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Karen Lee is an associate in Burke’s Los Angeles office and a member of Burke’s Litigation practice group. Karen’s areas of practice include public entity defense, premises liability, dangerous condition of public property, and general tort litigation.
Prior to joining Burke, Karen worked at an established medical malpractice defense firm, where she represented a prominent university in a multitude of lawsuits involving Title IX claims, regulatory issues, and intentional tort allegations. Karen also served as second-chair trial counsel in a case of alleged medical malpractice, in which the jury rendered a unanimous defense verdict.
Karen is experienced in cases involving large teams of lawyers, including high-value litigation combined with internal and government investigations. Karen has experience in all phases of civil litigation, including motion practice, appearing in court for oral argument, all aspects of discovery, and preparing for trial. Karen has worked in a variety of different practice areas, including family law, immigration, workers’ compensation, and business litigation.
During law school, Karen was a staff member of the Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review. Karen was a part of the Law Review’s Inter-American Court of Human Rights Project, where she created comprehensive summaries of judgments rendered by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Karen also volunteered as an advisor for the Dorsey High School Teen Court and as a mentor for the Young Lawyers Program.
Karen graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Art History and a minor in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine.
An associate in the Burke’s litigation group, Alexander Kim focuses his trial practice on the defense of public entities, such as municipalities, transportation providers, and school districts in property damage and personal injury matters, including wrongful death and catastrophic injuries.
Alexander graduated from Rutger’s School of Law – Newark in 2017. Immediately thereafter, Alexander obtained an opportunity as a year-long judicial clerkship in Bergen County, New Jersey for the Honorable Rachelle L. Harz, who oversaw Mass Tort Litigation matters. As part of his clerkship, Alexander gained experience and knowledge as to the practice of Mass Tort Litigation, in addition to general civil litigation.
Prior to joining Burke, Alexander developed and focused his litigation practice in New York, New York. While working in New York, Alexander’s practice areas included General Liability, Premises and Retail Liability, New York Labor Law, Automobile Liability, Trucking & Transportation Liability, Maritime Litigation, Subrogation and Excess Insurance Coverage. His practice included New York State and Federal Courts, and New Jersey State and Federal Courts. Alexander’s success in his practice resulted in being recognized as a 2021 New York METRO Rising Star associate.
In addition to his litigation experience in New York, Alexander’s litigation experience also includes the defense of business and American Disabilities Act claim.
Alexander’s involvement in litigated matters includes all aspects of cases, from inception through resolution. This includes executing written discovery plans, conducting and defending depositions, arguing motions, participating in mediation and arbitration, and all other aspects of trial preparation. Alexander is committed to open lines of communication with clients, making sure to keep them informed with respect to discovery, pleadings and case status.
In addition to Alexander’s experience in the legal world, he previously served in the United States Army. Alexander initially enlisted as a Private First Class in 2009, ultimately rising to the rank of First Lieutenant as a Military Intelligence Officer. In completing his service, Alexander was honorably discharged in 2018.
John Horstmann is an associate in Burke’s Los Angeles office and a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. John has experience in representing public entities, business entities, and individuals in a wide variety of civil litigation matters including wrongful death cases, mass casualty tort actions, traumatic brain injury cases, catastrophic injury cases, dangerous condition on public property cases, and civil rights violations. John has experience in all aspects of litigation including written discovery, depositions, and assisting with trial. John has worked on numerous high-exposure cases and consistently achieved positive results for his clients.
Prior to joining Burke, John was an associate with an AM Law 100 firm based in Los Angeles and a Fellow for the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). During the ABOTA Fellowship, John clerked for the Honorable Victor E. Chavez of the California Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles.
While in law school, John was the Competitions Chair of the Trial Advocacy Honors Program at Southwestern Law School, a member Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity, and clerked for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Hardcore Gang Division.
Rachel Balchum is a senior associate in Burke’s Labor and Employment Law Practice Group. Rachel represents public and private employers and individuals in employment disputes, including in the areas of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour. She provides preventative counseling regarding employment practices, including COVID-19 issues, as well.
In addition, Rachel represents clients in trust and estate, financial elder abuse, and business litigation.
During law school, Rachel served as a legal extern at the United Nations Development Programme in Guatemala.
Richard Shreiba is an Associate in Burke’s Orange County office where he provides advice and council to public and private entities on labor and employment matters. Richard is experienced in providing employers with practical solutions to every-day personnel related issues, as well as representing employers throughout the various stages of litigation in both state and federal courts.
