Long Beach Office:
444 W. Ocean Blvd.,
Suite 400
Long Beach
California 90802
(562) 432-8421
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Marilyn Green & Don Pekich
In 1971 Dick Cantrell and Marilyn Green formed
Cantrell and Green, a law firm devoted to the representation of disabled
workers. While other firms were turning to advertising to
boost business, Dick and Marilyn trusted in the long term rewards of referrals
from satisfied clients. They made the firm the most respected workers' compensation firm in the Long Beach area and,
as time passed, one of the most respected in the state. It was their conviction, one that prevails today, that our firm's success
depends on our ability to give our clients the best legal representation
possible.
Don was invited to become a partner in 1981. He, Marilyn and Dick created a unique team of legal representatives with varied backgrounds in union representation as well as being endorsed and recommended by numerous law enforcement and firefighter organizations throughout California. Dick died in 1992. Marilyn and Don maintain an "Of Counsel" relationship with the firm, offering consultations and making appearances.
Mario
Cruz
Mario,
a partner since 1992, joined the firm in 1985. Mario grew up in Chicago and
served in the United States Air Force before attending the University of
Illinois. He obtained a Master's degree at Columbia University in New York
before earning his law degree at the University of San Francisco. Prior to
joining the firm, he worked at the California Rural Legal Assistance, a
statewide legal aid organization representing the interests of migrant farm
workers.
Mario came from a blue collar family. He worked his way into a position where he has been able to achieve his goal of using his excellent legal education to help people exercise their rights.
Mario, who has been selected as a Southern California “Super Lawyer,” is certified by the State Bar as a Workers' Compensation Specialist. He is founder and officer of Latino Comp, an organization of workers’ compensation professionals, a member of the Board of Governors of the California Applicants' Attorneys Association and a former board member of the Mexican-American Bar Association and the Long Beach Bar Association.
Wayne
McCort
Wayne joined our firm in 1989 and became a partner in 1992. He obtained his law degree at Loyola University in Los Angeles. Before that, he did his undergraduate work at Oberlin College in Ohio and graduate studies at Columbia University and UCLA. While still a student, Wayne helped make ends meet by working in an auto assembly plant, iron foundry, restaurant, and clerical administrative jobs. He was a union activist for many years, including serving as a shop steward and chief shop steward.
Wayne has been selected as a Workers’ Compensation “Super Lawyer” in the Los Angeles Magazine survey of Southern California attorneys every year since the survey began in 2004. He has served as Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Long Beach Bar. He has spoken frequently on workers’ compensation topics, including at Cal State Dominguez Hills; L.A. Trade Tech; California Applicants’ Attorneys Association training seminars; the Southern California Rehabilitation Exchange; and numerous local union workshops. Wayne is certified by the State Bar as a Workers’ Compensation Specialist and also is experienced in handling Social Security and disability retirement claims. In recent years, Wayne’s work has focused on injured safety officers, where his successes have included important appellate court decisions.
Wayne’s hobbies include rebuilding and maintaining a 35-year-old car and an 80-year-old home. Most years, he and his family disappear for a few weeks for wilderness canoe and camping trips.
Frank Grew
Frank
attended the University of Detroit, Yale University and the University of
Southern California. He held the rank of Captain in the United States Air Force
at the age of 23.
No stranger to hard work, one of Frank’s first jobs was at a Ford garage where he worked six days a week, 12 hours a day. He’s been a field laborer, loaded boxcars with 100-lb. sacks of sugar, driven trucks, and therefore knows, firsthand, what it means to be a “working man.” Since that time, Frank has been a trial lawyer representing plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits, defendants in criminal matters, and has litigated domestic relation suits.
Frank joined our firm in 1986. He has been a Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation for 30 years and is a member of the National Organization of Social Security Representatives and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. He has been representing injured and disabled workers for over 40 years.
Frank shares the distinction of having brought in a workers’ compensation settlement of $2 million in addition to over $400,000 in benefits previously paid to that injured worker.
Danny Polhamus
Danny has been with our firm since 1985.
He graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law. He has long been
active in political causes. In high school, he organized a committee to help
bring educational improvement to the public schools. In college, he worked on
the local campaign for presidential primary candidate Shirley Chisholm.
Throughout college and law school, he supported himself as a member of a working
band. Following law school, he founded and ran a small record company for
several years.
In his legal career, Danny was a Workers Compensation Specialist with a strong emphasis on representation of safety officers. Today, he is the attorney who handles disability retirement cases for both safety and civilian employees covered by PERS, LACERA, and numerous other public retirement systems. He is also a longtime member of NOSSCR, an organization of Social Security attorneys pushing for the protection of disabled workers. He handles both administrative hearings as well as appeals in Federal Court.
Danny is married and has two young children. He volunteers at his son’s school teaching music theory and small band/composition. He enjoys camping, traveling and following international affairs.
Juliana Guerriero
Juliana comes by her maiden name quite honestly. “Guerriero” translates in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian (with a few minor spelling variations) as “warrior”. So far, Juliana has been able to live up to that identity.
