Contra Costa County Lawyers

Christian Pedersen was born in Seattle and raised in Solano County. He graduated in Brigham Young University majoring in finance, and then was admitted to Arizona State’s law school and MBA program. While in school, Mr. Pedersen earned a certificate in Law, Science, and Technology from the Sandra Day O’Connor school of law, and worked in a legal clinic that provided legal services to startup businesses. Mr. Pedersen focused on entrepreneurship and solar energy technology. Mr. Pedersen worked in the solar industry performing transactional legal work and business analytics. After drafting thousands of documents, Mr. Pedersen decided...

Rachel is an Attorney at Doyle Quane. She practices exclusively family law and specializes in high asset cases. Being admitted as an attorney in both Australia and California, Rachel can assist with both Australian and California family law matters.

Local Estate Elder Law Planning Attorney
Long term Pleasant Hill resident, Jeffrey Hall, didn’t follow the traditional path to the practice of law. Indeed, attorney Hall grew up in central Los Angeles, and in a time when there was no expectation that he would attend college; and law school was simply not an option. However, after completing his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Saint Mary’s College, he volunteered with the Air Force in 1981 and served for 9 years, both reserve and active. Upon returning to California, he and his wife made Pleasant Hill their home and have...

Joseph A. Motta was born and raised in the East Bay. He attended St. Mary’s College and graduated in 1984. He graduated from McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento in 1987. Joe’s legal career started as a Deputy District Attorney in Contra Costa County; from 1988 to 2004. There, he handled thousands of cases. He was a trial attorney on every team including Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Homicide. He supervised the Misdemeanor, Domestic Violence, and Sexual Assault Teams; as a supervisor, he maintained his own load of serious cases. As a deputy D.A., Joe prosecuted a number of high...

Thomas M. O'Connor is a founding partner of the firm and currently focuses his practice on Criminal Defense and Personal Injury. As a partner in OâConnor, Runckel & O'Malley LLP, Mr. O'Connor regularly litigates personal injury and wrongful death actions and defends clients in all misdemeanor and felony matters. Mr. O'Connor is a 5th generation San Francisco native and comes from a long line of distinguished attorneys. His grandfather and namesake, Thomas Martin O'Connor, held the office of City Attorney of San Francisco from 1961 until he retired in 1977. His great-grandfather, also Thomas Martin O'Connor, was...

For more than 30 years, Mike Appel has devoted his practice exclusively to personal injury and wrongful death cases. He represents clients throughout California, both in State and Federal courts. Born and raised in Redondo Beach, Mike attended St. Mary’s College of California, Moraga, California, where he majored in English. He was an editor of the college’s literary magazine, "The Phoenix." He also played rugby for the Gaels, and was a member of the team that went on the first annual rugby tour of the East Coast. Mike received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1970. At graduation he also received...

Joe Appel has specialized in personal injury cases for more than 30 years. He’s seen it, tried it, and won it, both in state and federal courts. Joe graduated from St. Mary’s College of California, Moraga, California in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He also played basketball for the Galloping Gaels for four years. At graduation Joe received the Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. He then attended and graduated from University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1979. Joe was admitted to the California and Federal Courts in the same year. He has been a member...

OLIVER GREENWOOD is the principal of the Law Offices of Oliver Greenwood in Pleasant Hill. He is the author of chapters 1, 4, 12, 16, and 17 in the CEB Guardianship Handbook. Mr. Greenwood received his B.A. degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and his J.D. from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. A frequent speaker regarding probate matters and a member of the Judicial Council's Probate & Mental Health Advisory Committee. Mr. Greenwood is also a contributing author to CEB's conservatorship and powers of attorney and health care directives books. Mr. Greenwood's areas of practice include conservatorships, guardianships,...

Specializing exclusively in criminal law, Joseph and this team of attorneys have represented thousands of criminal defendants facing serious felony charges. He has extensive experience defending MMJ collectives, cooperatives, cultivators, and caregivers facing criminal charges for helping patients. Joseph Tully has over fifteen years experience practicing criminal law in California and has been certified as a Criminal Law Specialist by the California Board of Legal Specialization. In addition, Mr. Tully has been recognized by The National Trial Lawyers as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer in both 2013 and 2014. From Shasta to Oakland to Los Angeles,...

