Michael Rogers primarily represents national and regional automotive dealership clients in a wide variety of legal matters including consumer actions and complex litigation, federal and state regulatory matters, unfair competition claims, commercial and consumer litigation, labor and employment issues and franchise disputes. He has significant experience in effectively resolving high-stakes litigation and providing counsel for litigation avoidance and regulatory compliance. In addition to automotive dealerships, his clients include automotive affiliated businesses such as finance companies, flooring lenders, automobile service centers, and surety bonding companies. In addition to his extensive understanding of the complexities of the automotive industry, Michael’s particular experience includes successfully representing individuals and business entities in complex, catastrophic personal injury matters including products and premises liability litigation; representing employers on a wide range of employment issues including discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, and wage and hour violations; and representing clients involved in breach of contract, unfair business practices, trade secret violations, and UCC litigation. Known for his straightforward, sensible and strategic approach, Michael also works hand-in-hand with clients in business transactions including corporate, partnership and limited liability company formations as well as business stock and asset sales, real property acquisitions, and commercial leases. While in college, Michael spent his summers working for the U.S. Forest Service as a wildland firefighter, including as a Hotshot and Smokejumper, parachuting into remote wilderness fires. Now he fights battles in the legal arena instead of the forests. His clients and courtroom adversaries find that the “in the trenches” work ethic Michael acquired as a firefighter makes him an exceptional advocate. Michael earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of San Diego and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. He is active in the automotive industry and in San Diego’s legal community and is a member of the California Independent Auto Dealers Association, the Defense Research Institute, the National Association of Dealership Counsel, the National Independent Auto Dealers Association, the San Diego County Bar Association and the San Diego New Car Dealers Association.

My name is Ernest J. Lee Sr. I founded the Lee Law Group, (LLG) in 2007 after working for four different law firms in the greater San Diego Area. Frankly, I felt I had learned all I could from those nice people and decided it was now time that I teach. I have been teaching my adversaries ever since. I founded the LLG so that more people could afford legal representation and be able to litigate issues that affect their everyday lives. We try to do this by making litigation more affordable, thereby allowing more people to be able to afford legal services.

Steven A. Frisch serves as Counsel in Singleton Schreiber's San Diego office, where his practice focuses on workers' compensation and labor-related matters. With more than 13 years of dedicated experience, Steven represents injured workers before the California Workers' Compensation Appeals Board and guides clients through all phases of the claims process, from pre-litigation through resolution. He is known for his strategic approach to litigation and his unwavering commitment to achieving just outcomes for workers harmed on the job.

James Fendt is an Associate Attorney in the Litigation practice group at Singleton Schreiber where he litigates a wide range of cases including Personal Injury, Fire, and Mass Torts. Mr. Fendt is admitted to practice in California courts and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. He is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. Before joining Singleton Schreiber, James was an associate on the General Liability team at a prominent litigation defense law firm in San Diego. He also previously served as a law clerk at two renowned litigation firms and as an extern at a leading business law firm, all in San Diego. In 2022, James presented on a panel at the National Interdisciplinary Cannabis Symposium, discussing the intersection of Federal and State cannabis regulations. James graduated Magna Cum Laude with his J.D. from California Western School of Law after earning a B.S. in environmental planning from Cal Poly Humboldt. Prior to his law career, James worked as a production brewer at Saint Archer Brewing Company and The Booth Brewing Company. James’s combined experience with the sciences, regulatory law, personal injury law, and production facilities allows him to assist clients from diverse backgrounds navigate various complex legal issues. Born in Philadelphia and raised in New Jersey, James has lived in San Diego since 2015 and is an avid surfer, runner and home chef.

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.

Zachary Pangares is an Associate Attorney at Singleton Schreiber, where he focuses on Fire Litigation and complex civil matters. A skilled trial lawyer, Zachary brings a strategic, client-centered approach to litigation, drawing from a diverse professional background and a commitment to justice. He has successfully represented clients in both federal and state courts, including high-profile and precedent-setting cases. Before entering the legal field, Zachary served as a healthcare administrator for one of the nation's largest healthcare systems, where he concentrated on strategy, system transformation, and behavioral health. He leverages this experience to deliver pragmatic legal strategies and effective client advocacy, particularly in cases involving personal injury, medical malpractice, and civil rights. Zachary began his legal career as a judicial extern for the Honorable Benjamin H. Settle in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, where he gained valuable judicial insight in a fast-paced federal courtroom. He then joined a boutique litigation firm focused on the representation of survivors of sexual abuse and other violent crimes, helping secure substantial awards for his clients. Notable cases include the largest settlement in Oregon history involving a public school district for the sexual abuse of a student, as well as an eight-figure settlement with the U.S. government for the abuse of Native American children by an IHS pediatrician—achieved under a novel breach of treaty theory. Zachary earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Seattle University School of Law, where he served as the Managing Editor of the Seattle University Law Review. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Oregon State University. Zachary is admitted to practice in Oregon, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

