PHILLIPS WHISNANT GAZIN GORCZYCA & CURTIN - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Associate
• Associate Attorney With Phillips Whisnant Gazin Gorczyca

Alexandria Zeis is an associate attorney with Phillips Whisnant Gazin Gorczyca & Curtin. Mrs. Zeis is a member of the Family Law Section of the Orange County Bar and a member of the State Bar of California. Mrs. Zeis was born and raised in San Diego, California. She attended the University of California Irvine where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Art History and a double minor in French and Anthropology. Prior to attending law school, Mrs. Zeis worked as an art gallery director in Laguna Beach, gaining invaluable business skills and negotiating experience. Mrs. Zeis received her Juris Doctorate in 2014 from the University of San Diego, School of Law. During law school, Mrs. Zeis was an Articles Editor for the San Diego Journal of Climate and Energy Law's Editorial Board, a member of the Appellate Moot Court Associate and Executive Boards and a Senior Member and Brief Writer for the International Commercial Arbitration Moot Team ("VICAM"). Mrs. Zeis competed in several national and international competitions during her second and third years at USD, receiving awards for both oral advocacy and brief writing. Most notably, Mrs. Zeis was selected back to back years to represent USD at the prestigious Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition in Vienna where she and three fellow law students competed against over 1,000 competitors from approximately 300 universities around the world. In 2014, Mrs. Zeis tied for fourth place during the general rounds and was awarded an Honorable Mention for Best Individual Oralist. The USD team also secured an Honorable Mention award for Best Team Orals after Mrs. Zeis and partner defeated the London School of Economics to advance as one of the top 16 teaMrs. Prior to becoming an attorney, Mrs. Zeis was a judicial extern for the Honorable Meredith A. Jury of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California and the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel. She has worked as law clerk and summer associate at PWGGC since 2013. Outside of the office, Mrs. Zeis enjoys traveling and remains actively involved in the arts and the community. She is a loyal Anaheim Ducks fan and loves spending time outdoors rock climbing, hiking and snowboarding.

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Installed As Chair of the OCBA Family Law Section

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Adjunct Professor of Law at Chapman University
• Editor of the "Family Law Corner

Gary S. Gorczyca was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1951, and has been an Orange County resident since 1960. He and his wife, Patti, have two sons. Mr. Gorczyca graduated from the University of California, Irvine (B.A., 1973) and Loyola University School of Law (J.D., 1976). He was admitted to the California State Bar in 1976 and has practiced law in Orange County ever since. Mr. Gorczyca is rated "AV Preeminent" by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating available for legal ability and professional ethics. He is rated as a SuperLawyer and named one of the Best Lawyers in America© for his work in the practice area of family law. In 2002, he was named California Attorney of the Year, Family Law, in California Lawyer Magazine. In 1996, Mr. Gorczyca received the Vice Chancellor's Outstanding Service Award from University of California, Irvine, Extension. Mr. Gorczyca is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Chapman University, where he has taught classes in Community Property and Family Law continuously since 2004. Additionally, he is an Advisory Board member for the Paralegal Certification Program offered through UCI Extension where he began as an Instructor in 1979. He is a former Director at Large for the UCI Alumni Association. Mr. Gorczyca serves as Editor of the "Family Law Corner" column in Orange County Lawyer Magazine and has authored articles for that publication, including "Hearsay in Ex Parte Applications" (December 1993) and "Extra Income" (November 2002). He has been an Education Committee member and presenter for the Orange County Bar Association Family Law Section and has also served as a Lecturer for Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB). Mr. Gorczyca incorporates appellate work into his family law practice and has been Appellate Counsel in a number of published decisions: Lovato v. Sante Fe International Corp. (1984) 151 Cal.App.3rd 549; People v. Calderon (1991) 232 Cal.App.3rd 930; In Re Marriage of Serna (2000) 98 Cal.App.4th 482; and In Re Marriage of Manfer (2006) 144 Cal.App.4th 925. Mr. Gorczyca served as President of the Orange County Bar Association Family Law Section in 2005. He has been a member of the California State and Orange County Bar Associations since 1977. He served as a Consultant to the Orange County Family Violence Counsel in 1999 and is a past Secretary of the Orange County Bar Association Committee on the Administration of Justice. Mr. Gorczyca has served as a Mentor in the Orange County Bar Association Mentor Program.

