WHO WE ARE
Our Team
We are a talented team of individuals who genuinely believe in the power of the law to simply do good. Our work is driven by a shared ambition to achieve meaningful, widespread benefit for our community and the clients we serve.
Mark Todzo
Partner
Since 1993, Mark N. Todzo has devoted his practice to representing plaintiffs in consumer and environmental protection litigation. He has represented individuals, nonprofit organizations, and public entities in litigation that has helped curb abusive and illegal corporate practices. His work has, among other things, helped remove toxic chemicals from the environment, increase staffing in nursing homes, reform deceptive advertising practices, and recover millions of dollars for the benefit of consumers. Mr. Todzo has argued cases in state and federal trial courts, courts of appeal, and the California Supreme Court.
Mark focuses much of his practice on eliminating and reducing emissions of toxic chemicals and individuals’ exposure to those chemicals. His work has included facilitating the removal of toxic chemicals from products ranging from drugs to clothing and artificial turf. He has been a tireless advocate in cases seeking to remove lead from children’s products and the environment and served as lead counsel in a case that resulted in the removal of more than 500,000 pounds of lead per year from California roadways.
Mark has served as class counsel in numerous class actions and as liaison counsel in complex coordinated actions. He has represented classes of individuals in a variety of matters, including purchasers of falsely marketed organic products sold by Hain Celestial, Comcast subscribers who were blocked from using peer-to-peer file-sharing programs in breach of their contracts, and nursing home residents who were denied access to sufficient nursing staff.
Mark has also worked on cases addressing exposure to toxic chemicals from industrial facilities, including lead and arsenic from a battery recycling facility in California, hexavalent chromium from facilities in Paramount, California, and styrene from factories throughout Southern California. He played a leadership role in litigation against Southern California Gas Company relating to the 2015 methane gas blowout in Aliso Canyon and is involved in cases addressing discharges of PFAS chemicals into sources of drinking water.
Mark joined Lexington Law Group, LLP in 1998 and is a Partner of the firm. He received his law degree from Hastings College of the Law in 1993 and his A.B. from Duke University in 1986. Outside of work, Mark enjoys running, biking, and rock climbing with his family.
Patrick Carey
Partner
Patrick Carey began his work with Lexington Law Group as a part-time file clerk and office assistant while an undergraduate. He returned to the firm after completing his undergraduate degree, beginning his full-time career as a products investigator. He quickly took on additional responsibilities, becoming a legal assistant and office manager and, at times, serving as the head legal assistant before leaving the firm to attend law school.
Patrick rejoined Lexington Law Group as a partner in January 2023. Before returning to the firm, he gained legal experience as an extern for the Honorable Joseph C. Spero in the Northern District of California and as a summer associate and later associate at Covington & Burling. There, he represented clients in the technology, sports and entertainment, financial services, and consumer products sectors in government investigations and complex commercial litigation and class action matters involving contract, privacy, consumer protection, fraud, unfair competition, antitrust, and intellectual property.
Before returning to Lexington Law Group, Patrick also spent time at Pillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, and Pittman, where he handled a wide variety of matters.
Patrick received his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and his B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley. While in law school, he served as an Articles Editor of the California Law Review and received awards for his work in multiple classes. Outside of his legal practice, Patrick loves hanging with his dog, surfing, riding motorcycles, and tackling home improvement projects.
Joe Mann
Counsel
Joe Mann joined Lexington Law Group in September 2012 and is currently Counsel at the firm. His practice focuses on representing plaintiffs in public interest litigation involving consumer rights, corporate accountability, and the removal of toxic chemicals from consumer products.
Prior to joining Lexington Law Group, Joe worked as a litigation attorney for the National Environmental Law Center (NELC), a nonprofit organization specializing in enforcement of federal environmental laws against the nation’s most serious polluters. His practice focused on citizen enforcement actions under the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and Endangered Species Act. He also brought several successful challenges against the federal government, striking down insufficiently protective rules promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Before joining NELC, Joe served as a law clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Irma E. Gonzalez in the Southern District of California.
Joe received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1999, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the NYU Environmental Law Journal. He received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University in 1991. Outside of his legal practice, Joe enjoys hosting dinner parties, playing guitar, and spending time outdoors.
