Watsonville, CA

Neil Berman

Neil Berman practices primarily personal injury law, including products liability, automobile accidents, toxic torts, wrongful death, and premises liability matters. He is admitted to practice in California and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Neil also practices Social Security Disability law, Workers’ Compensation and employment law. Neil was selected to the Northern California Rising Stars List by Super Lawyers each year between 2013 and 2020. Neil earned his Juris Doctor degree from Santa Clara University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Washington. During law school, he was a clerk at the Santa Clara University School of Law Northern California Innocence Project, which seeks to exonerate innocent prisoners and pursue legal reforms that address the causes and consequences of wrongful convictions. Outside of his practice, Neil is dedicated to helping members of the community who need legal assistance. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), an organization dedicated to protecting the constitutional right to trial by jury for all consumers and championing the cause of those who deserve redress for injury to person or property and resisting efforts to curtail the rights of such injured persons.

Dirk Stemerman

Dirk Stemerman focuses his practice on representing injured workers in workers’ compensation and Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits cases. He is certified as a Specialist in workers’ compensation law by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He is a much-in-demand speaker and presenter at numerous legal conventions. Dirk is also involved in the local legal community, serving as a volunteer with the Watsonville Law Center, which provides free legal services to low-income individuals with predominate focus on the agricultural community and workers’ rights and as a Sustaining Member of the Workplace Injury Law & Advocacy Group, a non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of injured workers.

Ryan O’Connell

Ryan O’Connell handles a wide variety of personal injury cases including products liability, automobile accidents, toxic torts, wrongful death, elder abuse, and premises liability matters. In addition to personal injury law, Ryan also practices workers’ compensation. He has successfully handled numerous workers’ compensation cases for clients who work in law enforcement, corrections, fire, hospitality, agriculture, and much more. He is admitted to practice in California and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Ryan earned his Juris Doctorate from Monterey College of Law and his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from California State University Sacramento. Outside of his practice, Ryan has served on the Board of Directors for the Monterey County Bar Association. He has also volunteered as a Neutral Hearing Officer for the Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, hearing a wide variety of agricultural and pesticide disputes. He was the 2015-16 NLD Chair for the Consumer Attorneys of California, an organization dedicated to protecting the constitutional right to trial by jury for all consumers, championing the cause of those who deserve redress for injury to person or property, and resisting efforts to curtail the rights of such injured persons.

Janie Ortiz-Acosta

Janie Ortiz-Acosta practices personal injury law, including automobile accidents, wrongful death, premises liability and products liability. Her practice also includes representing injured workers in Workers’ Compensation. She was born and raised in the Salinas Valley and is fluent in Spanish. She attended Everett Alvarez High School and completed her undergraduate studies at UCLA, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She earned her Juris Doctorate degree from Monterey College of Law.

Michael G. Doan

Michael G. Doan is a Board Certified Specialist in Consumer Bankruptcy Law by the American Board of Certification since May 21, 2003. He founded Doan Law Firm in 1995, concentrating solely on Debtor representation in Bankruptcy with over 25 years of experience. He has filed over 6,000 consumer bankruptcy cases and has extensive appellate experience. Michael was the first attorney in the Southern District of California to file the first Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcies under the new Bankruptcy Laws in 2005. He is also a licensed Mortgage Broker and Realtor.

Shawn A. Doan

San Diego Bankruptcy Attorney Shawn A. Doan received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of San Diego. He attended Thomas Jefferson School of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctorate degree and gaining acceptance to the California Bar in 1999. He has successfully represented thousands of clients in Bankruptcy proceedings and litigated hundreds of claims against credit card companies. Mr. Doan survived an intensive five-day training session in bankruptcy litigation at Max Gardner’s Bankruptcy Camp.

Richard C. Alpers Esq.

Richard C. Alpers Esq. is the Principal Attorney at Alpers Law Group. He leads a team of experienced attorneys specializing in personal injury, workers' compensation, and employment law in California. The firm is recognized for recovering over $30 million for clients in the last 5 years and is part of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.