Mark E. Minyard is the founding and managing partner of Minyard Morris, a 20-lawyer firm limiting its practice to family law matters filed in Orange County, which was establish in 1977. Mr. Minyard received the 2022 Franklin G. West award from the Orange County Bar Association. This is the OCBA’s highest honor and is presented to outstanding attorneys and judges whose lifetime achievements have advanced justice and the law. Mark has been recognized as one of the top 100 lawyers in Southern California and one of the 50 top lawyers in Orange County by Super lawyers for many years. He is also listed in Best Lawyers in America by Best Lawyers. In 2025, The Daily Journal listed Mark, for the second year in a row, as the only Orange County Family law attorney on their list of top family law attorneys in the State of California. Mark is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Kay Anderle is a seasoned trial attorney, having tried over 100 jury trials to verdict. She represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of high-stakes commercial litigation and white collar cases. Chambers USA ranks her among the top commercial litigators in California, saying “She brings every skill set needed in full-service business litigation” and “is an expert trial lawyer with a wealth of experience acting for clients on issues ranging from shareholder litigation, intellectual property and business fraud. She also excels in white-collar criminal defense matters.”  Kay is a Senior Fellow of the invitation-only Litigation Counsel of America. She is also listed in The Law Dragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, among the most prestigious international legal directories, and Benchmark’s “Litigation Star.”

Kay began her legal career over 32 years ago in the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, where she spent 12 years prosecuting criminal cases. In 2004, she entered private practice, focusing on white collar criminal cases. Her negotiation and trial skills made her one of the most effective defense lawyers in Southern California.

Kayla Arnoni is a Partner on the Estate Planning and Wealth Management Group at Palmieri, Tyler, Wiener, Wilhelm & Waldron LLP.  Kayla assists clients with all aspects of their estates, including preparation of base estate plans, premarital and postnuptial agreements, succession planning, charitable planning, trust administration, and implementing advanced planning strategies. Kayla takes pride in crafting individualized plans for her clients that ensure their wishes are followed through and that allow for seamless transitions. On her down time, Kayla enjoys all things dance and exploring new places in OC to hike with her family and German Shepherd.

Var Fox is a principal of Judicate West and a member of the executive committee. In addition to helping grow and run the company, Var oversees legal matters, risk management and ethics for Judicate West. Var was one of Judicate West’s first Case Managers and continues to serve as a very effective trainer and mentor to the case management team. He is an expert on ADR rules and processes and uses this knowledge and experience to quickly assess the needs of clients; this is the reason so many JW clients seek his case consulting expertise in helping to select the right neutrals for their cases.

Var began his career in the ADR industry in 1990 with Judicate, Inc., The National Private Court System, located in New York. In 1993, he and his partner bought out the company’s West Coast interests and formed Judicate West. Since then, Var has been a guiding force in the outstanding growth and success of the firm. On the personal side, Var is active in many charitable endeavors, always looking to help those in need. Var holds a second-degree black belt in Kung Fu (which he earned in 2000), enjoys fitness daily and watching sports, his favorites being baseball and boxing.

Julian Freeman is a partner with Cox, Castle & Nicholson and co-leader of the firm’s Transactional Department.  He is also the co-leader of the firm’s Office, Industrial & Logistics industry group. 

Julian is recognized within the real estate community as a skilled and efficient dealmaker, with a particular emphasis in the commercial leasing arena. His practice focuses on acquisitions and dispositions, development, management of real estate assets, and office, industrial and retail leasing, representing national and regional office and industrial landlords, major office and industrial tenants, and regional shopping center owners.

Since 2007, Julian has drafted and negotiated leases and lease amendments for more than 30 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space located throughout the United States, including the largest annual office lease in Orange County three times: in 2014 (191,000 feet), 2020 (260,000 feet) and 2021 (640,000 feet), each as identified by the Orange County Business Journal.  Notably, the 640,000-square-foot office lease he completed in 2021 was one of the largest office leases in the history of Orange County and the deal was recognized as NAIOP SoCal’s “Deal of the Year” at its inaugural awards dinner.

In addition, Julian was recognized by Real Estate Forum magazine as one of the 2018 class of 50 Under 40, was twice recognized as an OC Visionary in 2022 and 2023 by Orange County Visionaries magazine, and was selected by GlobeSt. as a 2025 Influencer in Industrial Real Estate.

Melissa Gorin is a returning Food From The Bar advisory board member and the Director of Marketing at Judicate West, where she leads strategic initiatives to elevate the organization’s presence in the legal community. With more than 15 years of experience in the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) industry, Melissa also focuses on business development and neutral practice management. Outside of the office, she has a passion for travel and enjoys exploring new destinations.

John C. Manly is the nation’s preeminent attorney representing victims of sexual abuse and assault. Over the past 25 years, John and his legal team have been heavily involved in the most significant sexual abuse actions litigated across the nation, assisting in the recovery of nearly two billion dollars-through trial and settlement-on behalf sexual abuse victims.

Mr. Manly is a 1986 graduate of the University of Southern California with a degree in International Relations and a certificate in Defense and Strategic Studies. He received his law degree from Pepperdine University in 1990. He is licensed to practice law in California, New York, Arizona, Alaska and numerous Federal Courts. He also proudly served as an Intelligence Officer in the United States Navy Reserve from 1993 until 2004. He resides in Newport Beach, California and Hamilton, Montana.

John Manly is a formidable advocate for victims’ rights and against the criminals who would hurt them.

Garett Sleichter represents public and private clients in a variety of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, SEC reporting, securities and capital markets, corporate finance, and general company representation. Garett has a passion for helping companies succeed and prides himself on taking a practical, business-minded approach to his practice. Garett has completed over 100 M&A transactions ranging in size from the low millions to over $1 billion and serves as outside general counsel to over 40 companies ranging from start-ups to those with revenues in the hundreds of millions.