I am a lawyer providing expert advice and legal services in sophisticated matters of estate planning and trust administration, while offering practical and common sense solutions to legal and business planning problems. I am also an experienced and successful litigator. I have over 30 years of legal experience including the fields of:

  • Estate planning
  • Trust creation and administration
  • Probate administration
  • Wills and Estates
  • Plaintiff personal injury litigation
  • Litigation (trusts & estates, business, plaintiff personal injury, real estate, criminal defense)
  • Asset protection
  • Medicaid (Medi-Cal) eligibility planning for Long Term Care and asset protection
  • Real estate transactions, agricultural leases
  • Small business entity formation

I am experienced in estate planning and in litigation including civil and criminal jury trials, court trials and appeals. I have experience in defending administrative hearings (DMV driver's license suspension/revocations, and Labor Commission) and in prosecuting writs of administrative mandamus before superior courts. I have broad experience having appeared before the U.S. District Court, California Superior Courts throughout Central California, the Motherlode, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, the California Court of Appeal, Administrative Hearing Judges and the State Board of Equalization.

EDUCATION

University of California, Hastings College of Law, J.D.  

UCLA, B.A., College Honors, cum laude

MEMBER 

Trusts and Estates Section, CLA  

Litigation Section, CLA

REPORTED CASES

Cory v. Toscano (2009) 174 Cal.App.4th 1039