I have been practicing law in California since 2000 and have been a licensed California real estate broker since 2007 (CA DRE #01786443). I provide high-quality, comprehensive and personalized representation to all of my clients in a diverse range of practice areas. My highest priority is to get the best result for you. Call me today for a free consultation at (530) 545-1535 or email me so I can contact you. Do not send any confidential information to me by email.
June 1997
I graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. I went on to earn my Juris Doctorate from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco in May of 2000 where I also obtained a Business Specialization Certificate with an Emphasis in Intellectual Property.
September 2000
I began my law career in the fall of 2000 as an associate attorney at Idell, Berman & Seitel (now The Idell Firm). There, I handled all aspects of pre-trial litigation in a variety of practice areas, though my practice focused primarily on copyright litigation and defense work for live performance venues in the Bay Area. I also litigated cases involving breach of contract, trade secrets, unfair business practices, professional negligence, premises liability, personal injury and other various civil matters.
July 2004
In July of 2004, I joined the law firm of Phillips, Erlewine & Given LLP, as an associate attorney. While at that firm, my practice included entertainment matters, copyright litigation, breach of contract, unfair competition and employment-related matters.
May 2005
From May of 2005 through June of 2007, I worked as a solo practitioner and contract attorney in San Francisco handling a diverse range of matters including personal injury, maritime, aviation, construction defect, landlord/tenant, real estate, subrogation and insurance coverage.
January 2007
In January of 2007, I obtained my California real estate broker’s license and am currently a member of the National Association of Realtors, California Association of Realtors and South Tahoe Association of Realtors.
September 2008
Since moving to South Lake Tahoe in 2008, I have represented clients in a variety of matters including personal injury, collections, breach of contract, employment law, landlord/tenant and real estate. I have also represented individuals and small business owners with various transactional matters. I am proud to call South Lake Tahoe home and I care deeply about our community. I currently serve on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe and am involved with the Sierra House Elementary School Parent Teacher Association.
Throughout the years, I have handled cases in a wide range of practice areas, but my preferred area of practice is personal injury. It gives me a chance to really connect with my clients and help them through a difficult time in their lives. I have handled personal injury matters since I began practicing in 2000 and have experience dealing with all the issues that arise when you have been injured due to someone else’s negligence. Over the course of my career, I have obtained millions of dollars in settlements on behalf of my clients. I typically undertake representation of personal injury matters on a contingency basis which means that you do not have to pay anything up front and I only get paid if I recover money for you.
As an attorney, I have represented clients in a variety of real property matters including partition actions, easement disputes, claims alleging nondisclosure of known issues concerning properties, construction related issues and other types of tort and breach of contract claims involving real property. I have also litigated a number of unlawful detainer (eviction) cases on behalf of both landlords and tenants. As a real estate broker, I have represented clients in the purchase and sale of all types of real property including residential, investment, multi-family and commercial. I have experience dealing with local agencies and regulations pertaining to the sale and development of properties in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
No one wants to end up in litigation, but sometimes it is unavoidable. If you have been sued or are in a situation where you need to sue someone, you need someone with litigation experience to help you navigate the complexities of the judicial system. Since 2000, I have handled litigation matters involving personal injury, real property (easements, partition, landlord/tenant, construction defect), breach of contract, collections, employment, trade libel/defamation, fraud and other torts. I am admitted to practice in all of the Superior Courts of the State of California, all of the federal district courts in the State of California (Southern, Central, Eastern and Northern) and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
If you are an individual or small business owner, you need to have contracts with your employees, independent contractors and others that you do business with. I have experience drafting and negotiating all types of contracts, leases, licenses and other types of agreements.
With over 20 years of litigation experience, I understand how stressful and expensive litigation can be for everyone involved. I believe that many matters can be resolved through the effective use of alternative dispute resolution including private mediation. Some contracts even require that parties mediate disputes before resorting to litigation. I have participated in well over a hundred mediations, dispute resolution conferences and settlement conferences throughout my career. Early on in my practice, I became trained as a mediator through Community Boards of San Francisco and I am currently on the dispute resolution panel for El Dorado County Superior Court. If you are looking for an affordable and efficient way to resolve your dispute without going to court, contact me to discuss mediation.
| Agency | Link |
|---|---|
| El Dorado County Superior Court | http://www.eldoradocourt.org/ |
| California Judicial Branch | https://www.courts.ca.gov/ |
| California Forms | https://www.courts.ca.gov/forms.htm |
| California Small Claims | https://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-smallclaims.htm |
| California Jury Instructions | https://www.courts.ca.gov/partners/317.htm |
| California Department of Fair Employment and Housing | https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/ |
| California Department of Industrial Relations | https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/ |
| South Tahoe Association of Realtors | http://www.staor.org/ |
| City of South Lake Tahoe | http://www.cityofslt.us/ |
| El Dorado County Website | https://www.edcgov.us/ |
The use of the Internet or emailing to initiate communications with me does not create an attorney-client relationship and attorney-client privilege does not attach to any communication submitted through this website. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through email. Please only provide a brief description of your matter.
Phone: (530) 545-1535
Address: P.O. Box 17227, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96151