BRIDGFORD LAW - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Real Estate Expert / Wildfire Paralegal
Alex Bridgford joins BGA as a Real Estate Expert after spending the last 10 years in the real estate industry. Alex's experience in both development and brokerage allows him to advise on current market trends and maximize valuations to enhance client recoveries. He also assists on all aspects of Wildfire case management. He has worked on the Laguna Niguel Coastal Fire of 2022, the Maui Fires of 2023, and the Eaton Fire of 2025.
Prior to BGA, Alex spent 3 years as a trusted advisor at CBRE to first in class real estate developers, owners and operators. In addition to being part of the #1 CBRE Retail Team in 2024, Alex carved his own niche, specializing in Orange County infill and redevelopment. He has curated a network of both owners and developers of retail, residential, industrial, hospitality and self-storage to identify underperforming assets that can be re-entitled, unlocking significant value for owners and opportunities for developers. During his time with CBRE, Alex negotiated on behalf of his clients for more than $215M of value across more than 2M SF of real estate.
Alex began his career by spending 7 years in Irvine with Fivepoint Holdings managing the development, construction, and asset management of large-scale mixed-use projects throughout California. Fivepoint Holdings is the largest master-planned developer in Coastal California, with entitlements secured for more than 40,000 homes and 23M SF of commercial development throughout the state.
Alex attended University of Southern California to study Real Estate Development and was a member of the football team as a Quarterback. After college, he spent one season in Switzerland playing for the Lucerne Lions and won the 2017 Swiss National Championship. While working full-time, Alex went back to school in the evenings and earned his MBA from USC. Alex has been the QB Coach at Trabuco Hills High School since 2021. Each year, his starting Quarterbacks have earned either All-League, League MVP, or All-CIF honors.
Mr. Bridgford practices in all areas of civil litigation, mass tort cases (including public utility-caused wildfires), catastrophic personal injury, employment law, premises liability, and other consumer-oriented matters where individuals have been wronged.
Allan L. Bridgford IIl is helping to lead the firm's mass torts matters related to utility-caused Wildfires throughout Northern and Southern California, as well as in Maui, Hawaii. This includes the 2017 North Bay Fires (PG&E), the 2018 Camp Fire (PG&E), the 2017 Sylmar Creek Fire, the 2017 Thomas Fire (Southern California Edison), 2018 Woolsey Fire (Southern California Edison), and the 2022 Laguna Niguel Coastal Fire (Southern California Edison), the 2023 Lahaina Wildfires in Maui, Hawaii and the 2025 Eaton Fires (Southern California Edison). In addition, Mr. Bridgford practices in all areas of civil litigation, including catastrophic personal injury, employment law, premises liability, and other consumer-oriented matters where individuals have been wronged. Mr. Bridgford has experience handling the various aspects of the litigation process for clients throughout the course of representation and has done so on behalf of thousands of clients resulting in over a billion dollars in resolutions.
Prior to joining Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian as an Orange County personal injury attorney, Mr. Bridgford led a mass tort department for a top Los Angeles law firm. Prior to that, Mr. Bridgford worked for a top NFL Sports and Marketing Agency, Athletes First, and then as consultant to David Dunn, CEO, regarding all quarterback related evaluations. Additionally, Mr. Bridgford clerked for a top Los Angeles law firm, performing various litigation tasks and specifically managing the mass torts docket for the Northern and Southern California wildfires and the Las Vegas Village mass shooting. He was also part of the lobbying efforts to oppose the proposed inverse condemnation changes under Senate Bill 901, a bill which was created to protect Public-Utility caused Wildfire survivors and leave the legal standard for inverse condemnation in place.
Prior to law school, Mr. Bridgford lettered and played Quarterback for the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Southern Mississippi. Mr. Bridgford played professionally for the Amsterdam Crusaders, formerly known as the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe, where he led his team to the European Football League Championship and Dutch National Championship.
As a Clerk at Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, Ms. Collett works directly with the victims of the Los Angeles Fires. Before joining BGA, Amy worked as a social impact strategist in child protection, trauma response, homelessness, and community development. Before moving to the U.S., she managed social impact marketing and partnerships for one of Australia's leading nonprofits in homelessness, playing a key role in securing $36 million for a service-integrated housing development for youth aging out of care. Her leadership in social inclusion programming earned her the Impact Award.
