Spanish-Speaking Attorneys

Erika Ruch is an attorney at Ballin, Ballin & Fishman, P.C., specializing in Criminal Defense and Civil Forfeiture. She earned her J.D. from Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in Memphis, TN in 2011 and a B.S. in International Relations from Middle Tennessee State University in 2004. She holds an Intermediate Diploma in Spanish (D.E.L.E.). She was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 2012 and the U.S. District Court Western District of Tennessee in 2017.

Manuela C. Pinilla

Chicago, IL

Manuela demonstrates kindness and compassion within her work, always leaving a positive impact on our clients. She is committed to right wrongdoings and to offer our clients personalized attention to obtain the justice they deserve.

Roberto Rodriguez

Bryan, TX

Roberto Rodriguez, born in Monterrey, Mexico, has lived in Bryan/College Station for 14 years. He graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Political Science degree. He is a paralegal for family law cases, a member of the Brazos Valley Legal Professionals Association, and volunteers for Brazos Interfaith Immigration Network (BIIN) as a translator.

James Trujillo’s journey from the West Texas town of El Paso to becoming a distinguished attorney is marked by academic excellence and a relentless pursuit of justice. His commitment to the legal profession is rooted in his education, starting with the University of Texas in Austin, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Applied Learning and Development. His academic pursuits included minors in Psychology, English Literature, and Spanish. Building on this strong foundation, James furthered his education at the University of Missouri School of Law, where he earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree. James’s professional accomplishments are nothing short of remarkable. With a track record of successfully trying and arbitrating over one hundred and fifty cases to verdicts, he has demonstrated exceptional skill in achieving million-dollar outcomes for his clients. Notably, his prowess earned him the title of Litigator of the Week by Texas Lawyer Magazine in 2011, following one of the largest verdicts in Smith County, Texas. He repeated this feat in 2017, with his verdict listed among the top 10 work-injury verdicts in the state. In 2018, James exhibited his dedication and skill by trying twenty-eight cases, winning an impressive fourteen in a row. His commitment to securing favorable verdicts continued, with success in twenty-one out of the twenty-eight cases tried. This remarkable achievement underscores not only his legal acumen but also his unwavering passion for defending the rights of Texas clients. James Trujillo’s story is one of excellence, perseverance, and an unyielding commitment to justice. His tireless efforts in the courtroom reflect his dedication to ensuring that every client he represents obtains the justice they deserve. James is a Member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He has also tried and arbitrated over 300 cases to final verdicts.

Dan H. Pelin

San Francisco, CA

Dan H. Pelin grew up on the East coast and became a member of the California Bar in 2007. He previously represented workers’ compensation insurance companies, giving him an advantage in litigating on behalf of injured workers. He is familiar with the doctors and Judges within the system and enjoys advocating for workers' rights.

Zachary William Rivera Weiss

Phoenix, AZ

Zachary Weiss is an Immigration Attorney at Ybarra Maldonado Law Group. A graduate of Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, he moved to Phoenix in 2017. His family's history in the Southwest and personal experiences with immigration inspired his career choice. He graduated summa cum laude from Boston University with a Philosophy major and Spanish Literature minor, and worked at a refugee center in Madrid. He is fluent in English and Spanish, and can read Portuguese.

Savannah H. Moore

Greenville, NC

Savannah H. Moore officially joined White & Allen in October 2024 as an attorney in Family Law and Criminal Practice groups. She serves families and individuals throughout Eastern North Carolina on family law matters, criminal, and traffic violations.

Jacob Galvan is a case manager at Firouzbakht Law Firm. He began working in the legal field back in 2019, starting off in the family law area prior to making the switch to the personal injury field. He enjoys the personal injury field as it gives him a sense of accomplishment and happiness to assist people who are in need or have been badly injured or harmed in any accidents. As a fluent Spanish speaker, he also enjoys being able to help and assist our Spanish speaking clients to keep them up to date on their case and answer and questions or concerns they may have. In his free time, Jacob enjoys playing soccer, going for runs, and general outdoor activities with his dogs JJ & Freya.

Brandon sees it as his duty, and is indeed committed to balancing the scales of justice. Offended by what he interprets as rampant socio-economic and cultural inequities, he cannot resist taking up the cause and defending the position taken by those he perceives as unable, or unlikely, to succeed if they have no option but to fight alone.

