About Us
Norman Pine
Partner
Norman Pine's practice is focused on appellate law and civil appeals throughout California, where he is recognized as a Certified Appellate Law Specialist by the State Bar of California. In 1994 he co-founded PINE & PINE with his law partner (and wife) Beverly. Since then he has has been privileged to work with some of the top plaintiffs' attorneys in California in defending their judgments. Over his career, Mr. Pine has handled a wide spectrum of civil appeals, including employment, personal injury, entertainment, business litigation and land use. He has helped shape California law by serving as counsel or co-counsel in a large number of cases that resulted in significant published decisions.
Mr. Pine has received repeated recognition as one of California's top appellate specialists. He has consistently been recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer in the Appellate Law category since the very inception of the Southern California Super Lawyer ranking in 2004. In 2009, he received special recognition, being chosen as one of the "Top 100 Attorneys" in Southern California by Super Lawyers (only two other appellate attorneys received this honor). Other honors include the Joe Posner Award in recognition of continuous dedication and protection of employee rights (2008, California Employment Lawyers Association, co-winner with Beverly Pine); Appellate Lawyer of the Year Award (2003, Consumer Attorneys Association of California); AV-Rated (Martindale-Hubbell).
Mr. Pine was trained as a mediator by the Second Appellate District Court of Appeal, and frequently serves as a court-appointed Voluntary Settlement Officer for that court. Additionally, he has served on the Appellate Court Liaison Subcommittee which interfaces with justices from each division of the Court of Appeals in Los Angeles. Mr. Pine is a member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), where he serves as Associate Editor of The Advocate, supervising the annual "Employment Law" issue. He has written articles and spoken on a variety of appellate topics, as well as summary judgment motions and punitive damages, at the annual conventions of the National Association of Employment Attorneys (NELA), CAALA, Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), and the Continuing Education of the Bar of the State of California (CEB). He has also had the pleasure of serving with California appellate justices as a justice in the Roger Traynor Moot Court Competition.
Mr. Pine graduated from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1971 (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), and received his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law in 1975, where he served as Note and Comment Editor of the California Law Review. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1975. Other court admissions include United States Supreme Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal, U.S. District Court, Central and Eastern Districts of California and District of Arizona.
Beverly Tillet Pine
Partner
Beverly Tillet Pine co-founded Pine & Pine with her law partner (and husband) Norman Pine in 1994. Ms. Pine focuses her practice exclusively on civil appellate law, both state and federal. She has handled a wide spectrum of civil appeals, including employment, personal injury, entertainment, business disputes and land use. Prior to forming PINE & PINE, Ms. Pine was primarily a plaintiffs' antitrust and unfair practices lawyer.
Ms. Pine is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), the San Fernando Valley Bar Association, and the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), where she serves as an Associate Editor of The Advocate. In addition, Ms. Pine has written articles for Forum, and has appeared as a speaker at CAOC conventions.
Ms. Pine graduated from the Indiana University School of Music in 1970, after attending the Juilliard Preparatory Division during high school. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School, cum laude, in 1980, where she served on the Loyola Law Review, was a member of the Scott Moot Court Honors Board, and a co-recipient of the best appellate brief award in the Roger Traynor Moot Court Competition.
Ms. Pine's accolades include Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Appellate Lawyer of the Year Award, 1st Runner-up, 2008, and 2007, and California Employment Lawyers Association, Joe Posner Award 2008 (co-winner with Norman Pine).
Ronald A. Reiter
Of Counsel
Ronald A. Reiter joined PINE & PINE as Of Counsel in 2008, bringing with him a strong background in a full range of civil appellate practice. Mr. Reiter's wealth of experience includes acting as appellate counsel for the Attorney General, or co-counsel on dozens of appeals in the California Supreme Court and the California Court of Appeals. Prior to joining PINE & PINE, he served as Supervising Deputy Attorney General in the Consumer Law Section of the California Attorney General's Office, where he supervised appeals, legislation, and special projects statewide, and focused on legislation, civil litigation, appeals, and writs involving all areas of consumer law, with a particular concentration in consumer finance, home mortgages, home improvement transactions, automobile sales and leasing, false advertising and unfair trade practices, and vocational schools. In addition, while at the California Attorney General's Office, Mr. Reiter also coordinated consumer protection law enforcement efforts with offices of district attorneys, city attorneys, and other state attorneys general.
Mr. Reiter received his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and his Juris Doctor from the UCLA School of Law, where he was Articles Editor of the UCLA Law Review (1973-74) and a Charles F. Scott Fellow. He was admitted to the California bar in 1974.
Janet Rappoport Gusdorff
Associate
A Philadelphia native, Janet Rappoport Gusdorff joined PINE & PINE as an associate attorney in 2007, focusing her practice on civil appellate matters. Ms. Gusdorff received her Bachelor's in Music from the New England Conservatory of Music, and her Juris Doctor from the Loyola Law School, where she served as Note and Comment Editor for the Loyola Law Review.
Ms. Gusdorff was admitted to the California Bar in 2006. She is also a member of the State Bar of New York and the State Bar of New Jersey. Her professional affiliations include California Employment Lawyers Association, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Bar Association, and Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles.
