Exposure

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.

Sarbdeep Atwal studied Finance and Risk Management at the California State University of Sacramento. His undergraduate educational pursuits were always in conjunction with the managing of the family farming business. By means of these practical and real world business experiences he became interested in acquiring a legal degree. Initially, his aim was to generate a competent understanding of the law to help promote efficient and aggressive business practices within the family business. This desire became broader in scope as he matured; he embraced the passion he'd always had when it came to helping others and the realization of the value inherent in providing legal awareness and insight to those with specific legal needs. Sarbdeep's growing interests in law and real life experiences led him to pursue his Juris Doctorate at Trinity Law School; the California Campus and satellite location of Trinity International University (Deerfield IL). Trinity Law School Is located in the heart of Orange County, California. During the course of his studies in law, he had the unique opportunity of partaking in a study abroad program in the beautiful city of Strasbourg; the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France. During this time abroad, he actively explored International Human Rights Law within the United Nations collective of Eastern Countries; starting from Africa and stretching all the way to South America. He invested time in understanding the cultural impunities that helped form certain types of Human Rights legislation (immortalized in treaties and protocols forming international law) such as the Geneva Convention, which are universally enforced today. He also had the unique opportunity to take part in proceedings within the European Union. Such exposure aided in gaining a universal understanding of Human Rights and broadening his cultural and legal experience. The end result is that it has developed his passion, which in a practical evolution had come to embody issues surrounding Immigration Law and Criminal Law and the multitude of legal obstacles arising from their practice and enforcement. He was admitted to the California Bar in June 2010. Thereafter, he continued to work for his family business; heavily involved in daily operations but with the primary task of tending to the companies legal needs. His practice involved the drafting of various contracts including Leasehold agreements, purchase agreements, contracts between buyers and sellers, easement and boundary line disputes. He also catered to several of the company employees needs on a pro bono basis. He helped assist in various immigration issues such as work type visas, adjustment of status and naturalization proceedings and Social Security and Disability hearings. Motivated to keep cultivating a diverse experience in law, Sarbdeep decided to expand his Legal background in Bankruptcy and Business Law. He began work at a Bankruptcy Firm which focused heavily on Chapter 7 Bankruptcies and Debt Relief. He worked aggressively through Client Intake, petition filing, 341 hearings between Trustee and Creditors, to final Discharge. Thereafter, he was offered a unique opportunity to work with a very prominent and successful Criminal Defense and Personal Injury Attorney. Developing a passion for Criminal Law began as far back as the first days of Law School. When given the opportunity to work in a Criminal Defense firm, he wholeheartedly accepted. There, he worked on all parts of the Criminal Process: from Client intake, Arraignment, Pretrial hearings to Preliminary Hearings and Trial proceedings. He also worked specifically in Drunk Driving Defense including all parts of the DMV process. Thereafter, he decided to serve the local legal needs of Yuba Sutter Counties and the greater Sacramento Valley and opened his own practice in Yuba City, California, specializing in Drunk Driving Defense. Sarbdeep speaks fluent Punjabi and conversational Spanish to help serve those with a language barrier. Sarbdeep specializes in Criminal Defense, DMV hearings, Social Security and Disability, and Real Estate Issues.

Mr. Novak is the founding partner of our firm. He was born on the great Canadian prairies in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. After a distinguished educational career at the University of Manitoba, he attended the University of North Dakota School of Law. He was named on the academic dean’s list for his entire six semesters of law school and was awarded the degree of Juris Doctor With Distinction. Following graduation from law school, he hung up his hockey skates and moved to the gentler climate of California. Since 1998 Mr. Novak has based his practice of law in the Southern California area. However, he has actively litigated cases throughout the State of California, and the United States. Mr. Novak has established himself as a well-respected trial attorney in the region. In particular, he is renowned for his keen legal mind and aggressive litigation approach. His commitment to fighting for clients’ rights has led to the recovery of in excess of $130,000,000.00 in verdicts or settlements for clients within the past twenty-two years of his practice. Before concentrating his practice on protecting the rights of individuals, Mr. Novak worked for several years as a defense attorney handling primarily large-loss cases on behalf of numerous entertainment production companies, large corporations, and insurance companies. During this time period, he successfully protected clients from exposure to multi-million dollar claims for damages.

Charles R. Lipcon is an experienced lawyer that has been practicing since 1971. He graduated from the University of Miami with his Juris Doctorate degree in 1971 and was then admitted into the Florida State Bar. He specialized in maritime law, personal injury, cruise line, sexual assault and wrongful death matters. He is the president of Lipcon, Margulies, Alsina, And Winkelman, P.A. in Miami , Florida. He and his firm has successfully handled over 2,000 cases.

Founded by Warren R. McGraw II’s Father in 1963, McGraw Law Offices has since grown into a nationally recognized firm with locations in Pineville and Beckley, West Virginia, as well as in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm’s experienced legal team focuses on complex plaintiffs’ civil litigation, involving matters of significant public policy both in the United States and around the world. With more than 100 years of combined legal experience, attorneys are able to provide skilled representation in cases involving serious personal injury, wrongful death, pharmaceutical litigation, asbestos/benzene exposure, railroad/FELA law, automobile and trucking accidents, industrial accidents, major mass torts and class action litigation, and defective products. “While we handle many types of complex litigation, we hold true to the values of our small town beginnings,” McGraw says. “We are proud of our years of success not only in the litigation field but also in the personal and professional service that we provide to our clients.” McGraw Law Offices has been involved in major litigation in several states and many courts around the country. A few years ago, McGraw served as co-lead counsel in one of the largest flood cases in state history, representing more than 10,000 people in litigation that helped to establish certain mass litigation rules in West Virginia. He was also a lead attorney in litigation involving the 2010 explosion at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch coal mine. McGraw has been AV® Preeminent™ Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® and recognized by a number of prestigious organizations. He is a member of the American Bar Association, has been included in West Virginia Super Lawyers, and named one of the top 100 trial lawyers in West Virginia by the American Trial Lawyers Association. Notably, he is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. This certification, which is limited to attorneys who have won million- and multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements, demonstrates McGraw’s ability to accomplish superior results in complex cases. He notes, “These organizations provide me with a national network of experienced colleagues for information exchange, assistance, and professional referral.” Above all, McGraw emphasizes that the firm is committed to helping people who have no one else to turn to. “In many of our cases, individuals and communities are opposing giants of industry and Wall Street,” he says. “So I appreciate having the ability to help those people seek redress for the wrongs that have been committed against them.”

Sheldon L. Miller has defended the rights of Michigan residents as a top litigator and expert counsel for more than 40 years. Mr. Miller graduated from Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961. In 1971, he originated the idea for what is called "mediation" in the state of Michigan. As a pioneer in this area of law, Mr. Miller was asked to form a committee to put the concept into rule form. He also served as the first mediator on behalf of the Plaintiff's Bar in the State of Michigan. In 1979, Mr. Miller served as president of the newly founded Mediation Tribunal Association, a non-profit corporation, formed to oversee the mediation process in Wayne County ( Detroit ). He served as president until 1992. With the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), Mr. Miller served as a former vice-president, parliamentarian and secretary, and he was also president of the Detroit chapter of the ATLA. He also received the prestigious Champion of Justice award from the ATLA in 1998, and he has served on the Board of Governors of the ATLA since 1977. Mr. Miller served as president of the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association (MTLA) and also received the Champion of Justice award from the MTLA. As a trial lawyer, Mr. Miller introduced new concepts to the legal community. In Placek v. City of Sterling Heights, he served as trial and appellate counsel and brought pure comparative negligence to Michigan. This case was cited 13 times by the Illinois Supreme Court when it threw out contributory negligence and adopted comparative negligence as the standard. Mr. Miller is a frequent lecturer and author on trial strategies and also teaches trial practice as an adjunct professor of law. Mr. Miller's other accomplishments include testifying on Federal No-Fault before the U.S. Congress, founding Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, and authoring several well-received legal articles. Mr. Miller was profiled in the books The Million Dollar Lawyers and Detroit's Powers and Personalities, and he was also rated by the New York Law Journal as "one of the top tort litigators in the United States." To find out more about Sheldon L. Miller or any of our other personal injury lawyers, contact our firm near Detroit today.

Deena R. Merlen is a Partner at the firm. She serves clients at both our New York and Stamford offices and heads the Connecticut practice. Her practice areas include intellectual property, employment and labor law, media and entertainment, general business law, commercial transactions and dispute resolution. In her employment practice, Ms. Merlen is a trusted “go to” problem solver and counsel to individuals, established name brand companies and startups alike. She has extensive experience representing clients in matters including general counseling, discrimination actions, mediations and dispute resolution, investigations by federal or state agencies, as well as wage and hour claims and other labor law matters. She also advises on and regularly negotiates employment and separation agreements, independent contractor arrangements and other services-related arrangements. Ms. Merlen also counsels clients on employment and business matters in response to a crisis or other unexpected business impact, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting business closures, including continuity plans, employee furloughs, reductions in force and other critical measures. In her intellectual property practice, Ms. Merlen helps her clients with the development, acquisition and protection of their valuable brands and other vital intellectual property assets. She manages and grows trademark portfolios in the U.S. and internationally; negotiates licensing, assignment, distribution and branding agreements; prosecutes trademark and copyright registrations; enforces intellectual property rights; and provides strategic counsel to safeguard brand platforms and expand the value of her clients’ intellectual property assets. Ms. Merlen’s media practice encompasses the development and protection of creative works in the fields of music, film, television, theatre, publishing, literary arts, performing arts, design and technology. She ran her own business in the entertainment industry for over a decade and brings that business experience and acumen to her legal practice. In addition, Ms. Merlen provides general business counsel and represents clients in company and transactional matters such as partnerships, joint ventures, licensing arrangements, the purchase or sale of businesses, and a wide range of other corporate matters, including company formation, capitalization and governance, compliance and contracts. Representative clients include technology companies, schools and other academic institutions, personal care and beauty companies, fashion and design companies, media, arts and entertainment companies, wholesalers, retailers and more. Prior to her work with RPJ, Ms. Merlen served as Law Clerk to The Honorable Roger J. Miner of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, after which she joined Debevoise & Plimpton, where she practiced for over five years in the areas of corporate law and intellectual property. Ms. Merlen is admitted to practice in Connecticut and New York.

Karl joined the Firm in 2004. He has published articles and has given numerous ICLE lectures in his short tenure. His areas of expertise include Creditor/Debtor's Rights, Bankruptcy, Guardianships, Foreclosure Law, Civil Litigation, Real Estate/Real Property and out of court workouts. He has extensive experience handling all aspects of debtor/creditor's rights, both in the New Jersey State and Federal Courts. In addition to prosecuting foreclosure cases for both private as well institutional lenders, he has also handled many contested foreclosures for Debtors, which often results in loan modifications and/or forbearance agreements and Deeds in Lieu of foreclosure. Mr. Norgaard effectively and efficiently resolves disputes between the parties with a common sense approach of analyzing the client's legal exposure and rights while always seeking to find an amicable resolution as soon as possible in an effort to curtail needless litigation.

Lisa M VanAuken is a Houston Family Law Attorney. While she grew up in Northern New York, she has lived in Houston, Texas area since 1995 and has made the Houston area her home. Lisa VanAuken graduated Magna Cum Laude from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1995 with a B.A. in Political Science. Lisa went on to graduate from the University of Houston Law Center, where she was a member of Phi Delta Phi, a national legal honor society. While in law school Lisa M VanAuken gained her first exposure to the family law court system when she did her legal internship with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office Family Criminal Law Division, where she advocated on behalf of victims of domestic violence to obtain protective orders. Since being licensed in November 1998 Lisa has practiced exclusively in the area of family law. Over the last 19 years she has gained valuable experience handling uncontested divorces, contested divorces, high asset property divisions, paternity suits, step-parent adoptions, infant adoptions, interstate adoptions, contested child custody suits, child custody modifications, child support cases, child support modification cases, protective orders, and Attorney General Office cases. While she practices primarily in Harris County, she has also represented clients in Fort Bend, Brazoria, and Galveston Counties.

Ty was born and raised in the heart of the Pineywoods in Longview, Texas. Making his way to Houston to attend law school and ultimately founded Gibson Hill PC in 2013. While attending South Texas College of Law, Ty personally managed a personal injury docket at a local law firm. This was Ty’s initial exposure to personal injury law, personal injury clients, and the skills necessary to cultivate a good attorney-client relationship, and ultimately a passion for assisting those who have been injured. Ty handles each client’s case as if it is a mission, knowing that each and every case will have their own set of obstacles that need to be addressed. This style of practice requires an open channel of communication with the client. This is essential in ensuring clients secure the outcome they deserve. This type of advocacy on behalf of individuals has turned countless denied claims into a victory on behalf of the injured party. In addition to assisting those injured by the negligence of others, Ty has had the opportunity to represent businesses and hospitals all over the State of Texas on business matters of all types. It is the relationships that are forged by assisting those in need through a troubled time that gravitates Ty to all clients in all legal matters. This is what has turned a business into a passion for Ty.