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
Partner
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
Partner
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
Geoffrey A. Bowen specializes in the areas of landlord-tenant, housing, and habitability law. In 2012, Mr. Bowen earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) –English Language & Literature and Philosophy. Following his undergraduate studies, Mr. Bowen worked in the entertainment industry where he represented celebrities for commercial endorsements, working both in-office and on-site at numerous productions.
Mr. Bowen returned to school in 2018 and earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California (USC) Gould School of Law in 2021. In addition to his J.D., Mr. Bowen also earned the school’s Business Law Certificate. During his studies, Mr. Bowen externed at the UCLA School of Law’s Veteran Legal Clinic on the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration Campus where he assisted veterans with numerous legal issues, including service connection and housing related issues. He also TA’d the Real Estate Law Transactions course.
After graduating from USC Gould School Of Law, Mr. Bowen passed the California Bar Examination in 2021 on his first try. Upon being licensed, he began working for insurance companies, defending their insureds against lawsuits. During this time, Mr. Bowen worked in a wide range of practice areas including personal injury, premises liability, homeowner association disputes, and habitability lawsuits. After learning how insurance companies work from the inside, Mr. Bowen joined the Plaintiffs’ Bar in 2023 where he now fights on behalf of tenants.
In his free time, Mr. Bowen enjoys spending time with his wife and son, collecting and playing records, hiking, and travelling the world in search of the perfect wave.
Mr. Bowen lives in Los Angeles and is licensed to practice in California.
Kimberly Hernandez
Attorney
Kimberly Hernandez is an Associate Attorney at Friedman & Chapman, LLP. She has unique experience in litigation, having handled professional liability, medical malpractice, business, real estate, and probate cases in multiple jurisdictions throughout California prior to joining the firm.
Born and raised in Southern California, Kimberly graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a double-major in Feminist Studies and Chicanx Studies. She then proceeded to earn her Juris Doctorate degree from Southwestern Law School. During her time in law school, Kimberly earned extensive experience as a judicial extern for the Honorable Dean D. Pregerson, Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. While attending Southwestern Law School, Kimberly also served as a member of the International Law Journal Program and participated in the 2021 National Moot Court Competition hosted by the Hispanic National Bar Association.
While not advocating for her clients, Kimberly enjoys baseball and softball, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends.
Education
- B.A. Feminist Studies, Chicano Studies - University of California, Santa Barbara
- J.D. - Southwestern Law School
Bar Admissions
- California, 2023
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Viterbo L. Valera
Attorney
Viterbo “Bob” Valera brings over 25 years of litigation experience in both state and federal courts to serve our clients at Friedman & Chapman. With a focus on representing tenants, homeowners, and other plaintiffs in lawsuits against property managers, landlords, and insurers, Bob draws on his decades of experience and deep insight in the landlord-tenant industry.
Prior to joining Friedman & Chapman, Bob served as Senior Trial Attorney for Farmers Insurance handling habitability lawsuits. He has also represented several major insurance companies in complex litigation in bad faith lawsuits and insurance coverage matters. His work included evaluating suspect claims and advising on key coverage issues such as the duty to defend and duty to settle disputes.
Bob also has experience representing contractors and construction professionals in California, Nevada, and Hawaii in construction defect lawsuits and contract disputes and negotiations involving apartment complexes, large residential communities, and commercial and industrial developments.
Before law school, Bob worked in the property management and maintenance business involving numerous apartment buildings throughout Los Angeles. Bob served as a liaison with HUD and the City of Los Angeles building inspectors to ensure repairs and seismic retrofitting of apartment buildings damaged in the 1994 Northridge Earthquake for the benefit of tenants.
