Our Staff

Carl J. Skaja, Esq

With an understanding of the practical needs of his clients, Carl J. Skaja's extensive litigation and transactional experience have earned him a reputation of excellence throughout Southern California. Carl has earned the respect of both his clients and opposing counsel by skillfully managing his clients’ matters with a results-oriented approach.

His case management, mediation, arbitration, trial and transactional skills provide his clients with valuable insight geared toward the most efficient and cost-effective resolution of both litigation and transactional matters. Carl represents a wide variety of clients including, developers, general contractors, subcontractors, landlords, retail business owners, realtors, brokers and many other small to medium sized business owners with all of their legal needs.

Carl believes in being active in his community by volunteering and giving back whenever possible. He is both a past president of the Escondido Rotary Club and past chairman of the Board of the Escondido Chamber of Commerce and currently serves as chairman of Palomar Family YMCA Board of Directors. His civic activities include serving as Campaign Chairman of the Public Safety Improvement Facilities Bond, passed by voters in 2004, to construct a new Escondido police and fire headquarters and three new fire stations in Escondido.

Carl has been honored as the Business Leader of the Year by the Escondido Chamber of Commerce and is the recipient of the Public Safety Award by the City of Escondido.

Born and raised in Escondido, Calif., Carl attended California Western School of Law after graduating magna cum laude from Northern Arizona University. He has been a named partner of his own law firm since 1998.

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Robert M. Daniels, Esq

Bio coming soon.

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Richard J. Lister

EDUCATION

California Western School of Law, San Diego J.D. Degree, Cum Laude, May, 1976

University of California, Los Angeles B.A. Degree (Political Science) 1973

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION

Rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell, 1993

ADMISSIONS TO PRACTICE

State of California, December 1976

United States District Court, Southern District of California, December 1976

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit August 1977

United States District Court, Central District of California, December 1981

United States Supreme Court October 1988

ADR TRAINING

“Mediating the Litigated Case,” Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law, November 2008

TEACHING AND LECTURES

Instructor, University of California Extension, Riverside Legal Assistant Program, (Personal Injury Practice and Procedure, 1988; Legal Research and Writing, 1989-1990, Fall 1994; Time Limitations in Civil Litigation, Summer 1990)

Faculty Member, Riverside County Bar Association Civil Litigation Workshop, Lake Arrowhead, California, 1994 and 1995 Speaker for Continuing Education Seminars (“Depositions”, CTLA 1991; “Personal Injury Evaluation and Settlement” 1991; “Taking a Deposition” Riverside and San Bernardino County Bar Associations 1993; “Proposition 51 Survival Techniques” CTLA, 1993)

LEGAL ASSOCIATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

State Bar of California, 1976- Present

San Bernardino County Bar Association, 1981-Present
President, 1996-1997
President-Elect, 1994-1995
Vice President, 1993-1994
Secretary-Treasurer 1992-1993
Board of Directors, 1991-1992
Bench-Bar Relations Committee, 1993-1996 (Chair, 1996)
Judicial Nominee Evaluation Committee 1993-1995
A.D.R. Committee (Chair, 1994)

San Diego Bar Association, 1997-2001

California Trial Lawyers Association 1983-1996

Inland Chapter Trial Lawyers Association 1987-1993
(President 1989-1992)

American Inns of Court, Joseph Campbell Chapter, 1997, 2004-Present

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Mediator, Redlands Arbitration and Mediation Service, Redlands, CA 2008-Present.

Panel Mediator, Riverside County Superior Court, 2008-Present. Member, Board of Directors, San Bernardino County Legal Aid Society 2006-Present

Adult Literacy Tutor, READ/San Diego Adult Literacy Program, 1998-99.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2008-Present Skaja, Daniels, Lister & Permito, LLP, Escondido, California
Partner in firm handling matters in San Diego and, Riverside Counties in the areas of personal injury, insurance, business, probate, trust and real estate litigation.

2001-Present Hartnell, Lister & Moore, Redlands, California 1995-1996
Of Counsel to firm, assisting it with litigation in San Bernardino, Riverside Counties in the areas of personal injury, probate, and trusts.

1996-2001 Bonnie R. Moss & Associates, San Diego, California
Engaged in trial practice in the defense of personal injury actions for persons insured by State Farm Insurance Companies. Also was in charge of the legal research and writing that involved dispositive motions and appeals.

1981-1995 Welebir, Lister & McCune, Redlands, California
Member of firm engaged in trial practice involving automobile, product liability, governmental entity, aviation, railroad, liability, insurance coverage and extra-contractual liability actions, environmental, business and employment litigation.

