Intro
Breana's skillset and array of experiences make her an excellent choice to work with as a member of Hanson Bridgett's Litigation Practice Group, from the early phases of litigation through appeal. Prior to joining Hanson Bridgett, Breana worked to prepare speeches on border issues and immigration law as an immersion day trip leader in Tijuana, taught English to immigrants from Mexico and Central America, and assisted with data compilation for cannabis ordinances in California.
While in law school, Breana served as a judicial extern at the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California for the Honorable Edward Chen and as a diversity, equity, and inclusion intern for Earthjustice, a nonprofit public interest law organization dedicated to protecting the earth and it's natural resources.
She has proven herself as an energetic and passionate leader who is dedicated to continuously learning, and working for justice, equity, and diversity in all areas of her life, professionally and personally.
Areas of Focus
Education
Academic Distinction
CALI Excellence for the Future Award (Appellate Advocacy), 2018
Best Oral Argument, First Place Snodgrass Award
Admissions and Courts
Role
Women's Impact Network, Member
Secured a published 9th Circuity victory on behalf of petitioner, a gay Nigerian client seeking asylum and protection under the Convention Against Torture in the United States after he was discovered being intimate with his boyfriend in a Nigerian hotel and was threatened with death as a result of that discovery. The Immigration Judge (IJ) found that the petitioner was not credible because he got the name of the hotel wrong, which led the IJ to find that the petitioner was not gay and did not face persecution in his home country. The IJ and Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) denied all relief. Following expert briefing by Hanson Bridgett attorneys David Casarrubias, Breana Burgos, and Alexandra Atencio, and David’s compelling oral argument, the Ninth Circuit granted the petition for review, holding the BIA failed to give “reasoned consideration” to all of the evidence. Further, the Ninth Circuit ruled that the petitioner’s asylum application was not “frivolous” merely because he got the name of the hotel wrong. While potentially relevant to his asylum claim, the location of the hotel was not a central element of his asylum claim.
Board of Directors, The Barristers Club of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF), 2023-2024
"December Client Spotlight: The Family Law Project," BASF, The Justice and Diversity Center (December 2022)
"LGBTQ Attys and Staff Talk Inclusivity In Mid-Law," Law360 Pulse (June 2022)
"9th Circ. Says BIA Must Rethink Gay Nigerian's Torture Claim," Law360 (May 2022)
California Lawyers Association, Wiley W. Manuel Pro Bono Legal Services Award (2020-2023)
Chicago Bar Association Moot Court Competition 2nd Overall, 2018
Super Lawyers, Business Litigation (2023)
"Modern Removal and Remand Strategies," co-presenter, Strafford CLE Live Webinar (February 2023)