Aggressive HOA Attorneys

Kirk Pearson, Esq.Partner

Kirk Pearson is a partner at LS Carlson Law. He has spent his entire career as a litigator and trial attorney representing clients in a variety of legal areas including business disputes, contractual disputes, construction defect, premises liability, personal injury, professional liability, product defect, and real estate disputes. He has extensive experience in all aspects of litigation, including pleadings, discovery, mediation, settlement negotiation, arbitration, law and motion, trial, and appeals.

Kirk has spent his entire career litigating throughout California, and has had cases in both state and federal court from Northern California to Southern California. He has successfully represented clients as both plaintiffs and defendants, and has obtained favorable outcomes for hundreds of corporate and individual clients.

Kirk obtained his undergraduate degree in English from Brigham Young University, and his law degree from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law where he was a Literary Citation Editor on Pepperdine's Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship, and the Law. Kirk was also the President of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society when Pepperdine hosted the public arbitration hearing for Floyd Landis following his positive doping test during the 2006 Tour de France. This ignited Kirk's interest in the litigation process, and a particular interest in sport doping violations and the arbitration process. Kirk lives in Orange County with his wife and three kids. With what little free time he has, Kirk enjoys the outdoors, including skiing, mountain biking, camping, hiking, and fishing.

Phong Tran, Esq.Partner

Phong Tran is a partner at LS Carlson Law and practices out of the Firm’s Aliso Viejo office, where he focuses on business and commercial litigation, real estate and homeowner disputes, and other complex litigation matters. Mr. Tran has extensive experience handling high-stakes civil matters at all stages, from pre-litigation investigations, law and motion, discovery, mediation, and through trial and appeals.

Mr. Tran grew up in San Diego and attended the University of San Diego, where he received his undergraduate degree in Business Economics, summa cum laude. After college, Mr. Tran earned his law degree from the UCLA School of Law. During law school, Mr. Tran served as a judicial extern for then- district court Judge Richard A. Paez, who now sits on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Prior to joining LS Carlson Law, Mr. Tran represented shareholders and investors in securities fraud class actions and other complex litigation matters. Mr. Tran also previously served as a prosecutor, first as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, and later as a Deputy City Attorney with the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, where he successfully prosecuted and tried numerous cases.

In his spare time, Mr. Tran enjoys surfing, playing tennis, and reading crime fiction and detective novels.

Jeffrey Kominsky, Esq.Partner

A native of Florida, Jeffrey Kominsky is a Partner in the Florida office of L.S. Carlson Law as well as the office’s Chair of the Litigation Practice Group. Mr. Kominsky’s practice focuses on civil litigation matters, including business litigation and real estate litigation. Mr. Kominsky is experienced in handling commercial disputes and business con- flicts including breach of contract, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and civil theft. Mr. Kominsky recently joined the Firm after working as a Partner at the 7th largest law firm in the United States. He has experience serving as counsel on complex and nationally recognized litigation cases in the State of Florida. He has also advised clients ranging from proactively asserting rights to defending off high-risk exposure. Mr. Kominsky has successfully represented clients in all phases of litigation, including mediations, arbitrations, trials and appeals. Mr. Kominsky’s clients have been featured in local, state and national tv/news- papers such as U.S. News & World Report, CNN, ESPN, the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times and the Palm Beach Post.

Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Kominsky honed his legal skills while interning for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C. and the Civil Rights Section of the Office of the Ohio Attor- ney General. From 2002 through 2005, Mr. Kominsky interned with the Minnesota Vikings, reporting directly to former Vikings owner, Red McCombs. Mr. Kominsky’s interest in sports law/business continued into his studies at law school as the Founder & Chair of the Inaugural Sports Law Sympo- sium at The Ohio State University. He currently serves as South Florida’s Chapter President of the Sports Business & Leadership Association as well as a Regional member for the Sports Lawyers Association’s Outreach Committee.

In 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, Mr. Kominsky was recognized as a “Florida Rising Star” by Super Lawyers (superlawyers.com).

David Lehr, Esq.Partner

A native of Alabama, David Lehr is a partner in the Florida office of LS Carlson Law. Mr. Lehr focuses his practice primarily on Community Association Law, Transactional Law, and Litigation, including Civil, Commercial, Construction, and Securities Litigation. He has experience serving as counsel on complex litigation cases in the State of Florida and other venues around the country. Mr. Lehr has successfully represented clients in all phases of pre-litigation and litigation, including mediations, arbitrations, trials, and appeals.

