Our Family
The relationships we build are the most important part of what we do.
As a husband-and-wife team raising our family in Ojai, we've built a practice rooted in compassion, trust, hard work, and standing up for people who need a voice. We built this firm around the simple idea: people come first. Before we think about a case, we take the time to understand the person behind it. Every client deserves to be heard, respected, and supported.
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Stephen McElroy
Principal
We believe that the relationships we form during our lives are the most meaningful part of life. Ashley and I built our law practice with that simple idea at our center.
We surround ourselves with those we love and respect. Our team at MPTL is an amazing group of dedicated people. Our team has been together many years now. We are a family.
We take on clients and causes that we know to be just and deserving. Our first task on any new case is to understand the human that needs our help. Only then, can we begin to understand the story of each case and how best to help that fellow human.
We value and honor the lawyers we work with. Many have trusted us to help their clients by bringing a case to us and allowing us to be involved. We pride ourselves on the close friendships we have formed with the lawyers we work with.
I have been a trial lawyer for 38 years. I specialize in helping people who have been injured or who have lost family members in a tragedy. I have litigated many thousands of cases and have tried more than 100 civil jury trials to verdict. I am passionate about every case I take on.
We at MPTL will never give up until we get our clients the settlement they deserve. The lawyers and insurance companies know this about us. They know we will go to trial if our clients are not treated fairly. They know we will win.
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Ashley Parris
Managing Partner
For more than 20 years, Ashley Parris has been a trial lawyer dedicated to giving a voice to people who might otherwise go unheard. Her clients are often victims of senseless tragedies who are further marginalized because of their gender, race, or background. Many cannot afford a lawyer or do not know how to take on the powerful forces against them. Ashley and her team at MPTL make it their mission to stand with these clients and ensure they are treated fairly.
Ashley views trial work as a powerful tool and a craft developed through time, study, and practice. She grew up around some of the most successful trial lawyers in the country and has a unique feel for how to turn a case into a story that reaches jurors’ hearts as well as their heads. Colleagues and clients know her as a gifted storyteller who explains complex science and law with sincerity, simplicity, and a little bit of humor.
Teaching has always been central to Ashley’s work. She spent a decade on the faculty of the Trial Lawyers College, where she has led its flagship three-week program and its course on asking juries for money in an honest and grounded way. Earlier in her career, she served as Supervising Attorney for the Slum Housing Litigation Department at Inner City Law Center, experience that deepened her commitment to people who are often marginalized and treated unfairly. She has been recognized as a Super Lawyer Rising Star, a Super Lawyer, and Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Ventura County Trial Lawyers Association.
Ashley has particular expertise in chronic pain and other invisible injuries. She has seen how chronic pain can devastate a person and a family, and how often these injuries are overlooked or dismissed, especially when the client is a woman or a person of color. At MPTL, she has made it a priority to ensure these clients are heard and treated with the respect and seriousness they deserve.
Ashley is the managing partner at MPTL and practices alongside her husband, Steve McElroy, focusing on complex catastrophic injury trials. Their practice is rooted in Ojai with an additional office in Los Angeles, and they regularly travel to handle cases wherever their clients need them. In every setting, Ashley brings a steady, human presence and unwavering advocacy for the people she represents.
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Kim Savo
Senior Trial Lawyer
A poet and storyteller, Kim specializes in fighting for the underdog, using vibrant language and emotional connection to move jurors to help her clients. She brings intellectual rigor and emotional intelligence to her cases. Kim served as a trial lawyer at the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California for twenty years before joining MPTL. She is widely acknowledged by judges, colleagues, and adversaries to be one of the best trial lawyers to practice in federal court in Los Angeles. Kim is recognized for the relationships she builds with all players in the legal system and how she uses those relationships to her clients’ advantage. Kim brings the same client-centered approach and zealous advocacy to vulnerable plaintiffs as she did to criminal defendants. She listens and builds meaningful connections with clients and their families. Warm and engaging, she can talk to anyone. Kim is known for her irreverence and fearlessness in the face of powerful adversaries. Although tender with clients, Kim is a pitbull litigator.
As a public defender, Kim developed expertise in the impact of trauma on brain function, as well as a broad knowledge base about the autism spectrum and neurodiversity. As a graduate of the UCLA School of Law Public Interest Law Program with a concentration in critical race studies, Kim understands how institutions perpetuate injustice and how people’s lived experience of race, gender, and class contributes to their experience of pain.
