About the Authors
ALICE L. AKAWIE, A.B., 1975, University of California, Berkeley; J.D., 1979, University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Ms. Akawie is a principal at Marshall Akawie & La Piedra, P.C., Oakland.
OSCAR H. BEASLEY, B.A., 1949, University of Omaha; J.D., 1950, University of Iowa. Mr. Beasley is Senior Vice President and Senior Title Counsel with First American Title Insurance Company, Santa Ana.
MARJORIE FLOYD BURCHETT, B.A., 1981, University of California, San Diego; J.D., 1985, University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Ms. Burchett is a partner at Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps, San Diego.
DENA M. CRUZ, B.A., 1979, University of California, Santa Barbara; J.D., 1985, Santa Barbara College of Law. Ms. Cruz is senior counsel with Bryan Cave LLP, San Francisco.
PAUL E. FLORES is vice president and underwriting counsel for the Fidelity National Title Group (FNTG) of title insurers and the Fidelity National Title Insurance, Chicago Title Insurance, and Commonwealth Land Title Insurance companies. He also serves as the National e-Recording Legal Counsel for the Fidelity National family of title insurers. Mr. Flores has served as senior claims counsel and as an underwriter since 1982. He manages Fidelity’s Underwriting Office in Irvine and is an underwriter covering Fidelity’s title operations in Arizona, California, and Nevada. He is Chairperson of the Forms Section of the California Land Title Association (CLTA) Forms and Practices Committee. He has also been featured as a panelist at seminars sponsored by CLTA, CEB, and FNTG. Mr. Flores received his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his J.D. from the University of Southern California in 1978.
THEODORE R. FORREST, JR., B.S., 1973, Northeastern State College; J.D., 1977, San Joaquin College of the Law. Mr. Forrest practiced with Forrest & McLaughlin, Fresno.
CHARLES A. HANSEN, B.A., 1973, University of California, Los Angeles; J.D., 1977, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. Mr. Hansen is a partner with Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean, Oakland.
REBECCA U. LITTENEKER, B.S., 1979, University of Utah; J.D., 1983, University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Ms. Litteneker is Special Counsel with Severson & Werson, San Francisco.
ROD PASION, B.A., 1978, San Jose State University; J.D., 1981, Santa Clara University. Mr. Pasion is Vice President and Associate Regional Counsel with Chicago Title Company, San Francisco.
EDWARD S. RUSKY, B.A., 1968, University of California, Los Angeles; J.D., 1971, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. Mr. Rusky is Vice President and Associate Regional Counsel with Chicago Title Company, San Francisco.
JAMES T. STRAW, B.A., 1973, University of California, Los Angeles; J.D., 1977, Southwestern University. Mr. Straw is a partner with Bardellini, Straw & Cavin, San Ramon.
TIMOTHY R. SULLIVAN, B.A., 1983, and J.D., 1986, University of Missouri, Columbia. Mr. Sullivan is a partner with McLaughlin Sullivan LLP, Fresno.
DAVID V. WESTCOTT, B.S., 1974, Pacific Union College; J.D., 1977, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. Mr. Westcott is Vice President and Regional Counsel with First American Title Insurance Company, Sacramento.
About the 2019 Update Authors
GERALD W. CHALMERS, update author of chapter 8A, is Vice-President and Assistant General Counsel with Placer Title Company and Mother Lode Holding Company in Roseville. Mr. Chalmers has a wealth of title and escrow knowledge. He also has experience as an underwriter with Westcor Land Title Insurance Company.
DENA M. CRUZ, update author of chapters 6–8, is a litigator in Berding Weil LLP’s Walnut Creek office. Ms. Cruz worked for over 15 years in the title insurance industry. Her practice is primarily focused on real estate and insurance disputes. She is a former Chair of the International Law Section of the California State Bar, a former Vice Chair of the Council of State Bar Sections, and a former Vice Chair of the Real Property Section of the State Bar. She is also a former president of Commercial Real Estate Women of San Francisco (CREWSF) and is currently a Regent of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. She is a coauthor of a treatise on international real estate finance and has written numerous articles for the journals of the Real Property and International Law sections of the State Bar. She has been selected by her peers as a real estate Super Lawyer from 2010 to the present. Ms. Cruz received her undergraduate from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1979 and her law from Santa Barbara College of Law in 1985.
JOANNE L. DUNEC, update author of chapters 4, 5, 9, and 15, is Vice President and underwriting counsel with Old Republic Title Company, San Francisco. Prior to that, she was a shareholder at Miller Starr Regalia in Walnut Creek, where she specialized in real property transactions and land use regulation and development, with an emphasis on public and private partnership transactions. She is a frequent speaker and serves as an annual panelist and moderator of CEB’s program, Real Property Law Practice: Year in Review. Ms. Dunec was an advisor to CEB for California Easements and Boundaries: Law and Litigation (Cal CEB) and Ground Lease Practice (2d ed Cal CEB). She received her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, in 1990 and her B.S. from the University of Arizona in 1977.
TIMOTHY R. SULLIVAN, update author of chapters 11–14, is a partner with McCormick, Barstow LLP, Fresno. Mr. Sullivan has been selected for inclusion as a Super Lawyer in Insurance Coverage each year since 2008, and he was named one of the “Top 100 Insurance Lawyers in California” for 2013 and 2014 by the American Society of Legal Advocates. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He was elected President of the Fresno County Bar Association in 2011 and served on its Board of Directors from 2005 to 2012. He served on the Executive Committee of the Real Property Law Section from 2007 to 2010 and currently serves on the CEB Real Property Advisory Committee. Mr. Sullivan received the “Spirit of CEB” Award in 2011 and is a coauthor of chapters regarding insurance coverage and bad faith litigation for five other CEB books. He received his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Missouri at Columbia.
