CaseyGerry
CASEY GERRY SCHENK FRANCAVILLA BLATT & PENFIELD, LLP
Dedicated To The Pursuit Of Justice since 1947
Office Staff
Mary Jo has been with Casey Gerry for over 24 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare from San Diego State University and a certificate from the Lawyers Assistance Program from the University of San Diego. Mary Jo has had extensive experience in representing extremely seriously injured individuals who have suffered injuries such as paraplegia, quadriplegia, severe burns, brain damage, and other serious injuries. She has also worked closely with many families who have lost loved ones in catastrophic injuries.
When we represent a client, Mary Jo will work very closely with clients and has often maintained relationships with former clients that go back 20 years. On a day-in and day-out basis, many of Mary Jo's clients will call her to check in on the status of their case and ask her to help them address problems they are facing in their daily lives. Over the years, she has worked with David Casey, Sr., David Casey, Jr. and Robert Francavilla. Often years after we have concluded cases, clients will call Mary Jo to invite her to weddings, new births or other matters involving their family. That's the type of relationship she has developed with our clients. You can contact Mary Jo at mjc@cglaw.com or (619) 238-1811, ext. 130.
Jawid Habib has been with Casey Gerry since 2008. As a Case Assistant, he supports the attorneys in a wide variety of cases ranging from asbestos litigation to pharmaceutical claims. Jawid summarizes crucial case depositions and medical chronologies, and conducts in-depth legal case research for the firm’s attorneys. Recently, he has been helping to file claims on behalf of hundreds of clients afflicted with diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Moreover, he regularly corresponds with clients, medical professionals, the Social Security Administration and the United States military obtaining imperative information needed to file claims on behalf of asbestos clients.
Fluent in a multitude of languages and dialects, Jawid enjoys translating for all of Casey Gerry’s attorneys and investigative staff. In addition to his work at Casey Gerry, Jawid has been an active youth leader at the Afghan Community Islamic Center of San Diego. As a former president and secretary of ACIC’s youth program, Jawid has played an integral role in the allocation of hundreds of thousands of dollars for the community center, as well as raising funds for Afghanistan’s war-torn orphans and widows. He also performs English sermons every Friday at ACIC.
His parents fled Afghanistan following the 1979 Soviet invasion, seeking refuge in San Diego in the hopes of providing Jawid and his siblings a promising educational opportunity. As a first generation student, Jawid is currently studying at the University of California San Diego pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a minor in middle eastern studies. After he completes his studies, Jawid plans to attend law school.
Jawid enjoys spending time with his family, community, reading in different languages and playing basketball in his spare time. He is happily married to his wife, Nargis, and together they have a beautiful daughter. You can contact Jawid at jawid@cglaw.com or (619) 238-1811, ext. 170.
Aundra has been with Casey Gerry since 1994. After spending a number of years as a receptionist, Aundra was promoted to Administrative Assistant. She is responsible for ordering clients' medical records, which are required to develop the information to prove the extent of their damages. Aundra is helping develop new scanning procedures for the firm, so that our litigation pleadings and other documents can be quickly accessed by the legal staff whether they are in the office or working remotely. She also maintains several important firm databases and coordinates mailings and other projects. In her free time, Aundra enjoys spending time with family and friends. She is a member of the San Diego Legal Secretary Association, and serves as Secretary of the Sons and Daughters of Guam, Barrigada San Roke Group of Southern California. Please contact Aundra at adelmundo@cglaw.com or (619) 238-1811, ext. 160.
Beverly has been with Casey Gerry since 1998. She has an Associate of Arts Degree in Paralegal Studies from Kelsey Jenny College, earned a G.P.A. of 4.0 and received the Outstanding Graduate Award when she graduated. She has managed a very extensive case load which includes product liability cases, pharmaceutical litigation, premises liability, automobile accidents, and other serious injury matters. Before becoming a paralegal she worked at TRW Colorado Electronics as a Manufacturing Engineer and worked on many projects involving tracking, telemetry, command and communication devises used in satellites, unmanned space devises and the Space Shuttle. While at TRW she earned numerous NASA and Military Specification certifications in soldering, wiring, welding, bonding and chemical compounds. After that, she relocated to San Diego and began working as a production supervisor on the MD-11 Aircraft Program at General Dynamics, and at Kyocera as a production supervisor of ceramic electronic packages. Beverly has a wonderful sense of humor, particularly at Halloween. When she came to
Casey Gerry she began dressing up extensively for Halloween and began a tradition so that many employees are joining in with her each year with outlandish costumes.
