Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

Offices in: Long Beach, West Los Angeles, Pasadena, Woodland Hills, Irvine, San Diego and Riverside.

A former Marine and graduate of the University of California at Berkeley (1966) and the UCLA School of Law (1969), Lawrence Eric Taylor served as deputy public defender and deputy district attorney in Los Angeles before entering private practice. He was the trial judge's legal advisor in People vs Charles Manson, was Supreme Court counsel in the "Onion Field" murder case, and was retained by the Attorney General of Montana as an independent Special Prosecutor to conduct a one-year grand jury probe of governmental corruption.

Turning to teaching, Mr. Taylor served on the faculty of Gonzaga University School of Law, where he was voted Professor of the Year, was Visiting Professor at Pepperdine University Law School, and was finally appointed Fulbright Professor of Law at Osaka University in Japan.

With over 33 years of experience, Lawrence Taylor is the author of over thirty articles and 13 books, including the standard text on DUI litigation, "Drunk Driving Defense", 7th edition (N.Y.: Aspen Law and Business) and "California Drunk Driving Defense", 4th edition (St. Paul, MN: West Publishing). He is one of only 4 DUI attorneys in California who is Board-certified as a DUI defense specialist.

Over the past 30 years Mr. Taylor has proven a popular lecturer on DUI trial techniques and constitutional issues at over 200 CLE seminars in 39 states, including those sponsored by the American Bar Association, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and numerous state bar associations including the California State Bar. He was one of the original 13 founders of the National College for DUI Defense, served on its Board of Regents and was elected Dean for 1995-1996. On July 25, 2002, at Harvard Law School, Mr. Taylor was presented with the National College's Lifetime Achievement Award.


(Taylor) excels at trial preparation and tactics....His expertise is incomparable.
Trial (Assoc. of Trial Lawyers of America)

Larry Taylor is recognized as one of the finest DUI trial tacticians in the country.
Editor, California DUI Report

Lawrence Taylor is one of the top DUI lawyers in the U.S. today.
Editor, Drinking/Driving Law Letter

Taylor's patented approach to crossing the cop....can be regarded as so fundamental that newer drunk driving defense practitioners may not be aware that he was its originator.
The Champion (Nat'l Assoc. of Criminal Defense Lawyers)


Mr. Taylor is a member of the United States Supreme Court Bar, California State Bar, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Orange County Bar Association and National College for DUI Defense. He maintains a personal DUI blogsite with commentary on the defects, fallacies and Constitutional damage of the war on drunk driving, and serves as Wikipedia contributing editor on DUI matters.

Michael Reiter is an Inland Empire Attorney based in Redlands, California. Michael Reiter practices Personal Injury Law, including Federal civil rights cases, vehicle accidents, premises liability, including dangerous conditions of public property, real property torts, including nuisance and trespass, eminent domain and inverse condemnation, including inverse condemnation from flooding, land movement, sewer backups and fires. Michael Reiter also practices Municipal Law, including Code Enforcement, Civil Litigation, Small Business Law, and Real Estate Law. Michael Reiter was the Assistant City Attorney of the City of Redlands, a Deputy City Attorney at the City of San Bernardino, and Staff Attorney at Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino, Incorporated. Michael Reiter, Attorney at Law provides legal services to public entities, corporations, and individuals in California, Southern California, the Inland Empire, San Bernardino County, and Riverside, California, including the cities and communities of Redlands, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Victorville, Barstow, Rialto, Colton, Fontana, Highland, Loma Linda, Calimesa, Chino Hills, Chino, Upland, Apple Valley, Hesperia, Devore, Muscoy, Mentone, Oro Grande, Yucaipa, Banning, Beaumont, Corona, Norco, Hemet, Murrieta, Palm Springs, Indian Wells, and Temecula.

Raeet (Rita) D. Taddesse is a Partner with Fernandez & Lauby LLP. She has handled a wide variety of complex matters, including quasi class actions, professional liability, securities fraud, intellectual property, trade secrets, unfair competition, slip & fall, construction accidents, construction defect, antitrust, banking, real estate, community association, and insurance litigation. Ms. Taddesse has experience in mediation, arbitration, trial, and appellate practice.

Ms. Taddesse graduated with honors from California State University at Long Beach in 1994 and obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Whittier College School of Law in 1996, where she was on the Dean's Honor List.

