Firm News

When we visit a plastic surgeon to receive breast augmentation surgery, we trust that the products and the procedure are up to professional standards. However, this is not always the case – and we can suffer from severe pain and develop dangerous diseases, such as cancer. One such risk is the rupturing of a breast implant. While a ruptured implant may cause significant pain and discomfort, a rupture itself is not likely to cause cancer. Wh... Read More

Allergan, a breast implant manufacturing company, is the subject of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recall regarding their textured breast implants. Studies by the FDA and stories of numerous women found that these implants can cause BIA-ALCL, a rare but serious cancer. While many women are aware of the risks that these implants carry, they may also face significant damage to their health, finances, and emotional well-being. If you think ... Read More

Over the past decade, vapes and electronic cigarettes have rapidly gained popularity throughout the United States. Often marketed as safe alternatives to smoking, vaping carries a significant number of risks. Since it is a relatively new market, vaping products can go unregulated – leaving consumers at risk. Bootleg vaping products full of dangerous chemicals and unwanted ingredients, for example, are causing significant damage to peoples’ ... Read More

Defective breast implants can have severe impacts on our health – including the development of a certain cancer known as BIA-ALCL. If you believe you contracted this cancer from a defective breast implant, you may be eligible to file a BIA-ALCL lawsuit against the manufacturer. With the help of a defective breast implant lawyer, you can collect compensation for the impacts that this cancer had on your finances and your health. What Is BIA-ALC... Read More

Greg Bentley and Keith More of Bentley & More LLP and Kevin Boyle of Panish Shea & Boyle LLP announced at a Press Conference today the filing of two lawsuits against Allergan for the dangerous, defective, and recalled-worldwide Natrelle BIOCELL Textured Breast Implants.  Those implants pose a heightened risk of contracting a subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), which went undisclosed or was downplayed for decades by Allergan.  Ultimately, Allergan implanted hundreds of thousands of its flawed implants into women around the world. The Press Conference was covered by the LA News Media. For information regarding the lawsuit, CLICK the image below.

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On December 17, 2018, Keith More received a finding of 100% disability after trying a Work Comp case involving a construction worker who was hit by a cement mixer truck.  The defense felt the injured worker was 90% disabled and that the injured worker could work. The defense vocational expert claimed the injured worker could install tile and work as a security guard.  The injured worker had a crushed pelvis and 3 discs in his low back fused.  He also walks with a cane.  The Court relied on Mr. More’s vocational expert and found the worker could not be retrained and was unable to compete in the open labor market. The Work Comp insurance company was ordered to pay over $100,000 in retroactive benefits along with ongoing permanent disability and medical treatment.  The total benefits paid were over 1.5 million dollars. On August 20^th, 8 months after the 100% Award the Workers Compensation insurance carrier settled the case for $1,718,974 in new money making the value of the WC case over 3.2 million dollars.  “This was a case that was highly contested by the insurance company, in the end our client was extremely happy and now had the ability to buy a new house for him and his family,” explained Keith.

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When people choose breast implant surgery, they trust the products and the surgeons. Unfortunately, there are cases where things do not go as planned. Defective breast implants can lead to a range of serious health issues, from infections and pain to more severe complications such as implant rupture or even cancer. This raises a question: who should take responsibility if breast implants turn out to be defective? Schedule a Free Initial Con... Read More

We are proud to introduce Mr. Wyatt Vespermann as this week’s #FeatureFriday. Originally from Central California, Mr. Vespermann graduated from California State University, Chico, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science—Legal Studies and a Paralegal Certificate. Wyatt worked as a paralegal focusing in Elder law, helping to protect the rights of senior citizens.  He was in carge of handling conservatorships—which on two occasions involved fighting against frivolous conservatorships filed by estranged heirs seeking to abuse the judicial process to gain control over their inheritance. After working as a paralegal for two years, Mr. Vespermann attended Pepperdine University School of Law, earning his Juris Doctor in 2018 and graduating cum laude. During his time at Pepperdine University, Mr. Vespermann was selected for membership in The Order of The Barristers for his performance on the school’s Trial Advocacy Team. While on the team, Wyatt competed in the 2017 San Diego Defense Lawyers National Trial Competition in San Diego, CA, and the 2018 Student Trial Advocacy Competition hosted by AAJ in Santa Monica, CA under the mentorship of John H. Sharer, the former chair of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Litigation Department.

Mr. Vespermann clerked for Bentley & More during the Summer of 2017 and then joined the team full-time at the end of 2018 while awaiting his bar results.

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When we visit a doctor or a plastic surgeon for any reason, we expect to receive high quality care and high-quality products. However, some products can have defects and cause harm to our bodies and health. Recently, the pharmaceutical company Allergan has recalled their breast implants – which may still reside in the bodies of thousands of women. Here is what you need to know about the recall – and what to do if these implants affect you. You... Read More

This week we bring to you James F. Tierney from our Redlands Office. James joined our team at the back end of 2018 and we are so glad he did. We were ready for expansion and we couldn’t think of anyone better than to represent us up in the Inland Empire.
James F. Tierney, III, has spent decades residing in, and litigating throughout, the Inland Empire, providing him with a nuanced, experienced view of the particular circumstances presented by litigation in this part of Southern California. Although he has litigated on both sides of the Bar, Mr. Tierney has now spent the last 18 years exclusively devoted to fighting on behalf of injured individuals throughout California. Mr. Tierney serves as a Senior Trial Attorney with Bentley & More LLP and is the firm’s primary attorney in its Inland Empire office in Redlands, CA.

