Our Attorneys

Mark Davis, founding partner of Davis, Bengtson & Young, has earned a reputation as one of the best trial lawyers in Northern California. For more than two decades, Mr. Davis has consistently received an AV Preeminent (5.0 out of 5.0) rating under Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Program.

His extensive record of success has been formally recognized by San Jose Magazine, which named him among the top lawyers in the Silicon Valley Area. In 1998, he was elected as a member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

Since 1980, Mr. Davis has utilized his wealth of litigation and trial experience to effectively resolve hundreds of disputes as a judge pro tem, arbitrator and mediator. Outside of court, he is a professor of Torts at Lincoln Law School in San Jose and a frequent lecturer to numerous professional groups and associations.

Mr. Davis is married, has three children and is an avid UCLA Bruins fan. He enjoys traveling, golfing, and biking (has ridden in the 100 mile ride from Carmel, CA to Cambria, CA).

Education:

• UCLA School of Law, J.D.
• UCLA, B.A., Political Science, cum laude
• Pepperdine University School of Law, Malibu, CA., Mediation Courses

Areas of Practice:

• Litigation
• Personal Injury & Wrongful Death
• Employment Law (Wrongful Termination, Harassment, Discrimination and Retaliation)
• Premises Liability
• Mediation Services
• Defense of School Districts

Professional Lectures:

• California Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB)
• California Consumer Attorney’s Association (What’s New in Tort & Trial)
• Lorman Education Services (Real Evidence for the Trial Practitioner in California)
• The Rutter Group
• Santa Clara County Bar Association

Court Admissions:

• California Superior Courts
• U.S. District Courts
  • Central District
  • Eastern District
  • Northern District
• Federal Circuit Courts
  • Ninth Circuit

Memberships:

• State Bar of California
• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
• American Bar Association (Member, Section on Tort and Insurance Practice Law)
• Santa Clara County Bar Association
• Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association

Eric Bengtson is a partner at Davis, Bengtson & Young. He is involved in all aspects of litigation, including pre-trial work, law and motion practice, discovery, and trial. Mr. Bengtson primarily defends public entities and their employees against claims arising out of sexual abuse, employment discrimination and retaliation, special education abuse, wrongful death and personal injury. Mr. Bengtson also handles professional malpractice cases. He has earned defense verdicts on behalf of numerous clients and successfully argued multiple appeals in state and federal court. Mr. Bengtson has been formally recognized as one of Northern California’s Super Lawyer Rising Stars every year since 2012.

Outside the office, Mr. Bengtson enjoys running, cycling, skiing and spending time with his children and his dog Penny.

Education:

• Santa Clara University School of Law, J.D.
• University of Denver, B.S.B.A., International Business, honors

Areas of Practice:

• Tort Litigation
• Personal Injury & Wrongful Death
• Premises Liability
• Construction Litigation
• Landlord-Tenant Litigation
• Real Estate Disputes
• Product Liability
• Employment Law

Awards and Selections:

• CALI Excellence for the Future Award
• Trial Techniques
• Named Among Northern California’s Top Young Attorneys (San Francisco Magazine)
• Selected for inclusion in the Northern California Super Lawyer Rising Stars List

Professional Lectures:

• CLE Lecture: “The Art of Billing: How to Keep Clients Happy” (Santa Clara County Bar Association)
• CLE Lecture: “The Nuts and Bolts of Litigating Against Vexatious Litigants” (Santa Clara County Bar Association)
• CLE Lecture: “E-Discovery-Work Product and Privilege Issues” (Claims Conference of Northern California)
• CLE Lecture: “E-Discovery-Work Product and Privilege Issues” (Property Claims Association of the Pacific)

Court Admissions:

• California Superior Courts
• U.S. District Courts
  • Central District
  • Eastern District
  • Northern District
• Federal Circuit Courts
  • Ninth Circuit

Memberships:

• State Bar of California
• Alameda County Bar Association
• Santa Clara County Bar Association
• Santa Clara County Bar Association: Barristers Committee
• Santa Clara County Bar Association: Civil Practice Committee

Mr. Young, a founding partner of Davis, Bengtson and Young, has 45 years of experience in civil litigation. He has tried to verdict over 40 trials, conducted over 1,000 mediations, and served as a binding arbitrator in both medical malpractice and civil disputes. His experience includes tort, contracts, product liability, construction defects, and commercial contracts.

