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Philip Toomey brings 30 years of successful business and courtroom experience to helping business owners and organizations sustain and build their enterprises. As Managing Partner of Carico Johnson Toomey LLP, he leads the first full-service law firm in the South Bay/Beach Cities region of Los Angeles County, which has been ranked in the top tier of U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” in Los Angeles. Carico Johnson Toomey LLP was also chosen as “California Mid-Market Law Firm of the Year in 2011, and “California Start Up Law Firm in 2010” by Corporate INTL magazine.. Since 2005, Mr. Toomey has received a prestigious AV® Preeminent rating from his peers, the highest possible rating for both legal ability and ethical standards, placing him among the top 5% of all lawyers in the country. In recent years, Toomey has also been ranked among the top 5% of all employment law attorneys in Southern California, and listed the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers™.. Clients rely on his rare combination of business experience and legal expertise to meet their needs – from litigation, to advice on matters from employment law to strategic transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, or buyouts, and other business law matters.. He serves as the trusted outside general counsel for international, privately held, and small to mid-market companies in aerospace, transportation, manufacturing, food production, office and retail supplies, and other industries.. Active in his community and in various professional organizations, he was appointed a California delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business, and his years of community leadership and service includes serving the City of Redondo Beach as a Chairman or Commissioner for its Planning Commission, Harbor Commission, Budget and Finance Commission, and Tax and Budget Commission.

William Benz represents and assists a broad array of clients, ranging from privately-owned companies to public municipalities.  He is experienced in civil, employment, and labor litigation, as well as the formation, operation, and sale of closely-held companies.. Mr. Benz’s employment litigation experience includes defending employers in class action cases regarding wrongful termination, discrimination and sexual harassment claims as well as handling public employee disciplinary appeal arbitrations and Employment Development Department matters. Additionally, he has also counseled public and private employers on issues, such as employee privacy, wage and hour compliance, workplace violence, and narcotics policies.. Beyond the realm of employment law, Mr. Benz also has experience in formation of businesses and ventures, including limited liability companies, S-Corporations, and C-Corporations, and the transition or sale of existing businesses. Mr. Benz also litigates contract disputes, construction defect cases, civil rights claims, and fraud claims involving both private parties and public entities.. He is admitted to practice in all California courts, as well as in the United States District Courts for the Central and Northern Districts of California. He has served as counsel for Amicus Curie in front of the California Supreme Court and as a Deputy City Prosecutor for the City of Long Beach.

Amber M. Ziegler provides tax and general business advice related to "S" and "C" corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and sole proprietorships, including advice regarding formation, distributions, dissolutions, acquisitions, sales and use tax, property tax, executive compensation, and securities registration. She also advises individuals on a variety of tax and estate planning matters including real property transfers; IRS and Franchise Tax Board audits; tax deductible savings, education, and retirement accounts; and the design, formation, and administration of trusts.. Mrs. Ziegler received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley in 2002 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California Law School in 2006. She is a member of the California and Hawaii Bars.. Before joining the Law Offices of John A. Strain, she was a tax associate with two large international firms and an adjunct professor of legal writing and advocacy at the University of Southern California Law School.