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Ms. Hallmon has dedicated her legal career to advising Taft-Hartley employee benefit plans on compliance with federal and state laws for the benefit of thousands of unionized employees in California, Hawaii and Utah. She has over 17 years of experience advising health and welfare, pension plans, apprenticeship plans and LMCCs.
She counsels clients on various Federal and State laws applicable to health and welfare plans, such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), the Public Health Service Act, HIPAA, COBRA, Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAE), the Consolidated Appropriations Act, FMLA and Medicare.
Ms. Hallmon has a wide-ranging experience in tax qualified retirement plan design, compliance, and administration. She works with defined benefit, defined contribution, profit-sharing, money-purchase and cash balance plans. Ms. Hallmon advises on corrective measures, including the Internal Revenue Service Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System. She has successfully counseled clients with voluntary compliance programs and plan audits.
She assists clients with drafting plan and trust documents, amendments, and SPDs; analyzing employee-benefit issues relating to plan design and funding; analyzing plan administrative, fiduciary and tax-exempt status issues, including benefits claims and appeals, prohibited transactions, negotiating service provider agreements, and advising on investment-related matters within the context of ERISA fiduciary duties.
Ms. Hallmon also represents employee benefit plans in litigation brought by participants and providers. She successfully negotiated a multi-million settlement against a service provider for losses resulting from securities lending after the
2008 financial crisis.
Professional Affiliations/Community Engagement
Decisions/Publications/Speaking Engagements
Education
Ms. Babu advises Taft-Hartley employee benefit plans on compliance with federal and state laws for the benefit of thousands of unionized employees in California, Hawaii and Utah. She counsels clients as to employee benefits, plan design, funding level, policies, procedures, fiduciary obligations, prohibited transactions, grandfathered status, QDROs, subrogation, and employment claims involving harassment and discrimination. She frequently negotiates settlements, JAA agreements, investment agreements, leases, and service provider agreements. Ms. Babu is experienced with investigations of ERISA trust funds by the Department of Labor and auditing enhancements. She has handled many suits, arbitrations, and mediations involving withdrawal liability and delinquent contributions.
Professional Affiliations/Community Engagement
Decisions/Publications/Speaking Engagements
Education
Mr. Minser performs collection and litigation work for Taft-Hartley employee benefit trust funds.
Mr. Minser’s practice involves counseling trust clients on collection and litigation policy and best practices. His practice also involves all hands-on aspects of ERISA collections including early evaluation of matters, negotiations, contested litigation, discovery, and dispositive motion practice. Mr. Minser also has extensive knowledge of the “tool box” of trust fund remedies including liens, stop notices, bond claims, and LC 218.7/218.8 actions in Superior Court (fully utilizing this new remedy passed by the California Legislature). Mr. Minser also specializes in post judgment collection including securing judgments, as well as locating and executing on assets. Mr. Minser also represents creditor trust funds before the United States Bankruptcy Courts.
Mr. Minser has argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of multiemployer employee benefit trust fund clients. One such argument (including oral argument) resulted in a favorable withdrawal liability decision for the pension fund, upholding a judgment against a large multinational corporation.
Mr. Minser has also presented to professional groups regarding collections and audit policy, procedures, and best practices.
Mr. Minser is a member of the State Bar of California and is admitted to practice before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern Districts of California, as well as the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern and Central Districts of California. Mr. Minser is also a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Mr. Minser has attended and completed the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans’ Collections Procedures Institute for the years 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2021.
Mr. Minser received his Bachelor of Arts from San Jose State University, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Psychology. Mr. Minser received his law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law where he also received a specialization certificate with distinction in family law.
Mr. Minser was named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers for the year 2023. Prior to joining Saltzman & Johnson in 2016, Mr. Minser worked for a small law office in San Jose performing ERISA collections and litigation work, estate planning, probate litigation, as well as family law.
Mr. Richeda has represented the firm’s public sector defined benefit retirement plan clients and the firm’s legal defense fund clients for over thirty years.
On behalf of his public sector defined benefit retirement plan clients, Mr. Richeda has interpreted various state statutes, including the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, and the Political Reform Act, provided AB 1234 training, has issued legal opinions on benefit issues and other plan operational issues, has reviewed disability retirement applications, has reviewed domestic relations orders allocating the marital community property interest in retirement benefits, has represented his plan clients with respect to mandate petitions and requests for orders in family law matters, and has otherwise provided a wide range of legal services to his retirement plan clients.
