About
Hi, I’m Michelle.
I help people protect what they’ve worked hard to build—so they can spend more time enjoying it.
I’ve been practicing law for nearly 30 years, and my philosophy is pretty simple: legal planning shouldn’t be intimidating, unnecessarily complicated, or take over your life.
My practice focuses on two areas I genuinely enjoy—California estate planning and federal trademark law.
They may seem like two very different areas of law, but to me, they have a lot in common.
Whether you’re creating an estate plan for your family or protecting the brand you’ve spent years building, it’s really about the same thing:
Protecting what matters to you.
And once we’ve handled the legal side?
Do more of what makes you happy.
Two Ways I Help You Protect What You've Built
PROTECT YOUR LEGACY
California Estate Planning
You built a life you love. Let's make sure it's protected.
Estate planning isn't really about documents. It's about making things easier for the people you love and making sure your wishes are actually carried out.
I help California individuals and families create practical estate plans designed around their actual lives—not a one-size-fits-all checklist.
And for families whose lives happen to include horses, ranch property, equine businesses or other animals, we can make sure those important pieces of your life are part of the conversation too.
Trusts • Wills • Powers of Attorney • Health Care Directives • Probate Avoidance • Special Needs Planning • Pet & Equine Planning
Spend less time worrying about someday. Do more living today.
PROTECT YOUR BRAND
Federal Trademark Law
You built a brand you're proud of. Let's make sure it's yours.
Your business name may be on your website, social media, signage, products and marketing—but that doesn't necessarily mean you have the exclusive right to use it.
I help entrepreneurs and businesses nationwide navigate the federal trademark process, from evaluating a potential brand name through registration and beyond.
I have a special interest in helping equine entrepreneurs and businesses protect their barn names, training programs, products, apparel, educational programs and other brands—but you definitely don't need to own a horse to work with me.
Trademark Searches • Federal Trademark Applications • Office Actions • Brand Protection Strategy • Trademark Maintenance
Spend less time worrying about copycats. Do more building your brand.
Legal Help That Fits Into Your Life
My practice is intentionally virtual.
I've worked virtually with clients for years because I don't believe getting good legal advice should require fighting traffic, sitting in a waiting room, or rearranging your entire day.
My California estate planning clients can work with me from throughout the state, while my federal trademark practice allows me to help entrepreneurs and businesses across the country.
We can meet from your home, your office—or even the barn.
But virtual doesn't mean impersonal.
You'll work with a real attorney who wants you to understand your options, feel comfortable asking questions, and know exactly what we're doing and why we're doing it.
No unnecessary legalese. No making things more complicated than they need to be.
Just practical legal guidance designed around you.
A Little More About Me
When I'm not helping clients protect their families, assets and brands, I believe in following the same advice I give through this practice:
Do more of what makes you happy.
For me, that means building a law practice that allows me to do work I enjoy while still having time for the people, places and things that make life good.
It's also one of the reasons I'm especially drawn to working with equine families and businesses. Horse people understand that sometimes your happy place isn't a place at all.
Sometimes it has four legs.
Whether we're protecting your family, your horses, your legacy or your brand, my goal is the same:
Protect what you've built. Then go enjoy it.
California Estate Planning | Federal Trademark Protection Nationwide
Ultimately, the interactions with our clients are not one-time transactions, but lasting relationships. The estate planning and trademark attorney often becomes viewed as the family attorney. The go to person when a legal question arises, because our services are not sought as a defense, but rather as a genuine desire to protect loved ones and our business assets. We encourage our clients to think of us as their situations in life change, and believe our firm culture reinforces our intention and goals and results in long lasting relationships with our clients.