Beverlys hobbies include writing childrens books, creating games for children, dancing, traveling, telling jokes, engaging in practical jokes, and enjoying her family and friends. She loves most sports as a participant and as a spectator. During May of each year, Beverly heads out to local elementary schools to promote National Fitness Month and leads the kids in a fun-filled, work-out assembly to help them earn the Presidential Fitness Award.
Beverly works with partner Gayle Blatt in the handling of very complex personal injury litigation. You can contact Beverly at beverlyd@cglaw.com or (619) 238-1811, ext. 131.
Andy Duckworth graduated from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He was on the Provost’s Honors List in June of 1988. Andy started with Casey, Gerry, Schenk, Francavilla, Blatt & Penfield, LLP in 1985 in a clerical position in the firm’s asbestos personal injury department. Under the mentorship and training of highly qualified paralegals and attorneys with enormous trial experience, Andy gained knowledge in the handling of complex litigation cases. In 1988, upon graduating from UCSD, he was offered a position as an asbestos paralegal. Since then, he has worked on hundreds of asbestos cases on behalf of families, military veterans, shipyard and construction workers, and even those who contracted asbestos related illnesses from "by-stander exposure". Andy’s work duties in the asbestos cases, which provided him with tremendous work experience, involved collecting and reviewing medical records; interviewing the clients and possible witnesses; drafting discovery to the defendants who are major corporations, and responding to their discovery; collecting, identifying and analyzing hundreds of trial exhibits; working with expert and percipient witnesses; and providing at-trial assistance to Frederick Schenk, the firm’s managing asbestos litigation partner, and for whom he has worked since 1985.
As Frederick Schenk’s practice expanded, so did Andy’s duties and array of cases. Today, together with Mr. Schenk and firm associate Jessica Klarer, Andy continues to work on asbestos cases, and other serious personal injury and wrongful death matters including product liability involving autos, seat belts, air-bags, power saws, fork-lifts, cranes and tires among other defective products. In addition, he works on cases involving automobile incidents, dog attacks, and slip and falls.You can contact Andy at aduck@cglaw.com or (619) 238-1811, ext. 136.
JUNE FLOWER
June Flower, one of the senior paralegals in our office, has worked with us for over 20 years. She has been involved in numerous complex cases, working closely with partner, Thomas Penfield. These cases included the tobacco litigation on behalf of Governor Gray Davis of California, and the Hahn Corporation case resulting in a jury verdict of over $16 million regarding asbestos abatement in a shopping mall. She also worked extensively on a case that achieved one of the largest recoveries in United States history representing car dealers against Honda, based on an illegal scheme of allocation of vehicles. More recently, June has worked on numerous serious personal injury and wrongful death matters. She has extensive computer knowledge, legal research, writing and investigative background, and is known for her organizational skills.
In her spare time, June is an annual speaker at the University of San Diego School of Law Civil Practicum where she gives a presentation to third-year law students on the utilization of paralegals in various business environments. She is Editor of Blue Ink a local blues society newsletter, does botanical illustration and painting, and participates annually in Chalk La Strada, an Italian festival in Little Italy, where she designs and executes a street painting for charity.
You can contact June at jflower@cglaw.com or (619) 238-1811, ext. 154.
Janet Haskell has been with Casey Gerry for over 24 years and has held numerous roles with our firm. She has a Bachelors Degree in psychology from UC Riverside and a paralegal certificate from the University of San Diego. She is currently a senior paralegal working on numerous complex personal injury cases. She works closely with Tom Penfield and Frederick Schenk, two of the partners in the firm. At one time Janet worked as a manager of the law firm and that experience has given her a unique oversight as to how Casey Gerry operates. Over the years she has developed the skills to analyze cases and has a good sense when reviewing files and identifying issues that can be important to the clients whom we represent. Janet enjoys getting to know our clients and being able to help them through difficult times. She finds it gratifying to hear from past clients about their achievements and successes over the years. You can contact Janet at jhaskell@cglaw.com or (619) 238-1811, ext. 161.
Deanna Hastings has been with Casey Gerry since 1989 and has been an integral part in managing all aspects of professional and personal matters for David Casey, Jr., senior partner of the law firm. During Mr. Caseys presidency of the Consumer Attorneys of California, she played an extensive role in coordinating his activities statewide and helping to implement his goals for the trial bar. Later, she assisted Mr. Casey during his presidency of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (now AAJ--American Association for Justice), with over 65,000 trial lawyer members nationally. Again, Deanna stepped forward in an executive role, overseeing and managing all local and out of state activities, acting as liaison between Mr. Casey and ATLAs 165 employees in Washington, D.C. Her activities brought her into personal contact with many U.S. Senators, supervising numerous profitable fund-raisers and developing a national reputation for her efficiency.
