Speaker Bios

Mr. Hopkins is a licensed Professional Engineer and Architect with expertise in the design and performance of building envelope systems. In addition to his dual bachelor's degrees from Lehigh University, Mr. Hopkins has an MBA from the University of Chicago. He brings over thirty years of real-world design, project management, operations, and construction experience. Project experience includes residential, educational, commercial, retail, entertainment, heavy-industrial, municipal, and utility services. Mr. Hopkins is a seasoned negotiator and has been designated as a lead expert on numerous complex construction cases, including mediation, deposition, and trial testimony.

Mr. Hopkins heads up YA Groups National Construction Defect Practice. He performs all aspects of construction defect litigation support, including claims analysis, field inspection and documentation of defects, code review, as-built conditions, document review, cause and origin analysis, cost estimating, repair scope, financial analysis, and allocation of responsibility for developer and individual subcontractor clients.  In addition to evaluation of Architect / Engineer Standard of Care.

Mr. Hopkins is licensed in multiple states and holds NCARB and NCEES credentials.

ALAN PETLAK
Prior to joining Judicate West as a neutral in 2022, Alan spent over twenty years as a big firm litigator handling a variety of disputes from intake to trial. He has expertise in real estate, personal injury, consumer finance, employment, and securities and has litigated a wide variety of complicated business disputes. Since 2018, Alan has been a full-time mediator. Always prepared, Alan resolves disputes relying upon problem-solving techniques drawn from his many years of litigating and trying cases. He uses both a facilitative and evaluative approach to narrow the issues and focus the parties on settlement.

Alan strongly believes that every case can and should be resolved. He works with the parties to find common ground and simplify the issues in dispute. He listens, evaluates, and, at times, cajoles the parties into settlement. One attorney commented: “Alan is an excellent mediator who understands the psychology of the parties and arrives at a practical solution for all parties involved. He is very focused on problem-solving for both sides and knows how to reconcile the desires and needs of both parties that enter the process as adversaries.”
Practice Areas
Business/Contractual
Consumer Finance
Employment
Personal Injury
Professional Negligence
Real Estate
SecuritiesHobbies & Interests
Alan enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. An avid sports fan, he enjoys playing basketball and watching the Dodgers, Lakers and Rams.
Website
https://www.petlakmediation.com/
 

Tami G. Vail, Esq. is the Managing Partner of Kahana Feld’s San Diego office. Ms. Vail is the Chair of the Public Entity Counseling and Litigation practice group and Co-Chair of the General Liability practice group. Ms. Vail is a member of the National Appellate Litigation & Consulting Group.
Ms. Vail’s practice includes significant and diverse civil litigation and trial experience in both state and federal court.  Ms. Vail routinely defends hotels, health clubs and restaurants in general liability matters.  Ms. Vail also regularly represents governmental entities in personal and catastrophic injury, wrongful death and employment matters, as well as law enforcement and security personnel in civil rights claims.
Ms. Vail’s employment practice involves the representation of employers in matters involving the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), and claims of discrimination and harassment in violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Unruh Civil Rights Act.
Ms. Vail also represents contractors, business owners and various professionals in complex business and contract disputes.
Ms. Vail has both served as appellate monitoring counsel and has experience conceptualizing and drafting dispositive and other motions, writs, and briefs on significant and catastrophic property and casualty matters of all kinds.
Ms. Vail tenaciously defends her clients with razor sharp focus, and works diligently to understand her client’s operations and business while applying the applicable law.  Ms. Vail’s ability to thoroughly assess factual information in a calm and direct manner while analyzing potential exposure leads to satisfactory dispute resolution.

In addition to obtaining favorable outcomes for her clients, Ms. Vail loves spending time with her family and participating in school activities and sports with her two young sons.  Ms. Vail donates her time to the various charities her children’s school are involved in, including providing food and resources to underprivileged families.