Mr. Tierney began his practice as an associate with a major Inland Empire insurance defense firm. In 1990, he became a partner in the firm of Stanfield & Warner, primarily practicing in the fields of insurance defense, as well as public entity defense and police civil liability defense for the County of San Bernardino. In 1996, Mr. Tierney’s firm merged with a leading Orange County defense firm, where he became the managing partner of their Inland Empire office. In 2000, he decided to devote his practice to representing plaintiffs, including consumers and injured individuals, after spending over 16 years representing defendants in personal injury cases.

Mr. Tierney’s current practice focuses on the representation of a wide variety of plaintiffs in personal injury and wrongful death cases. His extensive trial experience earned him membership in The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an honor bestowed on very few trial attorneys nationwide He was even the ABOTA San Bernardino/Riverside Chapter’s President in 2009. Mr. Tierney is also an active member of the Consumer Attorneys of California, the American Association for Justice, the San Bernardino County Bar Association, the California Bar Association, and the Joseph P. Campbell Inns of Court. He has volunteered as a Judge Pro Tem and has also worked as an Appellate Court Mediator at the Fourth District Court of Appeal in Riverside.

Mr. Tierney is AV® Preeminent™ rated by Martindale-Hubbell. This is the preeminent rating, achievable only after admission to the bar for at least ten years, indicating the highest level of legal ability and ethics.

Mr. Tierney has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and has also been selected as a Southern California Super Lawyer for Personal Injury from 2012-2018.

Finally, Mr. Tierney has been a resident of the Inland Empire for well over 40 years, having grown up in the High Desert and then living and raising his family in the San Bernardino area for the past 25 years. He is active in the community and was recently named to the Board of Directors for Junior University, an organization devoted to developing and encouraging young musical performers to learn and practice their craft in presenting quality and professional summer programs in San Bernardino.

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Keith More and his team at Bentley & More, recently obtained a $5.5 million settlement on behalf of one of our clients. On the fateful day of October 26, 2016, our client was working for a framing company when he fell 8ft from a roof. He fell to his back landing on a hammer attached to his tool belt causing a spinal cord injury. This injury rendered our client a paraplegic with a neurogenic bowel & bladder. He will require extensive and complex medical treatment for the duration of his life. Defense contested our client’s claim on multiple levels. Mr. More fought the system and obtained financial support for his extensive medical care in addition to housing, ongoing rehabilitation at The Perfect Step and a cutting-edge power limb orthotic device. “Spinal cord injuries are devastating and that is why being a part of our client’s team and his life are the most important thing we can do under these circumstances,” explained Mr. More.

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Today we celebrate our newest intern reporting for duty at Bentley & More! We are thrilled to welcome Misha Jamshidi to the team!
Ms. Jamshidi is a third-year law student at Chapman University. During her time at Chapman, Misha participated in the Golden Gavel Oral Argument competition where she was placed as a finalist. This led to her being offered a spot on the University’s Elite Moot Court team. Ms. Jamshidi also was invited to join the University’s Mock Trial team her first year. Misha has traveled to Seattle and Los Angeles to compete for her school in an Appellate Court competition centering on First Amendment rights, and two labor law competitions. These experiences have solidified Ms. Jamshidi’s passion for litigation and oral advocacy.

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Today we introduce to you one of our newest team members, Attorney Allegra Rineer. Allegra joined the Bentley & More team in late May of 2019 and we are so glad she did.

Prior to joining Bentley & More, Allegra dedicated her practice of law to representing victims of abuse.  She is passionate about advocating for the most vulnerable members of society.  Allegra has represented children and the elderly in sexual and physical abuse cases against public and private schools, skilled nursing facilities, and board & care homes.  Representative cases include a multi-victim sexual abuse case against Fullerton School District, unlawful restraints/physical abuse of a severely autistic child in a non-public school, and sexual abuse of an elderly woman by a nurse in a skilled nursing facility.  Allegra is excited to take this background to Bentley & More and to be expanding her representation to catastrophically injured clients.

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This Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 10:00 am in Stockton CA, the softball field at McNair High School will be renamed the “Misty Holt-Singh Memorial Softball Complex”. Co-Founder of Bentley & More Greg Bentley will be officiating the ceremony to honor and celebrate the life of Misty, a dedicated wife, mother, daughter and long-time member of the Stockton Community.

 

Five years ago, on July 16, 2014, Misty Holt-Singh tragically lost her life when she was taken hostage in a bank robbery gone amiss. An hour long, high-speed pursuit ensued and ultimately Misty was caught in the cross fire that ended her life. Mr. Bentley and his Partner Clare Lucich represented the Singh family on claims against The City of Stockton and Bank of The West. After long, hard fought litigation, the matter settled to the satisfaction of all parties. Included in the settlement, was the City’s promise to dedicate a field in Misty’s name.

