Pleasant Hill Lawyers

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...

California Civil Appeals, State & Federal

Myron Moskovitz served as law clerk to Justice Raymond E. Peters of the California Supreme Court. He is the author of Winning An Appeal (Carolina Academic Press, 4th ed.) and Moskovitz On Appeal (LexisNexis, 2015). He has handled and consulted on many appeals, both in state and federal courts. Although appellate courts reverse in civil cases only about 20% of the time, he has won reversals in more than 70% of his civil cases in which he represented appellants.

He is Professor of Law Emeritus...

Sally is now retired and living in Palm Springs. She is keeping her license active to allow her to do Pro Bono work with local Bar Associations.

Known for her expert representation of California’s senior executives and their spouses, Kiana protects her clients in high asset divorces and contested custody cases. In her twenty years of legal practice, Kiana has negotiated and litigated the full spectrum of disputes that occur in financially sophisticated divorces and contested custody cases. Kiana graduated Cornell Law School with a concentration in business law. Prior to finding her passion in family law, she was a business litigator at Reed Smith LLP one of the nation’s 20 largest global law firms. She has a B.A in psychology from UC Berkeley and has taken countless negotiation trainings at...

I am an accomplished Business, Employment, Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Arbitration & Mediation attorney. I represent plaintiffs and defendants throughout the East Bay, in a vast array of civil litigation matters.

With 40 years of experience I have an excellent track record both in mediation and in the courtroom. I am dedicated to obtaining the best possible outcomes for your legal disputes. Contact me today for a free consultation.

Mr. Rabin Nabizadeh is a staunch, single minded advocate with years of experience and a proven track record in both Federal and State courts. He has represented individuals in cases ranging from Misdemeanor DUI, Theft and Domestic Violence cases to serious felonies including Grand Theft, Burglary, Sex Crimes and even Murder. While defending these clients, Mr. Nabizadeh achieved the remarkable success that Summit Defense demands from their attorneys.

At Advance Planning, A Law Corporation, in Dublin and Manteca, California, we focus solely on helping individuals protect themselves and their assets for the future while creating a lasting legacy for their heirs and loved ones. Serving clients throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley, with a focus on Alameda County, Contra Costa County, San Joaquin County, and Stanislaus County, our law firm's founder, attorney Grant A. Toeppen, has practiced law in our region since 2012, and during that time, our law office has become the trusted source for quality, personalized representation and support to those who have legal...

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.

I worked as a trucker for 20 years before I attended law school. I was motivated by a strong desire to serve the public. I graduated from a small, public-interest law school in San Francisco, where I had volunteered in the Housing Clinic that defended tenants from evictions. I am one of a very few Bay Area bankruptcy lawyers who does loan modifications through our bankruptcy court's program. I am also one of the very few who takes creditors to court when they violate bankruptcy laws and cause harm to my clients. Before bankruptcy law,...

Boone Callaway has been a personal injury lawyer & medical malpractice lawyer since 1988. Boone exclusively represents injured people. Some of his notable recent cases have included:
- A bicyclist hit by a street sweeper who received a $4.7 million dollar settlement
- A woman who received an arbitration award for the legal maximum pain and suffering damages in a medical malpractice case—$250,000—due to a negligent gynecological procedure
- A pedestrian who received a $352,000 verdict against the City of San Francisco
- A pedestrian who sustained a badly broken leg when he was struck by a car, and received $500,000
- $450,000 for a...

As an attorney, Matthew Grech began his career as a civil litigator. From there Mr. Grech transitioned into estate planning and probate & estate administration. As an estate planning/administration attorney Mr. Grech has assisted numerous clients manage trust and estate administrations from inception to closing, as well as guiding and facilitating the planning process. It was during this time that Mr. Grech realized that a number of his clients’ family members and friends were facing mounting financial troubles in the wake of The Great Recession. It was this realization that motivated Mr. Grech to begin practicing bankruptcy law, which...

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.

Jim Lucey is a senior associate at Tobener Ravenscroft LLP. Mr. Lucey completed his undergraduate education at the University of San Francisco, majoring in business administration. Mr. Lucey went on to earn his juris doctor degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1992. Mr. Lucey has more than twenty years of litigation experience in both state and federal Courts, including countless jury trials to verdict, bench trials to verdict, appeals (in the California State Court of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit), and arbitration's. Mr. Lucey also has extensive experience resolving matters through the use of ADR...

I am an aggressive Northern California Injury attorney. My practice areas include Personal Injury, Vehicle Accidents, Sexual Abuse and Elder Abuse matters. I am dedicated to pursuing justice and maximum compensation for injuries or wrongful death. I provide attentive and comprehensive representation focused on helping my clients get their lives back in order. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family. My interests include biking, hiking, watching Japanese Anime, and also making pop-up cards.

