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DENNIS MEDEROS

PARTNER

BIO

Dennis A. Mederos was born and raised on a farm west of Tulare, California. He is a graduate of Tulare Western High School (1969), College of the Sequoias (1971), and he graduated Cum Laude in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He attended San Joaquin College of Law in Fresno and graduated in 1977 having been conferred the degree of Juris Doctor. He was admitted to the practice of law in December of 1977 in both the state of California and the Eastern District of California in the United States District Court.     

 

Mr. Mederos began his practice of law with the Fresno County Public Defender's Office in 1978 and later joined the law firm of Soares and Rowson (the predecessor firm to Horswill, Mederos & Soares) as an associate in February, 1980. He has practiced law in the County of Tulare for over 30 years and has an emphasis in the general practice of the law with a specific focus in the field of agriculture. He handles criminal and civil litigation, transactional matters, agricultural and dairy leases, dairy water agreements, easements, real property transactions, business law, probate and estate planning.

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Mr. Mederos married his wife Cathy in 1979 and they reside in Tulare, California. They have three children; Melissa, Megan and Michael. His wife Cathy is a past board member and past president of the Tulare City Historical Society. She is also currently a board member with the Tulare Youth Services Bureau and is an elected Board Member of the Tulare Joint Union High School District of which she is currently the President. His daughter Melissa graduated from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in 2004 and is currently an Constituent Liaison for Congressman Devin Nunes of Tulare (21st District of California). His daughter Megan graduated in 2006 from the University of Southern California (USC) and his son Michael attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and currently lives in the Los Angeles area.

 

SERVICE AND ACCOLADES:

  • Board of Trustees, Tulare County American Cancer Society

  • Board of the COS Foundation

  • Past President of the Tulare-Angra do Heroismo Sister City Foundation

  • President of the Tulare County Cabrillo Club

  • Roma Lodge of the Sons of Italy

  • Past chairman for the Tulare Joint Union High School Boundary Redistricting Committee

  • Two-time recipient of the American Cancer Society's Esther Greenberg Memorial Award

  • Association of California School Administrators Golden Apple Award

  • Past President and board member of the Tulare County Bar Association

  • General Counsel for the Tulare Chamber of Commerce

  • General Counsel Tulare Industrial Site Development Foundation

  • Founding committee for the Tulare County Community Focus Court Planning Team.

DENNIS MEDEROS
JOSEPH SOARES
JOSEPH SOARES

PARTNER

BIO

Joseph was born and raised on the family farm in Tulare, where he worked for a number of years before returning back to school.  Joseph received his Juris Doctorate in 2000 at Cal Northern School of Law and return to his hometown, where he was admitted to the practice of law with the State Bar of California and the Eastern District of California in the United States District Court in 2001.

 

Joseph began his legal career with the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, gaining valuable courtroom and jury trial experience.  In 2002, he joined the firm of Horswill, Mederos & Dorman (the predecessor firm to Horswill, Mederos & Soares), where he became a partner in 2004.  Joseph makes his home in Tulare with his wife, Deanne and their daughter, Madasyn.  In the past, they have opened their home to Rotary exchange students, Pauli from Ecuador, Petch from Thailand, Mehmet from Turkey and Tanguy from Belgium.  Joseph continues to be an attorney coach for the Tulare Union High School Mock Trial, which he has done since 2004.  In his spare time he enjoys golfing and spending time with family.

 

Joseph has extensive experience in the courtroom, including jury and court trials, both in the civil and criminal arena.  Joseph has also appeared and successfully argued several cases before the Fifth District Court of Appeals. 

 

Joseph has also appeared before the United States District Court Eastern District and the United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of California, successfully representing creditors, in adversary proceedings, trials and confirmation hearings.