Education
- B.A. Business Administration, Finance - California State University, San Bernardino
-
J.D., University of San Diego Law School
- Associate Editor, San Diego Law Review
- Judicial Extern, Magistrate Judge Larry A. Burns
Armen A. Avakian
Attorney
Armen Avakian joined Friedman & Chapman, LLP in 2025 after spending almost 20 years as an associate and later partner at a powerhouse insurance defense litigation firm in Long Beach, California where he handled all aspects of a wide-variety of personal injury and wrongful death cases from inception through trial, including automobile, premises liability, dog bites, real property, landlord/tenant, assault & battery, homeowner associations, and harassment, throughout California. Mr. Avakian has tried numerous cases to verdict, and has resolved hundreds of cases through mediation and successful law and motion practice. Mr. Avakian now focuses his practice exclusively on habitability law and protecting tenants’ rights.
Mr. Avakian earned a Bachelor of Art degree in History and Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley in 1999. In 2004, Mr. Avakian graduated from Santa Clara Law School and passed the California Bar Exam on his first try. He was admitted to the State Bar in 2005 and has been a member in good standing ever since.
Mr. Avakian is licensed to practice in all California Courts and the United States District Court of Central California.
Mr. Avakian was born (first generation) and raised in Huntington Beach, California. He is proud of his heritage (Armenian) which helped fashion him into a champion for the ‘underdog’. Mr. Avakian obtains justice through litigation, trials, and settlements, bringing economic justice to people while also making the world fairer and safer.
In his spare time, Mr. Avakian enjoys spending quality time with his wife, two daughters, and their dog “Sadie”. He also loves to cook, watch football, travel, listen to music and attend concerts.
Education
- B.A. Feminist Studies, Chicano Studies - University of California, Santa Barbara
- J.D. - Southwestern Law School
Bar Admissions
- California, 2023
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Enrique Zuniga
Attorney
Enrique Zuniga brings extensive experience in legal regulation, professional responsibility, and public protection to Friedman & Chapman, LLP. Over the course of Mr. Zuniga’s career at the State Bar of California, he served in key roles investigating and prosecuting attorney-misconduct matters, admissions issues, as well as combating the unauthorized practice of law.
After more than thirteen years dedicated to protecting the public, Mr. Zuniga now focuses on habitability law and tenant-rights litigation. His transition reflects a natural shift from safeguarding Californians from attorney misconduct to directly advocating for individuals and families facing unsafe or unlawful housing conditions. He brings a community-centered approach to his work, committed to serving vulnerable populations.
Mr. Zuniga earned his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his Juris Doctor from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, where he interned at the Washtenaw County Public Defender’s Office. Born and raised in Boyle Heights in Los Angeles, he is fluent in Spanish and remains passionate about supporting his community through legal representation.
Mr. Zuniga is licensed to practice in California.
Education
- B.A. Business Administration, Finance - California State University, San Bernardino
-
J.D., University of San Diego Law School
- Associate Editor, San Diego Law Review
- Judicial Extern, Magistrate Judge Larry A. Burns
Anayensy De La Cruz-Zepeda
Attorney
Anayensy De La Cruz-Zepeda joins Friedman & Chapman as an associate, bringing a strong commitment to social justice and the protection of tenants’ rights. Born and raised in Long Beach, California, she is a proud daughter of immigrants and has devoted her work to supporting underrepresented communities that have long faced systemic inequality. Ms. Zepeda earned her J.D. from Southwestern Law School, graduating with honors, and her practice focuses on advocating for tenants and helping build a fairer housing system. She is licensed to practice in all California courts and the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
Before beginning her legal career, Anayensy earned her bachelor’s degrees in political science and Chicano studies from California State University, Long Beach. During that time, she was actively involved in housing justice and immigrant rights organizations. She also founded a housing committee, where she led community workshops to educate tenants about their rights.
As a Spanish speaker, Anayensy is committed to providing legal representation that is effective, accessible, and culturally informed. Her work is guided by the belief that everyone—regardless of income, language, or background—deserves dignity, stability, and full protection under the law.
Education
- B.A. Feminist Studies, Chicano Studies - University of California, Santa Barbara
- J.D. - Southwestern Law School
Bar Admissions
- California, 2023
Languages
- English
- Spanish