Before joining Singleton Schreiber as a Partner, Mark Slaughter was one of the founding members of Slaughter & Slaughter, a premier personal injury firm. He is a zealous legal advocate who aggressively represents his clients in catastrophic personal injury cases. Mr. Slaughter has used his tremendous advocacy and negotiating skills to obtain numerous six- and seven-figure settlements for a multitude of clients who have been injured in motor vehicle, trucking, motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian accidents. Mr. Slaughter earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology at the University of Missouri and his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego.

Matthew Clendenin is a senior trial attorney and the Director of the Pre-Litigation Team in our Personal Injury and Wrongful Death practice group. His litigation skills have earned significant results for his clients and the recognition of his peers. Mr. Clendenin began his career as a paralegal for several large law firms. He then attended the Santa Clara University School of Law, where he received many awards and accolades, including “Best Oral Advocate” in the Moot Court Competition. During law school, he was trained in oral argument by barristers at the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn of Court in London, England, and studied at Magdalen College, Oxford. Mr. Clendenin is deeply involved in the San Diego Trial Lawyer Community, currently serving at the President-Elect for Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. Mr. Clendenin is also the former President of the Irish American Bar Association and former President of the Del Mar Professionals Association. Mr. Clendenin has repeatedly been recognized as a top-tier trial attorney. In 2025, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego awarded Mr. Clendenin the “Outstanding Trial Lawyer” award for his $13.7 million dollar verdict in Muhlbach v. Kemper Ins. The verdict was the 45th largest verdict of 2025 in California. In 2022, Mr. Clendenin received the “Street Fighter” trial lawyer award which specifically honors lawyers who take difficult cases to trial. He and his wife Marta Clendenin have been married for nearly 20 years, and have two daughters, Noemi and Lucie. Outside of work, Mr. Clendenin’s passions include darts, cycling, board games, good whisky, and good company.

Jack B. Winters, Jr. is of counsel to Singleton Schreiber’s Insurance Recovery and Bad Faith practice group. He has over 46 years of experience in all areas of civil litigation, with a particular expertise in insurance bad faith and coverage litigation. The recipient of the San Diego Trial Lawyers Award for Outstanding Trial Lawyer, Mr. Winters has successfully prosecuted bad faith cases to trial and verdict against Farmers Insurance Company, State Farm Insurance Company, Transamerica Insurance Company, CalFarm Insurance Company, and New Hampshire Insurance Company, among others. His 1991 award against Transamerica Insurance Company was the largest award against an insurer on an individual policy in the history of the State. After his recent experience as lead counsel in the landmark case of McHugh v. Protective Life, Mr. Winters is considered the foremost expert in California on issues regarding life insurance policies. In another landmark case decided in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Mr. Winters became one of the few attorneys to successfully litigate a multi- million dollar ERISA class action case in California. Mr. Winters is a former insurance defense counsel and one of the founders of the San Diego Defense Lawyers. He was trained in all forms of insurance litigation through his association and then partnership in the firm of McCormick and Royce. He founded his own firm in 1984, focusing on insurance coverage and insurance bad faith litigation. Mr. Winters also consults as an expert witness. He has qualified as an expert on issues related to insurance coverage, interpretation of insurance coverage, and areas of the law related to insurance litigation. Mr. Winters holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles, and earned his law degree at the University of San Diego School of Law. He is admitted to practice in California state and federal courts.

Jonna Lothyan is a member of our Motions, Writs, & Appeals practice group. An accomplished litigator and appellate attorney, she began her practice with one of the nation’s largest defense firms. This experience gave her valuable insight into defense strategies and informs the effective arguments she develops on behalf of her clients at Singleton Schreiber, where she is passionate about fighting for the compensation her clients deserve.