Bio

Lissa Laffey

When catastrophic injury or wrongful death changes a family’s life forever, the outcome often depends on experience, strategy, and understanding how insurance companies evaluate and defend claims. Lissa brings a distinct advantage to every case: years of experience representing major insurance carriers, now focused exclusively on advocating for injured individuals and grieving families.

Before joining the plaintiff’s bar, Lissa served as in-house counsel for Farmers Insurance and State Farm Insurance and practiced at one of Southern California’s largest insurance defense firms. She defended insurers and corporate defendants in high-exposure civil litigation involving serious personal injury and wrongful death claims. Through that work, she gained direct insight into claim valuation, litigation strategy, risk assessment, and the internal decision-making processes that drive insurance defense.

Today, Lissa applies that knowledge on behalf of plaintiffs. Her background allows her to anticipate defense tactics, evaluate case value with precision, and position cases for maximum recovery. She understands how carriers assess exposure and how to build cases that withstand aggressive defense strategies.

Originally from Rhode Island, Lissa brings a disciplined, results-driven approach to her practice. She is committed to representing individuals facing powerful insurance companies and corporate defendants, ensuring that injury victims receive the full and fair compensation the law provides.

Her commitment to advocacy extends beyond the courtroom. Lissa has supported dog rescue organizations, volunteered with legal veterans’ clinics and free legal aid programs, and served as a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles.

Outside of her legal practice, she is a true-crime enthusiast and dedicated Pilates practitioner, maintaining the balance necessary to sustain high-level litigation work.

Bio

Rhianna Lee

Rhianna is one of the newest associates at Trial Lawyers for Justice, bringing a strong background in education, research, and advocacy to her legal practice. After graduating from UC Berkeley, she spent seven years working as an educator in underserved high schools in her hometown, developing a deep understanding of the systemic challenges faced by vulnerable communities.

She later served for six years as a research coordinator at the USC Interaction Lab, where she focused on how emerging technologies, including robotics, can support children with developmental and mental health challenges. This work sharpened her analytical skills and reinforced her commitment to evidence-based approaches to complex human problems.

As the youngest sister of Courtney Rowley, Rhianna was inspired to pursue a legal career after witnessing Courtney’s record-breaking toxic exposure verdicts against major corporations, including Monsanto. Seeing the impact of holding powerful entities accountable shaped her decision to become a plaintiff-side attorney.

Rhianna earned her Juris Doctor through an accelerated two-year program at Southwestern Law School on a merit scholarship and successfully passed the California Bar Exam. She is driven by a commitment to justice, public health, and meaningful accountability.

Outside of work, Rhianna enjoys visiting animal sanctuaries, watching horror films, and spending time with her large family, including her thirteen nieces and nephews.

Bio

Patrick Logan

Pat worked with startup companies in the Silicon Valley, helping them secure venture capital funding. He was brought into a case in 2010 to work with Nick on the opening and closing presentations.

He has worked with Nick and Courtney on more than 70 trials over the past 11 years. He made the decision to attend law school, and passed the California Bar in February of 2020. Pat now manages and tries cases for the firm.

Bio

Lady Luna

Lady’s path to the law profession was different from most. She moved to the United States after obtaining a law degree in her native Colombia. Upon arriving in the United States, Lady obtained a certificate in International Business and worked for international companies for over two years. Lady began work as a paralegal, helping Hispanics in California with their personal injury cases. She has used her fluency in both English and Spanish to expertly advocate for clients and ensure that no detail is overlooked. The rewards of these human connections and her empathy for the challenges faced by Latino people inspired Lady to become a licensed attorney here in the United States. Lady is proud to be a part of the small but significant cadre of Hispanic women attorneys in the state of California.

Lady’s motivation has always been to present the stories of injured immigrants, Latinos, and people of color in front of juries. She expertly tells their stories – stories she has encountered ever since she arrived in the United States – and demands commensurate justice on their behalf.

Lady is a licensed attorney in both Colombia and California, a trained lawyer in common and civil law. As part of her legal studies, she participated in alternative dispute resolution programs for personal injury cases and commercial disputes. Over the past six years, she has played an essential role in numerous personal injury and medical malpractice cases, including cases featuring wrongful death and traumatic brain injury.

When Lady is not practicing law, she can be found in a cafe in Colombia or riding her bicycle through canyons in Los Angeles.

Bio

James McCallion

In my 40 plus years in practice I have learned there is no greater praise than the gratitude of a client.  I have been fortunate to have many clients express their appreciation one stands out.  During her trial a settlement was reached for several million.  As my client got in her car to go home she said “you are the best”.  Those words mean a lot to me.  I want everyone who I serve to feel the same way. 

She had lost her husband in a tragic scaffolding collapse.  When it happened she was two weeks pregnant with their second child.  She was young, alone with a 5-year-old daughter and another on the way.  She needed help.  Another attorney asked me to take the case over because of my experience handling major injury and death cases.  I knew a lot about construction and scaffolding accidents.  I jumped in and took over the case.

There were over 5,000 images of the construction site.  Many of these were still shots taken from the roof of a building next to it.  These stills were taken every hour during the work day.  The angle of these photos showed the side of the building where my client’s husband fell.  There were many other photos taken by investigating agencies, my investigator and others.  There was even a video taken the day after the fall showing the condition of the scaffold and the repairs made to it.

I took all these photos and the video to a production company.  I worked with them and made a series of presentations that showed how the scaffold was being undermined by one of the trades on the job site.  I learned so much about how the accident happened Cal OSHA consulted me when they were litigating against the general contractor over many violations and citations.

I have other honors such as being selected to attend the Trial Lawyers College in 2004 and serving on one of its boards.  However, there is no greater honor than helping people who are in need which I have had the honor of doing thousands of times. 

Bio

Ansley O’Brien

Ansley O’Brien is a trial lawyer with Trial Lawyers for Justice. She works alongside experienced trial attorneys representing individuals and families in significant civil cases.

Ansley earned her Juris Doctor with distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2022. During law school, she served as a member of a law journal and contributed to legal research and scholarship.

She also participated in the Federal Criminal Defense Clinic, where she assisted with the representation of individuals facing federal criminal charges. Through the clinic, Ansley developed practical experience in client advocacy, case preparation, courtroom procedure, and criminal defense.

Ansley joined Trial Lawyers for Justice as a law clerk before graduating from law school and remained with the firm after earning her degree. Since 2022, she has participated in four trials and worked alongside the firm’s trial teams on complex cases. The trial teams on which she has served have obtained reported client results including:

Selected Trial Results

• $63 million
• $32 million
• $25 million
• $9 million
• $3.75 million
• $3 million

Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case.

Ansley is committed to helping people navigate difficult circumstances and approaches her work with preparation, compassion, and determination. She lives by the quote, “If you have more than you need, build a longer table, not a higher fence.”

Outside of her legal practice, Ansley enjoys traveling, listening to music, painting, working out, and volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

A proud Iowa native, she especially enjoys spending time with family and friends at the lake in Okoboji. Ansley currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee.