About the Authors
PHILLIP L. JELSMA received his B.S. degree from the University of Southern California and his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he was a member of the Stanford Law Review. Mr. Jelsma is a partner in Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson LLP (or cgs3), a San Diego law firm specializing in real estate transactions. He is an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego School of Law, where he teaches the Taxation of Property Transactions course. He has served as member of the State Bar of California Drafting Committees for the Beverly-Killea Limited Liability Company Act, the California Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, the Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, and the Revised Uniform Partnership Act. Mr. Jelsma is the Executive Editor of this title; the author of chapters 1, 5, and 9; and a co-author of chapters 4 and 7.
CHAD R. ENSZ received his B.A. degree from Wheaton College, his M.B.A. degree from the University of San Diego, and his J.D. degree from the University of San Diego School of Law, where he was a member of the law review and graduated summa cum laude. Mr. Ensz is a partner in the Corporate Group at Dentons, a global top-20 law firm with 3,000 lawyers and professionals in more than 80 locations spanning more than 50 countries. His practice focuses on general corporate transactional matters and regulatory compliance, including the representation of financial institutions and public and private companies in capital market transactions, mergers and acquisitions, licensing, joint venture and commercial transactions, and ongoing public company representation. He also has significant experience with general business matters, including the establishment of corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies; corporate governance; and general contractual drafting and negotiation. Mr. Ensz is a co-author of chapter 4.
JEFFREY L. FILLERUP is a business litigation partner in the San Francisco office of Rincon Law LLP. Since clerking for a federal district judge in 1984–1985, he has specialized in litigating and arbitrating business cases, including fiduciary duty cases involving bankruptcy trustees, corporate officers and directors, financial institutions, FINRA, and ERISA. He has significant discovery and motion practice experience, including preliminary injunctions and other pre-judgment procedures, and he has taken and defended more than 1,000 depositions. He is a Certified Legal Specialist in Franchise and Distribution Law by the State Bar of California, he served on the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization in 2014, and he served as the Chair of the State Bar of California Franchise and Distribution Law Advisory Commission in 2014. Mr. Fillerup is the author of chapter 8.
EDWARD GARTENBERG received his B.A. degree from Columbia University in 1971 and his J.D. degree from Columbia Law School in 1974. His practice experience encompasses complex business and securities litigation; arbitration; and federal, state, and regulatory investigations. He is experienced as counsel and as an expert witness in partnership, LLC, and securities issues. Mr. Gartenberg was formerly a Special Counsel at the Division of Enforcement of the SEC and a Special Assistant United States Attorney. He has served as an arbitrator for AAA and FINRA. Before co-founding his current firm, Gartenberg Gelfand Hayton LLP, he served as Chair of the SEC Defense and Securities Litigation practice of a major international law firm. Mr. Gartenberg also served as Chair of the Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies Committee of the State Bar of California. He has lectured numerous times at law schools, continuing legal education programs, and professional organizations. He has also written extensively on partnership, LLC, fiduciary duty, and ethics issues. Mr. Gartenberg is the author of chapters 2 and 3.
MELISSA M. KURATA received her B.A. degree from Northwestern University in 2007 and her J.D. degree in 2012 from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. She is an associate with Parker Mills LLP and a business litigator with experience in legal malpractice and labor and employment law. Ms. Kurata is a co-author of chapter 10.
JEFFREY T. MAKOFF is a Senior Trial Partner with Valle Makoff LLP, a San Francisco and Los Angeles law firm. He received his A.B. degree in 1981 from the University of California, Los Angeles (Political Science, cum laude) and his J.D. degree in 1985 from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. He is admitted to practice in California and the District of Columbia and is the Co-Chair of the Business Litigation Committee, Business Law Section of the State Bar of California (2015–2016). His practice encompasses a wide range of fiduciary cases and issues involving trustees and beneficiaries; corporate and LLC directors, officers, shareholders, and members; partners and joint venturers; spouses; parties who have Marvin issues (property claims between unmarried intimate partners); broker-dealers; and investment advisors. Before forming Valle Makoff’s predecessor firm in 1992, Mr. Makoff was an associate with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where he primarily handled securities and fiduciary matters. Mr. Makoff is the author of chapter 6.
WILLIAM K. MILLS is a 1979 graduate of Harvard College, with a concentration in American Government. Mr. Mills received his J.D. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law in 1982. He is also a founding partner of Parker Mills LLP; a Certified Specialist in Legal Malpractice Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization; and a former member of the State Bar of California Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct (COPRAC). He has published articles in the California Bar Journal, the Los Angeles Lawyer, and the Los Angeles Daily Journal, and he frequently lectures for the State Bar of California, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and other legal and business groups. Mr. Mills is a co-author of chapter 10.