Deanna has adapted to every assignment asked of her. Currently, she assists the co-chair of the Judicial Selection Advisory Committee for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and serves as executive assistant to the co-chair of the Federal Judicial Selection Advisory Committee for Senator Diane Feinstein. Likewise, she acts as an executive assistant to the President of the Civil Justice Foundation, as well as the President-Elect of the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. Also, she has served as executive assistant to the Republican Trial Lawyers Caucus of California and played a significant role in the birth of the National Republican Trial Lawyers Caucus.
Moreover, Deanna has taken on the role of senior executive assistant to the firm by overseeing the renovation of the Casey Gerry building, assisting in managerial functions and back up, accounts payable, and facility operations. Deanna is a native San Diegan who married Robert, her high school sweetheart and together they have two children. In her spare time, Deanna plays a large role in fund-raising efforts through her childrens school PTA and is involved in AYSO, CV little league and BV ASA. Deanna also has artistry for floral design, catering, and event planning. You can contact Deanna at deannah@cglaw.com or (619) 238-1811, ext. 152.
Steve Leonard is our legal assistant in charge of calendaring and coordinating court dates, depositions, and all matters pertaining to the calendaring of the firm. His role is particularly important in that the San Diego courts have a fast track system whereby once a matter is filed, the courts schedule cases for trial between 12-14 months from that date. This is different from many other jurisdictions in California and certainly different from jurisdictions out of California. Therefore, when a case is filed, it is very important they be properly managed so that one can be prepared by the trial date. Steve received a Bachelor of Arts in History from Christian Heritage College in 1991 and worked as an administrative assistant for United States International University (now Alliant International University) and as a legal assistant for a business law firm before joining Casey Gerry. Steve has outstanding management skills and is extremely proficient in the complex software programs used in litigation. His outside activities include tennis, reading and a good game of Texas Hold 'Em. He is also an avid fan of Professional Bull Riding. He is critical in the day-to-day operation of Casey Gerry making sure our legal cases are successfully prosecuted. You can contact Steve at sleonard@cglaw.com or (619) 238-1811, ext. 133.
Casey Gerry is fortunate to have Elizabeth Mackres as its office manager. Liz has been with the firm since 1989 when she was hired to be Systems Manager after serving in that capacity with San Diego Credit Association and Torrey Pines Bank. She has been managing the office since 2001. She attended California State University Northridge. She continues to pursue educational opportunities by taking classes at UCSD Extension, Mesa College and by being an active member of the Association of Legal Administrators where she serves as secretary of the association. She has devoted herself to creating effective systems for the Casey Gerry staff to best assist our clients. As the office manager, Liz oversees all aspects of the operation of Casey Gerry. She works closely with all of the staff to make sure the law firm is running smoothly at all times for the benefit of the legal clients whom we represent. The excellent working relationship she has with each of our staff members has enabled all of our paralegals, investigative staff and other staff members to focus 100 percent of their efforts on helping our clients. You can contact Liz at lizm@cglaw.com or (619) 238-1811, ext. 137.
Brendon Marshall, one of Casey Gerry’s law office clerks, joined the team in July of 2008. He graduated Granite Hills High School in 2006 and now attends UCSD, where he is double majoring and will graduate in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science: Public Law and Law and Society. After graduation, he will pursue a career in personal injury law. Over the years, Brendon has joined various programs and groups such as the San Diego Teen Court Program in 2006 and the National Political Science Honors Society in 2008. Brendon enjoys working with the entire Casey Gerry team and looks forward to his career in law. You can contact Brendon at brendon@cglaw.com.
Kathy Ronan has been with Casey Gerry for nearly 19 years. She works as a paralegal with one of Casey Gerrys veteran trial lawyers, Tom Luneau. She is a graduate of the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts and received her certification in paralegal work in June of 1987 from USD. She also attended Seattle University for the Masters Program in Public Administration, which she almost completed when she relocated to San Diego. In 1991, Kathy served as president of the San Diego Paralegal Association. She is known for her efficiency and incredible commitment to the clients she represents. Very often we will receive notes from clients that she and Tom have represented thanking them for the efforts they made on their behalf. Kathy is an example of the type of long-term commitment employees have had with Casey Gerry clients. When she is not working, Kathy volunteers for the Alzheimers Association and the Rock N Roll Marathon Leukemia Society. What she likes about Casey Gerry is its informal atmosphere and that clients become part of the family. There are always new and exciting cases with unique individuals we represent. She says the challenge in working with each of her clients is to help them get their world back to normal. You can contact Kathy at kronan@cglaw.com or (619) 238-1811, ext. 129.