He recently received a Life Time Award from the Santa Clara Court for helping to resolve hundreds of cases while serving as Temporary Judge.

Mr. Young has been honored by being selected to the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates, and is fortunate to be selected among the “Top Lawyers of Silicon Valley Area” in the civil litigation area.

He completed a 40 hour course in “The Mediation Process” at Pepperdine University.

As a member of the Saratoga Rotary he traveled to Guatemala to assist a team performing cleft lip surgery. His hobbies include fly fishing, biking (one hundred mile ride on the Coast Highway), hiking, and canoeing down the Zambezi River in Zambia.

A few excerpts for “Recent Recommendations” below include: “he cuts to the chase” …”demonstrates tenacity and insight”…”quickly identifies the key issues”…”has always treated our clients fairly and in good faith”…”Phil is actually batting 100% for our firm”.

Recent Recommendations:

Click here to view comments from those who have used Mr. Young’s mediation services.

Education:

• UC Hastings College of the Law, JD. – Member of the Thurston Academic Honors Society
• UC Berkeley, B.A.
• Pepperdine University School of Law, Malibu, CA, Mediation Courses
• Bellarmine College Preparatory, San Jose, CA

Areas of Practice:

• Breach of Contract
• Mediation Services
• Fee Disputes between Clients and Attorneys

Memberships:

• American Board of Trial Advocates
• American Bar Association
• California Bar Association
• International Association of Defense Counsel
• Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• Saratoga Rotary

Court Admissions:

• California Superior Courts
• U.S. District Courts
  • Central District
  • Northern District
• Federal Circuit Courts
  • Ninth Circuit

Adam Davis is a partner at Davis, Bengtson & Young. He is involved in all aspects of the firm’s employment and tort law pre-lawsuit, litigation and trial work.

Before joining Davis, Bengtson & Young, Mr. Davis served as a judicial extern to the Hon. Jeremy Fogel, Judge for the United States District Court, Northern District of California. He also interned for the Hon. Socrates Manoukian, Judge for the Santa Clara County Superior Court. He helped indigent clients in the wake of Hurricane Katrina as a volunteer at New Orleans Legal Assistance (NOLAC) and has represented and advised underprivileged community members at the Katharine and George Alexander Community Law Center in San Jose.

Mr. Davis is actively involved in alumni-student connection programs at Bellarmine College Preparatory and is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker at Bay Area law schools and professional presentations. He served two terms as the Chairman of the Santa Clara County Bar Association’s Barristers Committee and has held several elected positions on the Board of Trustees for the Santa Clara County Bar Association.

Education:

• Santa Clara University School of Law, J.D.
• Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, B.S., Business Administration (Economics, minor), cum laude
• Bellarmine College Preparatory, San Jose, CA

Areas of Practice:

• Civil Litigation
• Personal Injury
• Premises Liability
• Employment Law (Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation, and Wrongful Termination)

Awards & Selections:

• Selected for inclusion in the Northern California Super Lawyers List
• National Trial Lawyers – Top 100 Civil Litigators
• National Trial Lawyers – Top 40 Under 40
• America’s Top 100 – Civil Defense Litigators
• Awarded “10 Best” In Client Satisfaction – American Institute of Legal Counsel
• Selected 10x for inclusion in the Northern California Super Lawyer Rising Stars List in every year of eligibility
• Named Among Northern California’s Top Young Attorneys (San Francisco Magazine)
• Rated “Superb” by Avvo.com, the highest rating level achievable
• Elite Lawyer Award (Civil Litigation)
• Included among America’s Most Honored Professionals – American Registry
• Recipient of the peer-voted Barrister of the Year Award – Santa Clara County
• National Honors Moot Court Competitor, Santa Clara University School of Law – Ruby Vale Interschool Moot Court Competition in Wilmington, DE
• Executive Board Member and Financial Director of the National Honors Moot Court Program – Santa Clara University School of Law
• Witkin Award
  • Legal Writing & Analysis
• CALI Excellence for the Future Awards
  • Constitutional Law
  • Jury Law & Strategies
  • California Civil Procedure
• ROAR Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement – Comerica Bank

