The Managing Directors of UMBRA

ANGELA M. ROSSI
Born in Brooklyn, NY and raised on Long Island, Ms. Rossi attended SUNY-Albany (Political Science, B.S., 1982) before graduating from Pepperdine University School of Law (J.D., 1986) near the top of her class. Since admission in 1987, Ms. Rossi has spent 26 years practicing business, civil, malpractice, construction defect, toxic tort and insurance defense law in mid-sized Los Angeles area firms.  She is a member of the Supreme Court of the United States, United States District Court, State Bar of California, Los Angeles County Bar Association, American Inns of Courts and Association of Southern California Defense Counsel.  Ms. Rossi has been married for 25 years and is the mother of two daughters aged 17 and 13.  She resides in Santa Clarita, CA

KEVIN W. YEAM
The son of a US Marine Corp Officer, Mr. Yeam was born on Camp Pendleton, CA.  Growing up in Seal Beach, CA, Mr. Yeam attended U.S.C. (Public Administration, B.S., 1983) before graduating from Pepperdine University School of Law (J.D.,1986) in the top 10%.  In the following 27 years, Mr. Yeam practiced law in civil and criminal complex litigation firms before founding his own law firm handling business, insurance defense, criminal, bankruptcy, complex and general civil litigation.  Mr. Yeam has taken over 100 cases to verdict in the areas of insurance, bad faith, employment law, general casualty, business, subrogation, criminal, corporate, bankruptcy, probation litigation, Labor Board, EDD and other Superior Court, Federal Court and Administrative Hearings.  He is a member of the Supreme Court of the United States, United States District Court, State Bar of California, Santa Clarita, San Fernando and Los Angeles Bar Associations, as well as Consumer Attorneys of California.

 

The Available Experience of UMBRA ATTORNEYS

Knapp, Petersen & Clarke Glendale, CA
Principal

Complex Litigation Group Trial Attorney in 85 attorney civil and business litigation firm; Management of bad faith, coverage, high-exposure general casualty (auto, home, HOA, and CGL), wrongful termination, employment/labor, real estate, product liability, business law and contracts actions for State Farm, Allstate, Farmers, Toyota, and Lockheed.

Tharpe & Howell, LLP  Los Angeles, CA
Senior Insurance Defense Attorney (Construction Defect & General Liability)

Emeritus “Troubleshooting” Counsel specializing in training, direct management, or auditing and creating corrective action plans for problematic/difficult cases to insure quality control compliance, client satisfaction, and professional services competence for +35 Attorney Insurance Defense Firm handling a broad spectrum of civil cases.

Callahan, Thompson, Sherman & Caudill (Formerly Callahan, McCune & Willis) Irvine/Los Angeles, CA
Director of Los Angeles Office, Head of Los Angeles Construction Defect Department

Senior Litigation Counsel, Head of Construction Defect Department and Director of One of Four Regional Offices for 50 Attorney Insurance Defense Firm handling Complex Litigation, General Casualty, Products Liability and Construction Defect Defense for Carl Warren & Company, Everest National Insurance Co., and The Hartford

Bragg & Kuluva Los Angeles, CA
Senior Counsel/Trial Attorney

House Counsel for complex litigation department of Chubb Insurance;  Responsible for all aspects of large exposure products liability, bad faith, toxic tort, personal injury and employment law matters, including trial preparation and presentation, law & motion, party/expert depositions and advising management;  Counsel corporate management team on all corporate legal issues, including regulatory and contractual compliance, development of policies and procedures, risk management, personnel assessment, and contract negotiations;  Oversee and audit outside counsel performance and costs; Budget and manage property management, human resources and costs control practices.

Travel Services, LLC Valencia, CA
General Counsel

Member of executive leadership team for a national travel service company (and its four subsidiaries) reporting directly to Board of Directors on strategy and decision-making on all business and policy matters; Responsible for creation, implementation, and management of all legal strategies, and associated budgets; Identify and manage all international, federal, state and local regulatory compliance issues; Negotiate and prepare all corporate agreements, including mergers/acquisitions, real estate/property management, intellectual property protection, insurance, vendor/business contracts, labor relations, and employment issues; Direct handling and administration of all litigation, as well as oversight of in-house staff and coordination with outside counsel; Proactive analysis and mitigation of all risk management issues.

Yeam Law, A Professional Law Corporation Burbank/Valencia, CA
Founder & Director

ABOTA qualified Trial Attorney for multi-discipline Los Angeles County law firm focusing on business law, catastrophic personal injury, general civil litigation, transactional/insurance law, labor/employment claims, probate litigation, bankruptcy, debt collections, real estate, family law, State Bar Court, Office of Administrative Hearings, and criminal law.

Kramer, DeBoer, Endelicato & Keane (Formerly Tuverson & Hillyard) Los Angeles, CA
Partner; Managing Attorney, San Francisco Office

Senior Counsel and Partner for Established 60 Attorney Insurance Defense Firm with Regional Offices in Las Vegas, Riverside, Orange, San Francisco and Japan.  Head of Construction Defect Department and General Casualty Departments.  Trial practice handling Construction Defect, Complex Litigation, Toxic Tort, Real Estate, Trucking Liability, Labor/Employment Law, Medical Malpractice, Elder Abuse, Auto/Homeowner, Trademark Infringement and Intellectual Property.

