Lafayette Lawyers

Areas of Expertise

Business advice and counseling
Contract drafting and review
Corporate structure and transactions
Licensing and regulation
Employment and labor negotiation
Insurance coverage and claims handling
Education

B.A., Colgate University, 1991
Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude
J.D., University of Wisconsin Law School, 1994

Martin is an experienced business attorney who facilitates transactions while minimizing the risks and pitfalls facing his clients. Martin takes a “can-do” approach to legal problems that focuses on crafting deals through an integrative and value creating process rather than conflict.

Since 1990, Bob Gonser has practiced in the securities area, including representation of public investors before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (formerly NASD), New York Stock Exchange and Pacific Exchange. He has successfully handled hundreds of cases involving losses sustained in brokerage accounts as a result of wrongdoing, mismanagement and fraud by brokers and brokerage firms. Over the years, Mr. Gonser's efforts have resulted in a multitude of awards and settlements for his clients including over $1.2 million in damages and interest for four employees of Cisco Systems in arbitration before the Pacific Exchange (Read the decision.) At Hunsucker Goodstein, he...

Trial Lawyer Business Litigation Both Defense & Plaintiff Extensive Experience And With Multi-Million Dollar Verdicts; Lawyer Malpractice Cases; Real Estate Law; Wills & Trusts Contests; Class Actions.

Throughout his thirty year career Chris has been focused on assisting key executives in building their businesses, and often on preparing for and subsequently executing their liquidity event, the sale of their company, raising capital, or an IPO. As a consequence, he has developed particular expertise in Corporate and Transactional matters, Mergers and Acquisitions and with providing General Counsel Services to a wide range of business clients. Chris has represented individual executives, sole proprietorships and Fortune 500 companies. His clients have been both public and privately held, and have included LLCs and limited and general partnerships. Most clients...

Konstantine "Kosta" Demiris is a partner at the law firm of Demiris & Moore, located in the heart of downtown Walnut Creek, in the center of Contra Costa County. His practice focuses on litigation involving elder abuse (financial and physical), will and trust litigation, conservatorships, guardianships, HOA's, and appeals. Kosta is actively involved in the Contra Costa County legal community. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Contra Costa County Bar Association's Elder Law Section. He serves as court-appointed counsel in Conservatorship cases in Contra Costa County. Kosta is dedicated to helping...

Private Practice in real estate and business law for 40 years. Court and private mediator for 25 years. AV Rated and Northern California Super Lawyer.

Local Estate Elder Law Planning Attorney
Long term Pleasant Hill resident, Jeffrey Hall, didn’t follow the traditional path to the practice of law. Indeed, attorney Hall grew up in central Los Angeles, and in a time when there was no expectation that he would attend college; and law school was simply not an option. However, after completing his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Saint Mary’s College, he volunteered with the Air Force in 1981 and served for 9 years, both reserve and active. Upon returning to California, he and his wife made Pleasant Hill their home and have...

Mr. Light firmly believes in the power of empathy and humanity. His strength of empathy and unique personal experience with tragedy has allowed him to connect with clients who’ve suffered their own profound losses. Mr. Light is honored to represent and advocate for individuals and families suffering from the universe of challenges that inherently follow a traumatic brain injury.

Nobody expects or can anticipate what follows a brain injury, even a “mild” trauma. Growing up, Mr. Light was reminded on a daily basis of the strength, determination, love, patience and understanding necessary to endure the aftermath of a life-altering event....

Christina Weed understands the complex life demands and goals of her clients. Christina also understands that most of the time it is not possible to completely separate family life from business. Clients need an integrated plan that covers all of their family, business, tax, and estate planning concerns. Christina has dedicated the past thirteen years to the study and practice of law, taxation, business, accounting, and estate planning and uses this knowledge to consult with her clients in business, tax and estate planning matters. Christina is a licensed attorney with an LL.M. in Taxation from the...

I’ve been an attorney for going on 20 years in the greater bay area of California. When you call me, you will talk to me directly. You won’t get assigned to a paralegal or another attorney. I have a passion for practicing law and helping my clients to the best of my ability. I like talking to people and getting to the heart of the matter through direct and clear talk.

Joe Appel has specialized in personal injury cases for more than 30 years. He’s seen it, tried it, and won it, both in state and federal courts. Joe graduated from St. Mary’s College of California, Moraga, California in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He also played basketball for the Galloping Gaels for four years. At graduation Joe received the Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. He then attended and graduated from University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1979. Joe was admitted to the California and Federal Courts in the same year. He has been a member...

