EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• University of California, Berkeley School of Law, J.D.
• University of California, Los Angeles, B.A. in Communication Studies, Certificate in Business Administration Specialization, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
• California State Bar, member
• California Lawyer’s Association, Trust and Estates Section, member
• Wealth Counsel, member

PERSONAL BACKGROUND 

I became a lawyer in 1995. Upon graduating from Berkeley Law, I joined a large international law firm as a general commercial litigator. I later moved to a L.A. based firm where I continued litigating, mostly in entertainment law matters. In 2007, the law firm I worked for was dissolved.  With two toddlers at the time, I decided it was an opportune moment to take a break from full-time practice, and spend more time with my family.

Over the next several years, I remained active in law by taking on part-time and independent contract work. While I continued working in business litigation, I also gained experience in probate litigation and estate planning, which I found to be quite interesting and fulfilling.  

In 2017, with my boys in their teens, I decided to hang my shingles and started my own estate planning practice. I was drawn to becoming an estate planner because, unlike the confrontational nature of litigation work, estate planning allows me to connect with clients in a more personal and compassionate way. The process of listening to clients and collaborating with them to organize their affairs and care for their families brings me personal and professional satisfaction. I was further inspired to become an estate planner after my father’s sudden death in 2009, followed by my mother’s passing in 2015. Through those difficult moments, I served as executor of my father’s estate and trustee of my mother’s trust. Those experiences allowed me to fully appreciate the value and importance of having an estate plan.

I have been a Los Angeles County resident virtually my entire life. The South Bay, where I live with my husband of over 20 years, our two teenage boys, and our rescue dog, Penny, has been home since 1995. In my spare time, I enjoy entertaining friends and family, playing tennis and keeping up with current events.  My family and I also love to travel and explore different cultures. In total, I have visited 29 countries on four continents, and I'm still counting!