Michael Allen

Michael Allen began working for LBAC as a law clerk in 1997, and continued until he passed the bar and joined the firm as an associate in 1998. Mr. Allen became a shareholder in 2006.

In 1994, Mr. Allen graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a specialization in Business Administration. Mr. Allen obtained his Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in 1998. While in law school, Mr. Allen was active in the UCLA Moot Court Honors Program, receiving an award for Distinguished Advocate in the Moot Court Competition. In addition, Mr. Allen was a member of the UCLA Journal of International Law and Foreign Affairs serving as a lead editor from 1996-1997.

Since becoming an attorney, Mr. Allen has obtained positive results on behalf of numerous public entities including, but not limited to, the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, and Santa Barbara as well as the cities of Compton, Downey, Inglewood, Montebello, Santa Monica and West Covina.

Mr. Allen’s efforts have led to successful results in a wide variety of cases before the United States Supreme Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, California Court of Appeal, United States District Courts, as well as various state trial courts. During the course of his career, Mr. Allen has excelled in his handling of jail litigation and has successfully litigated over 60 jail related cases by obtaining dismissals at the pleadings stage or orders granting summary judgment. Recently, his efforts led to several orders by the Ninth Circuit in Avalos v. Baca and Lake v. Baca as well as a published opinion in Mortimer v. Baca, affirming rulings granting summary judgment in favor of the County of Los Angeles in cases involving claims that inmates were over-detained in the Los Angeles County Jail in violation of their constitutional rights. Also, Mr. Allen’s efforts led to the granting of summary judgment in favor of the County of Los Angeles and various individual defendants in several wrongful death actions alleging claims under both state and federal law based on incidents in which inmates in the Los Angeles County Jail killed their cellmates.

Paul Beach

Paul Beach joined the firm as an associate in 2000 and became a shareholder in 2003. Mr. Beach graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Mr. Beach obtained his Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles in 1993.

From 1993 to 2000, Mr. Beach practiced complex business litigation (for private and public entities) involving issues such as real estate, professional malpractice, bankruptcy, and environmental contamination.  Early in his career, Mr. Beach participated in a one-year externship with Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. For several years, Mr. Beach was named as one of the top young lawyers in California by the magazine Southern California Super Lawyers - Rising Stars Edition. Mr. Beach has also been named Attorney of the Year by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Mr. Beach is a successful trial attorney, having defended various clients in employment, civil rights, forfeiture, disciplinary, and general liability matters in the state and federal courts. In 2004, Mr. Beach was one of the members of the firm who defended Orange County and the Orange County Sheriff in consolidated matters entitled Pierce v. County of Orange and Stewart v. Gates. This was a class action brought on behalf of inmates at the Orange County Jail relating to an injunction that had been in place for 27 years. Following extensive litigation and a full trial, the trial court entered judgment for the County and the Sheriff and vacated the long-standing injunction.

Mr. Beach has also handled high profile cases as lead defense counsel for the County of Los Angeles in number of state and federal class actions regarding management of its jail system, which is the largest in the world. Mr. Beach has successfully litigated more than 25 cases arising out of inmate deaths in the County jails. In addition to his accomplishments in the trial courts, Mr. Beach is an active appellate attorney who has prevailed in numerous cases before the state and federal courts of appeal.

Mr. Beach has represented, almost exclusively, public entities and/or their employees in a variety of areas including, but not limited to: the defense of police misconduct; defense of the District Attorney’s Office; defense of the Public Defender’s Office; defense of the Superior and Municipal Courts; defense of public entities in employment litigation; defense of Fair Housing matters; and jail-related litigation including, but not limited to, conditions of confinement class action lawsuits, over-crowding lawsuits, and over-detention lawsuits.

Mr. Beach has also successfully resolved general liability matters for a number of public entities, including a case against the Los Angeles County Sheriff in a multi-million dollar dispute over the largest emerald in the world. Mr. Beach has handled matters involving dangerous conditions of public property, personal injury actions involving injuries to (as well as caused by) public employees, and high-exposure automobile accidents. One such case involved brain damage caused to a grandmother who was hit by a bus while crossing an intersection.

