Assistant Attorney General Tony West Announces
New Members to Civil Division’s Senior Leadership

WASHINGTON – Tony West, Assistant Attorney General (AAG) for the Justice Department’s Civil Division, today announced four new members of the Division’s leadership team. AAG West announced the appointment of Ann Ravel to be Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG) for the Torts Branch and the Office of Consumer Litigation, and Juan Osuna to be DAAG for the Office of Immigration Litigation. Mr. West also announced that Brian Martinez will serve as the AAG’s Chief of Staff. and Geoffrey Graber as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General.

"We are fortunate to have these talented and committed individuals joining the Justice Department’s Civil Division," said West. "I am confident that their service will meet the highest standards of the Division."

Ann Ravel, the new Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Torts Branch and the Office of Consumer Litigation, previously served as the County Counsel of Santa Clara County, Calif. She has received numerous awards including the 2007 Public Lawyer of the Year award from the California State Bar, the American Bar Association’s Award for State and Local Government Law Advocacy presented in 2002 and the 2001 Professional Lawyer of the Year Award presented by the Santa Clara County Bar Association.

The Division’s Torts Branch represents the government in lawsuits where monetary judgments are sought for damages resulting from alleged negligent or wrongful acts. The Torts Branch also handles actions involving injury or damage to government property.

The Office of Consumer Litigation is responsible for criminal and civil litigation and related matters arising under federal statutes administered by the Food and Drug Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Prior to his appointment as DAAG for the Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL), Juan Osuna was chairman of the Board of Immigration Appeals, the highest administrative body for interpreting and applying U.S. immigration laws. Mr. Osuna received a bachelor of arts degree in 1985 from George Washington University, a juris doctorate in 1988 from the Washington College of Law at American University and a master of arts degree in law and international affairs in 1989 from American University’s School of International Service. As chairman of the Board of Immigration Appeals, Mr. Osuna guided the Board through some of the more challenging times in its history, putting in place a number of initiatives that substantially improved the Board’s operations, protecting due process while promoting efficiency.

OIL has jurisdiction over all civil immigration litigation, and is responsible for the nationwide coordination of immigration matters before the federal district courts and circuit courts of appeals.

Brian Martinez, prior to joining the Division as its Chief of Staff, served as an associate in the Litigation Department in the San Francisco Office of Morrison and Foerster. Before joining the law firm, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable Thelton E. Henderson, Senior U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of California. Mr. Martinez received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Stanford University in 1997. He received his law degree from Stanford Law School in 2002. Prior to law school, he worked for two years in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department.

Geoffrey Graber, Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, served as an associate in the Litigation Department of Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco prior to coming to the Justice Department. Mr. Graber’s private practice encompassed consumer class actions, securities fraud, product defects, tort and contract law, as well as general civil litigation. Mr. Graber graduated in 2000 from the University of Southern California Law School, where he served as the Managing Articles Editor for the Southern California Law Review. He received his bachelor of arts degree in 1995 from Vassar College.

Ms. Ravel and Mr. Osuna join Beth Brinkmann, the DAAG for the Division’s Appellate Branch, Ian Gershengorn, DAAG for the Federal Programs Branch and Michael Hertz, the Commercial Litigation Branch DAAG, to round out the Civil Division’s senior team.