Estate Planning and Probate Section – “Dad died, Mom is sick, and I am the Trustee – Now What?” – May 12
Estate Planning and Probate Section – “Dad died, Mom is sick, and I am the Trustee – Now What?”
Thursday, May 12, 2022
12:00-1:15 p.m.
Via Zoom
It is common to hear the following story in our practice – Mom and dad have been married for decades. Mom’s memory has been getting a lot worse over the years, but I didn’t know how bad things were until Dad died. Dad did everything for her. Mom doesn’t know any of the accounts, passwords, or where the estate documents were. Dad did his best, but he had a lot on his hands caring for Mom. Now I am left as Trustee of their Revocable Trust and trying to take over Mom’s care. She can’t even be left alone for a few hours. What do I do?
Please join the Estate Planning and Probate Section on Thursday, May 12, 2022 where the speaker Elijah Keyes will cover the basic steps to administer a joint revocable trust after the first spouse’s death and key steps to protect the adult child trustee as she takes over without the help of the surviving parent.
Elijah Keyes is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate law. He has more than 10 years experience in estate planning and trust work. With an office in Milpitas, he serves clients through the San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Keyes graduated from Golden Gate University School of Law.
Cost: Free for section members and $10 for non-section members
Consistent with our prior virtual presentations that have qualified for MCLE credit, all attendees must register online prior to the event. Online registration will close on the morning of the event.
Registration: Please log-in on the SMCBA website to register for this event. The Zoom invite and materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the day before and morning of the event.
Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the day and hour before the event. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event.
Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount. You will receive 1 hour of General Law MCLE credit for attending this event. The MCLE certificates will be made available in the week following the event.
Legal Aid Society – 25th Annual ‘And Justice for All’ Luncheon – May 13
Legal Aid Society – 25th Annual ‘And Justice for All’ Luncheon
Friday, May 13, 2022
12:00-1:30 p.m.
Four Seasons Silicon Hotel
2050 University Ave.
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County invites you to join your colleagues in the fight for Social Justice For All! The 25th Annual ‘And Justice for All’ Luncheon will be held on Friday, May 13, 2022 at the Four Seasons Silicon Valley Hotel.
To become a 2022 Legal Aid SMC Event Sponsor, download and return the form no later than March 22, 2022. To learn more, contact Gwen Barrett, Director of Development & Communications, at gbarrett@legalaidsmc.org or by phone at 650.558.0915
For more information, please visit the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County’s calendar of events at https://www.legalaidsmc.org/events.
Cost: See the attached form to learn more about the cost.
Registration: Click here to register
Family Law Section – Co-Mediation with a Neutral Financial – May 13
Family Law Section – Co-Mediation with a Neutral Financial
Friday, May 13, 2022
12:00-1:30 p.m.
Via Zoom
Please join the Family Law Section on Friday, May 13, 2022 for a presentation by Gretchen M. Wallacker and Karen D. Sparks on co-mediating with a financial neutral. This presentation will cover the benefits that come with adding structure and support to a mediation with a financial neutral. The presenters will discuss different process options for doing this and the pros and cons of each option, the range of tasks and input a neutral financial can accomplish/bring to the mediation table, and some case examples.
Gretchen M. Wallacker started her own mediation and consulting firm, Wallacker Mediation & Consulting P.C. in February 2022. She is a mediator, collaborative divorce attorney, consulting attorney for mediations, and handles premarital, postnuptial, and cohabitation agreements. She is a Certified Family Law Specialist (ACFLS) and a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). Gretchen also serves as a San Mateo County Volunteer Mediator, and she is the Past-President of the AAML Northern California Chapter
Karen D. Sparks, CDFA™, J.D. is the principal and owner of Divorce Financial Strategists™. In her capacity as a CDFA™, Ms. Sparks provides her clients with professional services as a trained and certified financial neutral expert with a unique blend of expertise in family law and the allocation of marital assets. Collaboration with the client includes asset analysis affecting child and spousal support, retirement benefits, investments, stock options, social security, real estate, tax implications of marital property trade off or buyout and many other areas of asset distribution including post-divorce matters.
You will receive 1 hour of General Law MCLE credit, including 1 hour of Family Law Legal Specialization credit, for attending this event. MCLE certificates will be made available in the week following the event.
Cost: $30 for Family Law Section members and $40 for non-section members.
Registration: Please log in on the SMCBA website to register for this event. If you wish to pay by check, please still register online first and send your check payable to SMCBA, to: 333 Bradford St., Ste. 200, Redwood City, CA 94063. Attn: Events. *Please note for which event you are paying and the name of the attendee*.
Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the day and hour before the event. Please note that you’ll need to be logged into a Zoom account to join the webinar. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event.
Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount.
Estate Planning and Probate Section – You Left Your Tab Open: Successfully Prosecuting Creditor’s Claims When Descendent Fails to Settle Up – May 19
Estate Planning and Probate Section – You Left Your Tab Open: Successfully Prosecuting Creditor’s Claims When Descendent Fails to Settle Up
Thursday, May 19, 2022
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
Please join the Estate Planning and Probate Section on Thursday, May 19, 2022 for a virtual presentation where our guest speakers Tomasene A. Knight and Kendal Fletcher of Sheppard Mullin will be discussing prosecuting and defending claims against trusts and estates and collecting on those claims post-judgment. The presentation will include a discussion of the interplay between the statute of limitations under CCP section 366.2, the strict creditor’s claim requirements under Probate Code sections 9000 et. seq., and other relevant statutes of limitation, potentially running through the procedures and deadlines for establishing a claim as a creditor (including where there is no probate estate open), and procedures for and pitfalls of collecting on the judgment from non-probate/trust assets.
Tomasene A. Knight’s practice focuses on disputes over trusts, estates, conservatorships and other fiduciary matters. She represents individuals, corporate trustees, private professional fiduciaries, and families through all aspects of trust and probate litigation, at both the trial court level and on appeal, including in will and trust contests, breach of fiduciary duty cases, accounting actions, judicial construction and modification of trusts, elder abuse actions, and contested conservatorship proceedings. She got her B.A. at California State University, Sacramento in 2007 and then got her J.D. and graduated magna cum laude from the University of San Francisco in 2013.
Kendal Fletcher’s practice focuses on private wealth and fiduciary litigation, including but not limited to: will and trust contests, trustee removal and surcharge actions, contested conservatorships, complex accounting disputes, financial elder abuse actions, judicial construction and modification of trusts, and related “civil” claims. She got her B.A. at the University California, Davis, in 2007 and then received her J.D. from the University of San Francisco in 2011.
Cost: $20 for members and $30 for nonmembers. You also get 1 hour of MCLE credit.
Consistent with our prior virtual presentations that have qualified for MCLE credit, all attendees must register online prior to the event. Online registration will close on the morning of the event.
Registration: Please log-in on the SMCBA website to register for this event. The Zoom invite and materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the day before and morning of the event. If you want to pay by check, still, please register online first and send your check payable to SMCBA and note your name and this event.
Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the day and hour before the event. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event.
Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount. You will receive 1 hour of General Law MCLE credit for attending this event. The MCLE certificates will be made available in the week following the event.
Barristers Section – What Keeps You Up All Night? A General Seminar for Business Owners – May 24
Barristers Section – What Keeps You Up All Night? A General Seminar for Business Owners
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
Please join the barristers section on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 for a virtual presentation by Chris Welton on how to help small business owners and solo practitioners identify and prioritize risks, employee benefits, exit planning and personal financial security needs.
Chris Welton is a Wealth Management Advisor & Managing Director, Silicon Valley office at Northwestern Mutual where he leads a team who work together with their clients to implement a financial plan that integrates risk management, wealth management, tax-efficient strategies, and estate planning. Chris earned an undergraduate degree in Political Science, Magna Cum Laude from Amherst College in Massachusetts, an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and holds both Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designations. He and his wife Rosa live in San Mateo and love to cook, hike and hold dinner parties with interesting people!
Cost: free for members and $10 for nonmembers. Plus 1 hour of MCLE credit!
Consistent with our prior virtual presentations that have qualified for MCLE credit, all attendees must register online prior to the event. Online registration will close on the morning of the event.
Registration: Please log-in on the SMCBA website to register for this event. The Zoom invite and materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the day before and morning of the event.
Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the day and hour before the event. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event.
Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount. You will receive 1 hour of General Law MCLE credit for attending this event. The MCLE certificates will be made available in the week following the event.
ADR Section – Writing Settlement Agreements: Tips and Traps for the Unwary – May 25
ADR Section – Writing Settlement Agreements: Tips and Traps for the Unwary
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
Please join the ADR Section on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 for a virtual presentation with Walter Shjeflo, who is a partner in Fox, Shjeflo & Babu of San Mateo. Walt will draw up his 45 years’ legal experience to provide tips on drafting Settlement Agreements that work, including settlement agreements in trust and estate and probate disputes, stipulated judgments arising from business litigation and settlement agreements arising out of mediation and arbitration settings.
Walter Shjeflo graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (B.S., 1974) and Hastings College of Law, University of California (J.D., 1977). He is admitted to practice in all state courts in California as well as the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. His practice emphasis includes estate planning, decedents’ estates, probate administration, trust administration, conservatorship, guardianship, elder law, business, bankruptcy and real estate matters. Mr. Walt also serves as an arbitrator, mediator and Judge Pro Tempore of the San Mateo County Superior Court.
Cost: Free for members of the ADR Section and $10 for non-section members.
Consistent with our prior virtual presentations that have qualified for MCLE credit, all attendees must register online prior to the event. Online registration will close on the morning of the event.
Registration: Please log in to the SMCBA website to register for this event. The Zoom invite and materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the day before and morning of the event.
Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the day and hour before the event. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event.
Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount. You will receive 1 hour of General Law MCLE credit for attending this event. The MCLE certificates will be made available in the week following the event.
Labor and Employment Section – Unions and Employment Law with Tom Lenz, Esq. – May 26
Labor and Employment Section – Unions and Employment Law with Tom Lenz, Esq.
Thursday, May 26, 2022
12:00-1:15 p.m.
Via Zoom
With a change in Administration, the National Labor Relations Board and the Agency’s new General Counsel will be looking at workplace issues with an eye toward expanding employee rights. Many areas have been targeted for litigation, as federal labor law rights are often expanded by litigation rather than rulemaking. Issues awaiting attention cover a vast range for all workplaces, whether or not employees are represented by a labor union. This session will help practitioners advising or representing clients on workplace issues to identify the potential rights, claims, and pitfalls at play, affecting workplace rules, employee communications, safety and other protest activity, employee misclassification, and beyond.
Our speaker, Thomas A. Lenz is a partner at Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, working from the Firm’s Pasadena, California office. For over 30 years he has advised employers across California, and elsewhere, on workplace issues. He leads the Firm’s labor relations practice. He began his career with NLRB in Los Angeles, where his fluency in Spanish was frequently put to use in the cases he handled. He is a past Chair and current Advisor of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the California Lawyers Association and an Adjunct Lecturer with the USC Gould School of Law. He frequently appears in print and broadcast media to provide commentary on workplace issues of the day.
Cost: $20 for section members and $30 for non-section members.
Consistent with our prior virtual presentations that have qualified for MCLE credit, all attendees must register online prior to the event. Online registration will close on the morning of the event.
Registration: Please log-in on the SMCBA website to register for this event. The Zoom invite and materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the day before and morning of the event. If you want to pay by check, still, please register online first and send your check payable to SMCBA and note your name and this event.
Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the day and hour before the event. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event.
Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount. You will receive 1 hour of General Law MCLE credit for attending this event. The MCLE certificates will be made available in the week following the event.
Estate Planning and Probate Section – Tips For Real Property Transfers to Beneficiaries After Prop 19 (Live Webinar) – April 21
Estate Planning and Probate Section – Tips For Real Property Transfers to Beneficiaries After Prop 19 (Live Webinar)
Thursday, April 21, 2022
12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
Please join the Estate Planning and Probate Section on Thursday, April 21, 2022 for a live webinar where speaker Brian Shetler will share tips on tools still available for advisors to help their clients effectively minimize increases in Prop 13 base-year values through tried and true methods. Tools that remain in place include the entity planning while tracking original co-ownership interest transfers, co-ownership planning for primary residences, and original transferor planning for joint tenancies. Despite Prop 19 essentially repealing the parent-child and grandparent-grandchild exclusions from reassessment, there are still some effective tools available to avoid reassessments with proper planning.
Brian Shetler is an attorney at Berliner Cohen in San Jose, CA. Mr. Shetler has 24 years of experience as a lawyer. He specializes in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Administration, Cross-Border Tax, Tax Law, and Probate, Trust, and Estate Litigation. He graduated from Golden Gate University School of Law with an LL.M in 1998 and a J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law.
Cost: $20 for members and $30 for nonmembers. You will also receive MCLE credit.
Consistent with our prior virtual presentations that have qualified for MCLE credit, all attendees must register online prior to the event. Online registration will close on the morning of the event.
Registration: Please log-in on the SMCBA website to register for this event. The Zoom invite and materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the day before and morning of the event.
Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the day and hour before the event. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event.
Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount. You will receive 1 hour of General Law MCLE credit for attending this event. The MCLE certificates will be made available in the week following the event.
Law Day 2022- April 29
Law Day 2022
Friday, April 29, 2022
12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
Cañada College
4200 Farm Hill Blvd.
Redwood City, CA 94061
Please join us on Friday, April 29, 2022 at Cañada College for our annual Law Day event. Law Day is a national day set aside to celebrate the rule of law. Law Day underscores how law and the legal process contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share. Law Day also provides an opportunity to recognize the role of courts in this democracy and the importance of jury service to maintaining the integrity of the courts. This year, our speakers are Judge Chinhayi Cadet, attorney Alyssa Daatio, and Supervising Social Worker Harpreet Samra.
The Honorable Chinhayi C. Cadet was appointed to the San Mateo County Superior Court bench by Governor Gavin Newsom on July 9, 2021 and was sworn in on July 30, 2021. From 2014 – 2021, she participated as a judge in the San Mateo County Mock Trial Competition. It always warmed her heart to see the students present and learn about our justice system. She was impressed by the skill and effort exhibited by the students, and is thrilled to have the opportunity to speak at Law Day 2022.
Alyssa Daatio graduated from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 2019, where she was awarded the 2019 Pursuit of Justice Award, given to a graduating student who has demonstrated a commitment to providing service to others in the pursuit of justice through legal experience, community and volunteer service, and service to the law school and other law students. Ms. Daatio graduated with a Certificate in Public Interest Law. She currently practices at Aaron, Riechert, Carpol & Riffle, APC in Redwood City.
Harpreet Samra is the Supervising Social Worker for the SMCBA’s Private Defender Program. She had previously worked in indigent defense in Santa Clara County and New Orleans for more than 8 years. When most people think of Social Workers, they see them as individuals who might work for child protection type services and/or provide mentorship to their clients. Yet, Social Workers add a side to Indigent Defense that has proven much needed and has provided a piece to holistic representation that is unique and unmatched.
Presentation of Mock Trial Awards
The high school students and teacher-advisors who participated in this year’s Mock Trial Competition will be honored guests.
San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association Scholarship Program Presentation
Each year, the San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association presents scholarship awards to three high school seniors who wish to pursue a career in the law or criminal justice careers at this event. This year, the program will award $7,500 to the top three candidates. The San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of justice, preservation of the jury system, and the protection of the rights of the consumers and injury victims.
Cost: $55 for members.
You may sponsor a student at $55 each or sponsor a team and receive 2 entry tickets at $500, and if you cannot make it, you can still sponsor a student at $55 each or a team at $400.
Registration: Please log-in on the SMCBA website to register for this event or complete the registration form and email back to events@smcba.org before April 22, 2022.
Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount.
Barristers Section – Financial Basics (Financial Planning 201) – April 26
Barristers Section – Financial Basics (Financial Planning 201)
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
Please join the Barristers Section on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 for an interactive 60-minute session with Chris Welton and his team to help answer all your questions and address your concerns. This is perfect for people who are feeling financially stressed because they’re worried about student debt and don’t have the time to manage their money properly, people who are overworked and need financial clarity, and people who wonder where all their money goes each month and they are unsure about their goals.
Cost: Free for members and $10 for nonmembers. You will also receive MCLE credit.
Consistent with our prior virtual presentations that have qualified for MCLE credit, all attendees must register online prior to the event. Online registration will close on the morning of the event.
Registration: Please log-in on the SMCBA website to register for this event. The Zoom invite and materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the day before and morning of the event.
Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the day and hour before the event. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event.
Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount. You will receive 1 hour of General Law MCLE credit for attending this event. The MCLE certificates will be made available in the week following the event.