Aaron Olsen, who earlier this year served as co-lead class counsel in litigation against Donald Trump and Trump University, has been promoted to partner at Zeldes Haeggquist & Eck.
A graduate of California Western School of Law, Olsen has spent the last seven years of his practice as an associate in ZHE’s employment law and consumer litigation departments. He focuses his practice on representing employees in all aspects of labor and employment litigation in federal and state courts and is experienced in prosecuting complex class-action lawsuits, including consumer fraud actions, product defect cases, wage and hour actions, and unfair competition and false advertising claims, among others.
Late last year, as you know, Olsen was part of a multilawyer team that negotiated a $25 million settlement on behalf of students who attended Trump University. He was the first lawyer to field the phone call from and investigate the claims of Tarla Makaeff, who would eventually become the class representative in the case, and was instrumental in prosecuting the nearly seven-year litigation against Trump and his company.
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Shailendra “Shay” Kulkarni has been named a shareholder at Sullivan Hill Lewin Rez & Engel. Kulkarni, who joined Sullivan Hill as an associate in 2015, focuses his practice primarily in the areas of construction, insurance coverage litigation and analysis, and complex civil litigation. He also practices in the areas of surety litigation and construction-industry contracts. Prior to joining Sullivan Hill, Kulkarni practiced in the areas of construction and surety litigation in New Orleans. He is a member of various organizations including the State Bar of California, the Louisiana State Bar Association, the ABA Forum on Construction Law, and the National Bond Claims Association. In 2017, Kulkarni will be serving a second term as chair of the San Diego County Bar Association’s Construction Law Section.
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Kathryn Martin and Michael Campbell have been promoted to partner at Higgs Fletcher & Mack. Their advancement brings the organization’s partner total to 46 and was based on numerous factors, including professional expertise, ethics, judgment, leadership, client responsibility, productivity, business development and community involvement.
“Kate and Michael are extremely talented and valued members of our firm. These promotions are well deserved and we’re proud of their accomplishments,” said John Morrell, managing partner of Higgs Fletcher & Mack.
Martin joined Higgs in 2005, and he specializes in the defense of businesses and individuals in all phases of litigation, including general civil, business, class action, health care, public entity and transportation law in all California state and federal courts. Recently, she successfully defended one of the state’s largest school districts in a three-week jury trial. Martin also represents clients in arbitrations and administrative proceedings.
Campbell’s practice focuses on defending individuals and entities in all forms of litigation. He has successfully represented clients in the state and federal courts, including the California Court of Appeal. Prior to joining Higgs Fletcher & Mack, Campbell practiced in the employment law group at a national firm in San Diego. He also served as a solicitor in the United Kingdom, where he still holds an active license to practice with one of the country’s most respected trade union defense firms.
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The American Bar Association (ABA) Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) has honored San Diego trial attorney, educator and longtime TIPS speaker Ken Turek with its prestigious “Pursuit of Justice Award.” The award recognizes lawyers and judges across the nation who demonstrate outstanding merit and provide access to justice for all.
Turek received the award at the TIPS leadership meeting at the Hotel del Coronado recently, where local trial attorney and past TIPS chair Dick Semerdjian delivered remarks on Turek and his decorated career.
“Over the course of his career, Ken Turek has represented numerous underprivileged plaintiffs resulting in outstanding trial verdicts and has received significant awards for his excellence in the courtroom,” Semerdjian said. “Ken frequently speaks on balance and fulfillment issues for lawyers and has been a tremendously instrumental motivational speaker for the TIPS Leadership Academy.”
Turek, a San Diego-based attorney specializing in civil trials, has practiced in California for more than 35 years. When his two children were young, Turek shared with those at the event, he traveled the country for trials — one of which kept him right in San Diego. Upon sharing the news he’d be home for the upcoming trial, his youngest son — then 7 years old — said, “Dad, even when you are here, you aren’t here.”
“It was a moment in life when I wondered, ‘Wow, what am I doing,’” Turek said.
It was a pivotal instance in Turek’s life, which led him to years of discovering and sharing strategies to deal with the unique issues lawyers face. Turek often shares his personal insight and professional experiences at TIPS meetings and also teaches how lawyers and the justice system can better protect people and communities, at national seminars.
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The San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA) will recognizes distinguished individuals and organizations for their commitment to serving the San Diego community in May during Law Week, at its Annual Awards Luncheon & Celebration of Community Service. You have until Jan. 31 to nominate someone for this year’s event. Nominating someone is good for your law firm, it will be good for exposure for you, and could build an important relationship in the community.
The categories include:
• Outstanding Attorney; nominees should be an exemplary attorney who, over the course of a career, has demonstrated significant legal expertise and professionalism and who has made an outstanding contribution to the legal profession, the justice system, and/or the public.
• Outstanding Jurist; nominees should be an exemplary jurist who, over the course of a career, has provided outstanding service to the bench, the legal profession, and/or the community.
• Service by a New Lawyer; nominees should be a new lawyer who has demonstrated a significant commitment to serving the legal profession via legal education, mentoring or community service and has not practiced more than seven years.
• Service to Diversity; nominees should be a member of the legal profession over a substantial period of time in promoting and encouraging diversity within the legal profession or the legal community.
• Service by a Public Attorney; nominees should be an attorney with a combination of excellence in the practice of law in the public sector with significant service to the community, to mentoring, to the legal profession, to SDCBA, or to legal education.
• Service to the Legal Community; nominees should be an attorney who has outstanding long-term or significant contributions to furthering the goals of the legal profession and promoting ethics, integrity, and professionalism in the practice of law by legal education, civics education, mentoring, or service to SDCBA.
• Community Service; nominees should be an attorney, law firm or agency that has outstanding contributions to the needs of the community (e.g. charitable, cultural, humanitarian, or educational), other than directly through the San Diego County Bar Association.
• Distinguished Citizen or Organization; nominees should be a lay person or group not composed primarily of lawyers or judges whose contributions over a period of time have had a significant favorable impact on some facet of the legal system or legal community or civics education.
Randy Frisch is in-house counsel for the National University System. He can be reached at rcfrisch@msn.com