Job Titles:

• Partner
• RETIRED

Gerald J. Phillips was born in Westwood Massachusetts in 1940. Mr. Phillips has been an Orange County resident since his arrival in this community in 1966 to serve as a Judge Advocate at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro, California. Mr. Phillips is married and has three grown children. Mr. Phillips graduated from Boston College (B.A., 1962) and from Boston University Law School (J.D., 1965). He was admitted to the practice of law in Massachusetts in 1965 and was admitted to the U.S. Court of Military Appeals in 1966. He served as a Judge Advocate for the U.S. Marine Corps from 1966 to 1968, a Military Judge during his time on active duty, and a Reservist from 1969 to 1987. After many years in the USMC Reserve, he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1987. An original founder of the November 10 th Association, Mr. Phillips continues his activity with the Marine Corps as a retired officer. He was admitted to the California State Bar in 1968, and has thereafter practiced law in Orange County. Mr. Phillips was among the lawyers who were the original California Certified Specialists in Family Law, and at the time of his admission as a specialist in 1980, he was one of three such specialists in Orange County who enjoyed an AV Rating with Martindale Hubbell. Mr. Phillips has enjoyed that status since his early recognition, and has been named by Los Angeles Magazine as one of the 50 top lawyers in Orange County. He has been continuously recognized as one of Orange County's Super Lawyers by Los Angeles Magazine for as long as the magazine has been published (2002-present). Mr. Phillips has been a member of the prestigious Robert Banyard Inn of Court since its inception in 1987, and remains a Master of the Bench in this organization. He is one of four surviving members of this original group of Orange County's finest lawyers. He has been an active member of the Orange County Bar Association since 1968 and was elected Chairman of the Family Law Section in 1984, was a member of the Executive Committee from 1982 to 1987. He served on the Board of Directors of the Orange County Bar Association from 1985 to 1987. Mr. Phillips is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and the State Bar of California. Since 1975, he has served the Orange County Superior Court as a Judge Pro Tem and also serves as a private judge on stipulation of the parties to a marital dispute. He has lectured with the State of California's Continuing Education of the Bar in subjects that include "Negotiating Marital Agreements," and "Joint Ownership of Marital and Non-Marital Property." Mr. Phillips has represented an assortment of professional athletes from MLB, NBA, and the NFL, some of whom have achieved Hall of Fame status. He has represented CEOs of publicly traded companies, corporate executives, real estate developers, businessmen, judges, and professionals in marital disputes in Orange County and surrounding communities. He has represented various music and entertainment celebrities or their spouses in their marital disputes in this community. In 2011, Mr. Phillips was the recipient of the Orange County Bar Association's Charles Garrity Award, which is given to the County's "quintessential family lawyer" for "excellence and professionalism" in the practice of family law. This award has been made only a handful of times since its inception in 1995. In 2014, Mr. Phillips was named by U.S. News and World Report, Best Lawyers, as Family Law Attorney of the Year.

Job Titles:

