Steven E. Brown
Steven E. Brown is the founding partner of Brown & Goodkin, a two-attorney firm in Westlake Village, CA which concentrates on federal employee rights. He received his BA from Columbia University and his JD from the University of Southern California, and is a member of the California State Bar. A former postal worker and native of the Washington D.C. area, Mr. Brown has represented and counseled thousands of federal employees.
Daniel Goodkin
Daniel M. Goodkin joined Brown & Goodkin in January, 2004. He is a member of the California State Bar, and earned his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles in 1999. He has a BA from UCLA. Before becoming a lawyer, Dan was a law clerk for Brown & Goodkin.
Prior to becoming a federal employment lawyer, Dan was the Director of Business Development and Business Affairs for a web-based music licensing startup, as well as a computer solutions support consultant for medical and legal professionals.
Erika Bauer, Paralegal
Erika Bauer is a southern California native. She attended a local college and received her paralegal certificate from U.C. Berkeley in 2011. Before joining Steven Brown’s law office in April of 2007, she was involved with running her family’s agricultural operation.
Erika has over a decade of experience in complex federal employment law cases of all types, including cases with the Merit System's Protection Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, as well as the Department of Labor. She enjoys this exciting profession and being part of a team that is able to help those in need. In her free time, Erika enjoys spending time with her daughter, friends, and family.
Karie Rothschild, Office Manager
After Weber State University, Karie Rothschild attended The Hartford's certification program in commercial insurance and worker's compensation. After 7 years in the field of insurance, she ventured into various entrepreneurial endeavors that included starting, buying, and selling two small businesses; one of which was an aerospace fastener distributor company. During this time, she co-founded a non-profit cancer foundation that continues to thrive in Ventura County today. In addition, Karie is a passionate speaker on the subject of domestic human trafficking and victim advocacy.
Karie's commitment to the disadvantaged led her to become certified in medical lab assisting and phlebotomy. While volunteering at the Veteran's Administration laboratory, she saw first-hand the immense deficiencies in care afforded to our veterans. In 2014, she became part of Brown & Goodkin. She is proud to serve federal/civilian employees, many of who are also veterans. Karie plans to attend law school after her kids are grown in hopes of continuing Brown & Goodkin's legacy of service. Until then, she enjoys spending time with her children, grandchildren, and nine incredible siblings.
Kitana Barrus, Legal Assistant
Kitana Barrus is a student at Moorpark College currently working on her general education requirements with the goal of transferring to UCLA and pursuing psychiatry. She has worked in customer service for three years and has been with Brown & Goodkin since June, 2016.
In her free time, she plays piano and guitar as well as volunteering for a local organization that funds Ventura County firefighters. The organization has also donated to cancer research and animal care facilities. She has also written a one act play for the Moorpark College theater department.
Jessica Watson, Paralegal
Jessica Watson was born and raised in a small town in the south suburbs of Chicago. At age 19 she headed north to the city where she worked her way up from Data Clerk to Assistant Office Coordinator in a thriving mortgage foreclosure auctioneer company. In 2008 she graduated with honors, receiving her Associates in Applied Science from an ABA accredited school with a degree in Paralegal Studies.
In 2011, after a record breaking cold winter, Jessica and her husband chased the sunshine to Southern California to start their life together. Soon after, she began her career with Brown & Goodkin. In 2014, Jessica left Brown & Goodkin and ventured to expand her paralegal experience at the top security firm in the nation, negotiating contracts with revenues ranging from hundreds of thousands to upward of a million dollars. In 2017 she graduated Cum Laude earning her Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Leadership from California Lutheran University. She returned to Brown & Goodkin in 2018, bringing with her a vast amount of knowledge, skill, and experience.
Jessica co-runs the local 2nd and 3rd grade elementary school tutoring program for at-risk kids. Additionally she is part of a group of 15 women where she leads, encourages, and inspires daily through social media entrepreneurship. She enjoys spending her free time with her husband, twin daughters, and their four legged fur baby, Lucky. Brown & Goodkin is lucky to have her back as part of the team!
Jessica Perry, Bookkeeper
Bio coming soon.
