Walnut Creek Lawyers

Mr. Lederman is a Certified Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Contra Costa County Bar Association's Family Law Section and served as Section President in 2008. He is also a past State Bar Family Law Section Legislation Chair and is the 2017 Family Law Section Chair. He frequently speaks and writes on family law issues.

Karyne T. Ghantous is a California licensed attorney with over 25 years of litigation and insurance defense experience successfully trying cases and serving as independent/ Civil Code section 2860 “Cumis” independent counsel in all Northern California counties. Ghantous Law Corporation represents contractors, property owners, and insureds facing liability claims and litigation. We prioritize the best interests of the insureds over the carrier’s while making every effort to end rather than prolong litigation disputes.

San Ramon Business & Real Estate Lawyer
Lubna K Jahangiri has been serving the business community of the San Francisco Bay Area for over twelve years. Attorney Jahangiri provides consultation and representation in a variety of transactional business and real property matters including:

Litigation –Represent clients in litigation, trials, arbitrations, mediations, civil writ petitions and appeals related to business, commercial, and real property disputes

Legal Experience
Ms. Jahangiri earned her J.D. (Doctor of Jurisprudence) from Golden Gate University in 2001, from where she graduated at the top of her class. While at law school, Ms. Jahangiri earned the CALI award for writing and research...

J.R. Richards' practice focuses on developing long term client relationships representing their interests in both transactional matters and in civil litigation. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants primarily in real estate and business disputes and has successfully litigated cases through dispositive motion, trial and settlement in state and federal courts. J.R. prepares each case to achieve a favorable judgment by trial or before trial, and when in the best interest of the client leverages a favorable settlement. Community Involvement: * Coach/Manager for Pre-K/K softball team the Purple Puppies 2016. * Coach/Manager for the Danville...

Andrew is a senior counsel in the Oakland/East Bay office of Ericksen Arbuthnot and co-chair of the firm's Appellate Practice Group. He is AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been selected as a Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Star by Thomson Reuters. Andrew has extensive litigation experience representing individual and institutional clients in state and federal court. His areas of practice include insurance coverage and defense, intellectual property, personal injury, professional liability, real estate, and other commercial issues.

Andrew has B.A. degrees in Cognitive Science and History, and a minor in Philosophy, from the...

You’ve spent your life building your wealth. And no matter how large or how modest – protecting your assets matters. Ivette Santaella understands that estate planning may seem daunting. You might feel uncomfortable talking about what happens after death. Or maybe you’re worried that you don’t understand the laws well enough. Santaella Law Group, APC is here to guide you through your concerns and make estate planning easy. Ivette has more than 30 years of experience talking her clients through their goals, translating and helping them navigate the law, and working with them to come up with a solid plan for...

I am also a Certified Public Accountant and have been doing tax work in the Bay Area for 30 years. I specialize in helping people and businesses pay as few taxes as possible without getting audited. In the estate planning area I help people preserve their property for their families and pay as few estate taxes as possible. I also am the Probate Doctor who can help fix impossible situations when estates are stuck in the quagmire of California Probate.

For 38 years has represented catastrophically injured persons throughout Northern California. Workers' compensation, industrial accidents, death claims, orthopedic injuries, amputations, CRPS, TBI, PTSD. The Goforth & Lucas Law Partnership helps injured workers level the playing field against insurance carriers and their army of lawyers.

Zachary Rayo brings experience, efficiency and empathy to estate planning. Mr. Rayo’s approach is people-centered. He recognizes that the legal needs and special issues differ from client to client, that each person is unique, with unique needs that must be met with efficiency, active listening and care. Mr. Rayo knows the importance of social responsibility which manifests not only in ethical decisions and practices but also in involvement in socially important causes.

I represent individuals and small to medium sized businesses in bankruptcy, foreclosure defense and debt consolidation matters. For individuals, I represent clients in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy proceedings, including adversary proceedings, including 2nd home mortgage lien stripping, redemption of vehicles and student loan reductions. For businesses, I provide services related to the winding down of a business, board and management consultations and bankruptcy debt consolidation in Chapter 11. In conjunction with my bankruptcy practice, I also provide estate planning, probate and trust administration representation. The best way to avoid probate is to plan properly by drafting...