A resident of Oakland, Len spent much of his legal career with prestigious, top-ranked, San Francisco law firms. Mr. Watkins brings the same level of expertise, and standard of excellence, to his practice in the East Bay. Focusing on consumer bankruptcy and business law, Mr. Watkins’ depth of experience and training include: A Masters of Business Administration, concentrating on finance, from the University of California, at Davis A stock brokerage license (inactive) from the National Association of Securities Dealers A California Real Estate Broker’s license Previous Experience Business Attorney Norris & Norris (now...

I am an estate planning and business law lawyer practicing in East Contra Costa County California. I take pride in providing value minded legal services to area families and businesses.

I am a former police officer and deputy district attorney in Contra Costa County. I received my Bachelor's Degree from California State University Sacramento and a Juris Doctor from John F. Kennedy University, School of Law. As principal attorney of this firm, I guide the firm’s staff and manage major cases and matters on behalf of individual and business clients. I have tried numerous cases to verdict and have appeared before the California Court of Appeal, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal. Our firm practices real estate, labor and employment, and business litigation. Our firm also drafts wills, trust...

The Law Offices of Maria E. Crabtree is a full service, bi-lingual (SPANISH), family law firm dedicated to delivering personal, practical, and effective representation at an affordable cost. We are conveniently located in Walnut Creek, California, across the street from the BART station. Attorney Maria Crabtree received her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Communications from the University of California at Davis. She later returned to the University of California, Davis and earned her J.D. degree. As a sole practitioner, Ms. Crabtree is dedicated to helping families navigate through the complexities of the laws and policies...

Mr. Williams is the founder of The Williams Firm and has over 21 years of extensive experience in the areas of real estate, construction, business and corporate law. Mr. Williams' practice areas include all aspects of civil litigation and dispute resolution in all courts, government hearings, arbitrations and mediations in the areas of real estate, construction and business law. Mr. Williams also represents and advises clients in business transactions, corporate law, real property transactions, and trademark law. In real estate matters he has represented owners and developers of residential and commercial properties, including multi-million dollar properties, negotiated sales...

Attorney John Fetto was born in New York, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Philosophy from the University of California, Los Angeles. He then went on to earn his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Hastings, where he specialized in trial advocacy. Mr. Fetto is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California, the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, and the Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association. It did not take Attorney Fetto long to realize that his passion was personal injury law, and he has been representing clients for 26 years. During this time,...

Private Practice in real estate and business law for 40 years. Court and private mediator for 25 years. AV Rated and Northern California Super Lawyer.

Stephen offers experienced business and legal counseling to individuals and corporations throughout the Bay Area, including: (1) Business litigation and dispute resolution services involving misappropriation of trade secrets, non-compete/solicitation agreements, mechanics lien and payment bond claims, commercial leases, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent misrepresentation and unfair, unlawful or fraudulent business practices (Bus. & Prof. C. sec. 17200); (2) Construction contracting; (3) Intellectual Property licensing and distribution; and (4) E-commerce, website terms of use, privacy policies and data protection and security.

Mr. Poulin is experienced in the areas of real estate, business, and construction litigation. He has trial experience in both state and Federal court, and has experience in all aspects of dispute resolution. Mr. Poulin has successfully represented clients in broker disputes, foreclosures, neighbor disputes, title insurance coverage, fraud, breach of contract, breach of lease and landlord-tenant issues. Real estate issues include construction defect cases, damages on behalf of contractors, subcontractors, architects and engineers in mechanic's liens, stop notice, payment and performance bond actions. Prior to joining The Williams Firm, Mr. Poulin was an associate at the law...

In my early years as a financial planner, I realized that estate planning was an often-overlooked area of planning not only by clients but by their financial advisors. The reason I became an attorney was to help people make sure that their wishes are carried out during incapacity and after death. I had seen too many people impacted by the lack of estate planning or poor estate planning. I did not want to see the government or the courts take control of a person's property in a way that was not consistent with the person's wishes and intent. I am passionate...

