Operations Team

Phil Blende

Phil Blende is the Director of Operations and Information Technology for the firm. Phil has known Greg and William since 2009 when they all worked together at another law firm in San Bernardino County. When Greg and William decided to start their own firm, they asked Phil to consult on putting together all the IT systems they would need. Phil continued to consult for the firm until 2016 when he was hired full time to run the Operations for the firm. His duties include overseeing day to day operations of the firm, business development, marketing, personnel, growth strategies, and IT. If asked, Phil will tell you that the thing he likes best about working for the firm is that he gets to work with longtime friends in the completion of a goal set over a decade ago. He also enjoys working with the staff of the firm. In his spare time, Phil enjoys golfing, playing poker, reading comic books, and spending as much time as he can with his wife and their cats, Hayleigh and Mongo.

Sam Miller

Since joining the firm in May 2015, Sam has assumed many different roles, including a two-year stint as a Case Manager. They are now our Operations Assistant, serving as Phil’s first mate in the world of IT. Sam’s favorite part about working at the firm is the tangible sense of accomplishment they get from every new task; they are constantly challenged and tested, and they relish every moment of it. In their spare time, Sam enjoys foreign cinema, professional wrestling, and working on a podcast they started with two dear friends.

April Bayonne

April joined the firm as a Client Service Representative in October 2017. She is now part of our Operations Team, spearheading the massive task of documenting our many processes and workflows. She received her J.D. from the William H. Bowen School of Law in 2014 and her M.B.A. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2016. With her extensive legal knowledge, she has already proven herself a critical asset to our Case Management team. In her spare time, April enjoys camping, hiking, and traveling, especially internationally. She is also working diligently to pass the California Bar Exam this year.