Sarah MacDonald
Co-FOUNDER
Prior to starting her own practice, Sarah worked for a high caliber national Workers’ Compensation defense firm. Towards the beginning of her career, Sarah represented injured workers through a prominent Orange County law firm, which gives her a unique perspective when aggressively defending claims.
Sarah has Bachelor of Arts degrees from Pepperdine University in Public Relations and International Political Studies. She also earned her Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law. During law school, Sarah was a member of the competition moot court team and president of the International Law Society.
In addition to Workers’ Compensation, Sarah has experience in entertainment, transactional, and criminal law. She worked in business and legal affairs at several major film studios in Los Angeles, CA. She also clerked for the Orange County District Attorney, sexual assault and homicide units. She is a member of the National Native American Bar Association.
Outside of work, Sarah enjoys traveling. She has lived abroad in London, England and Heidelberg, Germany, and loves exploring new destinations. A Texas native, she also enjoys warm weather, Mexican food, and football.
sarah@defendmelaw.com
Kurtis Ebbing
CO-FOUNDER
Kurtis has two decades of Workers’ Compensation defense experience. Prior to starting his own practice, he was a partner at a prominent national firm for more than 9 years. He began his Workers’ Compensation career at yet another well known defense firm, where he quickly gained experience litigating difficult claims and representing a variety of clients.
Kurtis has dual degrees from San Diego State University in Criminal Justice Administration and Political Science. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Southwestern School of Law. He was admitted to the California Bar in 2002. Following law school, he worked with Fortune 500 company The First American Corporation drafting licensing agreements and other contracts.
Now Kurtis represents Fortune 500 companies, self-insured employers, professional employer organizations, insurance carriers and third party administrators. He also specializes in uninsured employer claims and Alternative Dispute Resolution.
kurtis@defendmelaw.com
Sean Lloyd
PARTNER
Sean Lloyd has over one decade of Workers’ Compensation defense experience. Prior to becoming a partner at ME LAW, he was a partner at a high profile national defense firm. He has a wealth of experience dealing with complex claims, uninsured employers, 132a and serious and willful defenses, and intricate trial litigation.
Sean has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from California State San Bernardino. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of La Verne, College of Law. He was admitted to the California Bar in 2010. Prior to becoming an attorney, he was on an award-winning moot court traveling team and worked in the civil department at the City of Riverside Attorney’s Office.
Currently, Sean represents Fortune 500 companies including food service, logistics, and recycling companies as well as restaurant groups and captives. He also has the pleasure of working with esteemed brokers and producers within the industry.
When he’s not aggressively defending client interests, Sean enjoys traveling, playing basketball, football, baseball, and various other outdoor activities. A southern California native, on the weekends he enjoys the challenge of starting the day in the ocean and ending it on the slopes.
sean@defendmelaw.com
Abel Calderón, Jr.
PARTNER
Abel Calderón, Jr is responsible for servicing our Northern California clients. He provides legal advice, strategy, and litigation support to employers, insurance companies, third party administrators and public entities regarding Workers' Compensation issues. He is a Certified Specialist in the area of California Workers’ Compensation law.
Abel received his Bachelors Degree from St. John’s Seminary College in Camarillo, California where he focused in Philosophy and Spanish Literature with an emphasis in Psychology and Theology. Thereafter, Abel received his Juris Doctorate from the Southwestern Law School of Law. During his tenure in law school, Abel worked during the day and attended law school in the evening as he transitioned careers and was also an active member and held office for the Latino Law School Association.
Abel has been practicing Workers’ Compensation law since 2010 and takes an aggressive yet practical approach towards resolution of all claims through depositions, discovery, settlement negotiations and/or litigation. He represents employers on various Workers’ Compensation issues including Labor Code 132a Discrimination and Serious and Willful Misconduct Claims, Insurance Coverage Issues, Appellate, Arbitration, Public Claims, Lien Resolution and Litigation, and a multitude of other issues arising throughout the Workers' Compensation process.