Throughout her legal career, Vanessa has practiced exclusively in family law. With her legal training and knowledge, she provides compassion and advocacy for her clients. Vanessa’s experience working on a broad spectrum of family law matters include divorce, pre-divorce counseling and planning, premarital agreements, complex marital property issues, high conflict child custody disputes, child and spousal support issues and domestic violence prevention and defense. Vanessa protects her clients’ assets and the best interests of her clients and their children. She represents clients in public court and before private judicial officers. In addition, she serves as a consulting attorney for clients...

Colby combines aggressive advocacy and compassion to assist clients through difficult times. Dedicated to helping clients navigate through complex legal matters with integrity, Colby has a tough yet sensitive approach to divorce and family law. Common sense and tenacity are hallmarks of his advocacy. Colby is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, where he earned a B.A. in Rhetoric, with a minor in Celtic Studies, and a J.D. from the University of San Francisco (USF) School of Law, where he was the Student Commencement Speaker at his law school graduation, the Co-Chair of the USF Public...

The Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. are uniquely qualified in tax. Is the IRS breathing down your neck and sending you intimidating notices and telephone calls? Are you having tax problems? Is the IRS filing liens, garnishing your wages, levying assets, and devastating your financial and personal life? IRS tax debts require immediate action. Don’t put off dealing with tax debts; inaction could be very expensive. Instead, consider professional IRS help. The Law Offices of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. are uniquely qualified in tax, probate, trust, and business law. We can provide responsive, proactive...

We are dedicated to the practice of Immigration and Naturalization Law exclusively, serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Te: 925-407-2149 Services include: Family immigration law: marriage and fiance visas, family petitions, waivers of unlawful presence, green cards. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Original Applications and Renewals) Business Immigration law: visas to work and/or invest (HB, TN, E investor visas, employment-based green cards. Visas for athletes and entertainers. LGBT Immigration law: visas and petitions for same sex couples. Citizenship and Naturalization. Languages: English, Spanish Marcela Knaup is a bilingual Spanish-English attorney. www.knauplegal.com Marcela@knauplegal.com Te: ...

Mr. Luna holds Bachelor of Science degrees in both Management and Marketing from San Francisco State University and went to the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, where he graduated with honors and was appointed a member of the Traynor Honor Society. In addition, Mr. Luna received a coveted Witkin Award for studies conducted in International Banking.

After graduating from law school, Mr. Luna worked in a boutique civil litigation and general practice firm in Fresno, CA and then went on to work with a couple of different Workers' Compensation firms in the Bay Area (doing both applicants and...

For 38 years has represented catastrophically injured persons throughout Northern California. Workers' compensation, industrial accidents, death claims, orthopedic injuries, amputations, CRPS, TBI, PTSD. The Goforth & Lucas Law Partnership helps injured workers level the playing field against insurance carriers and their army of lawyers.

I have been practicing all aspects of employment law for more than 20 years, including representation of both employers and employees. I assist with all types of employment contracts, wage and hour issues, employment discrimination issues including sexual harassment, employee manuals, workplace safety, wrongful termination, discipline issues, and so on. And when a lawsuit cannot be avoided, I will also handle your litigation needs.

MANJULA MARTIN is a criminal defense attorney at Lamano Law Office. Prior to her work with LLO, she clerked for the San Francisco District Attorney’s office where she worked on domestic violence cases, sexual assault crimes, and felony preliminary hearings. She received the Cali Excellence Award for Criminal Litigation in 2008 and helped draft a presentation that was used at an international conference on identifying and combatting Human Trafficking. It was during this tenure that she realized that her true passion in helping people.

Ms. Martin went on to represent low-income women seeking to leave abusive situations in...

I serve personal injury clients throughout the entire East Bay from my offices in Danville and Pleasanton. I know how devastating an injury can be. Aside from physical pain, it can also accompany financial hardship, a complete change of lifestyle and livelihood, family duress and more. I understand the full scope of what an injury can bring and has dedicated his life to helping those who through no fault of their own suffer at the negligence of others. I am a strong advocate for your rights and has fought hard for over 20 years to make our communities a...