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“This was a very sad and complex case for so many reasons,” said Greg Bentley. “Misty was the heart and soul of the Singh family and a caring member of the Stockton community. Her love of family, friends and softball was well known. This gesture by the city is very much appreciated.  We are thankful to the city for living up to its promise, and very proud of Paul, Paul Jr. and Mia for their continued efforts in promoting healing for the community.”

For more information on the upcoming ceremony, click Here.

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Bentley & More is proud to introduce our newest Attorney, Dane Gilliam. We look forward to the impact he’ll make fighting for justice on behalf of our clients.

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Dane P. Gilliam is a trial attorney at Bentley More LLP whose practice focuses on workers’ compensation. Born and raised in Santa Cruz County, Dane attended University of California, Santa Cruz, where he earned his B.A. in Legal Studies. He was a captain on the NCAA Men’s Volleyball team and was honored as an All-American. While at University of La Verne, he was part of the JD/MBA dual degree program and earned both degrees.

Dane began his legal career in 2008 practicing in insurance defense, motor vehicle accidents, pharmacy malpractice, and premises liability claims. He has been practicing exclusively in workers’ compensation, 132(a) claims, and serious and willful claims since 2010.

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Welcome to the team Dane…we are so glad you’re with us!

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On Monday July 15, 2019 Bentley & More attended and helped sponsor the 3rd Annual Operation Helping Hands Golf Tournament held at Tijeras Creek Golf Course.

Operation Helping Hands is a 501(c)(3) Non Profit organization founded by Kim Valentine and her family. OHH is dedicated to empowering the youth to give back by providing hygiene items and basic necessities to the homeless. In the last five years, the organization has hand-delivered thousands of backpacks full of goods and clothing to the homeless population all over Southern California. With the help of charitable donations, sponsorships, and positive attitudes around the event, OHH will be able to provide more children in our area with the tools they need to go out and change the lives of many homeless individuals around the SoCal area. Items in the backpacks include: T-Shirts, Underwear, Socks, Soap, Deodorant, Lotion, Shampoo and Conditioner, Water, Snacks, Oral Care Kit, Combs, Seasonal Items, Razors, Feminine Hygiene Products, and Contraceptives.

For more information on Operation Helping Hands So Cal, CLICK HERE.

For a look at all the photos from the event, click HERE to visit our Facebook Page.

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Co-Founder Gregory L. Bentley was recently selected as the Daily Journal’s Top 30 Plaintiff Lawyers in California. For the full article in the Daily Journal, click the image below.

 

 

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Bentley & More’s newest intern Gardenia Montero joins the Team!

Gardenia Montero graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2015 earning her Bachelor Degree in International Development Studies and Anthropology with a Minor in Workplace Studies. She is now in her third year of law school in Western State College of Law. During her time in UCLA, Ms. Montero was involved with social justice projects like Latinas Guiding Latinas, Proyecto de Jornaleros, and North American Integration and Development (NAID). She also interned with Community Lawyers, Inc., JusticCorps, and California Pacific Neighborhood Immigration Clinic. She then went to intern for Assembly Member Jimmy Gomez and for the Governor’s Office and Planning Research in Sacramento.

During her first year of law school, Ms. Montero joined Western State College of Law Immigration Clinic as a Spanish translator. In her first summer, Ms. Montero was awarded the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award when she participated in Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps JD program and interned with Central American Resource Center (CARECEN). While interning at CARECEN, she worked with the VAWA/U-visa Team and Unaccompanied children team assisting individuals seeking immigration relief. Last summer, Ms. Montero was a judicial clerk for Judge Joe Perez at North Court Justice Center. As a clerk, she researched Prop. 63-Fire Arm Relinquishment proceeding, AB 1810 Mental Diversion program and Pre-Trial Diversion programs. This summer, Ms. Montero is participating in the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (OCTLA) Fellowship.

Ms. Montero has a strong interest in Immigration and Employment law. She aspires to one day open her own non- profit and provide affordable legal services for low-income families.

Welcome to the team Gardenia.  We’re so glad you’re here!

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Evan Grant is a trial attorney at Bentley & More whose practice focuses on personal injury, insurance bad faith and wrongful death cases. Mr. Grant has extensive experience in all aspects of complex civil litigation. He has tried a number of cases, including serving as lead counsel on a multi-week jury trial. He has also successfully argued cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the California Courts of Appeal.

Mr. Grant has an AV Preeminent peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell and Super Lawyers magazine has named him a Rising Star every year since 2009.

 

Mr. Grant received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from Emory University, in 2001. Mr. Grant received his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2004 and was selected for membership in The Order of the Coif. During law school he served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Joyce L. Kennard, former Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court.

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Please join us June 18, 2019 from 5:30pm – 7:30pm for the Bentley & More Side Bar Summer Social and Happy Hour. Multi-bar organizations invited and its FREE!! Thank you to our co-host The Sullivan Group of Court Reporters!

Hope to see you there!! Register here: https://sidebarsummersocial.eventbrite.com

 

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