Kim and Ashley became chosen family in 2008, when they attended the Trial Lawyers College. Kim joined the College faculty in 2010. Teaching is one of her great joys. She and Ashley often teach together at Trial Lawyers College seminars. Kim routinely applies her well-honed skills in the Trial Lawyers College methods, enabling her trial teams to bring their clients’ stories to life for jurors.
When she isn’t trying cases, Kim and her partner hike, travel internationally, go to museums and dance performances, and hang out with their daughter and her three dog siblings.
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Colleen M. Mullen
Trial Lawyer
Since the beginning of her legal career in 2014 as a Loyola Public Interest Legal Fellow at Inner City Law Center, Colleen has intentionally sought to represent underserved and vulnerable communities – homeless individuals, victims of sexual assault (including victims of Jeffrey Epstein), protestors and activists wrongfully arrested and brutalized by law enforcement, and victims of workplace harassment and discrimination. Her unique experience has led her to develop a client-centered approach to litigation – one that prioritizes the client’s experiences, stories, and voices. She specializes in advocating for those suffering from trauma and hopes to empower her clients through the litigation process.
A nerd to her core, Colleen graduated at the top of her class as a Public Interest Scholar at Loyola Law School. Colleen is a brilliant and skilled trial lawyer. Her distinctive sense of humor, compassion, dedication, and talent working in civil rights and employment discrimination so impressed Steve and Ashley that they brought her onto the MPTL team.
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Josh Dowell
Trial Lawyer
Josh is a passionate trial lawyer who only handles complex injury cases at MPTL. He has mentored under Steve and Ashley since becoming a lawyer in 2017.
Josh is also a Litigation Specialist at MPTL. Josh knows the courtroom inside and out. He knows how to best present the story of the clients. He worked for years as a trial presentation consultant prior to becoming a lawyer. Josh has worked on more major injury trials than most lawyers will see in their career.
Josh is 100% focused on discovering each client’s story from day one. That means getting to know and understand the person, the human being, not just their case. It is only from a depth of understanding, love and compassion that we can tell that story to a jury. He is a graduate of the Trial Lawyer College. He has litigated hundreds of large cases and recovered millions of dollars for his clients.
Outside of the law, Josh and his partner enjoy travel, being involved in their community and loving life as new parents.
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Cindy Baxter
Director of Litigation
At McElroy Parris Trial Lawyers, we understand our clients deserve the best and most experienced. That is why Cindy serves as our Director of Litigation. She has a seasoned background working in the legal field for over 25 years; including as a Certified Paralegal. At MPTL, she runs the inner workings of the practice. This includes, first point of contact for the courts and lawyers, managing the day-to-day on our cases, as well as assisting our clients obtain the best medical care and treatment. Cindy has supported Steve and Ashley for 7 years (and counting). This is because of her dedication to ensuring the clients get the best service they deserve.
Cindy also has a passion for health and mental wellness. In her spare time, she is at the gym, on a hike, going for a run, or practicing Kundalini yoga. Cindy was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, but now enjoys living close to the beach with her fur baby, Cashew, in Ventura County. She also has a genuine belief in giving back to the community.
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Nina Nigro
Director of Trial Development
Nina is a lover of all animals. She has a Maltese and two lion head rabbits. She enjoys the outdoors, sporting events and live music. She has spent about half of her life in Boston, Massachusetts and the other half in Southern California. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Suffolk University and her paralegal certification from UCLA. She is our trial paralegal. She manages the cases, works with the clients, prepares cases for trial, and assists the lawyers at trial. Nina has worked with Steve for more than 13 years. She is certainly one of the best in the business.
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Amy Joy Marshall
Chief of Finance and Operations
Before joining the MPTL family, Amy spent 20 years handling the business operations for varying industries in Southern California. She was given the opportunity to join the McElroy Parris Team and jumped at the chance. She hits the ground running each day and thrives on the intensity and high pressure that comes with working in the field of law. Amy manages all aspects of our business operations at the firm, including finance, accounting, human resources, marketing, the client trust account, property, and plant.