Shari Schenk has been in charge of Casey Gerry's marketing department since 1999. She is a graduate of Tufts University with a degree in economics and holds a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in marketing from San Diego State University. She has worked on numerous marketing campaigns and volunteers her vast professional expertise to several non-profit organizations, including the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, the San Diego Jewish Academy, and the United Jewish Federation. She is married to firm partner, Frederick Schenk, and together they have three children. Her incredible talents have assisted Casey Gerry in communicating to the public its professionalism and commitment to the people we represent. You can contact Shari at sschenk@cglaw.com or (619) 238-1811.
Christina Slomanson is a 2007 graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American & Latina/o Studies with an emphasis in Women and Immigration Issues. A front desk receptionist at Casey Gerry since September 2008, Christina has enjoyed working with people who believe in the true value of dedication and hard work in the pursuit of justice. Christina enjoys greeting people on the phone and in person, assisting clients with their diverse needs on a daily basis. Christina is a member of the San Diego Legal Secretary Association and regularly volunteers for the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association. She hopes to attend law school in the future and work in the area of immigration policy reform. A San Diego native, Christina is active in the local Latino community. In her spare time she practices yoga and enjoys traveling to Mexico with family and friends. You can contact Christina at christina@cglaw.com.
Casey Gerry is delighted to have April Todd as one of our file clerks. April has been working in the legal field for almost two years. She always has a "can do" attitude and is a team player always willing to help get the job done. Currently, she is taking a legal secretary course to expand her knowledge in the field. In the future, she plans to go back to school to pursue a college degree. April was born and raised in Northern California. Her husband is a member of the United States Navy, and together they have two beautiful children. In her spare time, April enjoys going on trips with her family, cooking and baking, and watching sports. She hopes to remain at Casey Gerry for many years to come and is proud to be a part of this prestigious firm. You can contact April at april@cglaw.com.
Sandra is in charge of the word processing department at Casey Gerry. She first began working at Casey Gerry in 1989. Virtually every important pleading filed in the court for our firm is prepared by Sandra. She is an incredibly capable individual with decades of experience in preparing legal documents and written legal arguments. She attended San Diego Mesa College and previously worked for General Dynamics as a word processing specialist preparing very difficult and highly sensitive technical reports and manuals. She has received numerous certificates of completion for word processing courses from the Lienhard Consulting Group and is highly skilled in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, and Windows. Sandra exemplifies the importance of each employee of the firm as she works hard to make sure the product we produce for our clients is the very best.
Also, Sandra is incredibly dedicated to other employees of the firm, never forgetting a birthday and always coming up with fun and wonderful ideas for office functions reflecting the positive camaraderie at Casey Gerry. Each year she organizes and caters our company picnic event. When not working, Sandra enjoys cooking for friends and family and spending time with her son. You can contact Sandra at sware@cglaw.com or (619) 238-1811, ext. 163.
Loreta Willkomm has been with Casey Gerry for over 24 years. She graduated from James Campbell High School in Hawaii and received her Bachelors degree from Webster University in Business Management. Loreta is in charge of all the accounting matters for Casey Gerry and receives all the trust accounts for the clients. She has managed thousands of trust accounts for our clients over her tenure with our firm. At one point or another she is involved with every case in the office as she is in charge of reviewing all accounting matters. She has showed incredible commitment to Casey Gerry over the years and we are very fortunate to have her with us. Loreta enjoys sharing her love for the Polynesian dance culture and during her spare time she teaches Hawaiian and Tahitian dancing. Loretas husband Jeff is a peace officer with the San Diego Police Department. They have five children. You can contact Loreta at loretaw@cglaw.com or (619) 238-1811, ext. 134.
Abraham Ziegler is our on site Information Technology (IT) specialist and all around swell guy. Abe graduated in the winter term of 2009 with a B.S. in Economics from Strayer University. Shortly after graduating he obtained a California real estate brokers license. He plans to attend law school in San Diego, and to pursue a career in real estate/taxation law. He loves to be the helping hand to such a great law firm as Casey Gerry. You may contact Abe at abe@cglaw.com or 619-238-1811 ext. 145.