Ms. Taddesse is admitted to practice before the Federal and California Courts. She was a volunteer arbitrator for the Orange County Bar Association Fee Arbitration Committee, and participates in other pro bono activities.

Mr. Palacios represents entrepreneurs, startups and early stage businesses, corporations, physicians and healthcare businesses, and individuals in the areas of business and commercial transactions, business planning, corporate law, business law, healthcare business law, business financing, private placements, including acquisitions and sales of businesses, intellectual property portfolio management, commercial real estate, employment, and bankruptcy law. Mr. Palacios is also an entrepreneur.

Kyle K. Lauby is a partner in the Riverside office of Fernandez & Lauby. Mr. Lauby graduated in 2003 from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law with a specialization in business law. In 1999, he graduated magna cum laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business.

Mr. Lauby is admitted to practice in the State of California and before the United States District Court for the Central District of California. He has litigated cases in a variety of practice areas, including construction defect, wrongful death, personal injury, securities fraud, antitrust, and general business disputes. Prior to joining Fernandez & Lauby in 2006, Mr. Lauby practiced at the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

Edward A. Fernandez has over 25 years' experience in general civil litigation with an emphasis in personal injury, premises liability, construction (both injury and defect) and business litigation. He has tried, arbitrated and mediated hundreds of cases throughout Southern and Central California. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of California San Diego in 1979 and his Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego in 1982. More recently, he completed the Pepperdine University School of Law/Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution Mediating the Litigated Case program. Mr. Fernandez also recently attended "Impasse Is A Fallacy" a 14-hour Advanced Mediators' Forum with Lee Jay Berman, Doug Noll, and Tim Corcoran of the American Institute of Mediation. He is licensed to practice in the State of California and before the United States District Court and is currently a member of the California Bar Association, the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Riverside Bar Association, The Los Angeles County Bar Association, The American Inns of Court [Leo A. Deegan Chapter], and the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel.

Mr. Fernandez is the recipient of the 2008 Defense Attorney of the Year Award presented by The International Association of Special Investigation Units, Southern California Chapter. He is a former director for Southern California Insurance Professionals and in addition to doing private mediations, also serves as a mediator for the Riverside Consolidated Courts and the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two. From a personal standpoint, he is married and has five children. He and his family live in Riverside and he has been actively involved in the AYSO Soccer Program where he served as a Board Member, Referee Administrator, Coach and Referee. He is an instrument-rated private pilot and enjoys activities such as flying, skiing and playing golf.

Michael Tam is an associate in the Riverside office of Fernandez & Lauby. Mr. Tam graduated from University of California, San Diego in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Science. In 2008 he received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. While in law school Mr. Tam received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Professional Responsibility. Additionally, during his time in law school, Mr. Tam was a research assistant for a renowned corporate law professor and participated in the Tax Clinic for low income tax payers. He also clerked at Mayfield & Associates, a corporate transaction and business litigation firm, for almost two years. Mr. Tam's current practice includes general civil litigation, business litigation, construction defect, insurance defense and personal injury.

Scott Talkov joined Reid & Hellyer in August 2009 after serving as a Summer Law Clerk with the firm in 2008. The emphasis of his practice is in real estate and business litigation.

Scott graduated cum laude from of Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, where he sat on the Board of Editors and served as the Online Supplement Editor for the Washington University Law Review. He was also a research assistant for noted land use professor Daniel R. Mandelker and received numerous academic awards, including the Honor Scholar Award for outstanding academic achievement, CALI Award of Excellence for top academic performance in Legal Ethics and Land Use Law, and the Student Excellence Award from the American Bar Association's Section of State and Local Government.

Beginning his studies at University of California, Riverside, Scott completed his bachelor's degree as a 2004 graduate of University of California, Santa Barbara. Active in student government at both campuses, UCSB awarded Scott the University Service Award for exemplary campus leadership.

During the third year of his legal studies in 2009, Scott completed an academic research paper that was published in the Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Journal of the American Bar Association. With more than 30,000 members, the journal is the leading national forum for attorneys in real estate and financing law.

Scott is active in numerous boards and organizations in the Riverside area, serving as a board member of the Riverside County Barristers (Young Attorneys') Association as well as a member of the Riverside County Bar Association, and the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce. Scott volunteers his time as founding Director of the Associated Students Legal Clinic at the University of California, Riverside, where he provide free advice to students with questions relating to real estate law.

