GREEN BRYANT & FRENCH - Key Persons
Brandon Abbott is a senior associate attorney at Green, Bryant & French, LLP. Originally from Carlsbad, CA, the Coachella Valley has been parallel to a second home for Brandon since the 1980s. Brandon has family ties to the La Quinta area since 1983, and Brandon has lived in the Coachella Valley since 2016.
Brandon handles all aspects of litigation and transactional work. Brandon specializes in real estate, business, construction, water resources, contract, general civil, HOA, and post-judgment collections law. Brandon has successfully represented individuals, corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, homeowners' associations, and property owners in a variety of transactions, disputes, and litigation. Brandon thrives in problem solving, and obtaining the best results for his clients.
Following a successful academic career at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and at California Western School of Law, Brandon began his law career within Paramount Pictures Corporation's motion picture legal department. During his employment at Paramount Pictures, Brandon handled a variety of entertainment contract and legal research matters.
Following his time at Paramount Pictures Corporation, Brandon elected to pursue a Masters of Law (LL.M.) degree in Water Resources Law at the University of Pacific - McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, CA. While working toward his LL.M., Brandon completed two separate attorney externships at the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and California's State Water Resources Control Board. Brandon obtained experience in a variety of water rights matters during such time as well.
During his free time, Brandon enjoys golfing, traveling, the beach, the pool, hiking, dining at new restaurants, and checking out new things to do in the area.
Bryan Gerstel now serves of Counsel to our firm and brings his wisdom and unique success in matters involving Construction Defect and Insurance Law. Mr. Gerstel is one of the early pioneer's of the development of construction defect laws favorable to homeowners and consumers. Mr. Gerstel formed the firm Duke Gerstel Shearer, LLP in San Diego in 1972 with a singular goal - - to provide exceptional legal services to meet with unique needs of California's Homeowner's and Community Association's. Mr. Gerstel's success gained momentum on the shoulders of the largest residential defect settlement ever obtained in the United States at that time - - a $36,000,000 settlement on behalf of 400 homeowners (Villa Montinique v. Christiana Community Builders).
Mr. Gerstel serves numerous Golf and Country Clubs in the capacity of General and Special Counsel in business, corporate, bylaw and related matters and as litigation counsel in instances where the Club and the members have disputes over Club rights and obligations.
CRAIG S. BICKLER became affiliated with our firm in January 2013 and serves in a senior "of counsel" position, having been a real estate and corporate lawyer for more than 35 years. For the last 20 years, Mr. Bickler has practiced almost exclusively in the field of common interest development law. Since 1994, he has represented hundreds of homeowner associations in southern California as their primary legal counsel.
Originally from New York State, Craig Bickler moved to England in his late teens. He attended law school in London and, following the English model requiring five years of formal legal training, practice and written examination, was admitted as an English solicitor (attorney) in 1976 at the age of 24. He is believed to have been the first non-British Empire citizen to have achieved this status. Mr. Bickler became the joint founding partner of a central London law firm in 1979 and practiced law in England for 17 years in all. His firm numbered among its clients England's largest bank, renowned international architects and numerous corporations and other business entities.
Mr. Bickler moved with his family to San Diego in 1993. Following admission to the California bar, Craig Bickler became an attorney with one of the largest law firms in southern California whose legal work is limited to homeowner association law. As a senior attorney, Mr. Bickler established and was principal managing attorney for that firm's two satellite offices in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
During this period, in addition to supervising the work of satellite office staff, Mr. Bickler was the main legal counsel for well over 200 homeowners associations. He advised his client associations on all aspects of non-profit common interest development law, including the drafting, interpretation and enforcement of governing documents, corporate operating issues and financial and assessment collection matters.
In the late 1990s, Mr. Bickler opened his own practice in north San Diego County His practice was limited predominantly to representing homeowner associations but with some ancillary legal work in the general real estate and corporate fields. Over the past nearly 20 years, Mr. Bickler has continued to hone his skills and experience in the field of homeowner association law while advising hundreds of associations, both residential and commercial, in southern California and elsewhere.
Craig Bickler has taken particular interest in representing individual or master community associations with complex or unusual problems. For example, he has advised and assisted sub-associations whose inadequate or poorly drafted governing documents have created uncertainty as to the associations' respective legal rights and responsibilities within a master community to correct and resolve their legal position. He has also guided several associations through the unusual process of governing document termination, and corporate dissolution, where the membership considered that the needs of the community no longer required the formal common interest development structure created by the project's original developer.
Craig Bickler has served on the Educational Service Committee for the San Diego Chapter of Community Association Institute (CAI) and is past co-chair of the Inland Empire Chapter Education Committee. Mr. Bickler has been a speaker on various aspects of common interest development law at numerous seminars and has also acted as an expert witness in the field of homeowner association law.
