Patel, Sudhir R.

Mike Pasternak graduated from the University of Southern California in 2007 with degrees in Psychology and Creative Writing. He received his J.D. cum laude from the University of San Francisco (USF) School of Law in 2010. While at USF he served as a staff member for the USF Law Review, the Grad Committee Student Speaker Chair, 3L Class Representative for the Student Bar Association, and Moot Court Case Counsel. He also gained a wide range of experience through internships with USF's Juvenile and Criminal Justice Clinic, as well as the San Francisco Superior Court Family Law Self Help Center and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. He grew up in Denver, Colorado and has lived in Santa Barbara since the fall of 2010.

Mike gained experience with the firm beginning in September 2010, and joined as an associate attorney shortly after being admitted to the California Bar in November 2010. Mike has focused his practice in both civil litigation and insurance coverage. On the coverage side, Mike has provided prompt and personal service to general liability insurance providers through interpreting policies, issuing coverage opinions, and representing carriers' positions as to underlying actions and in coverage litigation. Mike has also been intimately involved in representing clients in a variety of civil litigation cases in areas including construction defect, toxic exposure, personal injury, wrongful death and private nuisance.

Outside of his practice, Mike is also involved in the local community—he is currently the Secretary of the Santa Barbara Barristers organization, a member of the Santa Barbara County Bar Association, and the editor of the "Motions" column for the Santa Barbara Lawyer Magazine.