YEAR: 2013 2012, 2011
 May 10, 2013. Patrick Prendiville of the Prendiville Insurance Agency and Adrian Adams spoke on the impact of the
Trayvon Martin shooting on homeowner association security,
insurance and volunteer liability issues. The presentation included:
• Implied security
• Levels of security
• Using volunteers
• Board liability
• Limits of insurance coverage
• When safeguards fail The
program was sponsored by the Coachella Valley Chapter of CAI.
NEW CLIENTS IN APRIL
Starlight Mesa HOA
Meridian Condo Owners Association
Ocean Palms HOA
Espana Owners Association
 April 30, 2013. The Hon. Larry Stirling (ret.) and Adrian Adams were the keynote speakers at Keystone Pacific's annual board member event. The topic was the "Rewrite of the Davis-Stirling Act." Keystone did a terrific job putting on the event and had ~170 attendees.
 April 1, 2013. Attorney Jasmine Fisher's article "What Is a Capital Improvement?" was published in the CACM Law Journal. Her article addresses the proper way to view capital improvements in the context of homeowner associations vs tax filings. She also discusses special assessments for improvements and membership approval.
NEW CLIENTS IN MARCH
Verdugo Hills Landscape
Desert Willows HOA
Village of San Miguel HOA
Marigold North
Moulton Parkway Residents' Assn.
Riverwalk Townhomes HOA
Lake Forest Building OA
Garry Plaza Office Park
Waterside North of Lakepointe
 March 2013. The Channel Islands Chapter of CAI published "Everything You Were Afraid to Ask About Rental Restrictions" by attorney Azadeh Saghian.
The article discusses the negative impact of high rental populations in common interest developments. She then describes the different types of rental restrictions that can be adopted by associations and their impact.
 March 25, 2013. Adams Kessler PLC is pleased to announce the addition of Senior Attorney Wayne D. Louvier to the firm.
Mr. Louvier brings with him over 30 years of legal experience, twenty-five years of that experience was in business litigation, commercial insurance defense and maritime law. His diverse experience includes serving as the trial attorney in Crestmar Owners Assn. vs. Stapakis (2008) 157 Cal.App.4th 1223.
Wayne compliments our team of attorneys and will further enhance the exceptional legal services the firm provides its clients. If your association would like a proposal for legal services, contact us at info@davis-stirling.com or 800-464-2817.
 March 21, 2013. Adrian Adams participated in Community Property Management's 4th Annual Open House. He spoke on the rewrite of the Davis-Stirling Act and the impact it will have on community associations throughout the state. Karen Conlon, President and CEO of the California Association of Community Manager spoke on manager certification. Randy West, an HOA Board President talked about how to create goodwill with members through positive communication, conducting meetings and rules enforcement.
 March 1, 2013. The Los Angeles Chapter of CAI published "Help! My Neighbor is Driving Me Crazy" by attorney Jasmine Fisher. The article provides an overview of neighbor-to-Neighbor disputes and how best for associations to handle these sometimes emotional and difficult disputes.
 February 1, 2013. Attorney Paul Ablon joined Adams Kessler PLC.
Paul is a graduate of UCLA where he was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Gamma Mu honor societies and graduated summa cum laude.
Paul was then accepted into U.C. Berkeley's Boalt Hall where he earned
his Juris Doctorate and graduated "Order of the Coif," an honorary
scholastic society that recognizes excellence in legal education.
Paul has significant
experience in appellate work, including the briefing and arguing of Calder v. Jones before the United States Supreme Court. Paul
taught Appellate Advocacy at Loyola Law School and later became Senior
Research Attorney at the California Court of Appeal where over two dozen
of his opinions were published. Paul will be in charge of
appellate work for Adams Kessler.
NEW CLIENTS IN FEBRUARY
Armour Lane
656 West Knoll
Piedmont Oaks OA
Canyon Point Maintenance Assn.
Kentwood OA
Heritage/San Lorenzo
Hidden Canyon HOA
Merry Mountain OA
Verdugo Hills Landscape
 March 15, 2013. Adrian Adams participated in Monarch Management's 17th Annual Directors Seminar entitled "Law and Order." Other participants will include Sgt. Brad Farwell, Ron Green, Wayne Guralnick, Mary Howell, Stephen Kirkland, James McCormick, Peggy Redmon, Steven Roseman, and Gen Wangler. The
event was held on at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa
in Rancho Mirage.
 February 2012. Adams Kessler PLC is growing. We are expanding our team of talented attorneys in our Los Angeles office. The ideal candidate will have 5-10 years' experience in community association or real estate law. Litigation experience is a plus. We place a high value on writing skills and the ability to interact with people. Please contact Adrian Adams by email or at 310-945-0280.
