CLIFFORD & BROWN - Key Persons
Anthony L. Leggio is a Bakersfield native. He attended the University of the Pacific where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. After graduating With Distinction from McGeorge School of Law in 1977, he returned home to Bakersfield where the Leggio family has long had deep roots in the business community since the 1940's.
Upon joining the firm in 1977, Mr. Leggio was instrumental in developing the firm's business practice. From 1977 to 2001, the business practice of the firm under Mr. Leggio's direction grew steadily in diversification and expertise to meet the ever-expanding needs of its clients.
While Mr. Leggio's practice over the past thirty years has included a broad range of business transactional matters, he developed a reputation as a practical and astute business planner and corporate counsel. He served as counsel to numerous large businesses in both legal and business strategic planning and has handled many complex purchase and sales of businesses. His broad range of legal and business experience makes him uniquely qualified to assist businesses in navigating difficult issues.
In 2001, Mr. Leggio joined long-time client, Bolthouse Farms, Inc. as Vice-President/General Counsel. Mr. Leggio was involved with Bolthouse Farms' sale to a private equity firm in 2005.
As Of Counsel to the firm, he continues to be available to the firm, and its clients, in strategic business planning. In addition, he serves on the Board of many private businesses due to his unique combination of legal and business expertise.
Job Titles:
- Member of the First Presbyterian Church of Bakersfield
Beth A. Kuney has been a life-long resident of Bakersfield. She is a graduate of Highland High School where she excelled at tennis, debate, and academics. She attended Central College in Pella, Iowa from which she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1987. She then spent a year studying in a post graduate program at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland with the support of a Rotary International Scholarship which she applied for through the South Bakersfield Rotary Club. Thereafter, she enrolled at Hastings College of the Law and graduated in 1992.
Mrs. Kuney's practice includes business transactional matters (including mergers and acquisitions, business formation, oil and gas, and business dissolution.) and real property transactions.
Mrs. Kuney is an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Bakersfield. She has served on the Board and as the Director for the Kern Community Tennis Association and on the Board for the American Cancer Society. She was active at Bakersfield High School serving on the Athletic Booster Club, the Parent, Teacher, Student Organization and as the Assistant Girls Varsity Tennis Coach.
Ciara Martinez was born in San Antonio, Texas. She interned at the Bexar County District Attorney's Office during law school. Ciara assisted with felony criminal cases for the 437th district court. She started her career practicing dependency law advocating for and representing minors under the jurisdiction of the dependency court. Ciara now lives in Tehachapi with her husband and four children.
Job Titles:
- Member of the State Bar of California
Donald C. Oldaker was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia where he attended St. Georges School before obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of British Columbia in 1980. While attending university Mr. Oldaker worked in the offshore subsea oil industry and later engaged in the drilling and operation of a number of oil wells in Texas, Oklahoma and California. Mr. Oldaker moved to Bakersfield in 1989 with a small oil operator and attended California Pacific School of Law from which he obtained his Juris Doctorate in 1993.
While attending law school Mr. Oldaker clerked for Noriega Alexander and Bradshaw, a local firm where he remained after being admitted to the State Bar of California in 1993 until joining Clifford & Brown in 2015. His current practice focuses on business and transactional matters, civil and business litigation, oil and gas and real property matters, agriculture, estate and property issues and appellate advocacy. Mr. Oldaker individually holds a BV rating with Martindale & Hubbell.
Mr. Oldaker is a member of the State Bar of California, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Southern, Central and Northern District of California, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.
Mr. Oldaker became a named Partner with Clifford and Brown June 1, 2019.
Job Titles:
- Member of the First Presbyterian Church of Bakersfield
Grover H. Waldon has been a life-long resident of Bakersfield and has more than 35 years of varied practice. He is a graduate of North High School where he excelled at swimming and academics. After initially attending Bakersfield College, he transferred to California State University at Sacramento from which he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1980. Thereafter, he enrolled at the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. He graduated in 1983, with distinction.
While at McGeorge, Mr. Waldon was a member of the Trial Advocacy Team, the Traynor society and the Community Legal Services Honor Board. He was also a recipient of the International Moot Court's award for Best Combined Brief and Oral Advocacy.
Mr. Waldon, a senior attorney in the firm, enjoys a broad practice that includes civil litigation (both tort and business) as well as business transactional matters (including mergers and acquisitions, business formation, oil and gas, employment law and business dissolution.) He also serves as general business and corporate counsel to a broad spectrum of clients in the San Joaquin Valley.
Mr. Waldon handled and argued the underlying case and appellate case of Caza Drilling (California), Inc. vs. TEG Oil & Gas USA, Inc. Shefton Resources, Inc. matter (2nd Dist. Court of Appeal B182892) which is one of the first cases in California to address the International Association of Drilling Contractors contract and specifically addressed the issue of exculpatory contract language that impacts many contracts in California, even outside of the Oil & Gas field.
Mr. Waldon is an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Bakersfield as well as having served or continuing to serve in several local charities, including Hoffmann Hospice, Kern County Youth for Christ and Kern County Student Leadership.
