The San Diego-based law firm of Wilson Turner Kosmo, one the largest certified women-owned firms in California, has elevated Leticia Butler, Theresa Esqueda, Hugh Kim and Morgan Suder to partner. The leading business litigators assumed their leadership roles on Jan. 1.
“Our newly elevated partners are accomplished attorneys and exceptional leaders who are genuinely enthusiastic about their guiding roles within the walls of Wilson Turner Kosmo and outside in the greater legal and San Diego communities,” said WTK Managing Partner Carolina Bravo-Karimi. “Their unwavering dedication to our clients, mentorship of emerging talent and leadership with professional and nonprofit organizations stands to elevate WTK, the legal industry and local community at large.”
Leticia “Tia” Butler
A partner in the firm’s Business Litigation, Employment and Class Action practice groups, Butler has extensive experience handling individual, class, representative and collective actions in both state and federal courts. She represents clients across a wide range of business sectors through all stages of counseling and litigation, including trial and arbitration.
Early in her career, Butler represented plaintiffs across a spectrum of employment and consumer class action lawsuits. Today, she leverages the valuable insights and strategies learned to counsel and defend businesses against a plethora of employment and business disputes. Butler’s record of client victories landed her on The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch™ in America for Commercial Litigation for 2024. Butler is also highly regarded among her peers as evidenced by her Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent® peer rating, which denotes the highest level of professional excellence for legal expertise, communication skills and ethical standards.
Outside her practice, Butler conducts pro bono legal work through the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, serves as a board member and volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, is a mentor with the Crawford High School Academy of Law and is active in the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF). Butler previously served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate with Voices for Children and has devoted countless hours to the local legal community through her work with various organizations, including the San Diego County Bar Association. Butler earned her law degree at California Western School of Law and bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University.
Theresa Esqueda
Esqueda, a leader in the firm’s Employment practice group, represents some of California’s largest public and private employers in a variety of employment disputes, including wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and wage and hour litigation in state and federal courts. Esqueda’s excellence in, and dedication to, the law has earned her inclusion on The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch™ in America for Labor and Employment Law Management and Litigation each year since 2021.
Prior to joining WTK in 2017, she served as a judicial extern at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California and gained in-house experience with the Corporate Legal Department at Jack in the Box, Inc.
Esqueda is active in the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, San Diego chapter, serving as a chair of the Community Outreach committee. She is also prior chair of the Specialty MCLE and Leadership Development committees. Esqueda is also a long-time member of the Lawyers Club of San Diego, having served on various events committees, the San Diego County Bar Association and the Irish American Bar Association. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Hubert “Hugh” Kim
A partner in WTK’s Business Litigation, Class Actions and Trade Secret Litigation practice groups, Kim represents individuals and organizations of all sizes and industries in high-stakes, complex disputes in state and federal courts. He has significant experience defending clients against unfair business practice claims, contract and franchise disputes, trade secret, partnership, real property and lease disputes.
Kim is a founding member and current co-chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee, tasked with helping WTK achieve its goals for recruitment, professional development and community involvement. Kim’s work recently earned him a 2023 Leader of Influence in Law nod from the San Diego Business Journal.
Kim’s leadership extends into the local legal community. A long-time member of the San Diego Chapter of the Federal Bar Association’s leadership, including serving as the Chapter’s President, Kim now serves on the Board of Directors and as Secretary of the San Diego Federal Bar Foundation. Kim serves on the San Diego ESI Forum’s Steering Committee and is a member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Lawyers Club of San Diego and Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego. He also mentors students through Just the Beginning. Kim earned his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego.
Morgan Suder
Suder is a partner in the firm’s Employment practice group. She represents employers against claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, failure to accommodate and wage and hour disputes in state and federal courts. Managing complex cases through all stages of litigation, including trial and appeal, Suder also represents clients in charges filed with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.
She recently returned to WTK after a four-and-a-half-year tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney with the United States Attorneys’ Office for the Southern District of California. During her time there, Suder defended the United States in a wide array of civil litigation matters involving employment discrimination, medical malpractice, personal injury and constitutional tort claims. She also advised federal agencies, conducted workplace trainings and served in various leadership roles. She recently received the University of San Diego School of Law’s coveted 2023 Rising Star Recent Alumni award.
An active member of the San Diego legal community, Suder will be serving on the Advisory Board for the San Diego Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. She previously held a three-year term on FBA’s Board of Directors and co-chaired the chapter’s annual conferences for three years. In 2021, she was awarded the FBA’s Distinguished Service Award. She has also been a member of the Lawyers Club of San Diego, San Diego County Bar Association and Louis M. Welsh Inn of the American Inns of Court. Additionally, Suder volunteered with the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program. Suder earned her law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
About Wilson Turner Kosmo
Wilson Turner Kosmo serves as California trial counsel for local and national companies and public institutions. The firm’s 54 lawyers provide litigation expertise in the areas of business litigation, class actions, employment law, product liability and warranty. Established in 1991, Wilson Turner Kosmo’s attorneys are frequently honored for their commitment to the legal profession and the San Diego community. The firm is one of the largest women‐owned law firms in California and is certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms and The Supplier Clearinghouse for the Utility Supplier Diversity Program of the California Public Utilities Commission. For more information, visit www.wilsonturnerkosmo.com.