Amy holds a Master's degree in Media and Communications from the University of New England and Bachelor's degrees in Social Work and Social Planning from Flinders University. She is also trained in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention through Cornell University.
Now based in the U.S., Amy continues to support social impact organizations while serving as the Co-Founder and Director of Development at InTonal, an initiative addressing critical mental health needs in children and youth.
Before joining BGA as an Orange County personal injury lawyer in 2022, Mr. Sutter worked as an associate at a well known Los Angeles Plaintiff's law firm, where he focused representing California fire survivors in mass tort cases brought against public utility companies.
While in law school, Mr. Sutter worked as a judicial extern to the Honorable A. Wallace Tashima of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where he gained valuable experience working on cases involving consumer and employment class actions, and federal civil procedure. During law school, Mr. Sutter also worked as a legal intern for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California where he worked on matters involving First Amendment rights, criminal procedural protections, and civil rights generally.
Prior to law school, he worked for U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer as a legislative correspondent and for U.S. Representative Henry A. Waxman as a staff assistant. Mr. Sutter also competed as an NCAA Division III college athlete in Cross-Country and Track & Field.
Brian is also admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Mr. Donoghue practices in all areas of civil litigation, including complex and class-action matters, insurance litigation, real estate litigation, employment disputes, construction defects, personal injury, wrongful death matters, and mass tort cases throughout California. Has worked at Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian since 2012
Mr. Donoghue has handled all aspects of litigation in federal and state courts throughout California, including motion practice, discovery, depositions, arbitrations, mediations and settlement conferences.
Mr. Donoghue's litigation experience has included him representing Plaintiffs from the Las Vegas Village mass shooting, and the California/Maui wildfires including survivors affected by the Woolsey Fire in 2018, the Coastal Fire in 2022, and the Lahaina Fire in 2023.
Mr. Donoghue began his career as an associate at a boutique civil litigation firm, where he practiced primarily in the areas of construction defect, real estate, professional negligence and general liability litigation.
Prior to law school, Mr. Donoghue worked as an investment adviser for several wealth management firms.
Mr. Donoghue also competed as a college athlete in Football, and enjoys spending his time outside the office coaching his kid's' sports teams.
Brittany has a strong background in case management and accounting. As a Clerk at Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, Brittany works directly with the Northern California Wildfire survivors, affected by the Camp and North Bay fires, as well as the Lahaina Fire in Maui, Hawaii and the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California. Before joining Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, she worked as a case manager for a mass tort litigation firm located in Santa Rosa, California where she focused on assisting Northern California Wildfire survivors. While there, Brittany also advocated and worked with individuals involved in the Camp LeJeune and Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder lawsuits.
Chandler is a Law Clerk with experience in legal research, case management, and real estate financial analysis. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Development, he was an active member of the USC Blackstonians Pre-Law Honor Society and the Corporate Law and Financial Regulation Association (CLFRA).
In Summer 2023, Mr. Bridgford interned at Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, contributing to mass tort litigation for the 2022 Laguna Niguel Coastal Fire case. He drafted over 230 plaintiff fact sheets, reviewed 3,000+ discovery documents, organized key liability evidence from clients and the Orange County Fire Authority, and prepared critical memoranda for attorneys' use during depositions.
Mr. Bridgford also brings experience in real estate underwriting and transactional analysis from his internships at CIP Real Estate. In Summer 2024, he underwrote property cash flows, conducted reforecasting analysis, and participated in the acquisitions of a $40M, 143,000+ SF industrial portfolio in San Jose, CA, and an 809,000+ SF industrial property in Phoenix, AZ. In Spring 2025, he developed ARGUS underwriting models, reviewed loan documents, prepared loan abstracts, conducted asset valuations alongside analysts, and participated in investment committee meetings with brokers and lenders.
Mr. Sands has spent the last several years of his legal career working in complex civil litigation.
As a Post-Bar Law Clerk at Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian ("BGA") Mr. Sands advocates and works with California fire survivors affected by the Thomas Fire, North Bay Complex Fires in 2017, the Camp Fire and Woolsey Fire in 2018, Dixie Fire 2021, Coastal Fire in 2022 and the Maui Fires of 2023.
Before joining BGA, Mr. Sands worked as a Law Clerk at a well-known Los Angeles Plaintiff's law firm, where he focused on representing California fire survivors in mass tort actions including the Dixie Fire, McKinney Fire, Mill fire and Sylmar Creek Fire. Mr. Sands also spent time advocating on behalf of and working with undercover LAPD police officers suing the City of Los Angeles for leaking sensitive information.