Mr. Lehr earned his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and earned a joint Juris Doctorate degree and Masters in Taxation Law from the University of Miami School of Law. During law school, Mr. Lehr had the honor and privilege to intern at the Internal Revenue Service, Large Business and International Division. He graduated Cum Laude and was recognized as a member of the Dean's List. He is admitted to practice by the Florida Bar and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Through his practice of law, Mr. Lehr has been recognized as an Up & Comer by the Florida Legal Elite (2016 and 2017) and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers (2018 - 2022).

Ryan Davies, Esq.Partner

After graduating from the UC Santa Barbara, Mr. Davies attended the Willamette University School of Law in Salem, Oregon, where he distinguished himself as a legal scholar and writer.

Since obtaining his law degree in 1997, Mr. Davies not only gained vast experience representing some of the automotive industries largest institutional lenders like Ford, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota, but he also spent years honing his skills representing his clients in a variety of complex business and real estate disputes.

When Mr. Davies joined LS Carlson Law as a litigation associate in 2019, he brought with him over two decades of solid business and real estate expertise. At LS Carlson Law, Mr. Davies has distinguished himself as a valuable member of the Firm’s special motions, appeals, and projects team.

Linda Honey, Esq.Senior Associate

Ms. Honey was born in South Korea, grew up in Orange County, and resides in Oregon. She received her undergraduate degree in political science at UCLA and her law degree at Southwestern Law School in 2005. Ms. Honey received her legal master’s in Taxation from Chapman University School of Law in 2010.

After obtaining her law degree, Ms. Honey gained invaluable experience in civil litigation and contract disputes. She handled all phases of litigation including successfully representing clients in trial.

Drawing upon her litigation experience, Ms. Honey now practices exclusively in the area of trusts, wills, estate planning, and succession planning with special expertise in advising high net worth individuals and administering taxable estates, including the preparation and review of estate tax returns. Ms. Honey has drafted, planned, and administered various irrevocable trusts, such as special needs trusts, charitable remainder trusts, intentionally defective grantor trusts, GST trusts, and dynasty trusts.

Applying her experience from business litigation, she tailors every estate plan to maximize inheritance and minimize liabilities and costs for individuals, families, and businesses.

Ricky Shah, Esq.Senior Associate

After graduating from UCLA in 2003 with a degree in applied mathematics/economics focusing on finance theory, Mr. Shah worked for several years as a paralegal for a plaintiffs’ securities class action litigation firm. He followed with continued employment with various large firms in the Orange County region. For law school, Mr. Shah went cross-town and graduated from the University of Southern California in 2010. After volunteering at the Planning and Research Unit for the Los Angeles Superior Court, he worked in an insurance defense firm. In 2011, Shah started his own solo practice in the Inland Empire region where he spent over a decade handling various issues involving insurance to complex civil litigation to unlawful detainers.

Outside of work, he has been actively involved in pro bono and non-profit activities, from volunteering at a clinic for homeless veterans in law school to being one of the founding members, and a past president, of the Asian American Lawyers of the Inland Empire bar association. Shah looks forward to transitioning to the Orange County area and he and his wife hope to find more fun activities to do in this area.

Jonathan Sniderman, Esq.Senior Associate

Jonathan Sniderman graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia School of Law and summa cum laude from the University of Florida, where he earned his undergraduate degree in Economics.

Prior to joining LS Carlson Law, Jonathan gained extensive experience litigating a range of practice areas, from product, professional, and employment practices liability to construction defect and business litigation. He has successfully strategized the resolution of cases at all stages, from pre-litigation through appeal, both as a firm litigator and as corporate litigation counsel.

Jonathan is a member of the State Bar of California and the State Bar of Georgia. He is licensed to practice in all courts of the State of California, as well as in the United States District Court for the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of California.

Derek Bredefeld, Esq.Associate

Derek G. Bredefeld was born in Fresno, into a family with a long history of public service. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics from the University of California, Irvine in 2013. While in college, Mr. Bredefeld served his community by being active in his church and helping out in projects directed at improving certain neighborhoods of Santa Ana.

