Columbia Lawyers

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...

Divorce doesn’t have to be a costly and painful battle. Mediator and Collaborative Divorce attorney Emily M. De Falla guides couples toward a cooperative, respectful divorce. By honoring both parties’ priorities, she can help you get around roadblocks and craft sensible solutions. The results are lower costs, equitable results, and healthier, happier kids.

I spent nearly 25 years as a state court prosecutor. The majority of those years were served in Alameda County, and a few years were served in Santa Clara County. I specialized in high profile, complex felony prosecutions. I was the trial prosecutor in the case of People v. Madison, Merel, and Cazares. The case involved the prosecution of three men for the murder of Gwen Araujo, a transgender, teenaged girl from Newark, California. The famous case became the subject of a Lifetime Network movie called, "A Girl Like Me."

There is no aspect of the...

Lynn Gorelick has been an attorney for over 34 years. Attorney Lynn Gorelick is the Immediate Past President of the California DUI Lawyers Association. This is the only and most well respected legal organization for California Lawyers specializing in DUI defense. Ms. Gorelick has been a member of this organization since its inception and has served on the Board of Directors for over 15 years. She is committed to the protection your rights.

Ms. Gorelick is a Faculty and Sustaining member of the National College of DUI Defense. She has been a featured speaker at the...

Stephen G. Opperwall has 40 years of experience representing clients in civil lawsuits.

In 1997, Mr. Opperwall was first designated a Certified Specialist in Creditors' Rights, a specialist designation that has been earned by only 8 attorneys in California.

In 2007, Mr. Opperwall was also named to the list of Super Lawyers of Northern California, a list that is reserved for the top 5% of attorneys.

Mr. Opperwall has been named to the Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an exclusive group of attorneys who have recovered $2,000,000 or more for at least one client, something which Mr. Opperwall has done...

Indy Colbath is a licensed California attorney who has focused the entirety of her legal career on family law issues, including: divorce, annulment, child custody, child support, spousal support, property division, and domestic violence restraining orders. Indy has a breadth of courtroom experience she relies upon when assessing her clients’ family law matters, as well as strong relationships with the local legal community and bench. Indy has effectively represented her clients in an array of complex family law litigation, many of which involving high net worth individuals. Even though Indy has a passion for courtroom advocacy, she understands that every...

Trusts and Estate Planning Offices in Pleasanton and Mendocino. California estate planning attorney Debra DeCarli has been a lawyer since 1994. She received both her J.D. and Master of Public Affairs degrees from the University of Texas. Debra's unique background led to her professional commitment to estate planning for all types of families. Debra enjoys the estate planning complexities unique to non-traditional or blended families, families with young children, older couples and individuals who do not have children, and folks interested in charitable giving. Virtual meetings and flexible scheduling are available. Call Debra DeCarli at Pleasanton office: 925-568-2350 Mendocino office: 707-937-2701 Or use our...

I have over 35 years experience as a federal criminal trial and appellate lawyer, which gives me a unique perspective on what works and does not work with defending serious, complex federal charges. I prepare each case for trial, since a good result is only attainable if the lawyer is prepared and willing to go to trial. I have experience defending clients against complex wire and health care fraud, tax, securities, and environmental crimes and related civil actions.

James H. (Jim) Gulseth was born and attended high school in Devils Lake, North Dakota and graduated with an A.B. degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Jim earned his JD degree at the University of California Hastings School of Law in San Francisco and is admitted to practice in the State of California and before the Federal District Court, Northern District of California, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. He is a member of the Corporations, Business Transactions, Securities and Tax and Intellectual Property Sections of the State Bar of California. Jim’s reported cases include...

What separates an excellent criminal defense attorney from the rest? The answer is simple, experience. Attorney Robert M. Holley has fought relentlessly for the rights of the accused for over 44 years. Notable cases include: Lynette Fromme (charged with attempting to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford in 1975), BALCO (Barry Bonds Steroid Scandal) and numerous others.