Jacob A. Thomasy was born and raised in Bakersfield, California where he met and married the love of his life, Jade.
A graduate of Bakersfield High School, Jake attended Taft College, where he earned his Associate in Arts degree in Social Science in 2014. Jake later attended California State University Bakersfield, earning both his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in Economics in 2016 and his Master of Public Administration degree in 2019.
Jake earned his law degree from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, California in 2022. While in law school, Jake pursued the Appellate Advocacy track and took part in Southwestern's Moot Court Honors Program in his first year of law school, earning recognition as a "Notable Oralist" from the Southwestern's Moot Court Honors Program Board of Governors.
James Harvey focuses his practice in the areas of personal injury defense and business and commercial law, with an emphasis on litigation and litigation avoidance planning. Since his admission to the California State Bar in 2010, James has successfully assisted his clients with a wide range of commercial and personal injury matters collectively involving hundreds of millions of dollars in dispute and over 100 full court days in trial. James's legal passion project, however, is avoidance planning. He is fond of encouraging business owners to become his (strategic planning) client so they can avoid becoming his (litigation defense) client.
James is a Bakersfield native, and when not in the office or the courtroom, remains heavily involved in the local legal and professional communities. Outside commitments and activities include serving as a director and officer for the Kern County Bar Association, local body president of an international non-profit children's charity (Active 20-30 Club), and a faculty member at the Kern County College of Law where he teaches courses on business law, corporations, partnerships, and agency. James is also a former Chair of the Kern County Bar Association's Young Lawyers Section but has since, unfortunately, aged out of Young Lawyers.
In his spare time, James enjoys golfing, urban hiking, chess, bowling, music recording and production, and spending time with his wife Kathryn and their Chihuahua mix, Penny.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Kern County Bar Association
Joanne L. Pierce was raised in San Diego and has lived in Bakersfield since 2019. Her husband is a Bakersfield native and a Deputy Public Defender for the County of Kern. They are the proud parents of their one-year-old son who is the joy of their lives.
Joanne focuses her practice in the areas of personal injury defense, business law, real property law, and general litigation. Since her admission to the California State Bar in 2016, she worked on civil and criminal appeals, served as a Deputy City Attorney for the City of San Diego, and has assisted clients on a broad range of civil litigation matters. During Joanne's time with the San Diego City Attorney's Office, she took numerous cases to trial, worked in a vertical capacity prosecuting Drug DUIs, was awarded Deputy of the Month, and gained specialized knowledge on prosecuting impaired driving.
While at California Western School of Law, Joanne served as President of the Student Bar Association and was an accomplished member of the moot court team where she and her partners won first place at the Pepperdine Entertainment Law Moot Court competition, and second place at the Whittier National Juvenile Law Moot Court competition. Joanne was awarded Best Oralist for her advocacy at the Whittier National Juvenile Law Moot Court competition. Upon graduation from California Western, Joanne continued to participate in the moot court program serving as a coach and adjunct faculty member. Joanne was inducted into the National Order of Scribes in 2015 for achievement in research and writing.
Joanne is a member of the Kern County Bar Association and has served on the board of the Women Lawyers Section.
Michael C. Georgino was born and raised in Bakersfield and attended Garces Memorial High School. After high school, Michael initially attended the University of San Diego to play football, before transferring to the University of Arizona, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 2021.
While a student at Arizona, he held several leadership and committee positions as a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He was also a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the University of Arizona Ski and Snowboard Club, and Turning Point USA, as well as an intern at the Kern County District Attorney's Office. Upon graduating, he attended the Pepperdine Rick J. Caruso School of Law, where he graduated in 2024. At Pepperdine, Michael received a Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the school's top-ranked Straus Institute of Dispute Resolution, as well as a Certificate from the Palmer Center for Entrepreneurship and the Law, with an emphasis in Real Estate. He also held a role as the Finance & Outreach Editor of the Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal, served on the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, and became a member of the Federalist Society. Michael received a CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Arbitration.
Before law school, Michael spent significant time working for a local steel company. In the summer of 2022, he served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Thomas S. Clark, of the Kern County Superior Court. The following summer, Michael worked as a law clerk at Clifford & Brown. He returned to the firm after graduating and taking the Bar Exam in 2024, and has remained since. His practice includes a variety of areas within general business, civil business and tort litigation, and business transactions.
Michael is a proud supporter of Garces Memorial High School and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish and School. His hobbies include hunting & fishing, horseback riding, skiing & snowboarding, golfing, and following numerous different sports. Michael's passion for conservation and preserving our rights and heritage has led him to become a supporter and member of Safari Club International, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the National Rifle Association.
Patricia Di Pasquale focuses her practice in the areas of civil litigation, business litigation, and appellate advocacy. She graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law with Distinction and received Jurisprudence Awards for Academic Excellence in Intellectual Property Scholarship and Housing Law and Policy. While in law school, Patricia participated in the Citizens Lawyer Program as a volunteer law clerk for Iowa Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. She also participated in moot court, including Appellate Advocacy and the Iowa Law Jessup International Moot Court Competition. In 2022 and 2023, Patricia externed for Justice Dana Oxley of the Iowa State Supreme Court and Judge Mark A. Roberts of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Iowa. Prior to law school, Patricia obtained her Bachelor of Arts in History and Art from the University of California, Berkeley, obtaining Highest Honors in History. Patricia has significant experience in the legal field, first as a paralegal and law clerk, and now as an attorney. She worked at the Bakersfield City Attorney's Office, Douglas County Attorney's Office in Omaha, Nebraska, and in plaintiff's personal injury, employment law, and business litigation at other firms before joining Clifford & Brown in 2025.
