Elizabeth A. Culley

Elizabeth A. Culley is a partner with Adamski Moroski Madden Cumberland and Green, LLP.  Elizabeth has a wide range of litigation experience including real property disputes, business litigation, class action litigation, will and trust disputes, and construction litigation.  Elizabeth grew up on the Central Coast but began her litigation career in Los Angeles, working for preeminent firms such as Latham & Watkins and Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell.  Upon returning to the Central Coast, Elizabeth quickly became one of the youngest female trial lawyers in the area, named Top 40 Under 40 in 2017.  Elizabeth brings a winning combination of local knowledge, big firm experience, and empathy for her clients.  Elizabeth’s community ties assure that she is a big city lawyer who understands local sensibilities.

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

Elizabeth has an unwavering ability to place herself in the shoes of her clients, a trait often lacking in litigators.  Clients routinely comment that Elizabeth’s warm personality and sense of humor help them maintain a sense of normalcy during difficult times in their lives.  Elizabeth’s excellent legal writing skills also separate her from the rest.  It is often a surprise for clients to learn that the litigation process is heavily dependent upon legal briefing at every step of the way.  Elizabeth understands what judges want to see and what they do not.  Elizabeth’s passion, big law experience, and common-sense approach make her an obvious choice for anybody facing litigation.

Throughout her career, Elizabeth has helped numerous clients resolve their disputes, whether through settlement or all the way through trial. Examples of Elizabeth’s legal experience include:

  • Prevailing at trial, and through appeal, on a complicated family limited liability partnership dispute.
  • Prevailing at trial in a trust and financial elder abuse dispute.
  • Trying a prescriptive and equitable easement dispute, and successfully limiting the extent of the easement.
  • Handling multiple business “divorces” involving complicated and nuanced buyouts.
  • Resolving through settlement, the nature of assets belonging to a surviving spouse, after an attempt to deem all assets the separate property of the deceased spouse.
  • Resolving through settlement, multiple complicated boundary line and easement disputes.
  • Handling multiple intellectual property matters, including patent and copyright litigation, representing high profile entities such as Universal Music Group.
  • Handling multiple construction defect matters and successfully resolving them through settlement.

PRIOR WORK HISTORY

Prior to joining Adamski Moroski Madden Cumberland and Green, LLP, Elizabeth was a Principal at Andre, Morris & Buttery from 2020 to 2024.  Prior to returning to the Central Coast, Elizabeth worked in “Big Law” in Los Angeles as an associate at Latham & Watkins and Jeffer Mangles Butler & Mitchell.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, ADMISSIONS, STANDING

Elizabeth is currently the Vice President of the San Luis Obispo Bar Association and will serve as the President in the year 2025.  Elizabeth has been the Treasurer for the Women’s Lawyers’ Association since 2018.  Elizabeth is admitted to practice in all courts of the State of California and United States District Courts, Northern, Eastern, and Central Districts of California.

Elizabeth was named Top 40 Under 40 by the Pacific Coast Business Times in 2017.  Elizabeth has also been consistently named a Super Lawyer Southern California Rising Star for the years 2017 – 2023.

EDUCATION

Elizabeth is a proud “Double Trojan” having obtained her Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2005 and her Juris Doctor in 2008 at the University of Southern California, graduating in the top of her class.  While at USC, Elizabeth was a Senior Content Editor for the Southern California Law Review.  Elizabeth served as a judicial extern for Judge Alex Kozinski at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

PERSONAL

Elizabeth was raised in Orcutt in the house where her parents still reside.  Elizabeth currently lives in Paso Robles with her husband, whom she met in the ‘90’s at Pismo Beach Junior Lifeguarding.