Elizabeth A. French is a Partner in the law firm of Green, Bryant & French, LLP. For the last seventeen years her practice has emphasized the representation of community associations in all aspects of the law, including litigation and transaction matters.
The first ten years that Ms. French practiced law, she worked as both a plaintiff and defense attorney in the areas of construction defect, real estate, and employment law. She has tried multiple cases to verdict, including construction defect, quiet title, and governing document enforcement cases. As a result of her litigation practice over the last twenty-seven years, Ms. French has participated in hundreds of mediations, resolving many of those cases without filing a lawsuit. Finally, Ms. French has served as general counsel to several construction and real estate businesses.
Ms. French has written numerous articles on issues relating to community associations. Ms. French is also a regular contributor to Community Association Institute (CAI) publications and spoken for CAI San Diego and Riverside chapters on topics relating to community associations.
Ms. French currently sits on the Board of American Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL). She was also a Director on the Board of Directors for the Community Association Institute's San Diego Chapter for six years and was a Delegate for three years on its Legislation Action Committee (LAC). LAC reviews and lobbies for or against new legislation that may affect owners in a common interest development, as well as associations.
Ms. French earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from St. Mary's College of Notre Dame, Indiana in 1990. In 1993, Ms. French earned her Juris Doctor degree from Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington.
Jeffrey A. French is a Partner with Green Bryant & French, LLP. His practice emphasizes the representation of community associations, timeshare developments and private clubs in all aspects of the law. Also, Mr. French is experienced in representing clients in a wide variety of real estate matters and land use/development issues. Mr. French has worked with both developers and condominium converters regarding development issues as well as helping them to set up and run community associations for their developments.
Mr. French earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and History from the University of California, San Diego in 1989. In 1993, Mr. French earned his Juris Doctor degree and graduated Cum Laude from Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington. While attending Gonzaga, he was an Associate Editor of the Gonzaga Law Review. Mr. French also earned a Masters of Law degree from the University of Washington School of Law in 1994. While at the University of Washington, he was the Student Note Editor for the University of Washington Coastal Management Journal and worked for the Attorney General of Washington handling issues concerning the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
Mr. French has written numerous articles on issues relating to community associations, real estate and private clubs. Mr. French is a regular contributor to both Community Association Institute and California Association of Community Managers publications on topics relating to community associations and real estate. In addition, Mr. French is a regular speaker on these topics for both CAI and CACM.
Mr. French is a member of the Board of Directors for the California Sate Club Association, which advocates on behalf of private clubs in California. In addition to being a director, Mr. French chairs the Education Committee, which provides updates and education pertinent to current private club issues in California.
Mr. French is admitted to practice before all courts in the States of California and Washington as well as the Federal District Courts for the Southern District of California and Western District of Washington.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner at the Law Firm of Green Bryan & French
Jessica G. Wilson is a Partner at the law firm of Green Bryan & French. Her practice emphasizes the representation of elders and dependent adults in matters including financial abuse, the prosecution of nursing home abuse, personal injury claims and will and trust fraud cases.
Before joining the firm, Ms. Wilson practiced for ten years with distinguished law firms in San Diego, where her clients included business owners, professionals, attorneys, law firms, non-profit organizations and public entities. She represented clients on a wide range of matters, both plaintiff and defense, including complex business disputes, employment cases, class action and collective action lawsuits, professional liability claims, allegations of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, indemnity, fraud and misrepresentation, in both state and federal courts.
Ms. Wilson earned her law degree from the University of San Diego, where she also completed her undergraduate studies in economics and business administration. She remains active with the University of San Diego School of Law, serving as a director of the Law Alumni Board since 2010. Ms. Wilson is an active member of the San Diego County Bar Association, a certified participant of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy in both the Trial and Deposition Programs, a participant of the San Diego Inn of Court, a member of the American Inns of Court, Louis M. Welsh Chapter, and an award recipient of the Wiley W. Manuel Certificate for Pro Bono Legal Services.
Ms. Wilson is admitted to practice before all courts in the State of California, all District Courts seated in California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Partner
- Leader in San Diego
Joel R. Bryant is recognized as one of San Diego's top litigation attorneys handling nursing home abuse, personal injury, financial elder abuse, and will and trust fraud cases. Joel was one of the first attorneys in San Diego to specialize in prosecuting civil and probate actions for financial elder abuse, and is one of the few attorneys experienced and successful in both nursing home abuse and financial elder abuse litigation. Such experience allows Joel to quickly identify medical issues and track financial fraud in either civil court or probate court.
