Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

PERSONAL INJURY

*Amusement Park Accidents
*Assault and Battery
*Auto Accidents
*Bicycle Accidents
*Boating Accidents
*Brain Injuries
*Construction Accidents
*Injuries from Burns
*Dangerous Condition Accidents
*Dog Bites
*Excessive Force By Police Officers/Police Brutality
*Helicopter Accidents
*Hit and Run Accidents
*Longshore and Maritime Accidents
*Motorcycle Accidents
*Negligent Supervision
*Pedestrian Accidents
*Premises Liability / Slip and Fall Accidents
*Product Recalls
*School Bus Accidents
*Sexual Abuse
*Truck Accidents
*Train and Railroad Accidents
*Trip and Fall Accidents
*Workplace Accidents

REAL ESTATE LITIGATION

*Mold LItigation
*Landlord Tenant
*Residential Real Estate
*Homeowners Association Law
*Fraud
*Foreclosures

BANKRUPTCY

PROBATE

CONSUMER LAW AND ADVOCACY

*Advertising Law
*Promotion Law
*Unsafe Products
*Product Labeling
*Financial Fraud
*Abusive Debt Collection Practices
*Consumer Scams
*Drugs
*Medical Devices
*Asbestos Exposure
*Supplements
*Real Estate
*Automotive
*Internet & Technology

NURSING HOME/ELDER ABUSE

*Elder Abuse
*Skilled Nursing Facilities
*Residential Care Facilities
*Financial Abuse
*Unfair Business Practices

Although he originally focused on criminal law, Jacob Harker quickly began to expand into a variety of practice areas. Mr. Harker has set up and run his practice in a cost-effective and practical manner. He has done so in an effort to pass on the savings to his clients. Mr. Harker sees his practice as taking the lead in a new era of legal services.

After growing up in the South (Kentucky, Tennessee and Louisiana), Mike moved to California when he was 15. After he worked his way through college, graduating in three years, Michael attended the University of California, Hastings College of Law, on a full 3 year scholarship.

Upon graduation, Michael began his legal career working for a major law firm that specialized in Insurance Defense, on behalf of several Fortune 500 companies. Michael changed sides in 1992 to fight for consumers and now uses his wealth of experience against insurance companies.

SERVING ALL OF SAN DIEGO & IMPERIAL COUNTIES

Chula Vista
Encinitas
Escondido
La Jolla
San Diego
Vista
Imperial County
El Centro

SERVING ALL OF CALIFORNIA

Anaheim
Bakersfield
Fremont
Fresno
Fullerton
Glendale
Irvine
Long Beach
Los Angeles
Modesto
Newport Beach
Oakland
Riverside
Sacramento
San Bernardino
San Francisco
San Jose
Santa Ana
Stockton
Torrance

Trial attorney since 1976, Mr. Blackman is a recognized expert in catastrophic personal injury cases, including paraplegia and quadriplegia cases, complex spinal surgery cases, traumatic brain injury cases, and other cases of permanent disability.

His education includes a B.A. and an M.A. in drama and production, as well as his J.D. in law. He is the founder of the Bay Area Lawyers Network (BALN), a State Bar Certified provider of continuing education for attorneys (MCLE), and is a frequent lecturer on personal injury law and courtroom presentation.

Mr. Blackman has an AV rating (the highest) for an attorney from Martindale Hubbel, which is a peer-based evaluation. He has successfully tried numerous cases to verdicts over $1 Million.

With offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles, his firm, Blackman Legal Group, handles cases throughout California.

The firm toll-free number is answered 24 hours a day. 1-800-444-5602

Serving all of California, including the following cities:


Alameda, CA
Anaheim, CA
Azusa, CA
Bakersfield, CA
Big Bear, CA
Calabasas, CA
Cardiff by the Sea, CA
Carlsbad, CA
Chico, CA
Chula Vista, CA
Coronado, CA
Del Mar, CA
Downey, CA
El Cajon, CA
El Monte, CA
Encinitas, CA
Escondido,
Imperial Beach, CA
Indian Wells, CA
La Jolla, CA
La Mesa, CA
La Verne, CA
Lake Elsinore, CA
Lemon Grove, CA
Los Angeles, CA
National City, CA
Oceanside, CA
Orange County, CA
Palm Springs, CA
Poway, CA
Ramona, CA
Rancho Bernardo, CA
Sacramento, CA
San Francisco, CA
San Marcos, CA
Santee, CA
Solana Beach, CA


SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY AND ACCIDENTS

Practice Areas

* Asbestos Exposure
* Auto Accident
* Truck Semi Accident
* Big Rig Accident
* Motorcycle Accident
* Car Accident
* Catastrophic Injury
* Child Molestation
* Bicycle Accident
* Pedestrian Accidents
* Dog Bite and other Animal Bites
* Back Injury
* Neck Injury
* Brain Injury
* Birth Injury
* Head Injury
* Boating Accident
* Construction Worker Injuries
* Dangerous Product Liability
* Recalled Products
* Hospital Negligence
* Doctor Negligence
* Physician Negligence
* Prescription Drug Medicine
* Lead Paint Exposure
* Medical Malpractice
* Nursing Home Neglect
* Nursing Home Abuse
* Slip and Fall
* Toxic Mold
* Sexual Abuse
* Sexual Molestation
* Wrongful Death

Consumer Bankruptcy- Chapter 7 and 13
Our bankruptcy lawyers serve clients in Orange and Los Angeles counties and throughout Southern California, providing vital information on asset protection,exemptions, debt relief and mortgage modification.

Tax Resolution
Our bankruptcy and former IRS lawyers provide advice about audits, payment plans, settlement offers, and bankruptcy relief.

Estate Administration
We represent estate fiduciaries and beneficiaries, assisting in the administration of the estate, as well as the protection of the interests of beneficiaries.

Elder Law
Elder Law is a specialized area of law that protects some of our most vulnerable citizens. We have the knowledge and experience necessary to protect the rights and financial interests of our seniors, and provides services involving Conservatorships, Financial Elder Abuse Litigation and Medicaid or Medi-Cal Representation.

Estate Planning
We represents clients in Estate Planning, Asset Protection and Estate Litigation matters.

Attorney Joel Weissler is a California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization Certified Tax Law Specialist. After earning his three year law degree in only two years and being admitted to the California Bar, Attorney Weissler earned an LLM in Taxation, Cum Laude from the University of San Diego. In addition to being admitted to practice in all California Courts, he is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California and the Federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Attorney Weissler is a member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). In addition, he is a member of Wealth Counsel, and a charter member of Elder Counsel. Joel's goal in founding the Weissler Law Group was, and remains, to touch client's lives by providing the highest level of legal representation in areas which make a difference for clients and their families.

Law Firm Overview =============================
Weissler Law Group is devoted to delivering the highest level of technical competence and care, combining our extensive experience with our practical knowledge of estate planning, asset protection techniques, tax law and business documents. The skilled attorneys at our firm counsel clients in a broad range of estate planning, asset protection, wealth transfer, probate, taxation and business transactional matters, including those related to the following practice areas:

* Estate planning and probate
* Asset protection
* MediCal - Nursing Home Planning
* Tax
* Business law services focused on helping businesses start, grow, and succeed

We are devoted to creating customized legal solutions to protect our clients' assets. Our skilled attorneys and staff bring a solution-based approach to our practice, always working closely with our clients and their other advisors to examine their complete financial picture. We look forward to forming long-term relationships with our clients and do our best to provide them with an honest look at their situations. We make extra efforts to keep our clients informed of all their asset protection options.

Practice Areas !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At Weissler Law Group, our focus is on preserving the hard earned assets of our clients. We believe that our Clients should be able to use their assets in a way that has the most benefit for them and for their families (or those others that they choose to benefit).

Our goal is to supply the means for our clients to provide the maximum benefit and least harm to the next generation of their families.

In addition to planning, we provide skilled legal counsel in probate matters. The passing of a loved one is one of the most emotionally trying times you anyone ever encounters. The last thing needed during such difficult times is a glut of legal problems. We navigate the probate process efficiently for our clients, from admitting the will through to distribution.

Estate Planning and Effective Wealth Transmission ==================================

Our estate planning practice is built upon providing clients with an efficient way to use and transfer their wealth. Effective wealth transmission requires lifetime action, not merely a death-time escape chute. We do not simply draft documents and have you sign them. We work with you to make sure you understand the vehicles we use to hold and move your estate.

We work diligently to understand the structure of your family. Understanding family relationships and character helps us provide you with an effective and family protective plan. If you have a blended family, we will help you craft a clear plan for how children from a prior relationship will factor into the transmission of your estate.