On behalf of his legal defense fund clients, Mr. Richeda has prepared legal opinions on a variety of ERISA issues, has reviewed numerous benefit appeals, has reviewed contracts, has prepared plan policies, has prepared amendments to plan documents and to trust agreements, has prepared Board policies, and has otherwise been responsive to the evolving legal needs of his LDF plan clients.
Mr. Richeda is a member of the State Bar of California, the California Association of Public Retirement Systems, and the National Association of Public Pension Attorneys.
Mr. Richeda is co-author of chapter 9, Pensions and Retirement, in California Public Sector Employment Law (LexisNexis 2017).
Mr. Richeda received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his law degree from Harvard Law School.
Mr. Do is an ERISA attorney who represents Taft-Hartley employee benefit plans in litigation matters involving delinquent contributions and withdrawal liability. He has prevailed in arbitration proceedings involving controlled group liability and successor liability. In appropriate situations, he negotiates settlements through alternative dispute resolution proceedings. He regularly conducts presentations to professional groups to educate and answer questions on collections of delinquent contributions and withdrawal liability.
Mr. Do is a member of the State Bar of California and is admitted to practice before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern Districts of California. He is also a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.
Prior to joining Saltzman and Johnson, Mr. Do practiced law as an attorney with national law firms where he represented institutional clients in ERISA life, health and disability matters, class actions and insurance coverage disputes.
Mr. Do obtained his law degree from U.C. Law San Francisco (formerly U.C. Hastings) and his Bachelor of Science from the University of Southern California.
Ms. Mendoza specializes in the representation of union-management employee benefit trust clients in ERISA litigation matters. She has prevailed in contested summary judgment actions, obtaining substantial judgments for ERISA Trust Fund clients.
Ms. Mendoza is a member of the State Bar of California and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and Central District of California. She is a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and the American Bar Association.
She graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and from University of California Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings College of the Law) where she was an Editor with the Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly. During law school, Ms. Mendoza also served as an extern for US Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore at the United States District Court in Oakland, California. Ms. Mendoza was also an intern at Centro Legal de la Raza during law school where, under the guidance of her supervising attorney, she represented clients in administrative proceedings before the City of Oakland Rent Adjustment Program and negotiated housing and employment cases.
Prior to joining Saltzman and Johnson, Ms. Mendoza was an attorney at national law firms where she defended clients in employment, personal injury, and construction defect matters. Ms. Mendoza was also a Deputy City Attorney for the Oakland City Attorney’s Office in the General & Complex Litigation Division (Defense) where she represented the City of Oakland in a wide range of cases including lawsuits involving personal injury claims, employment matters, use of force, and civil rights matters.
Mr. Thornburg advises Taft-Hartley employee benefit trust, labor management cooperation committee, and legal defense fund clients on the administration and compliant operation of benefit plans. He is experienced with employment, labor, privacy, and tax laws and regulations, and assists his clients to understand and meet their fiduciary obligations; drafts trust and plan documents, amendments, employee handbooks, and policies; files for tax exempt status as appropriate; and analyzes benefit claims, appeals, QDROs, and other determinations. Further, Mr. Thornburg has extensive experience drafting and negotiating agreements, including service provider arrangements, leases, and business associate arrangements.
Prior to joining Saltzman and Johnson, Mr. Thornburg worked for the U.S. Department of Labor in the Employee Benefits Security Administration where he conducted complex civil and criminal investigations involving violations of ERISA and related laws such as COBRA, HIPAA, mental health parity, and pension reform, providing him valuable insight into conducting and responding to investigations and navigating DOL and IRS compliance programs.
Mr. Thornburg is admitted to practice law in California and registered as a Patent Attorney with the USPTO. He is a member of the American Bar Association and the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.
Mr. Thornburg received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Gonzaga University, Master of Science in Physical Chemistry from the University of California at Davis, and Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco.
Mr. Jhans specializes in performing collection, withdrawal liability, and litigation work for Taft-Hartley employee benefit trust funds. Mr. Jhans is also an experienced employment law attorney that represents both employers and employees in all aspects of employment law, including compliance, advice, negotiations, and litigation.