In addition to providing litigation and claim services to employers, Abel has had the pleasure of providing educational seminars to clients, colleagues and human resource personnel. He has also provided Covid-19 risk reduction trainings for employers and organizations including the Associated General Contractors of California (AGC). In addition to his legal career, Abel is an author, personal development mentor for adults and teens, participates weekly in a Catholic prayer group in Sacramento and is involved with his community and family who he adores.
abel@defendmelaw.com
Daniel Robbins
PARTNER
Daniel Robbins has over two decades of Workers’ Compensation defense experience. Prior to joining ME LAW, he was a partner at a California statewide defense firm. He specializes in the representation of large, self-insured employers, as well as in defense Labor Code 132a actions and claims for Serious and Willful Misconduct.
Daniel is a Gulf War Veteran having served in the United States Army. He attended the University of California Santa Barbara where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Thereafter, he obtained his Juris Doctorate at Loyola Law School Los Angeles.
daniel@defendmelaw.com
Brandon Koller
SENIOR ATTORNEY
Brandon has spent his entire legal career representing defendants in Workers’ Compensation claims and has experience litigating cases at all the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Boards in California. He works closely with clients and implements an aggressive litigation style to quickly and effectively resolve outstanding issues and move files to closure.
Brandon has a bachelors degree in communications from Chapman University, where he also played 4 years of college football. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Western State University College of Law and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2014.
When he is not working, Brandon enjoys visiting family and friends, relaxing at the beach and going to sporting events. He is a huge sports fan and his favorite time of year is football season.
brandon@defendmelaw.com
David Mahjoubi
SENIOR ATTORNEY
David has been in the Workers' Compensation industry for over two decades. He was a sole practitioner until 2010, where he represented numerous clients on all issues related to lien litigation. He has litigated complex lien issues at nearly every WCAB venue throughout the State of California. David continued his career as a Partner for a prominent California Workers' Compensation defense firm, where he continued litigating liens working on high profile cases including successfully defending a major insurance carrier in a consolidation matter before the Special Adjudication Unit. David also represents employers, and insurance agencies statewide in all areas of Workers' Compensation defense.
David received his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Whittier College School of Law.
A Southern California native, David resides in Orange County where he enjoys golfing, UCLA sports, and spending time with family and friends.
david@defendmelaw.com
Sandra Maxwell
SENIOR ATTORNEY
Sandra has spent her entire legal career representing defendants in Workers' Compensation claims. She has extensive experience litigating complex issues including life pension, vocational rehabilitation, coverage and employment disputes. Her problem-solving mindset makes her an invaluable asset to the ME Law team.
Sandra has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from California State University of Long Beach. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Chapman University School of Law and was the Co-Production Editor of the Chapman Journal of Criminal Justice. She was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2011.
When she's not in the courtroom, you can find Sandra travelling the world. She loves exploring new destinations and has checked several off her bucket list, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, Tokyo, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and London. She also enjoys any opportunity to visit her family in Germany.
sandra@defendmelaw.com
Elnaz Mirza
Senior Attorney
Elnaz Mirza, embarked on her journey into the realm of law with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from San Diego State University. Her thirst for legal knowledge led her to attain her Juris Doctor from Western State College of Law. While Elnaz is relatively new to the intricate domain of Workers’ Compensation law, her enthusiasm and commitment to learning define her approach.
Before delving into the complexities of Workers’ Compensation law, Elnaz garnered diverse legal experience across several domains. Her previous practice encompassed an array of legal areas, including Family Law, Immigration (with a specialization in Asylum cases), and intellectual Property Law. This diverse background endows her with a comprehensive perspective and a rich skill set, which she eagerly applies to her current focus in Workers’ Compensation.
In her pursuit of personal fulfillment and professional growth, Elnaz finds solace in staying active outside the legal realm. She channels her energy into volunteering in her hometown of San Diego and exercising. An avid devotee of family, friends, and her beloved Yorkie, Charlie, she cherishes moments spent with them, often indulging in leisurely visits to the dog beach. She lives by the ancient Zoroastrian ethos - upholding the principles of “good thoughts, good words, good deeds.” This foundational philosophy permeates her approach to both professional endeavors and personal interactions, guiding her to navigate the complexities of law with integrity and compassion.
elnaz@defendmelaw.com
Roxanne Edrosolan
SENIOR ATTORNEY
Roxanne Edrosolan was born in San Francisco, and raised in the Bay Area. She attended San Francisco State University, and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. She worked as an accountant, performing bookkeeping, payroll, and taxes prior to going to law school. She attended law school at Western State University, College of Law.
Her legal career began with Tax Law, Trusts, Estates, Mergers and Acquisitions. She moved into workers’ compensation defense, where for the past 9 years, she has been defending insurance companies and third party administrators. She specializes in early claim resolutions, dismissals, and aggressively moving the matters to Trial. She excels in responsiveness and communication, and is in constant contact with her clients during all phases of the claim.
In her spare time, Roxanne plays volleyball, sings in choir, and spends time with friends and family.
roxanne@defendmelaw.com
Gena Strategos
SENIOR ATTORNEY
Gena has worked in workers compensation defending carriers, employers and third party administrators for over 20 years. She has been a certified workers compensation specialist for over 20 years as well. She enjoys assisting employers to minimize exposure through resolution and litigation if necessary. Gena prides herself in maintaining a professional working relationship with most opposing counsel and Judges even when engaged in tough negotiations or hearings.
Gena attended USC Law School. She is a California native who looks forward to protecting employers in California from the hazards of liberal construction of workers compensation laws in keeping with the original intention of the workers compensation laws.
When she's not working, Gena enjoys spending time with her family, watching USC football games, and enjoying her beautiful community in San Pedro.
gena@defendmelaw.com
Alex Shapiro
SENIOR ATTORNEY
Alex has over a decade of experience defending Workers’ Compensation cases, representing employers and carries in all varieties of disputes. He has zealously defended his clients to achieve justice and move his cases to swift resolution based on his client’s preferences.
Alex received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Occidental College in Diplomacy and World Affairs. He worked for the United Nations Headquarters in New York in the UN Office of Legal Affairs, assisting with the drafting of statutes for the International Criminal Court. Alex received his Juris Doctorate from University of Miami, where he was on the Business Law Review board.
Alex has a passion for sports, and grew up playing hockey, football and rugby in college. He was able to bring his knowledge of collegiate sports to defending several professional sports organizations in defending Workers Compensation Claims.
alex@defendmelaw.com
Varian Penny
SENIOR ATTORNEY
Varian Penny has over 23 years of experience in Workers’ Compensation. He began his career while originally majoring in biology during college. Over the years, he has gained extensive experience litigating liens, pursuing subrogation rights for third party insurance companies, and defending insurance carriers/third party administrators.
Varian received his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Argosy University and subsequently completed his Juris Doctorate degree at Glendale University College of Law.
In his spare time, Varian enjoys spending time with loved ones, as well as spending time outdoors and remaining active/training in boxing, kickboxing, and other various martial arts.
varian@defendmelaw.com
Joy Aoyama
Office Manager
Joy has more than two decades of experience in the Workers' Compensation defense industry. She began her career with a California insurance company, where she worked in the auditing and underwriting department specializing in temporary agencies and Professional Employer Organizations. She later worked for a large national defense firm where she honed her skills to become an excellent legal assistant. Today, Joy runs the ME Law offices. She has implemented effective policies regarding office administration that ensures efficient file handling. Joy and the legal assistants are the backbone of the firm and their hard work allows the attorneys to focus on legal strategies.
Joy was born and raised in San Diego. After high school and college, she lived abroad in Japan for a year to teach English. Now she resides in the Los Angeles area with her husband, Tessho, and two sons, Tesshin and Satoshi. Her weekends are filled with the boys' sports, Scouts, and church activities. She also enjoys watching her favorite teams during baseball and football seasons as well as playing and winning fantasy football.