Rio Vista Lawyers

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...

Shawn Dhillon is an experienced real estate attorney and the founder of Real Estate Law Corporation™. Shawn specializes in both real estate litigation and real estate transactional matters.

He has drafted and negotiated over $500 million in commercial real estate transactions all over California. His work includes complex real estate purchase and sale transactions, new developments, ground leases, and commercial leases with local, regional, and national companies, including several Fortune 500 Companies. Shawn regularly counsels owners of retail shopping centers, shopping malls, office buildings, industrial buildings, apartment complexes, self-storage facilities, hotels, gasoline service stations, as well as...

Established in 1996, Eason & Tambornini, A Law Corporation, is a personal injury and workers’ compensation law firm. We fight for the rights of those injured in accidents throughout Sacramento. Our personal injury practice covers various cases, including motor vehicle accidents (car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle), premises liability (slip and fall, dog bites), medical malpractice, and wrongful death. Moreover, we handle all workers’ compensation claims, leveraging our knowledge to help injured workers obtain their entitled benefits. Eason & Tambornini, A Law Corporation, stands out as a top choice for legal representation in personal injury and workers’ compensation cases due to its unique...

Fifteen years ago, I was sitting at my computer, wedged between a steaming coffee maker to my left and my fledgling law firm’s first associate three feet to my right. Today I’m humbled to have 10,000 square feet working alongside the best lawyers and paralegals in the world. It is now time for me to give back. I’m conservative on some issues and liberal on others, but high-minded about them all. I will always be politically active, but have no desire to be a political activist; striving instead to find Veritas Aequitas = Truth &...

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...

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...

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...

Boris has devoted himself to a career in criminal defense and fighting for the rights of the accused—a passion that grew from his experience being erroneously arrested at age thirteen due to a misidentification. This experience left him intimately aware of the kind of anxiety and fear a criminal accusation causes in one's life. Bringing this memory to the courtroom and negotiating table alike, Boris quickly gained a reputation as a fearless and zealous advocate for his clients who fights with integrity and compassion every step of the way.

Smart & Aggressive Criminal Defense. Experienced in representing individuals accused of crimes...

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.

Michael Hassen's litigation practice spans over 30 years and emphasizes general business and commercial litigation, including class action defense and matters involving intellectual property and unfair competition.

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.

Before joining O'Brien & Zehnder Law Firm, Grant Zehnder spent three years as a defense civil litigator with his practice focusing mainly on personal injury, labor and employment matters, working for Cook Brown, LLP, in Sacramento as an associate attorney. Prior to his bar admission, Mr. Zehnder worked as a volunteer at the Sacramento County Public Defender's Office where he gained valuable courtroom

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...

I have been certified by the California State Bar as a specialist in family law. I excel in helping individuals navigate some of the most difficult and painful experiences of their lives. I handle all issues related to divorce, legal separation, and parentage actions, including matters related to child custody, child support, spousal support, and complex property division. I also help clients wanting assistance with pre-marital and post-marital agreements. Additionally, I serve as a consulting attorney for clients in mediation and those seeking a second opinion. I am also a divorce mediator who specializes in educating parties about the law while...

For over 8 years Mrs. Bansmer has been practicing law and providing legal services in the areas of Divorce and Family Law. She has a degree in economics and psychology from the University of California-Davis. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She founded Bansmer Law with the strong conviction that clients deserve practical advice with sound legal counsel. At Bansmer Law, compassionate and aggressive legal representation is implemented to produce winning results.

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...

I want to be your attorney. My philosophy is that people have problems and my office is here to help them. We all have been there, in need of some kind of help and it really does not matter how you ended up needing help, the main thing is helping with your problem. I graduated with Honors from Golden Gate University with a BS in Accounting and Graduated 10th in my class at Lincoln Law School. Prior to going to Law School, I started working for a landscaping company in high school, and a roofing company after graduation. I joined...

David E. Mastagni is a partner with the law firm of Mastagni Holstedt, APC, who specializes in labor and employment law representation of public safety employees, including trial and appellate litigation in California and federal courts. In particular, he handles complex civil, class action and collective action litigation, claims arising out of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the U.S. and California Constitutions, the California Public Records Act (CPRA), the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights (POBR), the California Labor Code, the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, and other statutes protecting the rights of employees.
Among his other legal activities, David is an...

Ralph S. Curtis is the CEO and Supervising Attorney of Curtis Legal Group. He is a seasoned attorney with over 40 years of legal experience, handling a variety of personal injury cases representing clients who were injured in car accidents, train accidents, plane crashes, truck accidents, and boat accidents. Ralph is familiar with the nuances of the insurance world from his previous experience working for insurance companies, and his ultimate goal is to assist his clients with their legal matters by settlement or by trial, if necessary. Ralph graduated magna cum laude from St. Mary’s College with a Bachelor of...

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...

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...