We provided our clients with a wide range of estate planning services and tools including:

* Wills
* Revocable trusts
* Health care powers of attorney
* Financial powers of attorney
* Childcare powers of attorney
* Family limited partnerships
* Domestic asset protection trusts
* Lifetime spousal gift 6rusts
* Inheritor's trusts
* ICP & line protection trusts
* Charitable remainder trusts/Charitable lead trusts
* Retirement plan distribution control trusts
* Dynasty trusts
* Generation skipping trusts
* Special needs trusts
* Insurance trusts
* Special purpose trusts
* Offshore opportunity and protection trusts
* Controlled opportunity shifting
* Nursing home planning

California Probate ============================

In addition to planning, we provide skilled legal counsel in probate matters. The passing of a loved one is one of the most emotionally trying times anyone can encounter. Endeavoring to navigate the California probate system during this emotional time can lead to misunderstandings among family members. Our firm goes to great lengths to avoid this, handling all aspects of the administration process from the appointment of the executor through the disbursement of assets.

The last thing anyone needs during emotionally difficult times is a glut of legal problems. We respectfully and smoothly guide our clients and their families through the probate process. Our firm's approach actively seeks to avoid unnecessary conflict while also seeking to efficiently bring the administration through the probate process, from admitting the will through to final distribution.

We have extensive experience administering estates both large and small, and are experienced in dealing with non-U.S. wills including those from Mexico. We also have the litigation experience necessary to protect your interests in court, should that become necessary.

Tax Planning ==================================

Tax planning is an integral part of helping people build and preserve wealth. Facing a government hungry to collect extra tax dollars from families and businesses, tax planning has become an important part of keeping from become a victim. At Weissler Law Group in San Diego, California, we are very conscious of the enormous effect that taxes have on peopleâs lives.

Federal income taxes, State income and property taxes international and transnational taxes have a profound effect on all business and business owners, on investment decisions and on intergenerational wealth transfer planning. Proper tax planning can sometimes turn a marginal business venture or contract into a profitable one. Failure to properly plan for the transfer or sale of business or for the transfer of family assets between parents, children or grandchildren can be financially devastating.

Our experienced attorneys examine each Client's situation, explain to them available options and create the necessary structures and documents needed to minimize burdensome taxes. We offer tax-sensitive business transaction, business sale, and estate planning counsel that focuses on how to avoid booby traps and make a deal more profitable for you. We handle a broad variety of tax issues for our clients, including those related to:

* Income tax optimization / tax reduction planning for individuals and businesses
* Wealth transfer - estate and gift tax planning
* Planning for non-U.S. nationals with U.S. Income & Assets
* Tax defense - tax litigation (California & Federal Appeals and Tax Court Representation)

Tax Defense and Litigation

Our firm represents and defends individuals and businesses in administrative appeals of audit findings before the IRS, the California Franchise Tax Board, and the California State Board of Equalization . We are also prepared to protect our tax clients in the Federal District Court, the U.S, Tax Court and the California Superior Court.

Safeguarding Your Estate

At Weissler Law Group, we appreciate the fact that estate taxes may bear a significant impact on your ability to transfer your assets to your family, friends and charity. For successful individuals estate taxes are an obstacle to holding on to wealth and passing it between generations. enormous barrier blocking wealth transfer. Without planning foreign nationals with U.S. assets worth over one hundred thousand dollars can lose close to half of those assets to estate tax.

The devastating effect of the estate and gift tax not only touches non-U.S. persons, but can also strike U.S. citizens. Without insight into the choices available, families can lose their business, be forced to sell memory laden assets to pay taxes and loose the rewards of a lifetime good fortune and hard work. We are experienced in dealing with the challenging tax issues that block individuals from preserving their wealth and achieving their goals.

Asset Protection =============================

You have worked hard to build your estate and accumulate assets. At Weissler Law Group we realize the importance of your efforts and provide clients with effective tools for asset protection. It seems that predators are more and more frequently using the legal system to extort money from blameless families and businesses.

Too often, people in dire financial straits look to victimize others to replenish their bank accounts. Personal injury claims always go up when times are hard. During tough times too many ordinary business disagreements escalate and become business threatening lawsuits. In these hard economic times, asset protection has added importance.

