Class of 1998
Parker Kern Nard and Wenzel
Brian Duncan of Parker Kern Nard and Wenzel, has practiced worker’s compensation law for 15 years. He says in all those years he has never once been bored. “There is always something new coming up, and I love the fact that I have full control over all my cases,” he says. Brian says he knew in high school that he wanted to be a lawyer. While a liberal studies major at Fresno State, he got an entry level job clerking at a law firm, and that sealed the deal. While attending SJCL at night, he continued working full time as a clerk. Attending SJCL enabled Brian to achieve his short and long term goals. He was determined to create a successful and stable law career, become a partner in a firm, and pay back all his student loans within five years of graduating. He knew that attending any other law school would not have allowed him to accomplish his goals. Upon passing the bar exam Brian sought experience in a civil law firm, but soon realized his true interest was in workers compensation.
Class of 1982
McCormick Barstow LLP - Partner
Deborah has been with McCormick Barstow since graduating from SJCL in 1982, except for a two-year stint working with Justice Hollis G. Best at the Fifth District Court of Appeal. She practices civil litigation in state and federal courts, concentrating on defense of employment disputes including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination and civil rights violations. In addition, Deborah has represented clients in administrative proceedings involving the Department of Fair Employment and Housing and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Deborah was inspired to become an attorney after being employed in law enforcement, where she recognized the advantages of working in a courtroom as opposed to a jail. She discovered the complexities of civil law while a student at SJCL, and went on to work with McCormick Barstow, the largest law firm in the Valley, where she remains a partner today. Deborah is admitted to practice in the State of California, U.S. District Court, Northern, Eastern and Central Districts of California, and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Deborah is a member of the State Bar of California (Labor and Employment Law Section), Federal Bar Association, and San Joaquin Valley Chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers. She is also a Contributing Editor to The Rutter Group’s California Practice Guide: Employment Litigation.
Class of 1995
Fresno County District Attorney
Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Sondergaard Smittcamp was sworn in as one of the County’s highest elected officials when she took office in January of 2015. Lisa spent four years with the Madera County District Attorney’s office working the major crimes unit, and another 12 years serving in the general felonies, domestic violence, sexual assault and homicide units, with the Fresno County District Attorney’s office. Lisa was a member of the Officer Involved Shooting Team, and was appointed Supervisor of the Domestic Violence Team during her tenure with the Fresno County DA’s office. In 2012 she was honored as an Outstanding Prosecutor.
Lisa’s legal career began with a year at McCormick Barstow after graduating from SJCL. In addition to her memberships in the Fresno County Bar Association, California District Attorneys Association, and Fresno County Prosecutors Association, Lisa also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Marjaree Mason Center, Kulungu for Congo (a nonprofit dedicated to supporting education and building schools in The Peoples Republic of Congo), and the SJCL Board of Trustees. She is also a past Board of Directors member for the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.
Lisa’s commitment to the community includes serving in the Rotary Club of Fresno, and as the holiday toy drive coordinator at MLK Elementary School in Southwest Fresno.
Class of 1985
McCormick Barstow LLP - Practice Group Chair - Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith / Partner
Kevin was selected as a Northern California Super Lawyer in 2014, for his primary practice area of Insurance Coverage. Kevin’s law career began, after graduating from SJCL in 1985, as a law clerk with the California Court of Appeals, 5th District. He joined McCormick Barstow a year later and has been there ever since. Kevin handles many types of litigation defense, including general negligence, products liability, and premises liability, among others. Kevin has acquired expertise in major areas of litigation in the realm of first party insurance coverage and first and third party fraud, including arson, bodily injury fraud, appraisal, subsidence, coverage disputes, property damage, life insurance, uninsured motorist and environmental contamination coverage limits.
Kevin is admitted to practice before all California State Courts and U.S. District Courts for the Easter, Central, and Northern Districts of California. He is a member of the Fresno County Bar Association, the California Bar, and the American Bar Association, including the Tort and Insurance Practice Section of the ABA, and the Property Insurance Law, Insurance Coverage, and Environmental Law committees of TIPS. In addition, Kevin is a member of the Association of Defense Counsel, Defense Research Institute, Northern California Fraud Investigators Association, Federal Bar Association, Property Claims Association of the Pacific, and California Conference of Arson Investigators. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Valley Chapter of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society, and a coach for the Clovis North High School Mock Trial Team.
Kevin has lectured before various property insurance and industry organizations, and has co-authored papers published by the Property Insurance Law Committee of the ABA and the Property Loss Research Bureau. In addition, Kevin served as regional editor of the First Supplement to "Bad Faith and Punitive Damages: Annotations to First Party Insurance Cases, Statutes, and Regulations" published by the Property Insurance Law Committee of the ABA.
Class of 2005
Purvis & Elder Attorney at Law LLP
Michael Elder, a Pacific Bell employee for 25 years, served jury duty once and liked it so much he enrolled in law school two years before his planned retirement. During law school, Michael worked as an intern with the District Attorney’s Office in the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC). Four months after passing the bar exam, he was hired as a Deputy District Attorney. Because of his background in corporate management at Pacific Bell, he worked in the Business Fraud Division prosecuting business felonies, embezzlement, fraud, and theft. In 2011, Michael went into private practice specializing in Criminal Law and White Collar Crime.