We operate in flexible, interrelated practice groups, an approach designed to ensure that the highest quality of service is delivered in the most efficient manner.
Our goal is to work with our clients so that our combined experience and knowledge will serve to further their business and personal objectives.
Knapp, Petersen & Clarke attorneys have a reputation for excellence, not only among their clients, but also within the legal community. They are recognized by their peers for providing outstanding legal services and a commitment to finding practical solutions to a wide range of complex legal issues.
Building upon the tradition established by the firm's founders, Knapp, Petersen & Clarke lawyers include individuals renowned in their fields. By hiring talented attorneys who are able to handle sophisticated legal and business issues, the firm is able to maintain a competitive advantage that benefits our clients.
Devin A.
Bennett
Ms. Bennett is an Associate at the firm. Ms. Bennett received her juris doctor from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, where she was awarded an academic scholarship. During her tenure at USC Law, Ms. Bennett received academic honors, participated in the Moot Court Honors Program, and served as Vice President of the Music Law Society. In her second year, Ms. Bennett was selected for a prestigious externship with a presiding judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, which allowed her to spend a full semester drafting judicial bench opinions on a variety of civil and criminal cases.
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Christopher J.
Blanchard
Mr. Blanchard is a principal with the firm’s Insurance Coverage Practice Group. Mr. Blanchard assists insurance carriers with navigating the laws and regulations of California. His practice includes providing coverage opinions to insurers on property and casualty coverage issues under personal and commercial lines policies, assisting insurers with responding to time limit demands and subpoenas for claim information.
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Robert D.
Brugge
Mr. Brugge is a Director with the firm. He received his bachelor of arts degree in 1976 from Loyola University of Los Angeles and his juris doctor from Southwestern University School of Law in 1979. While in law school he received the American Jurisprudence Award for Estate Planning and Taxation.
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Michael
D. Carr
Mr. Carr is an Associate at the firm. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Russian and Eastern European Studies from the College of the Holy Cross in 2001. Upon completion of a dual-degree program in 2007, Mr. Carr earned a Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations from the John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy, and a Juris Doctor from the Seton Hall University School of Law...
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Clifford
R. Cohen
Mr. Cohen earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1982, graduating summa cum laude, and was elected to membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Society. He earned his juris doctor degree from Hastings College of Law in 1985.
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Carlos
Cohen-Leon
Mr. Cohen is an associate at the firm. A Texas native, Mr. Cohen grew up in Mexico City, making him fully bilingual in English and Spanish. Mr. Cohen obtained his first professional degree in Law, a Bachelor of Laws, at the Universidad del Valle de Mexico, graduating with honors. During his time in Mexico as an active attorney, Mr. Cohen specialized in administrative, civil, and constitutional litigation as well as administrative and government compliance in both the public and private sectors.
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Markos C.
Generales
Mr. Generales is an associate at the firm. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Southern California in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Narrative Studies and a minor in Folklore and Popular Culture. He then earned his J.D. from the University of Southern California in 2018 with an academic scholarship. At USC Law, he participated in the Hale Moot Court Honors program and Advanced Mediation Clinic, in which he mediated cases in various courts around Los Angeles County. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2018.
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Maria A.
Grover
Ms. Grover, a Principal with the firm, was born in San Francisco, California. She attended Santa Clara University, where she received a bachelor of science degree in combined sciences in 1984. She received a juris doctor degree in 1987 from Santa Clara University School of Law and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1987.
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Andre E.
Jardini
Mr. Jardini attended the University of Notre Dame and graduated in 1973 with a bachelor of arts degree. He attended Hastings College of the Law and received his juris doctor degree in 1976. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1976.
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Michael
Kem-Thomas
Mr. Kem-Thomas is a Principal with the firm. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1987 with a bachelor of arts in political science and from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 1992. He was admitted to the Illinois bar in November 1992 and to the State Bar of California in August 2000.
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David
Lalazarian
Mr. Lalazarian is a Principal at the firm. Mr. Lalazarian graduated from Pepperdine University in 2001 with a bachelor of arts in history. After a successful collegiate basketball career, he spent some time playing professional basketball in France and China. Upon his return to the States, he earned his real estate license and worked in the real estate industry. Mr. Lalazarian then spent three years teaching math and science to high school students. Mr. Lalazarian earned his juris doctor degree from Southwestern Law School in December 2009 and was admitted to the State Bar of California in June 2010.
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Mitchell B.
Ludwig
Mr. Ludwig, a Director of the firm, attended Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, and in 1981 received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Hofstra University School of Business. He earned his juris doctor degree from Southwestern University School of Law in 1984, where he graduated cum laude (ranked number 7 of graduating day student class) and was both the managing editor and a member of the Executive Board of Editors of the Southwestern University Law Review. Mr. Ludwig was admitted to the State Bar of California in December 1984.