Mr. Beach has extensive experience in all phases of litigation: pre-filing, responsive pleadings (including temporary restraining orders), complex discovery, trial preparation, trial (jury and bench), post-trial, and appeal. Mr. Beach has participated in hundreds of depositions and dozens of mediations, settlement conferences, and trials. Most of Mr. Beach’s employment and general liability cases have been resolved through summary judgment. Those that have survived summary judgment have either been taken to trial or resolved via settlements that are favorable to the client. Mr. Beach has also argued cases in the California Courts of Appeal, the California Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

In addition, Mr. Beach has handled several high-profile administrative proceedings on behalf of public entity employers (terminations, demotions, substantial suspensions), such as civil service proceedings, arbitrations, and related superior court proceedings, such as writs. One such matter involved a well-publicized police shooting that garnered significant media exposure.

Mr. Beach has been a faculty member of Lorman Education Services and has frequently lectured on matters relating to employment litigation including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).

Jin Choi

Jin Choi graduated with distinction from the University of California, Berkeley in 1992. Mr. Choi obtained his Juris Doctorate from the UCLA School of Law in 1995, and has been with the firm since 1998. He became a shareholder in 2006. Prior to joining LBAC, Mr. Choi clerked with the California Attorney General’s Office where he focused primarily on appellate practice. 

Mr. Choi has obtained successful results in a diverse array of cases, involving a myriad of federal and state law claims alleged against many different public entity defendants including the County of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, County of Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and Public Defender’s Office, California Department of Corrections, and the cities of Manhattan Beach, Culver City, Rialto, and Compton.

Mr. Choi has had particular success in defending public entities against claims brought by their current or former public employees. These cases have involved claims filed under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as claims for wrongful termination, hostile work environment, and First Amendment-based

retaliation. Examples include securing the early dismissal of all claims against the County of Los Angeles and former District Attorney Gil Garcetti in a case in which three former LAPD officers obtained a $15 million verdict against the City of Los Angeles; obtaining the appellate reversal of a $1.4 million verdict against the City of Compton in an ADA case; and prevailing in

a landmark 2006 United States Supreme Court case Garcetti v. Ceballos which clarified the scope of First Amendment protection in the public employment setting. The Garcetti case involved a First Amendment claim by a County prosecutor who alleged that he had been retaliated against for certain on-the-job speech. In its opinion, the United States Supreme Court held for the first time that such speech was not constitutionally protected, thereby resulting in the entry of judgment in favor of the County of Los Angeles and former District Attorney Gil Garcetti.

Mr. Choi has also successfully represented public entities in numerous cases involving a great variety of civil rights and general liability claims, including excessive force, negligence,medical malpractice, due process, false arrest, and 42 U.S.C. § 1983 municipal liability.

Mr. Choi also has extensive appellate experience. Having successfully argued before both the Ninth Circuit and California Court of Appeal on numerous occasions, he is well-versed in both federal and state appellate procedures. Furthermore, Mr. Choi’s appellate cases have yielded important published opinions by the United States Supreme Court, California Supreme Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the California Court of Appeal. Mr. Choi also authored an article regarding the Ceballos case for the California Labor & Employment Law Review, entitled “Garcetti v. Ceballos: Clarifying the Constitutional Dimensions of Public Employee Speech.”

In addition, Mr. Choi has obtained favorable appellate results in cases which have dealt with claims arising from the public employment setting, as well as civil rights and tort-based claims alleged against public employees and their employers. These results are reflected in the high percentage of cases that have been dismissed at the pre-trial stage, and in the number of published appellate opinions that have yielded not only positive results for our clients, but also shaped the law in favor of public entities and their employees.

Justin Clark

Justin W. Clark is an associate attorney in the firm’s Glendale office. He received his J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law, having earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Law and Society from the University of Southern California.

     While attending Southwestern, Mr. Clark was an active member of the Moot Court Honor’s Program. He competed in both the August A. Rendigs and ABA Nationals competitions, both with successful results.

     Mr. Clark’s areas of practice with the firm include civil rights, employment, and public entity defense. Prior to joining LBAC, Mr. Clark was a law clerk for an attorney in private practice.