1979-1981 Irving & Butz, San Diego, California
Associate in insurance defense firm with focus on cases of professional negligence, construction defect, and product liability.

1978 Thompson & Colegate, Riverside, California
Worked in an insurance defense practice including cases involving automobiles, professional negligence, product liability and insurance coverage.

1976-1977 Mitchell, Schmidt, D’Amico, McCabe & Stutz, San Diego, California
Associate in a practice consisting of multiple specialists in the fields of criminal law, personal injury, business litigation, and family law.

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Curtis M. Permito, Esq

Curt Permito served over twenty-two years on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps and retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  During his active duty career Curt served as an Artillery Officer and then as a uniformed attorney. Upon retirement Curt entered private practice as a partner at Skaja, Daniels, Lister & Permito, LLP.

Curt has called San Diego home since 1991 and is actively involved in local community activities.

EDUCATION

University of San Diego Law School
Master of Laws (LL.M.), Environmental Law, 2000

California Western School of Law
Juris Doctor, 1996

National University School of Business
Master of Arts, with Honors, Human Resource Management, 1992

United State Naval Academy, Annapolis MD
Bachelor of Science, Oceanography, 1987

EXPERIENCE

Skaja, Daniels, Lister, & Permito, LLP
Partner

• Environmental and Natural Resource Law
• General Real Estate and Business law

Office of the General Counsel of the Navy
Deputy Counsel
Special Counsel, Environment and Land Use

• Provided environmental legal counsel to 19 federal installations in California, Arizona, Hawaii, and Okinawa, Japan.
• Lead attorney responsible for oversight/defense of federal interests in proposed state toll-road (“SOCTIIP”) inside northern boundary of Camp Pendleton, CA.
• Negotiated and consulted with San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Coastal Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U. S. Department of Commerce, and U.S. EPA.
• Represented Department of the Navy interests in US v. Rancho California Water District, et al. ultimately prevailing on CEQA counts against Eastern Municipal Water District. The remaining contract claims involved alleged $87 million in damages against defendant water districts.
• Lead attorney for NEPA and compliance matters for Department of the Navy interests in SONGS Unit 1 decommissioning, Regional Tertiary Treatment Plant, and expansion of operational Restricted Airspace above Camp Pendleton, CA.
• Represented Department of the Navy and Department of Defense interests in numerous environmental negotiations with federal and state regulatory agencies; drafted alternate legislative language for U.S. EPA and Department of Interior regulations.
• Assisted and coordinated with U.S Attorney in federal environmental litigation matters.
• Supervised four attorneys specializing in Environmental / Natural Resource Law serving clients in Southern California, Arizona, Hawaii, and Okinawa, Japan.

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Director, Law Center
Staff Judge Advocate, MCAS

• Principal legal advisor to Commander, MCAS Miramar and all subordinate agencies on all Installation Law, Administrative Law and criminal justice matters.
• Supervised legal office of 14 attorneys and 27 staff members.

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Criminal Defense Attorney

• Represented over eighty (80) clients in criminal and administrative matters and proceedings.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

• Association of Environmental Professionals, San Diego Chapter
• California State Bar, Environmental / Land Use Section
• San Diego North County Bar Association
• Served as lecturer in a number of environmental law and land-use conferences in California and Hawaii on such matters as Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, California Environmental Quality Act, and Endangered Species Act.

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Patrick J. Wingfield, Esq

Patrick James Wingfield is an associate attorney at Skaja, Daniels, Lister, & Permito, LLP.  Patrick was born in Midland, Michigan, and grew up in Long Beach California.  He graduated from San Diego State University in 2005 with a degree in Real Estate Finance and a minor in Political Science.  While at San Diego State, Patrick briefly red-shirted for San Diego State’s Men’s Tennis Team and was an active member of Phi Kappa Psi.   In 2009, Patrick received his J.D. from California Western School of Law where he received dean’s list honors four consecutive semesters and actively participated in the Environmental Law Society.  Patrick was admitted to the California bar in 2009.

Prior to joining Skaja, Daniels, Lister & Permito, Patrick served as an in-house law clerk at Pacifica Companies LLC, where he directly reported to the general counsel.   As an in-house law clerk, Patrick had the opportunity to engage in a number of interesting and complicated legal issues concerning real property and tax transactions.  In this context, he took a proactive role in assisting the management of legal matters of Pacifica Companies and engaging in legal transactions concerning the development, management, and purchase and sale of the following real estate assets: debt, multi-family, retail, senior housing, hotels, residential, commercial, mixed use, and office buildings.

During his spare time, Patrick enjoys playing guitar, listening to music, and watching baseball.   He also enjoys playing tennis, snowboarding, and spending time with family, friends, and his wife Valerie.

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