KSullivan@deangazzo.com
858-467-5508
Kimberly focuses her practice on general civil litigation with an emphasis in representation of public entities in matters involving employment issues, personal injury, and civil rights. She has extensive experience in law and motion practice, all phases of discovery, mediation, trial preparation and trial.
Kimberly was selected by Super Lawyers in 2023 and 2024 as a San Diego Rising Star. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The Super Lawyers Rising Stars list recognizes no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state.
Kimberly graduated magna cum laude from Charleston School of Law. She was a recipient of the presidential honors scholarship and received the top grade in Legal Research, Analysis & Writing I, Legal Research, Analysis & Writing II, and Civil Procedure II. While attending Charleston School of Law, Kim served as the Senior Research Editor for the Charleston Law Review and was recognized for 130+ hours of pro bono service. She also clerked for the U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina.
Representative Matters
Mitch Dean and Kimberly Sullivan obtained a defense verdict (10-2) in a FEHA retaliation case following an 8 day jury trial in North County San Diego, which ended on February 2, 2023. Plaintiff Matthew Lowe was a former police sergeant with the City of Carlsbad. He sued the City for retaliation and failure to prevent retaliation in violation of FEHA claiming that his participation in a deposition of a former officer was the reason he was put on a performance improvement plan and was not promoted to lieutenant. In less than an hour of deliberations, the jury found in favor of the City of Carlsbad, ultimately determining that the City’s decisions were not retaliatory, but legally justified. The case was tried before the Honorable Blaine Bowman. The case was Lowe v. City of Carlsbad, Case No. 37-2018-00040531-CU-OE-NC.
