John H. Sullivan, President of the Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC), has headed the Association since 1995. He oversees a lobbying, research, and appellate program that is supported by a broad group of businesses, individuals, and local government groups.

Sullivan launched CJAC's comprehensive legal and legislative work to reform the state Unfair Competition Law (Business and Professions Code 17200). In 2001-2002 he organized the research and planning that led to the initiative campaign "Californians to Stop Shakedown Lawsuits - Yes on 64," and co-chaired the campaign that won passage of Proposition 64 by a solid 59% to 41% margin on the November 2004 statewide ballot.

Sullivan chaired a civil justice working group for newly-elected Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, developing a set of short and longer-term legal reform options for the new Administration.

Sullivan was a co-chair of the 2000 referendum campaign (Proposition 30-31) that blocked a law to re-establish costly third-party insurance litigation.

He was a co-chair of the successful 1996 campaign against Proposition 211, the California initiative sponsored by plaintiffs' securities lawyers, and also chaired the campaign that defeated Proposition 207, which would have locked into law a generous contingency fee system.

He was an advisor to Governor Pete Wilson's Council on California Competitiveness, whose investigation included a review of excessive legal costs. Sullivan has received the American Tort Reform Association's "Civil Justice Achievement Award" and in 2001 was elected to the ATRA board of directors.

Sullivan served two-and-a-half years as chief deputy director of the state Department of Fish and Game and from 1986 to 1991 was Undersecretary of the state Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency.

He served on the post-election transition teams of both former Governor Pete Wilson and former Governor George Deukmejian.

Sullivan was legal counsel and legislative director for the California Taxpayers' Association from 1977 to 1986. He is a Journalism graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and worked in the newspaper and public relations fields before earning a law degree at the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law. He has served as a director of the Sacramento Symphony Orchestra and has received the President's Award from California Fly Fishers Unlimited for conservation work on the American River in Northern California.

He is married to Dr. April Halliday-Sullivan, a Sacramento area veterinarian.

Kimberly Stone is CJAC's Vice President - Legislation. She joined the organization in mid-2005 as Legislative Director and has been especially effective in coalition building and countering legislation detrimental to CJAC members and the civil justice system. She supervises CJAC's Local Action Program directed by Andy Kotner.

Prior to joining CJAC she was Director of Development of The Adelante Foundation, a non-profit micro credit organization in Honduras. She co-founded and developed the organization with her husband, who grew up in the country before receiving a mechanical engineering degree at Stanford. Ms. Stone is fluent in Spanish.

She has also worked as a Deputy District Attorney for San Mateo County and as Special Assistant to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California. In her prosecutor positions she engaged in 20 jury trials and wrote and successfully argued an appeal before the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Ms. Stone is a graduate of Stanford University School of Law and received an undergraduate degree in American Studies from Stanford University. While at Stanford she was a legislative advocate and legislative committee member for the California Alliance Against Domestic Violence. Her college experience included competing on the varsity crew team. In law school, she was a Moot Court Semi-Finalist and won the Best Brief award.

Rick Rivas joined the Civil Justice Association of California in June 2007 as Director of Public Affairs. Rivas directs CJAC's political operations through its political action and independent expenditure committees. He oversees CJAC's campaign contribution tracking project, participates in media and community relations, and assists in communications and membership development.

Prior to joining the CJAC team, Rivas was Legislative Aide/Communications Director for Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, who took office late last year. He was her campaign manager in the 2006 elections.

Rivas holds a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy where he was also a research assistant and was named a Ford Fellow. He is a graduate of Santa Clara University with a major in Political Science and minor in English. At Santa Clara University, Rivas was one of 30 students nationally to receive a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship, which he completed at the University of Michigan before attending graduate school.

Rivas was also a campaign coordinator and a fundraiser in Assemblyman Joe Coto's 2004 election campaign and has participated in a number of other local campaigns in the area. He also served as chief consultant for Measure A, a successful $90 million school bond measure in the City of Salinas - the largest bond measure in the history of the Alisal Unified School District.

Cynthia Neff joined the CJAC staff as the association’s new Director of Communications and Research.

Prior to joining the CJAC team, Neff covered crime as a reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She has also covered city and county governments and education while reporting for The (San Luis Obispo) Tribune and the Merced Sun-Star. She also served as assistant city editor while at The Tribune.

Never has there been more news – nationally and in California – illustrating the need for balanced civil justice reform. Ms. Neff will play a key role for CJAC in getting that message out to the media and the public.

A Sacramento native, Neff earned an undergraduate degree in journalism and a French minor from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where she served on the staff of the college paper.

Neff earned an Outstanding Achievement in Public Relations award from the Cal Poly Journalism Department for her work on outreach efforts to alumni. She was also a member of Poly Reps, a dynamic public relations organization which promotes the university to prospective students, alumni, and potential donors.

Fred J. Hiestand has served as General Counsel to the Civil Justice Association of California since the organization's incorporation in 1978. He has participated as counsel in more than one hundred reported federal and state appellate cases, and has appeared in oral argument many times before the California Supreme Court.

Consultant and Lecturer: His appointments have included: Counsel, Joint Legislative Committee on Tort Liability, California Legislature, 1977-78; California Attorney General's Special Commission on Aging, 1972-1977. Consultant, Assembly Select Committee on Medical Malpractice, California Assembly, 1973-1975; Consultant on Medical Malpractice, Assembly Leadership, California Legislature, 1976; Special Counsel to Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. on Medical Liability, 1975-1976. Education: Whittier College (B.A., 1965); Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California (J.D., 1968).

Selected Publications: Bill Threatens Return to Dark Ages of Civil Procedure, THE DAILY JOURNAL, April 12, 2001; MICRA Management, THE DAILY JOURNAL, March 4, 1999; Whither the Civil Jury-Can it Evolve Fast Enough? (1994) 24 CTLA FORUM 27; Double-Barreled Attack on Tort Suits, THE DAILY JOURNAL, October 22, 1992; Malpractice Victim's Pain Doesn't Rise With Inflation, THE DAILY JOURNAL, November 20, 1991; Health Care Loss-A Bitter Pill for the Public, LOS ANGELES TIMES, March 1975; The Politics of Poverty Law, in WITH JUSTICE FOR SOME, ed. by Wasserman & Green, 1970; Co-author, with J. Sullivan, The Easy Life: Two Bites of the Insurance Apple Is Way For Lawyer to Line Pockets, THE DAILY JOURNAL, January 12, 1999; Co-author, with C. Livingston, California's Unfair Competition Act, CA New Lesson in Unfairness, AN ASSOCIATION FOR CALIFORNIA TORT REFORM OCCASIONAL PAPER, Winter 1997.

Professional Memberships: State Bar of California; Hawaii Bar Association; United States Supreme Court; American Bar Association; Sacramento County Bar Association.

Debbie Edgar is CJAC's Finance and Operations Manager. She joined the CJAC team in 1995 as the Assistant to the President. Debbie is responsible for managing the support staff, overseeing membership development, financial tracking, budget preparation, the annual audit, retirement and benefit programs, and compliance with workplace regulations.