Christina Sprenger

Christina Sprenger joined the firm in 2002 and became a shareholder in 2012. Ms. Sprenger began her practice in several areas of civil defense, including medical malpractice and adventure sports litigation. At LBAC, Ms. Sprenger primarily handles government entity defense and civil rights litigation in both state and federal trial and appellate courts.

Ms. Sprenger received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with honors, from California State University, Fullerton. She then received her Juris Doctorate in 1999 from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. While at Loyola Law School, Ms. Sprenger was a member of the Native American moot court team, and served as an articles editor for the International and Comparative Law Review. In addition, Ms. Sprenger worked with the Edelman Children’s Court as a Court Appointed Special Advocate.

Ms. Sprenger has handled a wide range of cases including wrongful termination, employment discrimination, general liability, medical malpractice, due process, police use of force, jail conditions, false arrest, and 42 U.S.C. § 1983 municipal liability.

Ms. Sprenger’s practice includes litigation stemming from the impact of pertinent legislation such as the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA), the Sexually Violent Predator Act (SVPA), the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Ms. Sprenger has successfully defended numerous cases on dispositive motions and obtained positive results for public entity clients including Orange County, Los Angeles County, and the cities of Downey, Hermosa Beach, Huntington Park, Fontana, and Compton. Ms. Sprenger has also taught at Sheriff’s Department Training Academies and has conducted in-service training on a variety of subjects relevant to police officers and public entities.

Ms. Sprenger is well-versed in both federal and state appellate procedures. Ms. Sprenger’s list of noteworthy cases includes the 2014 Order obtained in Pierce v. County of Orange, which began as litigation of a 27-year jail injunction and ended by terminating the Stewart v. Gates injunction as well as an additional injunction governing the accommodation of disabled inmates housed in the Orange County jail system; Mehr v. County of Orange (9th Cir. 2012), which was a RICO case against the Orange County Sheriff’s Department involving allegations that Sheriff’s Department officials permitted high-ranking gang member inmates to run the jails; Villicana v. Orange County Sheriff’s Department (9th Cir. 2012), which was an excessive force case resulting in dismissal of the lawsuit based on the inmate plaintiff’s failure to exhaust administrative remedies prior to filing his lawsuit; Brown v. County of Orange (9th Cir. 2011), which involved the Ninth Circuit’s dismissal of claims against Sheriff’s Deputies who used force to enter Plaintiff’s home after a neighbor reported hearing gunshots; and Newman v. County of Orange, 457 F.3d 991 (9th Cir. 2006), which is a published Opinion by the Ninth Circuit clarifying the general rule precluding civil plaintiffs from offering evidence of an underlying criminal prosecution, and from recovering damages for the attorney’s fees incurred in defense of the criminal proceeding.

Hrach Agazaryan

Hrach Agazaryan graduated in 2016 from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Political Science, specializing in American Politics. In 2018, he attended his first year of law school at Western State College of Law and ranked amongst the top students. There, he was on the Honor Roll, became the Professionalism Chair for the Armenian Law Student Association, and was a member of the Business Law Association and Criminal Law Association. After his first year, Mr. Agazaryan transferred to Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, where he worked as a clinical student for the Loyola Project for the Innocent and received his degree of Juris Doctor in 2021. 

Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Agazaryan was exposed to many Civil Litigation Defense practice areas as a clerk, including premises liability, personal injury (motor vehicle), products liability, landlord-tenant law (habitability), public entity defense, and banking and finance. As an Associate at Lawrence Beach Allen & Choi, Mr. Agazaryan’s primary areas of practice include civil rights, personal injury, juvenile probation, and law enforcement and governmental entity defense.

Oscar Bustos

Oscar Bustos is an associate at Lawrence Beach Allen & Choi, PC. Mr. Bustos’ areas of practice with the firm include public entity defense involving civil rights actions, employment matters, personal injury, and California Public Records Act litigation.

Mr. Bustos graduated from Stanford University in 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a minor in Psychology. Thereafter, Mr. Bustos obtained his Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center in 2011. During law school, Mr. Bustos worked as a student attorney with the Housing and Community Development Clinic of Georgetown’s Harrison Institute for Public Law where he represented a 65-unit affordable housing development.

