Jennifer Hegemier is a personable and compassionate lawyer who strives to use her intellect and education to problem solve and assist those who have suffered injustice. “I have always been compelled to step in and help those who feel the most powerless,” says Denning Moores’ Director of Litigation, Jennifer Hegemier. For the past three decades, she has fine-tuned her legal expertise in a wide variety of areas ranging from complex business litigation to commercial contracts, construction defect, personal injury, and professional malpractice, just to name a few. Her extensive appellate experience gives her an advantage over many other litigation attorneys, allowing her to quickly narrow down legal issues, spot check facts and evaluate the most successful legal arguments, thus saving her clients valuable time and money. Her tried-and-tested skill set and her calming demeanor make her a clients’ favorite. This results-driven legal expert works to help her clients achieve their goals first through mediation and settlement negotiations, hoping to alleviate the high costs and emotional stress of trial. However, if a peaceful resolution is not successful, Jennifer is dedicated to achieve the best possible result for her client before any arbitrator, judge or jury.   

 

 

Extensive Litigation Experience

 

Jennifer’s introduction to litigation started in the practice area of insurance defense at Gibbs & Eppsteiner. She transitioned to Procopio Cory Hargreaves & Savitch, providing litigation support to renowned trial attorney Steven Strauss, who represented high profile clients in the arena of construction defect and business litigation. While at Procopio, she became enamored with Appellate Litigation, and joined forces with former U.S. Supreme Court Staff Attorney David Niddrie.  By 2000, they had established their own successful boutique appellate firm, Niddrie & Hegemier and its successor partnerships. In 2003, following a dream and her mentor’s footsteps, Jennifer took the position of Senior Staff Attorney to Justice Joan Irion at the California Court of Appeal, Fourth District Division One. She later returned to private practice.

 

Jennifer has litigated appeals on behalf of Appellants and Respondents in State and Federal Courts, including all Districts of the California Court of Appeal, California Supreme Court, and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. 

 

Distinguished Career

 

Key to any stage of litigation, Jennifer’s vast appellate experience has honed her ability to spot issues and narrow down pertinent legal facts quickly, develop strong legal arguments and bulletproof motions while avoiding legal missteps. She also provides valuable contribution to post-trial motions and preservation of the record on appeal, drafting of jury instructions, analysis and evaluation of potential issues on appeal, as well as all litigation at the appellate level.

 

Giving back to the legal community, Jennifer taught legal research and writing / appellate law as an Adjunct Professor at Cal Western School of Law from 2002-2005.  She served as Program Chair of the San Diego Bar Association’s Appellate Courts Committee from 2007-2010, and as Vice-Chair of that Committee in 2011.  She has organized and presented continuing education seminars through the San Diego Bar Association, Fisher & Phillips, LLP, and various other CLE providers. 

 

 

Accolades

 

Jennifer is a named San Diego SuperLawyer®, San Diego “Top Lawyer” (Appellate) by Martindale-Hubbell® and also San Diego Magazine. She has achieved the highest possible (“AV”) rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the authoritative resource for information of the worldwide legal profession.  This AV rating indicates very high to preeminent legal ability and the highest professional standards of conduct, ethics, reliability and diligence, as established by confidential opinion from both judges and members of the bar.  

 

Committed to Making a Difference

 

This La Jolla native is passionate about making a difference one four-legged friend at a time. She has fostered almost three dozen Siberian Huskies through Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pets and Siberian Husky Rescue of Southern California, among many others rescue foundations. She and her husband provided much needed peace of mind to deployed civil servants by caring for their furry friends sometimes over a year at a time. Currently, three very lucky rescues from Mexico have a forever home with Jennifer and her husband. She is also the proud mom of three adult stepchildren.  When she is not playing with her dogs, she is busy entertaining friends and family or exploring new gastronomy around San Diego as an admitted foodie.

 

Practice Areas

Civil Appeals and Writs 

Medical Malpractice 

Elder Abuse 
Wrongful Death 

Premises Liability

Real Estate and Land Use 
Commercial Contracts 

Construction Defect 

Complex Business Litigation

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