Sullivan Hill shareholders Jim Hill, Robert Allenby, Timothy Earl, Christopher Hawkins, Sharon Huerta, Shay Kulkarni, Donald Rez, Gary Rudolph, Shannon Sweeney, Of Counsel Candace Carroll and Kathleen Cashman-Kramer have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 30th Edition of Best Lawyers in America®. In addition, Jim Hill was given special recognition as Best Lawyers® 2024 Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law “Lawyer of the Year” in San Diego. Shareholders Michael Zarconi and Yaniv Newman have been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch® in America (2024 Edition).
Shareholder Jim Hill has been selected to the Best Lawyers list and for the third time has been recognized by his peers as Lawyer of the Year in the fields of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Commercial Litigation. He is a founding member of Sullivan Hill, member of its Executive Committee and chair of the firm’s Insolvency and Commercial Bankruptcy practice group. Mr. Hill practices primarily in the areas of bankruptcy, insolvency and commercial law. His bankruptcy and receivership practice includes representation of creditors, bankruptcy trustees, state and federal receivers, and select bankruptcy debtors in Chapter 11 business reorganization cases, and he has served as a court-appointed examiner and mediator. Mr. Hill served two terms as the inaugural Chair of the California Lawyers Association (CLA) and was Chair of its Business Law Section and Co-Chair of its Insolvency Law Committee before CLA’s separation from the State Bar of California. Mr. Hill received singular recognition for his contributions to the practice of business law in California by receiving the California Lawyers Association’s Business Law Section Lifetime Achievement Award in October 2022.
Shareholder Robert Allenby has been selected to the Best Lawyers list in the field of Litigation – Insurance. He is a member of Sullivan Hill’s Executive Committee and serves as chair of the Litigation practice group and as counsel to the firm. Mr. Allenby has extensive experience in all aspects of litigation, with an emphasis in construction disputes, insurance coverage litigation and general business litigation.
Shareholder Timothy Earl has been selected to the Best Lawyers list in the field of Litigation – Construction. Mr. Earl is chair of Sullivan Hill’s Construction and Insurance practice group and is an experienced litigation attorney practicing primarily in the areas of construction litigation, insurance coverage, and business litigation. His construction litigation practice primarily involves the representation of developers, architects, engineers, general contractors and subcontractors in both residential and commercial contexts, both in private and public work projects.
Shareholder Christopher Hawkins has been selected to the Best Lawyers list in the fields of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law. He is a current member of the firm’s Executive Committee and practices in the Insolvency and Commercial Bankruptcy, Business Transactions, and Commercial and Business Litigation practice groups. Mr. Hawkins represents a variety of corporate debtors, bankruptcy trustees, receivers, lenders, commercial landlords, trade creditors, asset purchasers and other parties in interest in all aspects of commercial insolvency, including bankruptcies, receiverships, and assignments for the benefit of creditors. He also represents clients with non-insolvency financial matters in both the transaction and litigation contexts.
Shareholder Sharon Huerta has been selected to the Best Lawyers list in the field of Insurance Law. Having been in practice for over 25 years, Ms. Huerta practices primarily in the areas of insurance coverage litigation and evaluation, bad faith, and developer representation. In addition, Ms. Huerta has significant experience in appellate writing and was primarily responsible for drafting briefs in numerous successful published and unpublished opinions.
Shareholder Shay Kulkarni has been selected to the Best Lawyers list in the field of Litigation – Real Estate. Mr. Kulkarni focuses his practice primarily in the areas of construction/real estate litigation and construction-industry contracts. He is the Chair of the Construction Law Practice Area Committee of the California Lawyers Association and the former two-time Chairman of the Construction Law Section of the San Diego County Bar Association. He currently serves on the Steering Committee of Division 5 (General Contractors) of the ABA Forum on Construction Law, and as a fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America. Mr. Kulkarni also proudly serves the San Diego community as an Advisory Board Member and Mentoring Program Co-chair for the Crawford Academy of Law program.
