Patrick Tira, President

Originally from Joliet, Illinois, Mr. Tira moved to San Diego to attend the University of San Diego in 2000. There, he was elected Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude with degrees in Business/Real Estate and Political Science.

Mr. Tira obtained his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2007. He practiced commercial litigation and consumer finance law with a national firm largely based in Chicago, Illinois. For years, Mr. Tira represented banks and financial institutions in state and federal courts. In 2018, he left the firm’s partnership to spend more time with his family and to provide a more client-centric experience.

Today, he focuses his practice on business, real estate, and trust litigation with his own firm, Tira Law APC. Mr. Tira has tried numerous cases, argued cases on appeal, and forced many favorable settlements through effective pretrial practice. His creative legal strategies often disrupt better- funded opponents and significantly improve his clients’ position. He is admitted to all federal courts in California and has appeared pro hac vice in federal courts outside of California.

Mr. Tira lives in Bay Park with his wife, Sarah, and their two children. When not chasing his five-year old and three-year old sons, he enjoys working on their Bay Park home and camping with his family in both California and National Parks. Mr. Tira still cherishes the lessons he learned at St. Patrick’s Grade School and hopes to pass his values and Irish spirit to his sons.

Cheryl Dunn Soto, Board Member

Cheryl Dunn Soto is a partner at Franklin Soto Leeds LLP. She is a seasoned attorney with more than 30 years of experience. Before entering private practice, Cheryl worked for four district court judges and a Ninth Circuit judge. During her time with the federal court, Cheryl handled a variety of civil and criminal matters involving state and federal law and acquired invaluable knowledge and insight regarding judicial practice and procedure.

Since entering private practice, she has focused on insurance coverage and bad faith litigation on behalf of commercial policyholders. Cheryl has handled matters involving a wide variety of commercial policies, including directors and officers (“D&O”), errors and omissions (“E&O”), employment practices (“EPL”), commercial general liability (“CGL”), garage, cyber, property, and excess/umbrella policies. In addition to litigating coverage disputes, Cheryl is frequently called on to assist in analyzing and resolving insurance coverage issues pre-suit. She has provided counsel on highly complex, multi-layered coverage matters involving underlying lawsuits, coverage renewals, and policy buy-backs. She has served as both Chair and Co-Chair of the Insurance/Bad Faith Law Section of the San Diego County Bar Association. Cheryl has received a peer-review rating of AV Preeminent from Martindale-Hubbell and has been named to the Super Lawyers List for Insurance Coverage since 2019.

https://fsl.law/attorneys/cheryl-dunn-soto/

Matthew D. Clendenin, Board Member

Matthew Clendenin is a personal injury trial attorney who believes in giving everybody access to the Justice system to make our community a better, safer place to live. Mr. Clendenin began his legal career in 2007 as a paralegal. After working at several large law firms, Mr. Clendenin went to law school at Santa Clara University in the Bay Area. In law school, Mr. Clendenin won Santa Clara’s internal moot court competition and was awarded “Best Oral Advocate” of the entire competition. During law school, Mr. Clendenin also studied oral argument with barristers at the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn of Court in London, England as well as a pupilage at Magdalen College, Oxford.

Since becoming a lawyer, Mr. Clendenin has only ever done one area of law - representing personal injury victims. Mr. Clendenin is a “Masters” level graduate from Don Keenan’s Trial Institute. Formerly, Mr. Clendenin was an instructor for the Keenan Trial Institute. The Keenan Trial Institute teaches lawyers how to best prepare for trial, maximize a victim’s recovery, and defeat the insurance industry.