Our practice covers all aspects of family and matrimonial law in all of the Bay Area counties, primarily focusing on Contra Costa, Alameda, Solano, and San Francisco counties. We will expertly navigate you through your family law matter, whether it involves termination of a domestic partnership, paternity, custody, visitation, domestic violence, adoption, guardianship, support, an annulment, legal separation, or post-judgment issues. Regardless which of these processes you are dealing with, we understand the strain and pressure that these matters inevitably put on clients and the necessity of providing strong representation. Therefore, we strive to make the entire process as easy...

Ms. Johns is a civil trial lawyer who has tried more than one hundred cases to verdict. She is the managing partner for Hillary Johns, Trial Lawyer which maintains offices in Beverly Hills, the Bay Area and New York City. She graduated from Occidental College in 1990 and Golden Gate University School of Law in 1993 where she graduated with Dean’s List and class honors. She is licensed to practice law in California, the California Southern, Central and Northern U.S. Federal District Courts, the District of Columbia, Montana, New York, and the New York Eastern and Southern U.S....

Rebecca's undergraduate degree in Social Work carries forward in her caring and passionate attitude toward representing her clients in tax issues, including tax levies, offer in compromise. Her practice includes preparing trust plans (trust, pour over will, health care directive, and power of attorney) for her clients and assisting clients selecting and forming their business entity (S Corp, C Corp, LLC or LLP). Rebecca is determined to get the best result for her client. Prepare today, for peace of mind in the future.

Jean Claude (JJ) B. Mallein Jr. is an experienced business, tax and trusts and estates attorney. Dedicated to wealth preservation, he has focused his education and practice on helping California residents secure their estates and prepare for the future. As a partner at boutique tax and estate planning firm in the Silicon Valley, Mr. Mallein gained valuable experience in wealth management, estate planning, tax planning, business succession planning, trust and estate administrations, tax controversy, real estate transactions and like-kind exchange cases. He is fully prepared to tackle complex business and estate planning cases. Mr. Mallein is a Dual Certified...

Hi! I'm Scott M. Johnson and I am founding Partner of Gale, Angelo, Johnson & Patrick PC. I graduated Cum Laude from the University of California, Los Angeles with a major in American Literature, then attended Santa Clara University Law School and graduated Cum Laude. Prior to starting Gale, Angelo, Johnson & Patrick, P.C., I worked for a consumer bankruptcy law firm assisting debtors. I have represented hundreds of Debtors in Chapter 7, 11 and 13 bankruptcy cases throughout Northern California, successfully helping them to discharge the burdensome debt, keep their homes, and restore their credit. Scott also represents consumers in...

I am a founding partner of Gale, Angelo, Johnson & Patrick P.C., and practice in the areas of bankruptcy and consumer litigation. In bankruptcy, I represent both consumer debtors and businesses in chapter 7, 11, and 13 matters. In consumer litigation, I represent consumers in litigation under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Telephone Consumer Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and the Rosenthal Act and has handled cases in those areas before both state and federal courts. I also have experience with appeals, having worked on cases before the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel and the Ninth Circuit Court...

Steve Franco is an award-winning attorney who has dedicated his legal career toward fighting on behalf of injured workers. He is one of the few workers’ compensation attorneys in Northern California to have received part of his legal training at the prestigious California Supreme Court where he oversaw and worked on numerous labor and employment cases affecting all Californians when he served as a judicial extern for Justice Carlos Moreno. In 2018 and 2017, Steve was selected by Super Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star in the area of Workers' Compensation Law. The attorneys selected as Rising Stars are limited...

Mr. Muñoz has over a decade of experience serving clients as an attorney. He began his career practicing criminal law as both a prosecutor and defense attorney gaining valuable jury trial experience. Armed with this experience and teamed with Mr. Franco, René Muñoz now advocates on behalf of you, the injured worker. He never forgot his roots and is extremely excited to represent your interests and fight for justice. Mr. Muñoz initially practiced in Workers' Compensation advocating for employers and insurance. His experience working on behalf of institutional clients gave him a better understanding of what motivates defendants in Workers' Compensation...

Gordon Young is a 25-year litigator, specializing in financial, trust and securities litigation. Gordon tries and arbitrates cases for trustees, beneficiaries, financial professionals, investment advisors, stock brokers, Wall Street banks, and broker-dealers. These cases include civil, probate and regulatory claims based on breach of fiduciary duty, breach of trust, fraud, suitability, mismanagement of mutual funds and managed accounts, the prudent investor rule, as well as employee promissory notes, up-front loans, raiding, trade secret, unfair competition and related employment claims. Gordon has successfully assisted numerous investment professionals with FINRA related expungement actions. Gordon has been recognized eleven times...

