With over 18 years of experience defending Workers’ Compensation claims, Vincent Purinton is cognizant of the enormous cost involved in litigating matters. As such, he will attempt to engage in fair and reasonable settlements whenever possible, whether it be at the outset of the claim, at depositions, or even leading into trial. At the same time, Mr. Purinton also understands the need to take certain issues to trial and will vigorously defend his client’s position. This flexible approach has resulted in both early resolutions and “take nothings” at trial level. Additionally, Mr. Purinton has favorable findings on both the California Appeals and California Supreme Court levels. Mr. Purinton is also a Certified Specialist in the field of Workers’ Compensation Law.
The above success is in large part due to Vince’s belief that it takes teamwork to resolve claims. He works closely with the claims team and employers at every step of the litigation process. Mr. Purinton takes pride in being available at any time to assist with his clients’ inquiries and needs.
Mr. Purinton can be reached at vpurinton@purintonlaw.com or via telephone at (714) 723-6594.
Ms. Wu's emphasis is the defense of workers’ compensation claims, Labor Code Section 132a, and Serious and Willful Misconduct claims. Ms. Wu is a graduate of the University of La Verne where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Paralegal Studies. Michelle earned her JD degree from the University of La Verne School of Law in 2000 and is a member of the State Bar of California.
Michelle focuses on efficient case management, quickly forcing files forward towards their ultimate resolution. With a caseload geared towards permissibly self-insureds as well as high self-retention policies, Ms. Wu understands that speed, communication, and teamwork are keys to long-term file savings.
Michelle can be reached at mwu@purintonlaw.com or via telephone at (213) 274-0390.
Patrick S. Jimenez received his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice in 1999 from California State University, Sacramento. He also participated in the Intercultural Immersion Program, Spanish Language Studies, in Heredia, Costa Rica that same year. Mr. Jimenez received his Juris Doctor in 2003 from University of the Pacific, McGeorge, in Sacramento, California.
Patrick is a Certified Specialist in the field of Workers’ Compensation Law. While in college, he worked as a Community Service Officer for the Sacramento Police Department. During law school, Patrick was a claims examiner for a nationwide insurance company with a focus on claims in California and Arizona. After passing the Bar, Patrick transitioned into a in-house counsel handling California claims.
Mr. Jimenez previously served as Deputy Regional President for the Hispanic National Bar Association, Region XVII. Patrick is a recipient of the HNBA Volunteer of the Year Award. He has also sat on the boards of the Diablo Valley Industrial Claims Association and the San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association. Mr. Jimenez has provided training to large carriers, employers, and TPAs.
Patrick can be reached at pjimenez@purintonlaw.com or by telephone at (415) 801-0991.
Following her time at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Jessica moved to Los Angeles to earn her Juris Doctor at Southwestern Law School. While studying, Ms. Labo worked as a medical researcher for both the University of Michigan Health Systems and University of California Los Angeles Health Systems.
Being a Worker's Compensation attorney has allowed Jessica to work within the nexus of law and medicine, two of her passions. Ms. Labo utilizes her healthcare research background to evaluate cases, issue spot within investigative materials and patient records, and anticipate patient/client needs. Similarly, her time as an applicant attorney allows insight into patient/attorney interests leading to efficiently litigated and closed files. As a result, Ms. Labo is frequently tasked to defend complex litigation and bulk settlement projects.
Jessica can be reached at jlabo@purintonlaw.com or via telephone at (213) 274-0385.
Jay Shergill manages the Sacramento office. Mr. Shergill has been practicing exclusively in workers’ compensation since 2002 and has been certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization in Workers’ Compensation since 2011. As the managing attorney of the Sacramento area office of Purinton, Jimenez, Labo & Wu, LLP, Mr. Shergill represents insurance companies, third party administrators, and self-insured employers defending workers’ compensation claims, allegations of Serious & Willful Misconduct, and L.C. § 132a violations before the WCAB and Court of Appeals throughout California.
Mr. Shergill served on the Workers’ Compensation Executive Committee of the California State Bar from 2009 through 2016. He was selected to the Northern California Rising Stars in 2011 and 2012 by Super Lawyers Magazine. He has been asked to speak for insurance companies, self-insureds, employers, the California State Bar, California Applicant's Attorney's Association, California Workers’ Compensation Defense Attorneys Association, and training for Panel Qualified Medical Evaluators.
