YEAR: 2015, 2014, 2013 2012, 2011
NEW CLIENTS IN NOV-DEC
Casa Grande
The Meridian Association
Villa Alvarado HOA
Coronado Townhouse HOA
Thumper #4 LLC
Canyon Lake Villas Assn.
Cresta Palos Verdes HOA
Clifton House Four-Plexes
Villa Prospect HOA
Villa Constance North
Gold Springs Townhomes
Beachgrove OA
Bixby Hill Community Assn.
Enclave Community Assn.
20th Street Harbor View Villas
4339 Freedom Drive
 12-14. Attorney Eric Freedman joined Adams Kessler PLC.
Prior Experience.
Prior to joining, Eric specialized in business and real estate law. He
had a full-service law practice providing litigation and transactional
legal services to high net worth individuals and middle market
corporations drafting and negotiating legal documents such as contracts,
lease and purchase agreements, promissory notes, representation
agreements and corporate formation documents.
He also managed
general and complex litigation including securities, entertainment,
contract, tort and intellectual property matters.
HOA Law.
As former president and
then treasurer of his own homeowners association, Eric brings first-hand
experience when counseling boards of directors. Because he is
intimately aware of the issues boards face, Eric has a practical
approach to problem solving.
In addition to drafting and amending governing
documents for HOAs throughout California, Eric works with large
condominium projects, planned unit developments, mixed-use and high-rise
developments in contract negotiations, land use and easement issues,
and corporate governance matters.
Litigation.
Eric's strong background in state and federal court litigation in
complex commercial matters, administrative proceedings, and alternative
dispute resolution forums gives him the experience he needs to steer
boards through contract disputes, rules enforcement, easement issues,
and FEHA and ADA obligations.
Education.
Eric earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of
California, Berkeley where he majored in Legal Studies and Political
Science and was on the Dean’s List for academic excellence. This was
followed by a Juris Doctorate with Distinction from the University of
Iowa College Of Law. Eric served on Law Review as a writer and articles
editor.
If your association needs a proposal for legal services, please contact us by email or by phone at (800) 464-2817.
NEW CLIENTS IN OCTOBER
Temple Terrace HOA
Glendora Woods HOA
1000 California Blvd.
Whitehawk Ranch HOA
8 Orchids OA
Garden Villas East
Liberty Manor HOA
1550 Laurel OA
ABCs of HOAs. Adrian Adams will join a panel of experts in a program for board members that covers
new laws affecting associations, insurance issues, collections and
foreclosure, management responsibilities, budgeting and maintenance,
plus questions from the audience.
This is a free event with a catered lunch and raffle prizes (including an iPad). The program will be held:
Please RSVP to [email protected] or fax (818) 286-9434 or phone (818) 778-3331.
NEW CLIENTS IN SEPTEMBER
Villa Rauna HOA
Brisa Del Mar Assn.
Las Brisas North
Santa Fe Terrace HOA
Eastborne Regency HOA
Genoa Townhomes Assn.
La Casa Villa West
4565-4567 Cleveland Ave.
Cape Cod Villas Condo HOA
Oxbow Ridge HOA
La Cabana HOA
Windwood Township COA
Willowalk HOA
Mountainview at Upland
Venice Family Clinic
High Country Villas
Top O' Topanga
837 Lincoln Blvd. HOA
Rancho Matilija POA
Manhattan Village Estate HOA
Hollywood & Vine Residences
9-5-14. All boards are welcome to attend S&L Management's annual "Board Leadership Workshop." Attorney Cang Le from Adams Kessler, Michael Berg from Berg Insurances, Mike Graves from SCT Reserve Consultants, and Krystal Walker from Fox & Stephens CPAs will be guest speakers.
The event will be Friday, September 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Marie Callender’s Restaurant and Bakery in Temecula. Complimentary breakfast & lunch will be served during the program. RSVP to Rosy Amlani at [email protected] or (951) 698-4030.
9-4-14. Equity Management is putting on its Annual Board Symposium. The topic will be the water crisis and how it affects HOA communities.
Adrian Adams will be part of a panel for an “Ask the Attorney” discussion related to the drought (and any other legal questions that may arise).
This dinner event will be held on Thursday, Sept 4, 2014 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula. RSVP to Melissa Walker at [email protected] or (951) 296-5640.
11-11-14. Richard Witkin will panelist at the 39th Annual United Trustee's Association Educational Conference in La Quinta, CA. He will be speaking on "California, Nevada and Texas HOA Liens." The United Trustee's Association (UTA) is the nationwide trade organization of non-judicial foreclosure trustees.
