Civil Rights

Laurene Cuvillier is an attorney who is a partner in the Decatur, Georgia, law firm of Goldberg & Cuvillier, P. C. The firm’s practice includes representation of individuals and businesses in cases involving denial of civil rights including police misconduct, disability rights, licensing denial and revocation, and first amendment rights; personal bankruptcy; general civil litigation; personal injury; consumer law including mortgage violations; estate litigation and estate management; education law including special education law; and business law.

Marsh Law Firm focuses our legal practice exclusively on representing survivors of sexual abuse and discrimination. We pride ourselves on being survivor focused, trauma informed, and justice-oriented lawyers. We advocate for our clients both in and out of the courtroom to secure justice and hold perpetrators and the institutions that enable abuse accountable. Our legal team understands that disclosing sexual abuse is an incredibly difficult process. Our goal is to work closely with each of our clients and approach each situation with empathy, respect, and understanding. Our first promise to our clients is that we will support them throughout their healing journey. Marsh Law Firm has a robust legal practice in New York and Pennsylvania. Our attorneys have substantial experience handling claims involving childhood sexual abuse, including claims against the Catholic Church and other institutions, adult sexual abuse, as well as online sexual exploitation and child sex abuse material (CSAM). Our attorneys represent survivors of campus sexual assault and discrimination in educational settings at the K-12, college, or university level, state and federal administrative proceedings, and in the courts. Marsh Law Firm celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive atmosphere that is welcoming to all. We help survivors rebuild their lives with dignity and respect through comprehensive legal representation. Contact us today for a free legal consultation.

Since 2005, Chris Houk has been a dedicated advocate for the rights of Arizona’s workers, managers, and employers. From representing clients in small-town discrimination cases to arguing before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Chris has tirelessly worked to ensure that everyone is treated with the fairness, dignity, and respect they deserve. Chris’s extensive experience includes serving in the Civil Rights Division of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. These roles have given him a deep understanding of the laws and regulations that govern employment in Arizona. In addition to his legal practice, Chris is an adjunct professor at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. He also serves as an officer of the National Employment Lawyers Association, Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Section, and is a Fellow with the American Bar Foundation. Outside of work, Chris is actively involved in the Arizona and Metro Phoenix communities, where he and his wife are raising their three children.

Karyne T. Ghantous is a California licensed attorney with close to 20 years of litigation and insurance defense experience successfully negotiating the resolution of, and trying cases in State and Federal court, in Contra Costa County, Alameda County, San Francisco County, Santa Clara County, Sacramento County, Solano County, Marin County, Monterey County and other jurisdictions in the Bay Area. Ms. Ghantous is the founder of the Ghantous Law Corporation. The Ghantous Law Corporation is a San Ramon law firm representing businesses and HOA’s in general liability, civil, commercial, insurance, contract, indemnity, construction, product liability, personal injury, wrongful death, mold, toxic tort, housing, landlord-tenant, property liability, FEHA, ADA access, California Disabled Persons Act and Unruh Civil Rights Act litigation matters. Ms. Ghantous welcomes the opportunity to earn your trust and deliver a proactive and cost-effective defense, allowing you to focus on your company’s business objectives.

Robert Kasieta is the founder and managing member of Kasieta Legal Group. He focuses his practice on Civil Litigation. He is a member of the Dane County Bar Association, the State Bar of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Association of Justice, and American Association of Justice. Bob received his associate degree from Gogebic Community College; his bachelors degree, summa cum laude, from Northern Michigan University; and his law degree from Marquette University. He is certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and has attained the highest rating, AV, from the national attorney rating service, Martindale-Hubbell. Bob also regularly teaches other lawyers. In addition, he teaches at Wisconsin Law School.

Since joining TorHoerman Law in 2009, Jacob Plattenberger has taken hundreds of depositions, argued in countless hearings, and tried over thirty-five (35) cases to a jury. His experience in and out of the courtroom has made him a passionate advocate for those injured due to the negligence of others. Jake started his career trying cases at one of the busiest civil courthouses in the country – the Richard J. Daley Center in downtown Chicago. He started out doing insurance defense because he knew that afforded him the best opportunity to get courtroom experience. This type of real trial experience is exceedingly rare in complex civil litigation and having seen it from the defense side gives Jake an added advantage.

Sagi Shaked is a dedicated advocate for justice in the realm of personal injury law, specializing in cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death. With a fervent commitment to championing the rights of victims and their families, Mr. Shaked has recovered tens of millions for injured clients. His areas of expertise span many cases, including those involving motor vehicle accidents, product liability, medical negligence, nursing home abuse, trucking accidents, and more. Notably, Mr. Shaked achieved a milestone at the age of 28 by securing a multi-million dollar verdict for a single personal injury lawsuit, establishing himself as one of the youngest lawyers in the United States to accomplish such a feat. Since then, he has continued to secure top settlements and verdicts in cases involving motor vehicle accidents, motorcycle accidents, trucking accidents, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, medical malpractice, and wrongful death. As a highly experienced Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, Mr. Shaked brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to his practice. His educational journey includes graduating with honors from Florida International University in 1996 with a B.S., followed by an equally distinguished graduation with honors from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center in 1999. Throughout his career, Mr. Shaked's overarching goal has remained constant—to passionately pursue justice for those whose lives have been forever changed by the negligence of others. His tireless advocacy and commitment to the well-being of his clients has earned him the respect and admiration of colleagues and clients alike.

