product

Ms. Avalos is a nationally renowned leader in providing accessibility-related services and is a sought-after speaker with a knack for using an upbeat approach to help others understand the complexities of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). With over 40 years of experience, she provides expert witnessing on ADA, 504, Federal Housing Administration, and Air Carrier Access Act legal cases. In 1990 she founded Accessology Too, LLC which is a national leader in providing accessibility consulting services and is one of the largest U.S. firms dedicated solely to accessibility and access issues. Since its founding, Accessology has worked closely with the Department of Justice and the U.S. Access Board to remain knowledgeable and adept with the constant changes that occur regarding ADA guidelines. Accessology has worked on numerous multi-million dollar projects to impact accessibility compliance during all stages, from schematics to construction and final inspections. Since 2005 Accessology has specialized in the development, execution, and monitoring of the required ADA Transition Plans for Title II entities to help them avoid access-related litigation since so much litigation is tied to not having a Transition Plan on file. Ms. Avalos and her team at Accessology are committed to removing structural and attitudinal barriers that adversely impact people with disabilities.

Mr. Krahn holds a master’s degree in geotechnical engineering and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Manitoba. He has experience in residential and commercial construction and holds a certificate in carpentry and wood working from Red River College. Mr. Krahn is also a LEEDTM accredited professional, an active member of the Timber Frame Guild’s Timber Frame Engineering Council and a founding member of the Canadian Alliance of Natural Building Engineers. He spent five years on the board of directors for the Ontario Natural Builder’s Coalition, three of those as chair.

Mr. Krahn currently sits on the National Model Code Committee for Housing Supply and the Task Group for Single Egress Stair Construction under the Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes. He is the author of “Rammed Earth Construction”, part of the Sustainable Building Essentials series from New Society Publishers.

Building Alternatives Inc. (BAI) is a consulting engineering firm licensed in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nunavut/Northwest Territories. BAI specializes in engineering design using low-embodied energy, low carbon emission materials such as wood, earth, stone, straw, clay, hemp, and lime. This engineering design includes the techniques with which these materials are combined and assembled and incorporates responsible and appropriate current technologies such as air barrier membranes and geosynthetics that allow new applications of the older, time-tested materials. BAI actively participates in educational programs both at university and college level institutions as well as through professional and trade associations.

Dr. Robert Ahl works as a Geospatial Systems Specialist in the USDA Forest Service|Lands, Minerals, and Geology|Automated Lands Program. He has an extensive natural resource background, with application of geographic information systems and remote sensing to assess and model vegetation characteristics, water yield, and wildlife habitat. In recent years he has also obtained remote pilot certification and manages a remote sensing services agreement with the University of Montana. In the Automated Lands Program, he helps manage a team of contractors that focus on Land Status Record System data development and maintenance, with emphasis on creating spatial representations of right-of-way, land adjustment case boundaries, and other administratively or congressionally
designated changes to land status. He is also a manager of the Program’s National Geospatial Data Asset – the Proclaimed Forest boundary dataset and provides program support for the Title Claims and Encroachment Management System (TCEMS). In collaboration with his team members, he also helps develop mapping templates for the Legislative Map Tool, and Special Uses Map Tool.

Mr. Barowsky works for the Bureau of Land Management and manages their national land surveying services for Federally recognized tribes and is a licensed land surveyor in Alaska, Arizona, Tennessee, and Texas. He has worked as a land surveyor, planner, real estate specialist, and investigator.

Mr. Matthews is the USFS Regional Land Surveyor for Region 6 and has been responsible for program development and oversight for the Boundary and Title Management Program in the Pacific Northwest for the last year and a half. Most of his earlier career was spent working in the private and public sector.

Mr. McDonald currently works as the Public Land Survey System Dataset Manger for the Bureau of Land Management headquarters’ office, and he is a licensed land surveyor in Arizona. He has worked as a cadastral surveyor, for BLM for over 14 years plus nine years a private surveyor for utilities companies, and the private sector.

Ms. Olson has been a land surveyor in the private sector, the gold mines and with the government for 10 years total; with the USFS for 5 years. She has also worked as an adjunct professor and faculty advisor for land survey student competitions at Great Basin College in Elko, Nevada since 2015.

Mr. Price is the Chief Land Surveyor at USDA Forest Service Headquarters in Washington D.C. He obtained his MBA degree from Alaska Pacific University, BS degree in Technology Management from Utah Valley University and AAS in Land Surveying from Salt Lake Community College.

Mr. Ryan started his BLM Career in 2009 as a realty and cadastral aide in Sacramento, California. He then worked in various field offices, holding positions in the Realty, Minerals, NEPA and Project Management programs. He currently oversees the Land Tenure program for the Northern California Districts where there are over 20 active land acquisition cases.