Mr. Jhans is admitted to practice law in the states of California and New York. He is a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and the American Bar Association.
He graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Economics and International Relations, cum laude, and from Santa Clara University School of Law with a Juris Doctor (J.D.). During law school, Mr. Jhans was selected to represent his law school in the Burton Wechsler First Amendment Moot Court and the Dean Jerome Prince Evidence Moot Court. He received the Witkin Award for Academic Excellence in Wills & Trusts and was President of the South Asian Law Students Association.
Prior to joining Saltzman and Johnson, Mr. Jhans was an owner of a small law practice where he represented employees in all aspects of employment matters, including discrimination/harassment, wage/hour, and whistleblower litigation. Mr. Jhans has also worked as a Public Defender with the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office where he represented indigent criminal defendants in serious criminal offenses through all proceedings, and has first-chaired a jury trial where he won a verdict of ‘not guilty’ on all counts for a client.
Mr. Mateo counsels Taft-Hartley multiemployer retirement and health plans under ERISA and other federal and state laws. His practice focuses on withdrawal liability, including controlled group and successor liability. He also has experience in contract negotiations, employment law, and fiduciary duties.
Mr. Mateo has a wide-range of experience. Prior to joining Saltzman & Johnson, he practiced law as a senior counsel with a national law firm, where he was a member of the firm’s Health Care Practice Group, and represented mental, medical, dental, correctional, and other healthcare providers and facilities in high exposure and complex matters involving professional liability, class action, and constitutional claims. He has been a General Counsel to both medical and dental practice groups. He has experience with professional services employment and independent contractor agreements, office/asset leasing, regulatory compliance, contract management, and contract/dispute resolution, in addition to experience responding to government audits, developing written policies and procedures, managing outside counsel, and assuring compliance with state licensing, employment, health care fraud and abuse laws (the Stark Law & Anti-Kickback Statute), and data/privacy protection laws (HIPPA).
Mr. Mateo also served as a Senior Counsel for the California Department of Health Care Services, where he was its liaison to the California Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and participated in the investigation, prosecution, and settlement of Qui Tam – False Claims Act cases. As a former county prosecutor, he has over 40 jury trials under his belt. Mr. Mateo also has experience in the financial services/mortgage lending sector, having advised and represented mortgage lending clients and the FDIC as successor counsel in loss mitigation, insurance coverage, loan origination, loan re-purchase, mortgage fraud, and broker/agent/appraiser licensing disputes.
Mr. Mateo is originally from New York, his parents are from Puerto Rico, and is a proud graduate of The University of Chicago, the University of Minnesota Law School, the Bronx High School of Science (yes, he is a fan of the Bronx Bombers), and is a former member of the Dining Car Employees Union, Local 43, Amtrak, Chicago Crew Base.
Professional Affiliations/Community Engagement
Mr. Mateo is a member of the State Bar of California and is admitted to practice before the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern Districts of California;
Alameda County Superior Court Pro-Tem Judge, 2001 to 2007;
Member, California Attorney General’s Task Force on Charity Healthcare, 1999 to 2002;
Member, California Office of Statewide Health Planning & Development’s Hospital Community Benefit Program Advisory Committee, 2000 to 2002;
Member, Dept. of Managed Health Care’s Cultural and Linguistic Competency Work Group, 2000 to 2001;
Past Board Member, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network;
Vice Chair and Member, Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California, 1991 to 1995;
Past Member, Program Committee, “Then and Now Minorities in the Law Oral History Panel Program,” sponsored by the U.S.D.C., Northern District of California Historical Society;
Past President & Board Member, Sor Juana Ines, San Mateo County battered women’s shelter;
Past Board Member, La Raza Centro Legal, S.F.;
Past President and Board Member, San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association;
Past President and Board Member, San Mateo County La Raza Lawyers; and
Past President & Board Member, San Francisco Barristers Club.
