Novato Lawyers

Bryan Kemnitzer is a partner at Kemnitzer, Barron, and Krieg, LLP. He received a B.A. from Stanford University in 1972 and a J.D. from McGeorge School of Law (University of the Pacific) in 1975. Bryan was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1975. He has been a civil litigator for more than 30 years and has tried numerous jury cases to judgment. He has served as an arbitrator, and as a Judge-Pro-Tem.

For more than 30 years, his practice has been focused on representing consumers, with an emphasis on the auto industry. Bryan has been involved not only in...

I am an accomplished Divorce, Family, and Arbitration & Mediation attorney. I compassionately represent clients throughout the Bay Area with a broad range of family law matters.

As a Certified Family Law Specialist, I provide the experience, knowledge and skill needed to advocate for the best possible outcomes. I am dedicated to exceptional counsel to meet your family's legal needs and goals.

I have built a career and a reputation by advocating for the rights of the accused. At Bulldog Law, my team and I have defended thousands of clients throughout the United States in various criminal cases across both state and federal courts, encompassing trials and appeals. Additionally, we manage personal injury and cryptocurrency cases. My lawyers and I have been described as "bulldogs" for our tenacious and successful representation in legal proceedings. We vigorously defend our clients, fully aware of the high stakes and our potential to significantly impact their lives.

Gene Takagi is the managing attorney of NEO Law Group, contributing publisher of the Nonprofit Law Blog, and a part-time lecturer at Columbia University. At NEO, Gene has represented over 800 nonprofit organizations on corporate, tax, and charitable trust law matters. Gene is a popular writer on nonprofit legal topics and has been published by The New York Times, The Nonprofit Quarterly, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Nonprofit Times, Taxation of Exempts, EO Tax Journal, and ALI-ABA. He is also a popular speaker who has presented at conferences for Independent Sector, BoardSource, NAAG/National Association of State Charity Officials, CalNonprofits, the...

Jon Welner is a leading practitioner of environmental law in California. His broad and deep experience over twenty years enables him to solve regulatory problems for clients in virtually every area of environmental practice, including air, water, hazardous materials, hazardous waste, consumer products, traditional and renewable energy, and natural resources. Jon helps clients make sense of the “alphabet soup” of state and federal environmental regulatory agencies in order to achieve their business objectives. He regularly represents clients in court to defend their interests and achieve their goals.

Jon has a robust land use practice and assists clients to successfully navigate the...

Sam is a Bay Area native. He went to college and law school in San Francisco. Sam is more than just a defense attorney and prides himself on helping his clients during difficult times. Sam is never afraid to take the unpopular position in court and will always fight hard for you. No matter what, he will do his best to get the job done and give your case the best result possible. He has represented clients dealing with minor misdemeanor offenses to serious felonious sex offenses. Sam began his defense attorney career as a public...

Mr. Kronenberg's practice focuses on: - Catastrophic Injury: including representing people who consumed food allergens or pathogens, as well as workers who used defectively designed or manufactured food processing equipment, victims of traumatic brain injury, spinal cord trauma, nerve damage, and severe orthopedic injuries arising from construction accidents, industrial accidents, dangerous premises, auto accidents, wrongful death, governmental or public entity liability, and professional negligence. Mr. Kronenberg has more than a decade of experience litigating personal injury and product liability cases from their inception through trial and appeal. - Consumer Protection: litigating class action claims arising from...

Erik Christensen litigates, and provides counsel on, corporate and employment issues in California and the District of Columbia. His experience includes working as a senior associate at top-ranked global law firms, including Littler Mendelson and Greenberg Traurig. Before this, Erik externed at the California Supreme Court and the First District Court of Appeal, two of the most prestigious opportunities provided to law students in California. Erik also served as a law clerk for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Victim Impact Program (sometimes referred to as the “Special Victims Unit.”) His experience includes years of service with the 101st Airborne’s...

Mr. Rose is dedicated to providing the best legal representation for injured victims and their families in a compassionate, efficient and effective manner. He is a passionate advocate for his clients and resolves most cases in a matter of months, rather than years. He is most widely known as one of the leading bicycle lawyers, pedestrian lawyers, and motorcycle accident lawyers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Rose also serves as a Mediator of claims throughout California.

Solving business problems from a legal perspective for technology companies. I have served as a trusted advisor to boards and C-suites in private and public companies for more than 15 years including more than 9 years at Actuate Corporation (NASDAQ:BIRT) as its SVP, GC, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Development until the sale of Actuate to OpenText, Inc in 2015. I have particular expertise with M&A, governance, managing litigation and operational process and policy improvement. A consistent strong performer, I was a securities litigator at Wilson Sonsini and Heller Ehrman and a law clerk at the Federal District Court for the...

Since 2007 our office has been dedicated to representing San Francisco and Sacramento area employees and victims of serious injuries in a wide range of employment, wrongful termination and injury cases. Individual approach to each client and each injury or employment case is what distinguishes us from other attorneys, as we recognize that each case is as different as each person who has been either injured or aggrieved by their employer.

Colby Dean LaVelle II proudly manages LaVelle Law Offices with the personal attention of a boutique law firm but with the resources of larger law firms. An honored graduate of Santa Clara University of Law, Mr. LaVelle has dedicated his career to the pursuit of justice. He began his legal career working for the San Francisco District Attorney's Office. Following his success litigating criminal matters, Mr. LaVelle started the LaVelle Law Offices. Now with eight locations across California, The LaVelle Law Offices is an incarnation of Mr. LaVelle's desire to serve the public, as he...