Attorney Robert M. Holley was a Federal Public Defender in Sacramento for 17 years and is certified to practice law in both Federal and State Courts. He was a professor of Trial Advocacy at University of California, Davis, School of law. He is currently writing...

Michelle Ball has represented students throughout California since 1995 in expulsion, suspension, special education, 504, sports, bullying, Title IX, discrimination and many other student matters. Michelle assists parents and students with public and private, pre-K, elementary, middle school and high school problems, as well as college difficulties, across California. Michelle is located in Sacramento and has a highly informative website and blog on student education issues. https://edlaw4students.com/ https://edlaw4students.com/blog/

Sacramento attorney Timothy Kassouni founded Kassouni Law on the belief that property rights and personal freedom are intertwined. He passionately considers it his duty and mission to rigorously defend property rights against government and private abuse. Mr. Kassouni has many years of experience litigating against private and public entities at all levels of court, including the United States Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, the California Court of Appeal, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to name a few. His litigation expertise in land use, appeals, business, and property rights law has led to legal victories and the setting...

Gillian is the Attorney Mediator and owner of Finding Common Ground Mediation & Law Services. Gillian is an experienced attorney and mediator specializing in family law matters. She has 23 years of experience and has helped hundreds of people resolve their legal disputes without going to court. Getting a divorce or creating a parenting plan for 2 households is difficult. At Finding Common Ground, Gillian helps educate her clients about the law, while empowering them to reach their own agreements with a structured mediation process that promotes productive communication. Clients who mediate maintain control, create tailored agreements that suit...

Michael Wise brings 30 years of criminal trial experience to the Courtroom. He has served as both a prosecutor and defense attorney. In that capacity, Mr. Wise has earned the respect of the local bench, law enforcement and prosecutors throughout northern California. Having secured several acquittals on a variety of cases, including homicide, sexual assault, rape, fraud, assault, domestic violence and others, Mr. Wise is regarded as the premier criminal defense attorney in Sacramento and Northern California. Mr. Wise is frequently invited to speak as a guest commentator on television. Likewise, he frequently teaches Advanced Officer...

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...

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.

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....

Steven P. Roberts studied economics and philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and graduated magna cum laude from California State University, Humboldt. He obtained his juris doctorate degree from Willamette University. During law school, he was a senior law clerk for the United States Attorney's Office, District of Oregon. Mr. Roberts was admitted to the California State Bar in 1999 and became a member of the San Luis Obispo Bar Association in 2000. Mr. Roberts is a founding partner Roberts & Spiegel, LLP and is admitted to practice law in both California State and Federal courts. He is currently...

Joel Waelty is an experienced employment attorney practicing in San Jose, California, whose dedication to his clients shows in the results he obtains in the courtroom. His practice is focused on the rights of employees and insureds. He represents employees in all aspects of workplace disputes including sexual harassment, discrimination and wrongful termination. In his representation of those wrongfully denied insurance benefits, he handles claims against insurers of life, disability, health and the home. He also pursues benefits due employees under employer-sponsored benefit plans. Mr. Waelty's dedication is seen not only through his courtroom results, but also through...

Elijah Keyes’ interest in estate planning and special needs began as a child where he saw the effects of long term illness in his household. He gained an appreciation of the effects of physical and mental illnesses and how they affect families and communities. Ever since becoming an attorney, Elijah has worked exclusively in the areas of estate planning, special needs, elder law, and tax.

Elijah is recognized as a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He is the Vice President and a Trustee of the Silicon Valley...

After seeing firsthand the stress and emotional pain inflicted on my clients and their families involved in traditional court-based litigation, I decided to practice law in a more transparent, supportive, and empowering way. Too often, the traditional court-based process of resolving a family law matter such as a divorce makes a difficult situation worse. It heightens conflict. It takes away your power to make decisions. And it makes your personal matters public. I provide effective ways for you to avoid these negative impacts, by providing collaborative and mediation services for: • Couples who are divorcing or dissolving their domestic partnership and need...

