Mr. Barnes graduated from Harvard College in 1989, and from the University of Texas School of Law in 1993.  While in law school, he competed in various national mock trial competitions, including the American Trial Lawyers Association Mock Trial Competition, the Tournament of Champions, and the National Mock Trial Competition.  He and his partner won the intramural Senior Mock Trial Competition, and he was named Best Advocate.  He was awarded the Scott, Douglass & Luton Litigation Award for academic excellence and trial skills, and was inducted into the Order of Barristers.

After law school, Mr. Barnes joined the firm of Strauss & Troy in Cincinnati, Ohio. He practiced in Ohio until 1996, when he relocated to Sacramento to join the firm of Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard.  He formed the Barnes Law Offices in 2000.

Ms. Lakes has been a paralegal since 1984, and has been working in this office since 2001. Prior to her current position, she worked for a number of firms on large and complex litigation matters.