Graham J. Baldwin is an associate attorney with Fernandez & Lauby LLP. He has a wide variety of experience in civil litigation encompassing the fields of personal injury, wrongful termination, professional liability, construction accidents, construction defect, and general business, at both the trial and appellate levels. Mr. Baldwin has been a past civil litigation arbitrator and is a current member on the Riverside County Fee Arbitration panel. Mr. Baldwin graduated from California State University (Long Beach) with a B.A. in 1971 and obtained his J.D. from Western State University in 1976. He is admitted to practice before the Federal and California state courts.

In 1998, Ms. Lauby received her Bachelor of Science degree in Social Policy from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. As a student, Ms. Lauby interned at the Chicago Department of Human Services. There, she participated in various aspects of the policy making process including research and analysis regarding the local impact of the federal transition from Aid to Families with Dependent Children to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. In addition to her academic pursuits, she also pitched for the Wildcatsâ Varsity Softball team.

After college, Ms. Lauby joined the Chicago office of the prestigious, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, as a case assistant on the tobacco litigation team. There, she learned the ins and outs of complex litigation and traveled to Seattle, Washington and Kansas City, Missouri to provide trial support.

In 2000, Ms. Lauby returned to her native Southern California and transferred to the Kirkland & Ellis office in Los Angeles where she continued to work until 2003. While still at Kirkland, Ms. Lauby decided to take the next step in her legal career and simultaneously attended law school.

After moving to the Inland Empire, Ms. Lauby became a law clerk for Fernandez & Lauby, marking the beginning of her in-depth exposure to the practice of construction and insurance litigation.

Ms. Lauby received her Juris Doctor degree in 2005 from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, California. As a first year student she was recognized as a finalist in the Moot Court writing competition.

After going through her own divorce, Ms. Lauby became interested in family law. She has cultivated a philosophy that encourages parties to reduce costs, stress and harm to children by taking control of the outcome of their case though mutual negotiation rather than litigation. While litigation is sometimes unavoidable, Ms. Lauby believes that it should be a matter of last resort.

Grant’s Law Firm, is a business oriented law firm composed of experienced attorneys delivering aggressive and innovative services in a cost-effective manner. While we offer the kind of work product, expected from a large law firm, we retain small firm efficiency and focus on personalized service to individuals, businesses and business owners throughout Orange County, Riverside County, and Los Angeles County, California.

Our business lawyers craft creative and efficient solutions to various legal problems, no matter how complex the issues may be. In doing so, we seek to build long term relationships with our clients, so that we can contribute to the overall success of their business.

Working personally with you and your business

Our lawyers practice in a variety of specialized legal areas, including:

Business Law: (sometimes known as Commercial Law) is the body of law that governs business, corporate law, and commercial transactions. We provide practical legal advice in negotiating and documenting business transactions and agreements for individuals, business owners and entrepreneurs.

Business Formation: We assist clients in selecting the appropriate organizational form for their new business endeavor, and document the selection by formalizing it with the appropriate State entity, whether it’s a corporation, a limited liability company (LLC), or a partnership.
We also help those clients acquire the appropriate business licenses, permits, and tax registrations so they can conduct business.

Employment Law: Helping business owners and start-ups with their day-to-day employment related issues, resolving employment disputes, and drafting clear and concise executive and key employee contracts, handbooks, policies, confidentiality agreement, and invention assignment agreements.

Entertainment: We advise on, draft and negotiate contracts for music recording, music and book publishing, and movie and television production packaging deals.

Franchise Law: We represent companies on a regional and national level, from first-time franchisors to multi-unit systems. Our law firm provides comprehensive services from development, operation and expansion to termination, non-renewals and contractual disputes.

Intellectual Property (IP) Law: We assure client ideas, whether protected by patents, trademarks, domain names, copyrights, trade secrets, and/or trade dress, are up to date and current to continuously guard against any infringement and counterfeiting.

Patent: We represent clients in the prosecution and protection of utility and design patents. We will research prior art, prepare all filings, respond to requests and office actions from the Patent Office, and handle all appeals. We also handle all litigation to enforce or defend patents.

Trademark: We assist in the selection of trademarks, conduct trademark clearance searches, prosecute trademark applications before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), maintain and monitor our clients’ trademark registrations and litigate trademark infringement and related actions.

Trade Dress: Refers to the packaging, bottling or labeling of a product, which focuses on the appearance of a manufactured item. We can help register the Trade dress of your product, in a process that is similar to trademark registration.

Trade Secret: Guard the intensive work you have invested while developing your business know-how, customer lists, market intelligence and business plans over the years. We can help you protect those secrets.

Copyright: Protects your creative work by properly registering copyrights for your websites, writings, marketing materials, music or developed software. These represent your competitive advantage in the market place. We will protect your rights against those who violate your copyright.

Domain Names: We advise and represent clients in connection with their use of IP on the Internet — authorized or otherwise — blogging, social networking, web compliance, privacy statements, terms of use, disclaimers, and the application of the doctrine of fair use.

International Protection: In a global economy based upon instantaneous communication, securing intellectual property protection worldwide has never been more important. We offer assistance to our clients in pursuing all forms of intellectual property protection in foreign countries and especially in neighboring countries such as Canada and Mexico. We coordinate with foreign specialty firms practicing before foreign tribunals and agencies, to secure, defend and exploit our client’s IP rights, worldwide.

International Clients: We offer assistance to our foreign associates and foreign attorneys who seek protection for their International Clients U.S. Patents and International Client U.S. Trademarks. Our office serves as a US associate for foreign law firms seeking to file patents and/or trademark in the United States. We coordinate with those foreign attorneys to ensure all of their intellectual property needs are met for our foreign clients.

Licensing: Our intellectual property attorneys have vast experience crafting licensing agreements that protect businesses intellectual property while optimizing revenue. We have drafted and negotiated numerous franchise licenses, patent licenses, and trademark licenses.

Contract Negotiation, Development and Litigation: Our attorneys have the experience to review and advise you on any negotiable instruments including all types of contracts, agreements, memoranda of understanding and letters of intent related to intellectual property and technology. We can help you develop contractual agreements that protect you and your business. If you find your business in conflict, our contract litigation attorneys are experienced in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and civil procedures, including pre-litigation analysis and investigation.

Civil Litigation: Our litigation attorneys are equipped to litigate in California and federal courts regarding business, commercial, employment, and intellectual property disputes involving trade secret theft, confidentiality violations, IP counterfeiting, non-compete agreements, trademark and unfair competition litigation, patent litigation, copyright litigation, and litigation matters.

At Grant’s Law Firm, we value the relationships we have created with our clients in handling their various legal issues. Contact an Orange County, Riverside County, or Los Angeles County attorney for an initial consultation.

I have been practicing law for two years. My practice has always focused on Civil Litigation, which I have now expanded to Probate, Business Transactions and Estate Planning. I am excited to learn new areas of law, new cases and meeting new clients.

Tracy Owens is an Associate in the Gresham Savage Real Estate & Land Use Practice Group. Ms. Owens assists clients with all aspects of commercial, industrial and residential development, including land use applications, zone changes, subdivisions, common interest developments, environmental compliance issues, and governmental approvals of projects. Ms. Owens has experience with projects affecting sensitive or endangered species, wetlands and cultural resources, and assists businesses and developers in complying with air and water quality regulation, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Ms. Owens is also experienced in title analysis and resolution of title problems, as well as other transactions related to the purchase and sale of real property.

Ms. Owens is one of only 50 attorneys in California who is fully accredited through the Green Building Certification Institute as a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP). The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. State and local governments across the country are adopting LEED for public-owned and public-funded buildings, as well as offering incentives for privately-owned projects that achieve LEED certification. As a LEED AP, Ms. Owens has the knowledge and skill to successfully navigate clients through the LEED certification process, as well as the complex issues that can arise in any commercial or residential green building project. Ms. Owens combines this unique knowledge with her skill as an attorney to identify and resolve permitting, insurance, taxation and professional liability issues, ensure careful drafting of green building project agreements and resolve disputes.

Joseph L. Richardson graduated from the University of Redlands in political science, cum laude, and from Northwestern University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate Degree. While at Northwestern, he participated in moot court, served as SBA class representative for two years, and took business school courses at Kellogg School of Management, including a course through which he completed research with classmates in Ghana.

Mr. Richardson has 10 years of experience as a civil litigation attorney. Earlier in his career, he specialized in personal injury and wrongful death litigation.
For the last several years, he has primarily represented individuals and corporations in tort, contract, labor and employment matters, and also also advises on contract and corporation formation issues.
Mr. Richardson has extensive experience with all aspects of litigation, including discovery, depositions, law and motion, and alternative dispute resolution. He has successfully tried several cases to verdict and handled binding arbitrations. He regularly uses his legal background for presentations in keynote and seminar formats on general liability issues, and also presents to college campuses on the legal ramifications of Greek hazing.

