Biographies
Jason B. Friedman
Partner
Jason B. Friedman specializes in the areas of housing and habitability law. Mr. Friedman earned a J.D. from Loyola Law School and received the school’s First Honors Award.
He began his legal career working as an Immigration attorney for Catholic Charities. Before enrolling in law school, Mr. Friedman played professional baseball in the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and Seattle Mariners organizations. During his professional baseball career, he attended U.C. Riverside in the off-season. Upon concluding his baseball career, Mr. Friedman completed his undergraduate education at California State University, Long Beach. After that, Mr. Friedman worked as a teacher at Hawthorne Middle School while attending Loyola Law School.
Mr. Friedman is licensed to practice in California, Nevada, New York, and Massachusetts. He resides in Southern California with his wife and two kids.
Education
- California State University of Long Beach, English major
- Loyola Marymount School of Law
Christofer R. Chapman
Partner
Christofer R. Chapman has specialized in housing and habitability law. Mr. Chapman has previous experience with construction and product defect litigation and mold claims. He has defended corporations, private individuals, and insurance companies, emphasizing the defense of high-profile construction injury and defect actions for construction companies, manufacturers, design professionals, developers, general contractors, and subcontractors. In addition to his trial work, Mr. Chapman has extensive experience with court-ordered and binding arbitration and mediation.
Before coming to Long Beach, he began his legal career with defense firms in the Inland Empire and Orange County. Born in Zaragoza, Spain, Mr. Chapman is fluent in Spanish. He has two kids and lives in Southern California with his wife.
Education
- Bachelors of Arts Spanish & History, 1982
- Masters of Arts Secondary Education, 1984
- Southwestern University School of Law, 1990
Organizations
- Inns of Court
- American Bar Associations
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Paul Christensen
Senior Counsel
Mr. Christensen graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2003. Mr. Christensen was the Titles Editor of the Law Review, and President of the Student Bar Association.
A member of the State Bars of California and Michigan, the Federal District Courts in California and Michigan, as well as the 6th and 9th Circuit Courts of Appeal, Mr. Christensen has spent the past 18 years representing individual and business clients in a wide range of matters in State and Federal Courts across the country.
Although born and raised in Farmington Hills, Michigan, Mr. Christensen currently lives in Orange County.
Paul Christensen specializes in housing and habitability law.
Roy Diaz
Roy Diaz joined Friedman & Chapman, LLP in 2022 after serving as in-house counsel for Farmers Insurance where he defended habitability and Homeowner Association (HOA) lawsuits. His professional background includes defending the interests of public and private entities and individuals involved in complex civil matters, catastrophic injuries and civil right violations in both State and Federal Court. Mr. Diaz focuses his practice exclusively in habitability law and protecting tenant rights.
Mr. Diaz earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and English Literature from Whittier College in 1998. In 2001, Mr. Diaz graduated from Southwestern Law School. Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Diaz spent nearly two and half decades as a sworn officer in law enforcement with the Los Angeles Police Department, San Bernardino Police Department and the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office. Mr. Diaz worked a variety of assignments, including homicide, leading the investigation in several high-profile critical incidents, uses of force, and public integrity matters.
Mr. Diaz was born and raised in Los Angeles. He is fluent in Spanish and passionate about helping his community.
Mr. Diaz is licensed to practice in all California Courts and the United States District Court of Central California.
Andrew J. Haughton
Senior Trial Counsel
Drew joins our firm as Lead Trial Counsel having tried over 100 jury trials to verdict in a wide range of diverse forums including Court-Martials, Civil Jury Trials and Criminal Misdemeanor and Felony cases.
Following his graduation from Whittier College School of Law, Mr. Haughton served as a Captain in the USMC as a prosecutor and defense Counsel stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Mr. Haughton acted as lead trial counsel in numerous Court-Martials (The military version of a jury trial) in either defending Marines charged with violations of the UCMJ or prosecuted Marines on behalf of the Commanding officers of elements of the 8th and 10th Marine Regiments of the 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Forces II.
Following his discharge from active duty, Mr. Haughton subsequently joined the civil defense firm of Ford, Walker, Haggerty and Behar. He participated in the full scope of case work defending clients on behalf of the Automobile Club of America. During his 5 years at the firm, he successfully tried five jury trials.
In 2001, Mr. Haughton joined the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. and served as a prosecutor until retiring from their office as a Senior Deputy District Attorney in 2022. During that time, he tried to verdict well over 80 misdemeanor and felony cases. Mr. Haughton successfully prosecuted some of the Orange Counties most complex and serious criminal cases while part of the Sexual Assault Unit, Target/Gang Unit and Insurance Fraud Unit. He finished his career as part of the management team helping to train the next generation of trial attorneys for the OCDA’s office.
Mr. Haughton specializes in habitability cases with an emphasis in trial preparation and trial practice. He is licensed in California and Pennsylvania
Education
- University of California, Irvine, BA Political Science
- Whittier College School of Law, JD
Claudia Borsutzki
Senior Counsel
Claudia Borsutzki focuses her practice on landlord-tenant, housing and habitability law. Her prior experience includes complex civil litigation, catastrophic injury, products liability, toxic tort, subrogation and medical malpractice cases.
Claudia obtained her law degree from the Westfälische Wilhelms University in Münster, Germany in 2004. Thereafter, she completed her two-year legal traineeship at the Higher Regional Court in Hamm, Germany. In 2007, Claudia relocated to Los Angeles and began her legal career at a well-known defense litigation firm. She started as a paralegal representing German clients in her capacity as German counsel before successfully completing the California Bar Exam. She then worked as in-house counsel for a third-party insurance administrator where she burnished her litigation skills in defending residential and commercial property owners in premises liability, habitability and discrimination claims. Thereafter, Claudia worked at two reputable firms where her practice focused on medical malpractice, elder abuse, landlord-tenant and habitability law.
Claudia is licensed to practice in all California state courts, the United States District Court for the Central and Northern Districts of California, the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, and all German courts.
Education
- Westfälische Wilhelms University in Münster, Germany, 2004
- J.D. equivalent, 2006
Bar Admissions
- Germany, 2006
- California, 2013
Languages
- German
- English
Geoffrey A. Bowen
Attorney