Lulu was born in Taiwan and raised on California’s Central Coast. After finishing high school, she moved to Southern California to attend U.C. Riverside. She later relocated to the Bay Area for law school and has made it her home ever since. Driven by a lifelong passion for helping others, particularly those who are underrepresented, Lulu pursued a career in law. Since then, she has been a dedicated advocate for survivors of interpersonal violence and is also a certified domestic violence counselor. Lulu is committed to championing individuals and empowering them to overcome challenges. Family law involves some of the most...

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...

Michèle Bissada is a Principal at Flicker, Kerin, Kruger & Bissada, in Silicon Valley and serves as a neutral throughout California. She is a Certified Specialist in Family Law (CFLS), Fellow of both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL), and member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC). With over 30 years of experience, Ms. Bissada is a seasoned mediator with a prominent litigation background. She specializes in both complex financial and high-conflict custody matters. Highly committed to her practice, she has achieved notable success assisting parties in resolving the most...

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...

My approach to each family law case is specifically tailored to the needs of each client. Some cases require aggressive litigation, while other times, settlement is the best (and cheapest) choice for all involved. As your attorney, you can expect me to give you guidance based on the law, and to be transparent with you about your options. My role is to advise you, but not to make decisions for you. I enjoy partnering with my clients to get them their desired outcome. I am also very responsive to client communication. I pride myself on keeping you...

A monumental civil rights advocate, Attorney Prerna Lal pioneered a robust network of highly-organized and diverse undocumented youth with digital engagement capacity, and fought against the deportations of immigrant community members. This model of organizing spurred immigration organizations across the country to fight against deportations, and laid the groundwork for the Obama Administration’s “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)” program. For this, Attorney Lal received awards and recognition in the community, including the Changemaker of the Year award from the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT). ABC News has listed Lal as among the “Top 20 Immigration Experts to Follow...

I’ve practiced law in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 20 years and focus my practice on Estate Planning, Probate, and General Civil Litigation. I also represent injured individuals in personal injury claims.

"I am dedicated to my clients and work hard to achieve the results needed in every case" I have represented clients and continue to to serve the counties of San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, Napa, San Joaquin and all other Northern California Counties. No case is to big, and no case is to small. Each one has a certain value to the client and each deserves 110% effort. This is what I do! We Handle everything from: Traffic stop signs; to DMV suspensions; to DUI cases; to serious felonies.

I am an accomplished California attorney. I represent employees and tenants in a broad range of Employment, Landlord-Tenant and Civil Rights matters.

Dedicated to exceptional advocacy, I am diligent in fighting for the rights of my clients. I am genuine, experienced, and committed to justice.

I am also active in the community, currently volunteering at both Centro Legal and the Western Service Workers Association where I provide pro bono assistance to low-wage workers.

Northern California personal injury lawyer Frank D. Penney has been representing accident victims and their families for over two decades, successfully winning over $100 million in case settlements. Frank received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Brigham Young University and attended Gonzaga University Law School. He spent seven years with a state-wide firm for as staff litigation counsel before starting his own law practice. Frank is a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA), Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), the State Bar of California, and the State Bar of Nevada. Frank serves as a Pro Tem Judge and...

Gregory S. Hartman is an attorney, CPA, and Certified Insolvency & Restructuring Advisor (credential pending). Mr. Hartman's practice involves representing both debtors and creditors in bankruptcy proceedings. He has expertise in chapter 11 businesses reorganization. Prior to starting Hartman Bankruptcy Law, Mr. Hartman represented secured creditors and trustees in bankruptcy cases. Mr. Hartman also worked for the United States Trustee's Office where he worked in an oversight role of chapter 11 cases and trustee administration. Mr. Hartman is a long-time resident of the Bay Area, living in the East Bay with his wife...

For over 14 years, Mr. Baello has litigated high stakes family law actions in three of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States - the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and New York City. Through this diversity of experience, he has the expertise and adaptability to obtain favorable results through trial or settlement in varied situations and tribunals. Ernest is a Certified Family Law Specialist (“CFLS”) per the California Board of Legal Specialization. He is also a graduate of the renowned National Family Law Trial Institute. Mr. Baello provides comprehensive and strategic representation in complicated and high conflict cases. Prior to becoming...

Spencer practices employment, civil rights and personal injury law. He is dedicated to representing employees in employment disputes and individuals and their families in personal injury cases.

