Seymour B. Everett

IRVINE - In 2017, Seymour B. Everett and co-founder Samantha E. Dorey opened their full-service civil litigation firm with a strong focus on employees.

"We value gender equity, diversity and inclusion," Everett said. "That was one of our main priorities from the very beginning of the firm. It was important to create a collaborative environment based on diversity-- something we're mindful of, focused on and that remains a core value of the firm."

Since it opened, Everett Dorey LLP has expanded from six attorneys to 25, reflecting a growing client base. Everett said the smaller size puts the firm in a great position to be flexible, mentor young attorneys and maintain its culture.

Everett specializes in representing municipalities. He recently won a significant ruling for Costa Mesa, confirming the city's right to regulate sober living homes, control where they can be located and determine who can operate them. Ohio House LLC v City of Costa Mesa, 8:19-CV- 01710 (C.D. Cal., filed Sept. 16, 2019). Sober living homes typically house recovering alcoholics and drug addicts, who are considered disabled under state and federal laws.

The owner of five such facilities clustered in Costa Mesa sued the city, alleging that the city's ordinance governing sober living homes was discriminatory. The city's rules prohibit sex offenders, violent felons and drug dealers from operating sober living homes. They require homes to be supervised around the clock; that operators enforce a no-drug policy; and that facilities are separated by at least 650 feet.

The federal jury found that Costa Mesa did not discriminate under the Fair Housing Act, make discriminatory statements against the disabled, or interfere with the right to choose housing. Everett successfully advocated that Costa Mesa's rules protect not just residential neighborhoods, but also the vulnerable people who reside within the homes.

"Without this ordinance, there are no protections for people living in these homes," Everett said. "In this situation, there were multiple homes on one block. That is counter to helping people recover because it becomes an institutional-type setting. These businesses were side by side, where the intent is to profit."