Our Team

Co-President

Karen Carrera is a Co-President of ALMA. Bilingual Attorney, Investigator, Trainer, and DEI Consultant. Ms. Carrera conducts workplace investigations for both public and private employers in response to employee complaints of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, bullying, and other alleged employee misconduct. Karen Carrera Biography

Co-President

Marie A. Barnes devotes herself to the practice of Criminal Defense and Family Law. In the area of Criminal Law Marie has prosecuted and defended Felonies and Misdemeanors. As a Certified Law Clerk in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office Marie prosecuted cases in the Misdemeanor Division and the Felony Narcotics Division.

Vice-President

Patricia Medina has represented individuals and corporate clients in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 15 years, and her practice focuses on complex litigation in state and federal courts. In addition to the ALMA Board, Ms. Medina has served on the Boards of the Marin County Bar Association and of a local non-profit, and she has held various leadership positions for the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation. She enjoys working with La Raza law students to prepare them for job interviews and for moot court competitions, and she volunteers as a scorer for the Marin County High School Mock Trial Competition, as a Discovery Facilitator for the Marin County Superior Court, and as a teacher’s aide for the Canal Alliance’s ESL program. Ms. Medina earned her J.D. from New York University School of Law and she graduated cum laude from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

Co-Secretary

John Cuerva’s practice focuses on family law, estate planning, and civil litigation involving breaches of contract. As a family law attorney, Mr. Cuerva represents clients in dissolutions, custody and support disputes, and adoptions. As an estate planner, Mr. Cuerva drafts estate plans for middle class families and individuals.

Prior to founding Allingham & Cuerva, Mr. Cuerva worked at Aaron & Wilson, a San Francisco civil litigation firm and clerked for the Office of the Marin County Counsel.

Co-Secretary

Coming soon…

Treasurer and ALMA Past-President, Mentorship Committee

Catalina Lozano has a private practice in Marin County and is also an adjunct professor at her alma mater, U.C. Law SF (f/k/a Hastings College of the Law). Ms. Lozano also holds an M.B.A. from U.C. Berkeley. She has received many awards for her work with Latinx law students, and for her public service with the State Bar of California. She currently also serves as a board member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Marin.