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Ms. Tobias is a Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist and the Managing Partner of Professional Development based in the firm's Westlake Village office. She is a graduate of California State University Northridge, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Political Science and was a member of the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honors Association. While at CSU Northridge, Ms. Tobias was a member of the CSUN Model United Nations Program and a Delegation Chair. Ms. Tobias then went on to obtain her Juris Doctor Degree from Southwestern Law School.  As part of her law school education, she attended a summer program in Israel at Tel Aviv University, Cegla Institute for Comparative and Private International Law. 

Ms. Tobias brings to the firm over 25 years of legal experience in civil and workers’ compensation litigation.  Prior to joining Brundo, Testan, Novell & Jimenez, Ms. Tobias worked as an attorney with another workers’ compensation defense firm and also as in-house legal counsel for a major national worker’s compensation insurance carrier.  She also worked as in-house counsel for a national corporation litigating First Amendment matters and cases arising under the Federal Freedom of Information Act.  Ms. Tobias also worked with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office conducting preliminary Hearings and co-chairing misdemeanor trials at Central Trial in Los Angeles and Van Nuys. She also worked with the California State Attorney General’s office writing criminal appellate briefs on behalf of the State as a responding party.

 

Ms. Tobias has represented insurance entities, employers, third party administrators and uninsured employers in all aspects of workers’ compensation litigation including standard defense litigation, 132a discrimination allegations and serious and willful misconduct claims.  She strives to provide personal and prompt attention to her clients and is mindful of how a team approach is successful to the defense of claims.  Ms. Tobias is well-versed in the depositions of injured workers, physicians, and witnesses. Her creative, aggressive and earnest approach to claims has resulted in numerous "Take Nothing" Awards at trial, during her career as a defense attorney. Most recently, Debra was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States of America on June, 2, 2014.