Mr. Bredefeld earned his Juris Doctor from UC College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly University of California, Hastings College of the law) in 2016. During his first year of law school, Derek was honored by the Moot Court Department for his legal research and writing with an “Honorable Mention for Brief.” Mr. Bredefeld served as a Judicial Extern for the Honorable Gail A. Andler, at the Civil Complex Center of the Orange County Superior Court.

As an attorney, Mr. Bredefeld’s early legal career has been spent practicing civil litigation in Southern California. Mr. Bredefeld has been admitted to practice law in all California State Courts, as well as the U.S. District Court of California, Central District. Mr. Bredefeld resides in Orange County and loves to spend his free time golfing, going to the beach, and being active in his church.

Richard Canada, Esq.Associate

Richard was born and raised in Orange County, California, and graduated from the University of California, Irvine, in 2014 with a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Political Science. He went on to concurrently earn his Juris Doctorate and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Minnesota’s Law School and Carlson School of Management.

While studying in the University’s dual-degree program, Richard earned Honors as a Staff Member and then as a Managing Editor of the Minnesota Law Review, where he refined his legal research and writing skills working on a breadth of academic articles. In his final year, he worked as a Student Attorney with the University’s Business Law Clinic, assisting local entrepreneurs with transactional matters such as entity formation and filings, operating and employment agreements, and other contracts relating to their businesses. During his time in business school, Richard concentrated on financial analysis and management, and served as a Student Analyst within the Carlson Funds Enterprise.

Upon graduation in 2018, Richard returned home to Orange County and was admitted to the California Bar. He spent the first four years of his legal career working for a boutique insurance defense law firm and quickly gained experience in all aspects of civil litigation practice.

Outside of work, Richard is a passionate baseball and football fan (go Angels and Chargers), and enjoys snowboarding and hiking in the mountains.

Shelby Daws, Esq.Associate

Ms. Daws grew up in Orange County, and attended Baylor University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in business administration. After obtaining her undergraduate degree, Ms. Daws attended law school at the Chapman University School of Law, where she earned seven CALI Awards for her superior scholarship and graduated cum laude.

Since joining LS Carlson Law, Ms. Daws has put her intelligence and excellent research and writing skills to work in the firm’s complex motions practice and appeals team.

Jonathan Hodges, Esq.Associate

Jonathan Hodges is an associate in the Boca Raton, Florida office. Mr. Hodges graduated from Florida Atlantic University. While earning his Juris Doctorate from Cumberland School of Law, Mr. Hodges worked as a clerk for the Public Defender of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit. During and after law school, Mr. Hodges gained legal experience in several different fields, including family law, business law, employment law, and real estate law. Since joining LS Carlson Law, Mr. Hodges has used his experience as a member of the firm’s pre-litigation and litigation teams, focusing on representing homeowners in HOA and COA disputes.

Keith Lehman, Esq.Associate

Keith Lehman is an associate in the Boca Raton, Florida office. While born in New York, Mr. Lehman grew up in Florida. Mr. Lehman graduated with Honors from the University of Florida. While earning his Juris Doctorate from Florida State University, Mr. Lehman worked as a clerk for the Public Defender of the Second Judicial Circuit. During and after law school, Mr. Lehman gained legal experience in several different fields, including commercial litigation, contract disputes, and real estate law. Since joining LS Carlson Law, Mr. Lehman has used his extensive experience as a member of the firm’s pre-litigation and litigation teams, focusing on representing homeowners in HOA and COA disputes.

Kelsey Luu, Esq.Associate

Kelsey Luu is an associate at LS Carlson Law and practices out of the Firm’s Aliso Viejo office. Ms. Luu is an experienced litigation attorney with a focus on business and real estate disputes. Prior to joining the Firm, she represented financial institutions in state and federal courts. Her extensive experience in real estate litigation includes handling matters relating to contract disputes, title defects, lien priority issues, boundary disputes, and foreclosure proceedings. She is known for her tenacity, strategic approach to complex legal issues, and dedication to protecting her clients’ interests throughout the litigation process.

Born in Vietnam, Ms. Luu moved to San Diego, California when she was 12-year-old. She graduated high school as a valedictorian, earning the highest academic honors in her class. Thereafter, Ms. Luu obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego and law degree from the University of San Diego, School of Law, where she served as an editor for the San Diego International Law Journal.