DAVID B. PARKER graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1972, where he also obtained his law degree in 1976, graduating Order of the Coif. He is a founding partner of Parker Mills LLP, a Los Angeles law firm that emphasizes business litigation, insurance coverage, law firm risk management, professional liability, and legal ethics. He is a Certified Specialist in Legal Malpractice Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, a former member of the State Bar of California Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct (COPRAC), and a current member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He has published numerous articles in the California Bar Journal, related California bar publications, and the Los Angeles Lawyer. He lectures frequently for the State Bar of California, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and other legal and business groups. Mr. Parker is a co-author of chapter 10.
PETER Z. STOCKBURGER received his B.A. degree from Texas State University, where he graduated magna cum laude, and his J.D. degree from the University of San Diego School of Law, where he graduated cum laude and was admitted to the National Order of the Barristers. Mr. Stockburger is a Managing Associate at Dentons, where he specializes in global labor and employment law. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego School of Law, where he teaches appellate advocacy and public international law, and is currently serving as a “Virtual Fellow” with the United States Department of State, advising the State Department on various international labor issues. Mr. Stockburger was recognized as a 2015 “Rising Star” by Southern California Super Lawyers. Mr. Stockburger is a co-author of chapter 7.
ANDREW A. TALEBI is a 2009 graduate, with a B.A. degree cum laude, of Loyola Marymount University and a 2014 graduate of Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. He is an associate with Parker Mills LLP and a litigator with experience in complex business and entertainment disputes and professional liability. Mr. Talebi is a co-author of chapter 10.
JOHN D. VAUGHN obtained his J.D. degree from Santa Clara University, with honors, where he was a member of the law review. From 2000 through 2015, Mr. Vaughn was a litigation partner with Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps LLP (Luce) and then with McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP (MLA), where he founded and chaired the firm’s FINRA/SEC Dispute Resolution Practice Group. In 2015, Mr. Vaughn left MLA to found a boutique trial law firm, Perez, Vaughn & Feasby, with former Luce partners. Additionally, along with co-founder and partner Christopher Rowlett, Mr. Vaughn co-founded Breakaway Partners, a firm focused expressly on assisting registered investment advisors (RIAs) and employment transitions within the RIA space, from soup to nuts. Mr. Vaughn has a diverse national trial and arbitration practice representing clients in complex commercial litigation matters, securities fraud claims, FINRA arbitration, FINRA/SEC investigations, employment disputes, suitability claims and broker disciplinary actions, injunction cases, unfair business practices, and trade secret cases. Mr. Vaughn is a co-author of chapter 7.
About the 2023 Update Authors
JUSTIN D. DENLINGER received his B.A. degree in Music from James Madison University in 1997 and his J.D. degree from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles in 2002. He is an associate attorney at Parker Mills LLP, with a practice that focuses on business litigation, legal malpractice, and entertainment law. Mr. Denlinger is a 2023 update co-author of chapter 10.
MILENA DOLUKHANYAN received her B.S. degree from California State University, Northridge in 2008 and her J.D. degree from the University of West Los Angeles in 2015. Ms. Dolukhanyan is an associate at Gartenberg Gelfand Hayton LLP, with a practice that focuses on complex business and securities litigation, arbitration, and federal, state, and regulatory investigations. Ms. Dolukhanyan is a 2023 update co-author of chapters 2 and 3.
JEFFREY L. FILLERUP is a business litigation partner in the San Francisco office of Rincon Law LLP. Since clerking for a federal district judge in 1984–1985, he has specialized in litigating and arbitrating business cases, including fiduciary duty cases involving bankruptcy trustees, corporate officers and directors, financial institutions, FINRA, and ERISA. He has significant discovery and motion practice experience, including preliminary injunctions and other pre-judgment procedures, and he has taken and defended more than 1,000 depositions. He is a Certified Legal Specialist in Franchise and Distribution Law by the State Bar of California, he served on the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization in 2014, and he served as the Chair of the State Bar of California Franchise and Distribution Law Advisory Commission in 2014. Mr. Fillerup is the author and 2023 update author of chapter 8.
EDWARD GARTENBERG received his B.A. degree from Columbia University in 1971 and his J.D. degree from Columbia Law School in 1974. His practice experience encompasses complex business and securities litigation; arbitration; and federal, state, and regulatory investigations. He is experienced as counsel and as an expert witness in partnership, LLC, and securities issues. Mr. Gartenberg was formerly a Special Counsel at the Division of Enforcement of the SEC and a Special Assistant United States Attorney. He has served as an arbitrator for AAA and FINRA. Before co-founding his current firm, Gartenberg Gelfand Hayton LLP, Los Angeles, he served as Chair of the SEC Defense and Securities Litigation practice of a major international law firm. Mr. Gartenberg also served as Chair of the Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies Committee of the State Bar of California. He has lectured numerous times at law schools, continuing legal education programs, and professional organizations. He has also written extensively on partnership, LLC, fiduciary duty, and ethics issues. Mr. Gartenberg is the author and 2023 update co-author of chapters 2 and 3.
