she represents. Before joining Singleton Schreiber, Cassandra served as Head of the Pre-Litigation Department at a prominent San Diego law firm, where she managed more than 200 plaintiff personal injury cases. Earlier in her career, she gained valuable experience as a Certified Legal Intern at the San Diego City Attorney's Office, where she second-chaired multiple trials, and as a Legal Intern at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, where her service earned her both the Outstanding Service Award and the prestigious Wiley W. Manuel Award. Cassandra also served as a Judicial Extern for Justice Terry O'Rourke at the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division One. Cassandra earned her Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law, where she was a Diversity Scholarship recipient and member of the Pro Bono Honor Society. She graduated cum laude from Chestnut Hill College with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and minors in Spanish and International Business. She is admitted to practice in California. She is a member of the San Diego County Bar Association, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, and the San Diego Lawyers Club. A native San Diegan who grew up in the Chula Vista area, Cassandra is married with two young children and two dogs. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, baking, gardening, and staying active.

Susan Dussault is a member of our firm’s Fire Litigation practice group, where she concentrates on representing victims of wildfires started by electric utilities in California and Oregon. Ms. Dussault has extensive experience handling complex litigation matters on both the plaintiff and defense sides. She has worked at large national firms, small boutique firms, as in-house counsel, and as a managing attorney at the Victim Rights Law Center, a nonprofit organization that provides free legal assistance to sexual assault survivors. In addition, Ms. Dussault has directed a human rights law school clinic, taught an immigration law foundation class, volunteered with several nonprofit organizations that serve immigrants, and provided significant pro bono representation to noncitizens seeking to change their legal immigration status. Before relocating to California from Oregon in 2021, Ms. Dussault drafted, lobbied for, testified on, and saw the passage of a bill that enables more Oregon youths to qualify for Special Immigrant Juvenile status. Ms. Dussault graduated with distinction from Stanford Law School, where she volunteered with the East Palo Alto Community Law Project, spent a semester as a federal district court extern, and worked in Stanford’s Office of the General Counsel. She graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia, where she was an Echols Scholar. As an undergraduate, she also studied at Harvard Radcliffe College and in Toulon, France, and Valencia, Spain. Ms. Dussault is admitted to practice in California and Oregon. When she’s not working, Ms. Dussault enjoys playing tennis with her husband, skiing with their older son, watching their younger son play baseball, walking on the beach with her dog, going to the theater with friends, and traveling with just about anyone.

Alexander T. Bauer is a member of Singleton Schreiber’s Fire Litigation practice group and is responsible for managing the discovery team. He is dedicated to advocating zealously for his clients and pursuing justice on their behalf. Prior to joining Singleton Schreiber, Mr. Bauer represented clients in business transactions, personal injury matters and real estate disputes. He was senior counsel for a prominent defense firm, focusing on complex trial litigation, and was responsible for defending and negotiating settlements in catastrophic injury cases. Mr. Bauer then spent six years as trial counsel for a military-focused insurance carrier and developed extensive experience litigating cases, including first-chair jury trials. Mr. Bauer earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ, before receiving his juris doctorate from California Western School of Law. During his time in law school, he was awarded the Moot Court Honors Board Distinguished Advocate Award. Mr. Bauer is barred in California and is admitted to practice in San Diego, California, and the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California. Mr. Bauer volunteers in his spare time and has previously served on the YWCA Board of Directors and as a Volunteer Panel Judge for the Constitutional Rights Foundation Orange County high school mock trials. In his spare time, Mr. Bauer enjoys golfing, bowling, and spending time with his wife and three children.