Mr. Richardson is admitted to practice before all California courts and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. He is peer review rated by Martindale-Hubble and is a member of the San Bernardino County Bar Association, the Redlands Chamber of Commerce and Business Networking International.

Mr. Schneider has taken a long road to bring him to the practice of law. After High School and having studied in Mexico for a semester, he served in the U.S. Army as a Russian translator. He then studied for a year in Regensburg, Germany. Upon arriving back in the U.S.A., he obtained a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Maryland and did post graduate studies at George Washington University in clinical Microbiology. Only after working for some years as a research assistant and clinical Microbiologist did he then attend law school.

Mr. Schneider graduated from Western State University College of Law in 1996. He then worked for two years in the District Attorney Child Support Division for San Bernardino County, prosecuting child support cases. For the next year he worked as the research attorney for a large local family law firm. In September of 1999 he opened his own practice, The Family Law Center of Riverside.

Mr. Schneider's practice is limited to family law: Divorces, child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, domestic violence restraining orders, guardianships and adoptions.

In Riverside County, Mr. Schneider's is appointed by the courts to represent minor children and is appointed as counsel for the entire county for military service members on active duty, who are prevented, due to their military status from participating in their family law matter, under the Service Members' Civil Relief Act. Mr. Schneider also acts as a mediator for the family law court in the city of Riverside.

Joel D. Peterson, Attorney at Law. Joel is a lawyer that focuses his legal practice and consultation on the unique needs of the start-up and small business, however, the firm also serves individuals and companies in the areas of Employment & Labor, Discrimination Claims, Business & Commercial Law, Business Formation, Corporate Governance, Buy-Sell Agreements, Intellectual Property, Civil Litigation, Arbitration & Mediation, Wage & Hour, Immigration, and Risk Management in the Inland Empire, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, including the cities of Redlands, San Bernardino, Loma Linda, Highland, Colton, Yucaipa, Grand Terrace, Rialto, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Riverside, Victorville and Moreno Valley, to name a few.

Mr. Mellor obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree from Cornell University in 1988. While at Cornell he was a member of Cornell University's National Debate and Forensics Team, repeatedly recognized as an exceptional debater and individual public speaker throughout the country. Mr. Mellor obtained his Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law in 1992. He was admitted to both the California and the District of Columbia Bars and has been practicing law for over 16 years in both state and federal courts, including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Mellor started his own Real Estate and Business Litigation Practice in 2001 and has had three published opinions in the California Courts of Appeal since that time.

Mr. Mellor is the Immediate Past Chair of the Executive Committee for the Litigation Section of the State Bar of California and was Chair in (2007-2008); Vice-Chair (2006-2007); Treasurer (2005-2006); Secretary (2004-2005) and Executive Committee Member (2002-2004). He also assists with the State Bar's Real Estate Section Committee in California. He has special interests in Real Estate and Business litigation involving Loan Modifications, Foreclosures, Mechanic’s Liens, construction defects, business contracts, business entity formation, and technology.

See www.uscis.us for detail attorney profile.

Attorney Profile: Sam Akintimoye

Since 1999 Sam Akintimoye has been practicing law in California. His primary areas of practice include: immigration, tax law, bankruptcy and citizenship. Mr. Akintimoye represents clients throughout all of San Bernardino County, Los Angeles County and Riverside County.

Education

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Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles, California (Juris Doctor Degree, 1998)
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California State University, Los Angeles, California (Master of Business Administration – Finance, 1988)
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San Diego State University, San Diego, California (B.S. Accounting, 1985)
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Certified Public Accountant

Memberships

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California State Bar, since 1999
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California Supreme Court
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United States Tax Court
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United States District Court Central District of California
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United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit

Awards and Recognition

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Board Member, Nigerian-American Lawyers Association (NALA)
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American Immigration Lawyers Association
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Proclamation, Congress of the United States
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Recognition, California State Senate
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Recognition, California State Assembly
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Recognition, County of Los Angeles
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Winner: CALI Excellence Award for Tax Litigation (1998)
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Winner: American Jurisprudence Award (1996)

Contact San Bernardino Attorney Sam Akintimoye Today

If you would like to find out more about how San Bernardino immigration and bankruptcy lawyer Sam Akintimoye can help you with your legal mater, please contact our firm for a consultation.

Contact Sam Akintimoye Law Firm, Inc.