NEW CLIENTS IN JANUARY
Desert Island Community Assn.
1322 Detroit Street HOA
Crystal Falls Assn.
Mammoth Ski & Racquet
Wynola Estates HOA
Park Imperial HOA
Vista Del Campo HOA
Berryman HOA
Palos Verdes Bay Club
Parkview Estates CA
Springside Circle
Carriage Place HOA
 1-30-13, Adrian Adams participated in
Desert Resort Management's annual "Board Member Event" at the Agua Caliente
Casino Resort in Rancho Mirage. Speakers included Larry Pothast, a
nationally recognized expert in CID management, Esmael Adibi, a widely
respected economic analyst and adviser, and County Supervisor John
Benoit. See more about the speakers.
 2-1-13. To better serve our growing Orange County client base, we are pleased to announce the opening of a new office located at:
18101 Von Karman Ave.
Suite 330
Irvine, CA 92612
 The Inland Empire Chapter of CAI published "Case Law Wrap-Up" by attorney Jasmine Fisher. The article summarized the significant court cases for 2012 affecting homeowners associations in California.
ADAMS KESSLER PLC is a law firm
specializing in community associations
throughout California.
We offer a full range of services such as:
- ADA, DEFH, HUD Compliance
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Architectural Standards
- CC&R & Bylaw Amendments
- Contracts
- Elections & Recalls
- Employment Law
- Legal Opinions
- Litigation
- Maintenance & Mold
- Restraining Orders
- Rules Enforcement
- 55+ Community Compliance
We serve the following common interest developments:
- Master Planned
- Highrise
- Commercial Condos
- Beach Communities
- Mixed Use Developments
- Golf and Country Club Associations
- Resort Communities
- Planned Unit Developments
- Stock Cooperatives
- Office Condominiums
- Lake Associations
- Equestrian Associations
- Senior Housing Communities
- Mobile Home Park Associations
- Business Park Associations
- Community Apartments
- Property Owner Associations
Unlike other firms whose main practice
areas include personal injury, family and entertainment law with a small
homeowner association practice, we specialize in community association
law. We are not distracted by nor are our energies diverted into
unrelated areas of the law.
We stay current on all matters affecting the industry and alert our clients about significant trends and changes in the law.
Legal solutions through knowledge,
insight and experience.
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LARRY STIRLING
 Legislator-Author. While serving in the California Legislature, then Assembly Member Larry Stirling authored the Davis-Stirling Act that now governs all common interest developments in California. See Larry Stirling Interview
Judicial & Public Service. Larry Stirling has a history of distinguished service in the public sector. After serving four terms in the Assembly, his record of achievement led to his election to the State Senate. Mr. Stirling's contribution in the Senate was followed by an appointment as a judge. During his tenure on the bench, Judge Stirling presided over thousands of cases, both civil and criminal. As a result of his efforts on behalf of Court unification, Judge Stirling was commended by various state/local bar associations and, upon his retirement from the bench, by the California Judges Association.
Dispute Resolution. Recognizing the need for dispute resolution in the community association industry, Mr. Stirling now serves as a mediator of association disputes through Davis-Stirling Mediation Services. See bio.
ADRIAN ADAMS
 Adrian Adams is managing director of Adams Kessler PLC, a law firm with a state-wide practice representing residential and commercial associations as well as resort and retirement communities. In addition, his firm provides mediation services to community associations under the direction of the retired judge Larry Stirling, the firm’s senior counsel and author of the Davis-Stirling Act.
Adviser. Adrian taught "Association Management and Law" for 10 years through UCLA Extension and is a legal adviser on condominium law and smoke-free housing issues to the Technical Assistance Legal Center, a project of the Public Health Institute. He also serves as an expert witness on standards of care involving association boards and managers and is the creator of the award winning website Davis-Stirling.com, a popular online resource for community associations. See bio.
GARY KESSLER
 Gary Kessler received his bachelor's degree from the
University of California, Berkeley, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
In 1980 he received a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University School
of Law, where he was selected to serve on the Board of Editors of the
Loyola Law Review.
Davis-Stirling Rewrite. Gary served on the State Bar’s working
group on the simplification of the Davis-Stirling Act. Gary was named to the national Community Association
Institute’s Amicus Committee, which reviews appellate cases across the
United States relating to homeowner associations.
Gary enjoys analyzing and writing about complex legal issues. Judicial opinions in seven of his appellate cases have
been certified for publication by the California Court of Appeal. See bio.
PAUL ABLON
Paul is in charge of
appellate work for the firm. Paul
taught Appellate Advocacy at Loyola Law School and later became Senior
Research Attorney at the California Court of Appeal where over two dozen
of his opinions were published.
