Our Company

Since 1982, Michael V. Lamb has specialized in the defense of physicians and hospitals. After working as an associate with Rushfeldt, Shelley & McCurdy for seven years, in 1989 he became a founding partner in Elliot, Lamb, Leibl & Snyder, a 17-attorney firm specializing in medical malpractice defense. As a trial attorney, Lamb has successfully defended physicians on numerous occasions in both the Superior Court and arbitration. Immediately prior to joining Schmid & Voiles in 1997, he gained insight into the plaintiff’s bar, working at Grassini & Wrinkle, where he prevailed at trial in a legal malpractice case.

Following his graduation from Pepperdine University School of Law, Malibu and his admission to the California State Bar in 1979. Mr. Lamb worked as a claims representative and supervisor for The Travelers Insurance Co., handling legal malpractice claims for nearly three years. Mr. Lamb received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he graduated with distinction.
 

For most of her legal career, Lisa Agrusa has specialized in defending physicians and other healthcare providers. Prior to joining Schmid & Voiles in 2003, she gained a positive reputation as an effective medical malpractice defense attorney.

Ms. Agrusa earned a bachelor’s degree in History with a specialization in Business Administration from UCLA in 1987 and was an intern for Congressman David Dreier in Washington, D.C. during the winter of 1987. She attended Loyola Law School and obtained her Juris Doctorate in 1990, and was admitted to the practice of law later that same year.

With a dual background in nursing and law, Margaret Cahill joined CAP as a claims specialist in 2003 and joined Schmid & Voiles in early 2009. Prior to CAP, her law practice from 1988 through 1993 included medical malpractice defense of hospitals and other personal-injury claims while employed by Madory, Booth, Zell & Pleiss. This was followed by 10 years in private practice at the Law Offices of Hardiman & Cahill, where she and her physician partner handled all aspects of medical malpractice and healthcare litigation, including defense of medical and nursing administrative actions. Ms. Cahill’s career includes federal court practice which resulted in several published and unpublished opinions after successful argument to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal and the state appellate courts.

Ms. Cahill earned her law degree in 1988 from Western State University’s College of Law, where she graduated in the top 20 percent of her class and earned several honors, including American Jurisprudence Awards in Criminal Law and Contract Law, as well as academic recognition on the Dean’s List. She received a bachelor’s degree in Laws from Western State University and had earlier received an associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing from Youngstown State University in 1979. She received National Honor Scores on her State Board exams. While attending law school, Ms. Cahill was employed as a registered nurse at the UC Irvine Medical Center and also was employed on a part-time basis handling medical malpractice claims for a private company.

With a wide range of experience in medical malpractice defense and litigation, prior to joining Schmid & Voiles, Kyle Cruse was an attorney with Dummit, Bucholz & Trapp, where he focused primarily on defending hospitals and care facilities.

Mr. Cruse earned his law degree from University of California, Davis and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1993. He graduated from Middlebury College with a double major in Russian Language and Political Science. A native of Marin County, Cruse and his wife moved to San Diego after law school.

Prior to joining Schmid & Voiles, Stephanie R. Hanning was affiliated with Foley Bezek Behle & Curtis, LLP (FBBC). As a member of FBBC’s writing department, she had the opportunity to focus her work on various areas of law, including lender liability, employment, trademark, and class actions. Before FBBC, Ms. Hanning worked for a Los Angeles civil litigation firm, where she participated in labor board, state court, and Court of Appeal proceedings. She has appeared before various tribunals and has successfully written and opposed dispositive motions in multiple forums.

Ms. Hanning graduated with Honors in 2004 from UC Santa Barbara, earning a bachelor’s degree in Film Studies and Communication with a minor in History. She then earned admission to Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. At Loyola, in addition to a full class load, Ms. Hanning was a staff writer and research editor for the Entertainment Law Review and was the Social Chair for the Women’s Law Association. She received First Honors in her Family Law and Motion Picture Production and Finance classes. Ms. Hanning graduated from Loyola in 2007 and was admitted to the State Bar and Central District of California later that year.
 