In 2015 Mr. Clendenin was selected “Best of the Bar” by the San Diego Business Journal. From 2018-2022 Mr. Clendenin was selected as a “Top 40 Under 40” by the National Trial Lawyers. From 2018-2022 Mr. Clendenin was selected as a “Rising Star” by SuperLawyers. Mr. Clendenin recently celebrated his 14th anniversary with his wonderful wife Marta. They have a boxer puppy “Bruce”, a 5-year-old daughter Noemi, and a 2-year-old daughter Lucie. Outside of the office, Mr. Clendenin's passions include darts, bicycling, board games, and good whisky.

https://singletonschreiber.com/team_member/matt-clendenin/

John O'Brien, Board Member

An east coast native, John was born in New Jersey and grew up in Maryland. After attending Boston College, where he majored in economics, he fulfilled his dream of moving to San Diego.John attended California Western School of Law in downtown San Diego, where he was on the Dean’s List and the Moot Court Honor’s Board.During and after law school, John worked for – and learned from – some of the most preeminent business litigators in San Diego.In 2009, desiring more personal client relationships, even more court exposure, and to fulfill his entrepreneurial spirit, John opened his own successful business litigation practice.Clients greatly appreciate John’s amicable and honest demeanor, combined with his competitive disposition and aggressive response to opposing parties.John’s focuses 100% of his practice prosecuting and defending business and real estate litigation, representing businesses and individuals.John is a member of the State Bar of California, San Diego County Bar Association, Association of Business Trial Lawyers of San Diego, and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.In his spare time, John continues to fuel his competitive nature by playing ice hockey twice a week (which he has played since a toddler) and regularly attending a downtown CrossFit gym. John has also played guitar since 6th grade, and – loving the open water – routinely sails with friends and family.

Tara Burd, Marketing Coordinator

Tara Burd is a Southern California native and a member of the San Diego legal community since 2005.  She graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration with Distinction in Criminal Justice. Later, she completed California Western School of Law's accelerated two-year program, cum laude with Honors Distinction in Criminal Prosecution & Defense Practice Concentration.

Today, Ms. Burd is Senior Counsel at Klinedinst, leading the trust litigation group. Ms. Burd is an experienced probate and trust litigator, with specific emphasis on trustee defense, trust administration, and elder abuse and fraud claims. She brings to her trust and probate work, civil litigation experience. Much of her career has been focused on helping clients navigate their way through in breach of contract matters, business disputes, partition actions, employment, and personal injury lawsuits. Ms. Burd has represented Trustees, beneficiaries, individuals, and entities in a variety of complex matters and forums. She is also the 2023-204 Chair of the California Lawyers Association ("CLA") and a Representative on the Board of the Real Property Law Section.  Ms. Burd has judged the St. Patrick's Day Parade since 2015 and was a judge in the Miss Colleen Pageant in 2018.

Charles "Chip" Fanning, Secretary, Sponsorship Coordinator

Charles L. Fanning IV is better known as Chip amongst friends and in the community. Mr. Fanning is the managing attorney at The Fanning Law Firm, APC, a boutique firm focusing on insurance coverage disputes, bad faith, business litigation, commercial transactions, and construction law. Mr. Fanning graduated from Providence College in 2002 summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Shortly thereafter, he left the unbearable weather of New England to attend the University of San Diego School of Law where he graduated with a Juris Doctor and a Masters of Law in Taxation in 2005 and 2006 respectively. 

Mr. Fanning has been practicing civil litigation with an emphasis on insurance, including coverage and bad faith, and construction law since 2007.   Mr. Fanning has extensive experience providing coverage analyses under a variety of insurance policies, including CGL, Homeowner’s, Errors & Omissions, Directors & Officers, and Professional Liability policies.  Mr. Fanning represents a diverse clientele ranging from Fortune 500 companies to Governmental Agencies, General Contractors to Homeowners’ Associations, and small businesses to individuals for their business and litigation needs. Based on these accomplishments, Mr. Fanning has been recognized by the Daily Transcript as a Top Attorney in the Insurance category and a Rising Star by Super Lawyers each year from 2015 - 2020.  

After a summer spent studying law abroad in Dublin, Mr. Fanning became a member and supporter of the San Diego chapter of the American Ireland Fund, which is dedicated to supporting programs of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education, and community development throughout the island of Ireland.  He also actively supports the efforts of the San Diego Humane Society where he adopted arguably the best boxer pup in 2008.