Mr. Shergill is a contributing editor to Herlick’s California Workers’ Compensation Handbook, Hanna’s California Law of Employee Injuries and Workers' Compensation, and Workers' Compensation Laws of California for Lexis.
Mr. Shergill is the founder of PDRater.com, an online resource for MPN lists, workers' compensation calculators, and other resources for the workers' compensation professional. His favorite aspect of workers' compensation is anything that involves math. He would be happy to bore you at length regarding the nuances of death benefits or commutation calculations.
Mr. Shergill is a graduate of U.C. Davis with degrees in Philosophy, Rhetoric and Communications. He earned his law degree from King Hall School of Law in Davis, California.
Bridget M. Young has over 25 years experience defending employers and carriers in California Workers’ Compensation claims, including the defense of Labor Code Section 132(a) and Serious and Willful Misconduct claims. Ms. Young obtained her Bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and her Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1996. She was admitted to the State Bar of California that same year, and became a Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation in 2007.
Ms. Young’s experience includes working with self-insureds and high retention employers. She knows the importance of a team approach with the employer, claims professional and defense counsel, all working toward the best claim outcome. Ms. Young’s previous experience included civil litigation and subrogation, which allows her to effectively communicate and provide insight to subrogation counsel on third party claims.
Ms. Young understands the balance of early claim resolution versus cases that need an aggressive defense. She has obtained several take-nothing awards on AOE/COE cases, including post termination and good faith personnel action cases. She has worked closely with the San Diego District Attorney’s office in fraud prosecution, resulting in an injured worker being sentenced to several years in prison and restitution to the employer.
As a lifelong San Diegan, Ms. Young has unique knowledge of the venue. Her relationships with the San Diego bench, bar, and medical community allow her to optimize a successful outcome to her claims. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and has spoken at various Workers’ Compensation events throughout the State, including as an Instructor for the National Business Institute. She has developed training presentations specifically designed to assist the claims professional before defense counsel is assigned. Ms. Young opened the San Diego office of Purinton, Jimenez, Labo & Wu in 2023.
Ms. Young can be reached at byoung@purintonlaw.com or (858) 257-2424.
Leslie A. Gutierrez graduated from the University of California, Irvine, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in both Criminology, Psychology, and Social Behavior. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. While at UC Hastings, Leslie served as Staff Editor for the Hastings Business Law Journal and took part in the Criminal Law Clinic at the San Francisco Public Defender’s office. She also wrote an article that was published in the Hastings Business Law Journal.
After passing the bar, Ms. Gutierrez worked as a Legal Fellow for a non-profit legal aid organization where she handled a wide array of civil matters. Since then, Leslie has dedicated herself to the practice of workers’ compensation defense. Ms. Gutierrez has experience in all aspects of workers’ compensation litigation, developing strategies to bring claims to quick and cost-effective resolution.
Leslie can be contacted at lgutierrez@purintonlaw.com.
Diane graduated from California State University, Long Beach, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with emphasis in Finance, cum laude. She went on to receive her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School. During her time in law school, Ms. Tran worked for the Orange County Public Defender’s office and Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.
Since her admission into the California State Bar, Diane has focused solely on workers’ compensation. Diane’s litigation experience on both sides of the Bar facilitates and speeds up the handling of her matters as she is able to anticipate applicants’ arguments. Diane understands the importance of communication and the principle that “the only good file, is a closed file.”
Diane can be reached at dtran@purintonlaw.com or by telephone at (714) 723-6594.
A trained investigator, Jason Kenneth Dugas began his career serving as a peace officer for the State of New Mexico from 1999 to 2002. He received his Bachelor of Arts in 2001 from the University of New Mexico. Mr. Dugas transitioned from law enforcement to the practice of law, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 2005 from the New England School of Law.
Since he passed the California Bar in 2007, Jason has practiced Worker’s Compensation Law. He is admitted to practice throughout California and the Federal courts. This experienced litigator aggressively defends carriers, permissibly self-insured, high self-retention employers, and homeowners. He brings his diverse experience and training to look at each claim carefully, with an eye towards resolving issues quickly. Although there is a time and place for settlement, sometimes justice requires trial, something Jason is well-versed in. Jason practices throughout southern California.
