Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

Mitchell T. Ehrlich is a partner with Lonich and Patton and along with David Patton, he leads the Family Law practice. His practice focuses on all areas of Family Law including Dissolutions, Child Custody, Support Matters, Property and Business Division, Pre and Post-Nuptial Agreements, Paternity, Registered Domestic Partnerships, Guardianship and Adoptions. He recently passed the California Family Law Certified Specialistâs Exam and is awaiting approval to be designated as a Certified Family Law Specialist.

Mitchell has over 10 years of experience as a civil litigator and trial attorney. Mitchell began focusing his practice exclusively on Family Law matters shortly after Lonich & Pattonâs Family Law practice was developed. Prior to that, he amassed significant litigation experience handling the firmâs insurance defense, business law and employment law litigation matters as well as handling all of the firmâs appellate practice.

Born in Schenectady, NY in 1971, Mitchell grew up in San Jose, graduating from San Joseâs Pioneer High School in 1989. Mitchell then attended UC Santa Barbara where he graduated with a Degree in Economics in 1993. After working in Finance for a few years, he attended law school at Pepperdine University School of Law during which time he secured placement on the Deans Honors List numerous times, earned multiple scholarships, and earned assignments with the Washington D.C. Public Defender's Office, the U.S.D.A. and the U.S. District Bankruptcy Court. Mitchell graduated Cum Laude from Pepperdine in 1998 and then returned to San Jose to begin the active practice of law. He joined Lonich and Patton, LLP in 1999. Mr. Ehrlich is married, and he, his wife Wendy, 15 year step-son Jerry, three year old son Russell, infant daughter Ava and their dog Roxy who all live a happy and content life in the Willow Glen area of San Jose. When Mitchell isnât with his family, working or in court, he enjoys hiking, jogging, tennis, cooking, winning swimming races in his backyard pool, and playing guitar.

Mitchell is very aware of the fact that he practices in a field in which, quite often, his clients and their children are in the midst of an emotionally stressful and financially difficult situation, where their futures seem uncertain and making decisions can be difficult. Accordingly, relying on his thorough understanding of the law, his extensive trial and litigation background and his experience handling such sensitive matters, he endeavors to offer his clients his valuable experience, counsel and advice in not only the many complicated legal issues they face, but also the short term and long term impacts of their decisions on themselves, their children and their financial lives. Mitchell always provides his clients with timely and detailed attention, along with a clear goal-oriented approach to their issues. Further, drawing on his Economics Degree and his experience in finance, Mitchell has a keen ability to analyze and explain in plain English, the many complicated financial issues that Family Law matters so often entail. Recognizing both the emotional and exceeding high financial toll that can be associated with prolonged litigation, Mitchell seeks to avoid needless litigation and he focuses his efforts on reaching settlements and informal resolutions whenever possible. However, when a reasonable settlement that serves his clientâs best interest cannot be reached, he draws upon his strong litigation and trial skills to obtain favorable outcomes to the myriad of issues facing his clients.

Mr. Ehrlich is a member of the State Bar of California, the Santa Clara Bar Association and the State and Local Bar Family Law Sections. He engages in many professional activities including serving as Judge Pro Tem for the Santa Clara County Family Court and serving as an Arbitrator for the Santa Clara County Bar Association's Attorney Client Fee Disputes Division. Mr. Ehrlich is also a Traffic Court Judge Pro Tem. Mr. Ehrlich also volunteers his time with the Pro Bono Association's Lawyers in the Library Program.

Gina Policastri joined Lonich & Patton, LLP in November 2003 and is the ranking senior associate. Ms. Policastri began her relationship with the firm in 2001 as a second year law clerk and continued working until she left to prepare for the July 2003 Bar exam.

Ms. Policastri obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Santa Clara University in 2000 and her Juris Doctorate from Santa Clara University in 2003, where she earned a place as an editor of the Santa Clara Law Review by writing a legal comment on the Barry Bonds divorce case and the prenuptial agreement legislation it subsequently sparked. During law school, Gina earned both the Emery and Law Faculty Scholarships. She was also awarded a Public Interest Scholarship for her summer clerkship at the East San Jose Community Law Center, where she worked in the Small Business Group. She also received both the Witkin and CALI Awards in Community Property for her academic achievement in that course.

Since being admitted to the California bar, Gina has concentrated in the area of family law, where she uses her persuasive writing skills, familiarity with the Santa Clara County family court system and psychology background to effectively litigate cases on behalf of her clients.

Gina loves to travel and has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Italy; she recently returned from her honeymoon in Tahiti, where she visited the neighboring islands of Bora Bora, Moorea and Taha’a. She also enjoys camping (Big Sur is a favorite) and stays active by jogging, biking, rollerblading and skiing. Most of all, she enjoys spending her free time with her husband, Franco, her killer Chihuahua, Paco, and her family, who live on California’s Central Coast.

Gina is a member of the State Bar of California and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. She is also a member of the Santa Clara County Bar Association (including Barristers and Family Law Sections) and American Bar Association.

Prometheus: A Social Justice Law Firm

Mailing Address:
PO Box 1742
Santa Cruz, CA 95061-1742

Offices: Campbell (San Jose), San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Cruz, Redwood City, CA.

