COSTA MESA, Calif., July 16, 2012 – Rutan & Tucker, LLP, California’s largest full-service business law firm based in Orange County, is pleased to announce that six of its attorneys have been named to the annual list of Rising Stars in the Southern California edition of Super Lawyers magazine.
Those named to the 2012 list are Mark Austin, Caroline Djang, Gloria Lee, Lisa Neal, Epiphany Owen and Maria Stearns. They are among a select group in the top 2.5 percent of attorneys in the state to receive this honor. This is the sixth consecutive year that Austin has made the list. Djang and Stearns have also previously been recognized as Rising Stars.
Mark Austin: As a partner in the firm’s Business Litigation Department, Austin focuses on business litigation and municipal law, with an emphasis on real estate, land use and environmental litigation. He has extensive trial experience and has handled and argued numerous appeals.
Caroline Djang: Djang is a senior associate in the Corporate Restructuring and Creditors' Rights Group and a member of the firm's Business Litigation Department. Her practice includes the representation of debtors, secured lenders, chapter 11 trustees, landlords and other creditors in bankruptcy cases and adversary proceedings.
Gloria Lee: An associate in the firm’s Real Estate Department, Lee is a transactional attorney focusing on the financing and development of commercial, residential and resort properties. Her practice includes representing lenders, developers, landlords and tenants in all aspects of real estate transactions, including real estate secured financings, acquisitions, dispositions, leasing and Department of Real Estate filings.
Lisa Neal: Neal is a partner in the Litigation Department. She serves as the lead attorney for a number of small and large corporations, and has extensive first-chair trial experience in a wide range of matters including breach of contract, fraud and negligence claims, title insurance litigation, class action defense, complex personal injury, insurance product misstatements, and insurance bad faith.
Epiphany Owen: Owen is senior counsel in the firm’s Government & Regulatory Law Section, specializing in education law, labor and employment law and civil litigation. She represents a variety of public agencies and private clients in both administrative proceedings and in litigation before state and federal courts. She also serves as a member of the firm’s personnel committee.
Maria Stearns: Stearns is senior counsel in the firm's Employment Law Department, where she represents businesses in employment litigation and transactional matters. She has extensive wage and hour class action experience and has defended a wide variety of employment-related claims.
“We congratulate our colleagues on receiving this prestigious professional distinction,” said Kim Thompson, the firm’s managing partner.
Candidates for Rising Stars must be age 40 or under or have been practicing law for less than 10 years. The Rising Stars selection process is conducted by the research team at Super Lawyers, which is an affiliate of Thompson Reuters. The rigorous multi-phase process includes a statewide survey of lawyers, and independent evaluation of candidates by the research staff and a peer review.
About Rutan & Tucker LLP
Rutan & Tucker is California's largest full-service law firm headquartered in Orange County, California with offices in Costa Mesa and Palo Alto. Primary practice areas include corporate and securities law, business and real estate litigation, labor and employment law, intellectual property, real estate, government and regulatory law, land use law, bankruptcy, condemnation and property valuation, environmental law, and taxation and estate planning. Detailed information about the firm is available at www.rutan.com.