Officers and Board

OFFICERS

Judith T. Sethna, President
Reed Smith LLP
Judy is a member of Reed Smith LLP’s Commercial Litigation Group. She practices in the area of complex litigation, including the representation of businesses in contractual disputes, tort claims and class action lawsuits. Prior to joining Reed Smith LLP, Judy was an associate at Nagler & Associates and also clerked for the Honorable Manuel Real of the U.S. District Court. Judy earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School, where she graduated Order of the Coif. While at Loyola, she worked as a judicial extern for Magistrate Judge Carolyn Turchin of the U.S. District Court. She also served as Articles Editor of the Loyola Law Review and was a certified law clerk for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Judy received her B.A., cum laude, from Barnard College, Columbia University.

Winston S. Keh, President-Elect
Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney
Winston is a partner with Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney. He is an experienced civil litigator specializing in premises liability, business litigation, employment, construction defect, landlord-tenant and municipal liability defense. He also serves as a Judge Pro Tem and settlement officer in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Ernesto A. Ocampo, Secretary
Reed Smith LLP
Ernie’s practice focuses on transactional law, with an emphasis on venture finance and renewable energy. With respect to venture finance, Ernie has advised issuers and investigators through an array of corporate securities matters, including equity and debt financings, formation and corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and day-to-day legal matters. Ernie’s energy practice focuses on solar and wind sources, and he has significant experience with acquisitions, joint ventures and development of power generation and transmission facilities.

Patricia L. Aguila, Treasurer
The Law Offices of Patricia L. Aguila
Both a lawyer and a CPA, Patricia is the founder of two professional services firms: The Law Offices of Patricia L. Aguila (where she practices estate planning, tax and business law) and Aguila Accounting (where she specializes in income tax consulting and compliance and small business accounting). She is the current Vice President for the Long Beach Bar Association and CFO of the PABA Foundation.

Corinne D. Orquiola, Chair of the Board
Seki, Nishimura & Watase, LLP
Corinne joined Seki, Nishimura & Watase, LLP in 2011 as an experienced litigator practicing before federal and California state courts. She earned her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of thte Law, and thereafter started her career in civil practice, handling cases from medical malpractice to toxic tort. Outside of the office, Corinne serves on the California Young Lawyers Association (CYLA) of the California State Bar and the Asian Pacific Women’s Center.  She is the immediate past president (2011) of PABA.

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Michael P. Acain
McKay, de Lorimier & Acain
Michael is a partner with McKay, de Lorimier & Acain. He specializes in various aspects of civil litigation defense involving international law, the protection of First Amendment rights and the tourism industry. In addition to litigating cases through trial, Michael is also involved in the Appellate Practice, and in a recent opinion published by the Fourth District Court of Appeal, he successfully defended a religious school’s First Amendment right to discipline its students in accordance with its religious standards and beliefs. He has served as a member of the PABA Board since 2009 and is currently recognized as a Southern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine. 

Hildegarde B. Aguinaldo
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP
Hildy is an associate in the Healthcare, Corporate, and Government Relations practice groups of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP. She earned her B.A. and M.P.H. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her J.D. from Southwestern Law School. In addition to the Board of Governors of PABA, she also serves on the Board of Directors of the PABA Foundation, and the Community Board of the Northridge Hospital Medical Center. She is admitted to the Bar of California and of the District of Columbia. 

Christine S. Bautista
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Columbia
Christine is an Assistant U.S. Attorney (“AUSA”) in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. She is currently in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) Section, where she prosecutes narcotics trafficking, firearms, and money laundering crimes. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Christine worked in the Securities Law Group of Alston & Bird in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Commercial Litigation Group of Gardner Carton & Douglas (now Drinker Biddle) in Chicago, Illinois. Christine received her B.A. from the University of Chicago and her J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law. 