Joel Bryant has extensive trial experience and enjoys an excellent reputation throughout the legal community as an aggressive and compassionate advocate for his clients. In addition to his extensive experience in nursing home abuse and financial elder abuse cases, Joel Bryant has substantial experience successfully handling personal injury, employment, business and construction litigation cases. Joel's breadth of experience provides him a unique perspective which translates into superior results for his clients. Joel has been awarded Consumer Attorneys of San Diego's Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award and has received several President's Awards for Excellence. Joel was rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, that organization's highest legal rating for ethical standards and legal ability.
Joel Bryant is a leader in San Diego and Southern California's legal community. Joel was President of the Consumer Attorneys (formerly San Diego Trial Lawyer Association) of San Diego in 2011, and has served on its board of directors for 11 years. Joel is currently on the board of directors for Consumer Attorneys of California and has received its Presidential Award of Merit. Joel Bryant was President of the San Diego Barrister's Club in 1994 and on the board of directors prior to that. Joel Bryant is a member of the San Diego Bar Association and serves on its Judicial Election Evaluation Committee. Joel is also a member of the American Association for Justice (formerly American Trial Lawyer Association), and has been a member of the American Bar Association and the American Business Trial Lawyers Association.
Joel Bryant is admitted to practice law before all of the California State Courts and California Federal Courts, including the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Education
Joel Bryant graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. While at Arizona State, he received several student achievement awards including the prestigious Wall Street Journal Outstanding Business Student Award. Joel Bryant then obtained his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1990. In addition to graduating in the top tier of his class at University of San Diego, Joel was also active and successful in its moot court program.
Joel Bryant is actively involved in legal issues confronting America's elderly persons:
San Diego Financial Abuse Specialist Team (FAST): Mr. Bryant is a consultant and committee chairperson for FAST, a team of consultants from the private and public sector whose mission is to increase the effectiveness of elder financial abuse reporting and prosecution and to increase public awareness of the problem through education.
Senior Community Centers: Mr. Bryant served on the Board of Directors for six years. Senior Community Centers is a charitable organization which provides food, housing and social services to senior citizens to help them maintain their health, independence and dignity.
Senior Housing Corporation: Mr. Bryant served on the Board of Directors for three years. Senior Housing Corporation is a charitable organization whose mission is to provide affordable housing to low-income senior citizens.
Lecturer: Mr. Bryant is a frequent lecturer regarding senior legal issues such as nursing home abuse and neglect, financial elder abuse, and will and trust fraud.
Madison Miller is an Associate Attorney at Green, Bryant & French, LLP. Her practice focuses on elder abuse litigation, representing elders and dependent adults in matters of nursing home neglect and abuse, financial elder abuse, and personal injury. Prior to joining the firm in 2022, Madison's practice focused on estate planning for clients across California.
Before passing the California Bar Exam in 2021, Madison earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. During law school, Madison was the President of the Associated Students of UC Hastings. She focused her studies on estate planning, tax, and elder advocacy as a clinical student in the Medical-Legal Partnership for Seniors at UC Hastings. Madison also has experience working with early-stage startups in San Francisco and in entity formation.
Prior to law school, Madison graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with honors. She earned Bachelor's degrees in Legal Studies and Geography. While a student at UC Berkeley, Madison completed her honors thesis project in the Legal Studies department, served as a Senator for the Associated Students of the University of California, and worked in multiple internships with the Los Angeles District Attorney's office.
Madison was born and raised in Los Angeles, and after seven amazing years in the Bay Area, she is happy to be back in sunny Southern California.
Matthew T. Poelstra is a partner with Green Bryant & French, LLP. His practice focuses on representing individual and business clients in all aspects of civil litigation, including bicycle accidents, traumatic brain injury and personal injury claims, landlord/tenant, habitability, and mold/toxic tort litigation, bad faith insurance claims, multi-party construction defect and real estate litigation, homeowners association litigation, golf-club disputes, tribal claims, contract disputes, and government tort claims, among others. He also has experience representing defrauded investors in complex, multi-party securities fraud litigation. He has successfully resolved cases for clients through jury trials, mediation and arbitration. Mr. Poelstra is admitted to practice before all courts in the State of California and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. His memberships include the American Inns of Court - Warren Slaughter/Richard Roemer Chapter, the Riverside County Bar Association, the Desert Bar Association, the San Diego County Bar Association, the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, Phi Beta Kappa Society, and the Golden Key National Honor Society.
Robert Dieringer is a Partner at Green Bryant & French, LLP. Rob focuses his law practice exclusively on civil elder abuse, trust, conservatorship, and probate litigation. Elder abuse cases are often multifaceted and require a sharp understanding of litigation strategy, geriatrics and gerontology, and estate and real property law.
To develop a broad understanding of the issues that affect his clients, Rob serves his community in a variety of roles, including as Member of the Board of Directors of the Probate Attorneys of San Diego; past-Chair of the Elder Law Section of the San Diego County Bar Association; former Adjunct Professor at Cuyamaca College; and former Member of the Board of Directors of the Lawyer Referral Information Service of the San Diego County Bar Association.
