OCBA Members Nominated for General Counsel Awards
Several Orange County Bar Association members were nominated for the Orange County Business Journal Second Annual General Counsel Awards. The awards were presented on Tuesday, June 28, 2011. For a full list of nominees, along with bios, please view the Orange County Business Journal's June 6 supplement.


John Alpay
Oakley Inc., Foothill Ranch

"As the Director of Legal Affairs at Oakley Inc., ... [John Alpay] is responsible for all company legal matters worldwide. In addition to his work as in-house counsel, Alpay has been an extremely active member of the community. In 2010, he was selected as a Member and Clerk of the Governing Board of Trustees of the Capistrano United School District. Alpay holds a JD and an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley."

Lily Arevalo
Ingram Micro Inc., Santa Ana

"Lily Arevalo is a key legal advisor and business leader for Ingram Micro's finance/controllership, treasury, tax and legal, HR, investor relations, and corporate communications teams. ... Alonog with her professional duties, Arevalo is a supporter of Ingram Micro's philanthropic activities in the Orange County Community. She volunteers at the Someone Cares Soup Kitchen and provides pro bono legal advice for the American Corporate Counsel SoCal Onsite Pro Bono Clinic."

Michael Baroni
Palace Entertainment, Newport Beach

"Michael Baroni currently serves as General Cousnel and Secretary for Palace Entertainment, the world's third-largest amusement park company, with over 40 amusement, theme, animal, water, and family entertainment parks across the U.S. He is the sole attorney in charge of all legal affairs, including supervisory responsibilities for safety, human resources, media relations, insurance, and risk management. ... In the legal community, Baroni is on the Orange County Bar Association's Board of Directors and was profiled as a  "Super Lawyer" in Super Lawyers magazine."

Robert Bollar
SC Fuels, Orange

"Since joining SC Fuels over 10 years ago, Robert Bollar has been instrumental in combining a major subsidiary of SC Fuels with an existing public company. He also spearheaded the subsequent tender offer for all remaining shares of the company, eventually taking the public company private. ... Bollar currently is a member of the board of the California Independent Oil Marketers Association (CIOMA) and in 2010 was president of the CIOMA. He also is an active member of the OCBA's Mandatory Fee Arbitration Committee."

Daniel Burke
St. John Knits International, Irvine

"Since joining St. John Knits, Daniel Burke has transformed St. John Knits' legal department and restructured several other departments to preserve and protect relationships with long-time employees while at the same time enhancing profitability for the company. ... During 2010, Burke led the legal team in the negotiation of the company's new revolving and term loan credit facilities with JPMorgan Chase. ... Burke is also a recipient of the 'Seven Seals Award' from the U.S. Department of Defense for his leadership and initiative in support of the men and women who serve our country."

Mark Foster
The Rockefeller Group, Irvine

"As Vice President and Senior Real Estate Counsel for The Rockefeller Group Development Corporation, Mark Foster is responsible for negotiating and finalizing transactions relative to the company's development, management, and ownership operations. ... He also has enhanced the efficiency and productivity of The Rockefeller Group's legal department by developing and improving the forms and protocols used throughout the company. Prior to joining The Rockefeller Group, Foster served as Regional General Counsel for the California Region of Toll Brothers, Inc."

Ashley Good
Arbonne International, Irvine

"Ashley Good serves as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and has responsibility for all aspects of the legal affairs for Natural Products Group, Inc. (NPG) and its subsidiaries Argonne International, LLC and Levlad, LLC, which together manufacture adn distribute premium, botanically based skin care, cosmetic, and wellness products worldwide. Good also serves as secretary to the NPG Board of Directors. ... Good earned her JD from Duke University School of Law and both a master's and bachelor's degree from Stanford University. As an Orange County native, Good has been active in the community her whole life, most recently supporting the efforts of the Maddie James Foundation."

David Harshman
Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Irvine

"[David] Harshman has been with Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS) for 20 years. He is responsible for all legal matters at this Toshiba subsidiary, which provides information products adn solutions. In his community, Harshman is a volunteer and supporter of Special Olympics and is a lifetime member at the ARC where he advocates for individuals with development disabilities. Harshman graduated with his JD from the University of San Diego."

Tania King
Advantage Sales & Marketing, Irvine

"A key member of the Advantage Sales & Marketing senior executive team, Tania King ... [recently] spearheaded the successful $1 billion-plus buyout of her company by a global private equity firm. Even as the company encountered several obstacles during the course of the buyout, King garnered the respect of the numerous critical stakeholders and was able to drive for consensus and consummation of the transaction, leading to bright opportunities for ASM. ... King has been an active member in numerous professional organizations, contributing to her industry and mentoring other female attorneys and future leaders in the Orange County community."

Christopher Lal
Thompson National Properties, Irvine

"Christopher Lal oversees all of Thompson National Properties' legal affairs, including mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, corporate finance and securities matters, public reporting requirements, and corporate governance. ... Lal is a member of the California State Bar, the Orange County Bar Association, and the Association of Corporate Counsel. He completed his undergraduate studies at UC Santa Barbara and earned his JD from USC."

Michael Lavin
Consumer Portfolio Services Inc., Irvine

"[Michael] Lavin's responsibilities are uniquely divided between leading the legal department and several key revenue-generating ancillary business departments. His legal responsibilities comprise a vast number of disciplines, including litigation, consumer finance, regulatory compliance, labor and employment, contract management, and assisting with corporate finance and public company formalities. Lavin earned his JD from the University of San Diego School of Law and his BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara."

Wendy Peterson
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP, Irvine

"Wendy Peterson has been General Counsel since 2002 to Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP, the largest law firm in Orange County, and one of the world's largest law firms focused exclusively on intellectual property litigation, prosecution, and client counseling matters. ... In the community, Peterson volunteers her time extensively for UC Irvine, serving as a guest lecturer for international business and leadership courses and a mentor in the university's Law Forum for pre-law students. Peterson received her JD from the University of Hawaii."

Michael Ray
Western Digital Corporation, Irvine

"Michael Ray has been a part of the Western Digital team for more than 10 years. During this time, he has been instrumental in reaching an agreement with Hitachi Limited to acquire Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, which is considered among the largest transactions in the history of the hard-drive industry. ... In addition to his many career accomplishments, Ray devotes time to his community as a Director of Mercy House and through the Western Digital Charitable Foundation, which supports charitable organizations in Orange County. Ray received his JD from Harvard Law School."

Stergios "Terry" Theologides
CoreLogic Inc., Santa Ana

"As Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary, Stergios "Terry" Theologides has been instrumental in guiding CoreLogic through its spin-off from First American Financial Corp. ... In the legal community, Theologides has been a strong advocate for borrower-friendly loan reforms and has served as a proponent of change within the marketplace. ... As an active member of the Orange County community, Theologides served as a board member for the Anaheim Interfaith Shelter from 1997 to 2007 and is also a committee member for Princeton Alumni Schools, Orange County Chapter. Theologides earned his JD from Columbia Law School."

Jason Weintraub
Broadcom Corporation, Irvine

"Jason Weintraub is currently senior policy & compliance counsel at Broadcom Corporation, a Fortune 500 communications semiconductor company with nearly $7 billion in revenue and over 9,000 employees. ... Weintraub has held various leadership roles in the in-house counsel section of the Orange County Bar Association, including serving as the section's chairperson in 2010 and vice-chairperson in 2009. He earned his BA in political science from Stanford University and his JD from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law."Return