Blackhawk Family Lawyers

Matt A. Erickson was born and raised in the South Bay Area. He briefly left San Jose to attended Purdue University where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Management with a minor in Economics from the Krannert School of Management. After graduating from Purdue University in 2008, he returned to the Bay Area to attend Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, where he was awarded an academic scholarship. During his time at Golden Gate University School of Law, he won multiple awards, was a member of the law review, and was inducted as a member of the...

Rachel Kimiko Leff-Kich has been practicing family law exclusively since December 2010, and joined Lonich & Patton in May 2013. Prior to joining Lonich & Patton, Ms. Leff-Kich practiced family law in San Francisco, and has worked with clients all over the Bay Area. Ms. Leff-Kich focuses on family law cases involving high-conflict custody, child and spousal support, and complex financial issues. Ms. Leff-Kich received her Juris Doctorate from Santa Clara University. While in law school, she clerked with several non-profit organizations including the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley: Health Legal Services, and Equal Rights Advocates in San Francisco....

Nancy Mass is a Certified Specialist in Family Law and a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She has practiced family law exclusively since 2005. She is a Partner at Lakin Spears LLP, a boutique family law firm which represents clients in San Mateo, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties. Nancy handles all aspects of high-asset dissolutions, including those involving complex financial issues, property characterization, business valuation, child custody, child support, and spousal support, from the inception of a case through settlement or trial. Nancy also prepares prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and works with clients...

Ramon Montijo Jr. is a Bay Area native who has been practicing family law since 2008. Ramon has experience in every aspect of family law from initial orders through settlement or trial. He has assisted numerous clients with dissolution orders, paternity actions, high conflict custody and visitation matters, complex property division, spousal support, child support, restraining orders, and post-judgment modification requests. Ramon has successfully represented clients at settlement conferences, custody evaluations, and contested hearings and trials. He has participated in multiple-day trials on such issues as custody, property division, business valuation, and breach of fiduciary duty. Ramon has extensive experience with...

Rani Sengottaiyan focuses her practice exclusively on family law matters and counsels clients through a host of issues including dissolution proceedings (divorce), legal separations, property division, paternity actions, and child custody and visitation. She also drafts marital settlement agreements for marriages, domestic partners, and same-sex couples. Ms. Sengottaiyan also handles spousal support (alimony) and child support and can assist you with modifications of orders. Ms. Sengottaiyan holds a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law and a B.A. in English Literature from the University of California at Berkeley. Ms. Sengottaiyan is a volunteer attorney for the Bar Association of...

Emma is a native resident of California. She grew up in Aptos, California in Santa Cruz County. Growing up next to the beach instilled a love of the ocean and all the animals that live within. After living in California for her entire life, Emma moved to Eugene, Oregon to attend the University of Oregon for undergrad. Unsure of what she wanted to do next, Emma spent the next few years working as a supervisor at Starbucks and studying for the LSAT. Emma entered law school in 2020 and thought she wanted to get into environmental law. After graduating, Emma...

MICHAEL R. NORTON attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts with Highest Honors in 1975. He attended U.C./Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco and was admitted to the bar in 1978. He has been a trial attorney since 1978, first with the San Joaquin County Office of the Public Defender, then as a member of Rishwain, Ellis and LeBeouf in Stockton. In 1988, Michael opened his own practice, which has been growing steadily ever since. His practice focuses exclusively on family law and related matters. Michael...

For fifteen years I worked criminal and family law in the Court House as a Court Clerk. I bring that experience to you.

Ms. Patricia Mercedes Zerbini is a Bay Area native. She graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2005 with a double major in Politics and Legal Studies. She then earned her Juris Doctorate from Golden Gate University School of Law in 2009 with the intent of applying her legal knowledge to help those around her. Ms. Zerbini joined Hoover Krepelka, LLP in 2022, bringing her extensive and skilled experience in high conflict custody and complex financial cases. She has shown her aptitude for understanding complex international law and jurisdiction issues such as Applications and Trials under The Hague Convention...

I am a 30 year veteran of the United States Navy. I retired as a Captain. I went to law school to fulfill a lifelong passion and now I am working hard to protect the rights of those in need of legal help and navigating through our excellent, though complex legal system.