Rob is also active in the California legislature in the area of Elder Law, having co-authored, through the California Conference of Bar Associations, the following laws: Resolution 06-01-2016, "Replacement of Dementia with Major Neurocognitive Disorder," adopted as (2017) SB 413 by Senator Mike L. Morrell (R-Rancho Cucamonga) and signed into law by Governor Brown on July 24, 2017; and Resolution 02-11-2014, "Termination of Dementia Powers," adopted as (2015) AB 436 by Assembly member Brian W. Jones (R-Santee) and signed into law by Governor Brown on August 13, 2015.
Rob is highly credentialed and respected by his peers, as a State Bar of California accredited Certified Elder Law Attorney (2019) and Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law (2018). Rob is also a SuperLawyers Rising Star (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022).
Rob graduated from Colgate University, cum laude (2007), and the University of San Diego School of Law (2011).
Ronald M. Green was a founding Partner in the law firm of Green Bryant & French, LLP, and now works as Of Counsel for the firm. Mr. Green is a plaintiffs' lawyer trained by Gerry Spence with an impressive track record of successfully prosecuting construction defect and real estate cases of all sizes. In addition, Mr. Green handles issues relating to community associations, ranging from transactional matters to litigation. Mr. Green has authored numerous published articles on mold, water intrusion, construction, and homeowner association law, and is a frequent guest lecturer at Community Association Institute Chapter Meetings in Riverside and San Diego Counties.
Mr. Green is a graduate of the prestigious Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College in Wyoming. He is also a graduate of the Trial Lawyers College Graduate Program. Mr. Green has served as Judge Pro Tem for Riverside County Superior Court since 2005, and actively participates as a member of the Inns of Court, Warren E. Slaughter Chapter, located in Riverside County (2003 and 2004). Since 2004, Mr. Green has served as a volunteer Court Appointed Mediator and Settlement Judge in Riverside County Superior Court, Indio Branch. Mr. Green is a member of the litigation section of the Consumer Attorneys Association of California and serves on the committee reviewing new legislation that may affect consumers in California.
In addition to handling some of the largest and most complex real estate and personal injury cases, Mr. Green has extensive experience in litigation involving product defects, insurance law, and construction. In 1995, he prosecuted and obtained what was considered at that time the largest elder abuse settlement in California history. In 2002, Mr. Green tried, and obtained what was considered at that time to be the highest personal injury verdict in Arizona history involving the types of injuries his clients suffered. The defense offered $100,000.00 collectively for two plaintiffs to settle the case - Mr. Green took the case to trial and the jury awarded 3.4 Million Dollars plus costs, fees, and interest. Mr. Green ultimately collected approximately 4 Million Dollars for his clients. Specifically, the Arizona case involved "soft tissue injuries" and questionable ulnar nerve damage to the right arm of one of the clients.
In 2005, Mr. Green completed an eight-week jury trial on behalf an individual defendant in a real estate fraud case in San Diego. Plaintiff in that case was pursuing 1.3 Million Dollars in damages plus attorney's fees and costs, which were anticipated to total approximately 2 Million Dollars. Mr. Green's client was a licensed real estate broker and insurance agent facing possible loss of his business licenses and his career. After an eight-week trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Mr. Green's client and awarded Mr. Green's client his attorney's fees and costs. Recently, during the first part of 2010, Mr. Green successfully completed a 13.1 Million Dollar confidential settlement and judgment against a California condo-converter.
Mr. Green graduated from the University of California San Diego with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and a minor in philosophy. Mr. Green achieved departmental honors within his major and earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1990. He is admitted to practice before all the courts in California, Colorado, and the United States Federal District Court (Central District), and has successfully argued before California's Fourth District Court of Appeal.
Mr. Green has been a member and involved in the following professional Bar Associations: Riverside County Bar Association; orange County Bar Association; San Diego County Bar Association; Los Angeles County Bar Association; Beverly Hills Bar Association; American Bar Association; Litigation Section of the California Bar; Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC); Association of Business Trial Lawyers, and American Trial Lawyers Association.
Samuel Roth is an Associate Attorney at Green, Bryant, & French, LLP. His practice focuses on representing community associations, timeshare developments, and private clubs in all aspects of the law, including a wide variety of real estate matters including land use and development issues.
In 2021, Mr. Roth earned both his Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of San Diego. While at the University of San Diego, he was a two-term executive member of the Business Law Society and focused his studies on finance, real estate, land use, and climate change. Mr. Roth is an active member of the San Diego County Bar Association, Federal Bar Association San Diego Chapter, and Urban Land Institute.
Before returning to his hometown to attend law and business school, Mr. Roth earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from the University of Washington in 2014.