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Patricia Phillips

Biography
Patricia Phillips, a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara (B.A. 1956) and the Loyola School of Law, Loyola Marymount University (J.D. 1967), is a native of the City of Los Angeles. Now a partner at Phillips Jessner in Los Angeles, Ms. Phillips specializes in family law and civil litigation. She serves frequently as a mediator and arbitrator for business, employment, and family matters.
Ms. Phillips is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. In the practice of family law, Ms. Phillips handles issues relating to the dissolution of marriage, including child custody and support issues, as well as the complex areas of identification and valuation of community property, valuation of business assets and division of property. Ms. Phillips is well known in the legal community for her work in bringing concepts of alternative dispute resolution to litigation. She also handles business, employment, trust, and probate mediation. Ms. Phillips' clients range from owners of sole proprietorships to key people in closely held businesses, as well as employees. She has represented well-known political figures, as well as members of the entertainment community and many judges and lawyers.
Patricia Phillips was the first woman to be elected President of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the largest voluntary bar association in the United States. She is the recipient of the Shattuck Price Award, given once each year to the Association's "Outstanding Lawyer." She has been honored by both her undergraduate and law school alma maters as an outstanding alumna and by the Women Lawyers' Association of Los Angeles and California Women Lawyers with the presentation of their Ernestine Stahlhut and Dragon Slayer Awards, respectively. She served for three years on the Judicial Council of the State of California and was a member and former Chair of the Los Angeles County Commission on Judicial Procedures. Ms. Phillips served as a vice president and member of the Board of Governors of the State Bar, where she organized the Statewide Committee on Professionalism and Public Action. In addition, she was chair of the State Bar Committee of Bar Examiners and the Commission on the Future of the Legal Profession and the State Bar. Ms. Phillips recently completed a term as President of the Chancery Club, the first woman to occupy any officer position in that organization. In April 1998, she received the ACLU Pro Bono Advocacy Award and has been honored as being one of Los Angeles' 50 most powerful women lawyers.
Ms. Phillips is a member of various Boards including the Board of Visitors at Loyola Law School and the Board of Maternal and Child Health Access. She is a former Chair of the Board of Directors of the City Club at Bunker Hill. Ms. Phillips is a frequent lecturer and writer on family law issues, methods of dispute resolution, and professionalism. The Los Angeles Daily Journal recently profiled Ms. Phillips, describing her as a mentor to the legal profession in Los Angeles.

Partner
[email protected]

Education
• University of California at Santa Barbara, B.A., 1956, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, J.D., 1967

Memberships
• Los Angeles County and American Bar Associations
• California Women Lawyers Association (Founding Member)
• Women Lawyers of Los Angeles
• Chancery Club (First Woman President)
• Professional Association of Judicial Mediators & Arbitrators

Admissions
• 1968, California

Miscellaneous Information
Recipient: Shattuck Price Award for Excellence as an attorney from the Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1991; Distinguished Alumni Award, University of California, Santa Barbara; Distinguished Service Award, Loyola Law School Alumni Association, 1988; Outstanding Community Service Award, Leviitt & Quinn Family Law Center, 2004; Dragon Slayer Award, California Women Lawyers, 1988; Ernestine Stahlhut Award, Women Lawyers of Los Angeles, 1986. Named One of 50 Most Powerful Women Lawyers by Los Angeles Business Journal, 1998. Co-Author: "Divorce, a Woman's Guide to Getting a Fair Share." Mediator, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Family Law. Expert witness in numerous family law and civil cases. Senior Counsel, Morrison & Foerster LLP, 1995-2005. Partner, Beardsley Hufstedler & Kemble (later Hufstedler, Miller, Carlson & Beardsley), 1972-1995. First Woman President of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1984-1985. Member and Vice President, Board of Governors, State Bar of California, 1986-1989. Member and Chair: Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California, 1978-1982; Lawyers Disciplinary Committee, United States District Court, Central District of California, 2001-2004. Member, Executive Committee, California Judicial Council, 1991-1994. Chair, Board of Overseers, Loyola Law School of Los Angeles, 1988-1990. Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

 

 

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