NEW CLIENTS IN AUGUST
Valley Terrace HOA
One Jib Street HOA
The Malibu Owners Assn.
339 N. Palm Drive
Casa Blanca HOA
Metro Walk HOA
Hidden Valley HOA
Windsor North OA
Ambridge at Windmere Assn.
Willis Oaks HOA
Vantage Townhomes HOA
Portola Glen HOA
Rocky Point Terrace Assn.
Meridian Professional Center
8-22-14. Attorney Cang Le
will be in San Francisco speaking to other attorneys on August 22, 2014
at the Practicing Law Institute’s program on homeowners associations.
Cang
will address the legal structure governing HOAs and key management
concerns for resolving conflicts between HOAs and owners. For more
information, see Practicing Law Institute website.
8-19-14. Attorneys Jasmine Fisher and Cang Le will be presenters in a Webinar Series
for managers put on by the California Association of Community
Managers. The topic will be "Boxes, Bugs and Blights: How to Combat
Hoarding in HOAs."
The
webinar will provide managers with an in-depth review of what qualifies
as hoarding, provide strategies for dealing with hoarders, and identify
resources that can be used.
The webinar will be held on August 19 from 11:00 am to noon. All community managers are invited to attend. CCAMs earn 1 CEU. Learn more and register at CACM Webinar Series.
NEW CLIENTS IN JULY
Maison De Ville COA
Casa Murrietta HOA
Rossmoor Park OA
Regency House HOA
850 Arcadia Avenue HOA
Mountain Acres POA
The Preserve in Sand Canyon
Chapman-Dale CA
853 12th Street HOA
Fahrens Park-Los Verdes Est.
The Water-Gardens OA
514-524 S. Barrington Court
July 2014. Gary Kessler's article Press & Media Communications: Be Careful! was published in Quorum, Coachella Valley Community Association Magazine. Advises Association managers, directors, employees and agents to be careful and think carefully before an interview by a reporter or listing an internet posting about Association related matters and incidents.
 7-3-14. Attorney William Dunlevy joined Adams Kessler as Of Counsel.
Community Ties.
A native of California, Bill
has been a mainstay of the Ventura County community for over
thirty years. His wife taught in public schools in Oxnard and his son is
a Deputy District Attorney for the County. Bill has been a long time
member of the Ventura Lions Club where he served as president, District
Governor and then Chairman of the California
Council of Governors.
CAI. Bill’s 29-year involvement
with the
Channel Islands Chapter of the Community Associations Institute has been
a boon to the Chapter. Bill twice served as President and multiple terms on its board of directors. He was the founding editor
of the highly acclaimed magazine Channels of Communication and served as
editor for 26 years. He has twice been honored as Author
of
the Year and three times received the prestigious Distinguished Service Award.
HOA Law. Bill Dunlevy is a veteran community association attorney with over
35 years experience. He serves as legal counsel for
associations in Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern, Santa Barbara and San Luis
Obispo counties and provides service in all areas of community
association law with an emphasis on governing document interpretation
and enforcement, alternative dispute resolution, governing document revisions, business advice, corporate
affairs, contract review, common area/separate interest repair planning,
and litigation.
Education.
Bill graduated with highest
honors from UC Davis, with dual
majors in history and political science. He is a member of the Phi Beta
Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi national honor societies. After graduating from
Davis, Bill earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the UCLA Law School.
Contact Us.
Bill Dunlevy is a significant addition to the firm. We welcome his broad
knowledge and experience in HOA law. To request a proposal for legal services, contact us by email or by phone at (800) 464-2817.
NEW CLIENTS IN JUNE
Palisades Canyon HOA
Chapala Lofts CA
Harbour Pacific HOA
Island View Terrace HOA
Park Wellington OA (old client)
Tiburon View HOA
Woodward Lake Master Assn.
Barker Block HOA
Riverbeach HOA
Carnelian Maint. Corp.
Montclair Townhomes HOA
Country Club Terrace HOA
Da Vinci at Bella Sera HOA
The Boulders Condominiums
Citrus Park HOA
Moneta Gardens Condominium
The Gallery HOA
Eagle Point HOA
Wolf Creek Maintenance Corp.
6-20-14. Attorney  Russell Higgins has joined Adams Kessler PLC.
Legal Experience.
Russ has a diverse legal background. It started with ten years managing
civil and criminal caseloads. In his criminal defense work, Russell
handled case evaluations, plea negotiations and litigation, briefing and
trials. This included criminal appeals and a death penalty case. A
fellow attorney recognized Russell's courtroom talents and his ease with
people and urged Russ to transition into community association law.
Russ investigated the strange world of common interest developments and
made the move.
Community Associations.
Before joining Adams Kessler, Russ spent the past five years sharpening
his legal skills on corporate law for community associations. He worked
with boards and managers on vendor contracts, revised governing
documents, pursued delinquent assessments, attended board and membership
meetings, investigated insurance coverage issues, drafted legal
opinions on disability and architectural compliance, and immersed
himself in a wide range of matters affecting associations both
residential and commercial.
Litigation.
Because of his strong litigation background, Russ has been working with
boards to minimize
unnecessary litigation. When appropriate, he steers matters into
mediation and arbitration. In the event litigation is unavoidable, he
uses his courtroom skills to obtain favorable outcomes for his clients.
Education. Russ
holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from Auburn University in
Auburn, Alabama. He earned his Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University
School of Law in Malibu, California, graduating cum laude. Russ won
multiple awards and commendations from both institutions and served as a
senior staff member of the Pepperdine Law Review.
Russ Higgins is a rising
star and an excellent addition to our team. If your association needs a
proposal for legal services, feel free to contact us by email or by phone at (800) 464-2817.
NEW CLIENTS IN MAY
Burtonhill Townhouses OA
Rio Bravo CA
Ventana HOA
Park Towers
Rembrandt HOA
Mira Monte Maint. Assn.
Pepper Tree Village Assn.
Vantage HOA
Lakeside Villas HOA
Sunshine Condominiums HOA
Park Wellington
Spring 2014. Jasmine Fisher's article "Complex Assessments Demystified" was recently published in the CACM The Law Journal. She discusses established standards for developers and outlines best practices for periodic document reviews for Board Members.
May 2014. Jasmine Fisher was interviewed for an article by Pamela Babcock on what homeowner associations should know when Hollywood comes knocking at their front door. The article, "Lights. Camera. Action!" was published in CAI's Common Ground magazine.
NEW CLIENTS IN APRIL
Montevalle of Scotts Valley
Arrow Hwy Corp Ctr
Allegro Villas
Brookmore Arms HOA
Brockton Chateau HOA
Magnolia Place HOA
Glen Ivy RV Park OA
Meadowview Park
Casa Montecito OA
Rancho Santalina Maint.
Willow Springs Assn.
4-17-14. Richard G. Witkin will speak on "HOA Lien Issues" at the United Trustees Association Dinner on April 17, 2014 in Santa Ana, California.
March 2014. Attorney Gary Kessler's article "To Litigate, or Not to Litigate?" was published in the Quorum, Coachella Valley Community Associations Institute Magazine. His article mentions making good business decisions, not emotional decisions; economics of litigation; enforcement of governing documents; process of pre-trial discovery; and trial consequences.
NEW CLIENTS IN MARCH
Heron Bay/Spyglass Hills
Monterey S.P. HOA
Malibu West Swimming Club
Regency Townhouse Assn.
Desert Shadows CA
Cottages of Corsica
Indian Falls Estates HOA
Brava Homes, Inc.
3-27-14. Adrian Adams was the keynote speaker at Beven & Brock's 2014 Board Member
Seminar. The topic "Liars, Lawyers & Lunacy" covered
• Adopting enforceable rules,
• Fine policies that get results,
• Keeping boards out of hot water,
• How to stop lawyers, and
• Dealing with liars and lunatics.
3-23-14. Cang Le joined Adams Kessler PLC and will head-up our Riverside office.
Experience.
Cang has broad experience representing common interest developments as
both general and litigation counsel. In corporate counsel matters, Cang
advises boards in the preparation, interpretation and enforcement of
contracts, amending and restating governing documents, insurance
coverage issues, rules enforcement, ADA compliance and all other matters
affecting associations. In litigation and ADR matters, Cang has
obtained hundreds of favorable outcomes for his clients and works with
boards to avoid litigation wherever possible.
Education.
Cang received two undergraduate degrees from the University of
California, Davis--a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science and a
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Managerial Economics. He then earned a Juris
Doctorate (JD) from the University of San Diego School of Law where he
was awarded a merit grant to continue his legal studies which led to a
Master of Laws in Taxation (LLM).