Bernadette C. Hilgeman, Treasurer

Bernadette C. Hilgeman is the principal of the Law Offices of Bernadette C. Hilgeman, a general practice law firm with an emphasis on Probate and Trust litigation and administration, and real estate, located in La Mesa, California. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Law concurrently with her Juris Doctorate from Thomas Jefferson School of Law.  While in law school, Ms. Hilgeman clerked with various prosecutorial agencies such as the San Diego District Attorney’s Special Operations unit, the San Diego City Attorney’s Criminal Division and the San Diego Office of the Attorney General for the State of California in the Criminal Appeals Division.  She has been practicing in San Diego since 1997. Ms. Hilgeman was born in New York into a big Irish Catholic family. She brings this feisty East Coast Irish spirit to every client’s matter.

Ms. Hilgeman was one of the founding members of the Irish American Bar Association of San Diego, was its Fourth president and continues to serve as Treasurer. Ms. Hilgeman has been involved in all things Irish in San Diego for decades, from youth Irish sports to Irish dance to including serving on the board of Irish Outreach San Diego, where she was Secretary for 2003- 2008 and then general board member.  She obtained her Irish citizenship in 2005 and is a dual Citizen. Ms. Hilgeman enjoys giving back to her community with many hours given to schools, pro bono casework, teaching public speaking to junior and senior high students and within her church and community.

Angela Mullins, Event Coordinator

Angela Mullins is a civil law attorney for the Department of the Navy at Navy Region Southwest (NRSW). In this role she is responsible for coordination of civil law and ethics advice throughout NRSW. She also serves as Social Director on the Executive Board of the American Inns of Court, Honorable William B. Enright Chapter and chair of the Governance committee for Father Joe’s Villages, St. Vincent De Paul Village. Ms. Mullins also previously served as Deputy City Attorney for the City of San Diego in the Civil Litigation Unit, and worked at Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton where she specialized in labor and employment litigation. Ms. Mullins also has experience defending professional liability claims, as well as business litigation.

After graduating from University of San Diego, School of Law, Ms. Mullins served on active duty in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, where she defended federal crimes in bench and jury trials and provided expert advice and negotiations on criminal defense matters. Ms. Mullins also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of California and general counsel to local military commands. She currently serves in the Naval Reserves as an attorney for the ethics branch of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (OJAG) in Washington D.C.

Tim Riley, Board Member

Mr. Riley was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and obtained his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1984. He was admitted to the Wisconsin Bar that same year, and was admitted in California in 1986. Mr. Riley has been certified as a Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate law by the California Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California since 1994. He is rated "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell, and has also consistently been named as one of San Diego’s "Top Lawyers" and a “Super Lawyer” in the area of Probate, Estate Planning and Trust Law.

Effective November 1, 2019, Mr. Riley retired from the active practice of law. However, he continues to consult with the attorneys at Hughes & Pizzuto, APC, in the areas of estate planning; probate and trust administration; estate / gift tax controversies; and contested probate matters. Mr. Riley now concentrates on his mediation practice with West Coast Resolution Group, having served as a neutral in more than 150 mediations of probate-related matters. Mr. Riley also serves as a judge pro tem in the Probate Division of the San Diego Superior Court, and as a court-appointed guardian ad litem. Mr. Riley was a founder and director of the Probate Attorneys of San Diego, and currently serves on the boards of Irish Outreach and the Irish Congress of Southern California.

Past Presidents

2023* - Present - Patrick Tira
2022 - 2023 (Jun) - Matthew Clendenin 
2021 (Mar-Dec) John O’Brien 
2021 (Jan - Mar) - David McCuaig 
2020 - John O’Brien 
2019 - Kevin Murphy  
2018 - Tara Burd
2017 - Chip Fanning
2016 - William Concidine
2015 - Angela Mullins
2014 - Christopher Cooke
2013 - Tim Riley
2012 - Bernadette C. Hilgeman
2011 - Greg Daniels
2010 - Patrick O'Toole
2008-2009 - Jackie Ní Mháirtín

*Beginning in 2023, terms run from July 1 through June 30 of the following year.

Founders

Jackie Ní Mháirtín
with the assistance of:

Greg Daniels
Bernadette C. Hilgeman
Angela Mullins
Patrick O'Toole

Emeritus

Christopher Cooke
Patrick O’Toole