NEWHOUSE AND CREAGER - Key Persons
AMY CREAGER, Partner, was admitted to the California State Bar in 1999. She is a graduate of the University of California at San Diego where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Ms. Creager received her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law in 1999. Ms. Creager is a member of the American Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and is admitted to practice before all federal district courts in California and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. After receiving her Juris Doctor degree, Ms. Creager served as a law clerk to the Honorable Elizabeth D. Laporte, United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Ms. Creager was an associate at Russ, August & Kabat, where her practice included complex business and real estate litigation, as well as general corporate transactions. Prior to opening Newhouse and Creager, LLP, Ms. Creager practiced at Albert and Mackenzie, concentrating on the defense of workers' compensation claims, including the defense of 132a and Serious and Willful claims on behalf of employer. In addition to this, Ms. Creager has argued before the California Court of Appeals as well as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and has considerable experience in conducting depositions and court proceedings, including complex trial litigation. Ms. Creager was lead defense counsel on Apparicio vs. WCAB, which resulted in the reversal of an over $1.5 million dollar home health care award. In addition to this, Ms. Creager provides seminars for clients on a regular basis. Ms. Creager is also a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law.
ELIZABETH ENGELBERG, Associate, was admitted to the California State Bar in 2000. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Ms. Engelberg received her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School in 2000. She is admitted to practice before all California Courts, the United States District Court, Central District and the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Ms. Engelberg is a member in good standing of the American Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Women's Law Association of Los Angeles. She began her career with clerkships in the United States Attorney's Office and Los Angeles District Attorney's Office before moving into the private sector at Kessel & Associates in 2002, where her practice as senior counsel included civil litigation in labor and employment defense, Constitutional rights, and insurance litigation, representing public entities, elected officials, non-profit organizations and private entities. Ms. Engelberg has extensive experience with mediation, deposition, trials, administrative hearings and appeals. She joined Newhouse & Creager in 2014. She is also involved in furthering educational initiatives in Los Angeles, and sits on the Board of Directors of The Sherman Oaks Nursery School and The Marlborough School Alumni Council.
EVAN NEWHOUSE, Partner, was admitted to the California Bar in 2003. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 1998 where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree. In 2002, Mr. Newhouse graduated University of San Diego School of Law where he received his combined Jurist Doctorate and MBA Degree. He is licensed to practice law in the State of California and is licensed to practice before all State Courts in the State of California. He is a member of the California State Bar and the American Bar Association. Prior to opening Newhouse and Creager, LLP, Mr. Newhouse was a partner at Albert and Mackenzie, where his primary focus was handling the defense of workers' compensation claims, including, but not limited to, the defense of discrimination claims under Labor Code Section 132a. Mr. Newhouse has also been recognized as a Southern California "Rising Star." Mr. Newhouse has extensive expertise in defending self-insured employers, insurance carriers and third party administrators before Workers' Compensation Appeals Boards throughout the State of California. Additionally, Mr. Newhouse is a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law.
GLEN WINTER, Associate, is licensed to practice in all State Courts in the State of California. He earned his undergraduate degree at California State University, Northridge, in 1990. Prior to joining Newhouse and Creager, Mr. Winter began his career in the working workers' compensation industry in 1990 as a claims adjuster, and obtained his Self-Insured Certificate and AIC, before working as a hearing representative with an in-house insurance company, and later as an attorney with a large law firm. He represents third party administrators, insurance carriers, and their agencies, in all aspects of workers' compensation law.
HANNAH KATZ, Associate, was admitted to the California State Bar in 2022. She is a graduate of the University of Washington, Seattle, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a minor in Spanish language. Ms. Katz received her Juris Doctor from Pepperdine Law School and a Certificate of Dispute Resolution from the Straus Institute of Dispute Resolution in 2022. She represents the interests of employers, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators in all aspects of Workers' Compensation defense.
JAMIE M. JACOBY, Partner, was admitted to the California State Bar in 2003 and is licensed to practice before all State Courts in the State of California. Mr. Jacoby received his undergraduate degree from California State University Northridge in 1992. He went on to obtain his Juris Doctor degree from the University of West Los Angeles in 1999. Since 2003 Mr. Jacoby has practiced law in the field of Workers' Compensation defense, where he has represented the interests of employers, carriers and third party administrators in all aspects of Workers' Compensation defense, including the defense of claims under labor code section 132a. Mr. Jacoby is a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law and has extensive experience representing employers, insurance carriers and third party administrators.
JOZEF V. FINNERAN, Associate, was admitted to the California Bar in 2006. He is a graduate from the University of California at Irvine with dual degrees in Psychology and Spanish Literature. Additionally, he attended Columbia University where he earned a Master of International Affairs (MIA). He earned his Juris Doctorate/LLM in International Law from Chicago-Kent College of Law. As a Visiting Student he attended The University Of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne where he studied International/Global Studies. As a visiting Student he attended Pepperdine Law School, where he earned a Certificate in Employment Law. Mr. Finneran worked for the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chicago as a Certified court-appointed Mediator in the areas of family law, juvenile claims, and unlawful detainer cases. Mr. Finneran began his law career as an International Corporate Lawyer for Baker and McKenzie, where he worked on corporate and securities transactional matters. He then worked as an Associate Corporate Counsel in the field of employment law, including FEHA, EEOC, 132a, sexual harassment, and workers' compensation cases. He subsequently worked for several premier workers' compensation defense law firms before joining Newhouse Creager. Ms. Finneran is a member of the American Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and is admitted to practice before all Federal District Courts in California and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Finneran is a native Spanish speaker and fluent in French and Italian.
KATIE SAYYAH, Partner, joined Newhouse and Creager in 2016 as an associate in the Calabasas office and became a partner with our firm in 2022. She represents self-insured employers, insurance carriers and their adjusting agencies in all aspects of worker's compensation law. Ms. Sayyah was admitted to the California State Bar in 2010. She graduated Cum Laude from the University of Miami School of Law where she earned her Juris Doctorate. She attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she double majored in Political Science and Law and Society. She began her career with a fellowship at the office of the California Attorney General before moving into the private sector. She is licensed to practice law throughout California and is a member of the Los Angeles Bar Association.
REBECCA KIM, Associate was admitted to the California State Bar in 2023. She received her undergraduate degree in Legal Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Ms. Kim earned her Juris Doctor degree at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in 2022. she is licensed to practice before all State Courts in the State of California. Rebecca has practiced Workers' Compensation exclusively, prior to joining Newhouse and Creager and has continued to excel since joining the team as she continues to represent the interests of employers, carrier and third-party administrators.