Cadena Churchill, LLP - Attoreneys
Raul Cadena, Esq.
Areas Of Practice
Mr. Cadena’s experience covers the range of issues arising out of employer-employee relations including terminations, discipline, layoffs, discrimination and workplace torts. He has litigated various types of employment disputes, including claims for wrongful discharge, harassment, defamation, wage and hour violations and employer fraud. Mr. Cadena appears before State and Federal Courts as well as in alternative dispute resolution settings. Mr. Cadena also advises employees on employment-related matters. Mr. Cadena also represents individuals alleging insurance bad faith primarily due to denial of professional disability claims, civil rights violations and consumer fraud. In addition, Mr. Cadena offers mediation services in the area of general civil litigation, including commercial litigation, employment law, contract disputes and cross-border disputes.
Professional Activities
Mr. Cadena has given speeches, presentations, and seminars on numerous employment-related topics, including wrongful discharge and sexual harassment. Mr. Cadena has taught law related courses as an adjunct instructor at Southwestern College. Mr. Cadena has also been selected to mediate disputes through the San Diego Superior Court Mediation Program and is one of the panel mediators at the National Conflict Resolution Center. Mr. Cadena is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, the San Diego County Bar Association, the California Employment Lawyers Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
Education
Mr. Cadena received his B.A. degree in Sociology from Harvard University. He also studied the economy, society and politics of Spain at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain. Mr. Cadena received his J.D. degree, from the University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law. He is admitted to practice in California and Texas. Mr. Cadena is also a credentialed mediator through the San Diego Mediation Center. Mr. Cadena is fluent in Spanish.
Community Activities
Mr. Cadena sits on the Boards of the National Conflict Resolution Center and Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. He is a Member of the Vestry of St. Andrews by the Sea Church and former Board of Director of the San Diego Council on Literacy. As a member of the Harvard Club of San Diego, Mr. Cadena interviews applicants to Harvard College.
After Hours
Mr. Cadena enjoys long distance running. He periodically trains for marathons and has run the Suzuki Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon two years in a row. Mr. Cadena also enjoys swimming and cycling and looks forward to spending time with his family on the weekends at Mission Beach.
Kristen Churchill, Esq.
Areas Of Practice
Ms. Churchill’s experience covers a range of issues including defending individuals charged with federal criminal offenses involving alleged narcotics and immigration crimes and defending individuals charged with white collar crimes stemming from allegations of fraud and financial crimes. Ms. Churchill also represents individuals under investigation by federal agencies or called as witnesses in federal prosecutions. Ms. Churchill has tried several jury trials and prepared and argued several appeals of criminal convictions. Ms. Churchill has been involved as counsel in several high profile criminal cases and as a result of her experience and reputation in the community, she has been selected as one of the Criminal Justice Act ("CJA") Panel Attorneys to represent indigent people accused of various federal criminal offenses. Before entering private practice, Ms. Churchill was a trial attorney at the Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc. (&#quot;Federal Defenders&#quot;). During her years at the Federal Defenders, Ms. Churchill was involved in the creation of the nationally distributed Defending a Federal Criminal Case. This publication is considered the finest manual on defending federal criminal cases.
In her civil practice, Ms. Churchill represents individuals alleging insurance bad faith primarily due to denial of professional disability claims, civil rights violations and consumer fraud. Ms. Churchill appears before State Court and regularly appears in Federal Court as well as in alternative dispute resolution settings.
Professional Activities
Ms. Churchill has given speeches, presentations and has been involved in seminars on topics related to federal criminal defense. Ms. Churchill is a CJA panel attorney and is a member of the San Diego County Bar Association, Lawyer’s Club, San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Club, the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Organization of Women.
Education
Ms. Churchill received her B.A. degree in Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Ms. Churchill received her J.D. degree, from the California Western School of Law. She is admitted to practice in California. Ms. Churchill is fluent in Spanish.
Community Activities
Ms. Churchill has participated as a Marathon/Fundraising Mentor for the Leukemia Society of America and volunteers for the Annual Lawyers Club Read-In.
After Hours
Ms. Churchill enjoys competitive swimming and has competed in the La Jolla Rough Water Gatorman Swim. She has also run in the Suzuki Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon. Ms. Churchill enjoys scuba diving, hiking, cycling and spending time with her family.
Gordon S. Churchill, Esq.
Areas Of Practice
Mr. Churchill has over 35 years of litigation experience on behalf of consumers in the area of insurance bad faith. His accomplishments as a trial lawyer are well known and much admired throughout California. Mr. Churchill is celebrated for his success as appellate counsel where he successfully defended favorable verdicts that have had a lasting, beneficial impact on consumers and their lawyers including Brandt v. Superior Court, 37 Cal. 3d 813 (1985), Delos v. Farmers Insurance Exchange, 93 Cal. App. 3d 642 (1979) and Chu v. Canadian Indemnity, 224 Cal. App. 3d 86 (1990). In 1975, the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego recognized him for his accomplishments by naming him as the Trial Lawyer of the Year.
Professional Activities
Mr. Churchill has given speeches, presentations and seminars on topics related to insurance bad faith. Mr. Churchill actively supports consumer attorney organizations and has been a Member of the Board of Governors of Consumer Attorneys of California, Board Member and Vice-President of the San Diego County Bar Association, Board Member and President (1975) of the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego and a Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Mr. Churchill is currently a member of the San Diego County Bar Association, the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, the California Association of Consumer Attorneys, the Association of Trial Lawyers of American and is an Advocate Emeritus of the American Board of Trial Advocates. In 1999, Mr. Churchill was selected to be the first member of the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego Trial Lawyer’s Hall of Fame.
Education
Mr. Churchill received his B.S. degree in Business Administration from the University of Arizona at Tucson. Mr. Churchill received his J.D. degree, from the California Western School of Law. He is admitted to practice in California. Mr. Churchill speaks conversational Spanish.
Community Activities
Mr. Churchill was part of the Mercy Outreach Surgical Team, a 60 member association of pilots, physicians and nurses providing medical care to indigent children in Mexico. In addition, Mr. Churchill has volunteered countless hours of legal advice to victims of the October 2003 Wildfires in San Diego County.
After Hours
Mr. Churchill has been a licensed pilot for over 25 years and takes frequent trips in his Cessna. He enjoys spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren.
Denise Mendoza
Denise Mendoza has been a Legal Assistant with Cadena Churchill, LLP since 2004 and has been working in the legal field since 2000. A lifelong South Bay resident, she graduated from Sweetwater High School and earned an Associates Degree in Science from San Diego City College. Ms. Mendoza is fluent in Spanish and is involved with many aspects of litigation at the firm.