Zaira P. Estrada is a member of our Fire Litigation Division. Before joining Singleton Schreiber, she handled criminal cases for a law firm in San Diego and developed her advocacy skills during a three-year internship with the San Diego Public Defender’s Office. After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2016 from the University of California, Irvine, Mrs. Estrada attended Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where she was selected to be a part of the Criminal Law Fellowship and Criminal Law Society and graduated in 2020. As a native Spanish speaker, Mrs. Estrada communicates easily and empathetically with clients whose first language is Spanish. She is adept at explaining complex legal proceedings in terms that are easily understood. In 2021, Mrs. Estrada was admitted to practice before California state courts. She’s also admitted in federal courts including the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In her spare time, Mrs. Estrada enjoys spending time with her family.

Mary Fata is an Associate Attorney in Singleton Schreiber's Motions, Writs, and Appeals practice group, where she focuses on complex appellate litigation and post-trial advocacy. Before joining the firm, Mary served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Vladimir P. Devens at the Hawai'i Supreme Court, where she gained firsthand exposure to the full spectrum of appellate practice. Prior to her clerkship, she worked as a staff attorney at a nonprofit in New York City, leading an initiative focused on providing legal services to low-income senior women. Mary earned her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2022, where she was a recipient of the Berkeley Law Public Interest Fellowship. During law school, she served as Co-Director of the Berkeley Law Anti-Trafficking Project, Supervising Editor for the Berkeley Journal of International Law, and as a legal research extern with the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy Hague Domestic Violence Project. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University Bloomington in 2016. Mary is admitted to practice in New York. Outside of the office, Mary enjoys hiking, traveling, and drawing.

Gigi Vernon is a member of Singleton Schreiber’s Mass Tort Litigation practice group, where she leads a team handling complex national cases. She plays a key role in the Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAs) Products Liability Litigation, advocating for individuals injured by diabetes and weight-loss drugs. She also contributes to the Hair Relaxer litigation and is actively involved in the emerging Terbutaline litigation, as well as other personal injury matters. Earlier in her career, Ms. Vernon represented victims of some of California’s most devastating wildfires, including the Camp Fire, Thomas Fire, Woolsey Fire, Kincade Fire, North Bay Fires, and Butte Fire, gaining extensive experience in large-scale disaster recovery. Before joining Singleton Schreiber, she gained valuable experience in family law and immigration law and completed an internship with the Federal Defenders of San Diego, where she participated in criminal trials. She holds dual degrees in psychology and criminal justice from Florida International University, where she graduated at the top of her class, and earned her J.D. with a specialization in dispute resolution. As a native Spanish speaker, Ms. Vernon communicates with ease and empathy with clients whose first language is Spanish. She is skilled at breaking down complex legal issues into clear, accessible terms, ensuring that clients feel informed and supported throughout the legal process. Ms. Vernon is admitted to practice in California state and federal courts. Ms. Vernon is also widely recognized for her commitment to community advocacy, particularly for families of children with special needs. She uses her knowledge of the California Department of Education and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to guide parents through the process of securing services and supports, while educating families on their rights. She also organizes autism awareness events, creating spaces for families to connect, share resources, and access guidance. A Miami, Florida native, Ms. Vernon is an active leader in the children’s ministry at her church. She loves to travel and values time spent with family and friends.

Sarah M. Kelly is an Associate Attorney with Singleton Schreiber's Motion, Writs & Appeals team. Her appellate practice is driven by a deep-set belief in the power of the law to advance justice, and she brings a strategic approach to framing precise legal arguments within real-life context to achieve meaningful outcomes for clients. Before joining Singleton Schreiber, Sarah served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Sabrina S. McKenna at the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court, and then as an inaugural judicial law clerk to the Honorable Micah W.J. Smith at the United States District Court for the District of Hawaiʻi. These prestigious clerkships provided her with invaluable insight into judicial decision-making and legal strategy at both the state and federal levels. Sarah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law, where she earned CALI Excellence for the Future Awards for achieving the highest grades in eleven courses and served as an Outside Articles Editor for the University of Hawaiʻi Law Review. She is admitted to practice in the State of Hawaiʻi, the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaiʻi, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Outside of her legal practice, Sarah enjoys spending time on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, where her husband's family runs a macadamia nut farm.