In addition to her litigation practice, Ms. Luu is actively involved in the community. She is passionate about helping and mentoring underserved youth to gain confidence and expand their ambitions. Ms. Luu serves on the Board of Directors of transcenDANCE, a nationally recognized creative youth nonprofit that works with teens in underserved San Diego communities. She also mentors students at the Crawford Senior High School’s Academy of Law and Justice Mentoring Program.

Kelly Mata, Esq.Associate

Kelly Mata is an Associate in the Florida office of L.S. Carlson Law whose primary focus is Community Association Law and Civil Litigation. She has several years of experience representing clients in pre-litigation and litigation phases to include successful handling of motion practice, mediations and arbitrations. She is passionate about providing her clients with a positive and specialized experience and aiding clients to protect and enjoy that which is most important, their very own homes.

Mrs. Mata earned her undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida (B.A. Criminology) and obtained her law degree from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School (Doctorate of Jurisprudence). She is admitted to practice law by the Florida Bar Association. She is also a licensed Florida Real Estate Agent and a seasoned real estate investor which has provided her with a unique perspective from which to tackle complicated Community Law matters, particularly in the residential sector.

Mrs. Mata resides with her husband and five children in South Florida and enjoys cooking and spending time with her family.

Stephanie Reyes, Esq.Associate

Attorney Stephanie Reyes is a Southern California native who received her Juris Doctorate from Trinity Law School in Orange County. In law school, Attorney Reyes was a member of Trinity Law Review, ultimately positioned as Executive Editor. Attorney Reyes was also awarded the AmJur Award in both Torts and Contracts for excellence in those areas of law.

Attorney Reyes is an experienced, thoughtful, and client-focused attorney who takes a comprehensive and practical approach to legal matters. Attorney Reyes is also a zealous and passionate advocate when necessary and compromising when possible.

Irasema Rocha, Esq.Associate

Texas native, Irasema Rocha obtained a degree in political science and a minor in legal reasoning from the University of Texas at El Paso. She moved to San Diego to pursue a law degree where she found her passion for business and tax law. She decided to further her education by graduating with a masters in tax law. While in school, Ms. Rocha received national accolades for her work in business tax planning, in addition to working for the San Diego County Treasury Tax Collector and the California State Board of Equalization.

As a native Spanish speaker and writer, Ms. Rocha went on to represent Spanish speaking clients as a volunteer attorney for the Legal Aid Society of San Diego’s Taxpayer clinic. Ms. Rocha gained over five years of valuable experience as the CFO for a Texas corporation, where she managed accounting records, tax reports, payroll matters, negotiated and drafted federal contracts, and created strategic plans to improve the company’s overall financial growth. Ms. Rocha joined the firm as an associate in February of 2022 and is currently focused on advising business owners on tax matters as a key member of the Firm’s ERC program.

Steven Shack, Esq.Associate

Steven Shack is an associate in the Boca Raton, Florida office. Steven obtained his Bachelor of Arts from Pennsylvania State University in 2011. Steven went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from St. Thomas University School of Law in 2016 earning the CALI Excellence for the Future Award (“Book Award”) in Pre-Trial Practice, Professional Responsibility, and Guardianship.

During and after law school, Steven gained legal experience in several different fields, including estate planning, probate, and property damage claims. He is admitted to practice before the Courts of Florida and the U.S. Southern District of Florida. Steven is a member of the firm’s pre-litigation team, focusing on representing homeowners in HOA disputes.

Nicholas Tomic, Esq.Associate

A Southern California native, Mr. Tomic graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. Mr. Tomic went on to earn his law degree from the Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law.

During law school, Mr. Tomic served as an academic fellow in constitutional law, earned three CALI Awards for academic excellence, and gained legal experience working as a judicial extern at the United States Bankruptcy Court. As a judicial extern at the United Stated Bankruptcy Court, Mr. Tomic was tasked with preparing advisory opinions for the Court, which included detailed recommendations on how the Court should rule on various legal matters. This experience allowed Mr. Tomic to further hone his legal research and writing skills and provided valuable insight into the judicial decision-making process.

