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Jeffrey S. Behar

Jeffrey S. Behar is a founding partner of Ford, Walker, Haggerty & Behar and an experienced trial attorney. He concentrates his practice on aviation, premises, products, municipality defense, professional liability, employment, construction defect, and mass tort litigation.

Mr. Behar was one of the original founders of the law firm in 1991 and currently oversees its business development and management. His clients include many prestigious insurance firms, Fortune 500 companies and nationally recognized corporations.

Mr. Behar received a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA in 1974, graduating Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. In 1978 he was awarded a J.D. and graduated with honors from Loyola Law School, where he was a recipient of the school’s American Jurisprudence Award.

In 1978, he began his legal career as an associate at the firm of Shield & Smith in Los Angeles. Joining the State Bar of California in 1978, Mr. Behar is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court. In 1982, he became a partner of the firm and eventually served as a member of the management committee.

In 1982, after only four years of practice, Mr. Behar was inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), which requires a minimum of 20 trials to jury verdict. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the California Defense Counsel (CDC) and is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), the International Society of Barristers (ISB), the Defense Research Institute (DRI), the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA), and the American Bar Association (ABA).

In 2000, Mr. Behar became the President of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (ASCDC).

In 2004 and continuing to the present, Mr. Behar was elected and named as a Southern California Super Lawyer. Also in 2004 to the present, Mr. Behar has been named by Los Angeles Magazine as one of Southern California’s top attorneys.

In 2007, Mr. Behar was elected a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL).

In 2011, Mr. Behar became a co-chairman for the annual ABOTA Masters in Trial program. He has spoken on litigation-related matters to the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers, the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel and the American Society for Industrial Security. His presentations addressed such topics as settlement/mediation/arbitration, mock jury trials, construction defect litigation, shoplifting prevention for retail businesses, security practices/probable cause/detention arrest, and wrongful death damages.

In 2016 and in 2018, Mr. Behar was named “Lawyer of the Year” Personal Injury Litigation Defense – Orange County by Best Lawyers in America .

In 2018, Mr. Behar was elected to “America’s Top 100 Civil Defense Litigators.”

In 2023, Mr. Behar’s jury trial defense verdict in a highly publicized case on behalf of Fortune 500 Company was voted “TOP VERDICTS” for the year by the Los Angeles Daily Journal.

In 2024, Mr. Behar received the Martindale-Hubbell Award as AV Preeminent for Highest Level of Professional Excellence.

Mr. Behar has been featured in the Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of the top business rainmakers in Southern California. Newspaper and legal magazine articles featuring Mr. Behar include:

 

From 2018 to 2020, Mr. Behar was elected and served as the President of the Virginia Country Club in Long Beach.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mr. Behar and his wife Lori, together with children Alexander and Mallory, live in Manhattan Beach.

Bar Admissions

Education

 

Tim Walker is a founding partner of Ford, Walker, Haggerty & Behar. He has tried in excess of 75 cases to a verdict. These include high-exposure cases in insurance bad faith, construction defects, federal civil rights violations, product liability, libel and slander, commercial fraud and premises liability.

His clients are primarily insurance companies, municipalities, corporations, self-insureds and individuals from around the country with litigation defense needs in California.

Mr. Walker was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1972 and practices before all California state and federal courts. He began his legal career at Shield & Smith in 1972, became a partner in 1976, and left the firm in 1991 with Messrs. Ford, Haggerty and Behar to form his current firm.

Mr. Walker has been very active in professional organizations. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel from 1978 to 1988 and served as president in 1986. He was a member of the Defense Research Institute Board of Directors from 1994 to 1998. He was admitted to the American Board of Trial Advocates in 1977. He was elected as a Fellow to the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1997 and the International Association of Barristers in 1998.

For the past 15 years, Mr. Walker has been included in the Best Lawyers in America as compiled by Woodward/White. In 1990 he was honored as Defense Attorney of the Year by O’Brien’s Publications. In 1998, Mr. Walker was named as one of the best personal injury lawyers in Orange County by Orange Coast Magazine. Mr. Walker speaks and writes widely on legal topics and has held teaching positions as lecturer for the California Continuing Education of the Bar, the Trial Academy of the International Association of Defense Counsel and the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Born in Whittier, Mr. Walker attended college at the University of California at Santa Barbara on a football scholarship. He majored in political science, graduating in 1969. He received his J.D. from Loyola University School of Law in 1972.