During law school, Mr. Sands spent time volunteering with various charitable organizations dedicating to serving underprivileged communities including Community Legal Aid SoCal, Al Otro Lado and the People's Parity Project. Additionally, Mr. Sands was named as a 2020 Fellow of Harvard Law School's Systems Summer Institute.
Prior to law school, Mr. Sands spent several years working in the performing arts where he wrote, directed, served as Artistic Director, taught and performed in numerous productions in NY, SF, Berlin and Rome.
As a Law Clerk at Bridgford, Gleason, & Artinian, Ms. Juarez works directly with Hawaii fire survivors affected by the Maui Fires in 2023. Before joining BGA, Ms. Juarez worked as a case manager for a mass tort litigation firm located in San Antonio, Texas, where she focused on assisting fire survivors affected by Dixie Fire and Archie Creek Fire. Ms. Juarez has also advocated and worked with individuals that were involved in the Zantac lawsuit. Ms. Juarez is passionate about helping the community and being a resource.
Job Titles:
- Senior Litigation Paralegal
Since graduating law school, Jay has zealously advocated for plaintiffs' rights all across the country.
For over 25 years he has successfully litigated cases against some of the largest and most sophisticated corporations in the world on behalf of his clients. Jay specializes in trying cases involving products liability, toxic workplace and environmental exposures, wrongful death, and gross negligence. He has achieved multiple jury verdicts that have been recognized as among the highest in the state in which they were tried and the nation.
As a result of the expertise that he has developed over the years, Jay has been featured in legal magazines including Texas Lawyer, appeared as a legal commentator on television, and has repeatedly been an invited speaker and panelist at professional conferences. In addition, he often partners with other firms to help bring their cases to trial and successful resolution.
"As a trial lawyer, you cannot consistently win verdicts, or recover substantial settlements, without fully understanding three things: your client's experience, the evidence that shows the defendant's responsibility, and the science that proves it. In every case I try, I am committed to delving into all the details of each of these elements to maximize the client's recovery and the probability of a successful verdict."
In his personal time, Jay enjoys spending time with his wife/law partner Deanna and their three kids and three dogs. Jay and Deanna love hiking, biking, going to the beach, and embracing the Hawaii lifestyle as much as possible. They can also frequently be found cheering at their youngest child's swim meets, water polo games, and cross-country meets. Their two older children currently attend college on the mainland.
Mr. Gleason has extensive experience as a trial and appellate lawyer, including successfully arguing the landmark appellate decision Furla v. Jon Douglas Co. (1998), 65 Cal. App.4th 1069, which established the standard of care and duties owed by real estate brokers to purchasers in residential real estate transactions.
He also has handled a variety of complex litigation, including land subsidence and insurance coverage litigation for Lennar Homes; lender litigation involving the FDIC, Far East Bank, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and the Bank of Irvine; LLC litigation involving a Las Vegas hotel and a condominium project; litigation between Donald Callender and Ramada, Inc. involving the sale of Marie Callender's restaurants; broker and contractor licensing and compensation litigation for Ahmanson Developments, Inc., J.C.C. Homes and AmeriQuest Technologies; antitrust litigation between King Bearing, Inc. and Orange Bearing, Inc.; inverse condemnation litigation involving John Wayne Airport; securities litigation involving United States Securities Corporation and Sierra Home Services; fraud and breach of contract actions involving various real estate transactions; trust and estate litigation; partnership disputes; and several large construction defect actions involving commercial and residential projects throughout California.
Mr. Gleason started his career in real estate law at Pircher, Nichols & Meeks in Century City. He practiced in the areas of condemnation, redevelopment and land use law, trying several cases on behalf of cities and agencies throughout San Diego County from 1985 to 1988. He then practiced in the business litigation department of Kindel & Anderson at its Newport Beach office. Mr. Gleason started practicing law with Richard Bridgford in 1991. Before he attended law school, he was a stockbroker and financial advisor.
Micaela Shonafelt is a Juris Doctor candidate at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. As a Law Clerk at Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian (BGA), she advocates for survivors of the Maui Fires, assisting them with their legal claims and navigating the complexities of mass tort litigation related to wildfire damages. Before joining BGA, Micaela worked as a Legal Clerk at McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, where she worked on several high-profile mass tort cases.