Jacob Janzen
Associate
Jacob (“Jake”) Janzen is the most recent associate attorney to joined the Lexington Law Group. Jake graduated from DePaul University College of Law in 2015 and earned a master’s degree in business from Claremont Graduate University in 2016. Prior to joining the Lexington Law Group, Jake owned and operated a business and intellectual property law practice for five years.
In 2021 Jake joined a small environmental justice law firm where his professional focus turned to enforcing state and federal environmental and consumer protection laws on behalf of nonprofit and grassroots groups. While there, Jake litigated numerous California Organic Food & Farming Act, Clean Air Act, California Environmental Quality Act, Proposition 65, and other environmental and consumer protection matters. He was thrilled to continue this work by joining the Lexington Law Group in 2023. When he’s not practicing law, Jake is most likely on his bike in the Oakland hills or trying to convince his kids to join him for a bike ride.
Meredyth Merrow
Associate
Meredyth Merrow devotes her practice to representing plaintiffs in consumer and environmental protection litigation. She joined Lexington Law Group, LLP as an associate in October 2019.
Meredyth’s practice focuses on reducing and eliminating exposure to toxic chemicals in consumer products and industrial settings and preventing the discharge of PFAS chemicals into California’s drinking water. She has played a role in removing hazardous substances from the marketplace and challenging misleading environmental marketing claims, including representations that products are “recyclable” or “compostable.” She has served as class counsel in a nationwide consumer action resulting in a $10 million settlement. She has also worked to enforce reporting requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), helping ensure that chemical manufacturers and importers comply with federal law so that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can effectively assess and mitigate chemical risks.
Meredyth received her J.D. in 2019 from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, formerly Hastings College of the Law, with a concentration in Environmental Law. She received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Gettysburg College in 2011. While in law school, she served as an Executive Editor of the Hastings Environmental Law Journal, was a member of the Hastings Environmental Law Association, and participated in the Hastings Environmental Law Clinic. She received awards for excellence in Legal Research and Writing, International Human Rights Law, International Environmental Law, and Biodiversity Law. She has also published two law review articles on environmental justice and biodiversity offsetting.
Meredyth’s work is driven by a commitment to advancing public health and environmental safety. Outside of her legal practice, she enjoys spending time outdoors, seeing live music, playing D&D, and reading and writing science fiction and fantasy.
Kian Blewett
Legal Assistant
Kian Blewett joined Lexington Law Group as a Legal Assistant because he views legal advocacy as a critical tool for promoting corporate accountability and transparency. His work supports attorneys in Proposition 65 enforcement and other consumer protection matters.
Kian is committed to advancing environmental justice and continues to develop his investigative and docket-management skills in support of the firm’s litigation efforts. He received his B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, where he studied Culture and Politics with a focus on the impact and legacy of British colonialism in Africa. Outside of work, Kian loves to read, play music, and break bread with friends and family.
Morgan Margulies
Legal Assistant
Morgan Margulies joined Lexington Law Group as a Legal Assistant because he believes legal advocacy is a powerful tool for holding corporations accountable in defense of natural systems and public health. He supports attorneys on Proposition 65 and other environmental protection matters, with a particular focus on water resources and governance.
Morgan received his B.A. in Political Science and Sustainable Development from Columbia University. He is committed to deepening his understanding of environmental law and supporting the firm’s work to advance environmental protection and corporate accountability. Outside of work, Morgan is an avid adventurer and public land enthusiast, having recently completed his hike from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail before starting at LLG.
Myra Cummisky
Operations Consultant
Myra Cummiskey is an operations professional with more than 20 years of experience supporting executives and organizations. As Operations Consultant at Lexington Law Group, she works across the firm on day-to-day operations, administrative systems, and other organizational needs.
Before founding Myra Cummiskey & Co., Myra spent 20 years supporting senior leadership in finance, followed by experience in private family office operations. Her background includes executive support, office management, vendor management, project coordination, budgeting, event planning, and human resources.
Outside of work, Myra enjoys spending time with her two sons, family, and friends, traveling, exploring new food, staying active, and supporting Oakland public schools and education in her community.