Protection against Catastrophes and Business Failures

Many people set up a business entity to insulate them from liability but fail to make sure it is managed properly, which leaves their non-business assets at risk. Professional practices often thoughtlessly leave receivables vulnerable to future claims within the practice. Substantial investment account owners often ignore how discoverable and tempting their assets are to financial predators and frauds.

We will closely examine your financial picture, identifying sources of liability and crafting a plan to safeguard your assets. We can also examine and modify your estate plan to protect your assets, after your passing, from your children's possible excesses or divorces. We focus on all three levels of asset protection which include:

* Asset & risk insulation
* Domestic asset protection
* Offshore asset protection

Protecting your assets may require putting certain assets into entities to give you the highest likelihood of maintaining control in the face of possible claims against you. You have worked hard to earn your assets and owe it to yourself to work with an experienced attorney to safeguard them. Contact us today to discuss your situation with an experienced attorney.

Protecting Your Assets With Effective Nursing Home Planning ================================

We utilize a number of tools to minimize the amount of assets you must expend when a family member requires nursing home or in-home medical care, while still ensuring your relative receives all needed care. These tools include:

* Guided permissible transfers
* Specialized trusts
* Care contracts
* Medi-Cal Medicaid Grants
* Intra-family qualified annuity agreements
* Intra-family promissory note sale transaction contracts
* Special needs and supplemental needs trusts

New rules make it critical that planning begin as soon as possible. The earlier planning begins the more assets can be preserved to raise an ill spouse's care to a higher level, to protect a well spouse and to preserve a parent's financial legacy. We focus on minimizing the financial hardships that a healthy spouse or family suffers when an ill spouse needs care. Nursing home planning can allow for assets to be preserved which would otherwise need to be used to pay nursing home costs.

Businesses Start-Up ==========================

Far too many business owners make the mistake of not coupling their hard work and often innovative business ideas with sound legal strategy. Failure to reinforce a business with a solid legal framework can make the difference between profitability and bankruptcy, between survival and collapse. At Weissler Law Group, we believe that skilled legal counsel not only helps businesses survive but also often make much more money them than it costs. We work closely with business owners, focusing on everything from business formation, entity maintenance, to sale or dissolution. We handle a broad range of issues for our business clients, focusing our practice primarily on the following:

* Buy-sell agreements
* Employment contracts
* Business incorporation
* Business succession planning
* Mergers
* Non-exploitation agreements
* Dissolution and windup

Selecting the right structure for your business is important for a number of reasons, including asset protection and taxation. Laying the proper groundwork between co-owners can mean the difference between the easy resolution of future disputes and business destroying arguments. We handle all aspects of start-up for our clients including:

* Drafting and filing of secretary of state documents, including articles of incorporation and annual registrations
* Obtaining federal employer identification numbers (EIN)
* Serving as your registered agent (RA)
* Drafting of internal documents such as shareholder and option agreements
* Buy-sell and business sale agreements
* Drafting and reviewing other business documents such as sales contracts and leases

Contract Law =============================

One of the most common pitfalls for a business owner is a failure to follow laws pertaining to contracts. You have worked too hard to build your business to allow contract problems to derail your progress. We have the experience necessary to make sure your contracts are legal and up to date, insulating your business from penalties and legal actions.

James D. Perry is a Southern California lawyer who has committed 22 plus years to providing his clients with outstanding legal representation in Estate Planning, Probate, Elder Law and Trust and Estate Administration at a reasonable rate and cost.


Because he takes the time to establish a special relationship with his clients, Jim Perry customizes his approach on an individual client’s needs and goals.


He is available, accessible, easy to talk to and comfortable to work with on the personal and often emotional issues of estate planning, wills, living trusts, probate and elder law.

Susan Alexander Myers holds a J.D., M.P.A. and an advanced law degree in Taxation (LL.M). She has practiced law in Texas and California for 10 years. Susan is a passionate advocate for seniors and their families and dedicates her practice to issues that arise from the aging process, including plannning for long-term care, Medi-Cal planning, estate planning, nursing home issues, public benefits, and conservatorships. Susan is also an experienced estate and trust litigator. When you have a legal problem, choose an attorney who will represent you with Compassion, Care and Commitment.

My practice focuses on working with individuals and small businesses to create estate and business plans that address the client's concerns and needs.

