Members of the Firm

     R. Gerald Markle, 1950-2004 (Click here for full version)

Jerry Markle passed on June 23, 2004 in South Pasadena surrounded by his loving family after a courageous 27 month survival following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

     Ellen A. Pansky (Click here for full version)

Ms. Pansky represents attorneys in professional liability litigation, State Bar disciplinary defense and admissions proceedings, provides ethics consultations and opinion letters, testifies regularly in legal malpractice actions, arbitrations and similar proceedings. Ms. Pansky graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles, and received her J.D. degree from Loyola Law School in 1977. Ms. Pansky is a past president of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers and a past president of the National Association of Women Lawyers. She is a current member and former chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Professional Responsibility and Ethics Committee. Ms. Pansky is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. She was selected as one of the Inaugural Fellows of the National Institute for Teaching Ethics and Professionalism. Additionally, she has been selected as one of the top 50 Women Lawyers in Southern California and one of the top 100 Southern California Lawyers, Super Lawyers 2010.

James I. Ham (Click here for full version)

Jim Ham provides lawyers with legal ethics and risk management compliance advice and defends attorneys against State Bar disciplinary proceedings, professional malpractice and related claims, and legal fee disputes, as a partner at Pansky Markle Ham LLP. He consults with law firms regarding attorney advertising, conflicts of interest waivers and consents, motions to disqualify, fee divisions, class action ethics, law firm structuring, partnership disputes, and the acquisition and departure of attorneys. He also represents selected clients in commercial litigation. He gained extensive experience in complex civil litigation in federal and state courts as a partner at Arnold & Porter LLP (1996-2006) and shareholder of Quinn, Kully and Morrow, P.C. (1987-1996). Member, Board of Trustees, Los Angeles County Bar Association (2009-2010) and Chair, Los Angeles County Bar Association Professional Responsibility and Ethics Committee (2009-2010). Member, Board of Trustees, California Indian Legal Services (2008-2011). Lecturer in Law on legal ethics, Gould School of Law, University of Southern California. Certified MCLE provider. Member, Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, ABA Center on Professional Responsibility, ABA Firm Counsel Project, and Association of Discipline Defense Counsel. Former member, California State Bar, Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct. Selected to Southern California Super Lawyers (2006-2010).