Albie Jachimowicz, a former police officer in San Mateo County, was admitted to the State Bar in 1982 and has been both a winning criminal and civil trial lawyer for several years since that time. He has tried a wide variety of cases in State and Federal court, including murder cases. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from California State University at Sacramento and received his law degree from Santa Clara Law School. In his free time, Mr. Jachimowicz races in both road and off-road bicycle races and is one of the most experienced attorneys in California for dealing with...

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, ...

At the Maydanik Law Firm, we serve consumers in Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties in Northern California by providing affordable bankruptcy help.

Attorney Kamala Maddipoti is the Founder and President of Kamala Law Corporation. Attorney Kamala completed her Master of Laws (LLM) from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California. She focuses on Estate Planning & Immigration laws and helps her clients on both employment as well as family based immigration matters & estate planning needs. In addition to Immigration & Estate Planning work, she guides and counsels employers on compliance and corporate transactional matters. In her free time she offers pro bono services and gives back to the community for the greater good. Ms. Kamala is a member of State...

Forty-Seven Years experience representing employees, consumers, and accident victims. Several verdicts and settlements of more than $1 million. Northern California Super Lawyer-Employment litigation for Employees. Lead appellate attorney in Horsford v. Board of Trustees (2005) 132 Cal.App.4th 359, which has been cited more than 300 times by appellate courts. Member of California Employment Lawyers Association, National Employment Lawyers Association, and Consumer Attorneys of California.

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 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...

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...

Attorney Gary D. Sparks is an accomplished lawyer who has successfully provided legal services and representation to families, husbands, wives, parents, military service members, and same sex partners for nearly two decades. Gary was a regular guest for several years on the former Ronn Owens Program on KGO-AM 810 in San Francisco, and has been interviewed by local and national publications in addition to publishing several of his own legal guides.

Gary graduated first in his class from John F. Kennedy University School of Law, where he was awarded magna cum laude honors for excellence in academic achievement and received...

Ben has been practicing for more than 13 years in Fresno in the area of personal injury. Presently, Ben has tried over 20 cases to verdict. He handles various personal injury matters, including Car Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Wrongful Death Matters, Big Rig & Trucking Accidents, Electrocution & Burn Injuries, Pesticide Exposure Injuries & Insurance Bad Faith Cases.

Serving Solano and Contra Costa County, Carol Long is a dedicated, zealous advocate for those who need someone to stand up for them. As a criminal defense attorney for over 23 years, Ms. Long is committed to securing justice for her clients in a system that often fails people. Having represented clients charged with crimes that range from DUI to Homicide, Ms. Long has the necessary experience and reputation needed to get you the successful outcome you deserve.

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.

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.

James D. Miller focuses on bankruptcy, employment and business litigation as well as small business formations and start-ups. Mr. Miller earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego, and his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. Mr. Miller served as a San Diego Law Review member ranking in the top 2% of his class. Directly after graduating, Mr. Miller worked with a prominent, national law firm representing large corporations and high profile tech companies in both venture capital and IPO financing, as well as defending employment class...

Attorney Richard Wingerden can help you plan for your family's future so you have the assurance that their lives will be secure. He has handled numerous complex estate and probate matters, always prioritizing quality, compassion and time-efficiency. Rather than take a one-size-fits-all approach, he considers your unique situation when drafting estate planning documents. When you need the counsel of an attorney the most, you can turn to him for reliable service. Reach out to his firm to schedule your initial consultation today.

I practice both Immigration and Nationality Law and Social Security Disability law. As to the Immigration field, I represent people in removal (deportation) proceedings. I also assist small businesses in obtaining professional visas such as H-1Bs or L-1s for their employees. I represent applicants for political asylum, and religious workers and individuals at all stages of the naturalization process. Finally, I help people who wish to bring their family members to the United States. In the Social Security field, I represent disabled individuals at administrative hearings and in federal court. In both areas I...

Jimin founded Solution Now Law Firm to build a law firm that is unlike any other. She prides herself on leading a team dedicated to providing personal attention to each of her clients. Her team will go above and beyond where most lawyers go to help their clients.

As a persuasive and successful personal injury lawyer, Jimin helps car accident victims protect their rights – receive a fair and full settlement for their injuries and property damage.