Somerset Lawyers

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...

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 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Andrew is a senior counsel in the Oakland/East Bay office of Ericksen Arbuthnot and co-chair of the firm's Appellate Practice Group. He is AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been selected as a Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Star by Thomson Reuters. Andrew has extensive litigation experience representing individual and institutional clients in state and federal court. His areas of practice include insurance coverage and defense, intellectual property, personal injury, professional liability, real estate, and other commercial issues.

Andrew has B.A. degrees in Cognitive Science and History, and a minor in Philosophy, from the...

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...

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...

I am knowledgeable and skilled in the preparation and defense of misdemeanor, felony and juvenile cases from arraignment through jury trial. My experience includes litigation on behalf of Juvenile’s against multiple School Districts and the S.A.R.B. (School Attendance Review Board). I also assist in hearings and trials with matters such as reviewing and analyzing evidence, police reports, interviewing witnesses and preparing clients for court.

My court appearances have included arraignments, pre-trial conferences, probation violation hearings, Proposition 36 court, and readiness conferences. In addition, I research, write, and argue motions on a range of procedural and substantive matters.

I received a B.S....

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...

Gina focuses her legal practice on estate planning, probate, and trust administration. She is dedicated to helping families from the devastating legal effects of disability and death. With proper planning, individuals and families can avoid unnecessary court proceedings, protect their assets, continue their legacies through strategic charitable giving, and provide for the security of loved ones. Gina learned firsthand the effects of failing to plan when her rancher father was killed in a vehicle accident without any planning documents in place requiring her to probate her father’s extensive estate, including business and cattle operations. As a result, she...

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...

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...

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.

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/

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...

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...

Your freedom is the most important thing you have. You owe it to yourself and your family to have the best possible defense, and the most experienced lawyer defending you. Douglas Maner is a Criminal Law Expert, with over thirty years of experience and over one hundred jury trials to verdict.

Kenny Nguyen is a proven fighter who is relentless in advocating for his clients. He understands that good people can sometimes find themselves in unfortunate situations, for which he is prepared to help them rise above. Kenny has over a decade of well-rounded legal experience, in which time he worked in a personal injury law firm and in four different prosecution offices throughout California. He has taken to jury trial everything from simple misdemeanors to serious felonies, including sexual assault court trials in Juvenile Delinquency. Kenny has handled over one thousand Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Controlled...

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.

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 &...

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.

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 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...

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...

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, ...

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.

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’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.

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.

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...

Jeff earned his Juris Doctor Degree from San Joaquin College of Law where he graduated with Distinction. During his time there, he was published in the school’s San Joaquin Agricultural Law Review and later served as its Executive Editor. He also received awards for Best Brief Finalist and Best Oral Advocate Finalist in the George A. Hopper Moot Court Competition. He received multiple Witkin Awards for Academic Excellence in Moot Court, Professional Responsibility, and Legal Analysis.

While in law school, Jeff gained extensive experience clerking for distinguished lawyers and judges in the Central Valley. He served as a clerk for the...

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...

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.

Renee Ross is certified in Family Law by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and is a highly skilled and insightful attorney. She represents family law clients throughout Pleasanton and the surrounding areas. She has more than a decade of experience and handles a broad range of cases including divorce, child custody and support, high net worth divorce, and same-sex family law issues. Attorney Ross can also provide counsel for adoptions, domestic partnership issues, complex property divisions, and other family law cases. She is passionate about providing personalized legal solutions for her clients, guiding them with skill...

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.