Patrick J. Gibbs is a Senior Equity Partner and trial lawyer with the firm. His practice is concentrated on high-exposure cases involving automobile and common carrier liability, premises liability, municipality liability, product liability, libel and slander, and bad faith litigation. Clients include insurance companies, corporations, municipalities and other self-insureds.

Mr. Gibbs is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and has tried several matters to successful conclusion. He also has extensive experience resolving cases through the arbitration and mediation process. He speaks frequently to insurance professionals on topics such as case handling, civil procedure, coverage issues and related defense topics. He currently serves as a private mediator and arbitrator and occupies a similar role with the Orange County and Los Angeles Superior Courts.

Associated with Ford, Walker, Haggerty & Behar since its inception in 1991, Mr. Gibbs joined the State Bar of California in 1989. He is admitted to practice in the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, the U.S. District Court, Central District and all courts in the state of California. His professional memberships include the American Bar Association, the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, the Defense Research Institute, the International Association of Defense Counsel and the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Mr. Gibbs attended Pepperdine University School of Law on a merit scholar-ship, receiving his J.D. in 1989. He earned his B.A. in political science from California Lutheran University in 1986 while playing four years of intercollegiate basketball

Bar Admissions

Education

William C. Haggerty is one of the founding partners of Ford, Walker, Haggerty & Behar. Mr. Haggerty is currently serving as the President of the Orange County Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. His practice involves the defense of large-exposure construction accidents, products liability cases, healthcare, professional liability, including legal and medical malpractice matters. His trial experience also extends to toxic torts, wrongful termination, sexual harassment claims, and the defense of health care professionals and corporations. Clients include insurance companies, developers and contractors, public and closely held corporations, school districts, municipalities, professionals and other self-insureds.

Mr. Haggerty joined the State Bar of California in 1977 and is admitted to practice in all California state and federal courts. Mr. Haggerty graduated magna cum laude from the University of Santa Clara School of Law in 1977. While at Santa Clara, he served as editor of The Santa Clara Law Review. He received a Merit Scholarship based upon grade point average and was the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Book Award for excellence in torts.

Prior to matriculating to law school, Mr. Haggerty received scholarships to attend Brown University. While at Brown, he was the stroke oar for the nationally prominent varsity heavyweight eight-man crew team for three years. Mr. Haggerty graduated from Brown University with honors in 1971. He then became a journalist and sportswriter for three years before attending law school.

Mr. Haggerty began his legal career in 1977 with the former firm of Shield & Smith and immediately began trying product liability, premises liability, false arrest and professional liability cases as an associate. In 1983, Mr. Haggerty was made a partner at Shield & Smith.

Having tried jury cases to verdict from Bakersfield to San Diego, as well as in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mr. Haggerty became a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates in 1984. In 1991, Mr. Haggerty began practicing in Long Beach as one of the founding partners of Ford, Walker, Haggerty & Behar. Mr. Haggerty remains active both in the management of the firm and in client development.

Mr. Haggerty was elected into membership as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2014.  Membership in the American College is limited to the top one percent of trial lawyers in the United States.  Mr. Haggerty was also elected to membership in the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel.

A member of the American Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Defense Research Institute and Irish American Bar Association, Mr. Haggerty is currently listed in Who’s Who in California. He served as a member of the board of directors and as a committee chairman for the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel for ten years from 1984 through 1993. He is a past chairman of that association’s annual seminar and its law firm management seminar.

Mr. Haggerty is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. He has been AV rated by Martindale Hubbel for over 30 years. He has been elected and named as a Southern California Super Lawyer since 2010.  Mr. Haggerty has been named by Los Angeles Magazine as one of Southern California’s top attorneys from 2011 to present.  He was named Orange County Product Liability Defense Lawyer of the Year for 2017 by Best Lawyers Magazine.

Mr. Haggerty has volunteered his services as a settlement officer for the Los Angeles County Superior Court Special Civil Settlement Program and also serves as a private mediator. Mr. Haggerty frequently lectures in the health care field. He recently served as a panel member for the Orange County ABOTA “Masters in Cross-Examination” seminar.

As an active trial lawyer, Mr. Haggerty continues to handle high-exposure product liability, construction, medical malpractice and professional liability cases, many of which have received extensive media coverage.

Mr. Haggerty resides in Huntington Beach with his family. He is a past president and board of director for the Seacliff Estate and Community Associations. He is a member of the Seacliff Country Club.

Bar Admissions

Education

Stephen W. Moore is a former Equity Partner at the firm. His practice focuses on automobile and common carrier liability, products liability, premises liability, and homeowners’ losses. Mr. Moore specializes in claims involving catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, brain injuries, and products liability claims involving automobile and marine products.Mr. Moore has tried numerous cases to verdict in California Superior and Municipal Courts, has extensive mediation experience and has arbitrated over 400 cases.

Mr. Moore is experienced in handling significant exposure and complex cases.As such, he is knowledgeable in medical terminology and has a keen mechanical aptitude.Mr. Moore’s professional memberships include the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, the American Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, the Orange County Bar Association, and the Long Beach Bar Association. Mr. Moore has also served as a judge pro tem in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.While at McGeorge School of Law, he was a finalist in the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition and elected to the International Moot Court Honors Board. Mr. Moore resides in Huntington Beach with his wife, Patsorn, and dog, Tux.Mr. Moore enjoys travel, surfing, fishing, stand up paddle boarding, snowboarding and mountain biking.

Bar Admissions

Education

James D. Savage is a Senior Equity Partner and a trial lawyer who practices in the areas of professional, product, premises, automobile, employment and common carrier liability. His clients include insurance companies, health care professionals, corporations, and other self-insureds. Mr. Savage also defends dentists in administrative actions and handles cases involving the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Mr. Savage first became a partner with Ford, Walker, Haggerty & Behar in 1997. Associated with the firm since its founding in 1991, he began his career at its predecessor firm, Shield & Smith.

Mr. Savage received his J.D. in 1989 from the University of San Diego. He obtained his B.A. in political science in 1986 from the University of Arizona. He remains active in alumni functions of his undergraduate alma mater.

Mr. Savage has tried numerous cases to verdict and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has extensive experience in arbitrating and mediating cases. Mr. Savage has volunteered his services as a settlement officer for the Los Angeles County Superior Court Special Civil Settlement Program. Mr. Savage frequently lectures to dentists and dental assistants in the field of dental malpractice.

Mr. Savage joined the State Bar of California in 1989. He is admitted to practice in the United States Court of Appeal, Ninth Circuit (1989) and U.S. District Court, Central District (1989). He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, and the Defense Research Institute. He has served as the Chair of the Law Practice Management Committee of the Defense Research Institute, and also serves on its Trial Tactics and Techniques Committee. He has served in the past as a Committee Chair with the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel.

When away from work, Mr. Savage can be found attending sporting events and playing golf. A native of San Luis Obispo and raised in Southern Arizona, Mr. Savage resides in Huntington Beach with his wife Tracy, son Calvin and daughter Tana.

Bar Admissions

Education

Mary B. Pendleton, a former partner with the firm, focuses her practice on counseling and advocating for companies involved in transactional disputes. Ms. Pendleton has significant experience litigating in diverse areas including professional liability, construction and real estate disputes, and property and product liability matters. Ms. Pendleton also has extensive experience in governmental (including inverse condemnation) and private premises liability issues. Ms. Pendleton performs as Adjunct Faculty at California Western School of Law, teaching second-year law students in the areas of Professional Responsibility, Legal Research and Legal Writing.

Ms. Pendleton was also recognized as Attorney of the Year by the San Diego Defense Lawyers in 2007 and has been invited to present as a writer and speaker for the San Diego Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, San Diego Defense Lawyers, and Professional Association of Specialty Contractors. She is affiliated with the American Bar Foundation, California State Representative, Defense Research Institute (2007-2010), San Diego County Bar Association, Association of General Contractors, San Diego Chapter, National Association of Women in Construction, California Defense Counsel (2003-2009), San Diego Defense Lawyers, and the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel Board of Directors (2002 to 2009).

