- Corporate Law
- Business DisputesAs an experienced practitioner in business law, civil litigation, employment law, real estate law, estate planning, and probate, Bob has had the honor of serving the people of Concord, California, with their varied civil legal needs.
- Limited Liability CompaniesWe offer a great variety of services to our business clients. We form, maintain, and terminate corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships. We happily review the work of others and fill in any legal gaps.
- Construction Contracts
- Severance AgreementAn uninformed employee might give up important protections provided under the law. For example, an employee might accept his termination “for performance†even though he was fired shortly after reporting that his boss had been fudging the numbers. This employee might ask, should I sign a severance agreement in exchange for a month’s pay? What will happen to my stock options that have vested? Answering questions such as these without consulting an attorney might prove costly.
- Real Estate LitigationWe have and continue to litigate real estate disputes, including failed purchases and construction-defect or warranty claims. Many agreements and laws now limit how the dispute must be handled. Some require mediation before binding arbitration. Others permit action in the courts. While binding arbitration is often haled for its speed and limited cost, it has its downsides. Often the arbitrator’s decision cannot be challenged, even if it is legally or factually wrong. While the courts do not always correctly decide real estate disputes, there is the possibility that a higher court will correct the error. Whatever the forum, we can arbitrate or litigate real estate matters for our clients.
- Construction LitigationFor business clients, we prefer to review contracts before the deal is finalized. We are happy to read the whole thing or to interpret selected provisions that are of particular concern. We have helped with terms of sale and a wide variety of agreements like independent contractor arrangements, construction contracts, and leases. While it is often easier to advise the client not to make the deal, we will often engineer creative solutions that make the deal not only possible but advantageous.
- Real Estate TransactionsWe handle a wide array of real estate issues for our business and individual clients. In connection with real estate purchases or sales, we review their draft agreements and create custom instruments when necessary to meet the needs of each transaction. We recognize that the purchase of a house is likely the largest purchase most people make in their lifetimes, so we strive to assure while also pointing out the risks of the transaction. Though the stakes involved in a business purchase or sale of real property are often just as high for our business clients, the pertinent legal issues can be very different (like due diligence, environmental contamination, and zoning), and so is the advice we give to our business clients.
- Land Use and Zoning
- Personal InjuryOver the years, we have handled a wide variety of personal injury cases. Clients have been bitten by dogs, crushed by heavy machinery, or incapacitated after they fell on slick or uneven surfaces. Others were chemically burned by unsafe products, or hurt by negligent actors including their trusted doctors.
- Estate PlanningTrusts are not for everyone. For some, jointly titling assets will ensure that their family is taken care of after they’re gone. For others, a simple will can effectuate their desires. We will take a hard look at your current situation, with a sharp eye on the future, and recommend those estate planning tools documents you agree best meet your needs. We serve Concord, California, and the neighboring areas of Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill.
- WillsIf the decedent had a will or had no will but owned real property, you are probably looking at a formal probate. The probate process is lengthy, time-consuming, involves statutory fees (both for the representative and the attorney and possibly extraordinary fees), and is court-supervised. We have assisted hundreds of clients with simple and complicated probate proceedings over our law firm’s 40-year history. We have handled will contests and extremely complicated probate estates–one case took more than 12 years to successfully close.
- TrustsArranging the funeral or service should be a priority. While family members may be tempted to take property after the funeral, the loss of valuable items can complicate the process, whether it be a probate or trust administration. The lack of funds for the service and disposition of the loved one’s remains is nearly always an issue. Life insurance cannot generally be accessed without a death certificate, which often takes weeks to obtain. However, the law favors reimbursing the party who advanced funeral expenses.
- Power of AttorneyAs difficult as it is, it is important to gather everything that looks like a trust, will, deed, power of attorney, or advance health care directive. They may be in a file folder marked “Important—Do Not Destroy,†but it’s more likely that you will need to look through desks, file cabinets, and closets. During your search, look also for life insurance policies, bank statements, stock certificates, and pink slips for autos, boats, and other vehicles. Be careful. Be methodical. I have had clients who found valuable stock certificates in extremely odd places like taped under drawers and in envelopes combined with long-ago-paid bills.
- ProbateCreating an estate plan can be an emotional process, and we will guide you through each step and offer our advice based on our attorneys’ years of experience in estate planning and probate law. Whether you need documents drafted, such as a will, trust, powers of attorney, or advanced healthcare directive, or if you want to create a comprehensive plan to protect your assets, businesses, and children, we are here to help. We also handle the probate and trust administration process that follows after a loved one has passed. Contact our attorneys today to get started.