Contact Information.
Tel: 510.910.3198
Email: PrometheusLaw@Gmail.com
Website: www.PrometheusLaw.Blogspot.com


AREAS OF PRACTICE:

1. Criminal Defense & Civil Disobedience

Violent and Non-Violent Felonies
Misdemeanors and Infractions
Sex and Drug Crimes
Juvenile Crimes
Police Brutality & Civil Rights


2. Alternative Family & Gender Law

Parenting Coordination (Special Master)
Mediation, Collaborative Divorce
Custody and Property Litigation
Restraining Orders & Harassment
Gender and LGBT Discrimination


3. Property, Estates & Business Law

Mediation and Arbitration Services
Property Contracts and Litigation
Fraud, Bad Faith, and Breach of Contract
Business Contract Formation
Wills and Trusts Formation & Litigation



About Mr. Aly Ebrahimzadeh, Esq.:

A former successful Governor's Teaching Fellow public school teacher, college teacher and organic farm-worker, Mr. Aly Ebrahimzadeh, Esq. is a dynamic public interest attorney possessing very successful years of experience working with Plaintiff-side and Non-Profit law firms in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Communities for a Better Environment, Earthjustice, and Education Not Incarceration. In both state and federal courts, Mr. Ebrahimzadeh has worked successfully with colleagues on multi-million dollar cases representing both Plaintiffs and Defendants, high stakes criminal actions, class action lawsuits, complex multiparty actions, very high-conflict divorces, and on social impact litigation and anti-legislation efforts in the public's interest. Further, Mr. Ebrahimzadeh serves as the General Counsel for MaPhone, LLC, a mobile phone software company employing groundbreaking technology in GPS navigation systems and mobile telephony. With such an intense schedule and outstanding experience and credentials as an attorney, Mr. Ebrahimzadeh nevertheless donates between 50 to 100 hours of his time every year to clients in desperate need of legal representation because he is committed to delivering to the people of our community the justice they truly deserve, rather than merely the justice they can afford.

Mr. Ebrahimzadeh is a highly persuasive Litigator, an engaged and dynamic Mediator, Arbitrator and Parenting Coordinator (Special Master), and a sharp Legal Strategist focused on preventing unnecessary conflicts and resolving disputes efficiently and fairly. His clients very much appreciate his uniquely personable and communicative style, and see Mr. Ebrahimzadeh as a great ally in bringing clarity and justice to turgid legal conflicts. Similarly, opposing counsel respect Mr. Ebrahimzadeh as a sincere negotiator and as a powerful opponent. Be it on paper, in court, or at the negotiation table, Mr. Ebrahimzadeh is a formidable force, bringing passion and experience in the name of justice to the practice of the law.

Mr. Aly Ebrahimzadeh, Esq. is a Juris Doctor graduate of the distinguished top-tier University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, a proud recipient of the coveted Witkin and CALI awards for outstanding legal scholarship, a Member In Good Standing of the State Bar of California, and a Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society graduate of Brandeis University, a top-ranked national university which dignified him with the full four-year tuition merit-based Justice Louis D. Brandeis Scholarship.

Mr. Ebrahimzadeh has proudly served as an At Large Member of the Board of Directors of the National Lawyer's Guild, San Francisco Chapter - one of our nation's oldest, most prestigious, and effective associations of progressive attorneys committed to working for social justice. Much respected for his dedication to Pro-Bono community education and professional expertise, Mr. Ebrahimzadeh has also been internationally broadcast on progressive television and radio stations where he provides free attorney consultation to minority and low-income callers and professional legal commentary on complex and current environmental and constitutional issues affecting civil rights and justice. Mr. Ebrahimzadeh is the Founder and President of Ethos Pathos Logos, a Pro Bono Organization of Concerned Citizens motivating and informing the public on how to become Earth and People Friendly.

A bit about Aly, personally: He speaks fluent French, Spanish, Italian, and Farsi, as well as basic German. He has traveled and worked extensively throughout Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and North America. He is a musician, a dancer, a writer, and a visual artist. He enjoys motorcycle travels, slow food, music from bluegrass to folk, jazz to classical, rough playing with his two white German Shepherds, and coaching youth sports. More than anything else, he loves walking in local flower gardens and having quiet picnics with his son.

As our attorney, he understands and appreciates our clients' need for justice, and he is dedicated to providing exactly that with grace and passion. Through his work, he represents a very diverse clientele. He focuses on nurturing serenity and creativity, and he remains a zealous and intensely aggressive advocate of all our Civil, Human and Environmental Rights.

We invite you to contact us so that we can meet soon in one of our elegant offices for an Initial Consultation to discuss an effective strategy to peacefully resolve your serious concerns. We look forward to working together with you to help you bring Justice to our world.


Past and Present Professional Affiliations
Of Mr. Aly Ebrahimzadeh, Esquire:

National Lawyer's Guild, Board of Directors
Iranian-American Bar Association
Alameda County Bar Association (ACBA)
Santa Clara County Bar Association
Santa Cruz County Bar Association
San Mateo County Bar Association
ACBA, Volunteer Legal Svcs. Corp.
California Lawyers for the Arts
American Bar Association
US Federal Court, Northern District of CA
US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

It can be a very trying and stressful time when you find yourself in need of an attorney. Not only are you concerned about your particular legal issue, but like most people, you are concerned about the relationship you will have with your attorney and the fees that will be charged. Let's face it, lawyers, like politicians, have a bad reputation. People worry their attorney will not take their case seriously, or will try to squeeze every dime they can out of the case. I understand these feelings and concerns. Unfortunately, they are far too often justified.

Before I became a lawyer I had occasion to hire attorneys in my business. I also worried about their commitment to my case and the fees they charged. This experience shaped my philosophy on the practice of law.

In my practice, I believe my client and I are partners. We share the same goals and we work together to achieve these goals. To facilitate this close collaboration, my clients are free to contact me anytime, without fear of being charged for “chit chat” that doesn’t advance the case.

I am completely dedicated to providing the highest quality legal representation at a reasonable cost for every client. I aggressively pursue my client's rights and will do everything necessary to achieve our shared objectives.