Gavin began his education at Brigham Young University where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology. His major included emphasis in chemistry as well as Molecular, Micro and Evolutionary Biology. With his scientific knowledge, Gavin worked in chemical formulations and Research and Development for several years. Thereafter, Gavin continued his education and attended Law School in Arizona where he earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence and practiced law successfully as a trial attorney in the State of Utah. Gavin Collier has co-founded a number of Utah businesses and is active in Utah business and legal associations. He has represented clients in civil and criminal law proceedings throughout Utah. His background includes work experience in Life Sciences, R&D Formulations, Operations, Business and accociated Legal Matters. He regularly consults with organizations regarding Regulatory & Compliance, Civil Litigation, Corporate Governance, Contract Negotiation & Drafting, Strategic Planning & Organizational Structuring, M&A Deal Structuring & Diligence, EBITDA and General Finance, Operations, Quality Systems and Corporate Legal issues.

Julio Perez

Syracuse, NY

Julio Perez is a Legal Assistant with a BA in International Relations from Yale University. He is passionate about helping others and is fluent in multiple languages, assisting clients with various legal issues including worker's compensation, immigration, and social security.

Riczy A. Davila

Greensboro, NC

Riczy is a licensed attorney* with a diverse legal background and a strong passion for immigration law. Before becoming an attorney, she worked as a Criminal and Family Law paralegal while earning her U.S. Law LL.M. from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. After successfully passing the bar exam, she was admitted to practice law in the State of Washington, granting her the ability to practice federal law throughout the United States.

Steven Hawkins

Green Bay, WI

Steven Hawkins was born in southern California. He lived in Chile for two years, serving as a missionary and learning Spanish. He attended Brigham Young University-Idaho for his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and the University of Wisconsin Law School for his Juris Doctor. He co-founded the First-Generation Lawyers student organization and served as its inaugural president. He also worked with the Wisconsin International Law Journal as a Note and Comment Editor. He has experience in family law, representing Spanish-speaking individuals, and municipal law, interning with the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. He is a food fanatic, enjoys sports (especially soccer), drawing, painting, and spending time with his family.

Ms. Grace Kelleher is a returning law clerk who has become a valued part of our team. She is working with our San Antonio Personal Injury team.

Alex Garcia

Silver Spring, MD

Alex Garcia is a Maryland criminal defense attorney with the Law Office of Maria Mena. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Garcia served the indigent community of Montgomery County as an assistant public defender with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, and subsequently worked at another prominent criminal defense firm in Montgomery County. Mr. Garcia has extensive experience representing clients at all stages of criminal proceedings in both District and Circuit Courts from initial bond reviews, bench and jury trials to violation of probation hearings. His clients faced charges ranging from DUI/DWI to assault, drug offenses, sex offenses, up to common law murder. Mr. Garcia is committed to fighting zealously for each client and believes every criminally accused person deserves an advocate who will consider their unique background as a strength in aggressively building a defense to reach the best possible outcome. Moreover, Mr. Garcia believes “criminality” often speaks more to a person’s conditions rather than their character and finds that the prosecution of cases is sometimes unfairly driven by factors such as class, race, and immigration status. Mr. Garcia earned his J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law and was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 2020. He was the first member of his family to attend college and law school. Mr. Garcia served as a student attorney for the law school’s Criminal Defense clinic, where he first gained litigation experience representing clients in Montgomery County District and Circuit Court. Mr. Garcia was also a member of the International Human Rights Law Clinic, in which he assisted with a lawsuit on behalf of inmates the U.S. Penitentiary Administrative Maximum (“ADX” - a federal supermax facility in Florence, Colorado) challenging the confinement conditions before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. During law school, Mr. Garcia interned for the Honorable Judge Danya Dayson at D.C. Superior Court, at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender in Montgomery County, and at the Maryland Office of the Federal Public Defender in Baltimore City. While at the Office of the Federal Public Defender, Mr. Garcia authored a motion to dismiss an indictment for a client charged with illegal re-entry following deportation, arguing that his client’s underlying deportation order was invalid based on constitutional grounds held by Supreme Court’s then-recent decision in Pereira v. Sessions (2018); the motion was granted, and his client’s case dismissed. In his last year of law school, Mr. Garcia successfully participated in trial advocacy programs hosted by the National Criminal Defense College (NCDC) and The Public Defender Service for D.C. Mr. Garcia received his B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Philosophy from American University in 2017. Mr. Garcia is the proud son of immigrant parents from El Salvador and Nicaragua, and is a native Spanish speaker. He grew up in Montgomery County and lived a part of his childhood in Frederick County before moving to D.C. where he currently lives.

