Attorneys
838 S. Main Street, Suite E, Salinas, CA 93901 | 831-755-1311
340 Soquel Avenue, Suite 212, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 | 831-426-5200
B. James Fitzpatrick,
Attorney at Law
David Spini,
Attorney at Law
Charles Swanston,
Attorney at Law
Ellen Lyons,
Attorney at Law
B. James Fitzpatrick is a native Californian. He attended the University of California at Santa Barbara and received his undergraduate degree in history in 1983. Thereafter, he attended and graduated from the University of Santa Clara School of Law in 1986.
Mr. Fitzpatrick has over twenty years of experience as a trial lawyer. He frequently serves as a mediator and arbitrator for lawsuits pending in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. He has represented clients before the Equal Opportunity Commission and the Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
Mr. Fitzpatrick’s current clients include both fortune 500 companies and private individuals. He enjoys a diverse practice involving most areas of civil litigation with an emphasis on employment and personal injury matters.
Mr. Swanston graduated from McGeorge School of Law in 1995 with distinction, where he became a member of the Roger J. Traynor Honor Society. He completed his undergraduate work at University of California, Santa Cruz, where he majored in literature, graduated magna cum laude and was made a member of the Upsilon Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. He worked under special contract with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for a short time and then began practicing with James Fitzpatrick.
Mr. Swanston’s practice focuses on employment litigation, including sexual harassment, retaliation, discrimination, misclassification, overtime and various wage and hour lawsuits; personal injury, including motor vehicle accidents, dog bite, slip and fall, and dangerous property cases; public entity liability, including civil rights violations; real property cases, including landslide, water diversion, flood, earth movement and subsidence, easement and boundary disputes; federal practice; appeals and petitions for writs of mandamus and prohibition; and various business torts and breach of contract types lawsuits. He is licensed to practice before all courts of in the State of California, as well as the federal district courts for the northern and eastern districts of California.
Mr. Swanston is very active in the local community, where he teaches courses at the Monterey College of Law and has coached local high school Mock Trial teams, taking a number of them to state finals.
David Spini received his Bachelor and Masters of Business Administration degrees from Santa Clara University, where he also graduated from law school in 1990. Upon graduation from law school, he joined the Watsonville law firm of Grunsky, Ebey, Farrar & Howell, as an associate, eventually becoming a partner. He left that firm in 2002 to join B. James Fitzpatrick and Charles Swanston in the formation of Fitzpatrick, Spini & Swanston. Mr. Spini has been lead attorney in over thirty jury trials in Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Clara Counties, representing both plaintiffs and defendants.
Mr. Spini is a member of the California State Bar, and is admitted to practice in all State Courts as well as U.S. District Courts in the Northern and Eastern Districts of California. In addition, he is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the American Trial Lawyers Association, and the Santa Cruz County Bar Association. He has served as a judge pro tem for the Santa Cruz Superior Court, and frequently serves as both a court appointed and private arbitrator.
Mr. Spini's practice focuses on the litigation of personal injury actions, including motor vehicle accidents, dangerous premises, mold or other biocontaminant related illness, catastrophic injury and wrongful death; landlord-tenant issues including unlawful detainer and wrongful eviction, breach of contract or warranty, and discrimination; real estate disputes involving easements, rights of way, land subsidence and breach of disclosure and other contractual issues; construction law and construction defects, and business disputes.
Ellen Lyons was raised and educated in Hong Kong and returned to the United States to attend Santa Clara University, graduating in 1985 with a degree in Marketing in 1985. She obtained her law degree from University of San Francisco School of Law in 1988. Ms. Lyons distinguished herself in law school, receiving the American Jurisprudence Award in Contracts, the award for Best Oral Argument in Moot Court Competition and becoming a member of Law Review.
Ms. Lyons’ practice focuses on the litigation of personal injury actions, including motor vehicle accidents, premises liability and defamation. Her practice also includes water intrusion, land subsidence issues and employment matters. Ms. Lyons is an experienced litigator who has successfully represented her clients, both plaintiffs and defendants, in numerous trials, mediations and arbitrations.
As a member of the California State Bar, Ms. Lyons is admitted to practice in all State Courts as well as the U.S. District Courts in the Northern and Eastern Districts of California. She is also a member of the Monterey County Bar Association and the Central Coast Human Resource Association.
