BB&K In The News

Young Lawyers in Irvine, Ontario, Riverside and Indian Wells Offices Recognized by Peers

Eight Best Best & Krieger lawyers practicing throughout Southern California have been named among the top up-and-coming attorneys, 40-years-old or younger or practicing law for 10 years or less, in Super Lawyers’ 2013 Southern California Rising Stars. Super Lawyers lists attorneys who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and personal achievement. Only 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers Rising Stars lists.

In the firm’s Irvine office, Matthew “Mal” Richardson was listed for government law, Christopher D. Whyte for general litigation and Alisha M. Winterswyk for environmental law. Richardson assists clients in transactional and litigation issues relating to municipal government, land use and environmental law. Whyte represents public entities and private clients in a variety of litigation matters in federal and state courts. Winterswyk advises clients on state and federal environmental laws, with a specific expertise in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Three attorneys named to the list from the Riverside office were Scott W. Ditfurth and Lowell M. Zeta for business litigation, and Charity B. Schiller for environmental law. Ditfurth's practice focuses on civil litigation, with an emphasis on providing construction, contract and real property related litigation services to clients. Zeta practices labor and employment law and business litigation. Schiller helps clients navigate the maze of environmental laws that apply to development projects, including CEQA, NEPA and related environmental laws.

Laura L. Crane, based in the firm’s Ontario office, was named in the government law category. Crane is a trial lawyer who has been the lead trial attorney in more than twenty trials in both state and federal courts. She also has significant experience in aggressively negotiating the resolution of disputes before trial and even before a case is ever filed.

From the Indian Wells office, Kira L. Klatchko was recognized in the appellate law category for the fifth straight year. Klatchko is the only certified appellate law specialist in Riverside County. She handles both state and federal appeals arising from all areas of civil practice. In 2009, Klatchko was appointed to the State Bar of California’s Standing Committee on Appellate Courts, and is currently its acting chair.

About Super Lawyers
Super Lawyers rates outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. In the United States, Super Lawyers Magazine is published in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., reaching more than 13 million readers. Super Lawyers is published by Thomson Reuters.