Employee Profile: Diana Nguyen

Diana Nguyen is a recent addition to Traut Firm. In late October 2023, she began working as Eric’s paralegal. She exemplifies leadership skills and is a strong member of the Traut Firm’s support team.

When Diana started college, she wanted to be a writer. She quickly learned that loving literature and cultivating such a career are separate things. After thoughtful

consideration, Diana chose a career in law. She believed working in this area would enable her love of reading and writing to be utilized in a very fulfilling way. Diana earned internships related to Family Law, Personal Injury, and Employment Law. These experiences supported her career path choice. Diana has never looked back.

Diana graduated from California State University Long Beach with a BA in Political Science. She also studied at Irvine Valley College, received an AA in Liberal Arts, Paralegal Studies, and Political Science, and earned a Paralegal Certificate of Achievement. 

Born and raised in Orange County, Diana enjoys connecting with others and helping people whenever possible. While she supports Planned Parenthood and the Trevor Project, Diana looks forward to becoming involved with Project Youth-OC.

In her free time, Diana enjoys spending time with her two rescue pups, Joey and Toby, who are Jack Russell Terrier mixes. She enjoys curling up with a good book whenever time allows. Regarding sports, Diana has admitted that even though she is not a huge fan, she is willing to cheer on the Niners. Welcome to the Faithful, Diana!

SET Steak and Sushi Newport Beach, CA

Read what Eric wrote on YELP: 

"This recent offering is inside the swank Pendry Hotel in Fashion Island. The previous hotel, Island, was virtually gutted and completely redesigned to be a hip high-end eatery.

While Newport has plenty of notable restaurants, this one is worth a try. Get there early and people watch in the adjacent bar. You may get lucky (or unlucky) to see a married man you know canoodling with a young lady who looks nothing like his wife.

After snapping a few pics of the offender, we ordered a nice bottle of Chianti. What's odd is that if you bring the bottle from the bar to the restaurant, they charge a $50 corkage fee. I complained and they removed it.

The sushi was apparently very good, but not quite Sugarfish or Nobu quality. The rigatoni vodka had a good flavor, but the pasta was a bit overcooked. Dine outside on the magical garden deck.

Overall, the place is a solid '4' and may get to a '5' with some minor tweaks."

Baby Holland Crawling into 2024

For Baby Holland, 2024 is off to a great start! Not only does her angel-sweet personality charm everyone in the room, but she continues to be adorable. Holland enjoys spending time with doting grandparents Pamela and Eric. Trying her hardest to crawl, she steals the show by pulling herself across the floor on her belly. Grandpa Eric is still determining what Holland will think about the life-like dinosaur sculptures that rein at Big River, but time will tell. He is confident that in no time at all, she will be asking Grandpa for the keys to the sports car. You blink, and you miss it.

The Faithful are VEGAS Bound!

If you are a football fan, you watched the Conference Playoffs on Sunday to see firsthand who would be heading to Super Bowl LVIII. Needless to say, the Chiefs vs the Ravens was a great game with KC coming out on top. But - let's talk about those NINERS! WOW! What a stunner! Purdy's 315 yard game and a second half that possessed a bit of magic was "all she wrote". Even with a rough start, the NINERS did not disappoint. Says Eric, "See you and Sourdough Sam in Vegas! GO NINERS!"

Project Youth-OC Grateful to Traut Firm

In late December, Traut Firm received a heartfelt thank you from Project Youth OC (PYOC) for participating in the collection of toys for its Toy Drive. The holiday season was much brighter for many in Orange County thanks to the generous donation of toys and so much more. ProjectYouth OC President, Maria Sterns, wrote Eric, saying, "Thanks to your generosity, we were able to create a festive and joyous holiday season for countless youth in our community who may have otherwise experienced hardship." Near and dear to Eric's heart, PYOC changes lives. He is grateful to be able to support such a great cause.



The mission of Project-Youth - OC is to "keep at-risk youth in school, healthy and drug-free through education, counseling, mentoring, and family strengthening." (Source: projectyouthocbf.org)



For more information about PYOC, click here.

Eric Helps 'Bloom Where Planted' Help Others

Over 20 years ago, Pasadena, CA, residents Mary and Edmund Fry were on safari in Africa when they had the pleasure of touring a local school. The couple were inspired and wanted to make a difference. They founded BLOOM WHERE PLANTED (BWP) - a 501(c)(3) Public Charity whose mission is "to enhance the lives of children and further education in Kenya by providing books, improved learning environments, and secondary school sponsorships. The Fry's believe that educating girls and boys enables them to 'Bloom where planted', to prosper and to be good citizens in their own countries, promoting peace and goodwill in the world. (Source: bloomwhereplanted.org)

As a supporter of the non-profit, Eric received an email from Mary detailing where and how his donation has made a difference. Says Eric, "I fully support the work Bloom Where Planted is doing. To see the difference a donation makes is an extraordinary feeling."



To learn more about BWP, click here.  