Adam R. James is an attorney with extensive experience in medical malpractice defense. He became an attorney at the law firm of Dummit, Buchholz & Trapp in 1999. While there, his primary focus was medical malpractice, and he specialized in the defense of hospitals. He is experienced in all aspects of litigation, including participation in trials, mandatory settlement conferences, and mediations.

In 1999, Mr. James graduated from Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia. At Emory, he was Editor-in-Chief of the Bankruptcy Developments Journal as well as being a Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute Scholar. During this time, he was also Vice President of the Keener Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity and Treasurer of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society. Mr. James also earned two undergraduate degrees from University of California, San Diego: in Political Science and in History. He was a member of the Dean’s List and a National Merit Scholar.
 

Since joining Schmid & Voiles in 1990, Dena J. Hayden Lambirth has successfully arbitrated matters on behalf of CAP members and has excelled in obtaining favorable resolution of her cases. She came to the firm both with experience as a malpractice defense attorney and as a medical research assistant. Following her admission to the California State Bar, Ms. Lambirth worked at the Los Angeles-based law firm of Fonda & Garrard, gaining knowledge and expertise in medical malpractice defense. Prior to that, she worked as a medical and research assistant at UCLA from 1981 through 1984.

Ms. Lambirth earned her Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in 1987 and received her bachelor’s degree in both Microbiology and Psychobiology in 1982 from UCLA. She is also a member of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel and the Italian Lawyers Association.
 

Since 1986, Patrick W. Mayer focused his practice of law on the representation and defense of healthcare professionals. From 1993 until joining Schmid & Voiles in 2002, he was a partner in a Century City law firm where he defended claims on behalf of physicians, medical groups, and institutional providers. His experience includes the successful resolution and trial to verdict in the Superior Court of numerous medical malpractice cases.

Mr. Mayer attained his Juris Doctorate in 1984 from Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, where he received the American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence in Real Property. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland.
 

Since joining Schmid & Voiles in 1990, Deborah Taggart has become one of the firm’s most accomplished trial attorneys and has served as an arbitrator in binding arbitrations involving medical malpractice litigation. She joined the staff with 10 years of broad-based litigation expertise in both trials and arbitrations. From 1984 to 1990, Ms. Taggart represented healthcare providers while serving as a litigation associate with the law firm of Thelen, Marrin, Johnson & Bridges. She gained expertise in defending medical malpractice actions in both binding arbitrations and at jury trials.

Ms. Taggart received her Juris Doctorate with academic honors from Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles. While attending Loyola, she participated in the Honor Society Speakers Program and Tutorial Project. Taggart’s undergraduate studies were completed at UCLA, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Cum Laude, with a French minor. Before receiving her undergraduate degree, Ms. Taggart attended the Sorbonne at the University of Paris, where she studied French literature and art history.
 

Jennifer K. Villebro has focused exclusively on the defense of professional malpractice, elder abuse, and complex personal injury cases since 2003. Prior to joining Schmid & Voiles, Ms. Villebro was an associate at Law + Brandmeyer where she provided representation to physicians, hospitals and healthcare providers in the medical malpractice cases. She was involved in all aspects of litigation up to trial or arbitration, including ongoing analysis of liability and damages, and developing a theory and strategy of the case. Ms. Villebro was selected as Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2014.

Ms. Villebro earned her Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Juris Doctor from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. While attending Creighton University, Jennifer was a charter member of Pi Beta Phi sorority and was a member of the Order of Omega honor society. She is licensed to practice law in all California and Nebraska State courts, as well as the United States District Court for the Northern and Central Districts of California and the District of Nebraska.

Michele Raley is an attorney with more than 20 years of legal experience. Prior to joining Schmid & Voiles in 2014, Ms. Raley Michele worked as an attorney at the Sacramento office of La Follette Johnson. A defense attorney for her entire career, she has extensive experience in medical malpractice defense. As outside counsel, she has represented many CAP members in complex medical malpractice cases.

Michele earned her JD from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and received her undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles.