Abogados de habla Español

Christopher Banys

Banys, P.C.

• Christopher Banys started Banys, P.C. with one goal in mind: providing intelligent, effective, advocacy to help his clients achieve justice. A dedicated civil trial lawyer with experience in numerous types of cases, Mr. Banys brings his passion for justice to every client, in every case. Mr. Banys fights hard for his clients. In 2015 alone, Mr. Banys served as lead trial lawyer in five trials – and won all five. The following year, Mr. Banys won three trials, including a $12.5 million jury verdict for breach of contract against Qualcomm in San Diego. Overall, his tenacity has resulted in recovering tens of millions of dollars for his clients, as well as winning several defense victories. Indeed, the National Trial Lawyers Association named Mr. Banys among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers from 2012-2020. The Recorder named Mr. Banys a  “Lawyer On The Fast Track”  in 2012, one of just 50 lawyers in California to receive that honor. Banys' commitment to justice includes lending a hand to those in need who cannot afford legal help, earning him pro bono awards including: An Equal Justice America fellowship; several law firm awards, including pro bono associate of the year; the Legal Services for Children’s 2008 Pro Bono Advocate Award; and a Certificate of Appreciation from the Northern District of California’s Silicon Valley Pro Bono Project in 2011.Mr. Banys first became well known for helping inventors stand up to patent infringers, regardless of their size, and served as lead trial lawyer in scores of patent-infringement cases around the country. As a result of his knowledge and reputation, Mr. Banys was invited to debate proposed patent legislation in the U.S. Senate and submitted congressional testimony on the issue of patent reform. He also presented at the first international Cloud Law Summit in London, England.Mr. Banys also has extensive experience litigating complex business disputes, class-action, construction defect, employment, catastrophic personal injury and dangerous and defective medical product cases in federal, state and administrative-law courts and in arbitration.Recent cases include:Ixchel v. Biogen, (E.D. Cal. ): Mr. Banys will argue before the California Supreme Court in September, 2020 on behalf of Ixchel, a small pharmacuetical research company. Ixchel alleges that Biogen intentionally prevented Ixchel from bringing a first-of-it’s kind cure for a neurological disease to American patients so that Biogen would not face competition for its own $4 billion a year drug. Ixchel alleges that Biogen paid Ixchel’s development partner $1 billion to stop working with Ixchel on the drug and never bring the new cure to market. SAI v. QUALCOMM, (San Diego Sup. Ct): Won a $12.5 million jury verdict Representing start-up SAI in a breach of contract case alleging that QUALCOMM used SAI source code in its products without making the required payments. Freeny v. Murphy Oil, (E.D. Tex); Won a $9.25 million jury verdict for three brothers in patent infringement case involving automated synchronous price and advertising technology;Paton v. AMD, (Santa Clara Sup. Ct.): Mr. Banys served as lead trial lawyer for a class of over 1,700 employees against major Silicon Valley employer who wrongfully employees vacation pay by miscategorizing the benefit as "sabbatical" and obtained a $5.4 million settlement for the plaintiff class;Mr. Banys earned his law degree from Boston University School of Law, where he was a Dean's Scholar. While at B.U., Mr. Banys participated in the school's exceptional Criminal Clinic program where he tried criminal cases in Massachusetts state courts for two semesters. Christopher Banys, along with a good friend, also won the school’s negotiation competition, going on to represent B.U. in regional competition. Mr. Banys spent his final semester of law school studying at Oxford University in Oxford, England. He earned his undergraduate degree in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of California (Berkeley), with high honors and high distinction in general scholarship.For more of Mr. Banys's cases and practice areas, visit our Services pages.Mr. Banys earned his law degree from Boston University School of Law, where he was a Dean's Scholar. While at B.U., Mr. Banys participated in the school's exceptional Criminal Clinic program where he tried criminal cases in Massachusetts state courts for two semesters. Mr. Banys, along with a good friend, also won the school’s negotiation competition, going on to represent B.U. in regional competition. Mr. Banys spent his final semester of law school studying at Oxford University in Oxford, England. He earned his undergraduate degree in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of California (Berkeley), with high honors and high distinction in general scholarship.Mr. Banys founded the Intellectual Property Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice and is active in several other legal associations.Mr. Banys is an outdoorsman and a commercially-rated pilot.Prior to founding Banys, P.C., Mr. Banys started and led the Palo Alto, California office of a prominent national trial firm and ran that firm’s intellectual property practice for five years, and before that, had been associated with several Silicon Valley law firms.Mr. Banys is admitted to practice before the following courts:The United States Supreme Court;The United States Courts of Appeal for the Federal and Ninth Circuits;The United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern Districts of California; the Western District of Wisconsin; the District of Nebraska; the District of Colorado; the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; and the Eastern District of Texas;The California Supreme Court and all other California state courts.Mr. Banys has also practiced and served as lead counsel in trials and hearings in arbitrations and in multiple administrative-law courts, including the International Trade Commission, The California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, The Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, and Federal Immigration Court.