Court Admissions:

• California Superior Courts
• U.S. District Courts
  • Central District
  • Northern District
• Federal Circuit Courts
  • Ninth Circuit

Memberships:

• State Bar of California
• Santa Clara County Bar Association- Executive Board Member
• Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association
• The Hon. William A. Ingram American Inns of Court
• Alumni Association of Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose

Steve Dippell is of counsel at Davis, Bengtson, & Young. Steve’s legal career spans over thirty years. He joined the firm after serving ten and a half years as a senior deputy city attorney for a large municipality where he handled litigation in the state and federal courts and in administrative proceedings, primarily pertaining to police practices, construction and personal injury. He also provided legal counsel in support of the city’s regulatory oversight of cardroom gaming and abatement of public nuisances.

Prior to his public service, Steve was assistant general counsel for a construction company for five years, providing legal counsel in support of the company’s operations, preparing an assortment of legal documents, and overseeing outside litigation counsel. He also learned how to operate a loader and drive a haul truck.

Mr. Dippell spent the first sixteen years of his legal career with a large law firm where he started while still in law school, had the opportunity to be mentored by some of the best lawyers in the region, and ultimately became a partner. Mr. Dippell’s practice was split between defending public entities in a variety of matters, often having to do with police practices, and handling large multi-party business and commercial litigation, including class actions.

Preceding and overlapping his legal career, Steve spent approximately twenty-six years in law enforcement, from a police cadet, to a dispatcher, police officer, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant, and finally, after embarking on the practice of law, as a reserve police officer until his “retirement” from the reserves in 2008.

Steve’s interests include music, motorcycles, golf, the San Francisco Giants, yoga, and playing the ukulele.

Education:

• Santa Clara University School of Law, J.D.
• University of San Francisco, B.A.

Court Admissions:

• California Superior Courts
• U.S. District Courts
  • Central District
  • Northern District
• Federal Circuit Courts
  • Ninth Circuit

Morgan West Hansen is an associate at Davis, Bengtson & Young. She is involved in all aspects of the firm’s employment and tort law litigation. Since becoming a member of the California State Bar in 2008, Ms. Hansen has handled a variety of civil matters, including business and civil litigation. She previously served as the Executive Director of the Walnut Creek Education Foundation where she led a group of volunteers to preserve and enhance local education.

Ms. Hansen earned her B.A. from U.C. Santa Barbara and her J.D. from The University of Oregon School of Law. Outside the office, Ms. Hansen remains busy with her husband and four children in Lafayette, California, where she has volunteered her time by serving on the Lafayette School District Revenue Committee.

Education:

• University of Oregon, School of Law, J.D.
• U.C. Santa Barbara, B.A.

Court Admissions:

• California Superior Courts
• U.S. District Courts
  • Central District
  • Eastern District
  • Northern District
• Federal Circuit Courts
  • Ninth Circuit

Brad Bening is of counsel at Davis, Bengtson, & Young. His practice focuses on the areas of business litigation, insurance, real estate, construction, intellectual property, corporate and partnership disputes, and professional liability. He also has an active practice serving as a mediator, special master and arbitrator, and conducts 75 to 100 mediations per year and has successfully mediated more than 2,000 matters. Mr. Bening has specialized in multifaceted insurance matters, business and construction for nearly a decade.

He is an avid mountain biker, skier, kayaker and swimmer.