As a former Deputy District Attorney and Deputy Public Defender who has litigated thousands of cases, including misdemeanors and felonies, I know how to fight for you. My background includes adult and juvenile cases, as well as serious and violent felonies and three-strikes cases.

I am also an experienced civil litigator with a corporate and white-collar litigation background at a prestigious "big law" firm who switched sides to sue corporations and other entities (including insurance companies, police departments, governments, and others) on behalf of individuals to obtain justice for my clients.

As a result, I have seen firsthand how corporations and...

Maria C. Jaime is a personal injury attorney with Curtis Legal Group. She focuses her practice on representing clients injured in auto accidents, truck accidents, off-road vehicle accidents, accidents resulting from trip and fall cases, and victims involved in wrongful death cases. Maria graduated from California State University, Stanislaus with a Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences in 2000. She then earned her law degree from Lincoln College of San Jose in 2003 and is licensed to practice law in the state of California. As the daughter of migrant farm workers, she spent her childhood in a farm labor center...

Christa Conry is an associate at the Tobener Ravenscroft. In 2009, she earned her undergraduate degree in history, with a minor in French, from the University of Hawaii at Manoa where she was named to the Dean’s List for each year of attendance. Ms. Conry went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree cum laude from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. During law school, Ms. Conry was the Managing Editor of the Hastings Women’s Law Journal and member of the nationally ranked Mock Trial Team. She twice received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award and...

Jacqueline Ravenscroft is a partner at Tobener Ravenscroft LLP. She completed her undergraduate education at the University of California, Santa Cruz, double majoring in Politics and Latin American Studies and graduating summa cum laude. Ms. Ravenscroft went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree cum laude from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2011. During law school, Ms. Ravenscroft was Executive Editor of the Hastings International and Comparative Law Review. She also received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award and Witkin Award for Excellence. Ms. Ravenscroft has been involved in tenant rights since law school....

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.

Bryan Schwartz is an Oakland, California-based attorney dedicated to helping employees protect their rights in the workplace. He has fought prohibited discrimination, retaliation, and harassment, obtained reasonable accommodations for disabled employees, vindicated whistleblowers' rights, and ensured that corporations pay workers all wages they are owed. He has successfully litigated individual and class action complaints nationwide, helping to recover millions of dollars for thousands of employees, forcing corporations and Government agencies to change their practices and punish wrongdoers. Bryan Schwartz is also one of the few Bay Area-based attorneys with extensive experience representing Federal employees in their unique Merit Systems...

Admissions: State Bar of California, 2008. Education: Whittier College School of Law Practice Areas: Tax, Family Law I started my legal career in tax resolution and bankruptcy law. As a tax attorney, I helped clients secure tax resolution with the IRS, FTB, and various California tax agencies. As a bankruptcy attorney, I worked in two large Sacramento bankruptcy firms that filed over 40 cases per month. Over the years I have shifted my practice to family law. Currently, my divorce practice ranks in the top 3 positions in Google for Sacramento divorce attorneys. As a result, I am currently managing...

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...

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...

For 24 years, Antone Johnson has served as lawyer, advisor, executive and advocate for emerging growth technology/digital media ventures, founders and investors in a diverse range of business and intellectual property matters. Raised in Menlo Park and Palo Alto, California, suffused with Silicon Valley's unique culture of innovation, he came of age professionally during the Internet explosion of the late 1990s, an entrepreneurial crucible of unprecedented wealth and job creation, reinvention of countless industries, and related venture capital and Wall Street dealmaking. Antone was fortunate to have a ringside seat at major Los Angeles and Silicon Valley law firms, followed...

Michael A. Hackard. Michael A. Hackard is the principal attorney of Hackard Law Corporation - a Sacramento, California firm which represents wealthy families with extensive business interests as well as clients impoverished by the wrongdoing of others. Michael and his attorneys are dedicated to clients.

Hackard Law attorneys focus on trust and estate litigation, fiduciary litigation, will contests, trust contests, elder financial abuse, trust decanting, trust beneficiary rights, trustee removal, special needs trusts, supplemental needs trusts, title to assets, family business trusts, dynasty trusts, domestic asset preservation trusts and asset protection.

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...

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...

Peter B. Fisher is an experienced personal injury and civil litigation attorney with Curtis Legal Group’s Sacramento office. He focuses his practice on helping injured victims involved in motor vehicle accidents, slip and fall accidents, fires, electrocutions, workplace accidents, elder abuse, and products liability cases. Peter graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics in 2004. He earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law in 2009. During law school, he was a Certified Student Attorney for the Tucson City Public Defender’s Office,...

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...

My office specializes in representing persons injured in auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, dog attacks, and dangerous property conditions in the Sacramento area.

What sets me apart from many other attorneys, is that my prior experience includes working as a law clerk to Sacramento Superior Court Judges and then working as an independent contractor to more than 40 attorneys and law firms. With this prior experience, I have gained knowledge of the law in all types of legal cases. I understand the civil litigation and court process very well and have litigated hundreds of cases in the Superior Courts,...