PHILLIP L. JELSMA received his B.S. degree from the University of Southern California and his J.D. degree from Stanford Law School, where he was a member of the Stanford Law Review. Mr. Jelsma is a partner in Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson LLP (cgs3), a San Diego law firm specializing in real estate transactions. He is an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego Law School, where he teaches the Taxation of Real Property Transactions. He has served as member of the State Bar of California Drafting Committees for the Beverly-Killea Limited Liability Company Act, the California Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, the Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, and the Revised Uniform Partnership Act. Mr. Jelsma is the Executive Editor of this title; the author of chapters 1, 5, and 9; a co-author of chapters 4 and 7; and the 2023 update author of chapters 5 and 9.
JEFFREY T. MAKOFF is a Senior Trial Partner with Valle Makoff LLP, a San Francisco and Los Angeles law firm. He received his A.B. degree in 1981 from the University of California, Los Angeles (Political Science, cum laude) and his J.D. degree in 1985 from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. He is admitted to practice in California and the District of Columbia and is the Co-Chair of the Business Litigation Committee, Business Law Section of the State Bar of California (2015–2016). His practice encompasses a wide range of fiduciary cases and issues involving trustees and beneficiaries; corporate and LLC directors, officers, shareholders, and members; partners and joint venturers; spouses; parties who have Marvin issues (property claims between unmarried intimate partners); broker-dealers; and investment advisors. Before forming Valle Makoff’s predecessor firm in 1992, Mr. Makoff was an associate with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where he primarily handled securities and fiduciary matters. Mr. Makoff is the author and 2023 update co-author of chapter 6.
ROXANNE E. MAKOFF is an associate with Valle Makoff LLP, a San Francisco and Los Angeles law firm. She received her B.A. degree in 2012 from Hamilton College (Public Policy) and her J.D. degree in 2017 from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York. Ms. Makoff was an editor of the Cardozo Law Review with a published Note on judicial dissolutions under New York’s limited liability company law. She is admitted to practice in California and practices in commercial litigation and fiduciary duties related to management, control, and operations of private and family business enterprises, business owner buyouts, and the management and disposition of complex assets, related negotiations, and trial practice. Prior to law school, Ms. Makoff worked at Clyde & Co. U.S. LLP in San Francisco and at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Ms. Makoff is a 2023 update co-author of chapter 6.
DAVID B. PARKER graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1972, where he also obtained his law degree in 1976, graduating Order of the Coif. He is a founding partner of Parker Mills LLP, a Los Angeles law firm that emphasizes business litigation, insurance coverage, law firm risk management, professional liability, and legal ethics. He is a Certified Specialist in Legal Malpractice Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, a former member of the State Bar of California Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct (COPRAC), and a current member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He has published numerous articles in the California Bar Journal, related California bar publications, and the Los Angeles Lawyer. He lectures frequently for the State Bar of California, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and other legal and business groups. Mr. Parker is a co-author and 2023 update co-author of chapter 10.
CHRISTOPHER W. ROWLETT obtained his J.D. degree from the University of Michigan. From 2008 through 2013, Mr. Rowlett was an associate with Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps LLP (Luce) and then with McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP (MLA). Mr. Rowlett left MLA to join Honigman, Miller, Schwartz & Cohn LLP in Detroit, Michigan, as a partner in their Labor and Employment practice group. In 2016, Mr. Rowlett returned to San Diego and joined Perez, Vaughn & Feasby, with former Luce partners. Mr. Rowlett primarily focuses on helping financial advisers set up and manage their practices. Mr. Rowlett is a 2023 update co-author of chapter 7.
BRUCE T. SMYTH is a senior counsel with Parker Mills, LLP, where his practice focuses on professional liability (including attorneys and insurance brokers), insurance coverage and bad faith litigation (including property, directors and officers and commercial liability coverages), and business and real estate litigation. He has over 40 years of legal experience in California, including state and federal jury and bench trials, appellate litigation, and arbitrations. He speaks and writes regularly on issues of business litigation and insurance and has co-authored two law books, including Computer and Internet Liability: Strategies, Claims and Defenses (Aspen Law and Business 2001). Mr. Smyth received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. He is a 2023 update co-author of chapter 10.
JOHN D. VAUGHN obtained his J.D. degree from Santa Clara University, with honors, where he was a member of the law review. From 2000 through 2015, Mr. Vaughn was a litigation partner with Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps LLP (Luce) and then with McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP (MLA), where he founded and chaired the firm’s FINRA/SEC Dispute Resolution Practice Group. In 2015, Mr. Vaughn left MLA to found a boutique trial law firm, Perez, Vaughn & Feasby, with former Luce partners. Additionally, along with co-founder and partner Christopher Rowlett, Mr. Vaughn co-founded Breakaway Partners, a firm focused expressly on assisting registered investment advisors (RIAs) and employment transitions within the RIA space, from soup to nuts. Mr. Vaughn has a diverse national trial and arbitration practice representing clients in complex commercial litigation matters, securities fraud claims, FINRA arbitration, FINRA/SEC investigations, employment disputes, suitability claims and broker disciplinary actions, injunction cases, unfair business practices, and trade secret cases. Mr. Vaughn is a co-author and 2023 update co-author of chapter 7.
