Stephen Demik is Senior Counsel with Singleton Schreiber’s Personal Injury, Mass Torts, and Civil Rights practices. A committed trial attorney with extensive experience in criminal and civil litigation and a passion for social justice, Stephen brings extensive experience in both criminal and civil litigation to bear on life-changing injury, wrongful death, product liability, mass tort, and police misconduct cases. He has built his legal career around defending the voiceless and underrepresented – ensuring that those harmed by negligence and misconduct have their voices heard, and wrongdoers are held accountable. Stephen’s legal journey began in 2002 after earning his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Early in his legal career, he represented defendants on death row at San Quentin, developing a profound understanding of the criminal justice system at its highest levels. That foundation informed his transition into civil litigation and shaped an eclectic career that included representing several Guantánamo detainees, Native American activists, and communities affected by environmental harm. Before joining Singleton Schreiber, Stephen served as Managing Attorney of Litigation at a prominent Texas firm. Prior to that, he ran his own practice, where he first-chaired numerous federal felony jury trials and took on clients from every walk of life. His courtroom experience spans a remarkable range of venues – from the Eighth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal to state, tribal, and arbitration forums. He has tried cases across the country, from California to Virginia, with deep roots in California and South Dakota. Stephen also served as a Special Tribal Judge for the Oglala Lakota and Rosebud Sioux tribes, an experience that reflects his longstanding commitment to underserved communities. Stephen’s work has earned him significant recognition, including the E. Stanley Conant Award for his dedication to protecting the rights of the indigent accused. Since 2009, he has taught trial lawyers nationwide at the Trial Lawyers College, with a focus on trial technique and courtroom communication. He has authored articles for publications including The Warrior legal magazine and has been featured in outlets ranging from the Daily Journal to the Rapid City Journal. A native of Kingsport, Tennessee, Stephen grew up in a family steeped in storytelling, community service, and activism – a background that has always drawn him towards clients who need an advocate most. That sense of social responsibility remains at the core of his practice today. Outside work, Stephen spends time with his two children, travels, plays drums in a local band, hikes, and volunteers. He speaks Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Whatever the case, his commitment remains the same: standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Stephen is licensed to practice law in California, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas, and before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Ninth and Eighth Circuit Courts of Appeals, and the U.S. District Courts for the District of South Dakota, as well as the Southern and Central Districts of California.

Domenic Martini is a member of our Personal Injury and Wrongful Death practice group. An experienced trial lawyer who has earned multi-million-dollar results for his clients, he has handled cases involving personal injury, medical malpractice, eminent domain, and complex business matters.

Brett Schreiber is a nationally recognized trial attorney and co-founder of Singleton Schreiber, where he leads the firm’s Personal Injury and Wrongful Death practice. He represents individuals and families harmed by corporate misconduct, defective products, dangerous roadways, and systemic safety failures, including high-profile litigation against Tesla arising from fatal crashes involving autonomous and advanced driver-assistance technologies. The dozens of cases he has tried have resulted in numerous multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients. A series of firsts have marked Mr. Schreiber’s career, whether it was trying serious injury cases to verdict in his first years of practice, elevating to leadership positions in trial lawyer organizations years before his predecessors had, and/or receiving honors and awards typically reserved for lawyers much later in their careers. Notably, in July 2025, Mr. Schreiber served as lead trial counsel for the families of a woman killed and a man gravely injured in a crash involving a Tesla vehicle in Benavides v. Tesla, the first wrongful death case against Tesla to proceed to trial. Tesla’s design and marketing of its Autopilot system created a false sense of safety that contributed to the fatal collision. The case also intersected with a 2023 federal recall concerning Tesla’s driver-monitoring system. On August 1, 2025, a Miami jury unanimously awarded the plaintiffs $243 million, widely reported as one of the largest individual-plaintiff verdicts in the history of the American civil justice system. Before founding Singleton Schreiber, Mr. Schreiber was a partner at Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire, a San Diego plaintiffs’ firm. He also served as a legislative intern in the Florida Senate, worked as a lobbyist, clerked with a boutique South Florida law firm specializing in criminal defense, civil litigation, and family law, interned with the San Diego Public Defenders' office, and clerked with a small appellate practice. Mr. Schreiber’s career has been marked by early and sustained leadership. He tried serious injury cases to verdict in his first years of practice and rose rapidly within national trial-lawyer organizations. Guided by the Hebrew principle of tikkun olam, meaning “to heal the world,” Mr. Schreiber recognizes that to have the greatest impact serving our communities, we must integrate litigation and political strategies. What happens in the state house directly affects what happens in the courthouse and vice versa. Mr. Schreiber routinely works with local, state, and national political figures and elected office holders to ensure access to justice and that the voices of the people we represent are heard both in the courtroom and in the Capitol Rotunda. To that end, Mr. Schreiber currently serves as an Officer of the Board of Directors of Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC). Mr. Schreiber graduated cum laude from Thomas Jefferson School of Law where he competed on moot court teams and was a member of the law review. He is admitted to practice in all California courts, the Southern and Central Districts of California, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a proud member of Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, Consumer Attorneys of California, Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles, Attorneys Information Exchange Group, American Association of Justice and the American Board of Trial Advocates. Mr. Schreiber and his wife, Shayna, a clinical psychologist, live in Ocean Beach with their four young children. They enjoy surfing, yoga, tennis, and family outings that always include their golden retriever, Roshi.

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. 

Tyson Gamble is counsel in our San Diego office and a member of our Mass Tort practice group. A seasoned civil litigator, Mr. Gamble has over 14 years of experience handling complex product liability and toxic tort cases for plaintiffs. He is a zealous advocate whose motivation to represent families harmed by toxic or defective products stems from personal experience — at a young age, he suffered the loss of two close relatives who were stricken with mesothelioma, a fatal and incurable cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

Katie Llamas leads our Sexual Assault and Sex Trafficking practice group and has been representing victims of personal injury since 2020. A former criminal prosecutor for the City of San Diego, she is an experienced trial attorney who is passionate about seeking justice.

Lauren Cusitello serves as Immigration Counsel at Singleton Schreiber's San Diego office, where she practices within the firm's Civil Rights practice group. With nearly two decades of experience, she represents immigrants, asylum seekers, and individuals facing federal criminal charges, bringing a depth of advocacy shaped by her work in public defense, federal litigation, and nonprofit leadership.

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.