Overview

As an experienced litigation paralegal, Garrison supports attorneys in all phases of litigation, trials, and appeals in federal and state jurisdictions across the United States. 

As a member of BKLW’s criminal defense practice, Garrison has confidently navigated pre-indictment investigations, government enforcement actions, and white-collar criminal cases from inception through trial.  He applies creativity, collaboration, and innovative technology—including eDiscovery and open-source research platforms—to distill large volumes of data into discernable sets of evidence for litigation teams.  Garrison is proficient with case management and trial presentation tools, and routinely assists with jury research, witness interviews, multimedia demonstratives, and presentation of evidence to juries.  

Garrison has been the lead paralegal in numerous high-stakes federal criminal cases involving political corruption and public integrity, health care fraud, various types of fraud (including tax, mail, banking, and securities), economic espionage (China Initiative), human trafficking, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act issues, among several others.  

On the civil side of BKLW’s practice, Garrison has been the lead paralegal in cases involving high-profile individuals and corporations, civil False Claims Act cases, product liability and catastrophic injury cases, and complex bankruptcy litigation.  He routinely assists with depositions, expert witness research, written discovery, legal research, and case management.  

Garrison earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in U.S. History from California State University, Fullerton.  At university, he served as an editor and contributor to the Welebaethan Journal of History, a member of Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society, and a Dean’s List scholar.  He earned his Paralegal Certificate from the University of California, Irvine, and is an active member of the Orange County Paralegal Association.

Prior to joining BKLW in 2015, Garrison assisted attorneys with commercial transportation, catastrophic injury, and complex business litigation matters at a boutique insurance defense firm.  Outside of work, he enjoys drumming, surfing, cycling, and riding motorcycles.

Representative Matters

  • Representation of a prominent physician charged with conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute in the Central District of California.  After more than a year of contested litigation, the prosecution dismissed all charges against BKLW’s client.    
  • Following a three-day jury trial, Garrison helped attorneys secure a complete defense verdict for a professional athlete in a civil suit filed by a paparazzi alleging assault and battery.

  • Assisted attorneys in the representation and jury trial of a political official charged with alleged false statements to federal authorities, prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
  • Assisted attorneys in the representation of numerous employee-witnesses of a medical company under investigation by the Department of Justice for alleged regulatory offenses.
  • Helped attorneys secure a favorable settlement for the owners and operators of a debt settlement company under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission for alleged regulatory offenses.
  • Assisted attorneys in the representation of scientists and professors under investigation by federal authorities as part of the National Security Division’s China Initiative.
  • As the lead paralegal, Garrison assisted attorneys in representing a doctor charged with five felony counts of tax evasion and obstruction prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.  After three years of intense litigation, the team exposed serious prosecutorial misconduct that led to the removal and discipline of the entire prosecution team and IRS investigators.  All five felonies were dismissed in exchange for a plea to a single misdemeanor and a single payment of $25. 

  • As the lead paralegal, Garrison assisted attorneys in an economic espionage case by conducting a large-scale document review project in an International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) case prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California. The team’s efforts resulted in a favorable settlement for an electrical engineer charged in the case.

  • Garrison assisted attorneys in the representation of employees from a preeminent defense contractor working alongside the U.S. Airforce in a criminal investigation brought by the United States Attorneys Office for the Southern District of California.

  • Arranged witness materials and conducted jury research in a Ventura County jury trial, which resulted in a multi-million dollar award for an electrician who was injured while working on an offshore oil platform.
  • Assisted with pretrial motions and trial preparation in a False Claims action in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, resulting in a $280 million settlement on behalf of a whistleblower in the pharmaceuticals industry.