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Sean Y.
Ma
Mr. Ma is a Principal at the firm. He received his B.A. in Journalism from the University of Arizona and his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law where he served the Journal of Climate and Energy Law and graduated with a concentration in intellectual property. During law school, Mr. Ma spent summers as a corporate counsel intern in the legal, ethics, and compliance department of a major healthcare and pharmaceutical company and as a law clerk at an art and entertainment licensing agency assisting with business, trademark, and copyright litigation in state and federal courts.
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Adam G.
Mikaelian
Adam G. Mikaelian is an associate with Knapp, Petersen, & Clarke. He earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2011. Mr. Mikaelian then earned his Juris Doctor degree from Whittier Law School with concentrations in Criminal Law and Trial & Appellate Practice. He received the award of Admission Merit Scholar, was on the dean’s list and the honor roll. He received a Cali Award in the area of legal writing. He was active in several organizations while in law school, including Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and the Armenian Law Society. While in law school, Mr. Mikaelian clerked with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
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K.L.
Myles
K.L. Myles is a Director with the firm. Ms. Myles’ practice focuses on labor and employment, wage and hour, commercial, and consumer rights litigation. She previously served as a summer intern with Knapp, Petersen & Clarke. Originally from Los Angeles, Ms. Myles graduated from Rice University in Houston, Texas, with degrees in art history, ancient Mediterranean civilizations, and French. She received her juris doctorate from Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia. Ms. Myles is also a graduate of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Los Angeles Chapter’s Trial School.
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Asante T.
Nkosi
Mr. Nkosi is an Associate at the firm. Originally from Fresno, California, his academic journey began at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he earned degrees in Sociology and History. He then pursued his legal education at the University of California of the Law, San Francisco, formerly known as UC Hastings College of the Law.
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Diron m.
Ohanian
Mr. Ohanian, a Director of the firm and Executive Committee member, graduated cum laude from University of California, Los Angeles, in 1988, with a bachelor of arts in economics-business. Thereafter, Mr. Ohanian earned a juris doctor degree from University of Southern California in 1991, where he served as the topic editor for the Hale Moot Court Honors Program. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1991.
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Stephen C.
Pasarow
Steve Pasarow graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in English and received his juris doctor degree from Southwestern Law School. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1980. He is a Director with the firm.
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James M.
Phillippi
Mr. Phillippi earned his juris doctor degree from Loyola Law School in 1981 and was admitted to the State Bar of California. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Phillippi worked a number of years in the building industry and one year with Los Angeles Congressman Thomas Rees.
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Peter J.
Senuty
Mr. Senuty attended Stanford University, where he was awarded a bachelor of arts degree in history, with distinction. He received his juris doctor from Stanford Law School. Mr. Senuty was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1975 and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Central and Northern Districts of California and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
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Kevin J.
Stack
Mr. Stack attended the University of California at Los Angeles and graduated cum laude in 1973, receiving a bachelor of arts degree in political science. He studied law at Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles, receiving a juris doctor degree, cum laude, in 1976.
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Thomas F.
Stewart
For more than 36 years, Tom has provided astute counsel for some of the largest commercial property owners and users in the state. Tom has been an investor in many commercial real estate projects, which gives him a practical, real-world perspective that is uncommon for lawyers.
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Gregory L.
Torres
Mr. Torres is a Director, Shareholder and Vice President at Knapp, Petersen & Clarke. Mr. Torres handles a broad range of business and civil litigation matters involving complex legal and factual issues. Clients from a wide variety of industries regularly rely on Mr. Torres’ representation in high stakes litigation, including disputes related to commercial transactions, real estate, entertainment, professional liability, construction, insurance coverage and bad faith, bankruptcy, and employment (including the defense of wage and hour class action lawsuits).
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Natalie B.
White
Ms. White is an associate at the firm in the extracontractual litigation department. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Riverside in 2006, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies, focused in Spanish and European History.
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Sion V.
Yans
Sion V. Yans is an Associate Attorney at the firm. He brings a unique blend of engineering acumen and legal expertise to his practice. His path to the legal profession has been anything but conventional.
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Joel E.
Zari
Mr. Zari is a Principal at the firm. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in English writing and rhetoric from Pepperdine University in 2010, and earned the Helen Pepperdine Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service. Mr. Zari then earned his Juris doctorate from Southwestern Law School in 2013. During law school, Mr. Zari was a member of the Public Interest Law Committee and was also an executive board member of the Moot Court Honors Program.
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