• Founding Partner
• Partner
• Associate Attorney With Phillips, Whisnant, Gazi

Jacqueline A. Whisnant, born in Burbank, California in 1960, has been an Orange County resident since 1985. She and her husband, Bruce Whisnant, have two children. Ms. Whisnant graduated from California State University, Northridge (B.A., 1984) and Loyola Law School of Los Angeles (J.D., 1987). While in law school, she was a member of the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Honors Program and held the position of judicial extern for the Honorable Allan E. Broussard of the California State Supreme Court (January - May 1987). She was admitted to the California State Bar in 1987 (and the U.S. Central District of California in 1988) and has practiced law in Orange County thereafter. Ms. Whisnant started her legal career as a civil attorney handling various business litigation matters. She has been practicing family law exclusively since 1991 and has been a Certified Family Law Specialist with the State Bar of California since 1996. She has been appointed Judge Pro Tem with the Orange County Superior Court and has authored family law articles, including "Division of Community Property: How Many Bites of the Apple do the Parties Really Get?" (Orange County Lawyer, August 1996. See attached). Ms. Whisnant has also lectured on various family law issues, including "Recent Developments in Family Law" (CEB, 1996) and "Analyzing Separate Property and Transmutation Contributions" (CEB, January 2007). Ms. Whisnant has an AV Preeminent rating with Martindale Hubbell, the highest designation possible. She has been named by Los Angeles Magazine as one of the 50 top female attorneys in Southern California and has been recognized by this magazine since 2002 as one of Orange County's Super Lawyers. She is a member of the Orange County Bar Association and has served on its Board of Directors (1998-1999; 2001-2003). She is also a member of the Family Law Section of the Orange County Bar and has served on its Executive Committee (1999-2003). She is a past and current member of the Judiciary Committee of the Orange County Bar Association, a special section of the Bar formed to evaluate candidates seeking judicial appointments through the Governor's office and/or through the election process (1998-2003; 2007-2010). Ms. Whisnant is a founding partner of PWGGC. She and partner Gerald Phillips started the firm in 1999, and it has grown from two lawyers to 16 within the last 17 years. PWGGC is one of the largest family law firms in Southern California. All eight partners have excellent individual reputations and are AV Preeminent-rated attorneys. While Ms. Whisnant handles all facets of the marital dissolution process, including child and spousal support, custody, and visitation, and characterization and division of property, she focuses primarily on dissolutions with complex business and real estate issues -involving self-employed parties, issues of cash flow, valuation and characterization, tracing of community and separate property interests and assets -and creative division and resolution of such issues. The "dream team" she establishes for her clients usually includes a seasoned forensic accountant as well as estate planning, real estate, corporate, and/or other experts when needed. Regardless of the size or complexity of the case, effective and efficient resolution of the problem is always the first priority.

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Certified Family Law Specialist
• Member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

Judi Curtin was born in New York City, New York in 1951, and has been an Orange County resident since 1979, following her graduation from law school and admission to the California Bar Association in 1978. She is married and has three children (Jessica is a lawyer, Jordan is a clinical social worker, Jillian is a second-year student at NYU and has her black belt in Shaolin Kempo). Judi is a Certified Family Law Specialist, admitted to the US Supreme Court, and has been rated AV by Martindale Hubble since 1985. Judi has been rated as a Super Lawyer and recognized as one of the top 50 lawyers in California by California Lawyer Magazine since 2004 and has been named one of the Best Lawyers in America since 2006. Judi has been a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers for the past 10 years, a member of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, an organization comprised of the best family law lawyers in the world, since 2001, and a member of the National Board of Trial Advocacy. She has been previously honored as a family law trial lawyer of the year by Orange County Trial Lawyers. In Orange County, Judi is a past President of Family Law Section of the Orange County Bar Association and past President of the Orange County Women Lawyers Association, as well as a past member of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Bar Association. Judi has been a featured speaker in seminars sponsored by the Family Law Section of the Orange County Bar Association as well as CEB Family Law Seminars sponsored by the California Bar Association. She has been likewise the featured presenter at Rutter Group Family Law Seminars. In addition to having served as a Judge Pro Tem in the Orange County Superior Court over 20 years, Judi has mediated a number of cases and completed a 42 hour mediation program through the Pepperdine University School of Law from which she earned a certificate in Mediating the Litigated Case as offered by Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. While Ms. Curtin's practice embraces all areas of family law, she specializes in child custody, complex, and large-asset litigation.

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Certified Family Law Specialist

Kathleen Carothers Paone, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been an Orange County resident since 1980. She and her husband, Tim Paone, have 3 adult children. Ms. Paone graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, (cum laude, 1977) and received her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University (J.D., 1980). While in law school, she was a member of the St. Thomas More Law Honor Society. She was admitted to the California State Bar in 1980 (and the Northern, Central and Southern Federal District Courts of the State of California in 1980 and 1981) and practiced law in Orange County thereafter. Ms. Paone is a Certified Family Law Specialist by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. She is rated "AV Preeminent" by Martindale Hubbell, the highest rating available for legal ability and professional ethics. Throughout her years of practice in Orange County, Ms. Paone has been a member of the Orange County Bar Association and has volunteered with the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Mock Trial program and Amicus Publico, the predecessor to the current Public Law Center. She has served on the Board of Directors of ATSC (Assessment and Treatment Services Center), a juvenile diversion and prevention program, and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. Ms. Paone practiced exclusively business and real estate litigation from 1980 to 2000. During that time, she was one of the first female partners at a 40+ attorney firm (Drummy, Garrett, King & Harrison) and handled all aspects of numerous complex business and real estate litigation cases. She also worked for the smaller boutique firm of Paone, Callahan, McHolm & Winton, where she focused primarily on real estate litigation. In 2000, Ms. Paone took a sabbatical from the practice of law to devote more time to her family. In 2006, Ms. Paone returned to the practice of law and practices exclusively family law. Her civil business law experience, particularly in the real estate litigation arena, provides a unique foundation and perspective for handling marital dissolutions, many of which involve complicated business and real estate issues.

Job Titles:

• Associate
• Associate Attorney With Phillips, Whisnant, Gazi

Leslie Evans is an associate attorney with Phillips, Whisnant, Gazin, Gorczyca & Curtin. Mrs. Evans' practice focuses on all aspects of family law, including dissolution of marriage, child custody, spousal and child support, division of property, and other related issues involving family law matters. Mrs. Evans attended Vassar College and graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1991, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Art History. Following graduation, she attended Pepperdine University School of Law graduating with a Juris Doctor degree in 1994. She was admitted to the California Bar in 1994. Prior to joining PWGGC, Mrs. Evans practiced in the area of medical malpractice law. Now, she limits her practice exclusively to family law. She is a member of the Orange County Bar Association, Family Law Section and the Orange County Jewish Bar Association.

Job Titles:

• of Counsel
• Member of the Orange County Bar Association Family Law Section

Contact our law office today to arrange your consultation with one of our attorneys to discuss your divorce, child support, or family law matter. Marcy Kenerson was born in Greenbrae, California in 1964 and has been an Orange County resident since 1996. She and her husband, Whit Kenerson, have 3 daughters. Ms. Kenerson graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (cum laude, 1986) and received her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University (J.D., 1991). Prior to law school, Ms. Kenerson worked as an auditor at Arthur Andersen & Co. Such accounting experience has proven invaluable in her family law practice, where Ms. Kenerson deals regularly with clients with significant income and financial assets. Ms. Kenerson has practiced family law exclusively since 1993. She initially practiced as an associate at Kaufman & Young in Beverly Hills, and she became a partner in 2001 when the firm name was changed to Kaufman, Young, Spiegel, Robinson & Kenerson. Kaufman & Young, and the successor firm, specialized in complex marital dissolution actions focusing on issues relating to child custody, support, and property division. For more than five (5) years, Kaufman, Young, Spiegel, Robinson & Kenerson maintained an office in Newport Beach. Ms. Kenerson worked on all of the firm's Orange County cases. Since 2011, she has provided services for Philips Whisnant et. al. Ms. Kenerson is a member of the Orange County Bar Association Family Law Section.

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Member of the Orange County Bar Association

Mr. Gazin has been an active member of the Orange County Bar Association since 1976, serving as a member on its Board of Directors from 1980 through 1985. Mr. Gazin was elected President of the Orange County Bar Association in 1989 after first being elected Secretary in 1986, Treasurer in 1987, and President-Elect in 1988. Mr. Gazin also served a three-year term as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Orange County Bar Foundation. He is a former Treasurer of the Orange County Bar Family Law Section. Mr. Gazin has an AV Rating with Martindale Hubbell. Since 2010, Mr. Gazin has been named every year and is currently recognized by Los Angeles Magazine as one of Orange County's Super Lawyers; every year since 2006, he has been and is currently listed in the U.S. News and World Report Best Lawyers guide.