After law school, Mr. Tomic gained legal experience in several different fields, including civil litigation, business transactions, and real estate law. This experience has made Mr. Tomic well versed in all phases of litigation from initial pleadings through trial. Since joining LS Carlson, Mr. Tomic has applied his research and writing skills as a member of the Firm’s litigation team.

In his free time, Mr. Tomic enjoys playing tennis and traveling throughout the Balkans.

Jim Tran, Esq.Associate

Mr. Tran was born and raised in Orange County and graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a bachelor's degree in communication. Prior to entering law school, Mr. Tran completed his AmeriCorps service and volunteered with the Orange County Office of the District Attorney in the Family Protection Unit and with the Court-Appointed Special Advocates of Orange County.

He attended law school at Whittier College where he completed several public interest projects, participated in the Special Education Law Clinic representing minor children through administrative mediation for school services, was a member of the Trial Advocacy Honors Board, and completed a judicial externship at the Orange County Superior Court with the Honorable John Nho Trong Nguyen (retired). He earned his Juris Doctor degree with concentrations in trial and appellate practice and criminal law.

Prior to joining LS Carlson Law, Mr. Tran was a senior associate at a well-regarded insurance defense litigation firm working on property disputes, landlord-tenant habitability, products liability, premises liability, and personal injury cases.

James Vermazen, Esq.Associate

James Vermazen, a native of San Diego, California, received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, after which he studied law through the California Law Office Study Program.

James has prior experience assisting clients in tax planning, tax controversy, and tax collections matters. He has also assisted clients in drafting wills, trusts, and other estate planning matters. Before becoming an attorney, he was also licensed to represent clients before the IRS as an Enrolled Agent.

James joined LS Carlson Law in April of 2023 as an associate attorney in the tax department, focusing on assisting clients in claiming the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) and related matters.

Justin Walley, Esq.Associate

Justin Walley graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in communications. Mr. Walley went on to earn his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.

During and after law school, Mr. Walley gained legal experience in several different fields, including criminal defense, estate planning, labor/employment law, and real estate law. Mr. Walley also worked for one of the largest telecommunications infrastructure companies in the country, where he learned how to interact with local government to facilitate the acquisition of real property, resolve encroachment disputes, and remedy contractual issues. Mr. Walley joined LS Carlson Law’s litigation team in 2019.

Chris Xouleis, Esq.Associate

Chris Xouleis is a native of Southern California and an accomplished alumnus of UCLA, where he earned his degree in psychology. He continued his education at Roger Williams University School of Law in Rhode Island, where he excelled in public sector law and was recognized for his contributions.

During his time in law school, Mr. Xouleis gained practical experience by externing with the Executive Counsel for the Rhode Island Office of the Governor. This opportunity allowed him to hone his writing and research skills while navigating complex bureaucratic systems, ultimately proving invaluable to his professional development.

After graduating from law school, Mr. Xouleis worked as a corporate attorney representing one of the largest healthcare companies in America, as well as gaining valuable experience in various business related areas of the law. Mr. Xouleis joined the Firm in 2019, and he is currently focused on zealously representing his clients in all facets of business and real estate disputes at both the litigation and pre-litigation levels. 

Mr. Xouleis resides with his wife and son in South Palm Desert, California. As an alumnus of Palm Desert High, Mr. Xouleis has a great affinity for the Desert region and is grateful to be able to live in and assist the Coachella Valley community with their real estate and business law needs. In his free time, Chris enjoys living an active lifestyle, including golfing and enjoying hiking with his family and three dogs.

Doris Youmara, Esq.Associate

Doris Y. Youmara, Esq. joined LS Carlson Law as an associate in April 2023. She has worked in the legal industry for over 7 years, a large part of that spent working on files in active litigation. In addition to her current work, she has also handled other criminal and civil litigation matters.

Doris is admitted to practice in all state courts in California, as well as the United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern and Central Districts of California, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Doris graduated from Whittier College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Subsequently, she earned her juris doctorate degree from Arizona Summit Law School. During law school, she was awarded the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Trial Practice, founded the Veterans Law Students Association, awarded a merit scholarship, and made the Dean’s List.

She is a member of the Assyrian American Bar Association and has served as an Attorney Judge for Stanislaus County Mock Trial Competitions. Outside of work, Doris has given her time to leading and forming non-profit organizations such as Ramina's Memorial Corporation and the Assyrian National Council of Stanislaus.