Attorneys

Dean Dunn-Rankin

Received his B.A. degree from the University of Hawaii in 1981, and his J.D. degree from the University of Southern California in 1985, Order of the Coif. Practicing in all areas of real estate law, Mr. Dunn-Rankin has substantial experience handling a wide variety of industrial, commercial/retail and residential transactions, including acquisitions, sales, financings, debt restructuring and workouts. Mr. Dunn-Rankin has special expertise representing both landlords and tenants in office, industrial, retail, restaurant and warehouse lease transactions. Mr. Dunn-Rankin is licensed to practice law in California and Texas.

Sandra A. Galle

Received her B.S. degree in Business/Finance from the University of Southern California in 1988 and her J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 1996. Ms. Galle practices public finance and land use law and general corporate and business law. In her public finance and land use practice, Ms. Galle represents landowners and developers on land development issues including infrastructure financing mechanisms such as Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts and assessment districts. Her corporate and business law experience covers business acquisitions, public and private offerings, and SEC compliance and other corporate governance matters, with an emphasis on emerging growth companies. For the five years prior to entering law school, Ms. Galle held various positions within the commercial lending industry.

William E. Halle

Received his B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, Los Angeles cum laude and with Departmental Honors and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1990. Mr. Halle specializes in land use and business litigation, and represents the firm’s clients on a variety of matters ranging from pre-litigation negotiations through the appellate courts. Mr. Halle practices before administrative agencies, state courts, federal courts and bankruptcy courts. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the National Down Syndrome Society and as the President of both Down Syndrome Foundation of Orange County and of Down Syndrome Foundation of Orange County. His published decisions include, among others, Southwest Center for Biological Diversity v. Berg, 268 F.3d 810 (9th Cir. 2001), and Center for Biological Diversity v. Norton, 212 F.Supp.2d 1217 (S.D.Cal. 2002).

Andrew K. Hartzell

Received his B.A. degree in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1985, summa cum laude, and his J.D. degree from Stanford Law School in 1988. Prior to entering into private practice, Mr. Hartzell clerked with the Honorable Edith H. Jones of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Mr. Hartzell's practice focuses on all aspects of natural resources and environmental law. He has extensive experience representing clients before, and negotiating with, state and federal agencies and commissions on matters relating to endangered species, wetlands, Clean Water Act, NEPA, hazardous materials and related land use issues. Mr. Hartzell provides regulatory compliance and preventive counsel to many of Southern California's largest landowners and development companies.

Lawrence J. Hilton

Received his B.B.A. Degree in Finance from the University of Houston in 1982, cum laude, and his J.D. Degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1991, with honors, Order of the Coif. Mr. Hilton's practice focuses on complex business and commercial litigation in both state and federal courts, including environmental and hazardous waste litigation, trademark, copyright, real estate, unfair competition and antitrust litigation. Mr. Hilton also has significant experience in the areas of insolvency and insolvency-related litigation and creditor's rights litigation. Mr. Hilton is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in the State of California, as well as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. His reported opinions include Standard Insurance Co. v. Saklad, 127 F.3d 1179 (9th Cir. 1997) and Castaic Lake Water Agency v. Whittaker Corp., 272 F. Supp. 2d 1053 (C.D. Cal. 2003).

John D. Hudson

Received his B.S. in Mathematics from Michigan State University in 1984, Phi Beta Kappa, and his J.D. degree from the University of Michigan in 1987, Order of the Coif and Associate Editor of the Michigan Law Review. Mr. Hudson previously practiced in the Corporations Department of O'Melveny & Myers. Mr. Hudson specializes in securities and general business law, including public offerings, private placements, SEC compliance, mergers and acquisitions, general corporate law, and limited liability company and partnership matters.

Dennis D. O'Neil

Received his B.A. degree from the University of Southern California and his J.D. degree from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. Over the past 29 years, Mr. O'Neil's practice has involved that area of the law commonly referred to as "land use law." Mr. O'Neil spent the first three years of his career after graduating from law school in the criminal and civil divisions of the Los Angeles City Attorney's office. Thereafter, he served as the Assistant City Attorney and then City Attorney for the City of Newport Beach from 1969-1979. Since leaving the City of Newport Beach, Mr. O'Neil has represented clients before all of the major counties and cities in southern California. Mr. O'Neil is a former City Attorney, Councilmember and Mayor of the City of Newport Beach.

Jay F. Palchikoff

Received his B.A. degree from UCLA in 1977, magna cum laude, and his J.D. degree from UCLA School of Law in 1982. Practicing in all areas of real estate law, Mr. Palchikoff has extensive experience handling a wide variety of commercial, industrial, retail and residential transactions, including acquisitions, sales, exchanges, financings, leases, sale-leasebacks, portfolio and stock-based acquisitions of real estate companies, debt and lease restructurings and workouts, development joint ventures, limited partnership offerings, cotenancy arrangements, construction agreements, management agreements, environmental indemnity agreements and development agreements.

Julie L. Plisinski

Received her B.A. degree in Political Science from the University of California at Irvine in 1994, cum laude, and her J.D. degree from Tulane Law School in 1998, cum laude. Ms. Plisinski's practice focuses on a wide range of real estate matters, including acquisitions, sales and development of commercial, industrial, residential and recreational properties, hospitals and healthcare facilities, leasing for office buildings, restaurants and commercial and industrial property, and real estate partner formation. Ms. Plisinski's practice also includes general corporate and business law, including formation and operation of limited liability companies and corporations, drafting of distribution, agency, employment and other highly negotiated agreements, mergers and acquisitions, and financing.

Paul A. Rowe

Received his B.A. degree from the University of North Dakota in 1980, magna cum laude, and his J.D. degree from the University of Minnesota in 1985, Order of the Coif. Mr. Rowe is also a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Rowe's expertise is in general corporate, and business law with an emphasis on securities and business acquisition matters. He has substantial experience in the securities area, including public offerings, private placements and SEC compliance, and has also handled a wide variety of merger and acquisition transactions. Mr. Rowe has represented clients in a variety of industries including the apparel, medical device, biotechnology and technology fields. A significant portion of Mr. Rowe's clients have been start-up and emerging growth companies or investors in such companies. Mr. Rowe is licensed to practice law in California and Minnesota.

Sandra W. Skahen

Received her B.A. in French Literature from La Sierra University in 1980, summa cum laude, and a B.S. in Dental Hygiene from Loma Linda University in 1984, summa cum laude. She received her J.D. degree from Chapman University School of Law in 2002. While studying at Chapman, she became interested in natural resources and environmental law while acting as Managing Editor of Nexus-A Journal of Opinion. Ms. Skahen is currently enrolled in the LLM program specializing in Taxation at Chapman University School of Law, her expected graduation date is Spring 2007.

William L. Twomey

Received his B.A. degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1977, magna cum laude, and his J.D. degree from UCLA School of Law in 1981, Order of the Coif. Mr. Twomey's expertise is in general corporate and business law with an emphasis on securities and business acquisition matters. He has substantial experience in the securities area, including public offerings, private placements and SEC compliance, and has also handled a wide variety of merger and acquisition transactions. A significant portion of Mr. Twomey's clients have been start-up and emerging growth companies or investors in such companies. Mr. Twomey has primarily represented clients in the technology field, particularly high technology, medical device and biotechnology. He also represents a number of companies in the apparel industry and is general counsel to the Surf Industry Manufacturers' Association.

John P. Yeager

Received his B.A. degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1980, Phi Beta Kappa, and his J.D. degree from UCLA School of Law in 1983. Mr. Yeager specializes in negotiating, implementing and restructuring infrastructure financing mechanisms such as Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts and assessment districts on behalf of landowners and residential, commercial and industrial developers. Mr. Yeager has an extensive background in all aspects of local, state and federal land use law having represented development companies for over 19 years on land development issues involving cities, counties, redevelopment agencies, school districts, special districts and state and federal agencies throughout California. He has lectured on land-secured public financing for both the UCLA Extension Public Policy Program and the UC Davis Extension Land Use and Public Finance Program and has served as a consultant to CEB on its two-volume treatise Practice Under the California Environmental Quality Act.