Melanie is a fierce advocate of those whose legally protected rights have been violated, especially as it relates to violations in the workplace and the service industry as a result of Covid-19 policies. She has teamed up with a network of gifted California attorneys to combine efforts in the fight to sustain our constitutional rights in the wake of the pandemic. While on a different life and career path, fate stepped in and the legal profession found Melanie. After overcoming her own legal challenges, largely due to an attorney's advocacy, she felt called to become a lawyer herself. Her experience as...

I am a founding partner of Gale, Angelo, Johnson & Patrick P.C., and practice in the areas of bankruptcy and consumer litigation. In bankruptcy, I represent both consumer debtors and businesses in chapter 7, 11, and 13 matters. In consumer litigation, I represent consumers in litigation under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Telephone Consumer Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and the Rosenthal Act and has handled cases in those areas before both state and federal courts. I also have experience with appeals, having worked on cases before the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel and the Ninth Circuit Court...

Eric Farber is the Founder of Pacific Workers, the Lawyers for Injured Workers. We represent injured workers in their fight for justice against the insurance companies. With a solid team of well trained, caring and compassionate professionals, it is easy to see why Pacific Workers has garnered numerous awards and accolades but more importantly, over 250 five star reviews from clients.

Amy's approach to estate planning is to focus on each client's unique needs and objectives. She strives to design a comprehensive plan for her clients that provides the maximum protection without compromise. Her broad experience enables her to provide keen insight for her clients. She is deeply commitment to her clients and the ethical standards of her profession. Amy has lived in Brentwood since 2001 with her husband and two daughters. She is a Director for the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce and in her free time, enjoys yoga, reading and golf.

The Law Office of Glicel Sumagaysay handles employment matters as follows: *Federal employee, public entity employee, and private employee representation in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC"), federal court, Department of Fair Housing and Employment (“DFEH”), and state courts; *Claims include wrongful termination; retaliation; discrimination on the basis of disability, race, gender, and other protected statuses; *wage and hour matters with the Department of Labor Standards and Enforcement (“DLSE”) and courts; *small business employer compliance with California and federal law.

Before merging her law office with Tammy J. Mercado’s, Mary Whipple opened her own law practice in the summer of 2008. Prior to that Mary was an associate attorney at the Law Office of Cummins & Holmes, a full-service civil litigation law firm in San Ramon. The majority of her experience is in family law, which includes divorce, custody, support, prenuptial agreements, and domestic-violence restraining orders. Mary has also represented clients in a variety of non-family-law cases, including juvenile dependency, probate, breach of contract, and employment disputes, to name a few. Previously, Mary worked as a contract attorney for O’Melveny...

Tammy J. Mercado has a passion for helping her clients achieve their desired result. She listens and she personally responds to your text, email, or phone call promptly. She offers real solutions to your legal matters. Tammy will carefully evaluate the legal issues in your case, provide you sound advice, and offer you the pros and cons of each possible scenario so you can meet your legal objectives. She encourages clients to participate in their own matters. Tammy believes that client participation is key to a positive result and to keep attorney fees as low as possible. You can be...

Hi! I'm Scott M. Johnson and I am founding Partner of Gale, Angelo, Johnson & Patrick PC. I graduated Cum Laude from the University of California, Los Angeles with a major in American Literature, then attended Santa Clara University Law School and graduated Cum Laude. Prior to starting Gale, Angelo, Johnson & Patrick, P.C., I worked for a consumer bankruptcy law firm assisting debtors. I have represented hundreds of Debtors in Chapter 7, 11 and 13 bankruptcy cases throughout Northern California, successfully helping them to discharge the burdensome debt, keep their homes, and restore their credit. Scott also represents consumers in...

Michael J. Young is an Estate, Probate and Asset Protection Attorney in Walnut Creek, CA. Mr. Young helps his clients plan for not only "What Happens if You Die", but for "What Happens If You Don't Die And Become Ill and Need Care." He helps his clients in the design of their estate plans, to protect their assets for their senior care and to also provide a legacy for their loved ones.

Mr. Young, who has been in practice for over forty years, gives workshops every month in Walnut Creek on basic estate planning and advanced estate planning. The basic...

Anne M. Whatley has been practicing family law for over 20 years, and has experience in all aspects, including divorce, custody, support, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, domestic violence, and any other family law issue.