Decisions/Publications (Partial List)/Speaking Engagements
Mateo, Jr., J., “Providing Health Care to Limited English Proficient (LEP) Patients: A Manual of Promising Practices,” produced for & published by the California Primary Care Association, 2002;
Mateo, Jr., J. & Rossi, J.: “White Nights or Trojan Horses? A policy and Legal Framework for Evaluating Hospital Consolidations in California,” a report by Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, 1999;
Mateo, Jr., “A Three-Part Series: Anticipating & Responding to Loan Repurchase Demands,” American Mortgage Law Group, April 2009;
Mateo, Jr., J.,“Uncharitable: How Nonprofit Hospital Chains Threaten Community Hospitals,” a report commissioned by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU, Locals 250 & 399), 2001;
Mateo, Jr., J., “Secular Conversions: A Devilish Business,” CaPa News (Publication of the California Physicians Alliance), May 1998;
Mateo, Jr., J., “Preserving Charitable Dollars for Charitable Purposes,” La Voz, San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association, Fall 1997;
Mateo, Jr., J., “Rush to judgment sells Riverside and the public short,” The Business Press, May 26 – June 1, 1997;
Mateo, Jr., J., “Wave of mergers might imperil health safety net,” Los Angeles Business Journal, November 1996;
Mateo, Jr., J., “California Arbitration Act and the Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards,” 16 ABA Barrister Magazine 52, Fall 1989; and
Mateo, Jr., J., “Puerto Rico and the U.S. Constitution,” “Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in California,” “Compulsory Arbitration: Attachment Procedures and Provisional Remedies,” respectively, San Francisco Barrister Law Journal 27, 34, & 35, April 1988.
Education
Mr. Sha specializes in the representation of joint union-management trusts in all aspects of their employee benefit plans, including health and welfare plans, qualified retirement plans, and apprenticeship funds. He researches, analyzes and issues concise legal opinions for trustees and administrators. Mr. Sha is experienced with HIPAA/HITECH, MHPAEA, QDROs, claims and appeals, and subrogation. His ability to promptly gain in depth knowledge allows him to advise plans in a practical manner on mental health parity, cybersecurity, electronic disclosures and novel issues.
Mr. Sha is a member of the State Bar of California and is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Northern District of California, Central District of California, and Southern District of California. He is also a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.
Mr. Sha graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Law and Society. He received a Juris Doctor from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), with a concentration in Environmental Law. During law school Mr. Sha served as editors for the Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly and Hastings West-Northwest Journal of Environmental Law and Policy and as President of Hastings Prisoner Outreach.
Ms. Putri is an associate attorney with Saltzman & Johnson.
Ms. Putri has experience working in the banking industry in Indonesia as well as employment law and family law in California. Prior to joining Saltzman & Johnson, Ms. Putri had experience working in an employment law firm, where she represented employees in class action, mass arbitration, wage and hour, PAGA, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination cases.
Ms. Putri graduated cum laude from the University of Indonesia, the country’s top law school. Ms. Putri has earned her Master of Laws and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Southern California (USC) with certificates in transnational, business, technology, and entrepreneurship laws. During law school, Ms. Putri was a Senior Submissions Editor of the Southern California Review of Law and Social Justice and a co-founder & co-director of the Association for International Students of Law. Ms. Putri was also a student attorney at the USC Immigration Clinic and the USC International Human Rights Clinic. During summers, Ms. Putri externed as a certified law clerk at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Family Domestic Violence Division, and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, Appeals Unit.
Ms. Putri is currently the Director of Alumni Relations & Mentorship Program of the National Womxn of Color Collective (NWOCC). Ms. Putri is also a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County. Ms. Putri is admitted to practice law in all California State Courts and the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of California.
Ms. Arata joined Saltzman and Johnson in January 2025, where she specializes in collecting employee benefits contributions for union-management employee benefit plans governed by ERISA. In 2017, Ms. Arata begin working for ERISA governed employee benefit plans engaging in primarily civil litigation matters arising under ERISA, the LMRA, and various state laws as they pertain to Mechanic’s Liens, Stop Notices, Payment Bond Claims, General Contractor Liability and other useful collection tools to ensure the employee benefit plans receive mandatory contributions to cover workers’ benefits. She is also experienced in FOIA claims and the state law equivalent of those federal claims. Prior to that, Ms. Arata worked as a contract attorney in California civil litigation firms. In 2024, she had the opportunity to work as a Federal Judicial Clerk in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California where she assisted drafting judicial opinions covering a wide range of subject matters, including ERISA and Securities Litigation. She is a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, U.S District Court for the Eastern District of California, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, U.S. District Court for the Southern District California, and U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California.
Ms. Arata graduated from the University of California, Berkley with a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics, and from the Santa Clara University School of Law with a Juris Doctor.