For more than a decade, Chris Cadem has concentrated his practice on litigation matters in both criminal and civil cases in State and Federal Court. His experience includes more than 100 trials and roughly a dozen appeals, including multiple petitions to the Minnesota Supreme Court. He has successfully litigated cases spanning from simple speeding tickets to first degree murder and first degree criminal sexual conduct. His civil docket includes everything from contract disputes to complex multiparty, million-dollar financial matters. Chris’s clients include an Academy Award nominated actor, family members of court staff, a judge, and thousands of other Minnesotans. Prior to forming Cadem Law Group, Chris practiced at a small Minnesota based law firm where he founded the firm’s first civil litigation practice. Before that, he worked as the vice president and as legal counsel for an insurance agency located in St. Paul, Minnesota, and an intern lobbyist in Washington D.C. for a large Minnesota law firm. Chris received his Bachelor of Arts degree in both political science and psychology from the University of Minnesota Morris with Highest Distinction, where he was honored with the prestigious Scholar of the College Award and the Gieske Academic Award. He was also a Phi Kappa Phi honorary and presented independent research on the impact of social identity on voting behavior at the University of Minnesota Research Symposium and at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Louisville, Kentucky. Chris received his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School. While a student there, Chris was in the Maynard Pirsig Appellate Advocacy Moot Court, where he was awarded honors and was nominated for the law school’s best appellate brief. He was also selected as a student director of the University of Minnesota Housing Law Clinic and to take part in the Kommerstad Center’s Business Law Clinic. During his final year in school, Chris externed with the Honorable Richard H. Kyle of the United States District Court, District of Minnesota. In his practice and personal life, Chris works diligently to have a positive influence in his community and on the lives of the people around him. Chris gives back to his community through multiple volunteer organizations. He served for many years as general corporate counsel for the Minnesota Jaycees, is a member of the Fergus Falls Jaycees where he has served as chairman of the board, president, vice president of membership, and treasurer. He is the two-time past president of the Fergus Falls Lions, was the secretary and treasurer of the Otter Tail County Bar Association, and was an ambassador for the Fergus Falls Chamber of Commerce. Since 2006, he has served repeatedly as a Civil Rights Moot Court judge for the University of Minnesota Law School, and also volunteers as a mock trial judge for the Minnesota State Bar Association’s annual High School Mock Trial Tournament. In his spare time, Chris enjoys spending time with his kids, home renovation and improvement, biking, fishing, bodybuilding, time on the lake, and woodworking.

Rebecca Filiatraut graduated in 1991 from Oakland University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. In 1994 she received her Juris Doctor from the Detroit College of Law. While attending law school she worked at the Public Defenders Office, representing individuals charged with misdemeanors at the 36th District Court in Detroit. After her graduation, she spent several years working for a large and nationally recognized personal injury law firm. It was here that she began her career of handling federal civil rights cases which has spanned over the course of her more than twenty years in practice. Rebecca focused on §1983 civil rights actions involving police and jail misconduct, as well as other complex matters such as trucking and medical malpractice cases. Seeking to further broaden her experience, she also practiced on the defense side for a number of years, successfully defending a multitude of cases, primarily on behalf of a number of different municipalities and police departments, as well as other businesses and insurance carriers across the State of Michigan. After gaining experience on the defense side, Rebecca returned to the work she loved, representing individuals against large corporations and insurance companies in order to help these people obtain rightful compensation for their injuries. Rebecca has extensive trial experience in both state and federal courts on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants, having been involved in some very high-profile and notable jury trials during the course of her career. She is licensed to practice in the State of Michigan, as well as the United States District Courts of both the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Rebecca is an active supporter of the legal community and a member of several associations, including the State Bar of Michigan Negligence Section and the Michigan Association for Justice.

Martin Garbus has a diverse practice that consists of individuals and companies involved in politics, media, entertainment, and the arts. His courtroom skills have earned him a distinguished reputation as a trial lawyer. Mr. Garbus is experienced in every aspect of litigation and trial, from jury selection to cross-examination to summation. He has argued cases throughout the country involving constitutional, criminal, copyright, and intellectual property law. He has appeared before the United States Supreme Court, as well as trial and appellate courts throughout the United States. He has argued and written briefs that have been submitted to the United States Supreme Court; a number of which have resulted in changes in the law on a nationwide basis, including one described by Justice William Brennan as "probably the most important due process case in the Twentieth Century." An international observer in foreign elections, he was selected by President Jimmy Carter to observe and report on the elections in Venezuela and Nicaragua. Mr. Garbus also participated in drafting several constitutions and foreign laws, including the Czechoslovak constitution. He also has been involved in prisoner exchange negotiations between governments. He is the author of six books and over 30 articles in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times. Mr. Garbus is featured in Shouting Fire, an award-winning documentary film about his life and career. He received the Fulbright Award for his work on International Human Rights in 2010. In 2014, University College Dublin's' Literary and Historical Society honored Mr. Garbus with the James Joyce Award for Excellence in Law, which is also the same year Trinity College awarded him for his human rights and free speech work. Mr. Garbus has also taught trial practice at Yale Law School and Constitutional law at Columbia. He has also taught classes in Beijing, China, and Prague, Czech Republic. He has lived and practiced in China and Italy as well as the United States. He authored six books and numerous articles that have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and numerous legal publications. Mr. Garbus has given hundreds of speeches on various aspects of law before Bar Associations, corporations, law schools, and on CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, and other television and radio networks. Martin Garbus’ devotion to ethics, justice, free speech, and the law has garnered enormous respect within the legal community, commercial and corporate sectors, and beyond. His numerous honors include designation in Who’s Who in America, a Profile in the New York Times, inclusion in Who’s Who in Best Lawyers in America, awards from his law school and college, and praise from his numerous high-profile clients.