Karlie Ruder is an Associate Attorney on Singleton Schreiber’s Personal Injury team, where she is dedicated to advocating for individuals and families and is committed to ensuring justice for her clients. With a diverse legal background, she brings valuable experience to her role, having worked on personal injury, consumer protection, and criminal law cases during her legal career. Karlie earned her J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law in 2024. While in law school, she worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, focusing on personal injury cases; the University of San Diego Civil Clinic, where she contributed to consumer protection efforts; and the Saline County Attorney’s Office in Kansas, where she gained experience in criminal law. Before law school, Karlie earned her bachelor’s degree and developed her skills in public speaking, research, and critical analysis, preparing her for the complexities of legal practice. Outside of her legal work, Karlie enjoys playing the violin, singing, and exploring her creative side through drawing and painting. She also loves spending time outdoors paddleboarding, reading, or enjoying the natural beauty of San Diego. Karlie lives with her husband, Jacob, and their two cats, Alice and Benny.

Ben Koh began his legal career at Singleton Schreiber as a law clerk in 2022. He now serves as a trial attorney within the firm’s Personal Injury and Wrongful Death practice group. Ben represents plaintiffs in a variety of civil matters in California state and federal courts, including product liability, medical malpractice, and other catastrophic injury cases. He has held major retailers accountable for selling dangerous products, predatory caretakers for exploiting vulnerable individuals, and government actors for civil rights violations and negligence. As a litigator, he is driven by principles of discipline, persistence, and empathy, which has resulted in millions of dollars recovered for his clients. Mentorship and community led Ben to where he is today. He pays it forward by serving as a mentor to dozens of law students and new attorneys. He also holds leadership positions with the Korean American Bar Association of San Diego and the Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego, both of which have awarded him for his dedicated service. While attending law school at the University of San Diego, Ben proudly served as President of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association. He also interned with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California and volunteered at a Los Angeles-based reentry advocacy center, helping provide legal assistance to formerly incarcerated individuals. Ben has called San Diego home for nearly a decade. He is a connoisseur of Korean BBQ, karaoke rooms, and live music events. In his free time, you can find him DJing, snowboarding, or spoiling his standard poodle, Ephraim.

Justin Knowles is an Associate Attorney at Singleton Schreiber, where he supports clients across the firm’s Fire Litigation, Personal Injury, and Mass Torts practice areas. With a deep commitment to client advocacy and a diverse professional background, Justin brings a practical and compassionate approach to resolving complex legal challenges on behalf of individuals, families, and small businesses. Before joining Singleton Schreiber, Justin volunteered as a legal intern with the California EPA - Department of Toxic Substances Control, where he worked on public health, regulatory, and environmental law issues. He also participated in a clinical externship program working with a civil law firm representing both plaintiffs and defendants. Additionally, Justin worked as a law clerk with a wildfire litigation firm. He was also a legal intern with American Rivers, where he worked on federal hydropower regulation and environmental justice initiatives with a focus on clean energy and public-interest policy. Justin earned his J.D. from California Western School of Law, where he served as the Vice President of the Environmental Law Society, a Board Member of the Student Bar Association, and was admitted into the Pro Bono Honors Society. He holds a B.S. in Geography from the University of Oregon, where he also captained the Ducks Men’s Lacrosse team. Before law school, Justin built a well-rounded career in nonprofit management, real estate law, and urban regenerative agricultural. His prior professional experience continues to shape his communication style, strategic thinking, and dedication to community-centered legal work. Justin is admitted to practice law in California and is a member of the San Diego County Bar Association, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, California Lawyers Association, and American Bar Association. Outside the office, Justin enjoys surfing, yoga, hiking, and cooking with his family.

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.

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.

Liam Barrett serves as an Associate Attorney in the Civil Rights practice group at Singleton Schreiber, where he is dedicated to advocating for individuals whose voices are too often unheard. With a strong foundation in public interest law, Liam has represented clients across a range of practice areas, forums, and jurisdictions, focusing on advancing justice and protecting constitutional rights. Before joining Singleton Schreiber, Liam practiced family and immigration law at a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., and later represented tenants in eviction cases with the Legal Aid Society of San Diego. He also gained valuable experience through two clerkships in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Liam earned his law degree, cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center, where he developed his passion for civil rights work as a member of the Civil Rights Clinic, representing clients in federal courts across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. He received his bachelor's degree in political science–American politics, magna cum laude, from the University of California, San Diego. Born and raised in San Diego, Liam remains deeply connected to his community through volunteer and civic engagement efforts. Outside of work, he enjoys surfing, reading, and spending time with family and friends while exploring his hometown.

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.

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.

Leslie A. Brueckner is a Partner at Singleton Schreiber with over 35 years of appellate litigation experience across a broad spectrum of cases, including constitutional, consumer protection, antitrust, bankruptcy, class actions, environmental law, and more. Prior to joining Singleton Schreiber, Leslie was a Partner at a prominent national law firm, where she helped lead the firm’s national Appellate and Supreme Court Practice Group. Before then, Leslie spent nearly three decades at Public Justice, a national advocacy organization, where she argued and won numerous high-profile appeals, including unanimous decisions from both the California and United States Supreme Courts. (Leslie’s 2019 oral argument in Noel v. Thrifty, a unanimous class action ruling from the California Supreme Court, can be accessed via this link. Her 2002 argument in Sprietsma v. Mercury Marine, a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision rejecting federal preemption of tort claims, can be accessed via this link). Leslie also founded Public Justice’s Food Project, which used strategically targeted litigation to address abuses in American’s industrial animal agriculture system. With decades of appellate experience, Leslie plays a key role in enhancing Singleton Schreiber’s ability to manage complex appeals and develop successful litigation strategies. Her extensive track record in high-stakes cases across a range of legal areas continues to solidify the firm’s standing as a leader in precedent-setting litigation for plaintiffs nationwide. A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School and summa cum laude graduate of U.C. Berkeley (where she was recognized as the Most Distinguished Graduating Senior in her class of over 5,000 students), Leslie has been awarded the Pro Bono Achievement Award from the Animal Legal Defense Fund; the Women’s Consumer Advocate of the Year Award from the Consumer Attorneys of California; the Appellate Advocacy Award from the Pound Civil Justice Institute for her 2017 California Supreme Court victory in T.H. v. Novartis (CA 2017), and the Dale Haralson Fallout Award from the Western Trial Lawyers Association. Leslie was also a Finalist for the Appellate Lawyer of the Year Award from the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. In addition to her litigation work, Leslie has taught appellate advocacy at the Georgetown University Law Center and the American University, Washington College of Law.

Knut S. Johnson, a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, is the practice group leader for our Environmental Litigation & Policy practice group. He brings over 30 years of experience as a trial attorney to Singleton Schreiber. Representing clients in federal and state courts across the nation, he has handled complex trials, appeals, and habeas corpus proceedings and litigated cases alleging violations of environmental laws, including under the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. Mr. Johnson’s diverse and sophisticated litigation practice has included the representation of many clients, from large corporations to small business owners, and from judges to doctors to entire communities. Together with his many trials and appeals, he has represented clients before the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol and the Mueller Special Counsel’s Office investigation. Mr. Johnson has been recognized with many awards and honors, including the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, unanimous “Well Qualified” rating (the highest ABA rating) after nomination to U.S. District Court, 2020; Top 50 Attorneys, San Diego Super Lawyers, 2020 and 2019; University of San Diego, School of Law, Distinguished Alumni Award, 2018; America’s Top 100 Attorneys Lifetime Achievement Selection, 2018; Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, 2017; Lawyer of the Year, White Collar Criminal Defense, San Diego, Best Lawyers in America, 2016; and the E. Stanley Conant Award, Defenders Organizations of San Diego, 2005 and 2013. He graduated cum laude from the University of San Diego School of Law and before his legal career, Mr. Johnson studied petroleum engineering and geology as an undergraduate and graduate student at Tulane University, where he received the W.A. Tarr Award for outstanding Earth Sciences Graduate. He then worked as a petroleum geologist for a major oil company, where he mapped oil reserves and worked on production estimates and on rigs during the final stages of drilling. He also received a significant amount of professional training in areas like well completion, exploration, and related topics. Mr. Johnson is licensed to practice in the state courts of Arizona, California, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington. In addition, he is admitted to practice in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second, Eighth, and Ninth Circuits, as well as many different U.S. District Courts. He is also admitted to practice before the International Criminal Court, The Hague, Netherlands. He has served as the Chair of the Practitioners Advisory Group to the United States Sentencing Commission and testified before the Commission on several occasions. He presently serves on the Ethics Committee for the San Diego County Bar Association.