Richard’s experience includes assisting employers throughout the employee discipline process, preparing workplace policies and handbooks, preparing executive employment agreements, advising employers with leave related issues, guiding employers throughout the interactive process for workplace disability accommodations, and presenting workplace trainings.
Richard has represented public entities at various different levels of government, and private entities that varied from small regional businesses to large national enterprises.
During law school, Richard clerked for multiple public entities. Richard’s experience and passion for serving public and non-profit entities enables him to provide exceptional service and creative solutions for his clients.
Richard’s first career as a manager in the financial services industry enables him to provide employers with practical strategies and creative alternatives to solving employment personnel issues while simultaneously complying with state and federal employment laws.
During his free time, Richard loves to enjoy the outdoors and catching a baseball game whenever possible. He enjoys spending time at the beach, Angel stadium, and hiking state and national parks with his family.
A senior associate in the Burke’s litigation group, Monica Schwartz focuses her trial practice on the defense of public entities, such as municipalities, transportation providers, and school districts in property damage and personal injury matters, including wrongful death and catastrophic injuries.
Prior to joining Burke, Monica focused her public entity practice on the defense of law enforcement, such as police departments, sheriffs’ departments, individual officers, jails, and jail medical staff in civil rights litigation. While working in this practice area she served as managing associate on many high profile cases involving wrongful death police shootings, excessive force and wrongful arrest, employment disputes, and deliberate indifference/medical malpractice.
In addition to her experience in public entity defense, Monica’s litigation experience includes the defense of business, employment, real estate, intellectual property, toxic tort, and medical malpractice lawsuits, at both the state and federal levels.
Monica's involvement in litigated matters includes all aspects of cases, from inception through resolution. This includes executing written discovery plans, conducting and defending depositions, arguing motions, and all other aspects of trial preparation. Monica is committed to open lines of communication with clients, making sure to keep them informed with respect to discovery, pleadings, and case status.
Charles Abbott is a highly skilled litigator with experience in complex civil litigation, such as class-action defense, personal injury, intellectual property, employment, privacy and insurance defense. He has represented public entities and large public business in the retail, food and beverage, entertainment, telecommunications, and entertainment industries. Mr. Abbott has tried numerous civil jury trials to successful conclusion in federal and state courts in California. He also has a proven track record of designing and implementing compliance programs and leading internal investigations for corporate clients alleged to have committed FCPA, UK Bribery Act, AML, fraud, bribery, global privacy, trade and export control, and environmental regulations across multiple industries.
Gail Kavanagh’s commercial litigation practice includes real estate title and contract disputes; eminent domain; commercial landlord-tenant matters; commercial tort actions; employment contract, discrimination and harassment actions; and trademark, copyright and trade secrets protection.
John has written widely on cutting-edge issues involving charter school law, including a definitive treatment of "Understanding Dependent Charters," Charter Schools and Collective Bargaining: The Unholy Alliance, and “Charter Schools and Collective Bargaining, Implications for Authorizing Agencies,” (California Schools, Winter 2011) a work that was cited in the Hastings Law Journal (Chen, J. “California Charter School Teachers: Flexibility in the Classroom, Vulnerability as an Employee,” 67 Hastings L.J. 1733 (2016).) He has also written on "Land Use: The New Arena In The Struggle Between Independence and Accountability For Charter Schools."
Other Areas John also practices in the areas of personnel and employment law, with a focus on school district labor relations and personnel, including discrimination claims before the DFEH and EEOC. He has also compiled a successful record representing school districts in arbitration hearings and unfair practice claims before PERB. He also advises school districts and other educational institutions on contracting issues, student matters, and accreditation. John has also been certified as an Interest Based Bargaining trainer, and speaks frequently before industry associations on charter school and school district personnel legal issues.Joseph Buchman maintains a diverse litigation and transactional practice, acts as general counsel to Montebello Land & Water Co., a mutual benefit non-profit water company, and as counsel to the Los Angeles Unified School District School Construction Bond Citizens' Oversight Committee.
Joseph has extensive background in public, corporate, business, and real estate matters, acquired from years of experience representing and advising clients in bankruptcy matters, eminent domain, real estate and title litigation, purchase and sale transactions, financing transactions, probate and estate planning, tort litigation, collection actions, contract disputes, and election litigation.