Mr. Ghidella received his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology in 1969 from University of California, Berkeley and his Juris Doctorate degree from San Francisco Law School in 1978. He was admitted to practice law in California and the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, also, in 1978.

For  thirty-two years, Mr. Ghidella actively engaged in civil litigation as Trial Attorney and Acting Chief Trial Attorney for the Alameda Contra Costa Transit District, as Managing Attorney for the Zurich Companies, and as Trial Attorney III for the California State Automobile Association.  In 1998, Mr.Ghidella associated with former California Attorney General, John Van de Kamp, in directing the Thoroughbred Owners of California, a legislatively mandated bargaining agent for thoroughbred horse owners in California.   Mr. Ghidella has been senior counsel with Phillips, Spallas & Angstadt since 2006.

Mr. Ghidella was certificated in mediation by Pepperdine University in 1993, and has maintained an active mediation practice that has involved virtually all major liability insurance carriers and such entities as Chevron, Century Theaters, City of Oakland, City of Berkeley, the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum and Contra Costa County.

Mr. Ghidella is an active thoroughbred horse owner and breeder and has also served as a licensed official at various California race tracks. He is also co-founder and a corporate officer of the Maggiora Baking Company.