About Douglas Allen
Douglas Allen Plazak is a licensed attorney admitted to practice law in the State of California. He was admitted to the California State Bar in 1995 and holds bar number 181709. His license is currently in active status. Mr. Plazak is a shareholder at Reid & Hellyer, a law firm with offices in Riverside, Murrieta, and Rancho Santa Margarita, California. He practices primarily in Riverside County, serving clients throughout Southern California.
Mr. Plazak earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, in 1995. Prior to law school, he completed his undergraduate education at California State University, Sacramento, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1992. During his time at McGeorge School of Law, he was involved in various student organizations and activities, contributing to his comprehensive legal education.
Mr. Plazak concentrates his practice in the areas of business litigation, employment law, and bankruptcy. He represents clients in matters involving workplace discrimination, wrongful termination, wage and hour disputes, and premises liability claims. His practice encompasses all stages of litigation, including initial case evaluation, discovery, mediation, settlement negotiations, and trial proceedings in both state and federal courts. He has also represented creditors and borrowers in bankruptcy proceedings, providing guidance through complex financial disputes.
Throughout his career, Mr. Plazak has handled cases in the Superior Court of California for the County of Riverside, the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has also appeared before the California Court of Appeal on multiple occasions. Notably, he prevailed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of Chapter 7 Trustee Robert S. Whitmore in Stevens v. Whitmore, 15 F.4th 1214 (9th Cir. 2021), a case involving debtors who failed to properly schedule a lawsuit in their bankruptcy petition.
Mr. Plazak is an active member of the Riverside County and Orange County Bar Associations. He has also been involved with the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce Governmental Affairs Council. Outside of his professional legal career, he has a diverse range of interests, including golfing, playing basketball, and playing the guitar. He also had a foray into television notoriety when he served as a contestant on the television game show Jeopardy! in January 2002, finishing second to a four-time winner.