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AREAS OF PRACTICE:

  • Business Formation and Transaction

  • Real Property Transaction and Litigation

  • Business and Corporate Litigation

  • Collections Matters

  • Labor Matters

  • Estate Planning

  • Criminal Matters

ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS:

  • Tulare County Bar Association; Member and Board Member

  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers; Member

  • Tulare City Historical Society; Past President

  • Tulare Angra deHeroismo Sister City Foundation; Secretary and Trustee

  • Tulare County Cabrillo Club; Member

  • Graduate of Leadership Tulare, Chamber of Commerce

BRANDON ORMONDE
BRANDON ORMONDE

PARTNER

BIO

       Brandon was born and raised on a family farm and dairy in Tulare, CA where he worked while growing up through high school.  Brandon then began his college education at College of the Sequoias and later transferred to California State University, Fresno, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture Business in 2006.

        Upon completion at Fresno State, Brandon worked for Tulare Lake Base and Water Storage District as a resource analyst before continuing his pursuit of a legal education.  Brandon received his Juris Doctorate from San Joaquin College of law in 2010.  Upon completion of his legal education, he was admitted to the practice of law with the State Bar of California and the Eastern and Northern District California of the United States District Court. 

         Brandon began his legal career in 2008 with the law office of Horswill, Mederos & Soares (the predecessor firm of Horswill, Mederos, Soares & Ormonde) where he started as a law clerk.  Upon passing the bar in 2010, he became an associate attorney until 2015 when he became a partner in the firm now known as the law office of  Horswill, Mederos, Soares & Ormonde.

         Brandon currently lives in Tulare, California and he married to Shannon Ormonde, formerly Trigueiro.  Brandon and Shannon have a daughter, Hayden, and a son, Hunter.

         Brandon has experience in litigation and succesfully representing creditors, credit unions, farmers, clients in family disolution and custody disputes,a nd general civil litigation and disputes.

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AREAS OF PRACTICE:

  • Credit Union Collections

  • Creditor Recovery

  • Landlord/Tenant

  • Family Law

  • Business/Corporation Formation, Transaction, and Litigation

  • Real Property Transaction and Litigation

  • Business and Corporate Litigation

  • Collections Matters

  • Estate Planning

ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS:

  • Tulare County Bar Association; Member and Board Member

  • Tulare Noon Kiwanis; Member and Past President

  • St. Aloysius Catholic Church; Fatima Parade Chairman

  • Tulare County Cabrillo Club; Member

  • Graduate of Leadership Tulare, Chamber of Commerce

  • Tulare Western High School Mock Trial Attorney Coach

ERIKA RASCON
ERIKA RASCON

ASSOCIATE

BIO

     Erika grew up on her family’s ranch located in the outskirts of Caruthers, California.  Erika attended elementary school at St. Aloysius School in Tulare, California.  At the age of 17 she moved with her family to Visalia, California.  In 2005, she graduated from Tulare Western High School.

     Erika began her college education at the College of the Sequoias before briefly attending Santa Barbara City College.  Later, Erika moved to Fresno and earned her Bachelors of Science Degree in criminology with a law enforcement emphasis at California State University Fresno.  During college she interned at the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office and at local law offices.  In 2011, Erika began law school at San Joaquin College of Law.  During her law school years she worked in the field of criminal defense.  In 2014, Erika became a law clerk at Horswill, Mederos, Soares & Ormonde.  In 2015 Erika graduated from San Joaquin College of Law and received her degree as a Juris Doctor.  Erika was admitted to practice law in the State of California and in the Eastern District of California United States District Court.  Immediately upon admission to the State Bar of California, Erika was hired as an Associate Attorney at Horswill, Mederos, Soares & Ormonde.

     Erika participates in the general practice of law.  Her practice areas include employment law, civil litigation, criminal law, contract law, transaction work, probate and bankruptcy.  

     Erika is a member of the Tulare County Bar Association.  Erika looks forward to further serving her community.

     Erika currently lives in Visalia, California with her husband Matthew.  They are expecting to welcome their daughter in February 2017. 

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