Practice Area Corner Archives

BASF Welcomes Roger Moss to its Mediation Services Panel

BASF’s newest addition to its Mediation Services panel, Roger Moss, brings a wealth of experience in mediating family, business and real estate cases, including conflicts associated with addiction and mental health issues. Moss understands that protracted conflict injures people, damages…

Beware of CLE Requirements

All active California lawyers must complete 25 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) every three years, or risk being placed on inactive status. (Bus. & Prof. Code §6070, subd. (a).) Additionally, misrepresenting that one has completed those hours may result…

Simple Ways to Obtain Discovery Pre-Litigation

As a small law firm, time and resources are always a limiting factor, thus obtaining discovery before litigation is essential. The use of the California Public Records Act (CPRA) and the California Labor Code can be valuable resources in this…

Estate Planning: Keep Buildings in the Family Without Tearing Your Family Apart

Real estate is a valuable asset and a blessing, but it can become a curse that causes family strife if ownership is not clearly spelled out in your trust. Consider a recent California Supreme Court case in which a man…

Audrey Hepburn’s Heirs Still Split Over Stuff

More than two decades after Audrey Hepburn’s death, her two sons still can’t agree on how to divvy up some of her belongings: A locker at Los Angeles Fine Arts & Wine Storage filled with photos, movie posters, clothing, jewels,…

Wanted: Certified Paralegals

I often see ads on job boards seeking “certified” paralegals. In the words of Inigo Montoya, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” So what does it mean for someone to…

Law Library Partners with BASF to Offer Free Mediation Seminars

In July, BASF’s Bay Area Mediation Service and the San Francisco Law Library presented the first in a series of free lunchtime legal presentations on mediation. More than 25 attorneys and members of the public packed the library meeting room…

Gifts from Clients? Is it OK? Maybe

Gifts are generally given as an act of kindness, as a token of appreciation based on relationships. As attorneys, many of us have established long standing relationships with our clients over a number of years; and in some cases have…

Bail and the Criminal Justice System

When an individual gets arrested in the State of California they are routinely booked into jail. In many cases, there is no bail set until the accused has the opportunity to go before the judge. Based solely on accusations, bail…

Orange Might be the New Green For Actor’s Soon to Be Ex-Wife

Pablo Schreiber, the newly-recognizable former star of “Orange is the New Black” due to his distinctive mustache that earned him the nickname “Pornstache,” has learned that the timing of his new-found success will also benefit his ex-wife, despite the end…

Victory Over IRS in Estate Appraiser Dispute

Many people think the IRS is just too big to beat, and that when the tax collector sends you a bill, you better just pay up instead of trying to defend yourself. But like David bravely fighting Goliath, some taxpayers…

Family Law Corner: Custody Battle Escalates as Question of Jurisdiction Lingers

Last Family Law Corner, we updated Kelly Rutherford’s epic custody battle. When we left Rutherford’s story, it was just as a dramatic as something you would see on “Gossip Girl.” In June, Rutherford petitioned the California court to keep jurisdiction…

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