At the University of San Francisco School of Law, Juliana earned the American Jurisprudence Award in Legal Research, Writing and Analysis. In addition, she won the Moot Court Best Oral Argument Award, making the Law Review and Dean’s List. She published an article in the University of San Francisco Law Review Journal, and earned State Bar of California and Judge Agnes O’Brien scholarships as well.
Raised by schoolteacher parents, Juliana learned, early on, the importance of
education. While at Claremont McKenna College during her undergraduate years,
Juliana made the Dean’s List, received the Distinguished Scholar Award and
graduated “Cum Laude” with a major in Political Science. In her free time,
Juliana is an avid snow and water skier and enjoys cooking, eating, dancing,
photography and traveling. She has traveled around the world and is fluent in
Spanish.
Juliana is a Certified Specialist in Worker’s Compensation Law, practicing in the field since 1995. She is Past President of the Long Beach Bar Association, and Past President and continuing Board of Governors Chair of the California Applicant Attorney’s Association since the late 1990s. She lectures regularly on Workers Compensation issues and is politically active in advancing worker-friendly legislation through the Legislature and Governor’s office. She maintains close affiliations with California Women Lawyers, Women Lawyers of Long Beach, California Applicants Attorney’s Association, Voters Injured at Work, the California Bar Association, L.A. County Bar Association and the Long Beach Bar Association.
Anna Batanero
Anna joined the Cantrell, Green, Pekich, Cruz & McCort family in 2000. She attended the University of Southern California where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with an emphasis in fiction writing. She then attended Western State University and earned her Juris Doctor degree. She practiced immigration law for two years before changing her practice to workers’ compensation law.
During and after law school, Anna volunteered at the Legal Aid in Orange County, the office of the Orange County Public Defender, the West Covina Courthouse (formerly Citrus Municipal Court), and the Los Angeles Superior Court in Pomona. For two years, Anna served as the chair of the Workers’ Compensation section of the Long Beach Bar Association. She is a member of the California Applicant Attorneys Association. Anna represents injured workers, including safety officers, in workers’ compensation claims.
Anna comes from a large family of three brothers and two sisters. Anna’s father was a member of the machinist’s union for many years. Education was a priority for her parents who worked hard to provide a sound education for her and her brothers and sisters. Anna’s siblings have careers in law enforcement, the aerospace industry, commercial real estate, and the law. Her sister, Monica, is also an attorney at our firm.
Anna and her husband, Tom, love to travel. Recently, they traveled to France to see Lance Armstrong ride his final Tour de France ride. Anna’s hobbies include reading, cycling, running, and studying French. She is fluent in Spanish.
Monica Batanero
Monica joined our firm in 2005, already an experienced workers’
compensation attorney. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees of
science in gerontology from the University of Southern California (USC), where
she made the Dean’s List. After spending many years working with the elderly,
she decided to attend law school. During lawschool, Monica did two internships –
with the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Medi-Care fraud and Elder
Abuse and with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office Elder Abuse Unit.
After graduating from the University of San Francisco with her law degree,
Monica returned to live in Southern California to be near her family.
Monica is extremely close to her family, so much so that her sister, Anna, is also an attorney practicing in workers’ compensation here at our firm. Monica enjoys attending USC football games (Go Trojans!), reading, going to the movies, running with her dog, Snoopy, and relaxing at home. Monica is fluent in Spanish and has worked closely with the Latino community for many years.
Monica is extremely committed to protecting and fighting for the rights of injured workers. Monica also believes in giving back to her community by volunteering at Legal Aid, which provides free legal advice to the underprivileged. Monica is a member of the California State Bar and maintains close affiliations with California Applicant Attorneys Association, Voters Injured at Work, Long Beach Bar Association, and Mexican-American Bar Association.
Isabel Metzger
Isabel joined Cantrell, Green, Pekich, Cruz and McCort in 2007 having already practiced Workers’ Compensation law for five years.
She attended the University of West Los Angeles, School of Law, where she earned a Bachelor of Science and Paralegal Studies and later her Juris Doctor. She was a first time bar passer.
Isabel was invited to Law Review but instead chose to pursue internships with the Los Angeles District Attorney's office, Central Trials Division, and the Office of the Attorney General, where she interned at the Health Quality Enforcement Unit. She successfully completed both internships with excellent recommendations.
Before attending Law School, Isabel worked in the legal field for several years assisting with business litigation cases as well as civil right violations actions.
During law school, Isabel worked for Public Counsel, in Los Angeles. Isabel was responsible for making the Bankruptcy Pro-bono Program for individuals of limited economic resources a reality. Also, she was active in the Public Counsel's Child Care Law unit. This consisted in aiding single mothers in the process opening their own child care by providing legal counseling and organizing seminars about Child Care Law.
Isabel is committed to serving the injured worker and a strong advocate in protecting the injured workers' rights. She is a member of the state Bar of California and is an active member of the California Applicant Attorney's Association. Isabel is fluent in Spanish, written and spoken.
last updated September 2007