Shareholder Donald Rez has been selected to the Best Lawyers list in the field of Commercial Litigation. He focuses his practice in the areas of business and commercial litigation. Mr. Rez has handled all types of commercial lawsuits, including cases involving trade regulation and antitrust, breach of contract, franchisor/franchisee issues, lender liability cases, professional malpractice, and intellectual property. He has been involved in complex multi-district litigation, and his antitrust experience has involved claims of virtually every kind.
Shareholder Gary Rudolph has been selected to the Best Lawyers list in the fields of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law. He practices in the areas of bankruptcy and other insolvency matters, including representation of trustees, corporate Chapter 7 debtors, Chapter 11 and Subchapter V debtors-in-possession, and creditors in commercial bankruptcy proceedings. Mr. Rudolph regularly consults with, and advises, business clients regarding financial strategies and conflict resolution. He also is a mediator for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California and has been previously named Mediator of the Year. He is currently on the Executive Committee of the Business Law Section of the California Lawyers Association and serves as its secretary. Mr. Rudolph is Vice Chair of the San Diego County Bar Bankruptcy Law section and serves on the Board of Directors for the San Diego Bankruptcy Forum, the California Bankruptcy Forum, the San Diego Receivers Forum and the California Receivers Forum.
Shareholder Shannon Sweeney has been selected to the Best Lawyers list in the field of Commercial Litigation. She practices in the Commercial and Business Litigation, Real Estate, Construction, and Employment Law practice groups. She has substantial experience in complex corporate litigation, large commercial disputes, and consumer and securities fraud class action lawsuits in both state and federal courts. Ms. Sweeney also has significant appellate experience in California state and federal courts, including successfully arguing at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, as well as first and second-chair trial experience.
Of Counsel Candace Carroll has been selected to the Best Lawyers list in the field of Commercial Litigation. She is a highly regarded appellate practitioner with more than 40 years’ experience handling appeals in the federal, state, and bankruptcy appellate courts. Her cases have encompassed a wide range of subjects, including contract disputes, insurance and indemnity issues, wrongful termination, intellectual property, personal injury, constitutional issues, and complex family law matters.
Of Counsel Kathleen Cashman-Kramer has been selected to the Best Lawyers list in the fields of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law. Her representation includes trustees, creditors and debtors in commercial bankruptcies. She has successfully tried matters in federal and state courts and participated in ADR proceedings before the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and other panels.
Shareholder Michael Zarconi has been selected to the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list in the fields of Commercial Litigation and Insurance Law. He practices in the Commercial and Business Litigation, Construction Law, Insurance Coverage, and Employment Law practice groups. He has a wide range of experience as a general civil litigator including commercial and business litigation, construction disputes, insurance coverage, anti-SLAPP litigation, and labor and employment law matters. Mr. Zarconi also has substantial experience representing policy holders in coverage disputes with insurance carriers and representing public bodies, maintenance assessment districts, and non-profit organizations in a wide variety of civil transactions and disputes.
Shareholder Yaniv Newman has been selected to the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list in the fields of Commercial Litigation and Construction Law. His practice is primarily focused on advising clients on insurance coverage matters and representing them in disputes and litigation relating to insurance coverage. As well, he assists construction clients, including owners, developers, public entities, contractors, and subcontractors, in navigating both insurance claims and all manner of construction-related issues that arise during the various stages of a construction project.
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers® lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Over 123,000 leading attorneys globally are eligible to vote, and they have received more than 20 million evaluations to date on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. Lawyer of the Year honors are awarded annually to only one lawyer per practice area in each region with extremely high overall feedback from their peers, making it an exceptional distinction. The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® list is also compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation and recognizes associates and other lawyers who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers® is considered a singular honor.
About Sullivan Hill:
Sullivan Hill has provided efficient and responsive legal representation for more than 50 years. The firm provides full-service representation to clients in a variety of industries with an emphasis in insolvency, construction disputes, insurance coverage, real estate, business disputes, civil litigation, and transactional matters. The firm has offices in San Diego and Las Vegas.
