Alyson E. Ackerman

Posted on May 14, 2025 by -

Professional headshot of attorney, Alyson Ackerman

With a strong background in surface water rights, Alyson helps clients secure and manage reliable water supplies across California. Her work includes drafting water rights opinions, navigating administrative and judicial proceedings, and advising on infrastructure permitting and easements. She has represented clients in high-stakes matters, including challenges to State Water Resources Control Board curtailment actions and contract conversions under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act.

Alyson serves as outside general to special districts and public water purveyors. In this role, she regularly attends board meetings and collaborates with general managers, engineers, and staff to address issues such as Brown Act and Public Records Act compliance, Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCO) matters, and water conveyance infrastructure improvements.

Her regulatory experience extends to California’s complex air quality landscape. She advises clients on compliance with the various air quality standards, including EPA, CARB, and local air quality management district regulations and rules. When necessary, she represents these clients in administrative proceedings. Alynson strives to resolve issues efficiently and favorably through negotiated outcomes.

Annie S. Amaral

Posted on October 6, 2018 by -

Professional headshot of attorney, Annie S. Amaral

Annie is an experienced litigator who has practiced and prevailed in state and federal court at the trial and appellate levels, including many cases that are cross-venued. With each case, she applies a mix of intelligent, aggressive advocacy and efficient work ethic to achieve optimal results for clients. Annie’s complex litigation practice involves entities of all kinds, both publicly traded and privately held. Examples include banks and financial institutions, health care providers, industrial and land use companies, retail distributors, trade associations, and solo entrepreneurs, to name a few. She defends employers against claims brought by current and former employees while also protecting and pursuing trade secret claims that are common in the employment arena.

Apart from obtaining favorable merits-based adjudication of her clients’ cases, Annie also employs her smart and efficient litigation skills in settlement efforts. She has successfully mediated dozens of complex disputes over her years in practice. Annie is aware of the stress that litigation can impose on all business types, and she uses her in-depth knowledge and skills to minimize the resources and worry her clients may otherwise expend on contentious litigation.

In addition to her law practice, Annie currently serves as the marketing partner for the firm. Previously, she served as the firm’s mentoring partner, helping junior associates navigate the practice of law and life at Downey Brand.

Farah Amjad

Posted on January 3, 2023 by -

Professional headshot of attorney, Farah Amjad

Farah uses her creative and sharp analytical skills to find efficient solutions to pressing and complex questions involving California’s employment and labor laws. In her current practice, she excels in counseling and discovery, a result of critical work alongside notable firm partners and senior associates. In addition, Farah is an adept researcher and writer, exemplified by her roles as a Senior Articles Editor for the UC Davis Law Review and as a copyeditor and fact-checker prior to attending law school. Her strengths in verbal and written advocacy stem from her ability to listen attentively and mindfully, a skill she developed early as a multilingual person and later strengthened through cross-cultural and interfaith experiences around the world.

Meghan M. Baker

Posted on October 6, 2018 by -

With almost two decades of trial and litigation experience, Meghan’s litigation practice focuses on business, commercial, employment, real estate, and probate disputes. She also handles class action defense, construction defect, and product liability claims. Her clients span a broad range of industries, including professional and financial service providers, developers and construction companies, as well as manufacturers and distributors.

Meghan graduated first in her class at University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She has been rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell and is recognized by Best Lawyers in America© and Northern California Super Lawyers for her business litigation acumen.

Jennifer D. Barcellos

Posted on August 10, 2023 by -

Professional headshot of attorney, Jennifer Barcellos

Jennifer works collaboratively with clients to meticulously craft comprehensive estate plans that pave the way for the success of future generations. Her adeptness extends to skillfully advising individuals and families throughout the intricacies of trust and probate administration. In addition, Jennifer provides insightful guidance on entity formation, management, and real estate transactions, all with a watchful eye to minimize tax liabilities.

Before practicing law as an attorney, Jennifer honed her skills as a trust, business, and tax paralegal for twelve years.

Kelly M. Breen

Posted on July 16, 2019 by -

Professional headshot of attorney, Kelly Breen

Kelly is a trial attorney who focuses her practice on commercial litigation with an emphasis on real estate litigation, construction defect litigation, personal injury defense, premises liability, toxic tort litigation, Proposition 65 litigation, and product liability cases. Kelly has represented a variety of corporate clients in both federal and state court. She is experienced in all aspects of litigation, including taking and defending depositions, drafting and arguing dispositive and evidentiary motions, and negotiating favorable settlements.