Prior to joining Lawrence Beach Allen & Choi, Mr. Bustos worked at a civil litigation firm where he primarily handled federal and state False Claims Act litigation aimed at stopping the submission of fraudulent insurance claims to the government by pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers. Mr. Bustos also worked at an employment law firm where he represented employees in wage and hour litigation as well as claims arising under the Fair Employment & Housing Act. Mr. Bustos has been selected as a Southern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers from 2019 to 2021.

Shannon Carter

Shannon Carter received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from University of California, Davis in 2013. She graduated with highest honors in her focus area, Law and Society, and also obtained a minor in Communications. She completed an undergraduate thesis on legal noncompliance with bicycling laws, which won the John and Lyn Lofland Undergraduate Research Award.

In 2016, Shannon obtained her Juris Doctorate from University of California, Los Angeles. During her time there, she won both the C.V. Starr Foundation Scholarship for academic excellence and the Masin Family Academic Award for her coursework in Law and Terrorism. From 2012 to 2016, Shannon Carter completed seven internships, including clerking for a US District Court judge and a state court judge as well as interning with two federal and two state prosecutorial agencies.

In 2017, Shannon Carter began her legal career as a criminal prosecutor. She has since worked as a prosecutor with three different state prosecutorial agencies, including the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. She has completed nineteen jury trials and has appeared on hundreds of evidentiary motions and hearings. Shannon Carter has since transitioned to civil litigation work with the firm to focus on law enforcement defense. 

Kaynan Chong

Kaynan Chong joined the firm as an associate in 2023. Mr. Chong graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. Mr. Chong obtained his Juris Doctorate from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly known as UC Hastings) in 2021.

While in law school, Mr. Chong externed for Justice Therese M. Stewart at the First District Court of Appeal. He also participated in his school’s Individual Representation clinic, where he represented pro bono clients in Clean Slate and Social Security disability benefits cases, and was a Senior Editor for the journal Constitutional Law Quarterly.

Lora Dyakova

Lora Dyakova is an associate in the Orange County office of Lawrence Beach Allen & Choi, PC. Ms. Dyakova graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Cognitive Science and a minor in Linguistics. She then earned her Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.

While in law school, Ms. Dyakova was a notes editor for the Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property, a teaching assistant for Basic Federal Income Taxation, and a legal extern for Roofstock, Inc. as well as the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

James S. Eicher

James Eicher graduated in 1988 from California State University, Northridge with a degree in Biology. He later attended the University of La Verne College of Law and received his Juris Doctorate, Magna Cum Laude, in 2000.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Eicher was a sworn officer with the Los Angeles Police Department for twelve years and worked a variety of assignments and divisions including Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Field Sergeant, and Administrative Sergeant before leaving the department as a Sergeant II, Assistant Watch Commander. While at the Los Angeles Police Department, Mr. Eicher also investigated critical incidents, uses of force, and other matters requiring expertise in police department policies and procedures.

Prior to joining LBAC, Mr. Eicher worked for a law enforcement/public entity defense firm in Ventura County where he defended agencies and peace officers in a wide variety of matters, including allegations of false arrest, excessive force, and wrongful death. Mr. Eicher also worked as a Deputy District Attorney in the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office from 2008-2012, where he handled an array of trial assignments and also served as the community prosecutor for the cities of Simi Valley and Moorpark.

Jim’s practice primarily focuses on law enforcement civil rights matters and public entity defense.

Shawyane Emadi

Shawyane Emadi joined Lawrence Beach Allen & Choi, PC, as a law clerk in 2022.

Mr. Emadi obtained his Juris Doctorate from the UCLA School of Law in 2023. During his time at UCLA Law, Mr. Emadi served as President of the Iranian Law Students Association, a Production Editor for the Journal of Free Speech Law, and Co-Chair of the Veterans Clinic.

Prior to law school, Mr. Emadi graduated with honors from the University of Southern California in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law, History, & Culture. While at USC, Mr. Emadi served as an Associate Justice on the Undergraduate Student Government’s Judicial Council. Mr. Emadi also spent two years interning for the Crimes Against Peace Officer’s Section of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Aamir Raza

Aamir Raza is a senior associate in the Orange County office of Lawrence Beach Allen & Choi, PC. Mr. Raza’s areas of practice with the firm include civil rights, employment law, general liability and public entity defense.

