Our Attorneys

• James T. Anwyl
• Lindy H. Scoffield
• Leigh A. Stepp
• Lynn A. Garcia
• Gloria Godinez
• Pamela A. Lewis
• Elizabeth A. McGinty
• Stephanie T. Spich
• Kerri A. Rollins

Of Counsel

• Dennis Seley

 

James T. Anwyl

James T. Anwyl's practice is oriented toward insurance defense work, with an emphasis on personal injury litigation, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, products liability litigation, public entity defense, employment discrimination, wrongful termination, business tort litigation, and automobile and premises liability.  Prior to forming the firm in 1995, he was a partner with Mackenroth, Seley & Anwyl, where he concentrated on products liability cases, automobile and homeowners' litigation, and general trial work.

Mr. Anwyl has received an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the national directory of lawyers.  This is the highest possible rating an attorney can receive, indicating preeminent levels of professionalism and the utmost ethical standards.  Mr. Anwyl has also been included in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, the Sacramento Business Journal's "Best Attorneys" list for 2009, and 2010 Northern California Super Lawyers.

Mr. Anwyl has been licensed to practice law in California since 1977.  He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University at Sacramento and his Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.  In law school, Mr. Anwyl was welcomed into the Traynor Honor Society.  Currently, he is on the panel of arbitrators for both the American Arbitration Association and the Sacramento County Superior Court.  Mr. Anwyl also serves as a Judge Pro Tem in the Sacramento County Superior Court.  He is a member of the Anthony M. Kennedy Inns of Court (Master of the Bench), the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), the Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California, and the Defense Research Institute.  Mr. Anwyl is a past president of the Board of Directors of the McGeorge School of Law Alumni Association.  From 1968 to 1973, he served as a Captain in the United States Army.

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Lindy H. Scoffield

Lindy H. Scoffield focuses his litigation practice in the area of construction litigation, premises liability, real property claims, business litigation, inverse condemnation, and mechanics liens.

Mr. Scoffield is a member of the Complex Litigation Committee of the California State Bar Association and the Construction Law Committee of the American Bar Association.  He is also a member of the Sacramento County Bar Association, the Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California, and the Defense Research Institute.

Mr. Scoffield serves as a Judge Pro Tem in the California Superior Court for the Counties of Sacramento and El Dorado.  He is a lecturer for continuing legal education programs at the National Business Institute and participates in the Sacramento County Volunteer Legal Services Program.

Mr. Scoffield earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University and his Juris Doctorate from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.  He has been licensed to practice law in California since 1987 and is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Northern and Eastern Districts of California.

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Leigh A. Stepp

Leigh A. Stepp focuses her practice in general insurance defense work, with an emphasis on multiparty personal injury litigation, construction defect litigation, and toxic tort litigation, including mold litigation, products liability, marina and marine liability, public entity defense, and automobile and premises liability.  She has practiced before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California and the Superior Courts located in Northern California.

Ms. Stepp has been licensed to practice law in California since 1988, the same year in which she received her Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in government from the California State University at Sacramento in 1983, graduating with honors. 

Ms. Stepp is a member of the Sacramento County Bar Association, the Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California, and the Defense Research Institute.  She is a lecturer for Continuing Legal Education programs of the National Business Institute.  Ms. Stepp also serves as a Judge Pro Tem for El Dorado County. 

 

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Lynn A. Garcia

Lynn A. Garcia joined the firm in 1998.  She has significant experience in general civil litigation, including the defense of employment, DFEH, discrimination, and business claims.  Ms. Garcia is also an experienced arbitrator and mediator.  She has arbitrated and mediated cases in the California Superior Courts in the Counties of Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, and Nevada.  Ms. Garcia also previously served as a Deputy District Attorney for the Nevada County District Attorney's Office, where she was responsible for prosecuting cases involving fraud, white collar crimes, and unlawful and deceptive business practices. 

Ms. Garcia has been licensed to practice law in California since 1987.  She is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Eastern and Central Districts of California.  Ms. Garcia received her Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif and Order of the Barristers.  Currently, she is a member of the Nevada County Bar Association and the Sacramento County Bar Association.  In El Dorado County, Ms. Garcia is a Judge Pro Tem and a member of the Panel of Arbitrators.

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Gloria Godinez

Gloria Godinez joined the firm in 2004 as an associate attorney. Her practice focuses on construction defect litigation, general insurance defense work, and public entity defense. Gloria Godinez received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Brown University in 2000.  She earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law in 2003, and became licensed to practice law in California the same year.  She is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. 