Lycia A. Bronilla
Lycia recently graduated with an LL.M. in Tax from Chapman University School of Law and is currently working as counsel for a tax firm. While attending Chapman, Lycia worked as an extern for the California State Board of Equalization. Lycia earned her J.D. from New York Law School in 2010. While at New York Law School, she was a judicial extern for New York Supreme Court’s Chief Administrative Judge, Joan Carey, and was also an intern for now New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo. Lycia received her undergraduate degree, from University of California, Irvine. 

Marissa B. Dagdagan
Marissa earned her B.A. in Development Studies with a minor in Rhetoric from the University of California, Berkeley, and her J.D. from UCLA School of Law with a specialization in Public Interest Law and Policy. She feels lucky to have been involved with PABA since she was a law student and is honored to serve on the PABA Board of Governors for the 2012-2013 year. 

Laurie A. Dee
Bingham McCutchen LLP
Laurie is a Counsel in Bingham McCutchen LLP’s Investment Management practice, advising investment advisers, registered investment companies and private investment companies with respect to organization, regulatory and compliance matters. She currently serves as the Vice President and Secretary of the PABA Foundation. 

Lyn Diaz
Sutton, Pakfar & Courtney LLP
Lyn specializes in both real estate and general business matters, representing corporate and institutional clients in a wide variety of debt and equity transactions. She has represented investment banks, financial institutions and developers in a range of real estate matters including, but not limited to, acquisition and leasing transactions, origination, refinance, modification and securitization of commercial real estate for multi-state multi-property transactions, private placement and credit enhancement of tax-exempt municipal bonds, non-profit lending, and private equity investments. She received her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles; her M.B.A. from the University of Southern Californi; and her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Genevieve E. Espinosa
Genevieve is an attorney in West Los Angeles. She holds a J.D. from UC Hastings College of Law and a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has experience in employment litigation, criminal law, family law and immigration law. She is excited to be serving her first term of the PABA Board.

Ailleen R. Gorospe
The Avanzado Law Firm
Ailleen is an associate of The Avanzado Law Firm. She specializes in entertainment, media, intellectual property and complex business litigation. Ailleen earned her B.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her J.D. from Loyola Law School. She is also a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) and Beverly Hills Bar Association (BHBA).

Carols Lazatin
O’Melveny & Myers, LLP
Carlos Lazatin is a counsel in O’Melveny’s Los Angeles office and a member of the Class Actions, Mass Torts, and Insurance Litigation group and the Intellectual Property and Technology group, with a particular focus on consumer product litigation. Carlos has also served as Chair of the Associates & Counsel Advisory Committee in Los Angeles.

Seda S. Norodom
Seda received her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She received her B.A. in Political Science and Spanish from the University of California, Davis. Seda has worked overseas in immigration, family and employment law. She is currently working in the office of Councilman Gary Yamauchi. 

Philip L. Nulud
Kleinberg & Lerner, LLP
Philip is a senior associate with Kleinberg & Lerner, LLP. His practice focuses on counseling clients in all aspects of trademark, patent and copyright litigation, policy, procedure, portfolio management and protection domestically and worldwide. Philip has successfully represented clients in high-stakes intellectual property litigation in federal and California state courts. He has also successfully represented clients in infringement and counterfeiting matters domestically and worldwide. He received his B.S. from the University of Southern California and his J.D. from Loyola Law School. Prior to K&L, he clerked from the Supreme Court of the Republic of the Philippines.

Michael J. Ocampo
Michael earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from California State University, Fullerton and attended Whittier Law School, where he participated on the Trial Advocacy and Moot Court teams. A recent graduate, he has begun the process to become an attorney in the JAG Corps (i.e., a military lawyer).

Arnold V. Pamplona
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Arnold, the father of PABA’s digital transition, has served on the PABA Board since 2007, took its helm as President for 2009-2010, and joined the PABA Foundation Board in 2010. He is a partner with McDermott Will & Emery LLP’s Health Industry Advisory Practice Group, advising hospitals, hospital systems, and other providers in health care regulatory compliance.