Mr. Vlasak focuses his practice on civil litigation for plaintiffs, including habitability and wrongful eviction suits for tenants, as well as consumer, employment and personal injury actions. Mr. Vlasak earned his Juris Doctor degree from Temple University Law School in Philadelphia, where he was Staff Editor of Temple International and Comparative Law Journal.

Prior to his career as an attorney, Mr. Vlasak was an Adjunct Professor and taught courses including philosophy, ethics, and logic.

Please see the Camp Rousseau Montgomery, LLP web site at www.crmlegal.net/pc/

California Attorney since 1977. Admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and various Federal District Courts. Notary Public.

Certified legal specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization.

Partner in KIMBALL, TIREY & ST. JOHN, specializing in trust and probate matters and probate litigation. Additional experience in elder law and financial abuse issues, long term care planning, and Special Needs Trusts for persons receiving government assistance. Significant experience with nonprofit organizations and small businesses, including succession planning.

Certified - Pepperdine University - Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution

Tim Hoffman is a pioneering California attorney with a storied, 45-year legal career, during which he has helped recover more than $1 billion for his worthy clients. Mr. Hoffman has successfully tried dozens of matters to verdict, specializing in complex civil cases, and has litigated over 200 arbitrations. He has practiced in Oakland, CA, since 1971, and was most recently selected for inclusion in 2009 Northern California Super Lawyers.

Since the mid-1990's, Mr. Hoffman has been a leader among plaintiffs' employment lawyers, scoring huge victories for classes of thousands of employees at Pacific Bell (who recovered $36 million), Macy's, Starbucks, and many other Fortune 500 companies. In overtime class actions, Mr. Hoffman has represented misclassified assistant managers, stockbrokers, truck drivers, and reservation clerks, among many other categories of employees. Among employees forced to work off-the-clock, Mr. Hoffman has represented classes of handymen, janitors, bike and driver messengers, and others. Mr. Hoffman has represented victims of sexual harassment and numerous other forms of discrimination.

Mr. Hoffman has also specialized in consumer protection cases, including, for example, class actions against credit card companies, and a current case against termite-protection providers Orkin and Terminex, who misrepresent the nature of their services and provide false guarantees to customers.

Other current cases on which Mr. Hoffman is working include: Mevorah v. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, regarding misclassified loan officers denied overtime; Chu v. Wells Fargo, regarding misclassified stockbrokers denied overtime; and Contreras v. Bank of America, regarding misclassified personal bankers denied overtime.

Mr. Hoffman's best known cases, the Continental Can class actions, alone recovered nearly half a billion dollars from the company after a four-month trial. The company had been discriminating against employees based upon their pension benefits, a practice prohibited under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). In that case, the company was shutting down plants based upon how many employees in each location would soon vest their full pensions, laying off wholesale any employees whose benefits were about to vest.

Among Mr. Hoffman's favorite career moments were: having lunch with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Alabama when Mr. Hoffman was a member of the Law Students Civil Rights Research Council; defending famed 60's radical Abbie Hoffman in a free speech case; preceding current President Barack Obama as a Chicago community organizer and attorney in Chicago Legal Aid; introducing Cesar Chavez at a banquet for the National Hispanic University, where Mr. Hoffman served as General Counsel and a founding member of the Board of Trustees; successfully settling his own whistleblower retaliation case, after he (as a then-Presidential appointee) reported a federal government manager's improprieties; serving as President of his American Federation of Government Employees Union Local, and a member of the San Francisco Labor Council, and representing the Communication Workers of America Local for the last 38 years; volunteering on the Board of Visitors to College of Arts & Sciences at Howard University; and, playing craps with Thurgood Marshall in Puerto Rico.

Mr. Hoffman is a native of Chicago, IL, an alumnus of the University of Illinois (in Champagne, IL), a former President of Oakland's Beth Jacob Congregation, and former Board member of the Anti-Defamation League.

He has been practicing law with Arthur Lazear for more than 30 years, is married, and has four children.

John is committed to providing personalized estate planning services in a highly ethical, professional, solution oriented, and cost effective manner. In addition to providing timely and high quality legal services, he is committed to educating the community about important estate planning issues through public seminars.
Mr. Laughton also has a legal background in business and real estate matters and was appointed to the City of Del Rey Oaks Planning Commission and served between 1985 and 1992. He served in the U.S. Army, including a tour of Vietnam in 1971-1972. Mr. Laughton was born in Carmel, CA and raised on the Monterey Peninsula, CA.