Laughlin, Falbo, Levy & Moresi LLP

Focus and practice areas

Laughlin, Falbo, Levy & Moresi LLP works on one side of the workers' compensation system. The firm defends claims for insurers, employers, third-party administrators, and public entities across California. The firm defends, so its work begins when a worker files a claim against a client. That defense role shapes how the firm is organized, and it explains the mix of state and federal matters the firm lists.

Workers' compensation in California runs through the state's Division of Workers' Compensation and its appeals board. A defended claim can move from an initial filing through medical evaluation and depositions to a settlement or a hearing before a workers' compensation judge. Defense counsel manages that process for the payer, which means review of medical evidence, questions about the extent of an injury, and representation at each hearing. In my opinion, a firm that has focused this tightly on one function tends to know the procedural ground well.

The range of matters handled

Beyond the core defense work, the firm names several related areas. It handles Labor Code Section 132a discrimination claims and Labor Code Section 4553 petitions for serious and willful misconduct. Both sit inside the workers' compensation code. Each one carries its own penalties, so each calls for separate handling. A Section 132a claim argues that an employer punished a worker for filing for benefits. A Section 4553 petition asks the board to raise an award when an injury flowed from serious and willful misconduct.

Subrogation is the process of recovering payments from a responsible third party. When a work injury involves someone outside the employment relationship, the payer can seek to recoup what it spent. The firm also takes maritime injury work under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act and the Jones Act. The Longshore Act covers many dockside and harbor workers, and the Jones Act covers seamen hurt in the course of their work. Disability retirement under CERL and PERS is the last injury-related area. Public employees under those systems can apply to retire on the ground of a disabling condition, and the firm's role is to represent the employer or agency in that review.

Public and educational entity defense

The firm keeps distinct practice groups for public agencies and educational entities. These groups represent cities, counties, fire districts, and school districts. School districts and fire districts run their own risk pools, and defense counsel steps in when an employee files a claim against one of them. Public employers face their own statutory rules and budget limits, which is part of why a dedicated group fits that work.

How the firm is built

The firm started in 1985 with 14 attorneys. It now states that it has over 100 attorneys, and a banner on the home page marks 40 years. Growth from 14 attorneys to more than 100 over four decades points to a firm that grew with the state's insured workforce. As a reviewer, I read that longevity as a sign of steady demand for the firm's service.

The firm describes itself as the first to offer statewide workers' compensation defense representation in California. It operates from offices in Concord, Fresno, Glendale, Oakland, Costa Mesa, Redding, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose. Correspondence and checks go to the Sacramento office. The firm also reports that it is over 50% women and minority owned.

The client base follows from the defense focus. Insurance carriers, third-party administrators, and self-insured employers appear across the attorney bios as the parties the firm represents. Public entities form the other main group, through the public agency and educational teams. A firm that represents both private and public payers works across the span of California's comp system.

The people named on the site

The attorney pages give names, offices, and the year each person joined. Seeta Ambati manages the San Jose office and joined the firm in 2001. Omar A. Behnawa manages the Orange County and San Bernardino offices and joined in 2008. The managing-partner titles show that each office runs with its own lead attorney who is accountable for its cases.

The associate ranks span the state. Names include Olivia Ahlswede in San Jose, Donald E. Applegate, III in San Francisco, Nadean H. Azzam in Orange County, and Brigget K. Barrios and John J. Bostanzoglou in Sacramento. Recent additions include Cecilia D. Barnes in Fresno and Philip M. Belmonte in San Diego, both with 2025 join years, along with Terra M. Bilhorn in San Jose. Join years run from the early 2000s through 2026, which points to continued hiring across offices. Each attorney listing links to a fuller biography.

Client resources and reach

The firm publishes newsletters and flash bulletins, and it runs client training. For an insurer or employer managing a large book of claims, that kind of regular briefing helps keep an internal team current. California's comp rules change through legislation and board decisions, and a steady bulletin helps a claims team track them. In my opinion, the training work points to a firm that treats client education as part of the service.

The statewide office network is the other practical feature. A claim can arise anywhere in California, and a firm with offices across the state can staff a hearing near where the injury happened. That reach pairs with a single defense focus. Both features come straight from the firm's own pages.