Job Titles:

• Associate
• Associate Attorney With Phillips, Whisnant, Gazi

Natalie Gaona is an associate attorney with Phillips, Whisnant, Gazin, Gorczyca & Curtin. She focuses her practice on representing clients in all areas of family law. Prior to joining PWGGC, Ms. Gaona practiced family law in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area. She was selected to the 2021 Northern California Rising Stars list, which is reserved for no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state. She is a member of the State Bar of California and the Orange County Bar Association. Ms. Gaona graduated with a B.A. in Sociology: Law, Crime, Justice from the University of San Diego in 2014 and received a J.D. from Chapman University, Dale E. Fowler School of Law in 2018. During law school, Natalie contributed to the Chapman Law Review as an Articles Editor and received CALI Excellence for the Future Awards for achieving the highest score in Community Property and Family Protection Clinic.

Job Titles:

• Partner
• Member of the Family Law Section of the Orange County Bar

Paula J. Swensen, who was born in Orange, New Jersey in 1955, has been an Orange County resident since 2000 after relocating to California from New England. Ms. Swensen lives in Trabuco Canyon and has three children. She is an avid sports fan, supporting any and all teams from the Boston area. Ms. Swensen graduated from the University of New Hampshire (B.S., Behavioral Science, highest honors, 1996) and Franklin Pierce Law Center (J.D., 1999; M.A., Intellectual Property). Between her second and third years of law school, Ms. Swensen completed a summer internship with the Honorable Joseph F. Weis, Jr., of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The legal analysis and persuasive writing skills garnered through this extraordinary experience redound to the benefit of each one of Ms. Swensen's family law clients. Ms. Swensen was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar (2000), the California Bar (2003), and the U.S. District Court, Central District of California (2003). Ms. Swensen has been Certified as a Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Ms. Swensen is a member of the Family Law Section of the Orange County Bar and member of the State Bar of California. She has served as an arbitrator on the Orange County Bar Association Mandatory Fee Arbitration Committee, and in that capacity has adjudicated numerous proceedings as the sole arbitrator. In addition to her litigation practice, Ms. Swensen maintains a growing mediation and collaborative practice, which brings her expertise as a family law specialist to bear in an arena designed to facilitate a mutually-satisfying resolution to parties engaged in all manner of family law disputes. Ms. Swensen has participated in the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University and has completed more than 200 hours of advanced training in mediation. Ms. Swensen has served on the Board of Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County for the past two years, most recently serving as its President for 2019-2020. In serving the needs of her clients, Ms. Swensen brings highly-skilled problem solving, compassion, and zeal to the successful resolution of each client's legal family law matter.

Job Titles:

• Associate

"Spoils to the victor" is a prevalent attitude in today's family law arena. Russel W. Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. He has been a resident of Orange County since 1989. Mr. Jones attended Brigham Young University in Provo Utah and earned degrees in both International Relations and Spanish in 1990. He graduated from Western State University College of Law (J.D., 1994). After being admitted to the California Bar, he practiced for 18 years in the areas of civil litigation, including wrongful death, medical malpractice, personal injury, product defect, insurance bad faith, and premises liability. Mr. Jones is an active member of the Orange County Bar Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Mr. Jones is married. Together with his wife Krysti, they are raising seven children. He is active in the local Boy Scouts organization and has served on the Orange County Council of the Boy Scouts of America, council advancement board assisting young men as they near the rank of Eagle Scout. His four oldest sons have achieved their Eagle Scout rank. Mr. Jones, using his extensive civil litigation experience, is now devoting his efforts to the field of family law. Such experience provides both seasoned litigation skill and a unique perspective in the handling of clients as individuals as well as all aspects of marital dissolution proceedings.

Job Titles:

• Associate