Eran Lagstein

Lagstein Law Firm, P.C.

• As an advocate of the injured, Eran Lagstein is the founder of Lagstein Law Firm. He handles personal injury, class actions, insurance bad faith, invasion of privacy, defamation, libel and slander cases throughout California. Additionally, Mr. Lagstein takes cases involving labor and employment, civil rights, contract disputes and professional malpractice, at times defending clients who are facing frivolous lawsuits.Ever the voice of the “little guy,” Mr. Lagstein is prepared to take on anyone in negotiations or litigation. He has successfully battled large insurance companies and corporations, holding them responsible for the damages clients have suffered. As a leader in personal injury law, he understands that a car accident or medical mistake often leaves people with much more than just physical repercussions. There are serious financial and emotional implications as well, and Mr. Lagstein fights for every dollar.Among his accomplishments, Mr. Lagstein has secured six- and seven-figure awards on behalf of clients. These often come in the form of settlements, though he has also obtained favorable jury verdicts. As a result, Mr. Lagstein holds honors such as an Avvo “Superb” rating and being recognized in Lawyers of Distinction.In 1996, Mr. Lagstein graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He then received a Juris Doctor in 1999 from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law.Mr. Lagstein is fluent in Spanish, English and Hebrew. He is a member of The State Bar of California, the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the American Association for Justice and the American Bar Association.

Cynthia L. Counts

Duane Morris LLP

• Cynthia Counts is a partner in the Atlanta office of Duane Morris LLP, focusing on libel, privacy, copyright and First Amendment law. A seasoned litigator with more than 25 years of trial and appellate experience, Counts defends individuals, newspapers, websites, television stations and businesses nationally in libel, as well as breach of contract, invasion of privacy, fraud, and media access matters. She also represents media and publishing companies in conducting prepublication review, prior restraint matters and to gain access to court proceedings or public documents. She is best known for her aggressive motions practice, and for her success in winning libel cases outright in the early stages of litigation before expensive discovery becomes necessary. In that regard, Counts has been at the forefront of the quest for a broad application of Georgia’s anti-SLAPP statute, enacted in 1996 to provide an early mechanism for the dismissal of harassing libel litigation. Recent matters: serving as lead counsel for media company in a Maine libel case involving defamation, false light and other claims(2020); obtained order granting anti-SLAPP motion and awarding our media client all attorneys' fees in Ga. defamation case (2019); secured dismissal for media company in Michigan defamation case in exchange for agreement not to seek sanctions/attorney fees against plaintiff for false pleading of material facts (2018); using anti-SLAPP statute, secured dismissal of a libel claim against a Connecticut media company (2018); assisted in successful anti-SLAPP defense for television client in a California libel matter and won award for attorney fees (2018); summary judgment for client in defamation claim filed against Atlanta TV station for story reporting that veteran had lied about receiving Purple Heart award (2016) (this decision was affirmed by Georgia Court of Appeals, 2017); prevailed on a motion to dismiss in the Nevada District Court arguing that Cox Communications was immune from liability under the Communications Decency Act (“CDA”) for passively hosting websites containing information regarding an expunged criminal conviction (2017); used amended Georgia anti-SLAPP statute to secure early stage dismissal of libel complaint in which plaintiff alleged that defendant’s notification to insurance company about possible arson in a house fire constituted defamation (2017); obtained dismissal of a libel suit against a community newspaper in Georgia by an individual who alleged that the newspaper’s report of her arrest was false and defamatory (2016); dismissal of a defamation claim against CBS affiliate by physician investigated in cosmetic surgery deaths (2015); summary judgment for a reality TV performer in a libel claim over comments she made on her network show (2015); early summary judgment for hosts of a popular Spanish radio program sued for libel over satirical comments on their show (2015); voluntary dismissal of a libel claim against a whistleblower in a Department of State matter involving alleged contract fraud (2014); and an 11th Circuit order for sanctions of $545,000 against plaintiffs who filed a frivolous libel claim against a Rolls Royce club member (2008). Counts has also litigated successfully for individual clients with free speech concerns: from those speaking out about assisted suicide in a state that tried to prohibit such speech, to individuals facing anti-gay discrimination in requests for vanity license plates, to those wrongfully arrested for verbally criticizing law enforcement, or for uttering profanities a public meeting. She is a sought-after commentator and writer on libel, privacy, Internet, the First Amendment and open government law. In 2014, she became a member of the governing board of the American Bar Association Forum on Communications Law. She is a director of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation and chairs the Media Law Resource Center’s Newsgathering Committee. Counts is also an adjunct professor teaching media law at Emory University Law School and has taught in the undergraduate journalism program. Counts is a 1992 graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law and a 1989 cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Mala L. Sharma

