Derek Scott
Derek J. Scott is Senior Counsel with Kasdan Turner Thomson Booth LLP, in the firm’s Irvine, California office. His practice focus is construction defect.
Derek has represented clients in complex litigation in numerous California state courts. He also has extensive experience in arbitration and mediation. After law school, Derek was appointed by the U.S. Court for the Central District of California as Clerk to the Special Masters in the Toyota multi-district litigation concerning unintended acceleration.
He earned his Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, California, where he attended the evening program while working full-time. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Philosophy and American Studies from Keele University in the United Kingdom. While at law school, Derek served as Editor-in-Chief of Whittier Law Review.
Haejung Kim
Haejung Kim is an associate attorney with Kasdan Turner Thomson Booth LLP in the firm’s Walnut Creek, California office. Her practice is focused on construction defect litigation.
Prior to joining Kasdan, Haejung practiced at a startup in the Bay Area. Haejung also was a judicial extern for Honorable Haywood Gilliam in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California and Honorable Andrew Cheng in the Superior Court of California, San Francisco.
Haejung earned her law degree from UC Hastings. While in law school, Haejung served as an executive production editor on the Hastings Science and Technology Law Journal and received Best Moot Court Brief, Honorable Mention. Haejung earned her bachelor’s degree in Astrophysics from UC Berkeley in 2014.
She is licensed to practice in the State of California.
Jordan Rojas Of Counsel
Of Counsel
Jordan Rojas joins Kasdan Turner Thomson Booth LLP with over fifteen years of experience representing clients in complex civil litigation and trial. Her practice emphasizes representing homeowners, commercial real estate owners, homeowners associations, and public entities in construction defect litigation. Ms. Rojas also has experience in a wide variety of civil litigation including business, contracts, employment, professional liability, personal injury, property damage, landlord-tenant, and insurance disputes.
Ms. Rojas graduated cum laude from Boston University School of Law in 2004 and earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from San Francisco State University in 2000.
Ms. Rojas was admitted to the California State Bar in 2004.
Tyler Jorgensen
Tyler Jorgenson joined Kasdan Turner Thomson Booth LLP in the Phoenix Arizona office in March of 2021.
Josh Strand
Josh Strand is an associate attorney with Kasdan Turner Thomson Booth LLP in the firm’s Irvine, California office. His practice is focused on construction defect litigation.
Prior to joining Kasdan, Josh practiced at a boutique civil litigation firm that specialized in defending local government entities and officers across California. Josh earned his law degree from Chapman University School of Law in Orange. While in law school, Josh served as a guest editor on the Nexus Journal of Law and Policy, was a member of the Mock Trial Team. Josh earned his bachelor’s degrees in history and political Science from Arizona State University in 2013. Josh enjoys playing basketball, tennis and playing the guitar.
Karina Newbrough
Karina Newbrough joined Kasdan Turner Thomson Booth LLP’s Irvine, California office in January of 2020. She is currently an associate attorney with the firm, with her practice focused on construction defect litigation.
Karina earned her law degree from University of California Hastings and her Bachelor of the Arts in Communication Studies from University of California Los Angeles. While in law school, Karina served as co-president of the Hastings Public Interest Law Foundation and received recognition from Hastings Pro Bono Society for Outstanding Achievement in Pro Bono, from Hastings Civil Justice Clinic for Outstanding Performance in Individual Representation Clinic, and from Hasting Public Interest Foundation for Exceptional Dedication to Social Justice & Public Interest.
She is licensed to practice in the State of California.
Rod Sauaia
Rod Sauaia is an associate attorney with Kasdan Turner Thomson Booth LLP in the firm’s Irvine, California office.
Eric Gilbert
Eric K. Gilbert, Esq., is an attorney in our New Mexico office. Eric grew up in the A/E/C business, working construction jobs in high school and college. Upon receiving his JD from William Mitchell College of Law, Eric represented contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers, and litigated numerous construction cases.
Prior to joining KTTB in May 2022, Eric ran a regional architectural firm for five years. Eric brings a substantial background of construction and legal experience to the firm. Eric’s understanding of the A/E business, construction processes, along with his legal experience, makes him uniquely qualified to navigate cases for our clients.
Brian Mannal
Brian R. Mannal is a Senior Associate Attorney in the Albuquerque, New Mexico office of Kasdan Turner Thomson Booth, LLP (KTTB). Brian possesses fifteen years of practical legal experience handling complex cases in state and federal courts. Brian has extensive courtroom and motion practice experience, as well as significant experience conducting and defending depositions, managing discovery, drafting legal pleadings, negotiating settlements, and trying cases before arbitrators, judges, and juries.
Brian is known for his creativity and use of both high- and low-tech demonstrative aids to help jurors understand evidence in court. In 2019, Brian was recognized as the first prosecutor in the history of New Mexico to create and present a 3-D computer model of a crime scene during the successful prosecution of a criminal defendant for First Degree Murder. Brian has utilized powerful animation videos, persuasive PowerPoint presentations, and three-dimensional models to re-create accidents and explain his clients’ point of view to juries.
Brian earned his Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, and his Juris Doctor (JD) from Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio. Brian’s legal career began on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where he handled a wide variety of criminal defense, domestic relations, and civil litigation cases. Between 2013 and 2016, Brian R. Mannal served as the State Representative for the Second Barnstable District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Prior to joining KTTB, Brian worked as Special Counsel for an AV-rated insurance defense law firm, as well as an Assistant District Attorney for the Office of the Second Judicial District Attorney in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Jeff Kubiak
Jeff Kubiak joined Kasdan Turner Thomson Booth LLP in the Walnut Creek office in March of 2021.