30 YEARS OF TRYING

  AND SETTLING CASES

I have been in practice for over 30 years. My office is located in an old Victorian in south Berkeley, which I co-own with the other lawyers who practice here. The office is not fancy, but it is comfortable. More important for you, it allows me to charge less than others with comparable skill and experience. If you are looking for the trappings of a fancy law office, I am not the guy for you. But if that is not important to you and you are looking for someone who practices the highest quality of law with the highest ethical standards, than look no further.

I was raised in Baltimore, Maryland. My father was a lawyer and a judge. His teachings were invaluable. I did my undergraduate work in the Ivy League at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating early in December 1970. After a few years doing odd jobs and working as a "street club worker," gaining some practical experience of what it is like to live in the world, in 1973 I made my way to the Bay Area and enrolled in the first class of the New College of California School of Law. At the time, law schools were "ivory towers" that did not provide practical skills training. New College was unique in having a complete skills training program and an apprenticeship requirement. While in law school, I not only worked for lawyers part-time, but I also clerked for a judge in the Alameda County Superior Court, gaining valuable experience. I thought that I would transfer to a "real" law school after the first year if I liked it, but I not loved studying the law, I loved the Bay Area and decided to stay.

During the past 30 years, I have done all kinds of cases and gained a wide variety of experience. Early in my practice, I represented Antimonopoly, Inc., in an infamous case concerning the validity of the "Monopoly" trademark. Although I was looked down upon by some of the top intellectual property lawyers in the country, from both San Francisco and New York, we prevailed. I learned that I was capable of going against the "big guns" and that I could study and learn any area of the law.

My early practice was client oriented. If I liked the client and the case, then I was willing to learn whatever was necessary. Over the years, however, I have become too busy to do it all. I now limit my practice to small business, real estate, personal injury, probate and wills and trusts.

I am a good general, and I will work with your accountant, associate other attorneys or refer cases when appropriate.

I used to do a lot of personal injury, but I never had a volume practice or ran a "mill." I give each of my clients the individual attention which they deserve. I handle fewer personal injury cases than I used to, but I am very experienced and good at it.

I have extensive real estate experience, representing owners of apartment buildings and mobilehome parks, landlords, tenants, realtors, property managers, and home owners. I have litigated cases over easements, deeds of trust, failure to disclose, and construction contracts. I draft and review commercial leases and purchase and sale contracts.

I have represented many small businesses: printing companies, restaurants, software companies, cabinet makers, contractors, realtors, clothing manufacturers, retail stores, etc. I am experienced at buying and selling businesses, with and without ABC licenses and franchise agreements.