A patron of the arts, he enjoys the dynamic museums and galleries of greater Los Angeles in his free time. He can be reached at jdugas@purintonlaw.com or by telephone at (213) 999-2496.
Kevin C. Chau, Esq. received both his Bachelor of Science in Managerial Economics (2005) and Juris Doctor (2009) from University of California at Davis.
Since 2010, Kevin has handled both the civil as well as administrative law aspects of Workers’ Compensation. Kevin’s attention to detail, writing, and oratory skills allow for efficient case management. Kevin handles all levels of litigation on behalf of employers, carriers, and TPAs.
Kevin can be reached at kchau@purintonlaw.com or by telephone at (415) 801-0991.
Phillip Soon, Esq. has practiced workers’ compensation exclusively in his decade plus legal career. Mr. Soon successfully represents governmental entities, carriers, and permissibly-insured employers at all levels of litigation, from onset through appellate-level filing.
Mr. Soon is a versatile litigator whose advocacy skills developed during undergrad at the University of Southern California and then during law school at Southwestern.
Phillip is an avid traveler and when time permits, enjoys golfing.
Phillip can be reached at psoon@purintonlaw.com or at (213) 265-7087.
Mr. Casey has been practicing workers' compensation since he became a member of the California Bar. As an associate in the Sacramento area office of Purinton, Jimenez, Labo & Wu, LLP, Mr. Casey represents insurance companies, third-party administrators, and self-insured employers defending workers’ compensation claims, allegations of Serious & Willful Misconduct, and L.C. § 132a violations before the WCAB and Court of Appeals throughout California.
Before joining Purinton, Jimenez, Labo & Wu, LLP, Mr. Casey practiced workers’ compensation as well as Labor and Employment law at another established California Applicant-side firm.
Before earning his J.D. and becoming licensed, Mr. Casey served as the Editor-in-Chief of Golden Gate University Law Review, where he examined the tortious implications of defective 3D file design. His favorite aspect of workers' compensation is beating Applicant Attorneys in panel races.
Mr. Casey is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Legal Studies. He earned his law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, California.
Liam can be contacted at lcasey@purintonlaw.com.
Dianne Quindiagan, Esq. graduated from San Jose State University, earning her Juris Doctor from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. After moving to Northern California, Dianne clerked for the Court of Appeals for two years.
Bringing her appellate-level experience to Workers’ Compensation, Dianne excels in forcing files forward to efficient resolutions. Dianne works closely with her employer/carrier partners gathering information to place her files into a path that can be resolved quickly if possible, but if necessary, litigated as needed.
Dianne can be reached at dquindiagan@purintonlaw.com.
With decades of experience in Workers’ Compensation, Mr. Plotkins has seen it at all. Mr. Plotkins is a Certified Specialist and works hand-in-hand with high-retention employers, insurance companies, and excess carriers. Mr. Plotkins is a graduate of the University of California - Los Angeles and earned his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School.
Al can be reached at aplotkins@purintonlaw.com.
Shelby Banks graduated cum laude from California Polytechnic State University where she majored in Journalism with a minor in Law & Society. Knowing she’d pursue a career in law, Shelby joined the mock trial team and also served as a reporter for the Mustang News Media Group. Ms. Banks went on to earn her juris doctor from one of the nation’s top accelerated programs - graduating in two years at Southwestern Law School. Shelby has been with the firm since her externship years. Not surprisingly, Shelby’s aggressive case management and attention to detail have resulted in strong wins for the clients. Ms. Banks is a proactive and timely communicator, providing immediate response leading to efficient resolution of her files.
Shelby can be reached at sbanks@purintonlaw.com or at (714) 723-6594.
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Evan McKinney earned his bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington University, with a major in Criminal Justice and minors in Sociology and Psychology. He went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from the University of Idaho College of Law, where he placed into the Top 16 of the 2013 Annual McNichols Moot Court Competition.
Mr. McKinney spent his first several years of practice in employment and labor law at a large firm in the Los Angeles area where he represented plaintiffs in various contexts including wage and hour violations, discrimination and harassment, and wrongful termination. More recently in the last three years before joining Purinton Law, he practiced workers’ compensation litigation on the Applicant side at one of the State’s top Applicant firms. Evan now leverages his experience to represent employers and carriers and achieve efficient resolution of claims.
Mr. McKinney can be reached at emckinney@purintonlaw.com.