Traut Firm Receives Thank You from CRF-OC

In January, Eric received a letter of thanks from the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Orange County (CRF-OC), for the Traut Firm's sponsorship of the Dessert Table at their 2023 Annual Benefit. CRF-OC's Executive Director, Shara Berai Witkin, ESQ. wrote, "With your help, the Annual Benefit was a great success." Berai continues, "We could not achieve this without the loyal, annual support we receive from so many partners and friends in the local legal and business community."

Established in 1981, CRF-OC is a non-partisan, non-profit educational organization supporting civic literacy, youth leadership, and career awareness among Orange County's teens. By connecting students with professionals and community leaders, CRF-OC encourages teens to actively participate in high-quality, interactive civic and law-related educational programs. By helping teens to understand our democratic institutions and become responsible citizens, the CRF-OC encourages teens to embrace being future leaders. The CRF-OC programs are made available to Orange County's youth at no charge. (Source: crfoc.org)



To learn more about the CRF-OC, click here.     

Pamela Sworn In as ABOTA Foundation Trustee

In late January, Pamela was sworn in as a Trustee of the National ABOTA Foundation. The father of ABOTA's current Foundation President conducted the ceremony held in Biloxi, Mississippi. He was also a member of ABOTA. Proudly, Eric joined Pamela at the event. Says Pamela, "I am so honored to be able to be a part of ABOTA and all for which it stands."

The ABOTA Foundation was created in 1991 as the educational arm of ABOTA. The Foundation strives to preserve the Constitutional right to equal justice and secure the civil justice system for generations to come. (Source: abota.org) 



To learn more about the ABOTA Foundation, click here.



An OCBA Swearing In, Judges' Night & Franklin G. West Award

On January 18, 2024, Eric and Pamela attended Orange County Bar Association's (OCBA) Judges' Night and Annual Meeting, a time-honored tradition recognizing Orange County's Judiciary. The SOLD OUT night featured the installation of Christina M. Zabat-Fran, Esq. as 2024 OCBA President, Mei Tsang as President-Elect, Shirin Forootan as Treasurer, and Eric as Secretary. Additional installations included OCBA Directors and OCBA Charitable Fund Directors. A high point of the evening was colleague Nikki Presley Miliband being awarded the Franklin G. West Award, considered the highest honor bestowed by the bar. Says Eric, "Judges' Night is an incredible night for members of the bar. I am honored to hold the office of Secretary and serve the Orange County Bar." Congratulations to all.



To learn more about the OCBA, click here.  

Welcome Madame President: OC-ABOTA

On January 20, 2024, Pamela had the immense honor of being sworn in as the new President of the Orange County Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (OC-ABOTA). The 2024 INSTALLATION GALA, held at Marconi Auto Museum in Tustin, was well attended with her family front and center. With grace, Pamela took the helm and is ready to work diligently with its Executive Committee and National Board Representatives to move the organization toward more excellent endeavors. Says Pamela, "This honor completely humbles me, and I will remember this night for a very long time." Says Eric, " I will excitedly serve as Pamela's First Man in supporting her and the talented, hardworking Board in what will undoubtedly be another remarkable year."

The mission of OC-ABOTA is "to preserve the 7th Amendment right to a jury trial and to foster improvement in the ethical and technical standards of practice in the field of advocacy in order to assure that individual litigants may receive more effective representation and that the general public can benefit by more efficient administration of justice consistent with time-tested and traditional principles of litigation." (Source: ocabota.org)



To learn more about OC-ABOTA, click here.  

Employee Profile: Lidia Alvarez

Lidia Alvarez began working for Eric in November of 2022. With decades of professional experience working for Santa Ana Unified School District and in law, Lidia brings an enormous amount of administrative experience to Eric’s office and adapted easily to the firm’s busy workflow.

Some of Lidia’s responsibilities include a variety of administrative tasks such as organizing files, filing, and initiating requests for case-related collision reports. Very much a team player, Lidia prioritized learning the tasks performed by her co-workers so she could assist others wherever and whenever needed. Says Lidia, “The best thing about my job is getting to work with such nice and professional people.” Lidia continues,

“We all get along and I love it!”

Lidia enjoys cooking, gardening, reading, writing, music, and dancing. She spends her time with her husband, 3 grown and flown children (2 boys and 1 girl), and her pet chihuahua. Lidia volunteers with the elderly, at CHOC Children's Hospital, and at the Mexican Consulate helping people complete their citizenship paperwork. She is active in her church as a catechist and a marriage counselor. Lidia is a welcome addition to Eric’s team.

Holland's First Christmas

Brace yourself for a cuteness overload. Our little elf, Holland, just celebrated her first Christmas. The season was full of twinkling lights, visits to Santa, and loads of presents. Being a good little elf, Holland tolerated Mommy and Daddy dressing her up in cute outfits for photos. Even though she was a bit puzzled when seeing a tree in the house, Holland enjoyed the season and realized that the jolly guy in the red suit is her toy connection. Holland already has her 2 front teeth so she didn't ask. Since she is sugar and spice and everything nice, Grandpa says that a pony may still be in her future.