Bar Admissions

Education

Robert L. Reisinger is a Senior Equity Partner and trial attorney experienced in many areas of litigation and specializing in defense of bad faith, products liability, premises liability, major automobile accident, trucking and suspect claims. His clients include insurance firms, self-insured corporations and public entities.

Mr. Reisinger has achieved defense verdicts in the vast majority of his over forty jury trials since 1993. He was lead trial counsel in Yoshioka v. Superior Court (1997) 58 Cal.App.4th 972, the case that ultimately concluded with the appellate decision which first held that Proposition 213 was constitutional in both its retroactive and prospective application.

Mr. Reisinger is also well practiced and successful in arbitrations and mediations. He is diligent in finding ways to protect his clients while minimizing their costs. He also focuses case preparation to limit unnecessary discovery procedures, and utilizes alternative dispute resolution when appropriate to avoid trial costs.

Mr. Reisinger was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1991 and is admitted to practice before all California state and federal courts. He became associated with Ford, Walker, Haggerty & Behar in 1992 after a year at Demler, Armstrong & Rowland. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Southern California Defense Counsel and Defense Research Institute.  Mr. Reisinger speaks on the defense of fraudulent and suspect claims and trial practice to attorneys and clients. He has also represented the defense bar in an educational seminar on municipal court litigation sponsored by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. Additionally, he is asked to speak to clients on a wide range of topics.

Mr. Reisinger earned a J.D. in 1991 from California Western School of Law and a B.S. in criminal justice from San Diego State University in 1987, where he held a full football scholarship and was awarded the Western Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete Award. Born in Long Beach, Mr. Reisinger lives in Huntington Beach with his wife, Julie, and his daughter Sarah.

Bar Admissions

Education

Arthur J. Casey is a former Partner at the firm’s Silicon Valley office.  He began his legal career at Robinson & Wood, Inc. in San Jose, and was a shareholder in the firm until opening his own office in October, 2017. After growing that practice, he merged with Ford, Walker, Haggerty & Behar in July, 2021. Mr. Casey’s defense practice emphasizes transportation litigation, defense of manufacturers and distributors in products
liability litigation and defense of individuals and companies in premises liability, governmental entity defense and employment law defense.

Mr. Casey’s transportation practice includes successful and effective representation of a major package delivery carrier, national logistics and
delivery companies, and individuals involved in the transportation industry.

Mr. Casey’s products liability defense practice includes representing various manufacturers and distributors either directly or through third
party administrators and insurance carriers. Mr. Casey has a very high success rate in resolving difficult and high exposure cases involving
catastrophic injuries. He is particularly adept at working with foreign manufacturers, especially Japanese manufacturers insured through
Japanese insurers. Mr. Casey’s product liability practice has included successful litigation and settlement of many different kinds of products
and injuries, including significant burns suffered while using a radiator flush system, leg amputation while using a manual hoist, several
wrongful death cases representing a major chain manufacturer, serious injuries allegedly caused by bicycle component parts, serious injuries and death by electrocution while using power tools, serious injuries suffered while working around a surgical table, property damage subrogation claims at time with damages claimed in the millions and many other types of products liability cases.

Mr. Casey’s premises liability practice includes defense of large retailers, owners of small and large commercial buildings, homeowners and
various construction trade contractors.

Mr. Casey also has 35-years of very specialized experience representing insurance carriers in the investigation of first-and-third party fraud.

Mr. Casey has been an author and lecturer for California Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) for several years, including Chapter Author for CEB Publication, California Civil Discovery Practice, 4th Ed. (2006). He also has been teaching business law and employment law in the School of Management at San Jose State University for 15-years.

BAR ADMISSIONS

EDUCATION

 

Ms. Mangarpan is an Equity Partner of the firm and has been at the firm since its inception. She handles professional liability, including medical malpractice, legal malpractice, long term care and elder law litigation,  aviation, product liability, Americans with Disabilities, mortuary and cemetery litigation, class action litigation, toxic tort litigation, and business and premises liability cases including security related matters. She represents clients that include physicians, surgical centers, attorneys, airlines, retailers, product manufacturers, restaurants, hotels and contractors, and their insurance carriers. Ms. Mangarpan is a member of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel and the International Aviation Womens Association (IAWA). Ms. Mangarpan speaks to insurance and retail industry clients on premises liability and other insurance defense topics.

Bar Admissions

Education