Lisa Darling-Alderton is a founding member of Alderton Hemphill & Peer. For more than 20 years, Lisa’s practice has been focused on insurance coverage advice and litigation. She has authored hundreds of coverage opinions on a wide variety of first and third party coverage issues. She has litigated declaratory relief, bad faith, and equitable contribution claims through trial, and has briefed and argued appeals. Lisa is a capable and creative negotiator in mediations and settlement discussions, successfully resolv...
Lora D. Hemphill joined the firm in 2013. Lora came to the practice of law from a background in the environmental and medical fields. Her practice currently involves an emphasis in insurance coverage and a variety of civil litigation matters including representation of government entities. Lora has lived in Santa Barbara since 1989 and attended UCSB and the Santa Barbara College of Law where she received her Juris Doctor in 2001. She has been very involved in the Santa Barbara legal community and has served on the b...
John E. Peer is a Shareholder in Woolls Peer Dollinger & Scher and in 2000 was a founder of Woolls & Peer. For more than 40 years he has provided coverage advice and represented insurance companies at the trial court and appellate level, specializing in complex insurance coverage litigation. John has handled disputes involving a wide variety of classes of insurance, including all types of liability insurance, property insurance, personal auto and commercial trucking insurance, construction defect coverage litigation...
Jeff’s practice focuses on advising primary and excess commercial lines insurers on a wide variety of complex coverage issues. He has extensive experience representing insurers in Declaratory Relief, Contribution and Reimbursement actions. He has handled numerous environmental, professional liability and construction defect coverage claims. Jeff was involved in all phases of the landmark California insurance coverage decision Montrose Chemical Corp v. Admiral Insurance Company (1995) 10 Cal.4th 645, which determin...
Caitlin has served as lead strategic and coordinating counsel in high-stakes, multi-state litigation stemming from widespread foodborne illness outbreaks and product liability claims. She also vigorously defends corporations in matters involving wrongful death, toxic torts, construction defects, and complex commercial disputes. On behalf of insurance carriers, Caitlin has successfully litigated declaratory relief, contribution, subrogation, bad faith, and unfair business practices actions. Her insurance coverage pra...
Lizinka “Zinka” Benton-Rzeznik joined the firm in 2016. She has a broad practice that includes employment, construction, business/commercial, insurance bad faith and entertainment. Ms. Benton-Rzeznik was admitted to the California bar in 2004, and the Connecticut bar in 2006. She practices in state and federal courts in California. In addition to practicing law, Ms. Benton-Rzeznik spent 4 years as managing partner of a digital media company, where she handled business, legal, and media production matters from...
Thomas J. Dowling is one of the founding partners of Hager & Dowling. His practice focuses on civil litigation with a particular emphasis in bad faith, construction and civil conspiracy. Born in Kilkenny, Ireland, he received his bachelor of arts degree from Loyola University in Los Angeles, California. He graduated from the University of Southern California with his juris doctor degree in 1972 and was admitted to the California bar that same year. Mr. Dowling is a member of the bar of the U.S. District Court, bo...
Doug has practiced primarily in the areas of insurance coverage and defense. While a partner in the firm of Cotkin and Collins, he participated in the Stringfellow environmental coverage litigation. He also handled several other environmental and environmental coverage cases. Doug later had responsibility for handling all environmental claims tendered under F.M. Global's commercial property policies. He was lead counsel in the litigation arising out of the Metro Rail collapse and, more recently, was involved in th...
Katy has spent her entire law career advising insurance companies concerning a wide variety of primary and excess insurance product for surplus lines and domestic carriers. Katy has extensive experience litigating coverage issues in both state and federal courts. She has helped insurers recoup indemnity payments and defended them in bad faith litigation in the trial courts and on appeal. She has also focused on complex construction defect coverage and litigation, representing insurers of owners, developers, general...
Natalia Duque joined the firm in 2022. She is licensed to practice law in the State of Georgia, the State of Texas and more recently, the State of California. Prior to joining Hager & Dowling, Natalia spent over a decade litigating complex family law matters, which experience assisted her in successfully transitioning into other complex civil litigation, including insurance bad-faith litigation and personal injury. Natalia graduated from Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia, and from the University of...
As a new member of Hager & Dowling, Robin Gautschi provides counsel and representation in the wide range of civil litigation and insurance coverage matters handled by the firm. Before joining Hager & Dowling, Robin served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Brian Hill at the Santa Barbara Superior Court. As a judicial law clerk, Robin honed her skills in legal research and writing which assisted Judge Hill in making decisions regarding various issues. Robin also has an extensive background in luxury hospitalit...
Ryan McKim is a civil litigator. His practice focuses on representing insurance companies in coverage disputes. He also has substantial experience representing employers in cases involving allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour violations. He practices in both state and federal courts. Education Ryan earned his bachelor of arts in political science from Wheaton College. He graduated cum laude. Ryan graduated from the University of San Diego School of ...