Mr. Raza received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in 2002. Mr. Raza received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego, writing his honors thesis on planning and urban redevelopment. While at UCSD, Mr. Raza also completed concentrations in Biology and Chemistry.

Prior to joining LBAC, Mr. Raza was in private practice. He specialized in litigation, land development, environmental law, corporate reorganizations and corporate governance. Mr. Raza served as general counsel successfully managing many large scale development projects, working closely with government agencies to secure project and environmental approvals, handle multi-billion dollar litigation and bankruptcy matters, and manage numerous other large litigation matters. Mr. Raza has also conducted multiple bankruptcy trials on behalf of his clients.

Mr. Raza has successfully drafted and argued all forms of dispositive motions and has litigated every aspect of his cases, including trials, appeals, and settlements.

Raymond Sakai

Raymond W. Sakai graduated cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1994, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science with a specialization in business administration.  He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in 1997.  While attending law school, he participated in the UCLA Moot Court Honors Program and was an Articles Editor for the Asian Pacific American Law Journal.  

      Mr. Sakai’s primary areas of practice with LBAC include civil rights, employment law and governmental entity defense.  Mr. Sakai is a member of the California State Bar, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, United States District Court for California, American Bar Association and the Japanese American Bar Association

Brennan Shaw

Brennan Shaw is an associate in the Orange County office of Lawrence Beach Allen & Choi, PC. Mr. Shaw graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with degree in Political Science and a specialization in Political Economy. He later earned his Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. While in law school, Mr. Shaw was an editor for the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology and clerked with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office in the Employment Litigation Division. 

Mr. Shaw’s areas of practice include employment, civil rights, privacy law, and public entity defense. Mr. Shaw is CIPP-US certified by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. 

Egle Urbonaite

Egle Urbonaite is an associate in the Orange County office of Lawrence Beach Allen & Choi, PC.

Ms. Urbonaite graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2018 with a degree in Psychology and minor in Disability Studies. She then earned her Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School. While in law school, Ms. Urbonaite was a staffer for the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, member of the Hobbs Trial Advocacy program, and clerked with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.

Rocco Zambito, Jr.

Rocco Zambito, Jr., a native of Buffalo, New York, joined Lawrence Beach Allen & Choi, PC in May 2014. Mr. Zambito’s areas of practice with the firm include public entity defense, personal injury defense and civil rights.

Prior to joining Lawrence Beach Allen & Choi, PC, Mr. Zambito earned his Juris Doctorate from UCLA School of Law in 2015. While at UCLA School of Law, he received the Dean’s Award for academic performance. At UCLA, Mr. Zambito was Managing Editor of the Pacific Basin Law Journal and was awarded 3rd Place in the UCLA Law Mock Trial competition. In addition, Mr. Zambito worked with clients as a member of multiple El Centro Legal Clinics.

In 2012, Mr. Zambito graduated summa cum laude from Medaille College in Buffalo. During his time at Medaille, Mr. Zambito was a member of the Honors Scholars Program and served as Founder and President of the Hazing Prevention Center. While attending law school, Mr. Zambito clerked for the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office in the Civil Litigation Division. Mr. Zambito previously worked as a law clerk for a personal injury firm.

Ali Ziai

Ali Ziai graduated in 2001 from University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Psychobiology. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the Tulane University School of Law in 2004.

Following law school, Ali began his legal career as a criminal prosecutor, first briefly for the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office (LA), and then for twelve years as a Deputy City Attorney with the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, completing numerous jury trials and handling hundreds of evidentiary hearings and motions. As a Deputy City Attorney, Ali worked within various specialized units, including the Gang Unit and the Neighborhood Prosecutor Program. After he left the office in 2019, Ali ran his own practice for four years, handling criminal defense, family law, and civil cases.

As an associate at Lawrence Beach Allen & Choi, Ali practices public entity defense in the areas of civil rights claims and personal injury.