William J. Sanyer joined David Horowitz, P.C. in 1997 as a paralegal and became an attorney in 2007. He is admitted in New York and New Jersey, and is known for his trial advocacy skills, legal writing, and negotiation. He is bilingual in Spanish.

Erick is a law graduate from the Universidad Marista de Merida. He has completed numerous postgraduate courses focusing on Corporate, Commercial, and Family law. With over 8 years of experience, Erick specializes in litigation matters pertaining to Commercial and Family law. Additionally, he has 3 years of experience working in a Financial Services Institution as a Compliance Officer Assistant, where he dealt with matters related to Money Laundering Law and Trust Constitutions. Erick has completed multiple courses in this area to enhance his expertise.

Melissa Ortiz

Napa, CA

Melissa Ortiz is an experienced legal assistant and case manager with over three years of expertise in personal injury law. She previously worked at The Law Offices of J. Chrisp, gaining extensive experience in managing personal injury cases, client communications, and drafting demand letters. Melissa is fluent in Spanish, enabling her to provide legal guidance and support to Spanish-speaking clients. She is also a proud mother, animal rescue advocate, and active community volunteer.

Attorney Stephen Cameron Marks has 20 years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured. He introduced mindfulness practices in the workplace and supports Aham Education.

Roberto Hernandez

Elgin, IL

Roberto Hernandez was licensed to practice law in 2014. Roberto attended undergrad at Loyola University and graduated with a Bachelors in Science. Before becoming an attorney, Roberto was in the medical field where he worked at an occupational healthcare clinic and was the Director of a Home Care Agency that placed Certified Nurse’s Aides in the Homes of the Elderly. During this time, Roberto also worked as a paid on call firefighter/EMT for the Aurora Township Fire Department. During his time as an emergency medic and firefighter he learned to think on his feet and always be prepared, which are skills he continues to apply in his role as an attorney. In 2013, Roberto graduated from Northern Illinois College of Law. During his time at Northern, Roberto was the president of the Latino Law School Association, he published an article regarding the changing laws of workers comp, and was part of the Northern Illinois Moot Court competition. In 2015, Roberto joined a landlord-tenant law firm. He diligently represented both tenants and landlords in Cook, Kane, Will and DuPage County. Roberto settled multiple cases and fought to get the best outcome for his clients. He has conducted multiple bench trials and jury trials. At the Compton Law Group, Roberto will continue to utilize what he has learned to get the best results for his clients.

Alexi Calvo

Scotch Plains, NJ

Alexi Calvo has been practicing workers’ compensation law since 2016. She is fluent in Spanish and focuses on helping injured workers.

Andrew Neeley

Yakima, WA

Andrew Neeley grew up in Kennewick, Washington. He graduated with a BS in Family Science from Brigham Young University - Provo and attended law school at the University of Oregon. He is licensed as an Attorney in the State of Washington after passing the July 2025 Uniform Bar Exam. He is passionate about advocacy and is proficient in Spanish.

Ricardo A. Casasola

Naples, FL

Ricardo A. Casasola is a passionate and dedicated Associate Attorney at Law Offices of Cavanaugh & Cavanaugh, P.A., admitted to the Florida Bar in 2019. He graduated from Ave Maria School of Law in 2019. Ricardo has extensive experience in criminal and family law, having served as a Trial Court Staff Attorney and an Assistant Public Defender, where he honed his litigation skills through numerous jury and non-jury trials. Fluent in Spanish, he is committed to clear communication and providing a strong legal defense for his clients. He was recognized as a 'Rising Star' by Thomson Reuters and contributed to the firm being honored as 'Best of Collier' in 2023 for Criminal Law, DUI, and Family Law.