Prior to her legal career, Micaela earned a Bachelor of Arts in Classics, cum laude, from the University of California, Berkeley. She was awarded the Haas Scholars Fellowship for her research on the Etruscan legacy in Roman religion, which she conducted independently during a summer in Rome. Additionally, Micaela worked as an Assistant Conservator at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, focusing on the preservation and cataloging of ancient Roman and Greek artifacts.
Mr. Artinian has extensive experience successfully handling a variety of civil litigation matters, including complex and class-action matters, in State and Federal Courts.
His complex and class-action matters often involve insurance litigation, real estate litigation, employment disputes, construction defects, personal injury, and wrongful death matters.
Mr. Artinian has successfully tried and settled numerous cases, including settling several construction defect actions in excess of $10 million. Other examples include obtaining a more than $1 million arbitration award in a business partnership dispute; and a defense settlement for a waiver of costs in a contentious multi-million dollar alleged trade secret case.
Mr. Artinian is married with two children, and lives in South Orange County. He participated in the YMCA Adventure Guides Program for 7 years with his kids.
Ms. Lauricella has been a resident of Lahaina Maui for over 15 years, she is a highly credentialed individual with over 37 years in public safety and the fire prevention industry. She is a knowledgeable resource for promoting fire and life safety and maintains exemplary skills. She received her bachelor's degree in fire science and emergency management and has obtained a substantial number of industry certifications, including California State certified fire marshal, fire investigator, fire plans examiner, fire protection specialist, fire prevention officer, EMT and many more. Rebecca's work ethic and drive have proven her a valuable team member and accelerated her path to achieve major milestones. She has held the positions of Fire Marshal, Deputy Fire Marshal, Fire Investigator, Maui County Emergency Management Officer, Plans and Operations Officer and Police/Fire Communications Specialist. She is a Capt./Pilot with the USAF Aux Oahu/Maui and a member of the USCG Aux - Maui Flotilla 3-26.
Job Titles:
- Trial Lawyer
- Trial Lawyer / Founding Partner of Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian in Newport Beach.
He presently acts as plaintiff's counsel in the following mass tort and class action litigation:
Mr. Bridgford has represented close to 12,000 wildfire victims in the recovery of nearly $2 billion in every major wildfire in California and Hawaii
Mass tort 2017 Las Vegas shooting lead with more than 200 death and injury cases
Class actions on defective copper pipe cases for product defect (over 15 class actions)
Class action wage hour reporting time issue (over 10 class actions)
Wrongful death construction and train-related accidents (largest death recovery in Placentia Yorba Linda train crash)
Mr. Bridgford also represents individuals and businesses in breach of contracts, business/commercial fraud, construction defect, construction delay, real estate contracts, real estate fraud, and broker/finder actions. Beyond his extensive experience as an Orange County personal injury lawyer, he has handled high value estates (beneficiary/trustee disputes), insurance bad faith and coverage, unfair competition, trade secrets/intellectual property, wrongful termination, and high value car accidents. Liability exposure on these cases has ranged from $500,000 to $13.5 billion dollars.
He graduated from Stanford undergrad with a B.A. in Economics and a perfect GPA in 1982 and Stanford Law School in 1985. Before starting his firm, he was an attorney at Paul Hastings, Janofsky & Walker in the firm's Los Angeles and Orange County offices as well as Hamilton & Samuels in Newport Beach. Prior to his work in private practice, he was an extern in the White House Office of Legal Counsel in Washington, D.C.
Before joining Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, Ryanne built a successful career as a producer in unscripted television, contributing to acclaimed projects such as American Idol, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, and MasterChef. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communications from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and is a recent graduate of UCLA's Paralegal Certificate program. Ryanne is eager to bring her strong storytelling skills and passion for advocacy into the legal field. Outside of the office, she enjoys getting lost in a good novel, exploring Orange County's hiking trails, and perfecting her banana bread recipe.
As a Clerk at Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, Ms. Williams works directly with the victims of the Los Angeles fire. Before joining BGA, Trelawney worked in local government records and archives in Australia. While there, she developed their Disaster Recovery Plan and Vital Records and Action Plan, focusing on proactive and preventative measures.
Trelawney holds Master's degrees in Business Administration International from Edith Cowan University and Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies from Deakin University. She also holds a Bachelor's degree in Librarianship and Corporate Information Management from Curtin University.
Job Titles:
- School of Law Alumni Association Governing Council