ZIMMER & MELTON - Key Persons

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Practice Areas Commercial Law; Creditor's Rights; General Business; Real Estate; Mergers & Acquisitions; Agriculture & Farming; Oil, Gas & Energy Education J.D., University of California Hastings College of Law, 1987 B.A., University of the Pacific, cum laude, 1984 Charles Melton is a seasoned business attorney known for representing clients in real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and general business matters. Mr. Melton advises business owners, developers, farmers, investors, and lending institutions throughout the San Joaquin Valley. He is regularly called upon to advise clients on issues ranging from property leasing and dispositions to private equity buy-outs and succession planning. His practice emphasizes guiding clients through complex transactions both large and small and providing day-to-day business advice across a wide array of industries, including agriculture, commercial real estate, energy, and finance. Mr. Melton began his legal career with another civil litigation law firm in Bakersfield, where he practiced for over 30 years before founding Zimmer & Melton, LLP, where he currently serves as managing partner.

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• Secretary to Richard G. Zimmer & William T. Zimmer

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• Secretary to Nicholas J. Street

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• Accounting Clerk

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Practice Areas General Business; Real Estate; Agriculture & Farming; Bankruptcy Education Bachelor of Arts, Brigham Young University, 2003 Juris Doctor, University of Kentucky College of Law, 2006 Jacob L. Eaton is a business attorney whose practice is focused on business transactions and business counseling. He also has extensive experience in representing debtors in out-of-court restructurings and creditors in bankruptcy proceedings. His knowledge regarding agricultural practices and credit facilities allows him to understand the industries in which his clients operate. He has also represented developers and owners of income-producing properties such as commercial buildings, apartment complexes, and mini-storage facilities. Prior to joining Zimmer & Melton, Mr. Eaton was a partner at Klein, DeNatale, Goldner, Cooper, Rosenlieb & Kimball, LLP in Bakersfield, California. Mr. Eaton is a partner with Zimmer & Melton, LLP.

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Practice Areas Civil Litigation; Business and Business Litigation; Employment Law and Litigation; Construction Litigation Education B.S., University of Utah, 2009 J.D., McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, 2012 Justin L. Thomas is a business and litigation attorney with experience in business, construction and employment litigation, and general business transactional work. His practice focuses on a wide range of civil litigation matters, including employment, construction, business, intellectual property and tort litigation, as well as general business transaction matters. Prior to joining Zimmer & Melton, Mr. Thomas practiced with Dowling Aaron Incorporated in Bakersfield, California. Mr. Thomas is a partner with Zimmer & Melton, LLP.

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• Secretary to Charles D. Melton

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• Office Administrator

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Micah Nilsson has a broad business background and extensive experience in civil litigation, employment law, and transactional work. In his employment practice, Mr. Nilsson represents diverse industries in all forms of employment litigation, including class actions, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, unfair competition/trade secret issues, wage and hour claims, and discrimination. Mr. Nilsson also represents public and private employers in a wide array of employment matters, including layoffs, harassment and discrimination complaints, and employee discipline proceedings. Mr. Nilsson litigates matters in both federal and state court as well as before numerous administrative agencies, including the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Employment Development Department, and the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. Following a prevention-first model, Mr. Nilsson provides creative and effective counseling to assist clients in avoiding employment claims. He can arm employers with employee handbooks, employment agreements, commission agreements, and severance agreements. He also regularly provides training on a variety of employment issues. Mr. Nilsson's active commercial litigation practice includes complex business, anti-trust and unfair business claims, contract disputes, real estate, construction defects, intellectual property infringement, and tort litigation. His transactional work includes entity formation, contract, and lease review. Prior to joining Zimmer & Melton, Mr. Nilsson managed the Bakersfield office of Dowling Aaron Incorporated and sat as the Co-Chair of the firm's Oil, Gas & Energy Practice Group. Prior to that Mr. Nilsson worked at Lozano Smith, where he assisted public employers in labor and employment matters, facilities and business matters, and all aspects of litigation. Mr. Nilsson also has experience with environmental permitting, including preparing CEQA documents and Public Works Plans. Mr. Nilsson is an effective negotiator and has received numerous awards for his negotiations, trial advocacy, and client counseling, including advancing to the nationals for the ABA Negotiations Competition. Mr. Nilsson enjoys working with both large and entrepreneurial clients and has practical experience from starting and operating various small businesses to sitting on Boards of Directors. Mr. Nilsson is fluent in Spanish. He has lived in Bakersfield, Monterey, Davis, San Diego, and San Luis Obispo California, as well as Chile, Utah, Idaho, and Hawaii.

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• Secretary to Micah K. Nilsson & Justin L. Thomas

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• Partner
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Mr. Zimmer began his legal career as a Kern County Deputy District Attorney from 1982-1987 where he handled the most serious criminal cases. In 1987

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• Secretary to Jacob L. Eaton & Victoria M. Trichell

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Practice Areas Estate Planning; General Business; Real Estate; Oil, Gas & Energy; Agriculture & Farming Education J.D., University of San Diego School of Law, 2002 B.A., University of California - San Diego, cum laude, 1999 A.S., Bakersfield College, 1997 Victoria (Alexander) Trichell focuses her practice on estate planning and trust administration, real estate, general business, and business formations, agriculture, and oil and gas law. Ms. Trichell works closely with clients to establish practical and personalized solutions to meet their needs and protect their interests. She represents a diverse client base throughout the Central Valley. Ms. Trichell began her legal career with a boutique law and lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. specializing in firearms regulatory law. She returned home to Bakersfield in 2004, where she practiced with another civil litigation law firm for over 15 years. She is a partner at Zimmer & Melton, LLP.

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Practice Areas Water Law; Civil & Business Litigation; Employment; Personal Injury; Public Entity Defense. Education J.D., University of Mississippi School of Law (Ole Miss), 2017 B.A., University of California Irvine, 2010 William T. Zimmer, is a litigation attorney focused on representing public and private clients in water law, business litigation, employment, and tort defense matters. Mr. Zimmer maintains a diverse practice and specializes in representing landowners in complex adjudications over groundwater rights. He is currently involved in three of the longest-standing and most important groundwater adjudication cases in California history concerning water rights in Santa Maria, Antelope Valley, and Paso Robles. In the matter of Steinbeck Vineyards #1, LLC v. County of San Luis Obispo, et al., Mr. Zimmer sat second chair in the first jury trial in California state history concerning prescriptive rights to a groundwater basin. The Daily Journal recognized the verdict in this case as a top Verdict in 2018. Mr. Zimmer also maintains an active business litigation practice concerning issues related to agriculture, real estate, and construction-related disputes. Additionally, Mr. Zimmer has experience defending public entities against personal injury suits. Mr. Zimmer began his legal career with another civil litigation law firm in Bakersfield, where he practiced for nearly two years before joining Zimmer & Melton, LLP, as an associate. Mr. Zimmer is a second-generation attorney and the son of founding partner Richard Zimmer and current Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer.