BACKGROUND

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Richard is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles and Trinity Law School.  After graduating law school, Richard obtained a masters of laws (LL.M.), an advanced post-graduate degree, in estate planning and elder law from Western New England School of Law, the only school in the country combining estate planning and elder law with an emphasis in tax and business planning.

 

While at UCLA, Richard majored in History and minored in Philosophy and was a member of the American Parliamentary Debate Team.  Previously, Richard was an active participant in Model United Nations, an international student-run organization in which students from the most prestigious universities around the world  assume the role of delegates and compete for awards in "mock" United Nations (U.N.) committees.  Richard was highly rewarded in both programs.

Catching the "teaching bug" while at UCLA, Richard began his professional career as a primary school educator, but soon thereafter discovered that law was his true calling.  Richard attended Trinity Law School, a small religious private law school in Santa Ana, California where he was a top academic performer.  He passed the California Bar Exam, the most difficult in the nation, without taking a bar preparation course - a feat attempted (and accomplished) by less than 5% of bar takers. 

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LAW PRACTICE OVERVIEW

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Richard's law practice consists of three broad categories of legal services: estate planning , estate administration, and litigation.

 

On the estate planning side of his practice, Richard advises his clients on how to create specially-tailored estate plans which transfer property in the most efficient way to their heirs.  Efficiency means avoiding taxes, reducing in-fighting and tension among heirs, and providing clear instructions for the distribution of the client's legacy.  Richard's specialty is combining both his business and estate planning expertise in order to create streamlined and highly efficient business succession plans which give the client a complete understanding of what will happen with his or her property during life and after death.

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Estate Administration refers to probate and trust administration.  The term "administration" refers to the process of carrying-out the instructions contained in a trust or Will.  Assisting with administration will involve advising the trustee or executor on gathering, organizing, and valuing trust assets, and performing accountings and distribution.  Often, administration will also entail defending the trustee against challenges or petitions alleging violations of breach of fiduciary duty to the beneficiaries.

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Turning to the litigation side of the practice, Richard is a trial lawyer with robust litigation experience in California state and federal court in a broad range of areas including civil rights, breach of contract, fraud, real estate, landlord-tenant, employment, consumer rights, and intellectual property.  Richard's estate litigation practice focus's on trust contests, prosecuting and defending claims for breach of fiduciary duty, trust accountings, and removal proceedings.  Richard has successfully represented high-profile clients in complex multi-jurisdictional proceedings.  He is also a certified Mediator under the California Dispute Resolution Programs Act.

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As an advocate, Richard brings his broad subject matter expertise, creativity, and intelligence to achieve client goals.  He cares for his clients and is a courteous colleague who is enjoyed and appreciated by both friends and adversaries.

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SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

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A firm believer in education, Richard provides educational resources, seminars, and workshops touching on areas within the broader discipline of Estate Planning and Elder Law, for example, Probate, Revocable Living Trusts, Incapacity Planning, Retirement Benefits, Special Needs Planning, and Business Planning.

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Speaker, "How to Plan for Real Property, Especially in Light of Proposition 19", 

Hootman Senior Center, August 2022

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Speaker, "Probate Avoidance: the Basics",

Rim of the World Recreation and Park District Center - Twin Peaks Senior Center, February 2023

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Speaker, "Incapacity Planning Everyone Should Have"

Buena Park Senior Center, April 2024

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Speaker, "Revocable Living Trusts and Related Real Property Interests"

Buena Park Senior Center, May 2024

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Speaker, "Estate Planning for Mobile-Homes and other Personal Property"

Forrest Gardens Senior Community, June 2024

 

Speaker, "Revocable Living Trusts, from Soup to Nuts"

Bell Tower Regional Community Center, September 2024

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Speaker, "Estate Planning 101"

The Clubhouse, Lake Forest Civic Center October 2024

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Speaker, "What is a Revocable Living Trust"

Professional Exchange Network (RSM), October 2024

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Speaker, Estate Planning 101: Everything you Need to Know About Probate Administration,

Fountain Valley Senior Center, November 2024

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Speaker, "What is an Estate Plan and What Happens if You Don't Have One",

Bell Tower Regional Community Center, February 2025

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Speaker, "Everything you Need to Know About Estate Planning in 20 Minutes"

Big Bear Senior Center, April 2025​

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HOBBIES

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Richard is an amateur photographer and video editor.  He is an avid reader of nonfiction especially in the areas of biblical history, archaeology, and the study of the culture and migration of ancient peoples.

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