Board of Directors

Our foundation is governed by a dedicated and passionate Board of Directors who represent a diverse cross-section of legal professionals. Their commitment to justice drives our initiatives and ensures our actions reflect our mission. Learn more about our esteemed Board Members and their significant roles in advocating for positive change.

Scott Schindler

JLL

SDCBF President

Elidia Dostal

Vanst Law LLP
SDCBF Vice President

Elidia C. Dostal has two decades of experience as a trusted legal advisor to corporations and entrepreneurs at all stages of their business. From business formations to employment matters to commercial leases and environmental compliance, Elidia guides her clients through business operations and transactions with an eye toward mitigating the risk of litigation, compliance issues, and regulatory fines. A graduate of Yale Law School and a veteran of Latham & Watkins LLP, Elidia has served clients from a wide array of industries, from retail and real estate to biotech and professional sports.

Elidia serves business clients who understand the importance of involving an attorney at the front end of business transactions and compliance issues to avoid the high cost of litigation or regulatory fines. Elidia brings an expert understanding of the importance of thinking ahead to avoid potential future liabilities.

Elidia provides outside general counsel services — helping clients large and small who need a trusted counselor to advise on business legal matters. She drafts contracts, negotiates commercial leases, helps with mergers and exit planning, and strives to ensure the businesses and entrepreneurs she represents have exceptional legal counsel so they are able to focus on their bottom line.

Prior to joining Vanst Law LLP, Elidia practiced for seven years as a transactional and litigation associate at Latham & Watkins LLP, one of the world’s international law firms, and served as Associate General Counsel Secondment for the San Diego Padres. Elidia successfully ran a solo firm for eight years, advising clients on compliance with Federal and California law, including environmental compliance, employment law, and real estate matters.

A graduate of Yale Law School, Elidia was an editor of the Yale Journal of Law and Feminism and co-host of Law Talk Community Radio.

Prior to law school, she served as a tax auditor for the Franchise Tax Board. Her career as an accountant and tax auditor provides a valuable perspective that informs her legal analysis and enables her to understand the demands of business while mitigating risk.
Active in civic engagement, Elidia’s public service includes having served on the board of KIPP Adelante Preparatory Academy and as a mentor to high school students from the Crawford Academy of Law and Justice.

After an extensive vetting process, Elidia was selected in 2020 to serve on both the County of Diego Independent Redistricting Commission, and the City of Chula Vista Redistricting Commission where she was elected Vice Chair. The Commissions are responsible for drawing equitable district lines for San Diego County Supervisors and Chula Vista City Councilmembers in compliance with the Voting Rights Act.

Kyle Overs

JKZ LLP

SDCBF CFO

Ruth Spillane

Fragomen Worldwide

SDCBF Secretary

Anne Beaumont

Office of County Counsel

SDCBF Past President

Anne Beaumont is a senior counsel with the firm's Environment, Energy & Resources practice. She has extensive experience representing clients in environmental, regulatory and litigation matters involving natural resources, tribal issues, telecommunications, land use and the siting and defense of large-scale infrastructure and energy projects.

Infrastructure Development and Natural Resources: Anne represents utilities, energy developers, and others in the development of cutting-edge energy and infrastructure projects. She has been involved in landmark transmission line and renewable energy projects in California and the Southwest.

Anne regularly represents clients before federal and state agencies, including the California Public Utilities Commission, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Park Service, California State and Regional Water Boards and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She advises clients on compliance with federal and state environmental statutes, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), federal and California Endangered Species Acts (ESA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA),Clean Water Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), Federal Aviation Act, and Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Administrative Proceedings and Enforcement Actions: Anne has extensive knowledge in administrative proceedings (including evidentiary and rule-making proceedings) and enforcement actions. These proceedings often relate to large-scale infrastructure project applications before state and federal agencies, complex telecommunications proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission and enforcement actions brought by federal and state agencies. In these administrative proceedings, Anne frequently works closely with expert witnesses, conducts discovery and prepares witness examinations, briefings and comments.