OLIVER GREENWOOD is the principal of the Law Offices of Oliver Greenwood in Pleasant Hill. He is the author of chapters 1, 4, 12, 16, and 17 in the CEB Guardianship Handbook. Mr. Greenwood received his B.A. degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and his J.D. from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. A frequent speaker regarding probate matters and a member of the Judicial Council's Probate & Mental Health Advisory Committee. Mr. Greenwood is also a contributing author to CEB's conservatorship and powers of attorney and health care directives books. Mr. Greenwood's areas of practice include conservatorships, guardianships,...

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.

I am a former police officer and deputy district attorney in Contra Costa County. I received my Bachelor's Degree from California State University Sacramento and a Juris Doctor from John F. Kennedy University, School of Law. As principal attorney of this firm, I guide the firm’s staff and manage major cases and matters on behalf of individual and business clients. I have tried numerous cases to verdict and have appeared before the California Court of Appeal, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal. Our firm practices real estate, labor and employment, and business litigation. Our firm also drafts wills, trust...

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.

I serve personal injury clients throughout the entire East Bay from my offices in Danville and Pleasanton. I know how devastating an injury can be. Aside from physical pain, it can also accompany financial hardship, a complete change of lifestyle and livelihood, family duress and more. I understand the full scope of what an injury can bring and has dedicated his life to helping those who through no fault of their own suffer at the negligence of others. I am a strong advocate for your rights and has fought hard for over 20 years to make our communities a...

Alexandra Danielle Wilson is a Calfornia State Bar member and a Contra Costa County Bar Association member. She is a passionate member of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) and American Immigration lawyers Assocation (AILA). She volunteers at several Bay Area non-profit organizations. Alexandra graduated from University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Alexandra is fluent in Spanish and passionately advocates for immigrant's rights.

While in law school, Alexandra focused almost exclusively in the area of immigration. She participated in the Refugee and Human Rights Clinic during which she travelled to Guatemala on a fact-finding trip to gather information...

Helen has provided quality mediation services in Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties since 1993. Her process permits private , effective resolution of legal disputes.

Mr. Prutton graduated with high honors in 1979 from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Forestry. He received his law degree in 1982 (J.D. cum laude) from one of the top schools in the country, the University of Illinois College of Law. From 1982 - 1985 he practiced law with Baxter & Hammond in Grand Rapids, Michigan representing insurance companies and corporations. From 1985 - 1987 he represented similar interests while an associate with Low, Ball & Lynch in San Francisco. In 1987, Mr. Prutton opened his own law office in the Bay Area, switched sides...

Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS), State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization; LLM Taxation; Member California State Bar; Hawaii State Bar; Arizona State Bar; Contra Costa County Bar Association; Family Law Section Hawaii State Bar; Family Law Section Arizona State Bar, Trust and Estates Section Arizona State Bar. The law offices of Doyle Golde Grossman Family Law Group provides family law, divorce, estate planning and trust administration services in the Contra Costa County providing the community with deep legal talent and a professional result based representation.

Eric Farber is the Founder of Pacific Workers, the Lawyers for Injured Workers. We represent injured workers in their fight for justice against the insurance companies. With a solid team of well trained, caring and compassionate professionals, it is easy to see why Pacific Workers has garnered numerous awards and accolades but more importantly, over 250 five star reviews from clients.

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...

Otto P. Cipolla, Jr. is the founder and owner of The Law Offices of CIPOLLA, CALABA, MARRONE, WOLLMAN & SILVA. Mr. Cipolla founded the firm in 1995. He has since grown the firm from 2 attorneys to 30 attorneys. The firm now has seven offices throughout California. Mr. Cipolla has taught, lectured and given seminars in all aspects of Workers’ Compensation Law for employers, insurance carriers, brokers and third party administrators. Mr. Cipolla has been a Judge Pro-Tem not only at the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board but also in both Municipal and Superior Court. CCMW&S practice is...

Mark Venardi was born in 1962 in Seattle, Washington. He was raised in Peoria, IL, a Midwest blue collar town. He enlisted in the United States Coast Guard and proudly served from 1980 through 1985. He spent the first two years on a sea going tug performing search and rescue and marine law enforcement from the Grand Banks to the Windward Passage aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Tamaroa, which was the Coast Guard vessel that performed the rescue in “The Perfect Storm.”