Ryan W. Young is a co-founder of the OC Trial Group and acts as one of the primary Trial attorneys. Mr. Young represents individual and corporate clients throughout the state of California. Mr. Young’s litigation career is rooted in his national law firm experience where he litigated on behalf of the 15th largest law firm in the country. He brings this “big law” experience to OC Trial Group to efficiently resolve matters for our clients.
Areas of Practice
Mr. Young focuses his practice on the representation of clients in trust administration, pre-litigation trust disputes, trust litigation, real estate, and business matters. Mr. Young prosecutes and defends actions on behalf of individual and corporate trustees in the exercise of their fiduciary duties. He has also advised trustees regarding their duties and obligations when administering trusts holding high net-worth assets, including their roles as corporate shareholders, directors, and officers. He also represents clients to protect their rights as beneficiaries. Mr. Young has successfully advised clients regarding the distribution of trust assets involving residential and commercial real estate, businesses, and complex financial issues involving many beneficiaries with conflicting interests.
Mr. Young has also represented individuals and businesses, including multi-national corporations in a variety of litigated matters, including personal injury, intellectual property, real estate, corporate governance, construction, employment law, product liability, general liability, commercial litigation, and governmental liability.
Although Mr. Young has a breadth of litigation experience in state and federal courts involving complex and class action matters, he takes pride in helping clients identify opportunities for strategic resolution of their matters to avoid costly and protracted litigation.
Melissa Salazar keeps OC Trial Group, APC running. As office manager, she oversees the firm’s daily operations across its San Juan Capistrano and Newport Beach offices, making sure every client matter moves without friction.
A Data Scientist Inside a Law Firm
What sets Melissa apart is that she is also an accomplished data scientist. Self-taught in R, she has built numerous applications, interactive reports, and dashboards. At OC Trial Group, she puts those skills to work for the firm’s trust and estate litigation practice. Her data-driven tools help the team track case workflows, visualize financial records in complex disputes, and turn large volumes of information into insights the attorneys can use.
Melissa has presented her data science work at multiple conferences, including international venues. In addition, she enjoys teaching — she regularly shares her knowledge with colleagues and leads workshops for others learning R. Her analytical work has earned outside recognition as well: she received two awards in the California Water Data Challenge for her analysis of water data and human health.
Education and Background
Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She also earned a Health Coaching Certificate from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and she draws on that training to foster a healthy, productive environment for the OC Trial Group team.
Meet the rest of our team or contact OC Trial Group to schedule a free consultation at (714) 202-2640.
Cole McCarville is a law clerk at OC Trial Group, APC, where he began his legal career. He is currently in his third year (3L) at Western State College of Law and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Management Option from California State University, Long Beach.
At OC Trial Group, Cole supports the firm’s litigation practice by conducting legal research, communicating regularly with clients, and assisting attorneys in preparing for trials, hearings, and depositions. His work strengthens the case strategies behind the firm’s trust and estate litigation, trust and estate administration, probate, personal injury, and wrongful death matters.
Cole combines a strong work ethic with an approachable, collaborative style that clients and colleagues appreciate. As he completes law school and moves toward admission to the California Bar, he continues to take on greater responsibility in the firm’s Orange County litigation practice.
Cole works out of OC Trial Group’s San Juan Capistrano and Newport Beach offices, supporting clients throughout Orange County.
Meet the rest of our team or contact OC Trial Group to schedule a free consultation at (714) 202-2640.
Nicole is an experienced legal assistant with a strong background in trust and estate law, including trust administration, estate planning, and trust and estate litigation. She began her career at a boutique trust and estate firm, where she provided comprehensive legal and administrative support to attorneys and clients and developed a solid foundation in estate planning and trust administration.
Following that firm’s acquisition by Frost Brown Todd, a national law firm, Nicole successfully transitioned to a larger legal environment while continuing to support attorneys and clients on sophisticated trust, estate, and probate matters. Her experience in both boutique and national firm settings has given her a versatile perspective and the ability to navigate the demands of attorneys, clients, and complex legal teams with ease.
A native of Orange County, Nicole spends her free time with her family and cheering on her son at his baseball games.
Emma Bryant is the receptionist at OC Trial Group, APC, where she is often the first point of contact for clients calling or visiting the firm. She supports the firm’s trust and estate litigation and trust administration teams, helping keep client communications and daily operations running smoothly.
An Orange County native, Emma earned her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy with a concentration in Ethics and Society from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She is currently preparing to attend law school and brings that same commitment to learning and client service to her work at the firm every day.
Meet the rest of our team or contact OC Trial Group to schedule a free consultation at (714) 202-2640.
Blaine M. Brown tries cases. As a co-founder of OC Trial Group, APC, he built a practice around the disputes that families and businesses cannot resolve on their own. He handles those matters from the first demand letter through verdict.
Trust and Estate Litigation Across California
Most of his work involves trust and estate litigation in Orange County, San Diego County, Los Angeles County, and throughout California. He represents beneficiaries who have been cut out of a trust. He also represents successor trustees inheriting a mess left by a predecessor, along with trustees defending against accusations of self-dealing.
The same themes recur in these cases: undue influence over an aging parent, forged or suspiciously timed amendments, and assets that quietly moved out of the trust before anyone noticed. Mr. Brown litigates trustee removal petitions, trust contests, and accounting disputes. In addition, he brings Probate Code section 850 claims to recover property that belongs to the estate.
Financial elder abuse is a substantial part of that practice. Mr. Brown has pursued caregivers, family members, and financial professionals who exploited an elderly person’s dependence or diminished capacity. Because of that experience, he understands how these claims interact with the enhanced remedies available under California law. His practice also includes fraud claims, business and partnership disputes, wrongful death cases, and personal injury litigation on behalf of plaintiffs.
Blaine M. Brown’s Results and Recognition
His results reflect that range. Top Verdict recognized one of his trust litigation settlements as the top result in California for 2022 in elder financial abuse, constructive fraud, and embezzlement. Within the last four years, he has settled a personal injury matter for more than $7 million. His seven-figure results also include a series of trust and estate disputes involving undue influence, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty. On the defense side, he has won judgments for trustees who were wrongly accused of mismanaging a trust.
That work has earned consistent recognition from his peers. Super Lawyers has named Blaine M. Brown a Rising Star for seven consecutive years (2021–2027). Best Lawyers has included him on its Ones to Watch list for three consecutive years (2025–2027). Additionally, he holds a Superb 10.0 rating from Avvo, the platform’s highest. The Daily Journal nominated him for its 2025 and 2026 list of top Trust, Estate and Probate attorneys in California.
Publications and Community Involvement
Mr. Brown writes frequently on emerging issues in the field. The Daily Journal published his analysis of why electronic communications do not amount to valid trust amendments. Orange County Lawyer magazine published his article on using anti-SLAPP motions to defeat enforcement of no-contest clauses. Meanwhile, Western State College of Law profiled him in an alumni feature on launching a firm, he finished there as salutatorian.
Blaine M. Brown serves on the board of the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association and on the board of the Veterans Legal Institute.