Since 2005, Spencer has litigated discrimination, wrongful termination, wage and hour, retaliation, and other employment disputes, such as contract breach and commission cases. He also litigates vehicle accidents, premises liability, wrongful death, and civil rights claims. His legal experience dates back to 1996. He has appeared in Northern District Federal Courts, California State Superior Courts, the California Fair Employment and Housing Commission, the California Department of Labor Standards Enforcement, the Merit...

Scott Cole is the founder and principal attorney at Cole & Van Note, one of California's best-known and most highly-respected employment and consumer rights class action law firms. He is a graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law (1992), and San Francisco State University (B.A., Speech Communications; 1989). He is a member of the California State Bar and the State Bar’s Labor and Employment Law Section, is admitted to practice before all California federal courts (including the 6th and 9th Circuit Court of Appeals), has prosecuted cases in numerous states including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida,...

Steven Kazan has played a significant role in asbestos litigation for over five decades. He filed his first case on behalf of an asbestos victim in 1974 and since then has represented thousands of injured workers and their family members in court cases. He has dedicated the majority of his practice to representing workers suffering from mesothelioma in third-party asbestos lawsuits (against manufacturers, contractors, distributors, and premises owners). Steven was nominated by U.S. Trustees and appointed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts to serve as a member or as counsel to victim members on almost all asbestos bankruptcy reorganizations; and in...

Keydon Levy is a highly skilled criminal defense attorney with over a decade of courtroom experience. He joined Lamano Law Office in 2021, bringing with him a distinguished background that includes nine years as a Deputy District Attorney for the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. During his tenure as a prosecutor, he managed a high-volume caseload of felony, misdemeanor, and juvenile cases, guiding them from intake to resolution. Witnessing the inequities within the justice system and the profound impact criminal accusations have on people of color, Mr. Levy transitioned to criminal defense to advocate for those facing systemic injustice. As a...

Mitchell Barraza serves as a contract attorney with Lamano Law Office, bringing with him valuable experience from his time as a Volunteer Attorney at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office. There, he represented clients facing misdemeanor charges such as DUI, vandalism, firearm offenses, battery, and drug-related cases. Recognized by the National Trial Lawyers, Mr. Barraza has been honored as one of California’s Top 40 under 40 Criminal Defense Lawyers. A significant portion of his clients have been people of color, many of whom are Spanish-speaking, and he is dedicated to helping them overcome challenging periods in their lives. Driven by...

Daniel Vaswani is the founder and principal attorney of Red Metric Law, a full-service, criminal defense law firm in the San Francisco Bay Area with central offices located in San Francisco, Oakland, Hayward, Redwood City, and San Jose. He is a business, criminal, and social security benefits lawyer.

Mr. Vaswani graduated from Loyola Law School where he studied Corporate Law. During his third year of law school, his work at a juvenile defense clinic sparked his interest in criminal law. Upon graduating, he practiced corporate law and realized there was a void in his life—criminal and DUI defense. He decided...

Los Angeles native and attorney Victoria (Tori) Hirsch is eager to fight for you in the legal arena, and she thoroughly enjoys fighting for the rights of every single person she represents. At the Nieves Law Firm, Tori primarily represents clients facing criminal charges, those who find themselves caught up in the juvenile justice system, and those who need assistance with post-conviction relief matters. Her focus on juvenile work stems from her previous experience working as an English Language Arts teacher at KIPP Bayview Academy where she taught what she considers “some of the world’s smartest, funniest, and kindest seventh...

I am a divorce attorney mediator. I have created a divorce mediation program that can help you reach an agreement in as little as 90 days. After years spent in courtrooms, two truths became undeniable: getting divorced in court is too expensive and getting divorced in court takes too long. Between the cost and the time involved, most clients are disheartened and dissatisfied with the process. I knew there had to be a better way. Divorce is hard enough without adding years of expensive courtroom battles. Committed to helping separating couples find closure fast, I undertook divorce mediation training and...

Kent P. Tierney has been practicing law for over 20 years. He specializes in the areas of Family Law, Real Estate, Civil Litigation, and Business Law. Mr. Tierney formed what is now Tierney Law Group in 2012 following more than 15 years of practice with several Bay Area law firms specializing in Civil Litigation. Mr. Tierney brings his unique personal experiences to the representation of his clients and is known for his no nonsense approach to cases. Mr. Tierney’s clients often compliment him for his straightforward demeanor and candid review of cases. His strengths are his knowledge of the law,...

Nabiel C. Ahmed is an attorney who has devoted his career to representing Oakland’s criminally accused. He is the founder of The Law Office of Nabiel C. Ahmed, a practice solely devoted to handling criminal cases. Before establishing his private practice, Attorney Ahmed aided numerous Californians as a deputy public defender. He holds an Excellent 8.7 rating on Avvo. For more information, contact his firm today and receive a case evaluation at no cost.