Ms. Helton's practice includes litigation and corporate work. She began her career in litigation, concentrating on general business and products liability litigation. She later branched into a corporate practice, providing general business advice and counseling clients on the day-to-day legal issues that arise in running a corporation, ranging from contracts to labor and business disputes.

Born and raised in Japan, she is bicultural and bilingual. She appeared as a panelist for a number of years on "TV Roppo," a local Japanese television show featuring legal topics. She has served as a panelist and speaker at various venues, presenting topics ranging from the U.S. legal system to complex litigation.

Litigation

Ms. Helton has handled a variety of business litigation cases including breach of contract, termination of distributors, antitrust, employment, collection disputes and others. Her products liability cases include representation of automotive and machinery companies and component parts suppliers, with injuries ranging from minor to the catastrophic. She has jury trial experience and has handled all aspects of litigation ranging from discovery, law and motion, to mediations, arbitrations, and trials. In settlement, she approaches each case creatively to put together multifaceted packages. When possible, Ms. Helton attempts to resolve cases even before litigation is filed, or shortly thereafter as possible, in a manner most cost effective to the client.

Ms. Helton also served as in-house counsel for an automotive manufacturing company, where she managed product liability cases nationwide.

Corporate

Ms. Helton has advised numerous clients on a wide array of legal problems and issues. She often acts in the capacity of outside general counsel to small and mid-size companies. She has negotiated and drafted contracts, settled business disputes, worked on acquisitions of companies, set up and dissolved corporations, and provided other legal advice. Her experience as a litigator lends a unique preventative perspective to her corporate work.

She has also handled regulatory matters for clients, interfacing and resolving disputes with regulatory agencies such as the Food & Drug Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, California Department of Health Services (Food and Drug Branch), the District Attorney's Office in various California cities, the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, and various other municipal level entities.