Sharma & Associates, P.C.

Rachel E. Khirallah

Khirallah PLLC

Kevin J. Tallant

Miles Hansford & Tallant, LLC

• Kevin J. Tallant is a founding partner of Miles Hansford & Tallant, LLC, located in Cumming, Georgia. Providing representation to clients throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area, his varied practice includes matters that involve local government law, breach of contract and other business disputes, probate litigation and property llaw.Mr. Tallant completed his Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in Spanish at the University of Georgia and graduated summa cum laude, and during his time there, he was invited to join Phi Beta Kappa. He then continued on to attend the University of Georgia School of Law and was awarded his Juris Doctor magna cum laude in 2002. Upon graduation, he was named to the Order of the Coif honor society. Admitted to practice in Georgia, Mr. Tallant spent two years working as a law clerk for the Honorable Thomas W. Thrash Jr. on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia following law school. He has been in private practice since that time, and the high regard in which he is held by his fellow professionals is reflected in his "Excellent" peer-review rating through Avvo.Mr. Tallant is an active member in several community and legal associations. Through a partnership with the Lanier Forsyth Rotary Club, Mr. Tallant started a program to provide local first responders with pro bono estate planning services. He serves or has served on the boards of directors for several charitable and civic organizations, including CASA of Forsyth County, the North Georgia Community Foundation, the Forsyth County Community Foundation, the Forsyth County Arts Alliance, and the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Community Advisory Board for Forsyth County. Mr. Tallant is also a member of the Forsyth County Bar Association, serves on the Board of The Citizens Bank of Georgia, and is a member of the 2020 Leadership Forsyth Class.

Barry A. Stein

De Cardenas, Freixas, Stein & Zachary, P.A.

• Barry A. Stein is a partner and the managing shareholder at the Law Offices of De Cardenas, Freixas, Stein & Zachary, P.A. The law firm is located at the historic Ingraham Building in downtown Miami and serves clients throughout Miami-Dade County, Florida. At the firm, Mr. Stein focuses on representing employees in workers' compensation matters; accident-related personal injury matters, including automobile accidents and slip-and-fall claims; persons harmed by the negligence of physicians or lawyers; commercial litigation; and individual and corporate contract disputes.Mr. Stein graduated cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts in history, and he later received his Juris Doctor with honors in 1980 from the University of Miami, School of Law. He was admitted to practice law in Florida in 1980. Mr. Stein maintains membership in local and national legal organizations such as the Dade County and American Bar Associations, Florida Justice Association, American Association for Justice and Miami-Dade Justice Association.Since 1997, Mr. Stein has been board certified in workers' compensation by the Florida Board of Legal Specialization and Education. In addition to his continued legal education and peer recognition in the legal community, Mr. Stein's office  has a  multilingual background and is fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese.

Roy Petty

Roy Petty & Associates PLLC

Samuel C. Breslin

Breslin Law Group, PLLC

• Principal attorney and founder of Breslin Law Group, PLLC, Samuel C. Breslin represents clients in Albany, Saratoga, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Greene, Warren and Columbia in New York and focuses on limiting long-term consequences and publicity.Mr. Breslin has almost a decade of experience, during which he has amassed a long list of successful results in cases involving pharmaceutical misbranding investigations, misdemeanors, felonies, New York State Liquor Authority matters, municipal litigation, New York State agency defense and administrative law, and alternative dispute resolution. Criminal charges and convictions often result in devastating outcomes, and he strives to protect his clients from these situations.Experienced in local, state and federal courts, Mr. Breslin has also handled zoning issues, property acquisitions, tax disputes, contract issues and personal injury litigation. In his business and commercial practice, he works with corporations to create a proactive approach to problems that may arise in the future.

Robert Throckmorton

Tomassian, Throckmorton & Inouye LLP

• Robert S. Throckmorton is a partner at Tomassian, Throckmorton & Inouye LLP, an Irvine, California, law firm. Mr. Throckmorton is a trial attorney, having achieved proven results on behalf of his clients. He has extensive experience litigating construction claims and defects, mechanic's liens, real estate and business disputes and appellate matters.Of the many favorable results, Mr. Throckmorton and Serge Tomassian recently obtained a net $1,245,000 judgment in favor of their client, a general engineering contractor. Their client claimed damages for the unpaid balance of $239,053 on a public works project, along with prompt payment penalties, prejudgment interest, costs and attorneys fees. Their client also had to defend against $500,000 in unwarranted back-charges, and a claim that it was an unlicensed contractor. (The client is a licensed engineering and general building contractor). The trial court entered judgment in favor of the client, and the judgment was upheld on appeal.Mr. Throckmorton also protected a judgment for his client in a published appellate decision at Mesa Forest Products, Inc. v. St. Paul Mercury Insurance Company (1999) 72 Cal.App.4th 324, 86 Cal.Rptr.2d 398. The case involved a Civil Code section 998 settlement offer and the defendant's post-offer payments.Mr. He also has been recognized with an Avvo Rating of 10.0.Mr. Throckmorton graduated in 1995 from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. He had previously received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Political Science in 1992, also from Brigham Young University. Between 1991 to 1992, Mr. Throckmorton served as a legislative correspondent to United States Senator Orrin Hatch.Mr. Throckmorton was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1995 and the United States District Court for the Central District of California in 1996. He is a member of the Business Litigation and Construction Law Sections of the Orange County Bar Association (OCBA). He chaired the Construction Law Section of the OCBA in 2008.

Lloyd Epstein

Epstein & Weil

• Lloyd Epstein is a cofounder and Partner of Epstein & Weil LLC, which is located in New York City. He focuses his practice in a variety of areas for his clients who are located throughout the greater metropolitan area.In his criminal defense practice, Mr. Epstein has successfully representation to people who have been charged by the state or federal government with felonies or misdemeanors. The types of matters that he has handled have included drug possession or distribution, weapons violations, embezzlement, fraud, and other white collar crimes, sex offenses, and assault and other violent crimes.Mr. Epstein has been able to obtain successful results for his clients, both through acquittals and through the negotiation of favorable plea agreements with the prosecution.Can You Ever Forgive Me?, the movie based on the autobiographical story of Lee Israel, one of this firm’s clients. Lloyd Epstein represented Ms. Israel in the early 1990s. Unhappy with her first attorney and facing the prospect of a jail sentence, Lee turned to Epstein & Weil to defend her on charges of forging “letters” from famous writers and stealing original letters from a rare document library. Her case gained notoriety when she published an account of her crimes which included praise and gratitude for Lloyd’s work in keeping her out of jail. See more about Lee’s story (and see Lloyd portrayed) in the film. Mr. Epstein also provides a variety of services for family-owned and closely held businesses. These have included the negotiation and preparation of contracts, business formation and planning, regulatory compliance, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in commercial litigation, and preparing nondisclosure and employment agreements. Other litigation matters that Mr. Epstein has handled have included breach of fiduciary duties, unfair competition, covenants not to compete and will contests based upon undue influence. Epstein is fluent in Spanish and Hebrew. He attended Williams College as an undergraduate, and he received a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in 1974. His legal education was obtained at New York University School of Law, where he received the Ann Petluck Poses Memorial Prize before being awarded his Juris Doctor in 1979.Admitted to practice in New York, Mr. Epstein is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Southern and Northern Districts of New York and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit.

Suzanne Lehman Johnson

Lehman Johnson Law, PLLC