Carole Buckner defends clients against claims related to professional liability, business, employment, and real estate matters, as well as internal investigations. She has trial experience in state and federal courts, including jury and bench trials, arbitration, and mediation. Carole also serves as an expert witness in matters involving professional responsibility, legal malpractice, and fee disputes.

Carole also has an extensive background as a legal educator and law school administrator. She has taught civil procedure, legal ethics, remedies, employment law, evidence, the Uniform Commercial Code, contracts, torts, criminal law, real property, and legal research and writing.

Carole is a former federal prosecutor in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Areas of Focus

Professional Liability
In the professional liability area, Carole has defended lawyers and law firms in legal malpractice matters and fee disputes, as well as State Bar investigations and internal investigations. She has advised lawyers and law firms on compliance issues, served as a fee mediator and arbitrator, and acted as an expert witness. Her legal malpractice experience includes a wide variety of underlying matters.

Employment
Carole has represented employers in the defense of wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation and harassment claims; wage and hour matters, trade secret and unfair competition; embezzlement; and assault, battery, and false imprisonment. Carole also conducts workplace investigations.

Business & Commercial Litigation
Carole has extensive experience in business and commercial litigation, including contract disputes, partnership disputes, shareholder litigation, unfair competition, trade secret and customer solicitation and employee pirating, and disputes involving financial institutions.

Real Estate
Carole has extensive experience representing builders, developers, brokers, commercial landlords and tenants, property owners, lenders, borrowers, and mortgage and title insurers in a wide variety of real estate–related matters, including disputes involving leases, real property development, easements and encroachments, and the purchase and sale of real property.

    Education

    • University of California, Hastings College of the Law (J.D., 1984)
    • University of California, Berkeley (B.A., with honors, 1980)

    Bar Admissions

    • California

    Court Admissions

    • U.S. District Court, Central District of California

    Professional Affiliations

    • California Lawyers Association
    • American Bar Association
    • Los Angeles County Bar Association
    • San Diego County Bar Association
    • Orange County Bar Association
    • San Diego County Defense Lawyers
    • Association of Workplace Investigators
    • Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers
    • Former Chair, California State Bar Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct
    • Former Chair, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Professional Responsibility and Ethics Committee
    • Former Chair, San Diego County Bar Association, Legal Ethics Committee
    • Former Chair, Orange County Bar Association, Professionalism and Ethics Committee

    Awards & Honors

    • Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®, 2025-2026
    • Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® Women in Law, 2025
    • AV® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
    • Best Lawyers San Diego, Legal Malpractice – Defense, 2023
    • Best Lawyers San Diego, Lawyer of the Year – Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law, 2023
    • Best Lawyers San Diego, Ethics and Professional Responsibility, 2019–2023
    • Top Lawyers, San Diego Magazine, 2021

Events

Carole Buckner defends clients against claims related to professional liability, business, employment, and real estate matters, as well as internal investigations. She has trial experience in state and federal courts, including jury and bench trials, arbitration, and mediation. Carole also serves as an expert witness in matters involving professional responsibility, legal malpractice, and fee disputes.

Carole also has an extensive background as a legal educator and law school administrator. She has taught civil procedure, legal ethics, remedies, employment law, evidence, the Uniform Commercial Code, contracts, torts, criminal law, real property, and legal research and writing.

Carole is a former federal prosecutor in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Carole J. Buckner

Campos Obtains Terminating Sanctions, Case Dismissed

Victor Campos (Of Counsel-Los Angeles, CA) prevailed on behalf of our client, a national operator of bowling centers, in a case in which we have been involved since November 2021. While Mr. Campos handled the case for the past two years, Carole Buckner (Partner-San Diego, CA) and Andrew Sewell (Of Counsel-Los Angeles, CA) previously worked up the case, enabling this huge team win for the Client. Plaintiff fell in a client-owned bowling alley, breaking her right shoulder and left leg. She underwent surgery to repair both fractures. Years of discovery ensued, including expert discovery. In 2024, the team filed an MSJ, which the Court denied. Subsequently, they continued to aggressively defend the case, pushing for essential discovery from Plaintiff. They filed and won two motions to compel and were awarded sanctions. Plaintiff did not conform to the Court's orders, so they filed a Motion for Contempt and for Terminating Sanctions. The Court granted the Motion for Terminating Sanctions and dismissed the case with prejudice.
 

Victor M. Campos, Carole J. Buckner and Andrew Sewell

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