Cang
Le is a talented lawyer and solid addition to our team. If your
association would like a proposal for legal services, contact us by email or by phone at (800) 464-2817.
 3-16-14. Richard G. Witkin joined
Adams Kessler PLC as Of Counsel. Because of his expertise, Richard will
be coordinating all assessment collection matters for the firm.
Assessment Collection. Richard Witkin is well-respected
in the industry for his extensive knowledge of assessment lien and
foreclosure matters. Richard is a member of the United Trustee's
Association and has attained the highest level of expert certification
by the UTA and serves as an expert on collection issues in state and
federal courts.
Experience.
Prior to launching Witkin & Neal, Inc., a premier delinquent
assessment lien and foreclosure collection company, Richard gained a
wealth of experience as Vice-President and General Counsel of Fidelity
Trustee Service, an independent foreclosure trustee. At Fidelity, he
supervised thousands of non-judicial foreclosures and conducted hundreds
of foreclosure sales. Richard's expertise includes foreclosure issues involving mixed collateral, multiple collateral and
deficiency judgments.
Education. Richard Witkin
graduated magna cum laude from Colorado State University and earned his
Juris Doctorate from UCLA's School of Law. He later became a faculty
member of the law school from 1980 through 1987.
To request a proposal for legal services, contact us by email or by phone at (800) 464-2817.
NEW CLIENTS IN FEBRUARY
Arroyo Gardens
Woodlake HOA
Marrakesh Community Assn.
Oak Crest Estates
La Benecia, Inc.
Tollhouse Village Assn.
Pacific Island Village I
Mark Beck
Mike and Ruth Marshall
The Village COA
Orange Grove Village II HOA
2-20-14. Attorney Jasmine Fisher served as "Judge Jasmine" in an HOA courtroom drama and case law update. The event was hosted by the Inland Empire Chapter of CAI.
2-9-14. The highly regarded assessment collection company of Witkin & Neal, Inc. announced its affiliation with Adams Kessler PLC. The high level of
expertise brought by Richard Witkin and the invaluable experience of
Audrey Neal together with the corporate counsel of Adams Kessler PLC
means HOA clients can be assured of unparalleled collection services. To take advantage of our expanded collection services, contact us.
2-4-14. Adrian Adams served as the keynote speaker at the annual Board Member Appreciation Event
hosted by Desert Resort Management. His topic, Avoiding
Litigation," was presented to over 250 board members.
Other speakers
included Debra Warren, Sr. Vice President of Associa, on management
issues, attorney Jon Epsten of Epsten Grinnell & Howell on conflict
resolution, and Tom Flavin, President and CEO of the Coachella Valley
Economic Partnership on the growth of Coachella Valley. The event
was held at the
Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage.
1-28-14.
Syndicated columnist for the Washington Post, Ken Harney,
interviewed Adrian Adams for an article on FHA certification and possible disparate impact discrimination claims. See Ken Harney's article.
January 2014. The CACM Law Journal published an article by Adrian Adams on the impact of the Wittenberg v. Beachwalk on CC&R amendments.
The court of appeals concluded that advocating for the passage of an amendment triggers the equal access provision of the Davis-Stirling Act.
 January 2, 2014. The date marked the 10th Anniversary of the launch of Davis-Stirling.com. This award-winning website was created by Adrian Adams, who envisioned a library of legal information about the Davis-Stirling Act in plain English for board members, managers and homeowners.
Word-of-mouth quickly grew traffic on the site from zero to half a million visitors and 2.7 million page views per year. Ten years later, the website has grown into an umbrella of products, services and companies.
NEW CLIENTS IN JANUARY
Westgate Rise HOA
Morrison HOA
Varian Ranch HOA
Tarocco HOA
Assn of Monterey Townhouse Owners
Sierra Brooks POA
Glaeser Builders, Inc.
|
I have to say I already had a great respect for Gary Kessler as an industry attorney, but being able to work with him first hand was a sincere pleasure and just reaffirmed that my respect was well placed. I can see why you hold him with such high esteem.
-Wendy Moulder, CMCA, Consortium Management
Adrian, I just want to thank you and Jasmine Fisher in helping Heritage Ranch with the steps in recruiting and hiring a new General Manager. Jasmine provided legal advice, strength, support and hope for our future. Thank you for assigning her to us and your staff excelled in our search for a new GM. -Bonnie Forcey, Heritage Ranch HOA
On behalf of the Board, thank Wayne Louvier
so very much for the excellent presentation he gave us concerning
duties and responsibilities of board members. It was a pleasure meeting
him. We all learned so much about the law. He was very professional
and made the presentation easy to understand our role as board members.