Kelly has extensive experience representing multinational companies in asbestos-related lawsuits, including product manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors of electrical controls, aviation engines, valves, pumps, and automotive components in state, federal, and multidistrict venues. She also defended personal injury actions in state and federal courts across California involving elevators and escalators.

Kelly has independently handled cases from start to finish and has successfully obtained dismissals of numerous cases on summary judgment. As a second-chair trial attorney, Kelly is experienced in all phases of trial, including voir dire questioning, expert and fact witness cross-examination, and argument of key evidentiary motions. Clients have come to rely on Kelly’s pragmatism and tenacity, and in turn have come to expect great results from her work.

Kristin N. Capritto

Posted on October 6, 2018 by -

Professional headshot of attorney, Kristin Capritto

Kristin works with families and individuals to effectuate their wealth transfer and succession planning goals. She also regularly advises clients in connection with entity formation and management, real estate transactions, as well as the local, state, federal, and international tax consequences of their objectives. With her special focus on charitable planning, clients trust her to manage the formation and administration of private foundations and nonprofit entities. As a skilled mediator and negotiator, Kristin assists business partners with pre-venture counseling to minimize future conflicts and ensure the longevity and success of joint ventures. When necessary, she effectively and efficiently employs her advocacy skills to obtain the results her clients deserve in state and federal courts.

Kristin’s legal education and experience spans nearly two decades; her more than 10 years as a paralegal in various aspects of trusts, estates, business transactions, and taxation has given her a wide breadth of knowledge and expertise to the benefit of her clients. She has amassed more than 300 hours of mediation and negotiation training, both locally and internationally, and has participated in peace-building processes involving both interpersonal conflicts and politics at the community level on an international scale.

Bradley C. Carroll

Posted on October 6, 2018 by -

Bradley’s significant accomplishments as a litigator include serving as second-chair trial counsel during a four-week jury trial in a major dispute between a business and its former outside consultant/management organization. He has also secured the reversal of an adverse judgment against his client on appeal, an excellent and rare result in California where defendants with judgments against them face an uphill battle on appeal.

Although Bradley handles all kinds of business disputes, he also specializes in helping clients who are navigating internal disputes among and between owners, partners, and shareholders of businesses. His experience in this area allows him to guide clients who are facing internal disputes that can imperil both businesses and long-held professional and personal relationships. In these stressful situations, Bradley stands ready to assist clients in both the preservation of businesses or, if necessary, negotiated business divorces.

Before joining Downey Brand in 2015, Bradley served two years as a staff attorney for the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, Georgia, where he advised appellate judges and court staff on a variety of appellate cases, including habeas corpus cases, appeal of civil damages cases brought by prisoners, and criminal appeals.

Marc A. Centor

Posted on March 5, 2021 by -

Professional headshot of attorney, Marc Centor

He has significant experience guiding clients through complicated real estate and commercial transactions, from preliminary discussions and strategic planning through negotiations, agreement preparation, due diligence, and closing. Marc also advises clients regarding corporate formation, joint ventures, operations, and compliance. He represents a variety of clients, including real estate developers, landlords and tenants, lenders, renewable energy companies, non-profit organizations, private equity firms, and public agencies. Marc also counsels private and public companies regarding regulatory aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and other investments in transportation companies. Marc understands that no two deals are the same and that every client has unique goals. He adds value to his client’s ventures by attending to the technical details while keeping an eye on the big picture.

Nicolas D. Chapman

Posted on December 17, 2021 by -

Professional headshot of attorney, Nicolas Chapman

Nicolas represents private and public clients in complex environmental litigation before federal and state courts, as well as in administrative proceedings before the State Water Resources Control Board. He also assists public clients in securing state and federal funding for flood disaster mitigation and recovery efforts. As a water resources attorney, Nicolas’ proficiency extends to navigating the intricacies of federal and state regulatory frameworks, providing clients with precise and practical legal counsel aimed at achieving the best results possible.

Beyond his water resources expertise, Nicolas is well-versed in California’s open government, contracting, and ethics laws, including the Ralph M. Brown Act, the Public Records Act, and the Political Reform Act. He frequently conducts state-law-required AB-1234 training for public clients and at conferences held by the Association of California Water Agencies.