Experience. In
private practice Paul Ablon handled real estate and business
litigation, contract disputes, business torts, defamation, fraud and
homeowners association disputes. Paul was also involved in a significant
amount of appellate work, including the briefing and arguing of Calder v. Jones before the United States Supreme Court in which his client prevailed.
Education. Paul is a graduate of UCLA where he was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Gamma Mu honor societies and graduated summa cum laude.
Paul was then accepted into U.C. Berkeley's Boalt Hall where he earned
his Juris Doctorate and graduated "Order of the Coif," an honorary
scholastic society that recognizes excellence in legal education.
AIDE ONTIEVEROS
 Aide Ontiveros is head of litigation for Adams Kessler. Prior to joining our firm, Aide practiced law with one of the largest insurance defense firms in the country. Being immersed in litigation, Aide gained broad experience in all aspects of litigation and trial advocacy.
International Clients. Because of her litigation skills and fluency in Spanish, Aide has served as counsel for several international clients and was the Los Angeles liaison for the Latin American Practice Group at her prior firm.
Education. Aide is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in History, Cum Laude. She also earned her Juris Doctorate at the UCLA School of Law. Aide is admitted to practice in California as well as the U.S. District Courts of California. See bio.
WAYNE LOUVIER
 Prior to joining Adams Kessler, Wayne legal practice focused on common
interest development law.
Legal Background. Wayne is an
experienced community association attorney. His experience, however, is
much broader than CID law. Wayne accumulated
twenty-five years of valuable experience in business litigation,
commercial
insurance defense and maritime law.
Association Law.
Wayne now advises boards of directors on all transactional and
litigation matters related to commercial and residential common interest
developments. This includes drafting and amending documents, contract
disputes, employment law issues, FEHA and ADA obligations, rules
enforcement, collection of assessments as well as litigation arising out
of any association disputes. Wayne has solid trial experience
including, among other cases, serving as the trial attorney in Crestmar Owners Assn. vs. Stapakis
(2008) 157 Cal.App.4th 1223.
Education. Mr. Louvier is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine where
he earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Economics. He then went on to
earn a Juris Doctorate from Western State University College of Law and
is admitted to practice in California as well as the United States
District Court for the Central District of California.
JASMINE FISHER
 Jasmine
M. Fisher has a strong background representing common interest
developments, including large condominium projects, planned unit
developments, and mixed-use and high-rise developments in the capacity
of both general and litigation counsel.
Developer Experience. Jasmine previously served as corporate
counsel to Phillips Group USA, a California-based real estate developer
with residential and hotel projects throughout the West Coast and Latin
America. She helped implement associations and their CC&Rs; drafted
project operating agreements; managed and coordinated the company’s
legal interests in its development projects; facilitated and oversaw
entitlements, land use and zoning approvals with local governments; and
assisted in project financing and acquisitions.
Education. Ms. Fisher has a bachelor’s degree from Baylor
University in Waco, Texas, with a double major in political science and
communications (rhetoric) and a minor in history. She earned her Juris
Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu,
California, and also received a certificate in entrepreneurship and the
law from the Palmer Center for Entrepreneurship and the Law. See bio.
KAREN JACOBS
 Prior to joining Adams Kessler, Karen practiced as a trial attorney with the largest in-house insurance defense firm in Southern California.
Education. Karen earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from California State University, Northridge. She then earned a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School. While in law school, Karen was a volunteer member of the Loyola Cancer Legal Research Center, assisting hundreds of people in obtaining free legal advice regarding health, housing, family, and child protection issues.
Language. Karen is fluent in Hebrew and Farsi and conversant in Spanish. See bio.
TINA CHU
 Prior to joining Adams Kessler PLC, Tina practiced in a civil litigation firm where she developed her skills as a litigator.
Judicial Externships. While attending law school, Tina served as a judicial extern for the Honorable S. James Otero (United States District Court for the Central District of California) and for the Honorable Sheri Bluebond and Erithe A. Smith (United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California).
Education. Tina is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government. She then earned a Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law. Tina is admitted to practice in the State of California as well as the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Language. Tina is fluent in Mandarin-Chinese. See bio.
AZADEH SAGHIAN
 Azadeh "Azy" Saghian Azy specializes in amending and restating governing documents for all
forms of common interest developments including condominiums, PUDs,
highrises, retirement communities and the like.
Litigation Experience.
Prior to joining Adams Kessler PLC, Azy practiced in a civil litigation
firm. In this capacity, she attended court hearings, took and defended
depositions, propounded and responded to discovery, researched, wrote
and argued motions, and conducted pre-trial preparations.
Education. Azy received her
Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of
California, Los Angeles, Summa Cum Laude, UCLA College Honors, and Phi
Beta Kappa. She received her Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola Law
School. Azy is admitted to practice in the State of California as well
as the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Languages. In addition to English, Azy speaks Farsi, Spanish and Hebrew, and is learning Mandarin Chinese. See bio.