Patricia is a California native from Tehachapi, California. In her spare time, Patricia enjoys oil painting and printmaking in her private art studio, league bowling, and hiking with her Australian Shepherd and Great Pyrenees.
Patrick J. Osborn is a native having been born in Bakersfield. He is a third generation Bakersfield attorney. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1973 from the University of California at Riverside and his Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1977.
Upon his graduation from McGeorge, Mr. Osborn accepted a position with the firm. He has tried over 75 jury trials to a verdict in matters as varied as wrongful termination, product liability, real estate, professional negligence, dental professional negligence, and medical professional negligence. He is the attorney of record in numerous published Appellate Court opinions. He is licensed to practice law in California and is admitted to the United States District Court for the Eastern and Central Districts of California. Mr. Osborn is individually rated as an AV lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Osborn is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate in the National Board of Trial Advocacy and also is a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys, with a specialty in medical professional liability. He holds the rank of Advocate in the American Board of Trial Advocates and served as president, in 1999, of the San Joaquin Valley Chapter, where he has been an active participant in the "Masters in Trial" programs, including Masters in Trial and Trial Notebook Program. Mr. Osborn is also a member of the Association of Defense Counsel, the Defense Research Institute.
Mr. Osborn's community interests include active participation in wildlife conservation (through the Kern County Sportsman's Night and Ducks Unlimited where he has previously held positions at the local, state and national levels), previously serving on the advisory board of the YWCA and serving as an alternate for Assemblyman Tony Strickland on the Kern County Republican Central Committee. He is also a member of Houchin Blood Bank's 19 Gallon Club and on the Board of the Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Foundation.
Mr. Boyle is a senior attorney in Clifford & Brown, with the longest tenure in the firm's business department. He was born in San Tomé, Venezuela. Mr. Boyle joined the firm in 1985, after practicing for seven years in the San Diego area.
Mr. Boyle previously served as President of the Probate Section for the Kern County Bar Association. He is a member of the State Bar of California, the Kern County Bar Association and the Christian Legal Society.
Job Titles:
- Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates
William A. Bruce was born in Grand Junction, Colorado, and later moved with his family to Bakersfield in 1964. Following his graduation from Foothill High School in 1971, Mr. Bruce attended Bakersfield Community College and the University of California, Davis, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. He subsequently received his Juris Doctorate Degree from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1979.
Mr. Bruce was previously a partner at Robinson, Palmer & Stanton and Klein DeNatale Goldner in Bakersfield before joining Clifford & Brown. Mr. Bruce has tried over 45 jury trials to verdict in matters as diverse as personal injury, products liability, public entity defense, real estate fraud, toxic tort, crop damage, breach of contract, medical negligence, and wrongful termination. He is licensed to practice law in California and is admitted to the United States District Court for the Eastern, Central and Southern Districts of California, as well as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Bruce is individually rated as an AV lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell, its highest designation.
Mr. Bruce has been a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) since 1995 and served as President of the San Joaquin Chapter in 2009. He has also served on the board of directors for Cal-ABOTA, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel and the Kern County Bar Association.
Mr. Bruce's community participation includes having served on the Board of Directors for the Kern County YMCA, Kern CASA and Bakersfield College Renegade Helmet Club.
Winifred "Wendy" Thomson Hoss was born in Bakersfield, California to a family whose farming roots began four generations before, when her great-grandfather homesteaded farmland in Kern County in the late 1800's. Her childhood was spent on a farm which led to her education at grammar and high schools in the Arvin, California area and a love of all things rural, including horseback riding, which she still pursues. Continuing the agricultural and outdoor emphasis, she attended the University of California, Davis where she obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree (with honors) in 1976 and a law degree (Juris Doctor) in 1981.
Mrs. Hoss returned home to practice law with a small partnership, Darling, Maclin and Day. The firm name changed to Darling, Maclin and Thomson in 1985 when she became a partner. She taught Real Property Law at California State University, Bakersfield in 1985 and 1987. In 1996 she joined Clifford & Brown, as did her former remaining partner.
During her tenure as an attorney, she has been a member of Kern County Bar Association; the State Bar of California; Kern County Women Lawyers Association (President, 1985); District Board Member, Kern County Air Pollution District, 1986; Member, State Bar of California, Business Law Section, Agribusiness Committee, 1999-2001.
Mrs. Hoss has been active as a member or pro bono legal adviser over the years in the Victim Witness Auxiliary of Kern County, the Junior League of Bakersfield, the California Living Museum (CALM) Foundation, the Bakersfield Rotary Club, Cursillo and other activities through the Episcopal Church, and Kern Athletic Fencing Foundation.