We look forward to working with your firm for many years to come.
-Chris Spalding, Treasurer, Bernardo Heights 12 HOA
Dear Jasmine 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
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.
You [Wayne Louvier] have really done right by us so far and I'm confident
you will continue to do so. Please tell Adrian we are happy with our
representation. -Marion C. Fay, Director Promenade West HOA
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.
|
LOS ANGELES
2566 Overland Ave.
Suite 730
Los Angeles 90064
(corporate office)
|
 |
ORANGE COUNTY
18101 Von Karman
Suite 330
Irvine CA 92612
|
 |
PALM DESERT
77-564 Country Club
Suite 150
Palm Desert 92211 |
 |
RIVERSIDE
11801 Pierce Street
Suite 200
Riverside 90505
|
|
SAN DIEGO
8880 Rio San Diego
Suite 800
San Diego 92108
|
|
SAN FRANCISCO
1 Sansome Street
Suite 1500
San Francisco 94104
|
|
SACRAMENTO
770 "L" Street
Suite 950
Sacramento 95814
|
 |
VENTURA COUNTY
1200 Paseo Camarillo
Suite 255
Camarillo, CA 93010 |
 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.
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.
Instead, we focus on the HOA industry and alert our clients about significant trends and changes in the law.
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.
 Maureen Davidson
is an intricate part of Adams Kessler’s marketing team. She works
closely with Adrian and Nathalie to provide our clients with exceptional
customer interaction. Maureen transmits and tracks the firm’s proposals
and is responsible for scheduling all attorneys for potential client
interviews. She also participates in industry trade shows and luncheons.
Maureen’s experience includes two years in the legal field and eight years in
property management. She earned her paralegal certificate in
Portland, Oregon at the College of Legal Arts.
 Laurie Paramore
is our Administrative Assistant. She has 29 years of experience in
office administration and operations, with 25 of those years working
with non-profits.
Laurie provides administrative support to all of our staff and
attorneys. She is dedicated to excellence in all areas of service,
especially when it comes to our clients.
|
|
|
LARRY STIRLING
 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.
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. See full 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 full 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 full bio.
RICHARD G. WITKIN
 Richard Witkin is well-respected
in the industry for his extensive knowledge of assessment lien and
foreclosure matters. Richard is a member of the United Trustee's
Association and has attained the highest level of expert certification
by the UTA and serves as an expert on collection issues in state and
federal courts.
Experience.
Prior to launching Witkin & Neal, Inc., a premier delinquent
assessment lien and foreclosure collection company, Richard gained a
wealth of experience as Vice-President and General Counsel of Fidelity
Trustee Service, an independent foreclosure trustee. At Fidelity, he
supervised thousands of non-judicial foreclosures and conducted hundreds
of foreclosure sales. Richard's expertise includes foreclosure issues involving mixed collateral, multiple collateral and
deficiency judgments.
Education. Richard Witkin
graduated magna cum laude from Colorado State University and earned his
Juris Doctorate from UCLA's School of Law. He later became a faculty
member of the law school from 1980 through 1987.
Richard coordinates all assessment collection matters for Adams Kessler. See full bio.
PAUL ABLON
 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.
WAYNE LOUVIER
 Wayne 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.
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.
Wayne oversees our Orange County office. See full bio.
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 full bio.
JASMINE FISHER
 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 and a minor in history. She earned her Juris
Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu,
California. See full 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 full bio.
CANG LE
 Experience.
Cang has broad experience representing common interest developments as
both general and litigation counsel. In corporate counsel matters, Cang
advises boards in the preparation, interpretation and enforcement of
contracts, amending and restating governing documents, insurance
coverage issues, rules enforcement, ADA compliance and all other matters
affecting associations. In litigation and ADR matters, Cang has
obtained hundreds of favorable outcomes for his clients and works with
boards to avoid litigation wherever possible.
Education.
Cang received two undergraduate degrees from the University of
California, Davis--a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science and a
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Managerial Economics. He then earned a Juris
Doctorate (JD) from the University of San Diego School of Law where he
was awarded a merit grant to continue his legal studies which led to a
Master of Laws in Taxation (LLM).
Cang Le oversees our Riverside office. See full 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 full bio.
|
Legal solutions through knowledge,
insight and experience.
|
|