Richard is a USPTO Registered Patent Attorney who loves helping creative people realize their dreams. Rich received his BA from Princeton University, then completed his Physics coursework at San Francisco State University. Rich received his J.D. with Honors & Certified in Intellectual Property from the University of Oregon School of Law. Rich has practiced in patent prosecution, patent litigation and military law, having served as an Army JAG Corps Captain stateside and overseas. Many lawyers call themselves "i.p. lawyers," but few are truly Registered with the USPTO, licensed to secure you your patent or ® Trademark. Look...

As an San Francisco Bay Area labor and employment attorney at Littler Mendelson, I represent employers in all phases and types of employment litigation (e.g., wage and hour class actions, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, misclassification, wrongful termination, etc.), provide advice and counsel to employers regarding their employment practices and policies, and create and present customized workplace trainings and presentations unique to employers' goals and company culture. My professional experiences outside of the realm of law are rooted in business, management, and accounting.

Michael Hassen's litigation practice spans over 30 years and emphasizes general business and commercial litigation, including class action defense and matters involving intellectual property and unfair competition.

We are dedicated to the practice of Immigration and Naturalization Law exclusively, serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Te: 925-407-2149 Services include: Family immigration law: marriage and fiance visas, family petitions, waivers of unlawful presence, green cards. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Original Applications and Renewals) Business Immigration law: visas to work and/or invest (HB, TN, E investor visas, employment-based green cards. Visas for athletes and entertainers. LGBT Immigration law: visas and petitions for same sex couples. Citizenship and Naturalization. Languages: English, Spanish Marcela Knaup is a bilingual Spanish-English attorney. www.knauplegal.com Marcela@knauplegal.com Te: ...

Stephen offers experienced business and legal counseling to individuals and corporations throughout the Bay Area, including: (1) Business litigation and dispute resolution services involving misappropriation of trade secrets, non-compete/solicitation agreements, mechanics lien and payment bond claims, commercial leases, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent misrepresentation and unfair, unlawful or fraudulent business practices (Bus. & Prof. C. sec. 17200); (2) Construction contracting; (3) Intellectual Property licensing and distribution; and (4) E-commerce, website terms of use, privacy policies and data protection and security.

For more than 30 years, Mike Appel has devoted his practice exclusively to personal injury and wrongful death cases. He represents clients throughout California, both in State and Federal courts. Born and raised in Redondo Beach, Mike attended St. Mary’s College of California, Moraga, California, where he majored in English. He was an editor of the college’s literary magazine, "The Phoenix." He also played rugby for the Gaels, and was a member of the team that went on the first annual rugby tour of the East Coast. Mike received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1970. At graduation he also received...

Mr. Tormey has over 20 years of experience in product development, marketing and intellectual property protection. As a company startup veteran, Mr. Tormey brings a unique perspective on the value of intellectual property to a small and growing business. As such, he also speaks to entrepreneurs and business executives on how to protect and leverage IP assets. Mr. Tormey is the author of the "Startup Guide to Intellectual Property." As a patent attorney, Mr. Tormey has drafted over 100 patent applications covering software, electronics, wireless, radio, mobile applications, encryption and automation controls. Besides intellectual property law, ...

Attorney Adam M. Carlson is managing partner at Casper, Meadows, Schwartz & Cook. While he is skilled in various areas of law, he focuses the majority of his practice handling cases related to wrongful death, civil rights, and personal injury. He believes that tailoring each case to each client’s needs is key to providing aggressive and compassionate legal representation.

Before joining the firm, Carlson served as an intake assistant for our team, where he was responsible for fielding calls from potential clients. It was at this time that Carlson decided he wanted to do more. He found that he was passionate...

With more than 40 years of legal experience, Andrew Schwartz has handled countless cases for clients ranging from serious injuries and personal injury to product liability law at Casper, Meadows, Schwartz & Cook. A 1975 graduate from the University of San Francisco School of Law, Mr. Schwartz has been admitted to the Federal and California Bars and the U.S. Supreme Court. Throughout his legal career, he’s achieved numerous multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for injured clients, including a $5.6 million jury verdict that was considered one of the top 100 jury verdicts in California in 2017. In addition to holding memberships...

My law practice focuses on representing injury and death victims and their families. Many of my cases have involved personal injury, car accidents, accidental death, wrongful death, truck accidents, big-rig accidents, motorcycle accidents, products liability, defective products, dog bites, nursing home injuries, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, and dangerous property. I have been highly successful in favorably resolving my clients' cases and obtaining monetary compensation for my clients for over 22 years. My clients have suffered catastrophic injuries, death of a family member, serious injuries requiring hospitalization or surgery and many other types of injuries including coma, brain injuries, quadriplegia, triplegia, loss of...