I am the principal of the Law Offices of James O'Neil, where I focus on delivering top-notch estate planning and estate administration services. While attending law school, I externed for the Honorable A. James Robertson II at the San Francisco Superior Court, was a member of the USF Law Review and the Intellectual Property Bulletin, won the Cali Award for the Secured Real Estate Transactions class as well as awards in trial advocacy competitions, and a was published author. After gaining valuable experience working in various law firms from 2009 to 2019, I decided to establish my own practice, the...

Ernest C. Brown, ESQ, PE is highly experienced in construction contracts, negotiation, claims preparation, construction litigation, mechanic’s liens, bid protests, public works law and insurance coverage. He has resolved more than 2,500 construction disputes, including complex mediations, arbitrations, litigation, court trials, jury trials, DRB's and other innovative ADR approaches. He is a graduate of MIT in Civil and Environmental Engineering and earned a MS Construction Management and JD from the University of California, Berkeley. He also did graduate coursework at Harvard Law School in International Law. He is a senior construction lawyer and licensed civil engineer. Mr. Brown has...

For over 30 years, Mr. Sparer has successfully represented individuals and businesses in litigation involving securities, contract, insurance, real estate, probate, and trust matters. Sparer Law Group (SLG), Mr. Sparer has obtained over $200 million in settlements, judgments, and recoveries on behalf of securities investors. Mr. Sparer also leads an SLG team that has successfully defended financial professionals and investment funds under investigation by the SEC, FINRA, and the California Department of Business Oversight.

SLG regularly helps resolve sensitive and confidential family disputes involving claims of elder abuse or financial misconduct. In the process, Mr. Sparer has successfully...

Ella Zheng is the Managing Partner of Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight’s Palo Alto and San Francisco offices and Chair of the firm’s Asian American Litigation and Finance Practice Group. In 2022, she was recognized as a Rising Star by Law360 and named an “Asian Leader Worth Watching” by Profiles in Diversity Journal. She has earned a spot on Super Lawyers’ Northern California Rising Stars list every year since 2016 and was named among the Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers in California by The National Trial Lawyers. In 2018, Ella was honored with the Tribute to Women Award...

Who am I? Why do I do this? What are you getting when you hire me and my staff? Am I any good at this lawyer stuff? Will I win? Those are all good questions; and I even have answers for some of them.

I started the firm in the mid 1990’s after the Savings and Loan implosion killed commercial real estate for about five years.

In 1978, I got my California real estate license, and two years later, my broker’s license. In 1993, I was awarded the nationally recognized CCIM designation by the Commercial Investment...

I'm the CEO & Managing Attorney at Tenant Law Group, PC, a San Francisco-based law firm dedicated to justice for California renters. We help California tenants who have been harassed or forced to endure uninhabitable living conditions recover money for their losses. We represent tenants in disputes with landlords arising out of illegal evictions from rent-controlled apartments, harassment, defective conditions and repair issues, rodent and other pest infestations, floods, and fires. Law Firm 500 recognized Tenant Law Group as the 22nd fastest growing law firm in the United States in 2019 (the firm’s first year of eligibility)...

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....

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...

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.

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.

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...

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...

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.

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.

With over 10 years, 2,000 cases and numerous jury verdicts under my belt, I stand by ready to help you. I was a Deputy District Attorney for several years, and will put that experience to work for you. I will keep you informed and confident throughout your case. You let me worry about the case while you get on with your life. I am a United States Navy veteran of Afghanistan and a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal.

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...

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...

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...

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.

Chad Johnson is a highly experienced Northern California bankruptcy attorney with over 19 years of dedicated service in the legal field. Throughout his career, Chad has been involved in the representation of over 7,000 Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases, providing expert guidance to his clients. Chad's commitment to his clients goes beyond just legal advice; he strives to provide compassionate support and clear communication, ensuring his clients feel informed and confident throughout the bankruptcy process.

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, ...

Phyllis Voisenat, Esq. is an attorney and counselor at law. You can retain her as your attorney to handle your case from start to finish, or you can hire her for limited matters. She can be retained for matters from Sacramento to San Jose, pertaining to fraud, real estate, contracts, business formation, operations.

Dawn is a highly experienced litigator and trial lawyer with extensive knowledge and skill in litigating personal injury and wrongful death cases. She has 24 years of experience successfully resolving personal injury claims in her client’s favor. Dawn founded The Hassell Law Group in 1999 and has practiced personal injury law in California for the past 24 years. She holds an undefeated record at trial and in arbitration on behalf of her clients. She served as a distinguished Member of the Board of Directors of The San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association from 2002-2012. Dawn has used her extensive negotiation and litigation experience...

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.

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.

I am an estate planning and business law lawyer practicing in East Contra Costa County California. I take pride in providing value minded legal services to area families and businesses.

I help contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers get paid for their work. I also help homeowners and commercial owners with construction disputes, and writing and reviewing construction contracts for clients. I love helping with mechanic's liens, stop payment notices, and bond claims. I try to help my clients avoid litigation wherever possible and to help keep your costs down but I'm also an experienced trial attorney when you need to go to Court. I was raised and live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and graduated from Stanford University, and the University of Santa Clara Law...