Aside from work, she loves to dance, read, write, paint, cook and spend time with her family. She recently discovered a love for travel and looks forward to many more adventures away. She volunteers her time to teach, lead trips and plan enriching activities for her scouting group. She published her first book in 2023 and plans to publish her second in the coming years. Most evenings she can be found painting, reading, or writing in her botanical garden of a backyard, with her husband and daughter.
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Lauren Nigro
Trial Paralegal
Lauren is a Southern California native and recently returned after many years living on the East Coast. She spent the last 18 years as a manager in both the retail and health care industries and finds true joy in building relationships and helping people. After the pandemic, she decided she wanted to put her people skills to use in a way she could more positively impact the lives of others. She was inspired by her sister Nina’s passion and dedication and decided to join the the team at MPTL as well. Lauren has a B.A. in Sociology and a certificate in paralegal studies.
Outside of work, she is an avid yoga practitioner, outdoorswoman, and loves to travel. Her biggest passion is to experience the art, culture, and cuisine of a place that’s new to her. She is a National Parks pass holder and hopes to someday visit all 63. When she’s at home, she’s spending time with her 15 y/o Boston Terrier Ferdinand, watching movies, or working on her indoor garden.
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Swati Bishnoi
Discovery Specialist
Swati began her legal career in India, where she practiced litigation and clerked at the Supreme Court throughout her law school. Surrounded by a family of lawyers, she developed an early appreciation for advocacy and the power of strong storytelling in the legal process. She later moved to Chicago to pursue her master’s in law and eventually made her way to California.
At McElroy Parris, Swati focuses on discovery. She works behind the scenes to build out the factual record, making sure each case is supported by clear, organized, and detailed information. She enjoys the precision of discovery and the way it shapes a case from the ground up.
Swati was drawn to the firm’s human-first values and the way the team treats clients like real people, not case files, and the way the team fights for clients with care and clarity. She loves being part of a place where hard work and heart go hand in hand.
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Georgina Parra
Litigation Paralegal
Georgina was born and raised in Mexico City, setting out just 3 years ago for California to continue her education and be closer to nature. A walking ray of sunshine, Georgina has many passions in life, including helping others, reading, travel, dog shows, friends, and family. She holds a certificate in Paralegal Studies, a CA Commission as a Notary Public, a BA in International Relations, and a Master of International Law. Along with her regular caseload, Georgina handles all our client intake, orders medical records, assists with case notes, and provides native language communication and document translation for our Spanish speaking clients. Outside of work, Georgina spends much of her time volunteering with her pup for Pet Partners; they have specialized in promoting the human-animal bond in senior communities and the police force.
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Asia-Tobie Elan
Legal Assistant
Tobie came to the McElroy Parris team looking for a more challenging career path and has quickly proven herself to be an asset. She started with us as a receptionist, but was promoted to the more demanding role of Legal Assistant. She supports the attorneys with legal research, drafting and organizing documents, managing case files, and coordinating schedules. With plans to attend paralegal school in the fall, she looks forward to continuing her growth with the team. A Ventura County native, Tobie spent her youth competing in volleyball tournaments throughout the state of California and still enjoys playing casually in open gyms. She also loves spending time with her golden retriever/german shepherd dog, Chrys.
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Stacy Martinez
Legal Receptionist
Stacy grew up in a family of medical professionals but there was always something pulling her in another direction. After her father was catastrophically injured by a negligent driver, Stacy knew she wanted to help families like hers seek justice. She joined the McElroy Parris family because of their commitment to helping people struck by tragedy. She is the first voice you hear when you call McElroy Parris Trial Lawyers and she makes sure the team knows where they need to be, when they need to be there. Stacy enjoys spending time with her Cane Corso, Rocco, and taking him on many hiking adventures.
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Kaleigh Kernus
PR/Media Specialist
Kaleigh recently relocated to Southern California from the Washington, D.C. area, making the move alongside her husband as he continues his studies to become a lawyer. With a background in aesthetics, she brings a strong eye for detail and a thoughtful approach to her work. She supports the firm’s communications and helps manage its public-facing content, while helping keep the day-to-day operations of the Ojai office organized and running smoothly behind the scenes. Outside of work, Kaleigh enjoys the slower pace of life in California, exploring her new home and spending time with her two adopted Russian Blue cats, a brother and sister who keep things entertaining.