Education:

• University of California at Davis School of Law, J.D., 1982
• California State University, Chico, B.A., Political Science, 1978 Cum Laude

Awards & Selections:

• The Best Lawyers in America, 2006 – Present
• Northern California Super Lawyer, 2005 – Present
• Best Lawyers, San Jose Insurance Law “Lawyer of the Year,” 2012
• “Lifetime Commitment to the Theater,” San Jose Children’s Musical Theatre, 2011
• Metro magazine, Best Litigator in Silicon Valley, 2011
• AV-Rated by Martindale Hubbell
• Bening Family Courtyard and Play Space, Dedication to Bening Family

Memberships:

• Children’s Musical Theater of San Jose, Mentor Adult Member, 1994 – Present
• Community Housing Developers, a Large Non-Profit Developer of Affordable Housing, Board Member, 1988 – Present
• Association of Defense Counsel, Member
• American Cancer Society, Board Member
• Artsopolis, Board Member
• California State Bar Association, Member
• Santa Clara County Bar Association, Member

Bruce D. MacLeod’s broad expertise encompasses general business litigation, professional malpractice claims, insurance coverage matters and construction-related claims. He has tried more than 20 cases in court, participated in numerous binding and non-binding arbitrations and attended approximately 1,000 depositions. Mr. MacLeod also has experience handling construction defect defense, contractor’s license bond, public entity and personal injury cases.

Originally from Glendale, California, Mr. MacLeod today lives in San Jose. He, his wife, and their two children all are avid San Jose Sharks fans.

Education:

• University of California, San Francisco, Hastings College of Law, J.D.
• University of California, Santa Cruz, B.A., Politics & Economics

Court Admissions:

• California Superior Courts
• U.S. District Courts
  • Northern District
• Federal Circuit Courts
  • Ninth Circuit

Awards & Selections:

• “Professional Lawyer of the Year,” SCCBA
• “Trial Lawyer of the Year,” Farmers Insurance, San Jose Office
• Northern California Super Lawyer

Memberships:

• California State Bar Association, Member
• Santa Clara County Bar Association, Member
• Brighton Square Improvement Association Past-President
• American Bar Association, Member
• Santa Clara County Bar Association Treasurer 2020
• Santa Clara County Bar Association Executive Committee, 2018 – 2020
• Santa Clara County Bar Association Board of Trustees, 2016 – 2020
• Santa Clara County Bar Association, President, 2022 – 2023

Griffin Cook is an attorney at Davis, Bengtson & Young. He is involved in all aspects of the firm’s litigation and trial practice.

Education:

• University of Oregon School of Law, J.D.
• University of Colorado at Boulder, B.A., Environmental Studies
• Bellarmine College Preparatory, San Jose, CA

Court Admissions:

• California Superior Courts

Areas of Practice:

• Tort Litigation
• Personal Injury
• Premises Liability
• Products Liability
• Employment Law (Harassment, Discrimination and Retaliation, and Wrongful Termination)

Susannah Ashton is an attorney at Davis, Bengtson & Young. Ms. Ashton has extensive civil litigation experience in a broad spectrum of cases involving labor/employment, civil rights, and personal injury. Originally from the Bay Area, Ms. Ashton attended law school in New York City, graduating from Brooklyn Law School in 2009.

Since her return to California, Ms. Ashton has practiced almost exclusively in the area of labor and employment law, defending government entities, large corporations, and small businesses in both state and federal courts across California, as well as agencies including the Civil Rights Department, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and California Labor Commissioner.

Ms. Ashton is licensed to practice law in California and New York. She resides in Monterey County.

Education:

• Brooklyn Law School, J.D.
• University of California, Santa Cruz, B.A., Psychology

Court Admissions:

• California Superior Courts
• U.S. District Courts
  • Central District
  • Northern District
• Federal Circuit Courts
  • Ninth Circuit
• New York Superior Court

Areas of Practice:

• Employment Law
• Tort Litigation
• Personal Injury

Dominic Aguirre is an attorney at Davis, Bengtson & Young. He is involved in all aspects of the firm’s civil litigation practice. Before joining the firm, Mr. Aguirre gained significant experience in a large workers’ compensation defense firm, which included the representation of public sector clients throughout Northern California.

In past years, Mr. Aguirre has served as a Research Assistant at Santa Clara University School of Law and dedicated volunteer efforts at the Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center and Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley, where he assisted with USCIS filings, provided client advice and counsel, and developed case strategies for vulnerable immigrant populations.

Education:

• University of California, Santa Cruz, B.A.
• Santa Clara University School of Law, J.D.

Court Admissions:

• California Superior Courts
• U.S. District Courts
  • Northern District