Practice Areas

We assist individuals, families and business owners with the proper planning of their estates to best accomplish their goals, taking into account all tax, family and estate considerations and objectives. This includes, among others:

• Revocable Living Trusts
• Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
• Wills
• Durable Powers of Attorney
• Health Care Directives
• Minors and Education Trusts
• Generation-Skipping Transfers
• Gift Planning
• Business Succession Planning
• Charitable Gifts and Planned Giving

We also assist trustees and executors with the administration of living trusts and the probate of estates, including federal estate and gift tax returns.

Formation, expansion or dissolution of business entities, including corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, joint ventures, and sole proprietorships. Closely held and family-owned businesses are our specialty.

We assist clients with the ongoing operation of their business and provide counsel and assistance with their contracts, corporate compliance, capitalization and financing, sales, mergers, acquisitions, etc. The proper planning and documentation of transactions is a major focus to avoid later problems.

We counsel and assist wineries, manufacturers, banks, entrepreneurs and other businesses with their commercial contracts, licensing and distribution agreements, alcoholic beverage control and other governmental compliance, and other ongoing needs.

Estate, gift and income tax planning and advice; business reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions; estate and gift tax returns; business succession planning, charitable and planned giving; tax-exempt organizations and foundations.

We represent many non-profit and tax-exempt organizations. Our attorneys serve as officers and board members of many non-profit corporations. Services for non-profit organizations include:

• Formation
• Application for Tax-Exemptions
• Compliance
• Operations
• Mergers
• Dissolutions

We counsel and assist clients with a wide variety of their real estate transactions and agreements. This includes, among others:

• Purchase, Sale or Exchange of Commercial and Residential Property
• Commercial & Residential Leases, Ground Leases
• Options
• Joint Ventures & LLC’s
• Easements, Rights of Way & Boundary Issues
• Financing & Foreclosure
• Brokers & Agents
• Construction Contracts & Defects
• Mechanics Liens
• Partition
• Eminent Domain
• Co-Ownership Agreements

Counsel and assist businesses and individuals in the registration, protection and licensing of their intellectual property, including trademarks, trade names, copyrights, and trade secrets.

Representing business clients and individuals in federal and state courts and in arbitrations and mediations involving complex business, corporate, contract, commercial and other business disputes.

Counseling and representing clients in all employment law matters, including administrative hearings, arbitration and litigation. This includes, among others, the following:

• Employment Agreements
• Wage & Hour Law Compliance
• Discrimination & Harassment
• ADA and other Regulatory Matters
• Wrongful Discharge
• Noncompetition Covenants
• Trade Secret Covenants
• Independent Contractors

Defense of individuals and businesses under applicable insurance policies; interpretation of insurance coverage; coverage disputes.

Representing contractors, developers, architects, property owners, engineers and insurance companies in construction disputes.

Represent property owners, brokers, agents, lenders, and others in all types of real estate disputes in federal and state courts, in administrative hearings, mediation and arbitration.

Represent executors, trustees, conservators, and other fiduciaries, as well as beneficiaries, heirs and other claimants of estates and trusts. Representation includes, among others:

• Will Contests
• Breach of Trust
• Elder Abuse
• Breach of Fiduciary Duty
• Claims Against Estates

Aggressive and effective representation of clients in federal, state and appellate courts in wide variety of disputes. Litigation services include:

• Analysis and Strategy
• Alternative Dispute Resolution, including Mediation and Arbitration
• Trials
• Appeals

We make every effort to resolve disputes fairly prior to trial if possible by settlement, compromise, mediation and/or arbitration. Many of our attorneys also act as professional mediators and arbitrators.