Attorneys
John S. Stiff
AV® Rated PreeminentTM by Martindale-Hubbell®
John Stiff, the founding partner of Stiff, Keith and Garcia, has thirty years of experience in civil defense, with an emphasis on complex liability including professional liability, coverage, automobile litigation, employment law, civil rights, and construction defect.
Arturo Ricardo Garcia
BV® DistinguishedTM by Martindale-Hubbell®
Mr. Garcia’s practice focuses on automobile litigation, homeowner’s liability, and dog bite cases. He also specializes in claims involving estates of insureds and claimants.
Kathy L. Black
Kathy L. Black focuses on employment and civil rights litigation, representing public entities and private organizations ranging from non-profits to large, self-insured corporations. She has experience litigating in state and federal courts, administrative bodies, and in labor arbitrations.
Lawson H. Stiff
Lawson H. Stiff is an Albuquerque native. He has been with Stiff & Garcia since 2021 and focuses on litigation including auto, home, and trucking defense.
Edward F. Snow
BV® DistinguishedTM by Martindale-Hubbell®
Ed Snow has over 30 years of legal experience in civil and criminal law. He has appeared in over one hundred bench trials, arbitrations and adjudicatory hearings, and has appellate experience before the New Mexico Court of Appeals, New Mexico Supreme Court, and Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Alexandria Vittitow
Alexandria E. Vittitow focused on transactional work during and immediately after law school, before she moved into insurance defense practice. She joined Stiff & Garcia in August 2019.
Julia Y. Mares
Julia Y. Mares has called New Mexico her home for the past 35 years. Her practice includes defending employment and civil rights claims and defending insureds in automobile litigation, homeowner’s liability and dog bite cases.
H. Nicole Werkmeister
Nicole Werkmeister has thirty years of experience in civil defense litigation, with an emphasis on complex litigation involving constitutional and employment law, professional liability, and the defense of school districts, state entities, and municipalities in a wide variety of tort and civil rights claims. Nicole is of counsel to the firm and her expertise is available to our clients.
Kimberly Huson
Ms. Huson relocated to New Mexico in 2019 and joined our firm in 2023. Her practice focuses on all aspects of civil litigation. She received her J.D. from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in 2018, and is admitted to practice in New Mexico and at the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico.
John S. Stiff, Jr.
John Stiff, Jr. was born and raised in Albuquerque. He received his Bachelor of Science in History, summa cum laude, from the George Washington University in 2013. He received his law degree from University of California at Davis in 2017. John has worked as a civil defense attorney since graduating from law school. He has obtained a defense verdict in Second Judicial District Court, favorable rulings at multiple bench trials, and has prevailed on dispositive motions. John primarily defends personal injury claims, employment discrimination claims, and construction defect matters. In his free time, when he is not on a golf course, John spends time with his beautiful wife, Hannah, and their three dogs and one cat.
The Stiff, Garcia & Associates Promise
We Will:
Return phone calls promptly.
Follow your reporting guidelines.
Work in partnership with your claims professionals.
Help you to identify the reasons the case did not settle before suit and suggest creative strategies.
Prepare for trial if the case cannot be resolved.