Citadelle Priagula
Musick, Peeler & Garrett
Citadelle Priagula is an associate specializing in labor and employment litigation.  Her past experience includes an internship with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

While in law school at UCLA, Citadelle was a staff member for the Journal of International Law and Foreign Affairs.  Her student comment was published in UCLA’s Asian Pacific American Law Journal.  As an undergraduate, Citadelle received the Women for Change Leadership Award and a Chancellor’s Service Award. Citadelle was a 2008 PABA Scholarship Awardee and served as a student board member before chairing PABA’s Student Relations Committee.

Julian Recana
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
Julian has served as a Deputy District Attorney for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office since 1999. Heworks in the Long Beach Courthouse prosecuting murders that occur in Long Beach and parts of Los Angeles.  Julian received his B.A. degree in Economics in 1992 at the University of California, Berkeley and his J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1998.  In addition to being a Lifetime Member of PABA, he is a member of the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA), the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA), and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association (APABA).  Julian volunteers his time educating fifth-graders about the law to help them recognize the social and legal consequences of criminal behavior.   

Ireneo A. Reus III
The Law Offices of Ireneo A. Reus III
Ireneo represents clients in business litigation and corporate transactions. Ireneo is proud to serve his seventh consecutive term on PABA’s Board of Governors. Ireneo is also a leader in the American Bar Association (ABA) and the State Bar of California Young Lawyers Association’s (CYLA) Board of Directors, where he serves as the Vice-Chair.

Jennifer Yu Sacro
Chamberlin Keaster & Brockman LLP
Jennifer is a business lawyer focusing on general and complex litigation in state and federal courts.  Jennifer’s practice areas include commercial contracts, insurance coverage and bad faith claims, and unfair competition (UCL) and business practices.  She has represented businesses in the insurance, food and beverage, franchise, health care and entertainment industries, serving as liaison counsel in various multi-plaintiff, multi-defendant actions.  Jennifer is also experienced in corporate law, and has advised companies on corporate governance matters. Born in Manila, Jennifer was raised in Pasadena, California from the age of three.  She has been happily married since 2006 and has an active two-year-old son who always gives her a reason to smile. 

Carolyn Enciso Sieve
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.
Carolyn has served as a PABA Board member and occasional officer over the last 12 years. She is Of Counsel at Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., where she represents employers in labor and employment litigation and provides them with counsel on a variety of employment-law issues, including those involving trade secrets, disability rights, sexual harassment, discrimination, and wage/hour laws.

Denise Umali-Do
Murphy Pearson Bradley & Feeney
Ms. Umali-Do handles a wide rage of cases including personal injury, professional liability, class action, construction defect, product liability and business disputes.

Vince Verde
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.
Vince is a managing and founding shareholder of the Orange County office of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, the third largest employment and labor law firm in the country with over 600 attorneys. Vince is a litigator with extensive jury and non-jury trial experience. His diverse practice includes the representation of regional and national clients in all phases of litigation involving labor and employment matters, class action lawsuits and complex business and construction disputes. Vince, a former felony trial attorney with the District Attorney’s Office for Nassau County, New York, is a graduate of Boston University School of Law. He is admitted to practice law in California and New York.

Mark W. Allen, Student Member
Mark is the student representative for the upcoming term. He is originally from the San Francisco Bay area. He earned his BS in Economics from the University of Oregon, and he is a law student at the Loyola Law School. He currently serves as the President of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association.

Julie Anne Ines, Student Member
Julie Anne is currently a 3L at the Chapman University School of Law in Orange, California, where she serves as President of the Mock Trial Honor Board. As a law student, her greatest memories so far have come from competing in mock trial competitions and form her two-month internship in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with the Cambodia Justice Initiative. Julie Anne is proud to be a member of PABA and looks forward to working with all the amazing members and student members this year!

Serafin Tagarao, Student Member
Serafin is a 3L at Loyola Law School and the Chief Production Editor of the Loyola International and Comparative Law Review. He earned his B.A. in Political Science and B.S. in Psychology cum laude from Loyola University Chicago. Serafin will begin working as an associate at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP in the fall of 2012.