Vana Parker Margolese

ABOTA

Ms. Margolese was voted in as an active member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2001. ABOTA is the most prestigious and elite Trial Lawyer Association in America. Ms. Margolese is one of the few women lawyers who have met the stringent requirements for membership to date. These requirements include 20 Superior Court Civil Jury Verdicts, to be recommended for membership by a member in good standing, and to be approved both locally and nationally. We are quite proud of this accomplishment! Great job, Vana!

BIOGRAPHY

Vana Parker Margolese graduated from the University of Texas with a BS degree. She graduated from University of San Fernando Valley College of Law (now La Verne College of Law) in the top 10% of her class. She was awarded Law Review Status and published a Law Review Article. She did clinical law work with the State Public Defenders Office and the ACLU. She also worked a number of years with Leonard Weinglas noted criminal lawyer (who represented Bill Harris of the SLA, Jane Fonda and Karen Silkwood).

She has been a licensed attorney in California since November of 1979 both in State and Federal Courts. She is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocated (ABOTA) and Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC). She practiced Criminal Law for 10 years where she honed her trial skills. Once she became a personal injury litigator she realized she had found what she loved to do best, representing injured Plaintiff’s. She is proud of the tradition of consumer attorneys who have fought for the consumer and are responsible for making our world safer today.

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Wayne Hunkins

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Eastern Nebraska, Wayne has been licensed in California since June of 1966. He has made numerous appearances in both State and Federal Court and has numerous successful appellate appearances before many courts including the California Supreme Court.

He is a former member of the California Trial Lawyers Assoc., belongs currently to the Orange County Trial Lawyers, and is an ADVOCATE member of ABOTA (See ABOTA information at top of page). He has been a mediator and arbitrator for over 20 years and has also been a long time American Arbitration Association member and superior court appointed arbitrator. Wayne is also a long time volunteer serving as Judge Pro Tem and as settlement officer. He has published articles on several legal issues.

AWARDS

Wayne was the recipient of the very prestigious AOCHC Trial Lawyer of the Year award for 1999.

EDUCATION

USC School of Law J.D. January, 1966
UC Fullerton B.A. Business September, 1962
Wayne left engineering school after 3 years and spent 3 years in the army as a NIKE missile fire control maintenance repairman, then after several years working in electronics switched to a Business degree. After a good start with an aerospace firm he decided to go to law school. Before his legal career began, in addition to college and professional Repertoire Theater, he worked in machine shops, construction, sales, television repair, computer design, technical writing, bench chemistry in a sugar factory and other smaller jobs. He is an experienced and well-versed attorney with knowledge in many different industries.

EXPERIENCE

Matison & Margolese, LLP, Santa Monica/Beverly Hills, CA (2004-Present)
Bollington, Roberts, Hunkins & McDonald 1990-2004
Law Office of Wayne Hunkins (many years prior to 1990)

SPECIAL LEGAL EXPRERIENCE AND SKILLS

Wayne has completed well-over 100 jury trials, has taught litigation to the younger members of several firms and taught seminars in Jury Selection. He has many successful verdicts, both as counsel for Plaintiff and for Defendant. He is a true trial specialist with a successful jury verdict percentage placing him among the elite trial lawyers in the nation. He has obtained outstanding verdicts in construction, real property, trade secret, dock injuries, consumer fraud, defamation and personal injury cases.

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Jeff Korn

Jeffrey Korn has been an attorney in California for nineteen years and his practice specializes in defense and prosecution of personal injury and civil rights matters. Jeff has tried to jury verdict matters arising from dangerous premises, dangerous condition of public property, vehicle accidents and defective products. Cases tried to jury have included claims of wrongful death, severe brain injury, spine injury, and third degree burn injury, with several jury trials where claimed damages were high six figures or seven figures.

Jeff defended the City of Los Angeles in several cases arising out of crowd control tactics employed by the Los Angeles Police Department during the 2000 Democratic Party National Convention held in Los Angeles. This included successful defense of the City in federal court jury trial. Jeff also defended the city of Los Angeles in matters arising from the infamous Rampart scandal. Jeff at this time prosecutes civil rights actions on behalf of citizens whose Fourth Amendment rights are violated by law enforcement entities.

Jeff gained his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University in New Jersey and his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, in San Francisco. He has been a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates since 2002. He is married to wife Renee and has two teenage sons.

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Darryl Kimble

Darryl has been a member of the Matison & Margolese team since September 1997. His extensive knowledge and expertise as a paralegal and legal assistant within our pre-litigation department allows us the ability to settle cases early and with little problems, easing the burden not just on our staff, but mainly on our clients as well.

Darryl's primary responsibilities include the opening of cases and acting as liaison to the clients for the attorneys. He is also an excellent property damage and medical provider negotiator between attorneys, doctors and our clients.

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Isabelle Bastein

Isabelle is the Receptionish and Legal Secretary here at Matison & Margolese Law Offices. She has a great deal of experience within the industry and has been a member of our team since August 2006. Her education includes an A.S. degree from Los Angeles Valley College and is planning on continuing her education in Fall 2009.

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Michael Chasin

Michael Chasin is the newest law clerk at Matison & Margolese. His main responsibilities include performing extensive due diligence on cases as well as assisting the attorneys whenever necessary in everyday operations.

As a recent graduate of the Kenan-Flagler undergraduate business program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with an emphasis in entrepreneurship, Michael brings a new and youthful element to the Matison & Margolese team. His experience at distinguished companies such as Merrill Lynch, as well in conjunction with starting his own business ventures, helps bring an outside perspective as well as a fresh, new mind to the firm.

He will be entering a Los Angeles law school yet to be determined in the Fall of 2010.

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