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Dear Ms. Fisher, Just wanted to thank you for your recent article in Quorum Magazine concerning conflicts between neighbors in an HOA. Your commentary couldn't have been more timely as we had recently encountered such a problem between two neighbors in our association. We were able to use your article as reference material for the two owners, which helped immensely. -Ray Hungerford, Manager, Palm Canyon Villas HOA
Kudos to
Adams Kessler for their team of amazing lawyers! I have had personal
experience with Karen Jacobs whom I found to be thoroughly
knowledgeable. She listened to me instead of acting as if I was an
intrusion in her day. I had great success with her in our dealings. If
the rest of the team is as personable and competent, I offer that the
women of AK are more than angels--dare I say it, they are GODDESSES.
-Anita Haeggstrom, President, Haven Gardens HOA
Karen Jacobs is a great attorney. Very professional and she certainly knows the law. She has given our HOA excellent advice. -Chris Spalding, President, Bernardo Heights 12 HOA
As a homeowner association Board Member for over 35 years, the
information and resources provided by Adrian personally, the Adams
Kessler Law Firm and the phenomenal Davis-Stirling.com website have
become an indispensable resource for myself and virtually thousands of HOA
volunteers throughout the State of California. I highly recommend
Adrian and his firm. -Richard S. Zizian JD, President, Grande North at Santa Fe Homeowner's Assn.
Throughout my years of portfolio and high rise general management I had
the honor of working with Adams Kessler on several legal cases. I was
very pleased with the service provided and with the knowledge of the
firms principals and would highly recommend this law firm. -Ron
Modaraei, Action Management
All of us at James Ernst Accounting are very pleased with the services
Adrian Adams' law firm, Adams Kessler PLC, provides through their
website "Davis-Stirling.com." The information is timely, accurate,
informative and humorous. I am pleased to be able to recommend his
services and his website to HOA professionals and service provider as
well as all members of the HOA community. -James Ernst, James Ernst Accounting
I have immense respect for Mr. Adams and his firm. Their
website is an incredible resource to us. I
truly appreciate the quality of work that comes from Mr. Adams and his
firm. I would recommend them to anyone. -Jeff Farnsworth, CCAM, Vice
President, Steward Property Services, Inc.
Adrian Adams is one of the top attorneys AWS has ever worked with in
the CID industry. I have known Adrian and his firm for over 15 years,
and have referred my clients to him for legal advice. I worked as an
expert witness on a construction defect case with Adrian and got first
hand knowledge of how hard Adrian works for his clients. We highly
recommend Adrian Adams and his law office. -Carl Brown, RCI, RRO,
General Manager,
AWS Consultants Inc.
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LOS ANGELES
2566 Overland Ave.
Suite 730
Los Angeles 90064
(corporate office)
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ORANGE COUNTY
18101 Von Karman
Suite 330
Irvine CA 92612
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PALM DESERT
77-564 Country Club
Suite 150
Palm Desert 92211 |
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RIVERSIDE
11801 Pierce Street
Suite 200
Riverside 90505
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SAN DIEGO
8880 Rio San Diego
Suite 800
San Diego 92108
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SAN FRANCISCO
225 Bush Street
Suite 1650
San Francisco 94104
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SACRAMENTO
770 "L" Street
Suite 950
Sacramento 95814
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 Winner of the “Silver
Award” from the International Academy of Visual Arts and the W³ Awards.
Congrats on the honors. They are well deserved! -Jim H.
 To load the award-winning Davis-Stirling Mobile App, click here.
 See Kudos and Awards for the Davis-Stirling website.
I'm really impressed with what you have done. Thank you. -Masud O.
Laura Whipple
is Director of Human Resources and Administration for Adams Kessler PLC. She manages the
day-to-day operations, accounting, bookkeeping, insurance and benefits,
and human resources for the firm.
Laura has a BA in European History and an Masters in Medieval and
Renaissance Studies. In addition Laura is a paralegal with a certificate in civil litigation.
 Nathalie Ross is
Director of Business Development. With over 25 years of experience in
the legal field, Nathalie oversees customer service for Adams Kessler
ensuring that our clients receive quality service from our law firm.
Nathalie received her California Paralegal Certification from
Barclay College in Cerritos, California. She then earned a Nevada Paralegal
Certification from UNLV. She has been an active
member of the Community Associations Institute since 1999 and served as
President of the Nevada Chapter of CAI and on various chapter committees throughout California.
 Carolyn Houtz
is a legal assistant at Adams Kessler. She works with our attorneys
handling legal filings, discovery and general litigation matters.
Carolyn is also outstanding when it comes to working with clients. They love working with her and aren't shy about saying so.
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