Complex Civil Litigation and Appeals: Anne also has substantial experience in complex civil litigation and appeals, representing clients in both state and federal court. Her litigation matters cover a wide range of topics, including environmental issues, natural resources, telecommunications, tribal matters and employment law. Her appellate experience includes challenges to federal and state approvals of infrastructure and energy projects and appeals from the California Public Utilities Commission.

Pro Bono: Anne maintains an active pro bono practice, representing clients in immigration court hearings and appeals regarding asylum and cancellation of removal. Her pro bono experience includes first-chairing a number of complicated immigration issues, including those raising issues of first impression. In addition to immigration matters, Anne’s pro bono work includes counseling nonprofits on a wide range of legal issues, including regulations governing nonprofit fundraising and National Park Service regulations.

Deborah Dixon Esq

The Dixon Firm, APC

SDCBF Director

Chris Evans

Latitude Legal

SDCBF Director

Jenn French

Lynch Carpenter LLP
SDCBF Director

Stacey Kartchner

Klinedinst

SDCBF Director

Gail King

California Bank & Trust
SDCBF Director

Cynthia Stratton

Stratton & Green
SDCBF Director

Jessica Lees

Lees Law
SDCBF Director

Suzy Marinkovich

Attorney at Law
SDCBF Director

Alana McMains

Law Office of Alana McMains
SDCBF Director

Alejandro Moreno

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton
SDCBF Director

Alejandro (“Alex”) Moreno is a partner in the Business Trial Practice Group in the firm's San Diego office and the firm’s 2021 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellow. Alex practices general business and commercial litigation in state and federal courts. He is also experienced in private dispute resolution and arbitration, including FINRA arbitration, and has succeeded on behalf of his clients after full arbitration and brokered favorable pre-arbitration settlements.

Alex also handles appeals in the California Court of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit. He represents clients in the banking and finance, mortgage, cannabis, hospitality, technology and telecommunications, restaurant and franchise, energy and extraction, and healthcare industries. He defends consumer class actions, securities litigation and shareholder derivative suits, cross-border litigation, and litigation for high-net-worth individuals and companies with a need for Spanish speaking counsel.

He has prevailed as named counsel in complex securities fraud class actions under Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act of 1934 and has defended derivative claims involving California, Nevada, and Delaware corporations. He is also experienced in the law of receivership and has managed the legal affairs of businesses placed into receivership.

Start-up companies turn to Alex to formalize their corporate governance, set up effective employee equity compensation plans, and analyze potential conflicts of interest to help them ramp up to Series A funding.

Alex lived for two decades in Mexico and Spain and applies his familiarity with Latin American culture to successfully solve legal disputes for Latin American clients. For example, he has successfully resolved labor disputes involving primarily Spanish speaking workforces.

He has also led and organized fact gathering investigations for U.S. companies with factories in Latin America.

A prolific writer, Alex regularly contributes to various legal blogs discussing developments in the law affecting public companies, issuers of securities, banking and finance regulations, the enforceability of arbitration agreements and class action waivers, and companies with business in Latin America. As part of his pro bono work, Alex has successfully resolved guardianship and immigration matters. He also regularly advises charities and public interest groups on regulatory and dispute resolution matters.

Christina Morgan

Buchalter

SDCBF Director

Stephanie Reynolds

Fisher & Phillips LLP
SDCBF Director

Maggie Schroedter

Robberson Schroedter LLP
SDCBF Director

Shannon Stein

Goodwin Brown Gross & Lovelace LLP
SDCBF Past President

Joe Villasenor Esq

University of San Diego School of Law
SDCBF Director

John Whittemore

Blanchard Krasner & French
SDCBF Director

Board of Directors

Scott Schindler

Mr. Scott Schindler​

Elidia Dostal

Ms. Elidia Dostal

Kyle Overs

Mr. Kyle Overs​

Ruth Spillane

Ms. Ruth Spillane​

Anne Beaumont

Ms. Anne Beaumont

Deborah Dixon Esq