Kimberly Hutchison is a Partner with Singleton Schreiber and is a tenacious litigator with a long track record of successfully representing clients in and out of the courtroom. A leading member of the Civil Rights team, she helped the firm obtain one of its most prestigious verdicts to date. She was part of the trial team that obtained an $85 million verdict against the County of San Diego for the wrongful death of a young man named Lucky Phounsy. The Daily Journal recognized it as one of the most significant verdicts in California in 2022. Earlier in her career, Kimberly served as the pro se law clerk in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria, VA for one year, followed by a one-year judicial clerkship for the Honorable Dolores K. Sloviter in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia, PA. She then worked for the Federal Defenders of San Diego for over 8 years as both a trial attorney and an appellate attorney. She completed numerous jury trials, bench trials, and oral arguments before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She was also a core member of a legal team that had oral argument in the Supreme Court of the United States, as well as a core member of a legal team that represented an individual charged with capital offenses. She joined the firm in the fall of 2020. Kimberly is admitted to practice in California state and federal courts and is also an inactive member of the Virginia State Bar. Kimberly was born and raised in Connecticut. She moved to California to attend Claremont McKenna College, where she graduated magna cum laude and earned the award for Best Overall Achievement in her major of Philosophy. She then joined Teach for America in Miami, after which she attended law school at American University – Washington College of Law (WCL) in Washington, D.C. In law school, she served in various roles and received several awards on both the WCL Moot Court Honor Society as well as the American University Law Review. She graduated magna cum laude and was elected to the Order of the Coif. Kimberly spends much of her free time on her bicycle, weightlifting, hanging out with her rescue dogs, and competing on her horses. She travels as often as she can and particularly seeks out outdoor adventures like hiking the Inca Trail, scuba diving in Belize, and going rock climbing in Thailand.

Amanda LoCurto is a Partner at Singleton Schreiber, where she focuses on complex civil litigation and utility-caused wildfire cases. With more than a decade of experience representing thousands of wildfire victims, Amanda has played a leading role in some of the Western United States’ most significant utility fire cases—including the California Powerhouse, Butte, Thomas, North Bay, Woolsey, Kincade, Bobcat, Slater, Zogg, McKinney, and Fairview fires, as well as the Holiday Farm (OR), Marshall (CO), Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon (NM), and Maui (HI) fires. A tireless advocate for her clients, Amanda has served as liaison counsel and held leadership positions in multiple coordinated proceedings, helping secure millions of dollars in recoveries for thousands of families and communities impacted by devastating wildfires. Beyond her litigation work, Amanda is a recognized voice in the field. She has delivered keynote presentations at more than 15 wildfire-focused events as well as Continuing Legal Education courses on post-judgment enforcement and lien priority. Amanda earned her B.A. cum laude from the University of California, San Diego, and her J.D. from California Western School of Law, where she served as a research assistant to Professor Jan Stiglitz (ret.). She has also held numerous leadership roles, including Vice President of the Associated Student Government and the International Law Society, and was a Director of the Lawyers Club of San Diego from 2018 to 2020. When she’s not practicing law, Amanda enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband (also a fire lawyer), their two young children, dog, and chickens.

Gary LoCurto is a partner in Singleton Schreiber’s San Diego office who focuses on wildfire litigation. He has worked up and mediated thousands of fire cases, reaching settlements totaling over a billion dollars for our clients in the past seven years. He also handles a wide variety of other civil litigation matters, including environmental nuisance, wage-and-hour, wrongful-termination, and personal-injury cases. Mr. LoCurto graduated with honors from Christian Heritage College with degrees in both history and psychology. He attended California Western School of Law, where he was an active member of the Environmental Law Society and interned with San Diego Coastkeeper. He also studied international humanitarian and environmental law in Prague, Czech Republic. Before joining Singleton Schreiber, Mr. LoCurto had his own practice where he specialized in plaintiffs’ employment civil rights law and handled personal injury matters. Before college, Mr. LoCurto played professional baseball in the Boston Red Sox organization. In his spare time, he plays in a local band and enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. Mr. LoCurto is a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association, Consumer Attorneys of California, and Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. Mr. LoCurto is admitted to practice before all California state and federal courts.

Michelle Meyers is a Partner at Singleton Schreiber and is a member of our Fire Litigation, Public Entity Law, Personal Injury and Wrongful Death, Insurance Recovery and Bad Faith practice groups. A seasoned trial and policy holder attorney, she has spent her career litigating complex civil matters involving personal injury, mass torts, civil rights, and insurance coverage in federal and state courts. Ms. Meyers has extensive trial experience in insurance litigation. She recently tried an insurance coverage matter, wherein the jury found in favor of the Plaintiff by concluding that the insurance company improperly denied the Plaintiff’s request for payment of life insurance benefits. Ms. Meyers regularly represents policyholders in life, property, and disability insurance coverage disputes, including wrongful policy termination and bad-faith denial cases, and has a strong track record of taking these matters to jury verdict. Before joining Singleton Schreiber, Ms. Meyers served as a deputy attorney for the State of California Department of Transportation, as a supervising trial attorney for the City of Oakland, and as an associate and an insurance coverage partner at a firm in Oakland, California. She was the lead defense strategist for the City of Oakland in civil and criminal cases arising from the “Ghost Ship” fire, the deadliest fire in the history of Oakland. Ms. Meyers earned a B.A. in Political Science from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, in 2000, where she was a member of the Pi Sigma Alpha National Honors Society. She earned her law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2004 and is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in California and Nevada and in the U.S. Supreme Court. Outside the office, Ms. Meyers enjoys spending time on the sports field with her family and two crazy border collies.

Ben Siminou is a certified appellate specialist, and leads our Motion, Writs & Appeals practice group. Mr. Siminou handles law-and-motion and appellate briefing in complex, high-stakes cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States. He has notable wins in the California Supreme Court, Nebraska Supreme Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and California Court of Appeal. Between 2020 and 2023, Mr. Siminou defeated dispositive motions in cases with an aggregate value of $100 million. In 2023, Mr. Siminou received the first ever “Appellate Case of the Year Award” from Consumer Attorneys of San Diego for Ross v. Superior Court, 77 Cal.App.5th 667 (2022), which held that efforts to tamper with a witness in a civil case are admissible at trial as consciousness of guilt, and may justify so-called “apex” depositions of high-ranking government officials. In 2021, Mr. Siminou received the “XONR8R Award” from the California Innocence Project for his pro bono work in Larsen v. California Victim Compensation Board, 64 Cal.App.5th 112 (2021), which expanded the rights of wrongfully convicted persons to receive compensation for their time spent incarcerated. In 2018, Mr. Siminou received the “Appellate Advocacy Award” from the National Civil Justice Institute in Washington D.C., which “recognizes excellence in appellate advocacy” nationwide. The award acknowledged Mr. Siminou’s work in T.H. Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp., 4 Cal.5th 145 (2017), a landmark decision by the California Supreme Court that greatly expanded rights for victims of mislabeled drugs. Super Lawyers recognized Mr. Siminou as a “Rising Star” in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and a “Super Lawyer” in 2021. Before entering private practice, Mr. Siminou served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Michael G. Heavican, Chief Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court. He then spent nearly a decade with Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire LLP, before starting Siminou Appeals, Inc., a solo appellate practice. Mr. Siminou earned a bachelor’s degree from Trinity University with a double major in political science and English. He graduated Order of the Coif with High Distinction from the University of Nebraska College of Law, where he was the editor in chief of the Nebraska Law Review and earned numerous honors and awards, particularly for his legal research and writing. In 2020, Mr. Siminou joined the Committee on the Appellate Courts, a select, statewide group of appellate lawyers in the public and private sectors that help influence rules and procedure in California’s appellate courts. In 2023, he joined the board of directors for Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. Mr. Siminou volunteers his time to pro bono cases and as a mentor for The Appellate Project, guiding law students of color or from marginalized groups who are interested in careers in appellate advocacy. When Mr. Siminou is not writing briefs or consulting with trial lawyers, he can be found at the beach or on a hiking trail with his wife and children, in the gym, or on a racetrack in a car. Mr. Siminou is admitted to practice in California, Nebraska, and the Second, Third, Fifth, and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Kathryn Baxendale graduated from Santa Barbara College of Law and is admitted to practice in California state courts. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Scripps College and Master’s in Business Administration from Virscend University. Ms. Baxendale currently works in the Fire Litigation practice area, representing survivors of wildfires.

Carmela Birnbaum is a member of our personal injury and wrongful death division and a seasoned attorney who has helped hundreds of clients make recoveries in their personal injury cases. With more than a decade of experience, Ms. Birnbaum is dedicated to her clients and fights vigorously for their interests. She places a premium on communicating with her clients and providing clear guidance throughout the legal process. 

Haley Savage is a graduate of San Diego State University (B.S.) and University of San Diego School of Law (J.D.). She was admitted to the California Bar in November 2024. In her legal experience, she has shown a commitment to public service and justice. Upon graduation, she was honored with a High Honor Pro Bono Recognition award for over 250 hours in volunteer work. She joined the Auto Fraud Legal Center to continue to fight for people and protect consumers from unfair and deceptive business practices. Outside of work, Haley enjoys reading, traveling, and going to concerts.

Attorney Ashley Mangold’s path in criminal defense law has been profoundly shaped by her diverse legal experiences and passion for advocacy. Growing up in Carlsbad, California, Ashley developed a strong connection to her community. After earning her undergraduate degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, with a minor in Global Terrorism Studies, at the University of Maryland, she returned to California to pursue her Juris Doctor at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. During law school, Ashley worked in various district attorney offices across California, gaining hands-on experience in both state and federal cases. This exposure to a wide range of criminal matters ignited her passion for criminal defense, where she thrives on the intellectual challenges and takes pride in advocating for the best outcomes for her clients. Since passing the bar, Ashley has been honing her skills as an associate attorney at Sevens Legal, where she is dedicated to providing compassionate and effective legal defense.