Ms. Godinez is a member of the Schwartz/Levi American Inn of Court, the La Raza Lawyers Association of Sacramento, the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), the Sacramento County Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.  She is fluent in spoken and written Spanish.

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Pamela A. Lewis

Pamela A. Lewis joined the firm in January 2009.  She is a skilled litigation and appellate attorney with over 20 years of experience in construction law, construction defects, employment disputes, and general business issues.  Ms. Lewis has argued cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the California Court of Appeal for the First and Third Appellate Districts.  She has written articles on topics related to construction law, employment law, and constitutional law. 

Ms. Lewis has been licensed to practice law in California since 1984.  She is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern, Northern, and Central Districts of California, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.  Ms. Lewis earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley and her Juris Doctorate from the Santa Clara University School of Law.  She is a member of the Construction Law Section of the Sacramento County Bar.  Ms. Lewis is fluent in Dutch.

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Elizabeth A. McGinty

Elizabeth A. McGinty joined the law firm of Anwyl, Scoffield & Stepp, LLP in 2010.  Before joining the firm, Ms. McGinty practiced with Winet, Patrick & Weaver in San Diego.  Her practice has included construction defect litigation, personal injury defense, and premises liability.  Ms. McGinty also practiced real estate law while with the firm of Bletzer & Bletzer in Brighton, Massachusetts.

Ms. McGinty was born in Northern California.  She was admitted to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Bar in 2002 and the California State Bar in 2004.  She is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.  Ms. McGinty earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the Boston University School of Law.  She earned her Master's of Business Administration, with honors, from Boston University Graduate School of Management. 

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Stephanie T. Spich

Stephanie T. Spich joined the law firm of Anwyl, Scoffield & Stepp, LLP in 2010.  Before joining the firm, Ms. Spich practiced with the San Diego law firm of Farmer, Case, Hack & Fedor.  Her practice has included personal injury defense, premises liability, construction defect litigation, and subrogation matters.

Ms. Spich was born in Los Angeles, California.  She was admitted to California State Bar in 2006.  She is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California and the U. S. District Court for the Central District of California.  She earned her Bachelor's of Arts, with honors, from the University of California, Los Angeles and her Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Davis School of Law.  Ms. Spich is a member of the State Bar of California and the Sacramento County Bar Association.

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Kerri A. Rollins

Kerri A. Rollins, born in Northern California, 1980; admitted to the California State Bar 2010. Education: University of California, Berkeley (B.A. 2002); University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (J.D. 2009). Member: California State Bar, Sacramento and Yuba-Sutter Bar Associations, Women Lawyers of Sacramento, Defense Research Institute and Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California - Young Lawyers.

Ms. Rollins joined the law firm of Anwyl, Scoffield & Stepp, LLP in 2009. Prior to joining the firm, she worked at Dreyer, Babich, Buccola, Callaham & Wood, LLP while attending law school.

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Of Counsel

Dennis Seley

Dennis Seley’s practice emphasizes the defense of product design, trucking litigation and catastrophic injury cases. He is “AV” rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Defense Research Institute, the Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California, State Bar of California and the Northern and Eastern District Federal Courts of California. Mr. Seley has been admitted to practice Pro Hac Vice in the states of Alaska, Nevada and Missouri.

Mr. Seley’s trial experience is considerable, with 37 civil trials as lead counsel. For a list containing a brief synopsis of jury trials to date, his Trial Verdicts is available as a PDF document. A significant number of the trials involved complex, large exposure cases. He is reported to be one of the first attorneys nationwide to have virtual reality evidence introduced into evidence.

Mr. Seley’s publication “How to Defend When Technical Data is Involved” (DRI - For The Defense, February 2005) concerns the importance of Electronic Control Module engine data in big-rig accidents. He has also authored “Influencing Juror Perspective” (DRI - In Transit Winter-2009) which examines the reliability of using video-taped visibility studies to demonstrate driver perception in vehicle accident litigation. His most recent article, “Admitting Respondeat Superior as a Defense Strategy” (DRI - The Voice 6/2/10) discusses the tactical advantages for employers to admit vicarious liability in negligent entrustment cases

Mr. Seley has been licensed to practice law in California since 1975. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University-California and his Juris Doctorate degree from University of the Pacific-McGeorge School of Law. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Seley was a partner with Mackenroth, Seley & Anwyl. Thereafter, he joined Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith as the managing partner of its Sacramento office.

Reported decisions include: Stone v. State of California (1980) 106 Cal.App.3d 924; Burdette v. Carrier (2008) 158 Cal.App.4th 1668 (Petition for rehearing denied by California Supreme Court April 2008); American Honda, et al. V. Salzman (1988) 751 P.2d 489.

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