Breidenbach, Swainston, Crispo & Way Los Angeles, CA
Senior Associate

Trial Responsibilities for Complex Litigation, Personal Injury, Real Estate Professional Liability, Insurance Bad Faith, Auto Dealership and General Casualty; Primary Handling Attorney on Neptune Cases and Malibu Landslide Cases. 

Waldman & Chuang Los Angeles, CA
Senior Bad Faith, Complex Litigation and Employment Law Trial Attorney

Managed complex litigation/trial group representing multi-national corporations and insurers; Lead counsel on insurance bad faith, business torts, breach of contract litigation, broker/agent errors & omissions, catastrophic injury, employment law defense, and high exposure general casualty claims.

O'Flaherty & Belgum Los Angeles, CA
Senior Associate

Handling Medical Malpractice (Bad Baby Matters), Wrongful Termination for Knott’s Berry Farm, Health Care Law, Hospital Malpractice and General Casualty Defense.

Ott & Levine Glendale, CA
Partner

Corporate Counsel for several major Southern California Credit Unions (Burbank, Lockheed and Commerce); Advise Board of Directors on all aspects of corporate transactional, employment, litigation and regulatory compliance matters; Director of bad faith and employment law department.

 

TRIAL VERDICTS

  • Insurance
    • • INS §790.03(h) Underinsured Motorist for Farmers with punitive damages (defense)
    • • Bad Faith Uninsured Motorist for Truck Insurance (defense)
    • • Bad Faith defense of State Farm on UIM claim with punitive damages (defense)
    • • Bad Faith defense of Allstate on Property Damage claim (defense)
    • • Fraud/Agent Negligence for Mid-Century Insurance (defense)
    • • Coverage/Declaratory Relief/Subrogation for Truck Insurance (defense)
    • • Coverage Dispute for Kemper (defense)
    • • Agency Liability case for Farmers (defense)
    • • Bad Faith Defense for Ohio Casualty (under CCP §998 offer)

  • Employment
    • • Unwanted sexual advances: Secretary vs. Owner (defense)
    • • Sex or termination with transmission of HIV (defense)
    • • Wrongful termination defense on behalf of
      • • Knott’s Berry Farm
      • • Downy Community Hospital
      • • Northridge Hospital

  • Complex General Casualty
    • • Solder accident with eye loss (defense)
    • • Elevator malfunction causing broken back/deformed arm (defense)
    • • Truck v. Motorcycle on freeway with loss of leg (verdict under CCP §998)
    • • Multiple Medical Malpractice matters
    • • Civil assault and battery (defense)
    • • Quadriplegic Auto v. Auto
    • • Over 10 slip & fall, auto accidents and similar general casualty cases (90% defense or under CCP §998 offer)

  • Business
    • • Accountant malpractice (Representing Plaintiff: Verdict over CCP §998)
    • • Commercial lease dispute (defense)
    • • Multiple breach of contract cases (landlord-tenant/UCC/business disputes)
    • • Commercial Realty/Breach of Contract dispute (defense)
    • • Real Estate Professional Liability (non-suit)

  • Subrogation
    • • Property damage subrogation representing USAA)
    • • Intervener actions to collect Worker's Compensation liens on behalf of
      • • Zenith
      • • Kemper
      • • Broadspire Insurance

  • Criminal
    • • Manufacturing of Schedule 1- Controlled Substances
    • • Felony DUI with .28 BAC
    • • Commercial Burglary
    • • Obstruction of Justice
    • • Possession of Deadly Weapon
    • • Arson
    • • White Collar Kickbacks
    • • Felony Hit and Run
    • • Battery on a Police Officer
    • • Felony Battery & Assault with a Deadly Weapon
    • • Trespass upon a Business
    • • Multiple standard DUIs and/or DUIs with aggravating factors
    • • Domestic Violence/Battery
    • • Multiple miscellaneous misdemeanors
    • • Over 100 traffic trials
    • • Traffic Appeals
    • • Federal Grand Jury hearings

  • Bankruptcy Court
    • • Creditor's Suit/Fraud (represent Creditor: $1.4 million Judgment);
    • • Representing business creditor re Adversary Action to determine dischargability of debt and dismiss Chapter 13 on
        fraud basis (dismissed as non-dischargeable debt)

  • Appeals and Administrative Hearings
    • Office of Administrative Hearing
      • • Department of Real Estate, Professional License, Agent
      • • Writ of Mandate, Reversal of Suspended Real Estate License

    • Franchise Tax Board
      • • Tax Assessment Administrative Appeal for business client (lien reduced by $750,000)

    • Appeals
      • • Civil Fraud/Punitive Damages (overturned on Appeal)
      • • Insurance/Civil Procedure (Creditor Judgment Upheld)

    • Labor Board
      • • Over 100 cases re Complaints for unpaid/late wages, vacation time, non-payment of overtime, and failure to pay earned benefits

    • EEOC and DFEH
      • • Over 100 cases re harassment and discrimination claims

    • Worker’s Compensation Appeals Board
      • • Numerous cases representing insured business objection to WCAB claims

    • Attorney General and Department of Consumer Affairs
      • • Represent business clients against Consumer claims for fraud, unfair business practices and false advertising
        (All closed without action)