Karen S. Fenchel

Professional Biography

Karen Fenchel is a sole practitioner in Walnut Creek, CA. She is a Certified Family Law Specialist and has focused on all areas of family law. Her practice is settlement oriented and includes both family law mediation and collaborative law. Karen has a strong commitment to helping clients resolve issues without going to court. She utilizes her training in both mediation and collaborative practice to assist families in crisis and help them gain control of their lives. Through mediation, collaborative process and negotiated settlements, she works toward equitable solutions that consider the...

Shahrad Milanfar is a Trial Attorney and Mediator who has focused his career on serious personal injury, automotive, asbestos and other types of product liability, transportation/ trucking, and habitability cases. Since the beginning of his career, Shahrad has worked on catastrophic injury cases such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), serious orthopedic injuries, including quadriplegia and paraplegia.

Shahrad gained his trial and courtroom experience while working with the district attorney’s office and as a civil trial attorney. He has handled cases form inception to verdict as the primary trial attorney. Over the past 20+ years, Shahrad has managed serious personal injury and...

The Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. are uniquely qualified in tax. Is the IRS breathing down your neck and sending you intimidating notices and telephone calls? Are you having tax problems? Is the IRS filing liens, garnishing your wages, levying assets, and devastating your financial and personal life? IRS tax debts require immediate action. Don’t put off dealing with tax debts; inaction could be very expensive. Instead, consider professional IRS help. The Law Offices of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. are uniquely qualified in tax, probate, trust, and business law. We can provide responsive, proactive...

Mr. Williams is the founder of The Williams Firm and has over 21 years of extensive experience in the areas of real estate, construction, business and corporate law. Mr. Williams' practice areas include all aspects of civil litigation and dispute resolution in all courts, government hearings, arbitrations and mediations in the areas of real estate, construction and business law. Mr. Williams also represents and advises clients in business transactions, corporate law, real property transactions, and trademark law. In real estate matters he has represented owners and developers of residential and commercial properties, including multi-million dollar properties, negotiated sales...

Mr. Luna holds Bachelor of Science degrees in both Management and Marketing from San Francisco State University and went to the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, where he graduated with honors and was appointed a member of the Traynor Honor Society. In addition, Mr. Luna received a coveted Witkin Award for studies conducted in International Banking.

After graduating from law school, Mr. Luna worked in a boutique civil litigation and general practice firm in Fresno, CA and then went on to work with a couple of different Workers' Compensation firms in the Bay Area (doing both applicants and...

The Law Office of Glicel Sumagaysay handles employment matters as follows: *Federal employee, public entity employee, and private employee representation in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC"), federal court, Department of Fair Housing and Employment (“DFEH”), and state courts; *Claims include wrongful termination; retaliation; discrimination on the basis of disability, race, gender, and other protected statuses; *wage and hour matters with the Department of Labor Standards and Enforcement (“DLSE”) and courts; *small business employer compliance with California and federal law.

Thomas has a passion for the law as it relates to personal injury and worker's compensation. His current practice at the Appel Law Firm LLP focuses on representing those involved in personal injury claims, as well as worker's compensation and other related matters. During law school, Thomas served as a judicial extern for Judge Timothy A. Reardon of the First District of the California Court of Appeal. He was a member of the University of San Francisco Advanced Advocacy teams for two years and served as the Social Chair on the Advanced Advocacy Board. Thomas also was a member...

Have you recently been denied workers' compensation? Are you seeking to appeal your application, or the application of a loved one? If so, then you can't wait to garner the help of an experienced Oakland workers' compensation lawyer. It's with the care of a professional that you will be able to fight for the financial compensation that you deserve. With more than two decades of experience fighting for workers in the Bay Area, the Law Offices of Jonathan M. Brand will be able to bring your questions the attentive care and understanding that's needed. Whether you have been denied workers'...

Mr. Poulin is experienced in the areas of real estate, business, and construction litigation. He has trial experience in both state and Federal court, and has experience in all aspects of dispute resolution. Mr. Poulin has successfully represented clients in broker disputes, foreclosures, neighbor disputes, title insurance coverage, fraud, breach of contract, breach of lease and landlord-tenant issues. Real estate issues include construction defect cases, damages on behalf of contractors, subcontractors, architects and engineers in mechanic's liens, stop notice, payment and performance bond actions. Prior to joining The Williams Firm, Mr. Poulin was an associate at the law...

Mr. Cross is an expert in the field of criminal law. Mr. Cross will fight more aggressively than anyone to bring you the best outcome possible. He passionately cares about defending his clients and does everything within his power to help them. Having attended the University of California, Berkeley for Undergraduate studies, he received a B.A. in Legal Studies. He subsequently attended the prestigious San Francisco Law School to receive his J.D. He is a member of many associations, including the State Bar Association, the Alameda County Car Association, the San Mateo County Bar Association and the Delta Theta Phi...