Jay Raftery | AMB Law

A Range of Skills, A Wealth of Expertise

As a highly experienced lawyer with hometown roots, Jay L. Raftery Jr. has built a broad and varied career that has taken him from fast-attack submarines, to the movie business, to highly complex corporate and regulatory law.

Jay grew up in San Luis Obispo County and has fond memories of the clam and strawberry festivals, the Farmers’ Market, and his stint on FM radio in the early 1990s. Add military service as a U.S. Navy diver; a law degree; and increasingly sophisticated work as a financial consultant, general counsel and litigation attorney, and you get a glimpse of Jay’s wide-ranging background.

He is thoroughly at home in a host of settings and armed with the knowledge, skill and experience to do the very best for his clients.

Jay L. Raftery Jr. provides exceptional legal solutions for commercial clients in diverse industries including public entities (land use, zoning and school district litigation); health care (medical practice governance and compliance); intellectual property and entertainment law (trademark and copyright); and manufacturing. Simply put, Jay has a keen aptitude for complex regulatory areas and can make those onerous regulations finally make sense. Most recently, as a litigation attorney for Beach, Cowdrey, Jenkins LLP of Oxnard, Jay advised and defended clients in connection with a range of highly complex regulatory issues such as those involving the Americans with Disabilities Act’s impact on private employers and public accommodations. His regulatory skills extend into the intricacies of federal health-care laws such as the Affordable Care Act and the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). More specifically, he:

Defended public and private entities in employment, land use and medical malpractice lawsuits.
Counseled employers on litigation avoidance and training programs on issues including sexual harassment, regulatory compliance and the ADA.
Represented clients in artist management, motion picture and television production, music production and licensing, publishing and other financial matters.

Locally, Jay previously served as general counsel for Live Eyewear Inc. of San Luis Obispo, where he advised management on a variety of topics including Internet legal issues, contracts, regulatory requirements, litigation management, intellectual property and human resources.

Education & Background

Jay received his B.S. degree in business administration from the University of Southern California, with an emphasis in finance. He served as a student ambassador and graduated with recognition. He earned his J.D. degree from the University of Denver, where he was staff editor of the “Transportation Law Journal,” graduate assistant to the dean of students, and served on the Moot Court.

In the U.S. Navy, Jay served in the Pacific Fleet Submarine Force as a sonar technician and diver.

Jay is admitted to practice in all the courts of the State of California and the State of Arizona as well as the California Central and Northern Districts and the Arizona District of the United States District Courts.

He is married and has two children.