Juan C. Correa, PE  Engineering Director, EngVentions Engineering
 As EngVentions Engineering Solutions founder and CEO, with 25 Years in Engineering and Operations, holds his responsibilities included the Director of Engineering, and 3D modeling software specialist and instructor. Juan C. Correa graduated as a Petroleum Engineer from Universidad de America at Bogota DC. After graduation, he started his career by working in the oil industry as a mechanical technician for oil and gas drilling operations, gained positions as Top Drive specialist, Drilling tools representative, and Drilling Bits, and Drilling Tools Design Engineer. He has worked in drilling operations for M-I SWACO Drilling Fluids, Canrig Drilling Technology, Tri-Max Industries, Baker Hughes (BHGE), and ReedHycalog (NOV). At EngVentions Engineering, he has designed Jet Pumps, Production Plungers, and drilling stabilizers. Recently he created and developed an Expandable Drilling Bit for Oil and Gas drilling applications, Mr. Correa holds a Patent under his name over an Expandable Drilling bit. Under Mr. Correa’s direction, EngVentions Educational Services has designed a series of short courses of 3D modeling, using Autodesk® AutoCAD® and Autodesk® Inventor® platforms to deliver instruction to the U.S. industrial community. His expertise provides CAD expertise, engineering design, calculations, Patents, and new tools developments.

Mr. Robinson is a graduate of North Carolina State University from which he received his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and his master of Civil Engineering degree. He has over 30 years of experience in the structural engineering field and has been in private practice for over 24 years. Prior to establishing his own practice Mr. Robinson worked for Bechtel Petroleum in San Francisco and for various structural engineering firms in the Raleigh area. Mr. Robinson is a licensed professional engineer in 16 states. He has taught structural analysis classes at the community college level and has conducted numerous seminars over the last 20 years. He also served on a sub-committee for the North Carolina Building Code Council tasked with reviewing the provisions of the North Carolina Residential Code for interior moisture control and water intrusion. Mr. Robinson’s practice includes design, analysis and evaluation of steel, concrete, masonry and timber structures. He has investigated over 1,500 wood frame buildings for damage, and he has developed plans of repair for structures and finishes.

Mr. Jungclaus is an independent consultant and a Ph.D. researcher with the Living Materials Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he develops whole-building embodied carbon benchmarks. His research focuses on life cycle assessment, building material flows, and computational analysis. Prior to joining the University of Colorado, Mr. Jungclaus was a manager at Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), where he focused on reducing embodied and operational carbon in the built environment. His work at RMI included leadership in the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy District Accelerator, policy work with NYSERDA and the City of Pittsburgh, developing a net-zero energy roadmap for the McDonald’s Corporation, delivering integrative design workshops for federal and private sector clients, and creating industry-leading reports focused on zero energy buildings and carbon-reducing policies. Prior to joining RMI, Mr. Jungclaus served as an energy auditor and project manager for many public sector, commercial, and residential building retrofit projects. His core competencies lie in life cycle assessment, building science (including energy auditing and modeling), architectural and mechanical engineering, teaching, and project management. 

Mr. Jungclaus is an independent consultant and a Ph.D. researcher with the Living Materials Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he develops whole-building embodied carbon benchmarks. His research focuses on life cycle assessment, building material flows, and computational analysis. Prior to joining the University of Colorado, Mr. Jungclaus was a manager at Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), where he focused on reducing embodied and operational carbon in the built environment. His work at RMI included leadership in the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy District Accelerator, policy work with NYSERDA and the City of Pittsburgh, developing a net-zero energy roadmap for the McDonald’s Corporation, delivering integrative design workshops for federal and private sector clients, and creating industry-leading reports focused on zero energy buildings and carbon-reducing policies. Prior to joining RMI, Mr. Jungclaus served as an energy auditor and project manager for many public sector, commercial, and residential building retrofit projects. His core competencies lie in life cycle assessment, building science (including energy auditing and modeling), architectural and mechanical engineering, teaching, and project management. 

Mr. Edington has been an active member of the mortgage and home improvement lending community since 2002. He is a licensed Mortgage Loan Officer (NMLS # 272063) with Primary Residential Mortgage and National Account Manager with Loanstar Technologies. After decades of mortgage origination, funding thousands of loans, Mr. Edington has specialized in his business towards ADU construction, remodels, and home improvement. He gained his ADU Specialist designation in 2022 from the ADU Academy and is now an instructor for the Academy. He is also a member of the Tiny Homes Industry Association and is the Financial Expert for the “How to ADU” Facebook community, which has grown to over 114,000 members. Mr. Edington prides himself on his ability to provide financing solutions unique to the individual or family who has a goal to build an ADU. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Across his many relationships with banks, credit unions, and private lending institutions, Mr. Edington has a broad range of programs suited for ADU construction.

Ms. Gutierrez is a distinguished realtor, investor, podcast host with over a decade of experience in the real estate industry, having worked in the dynamic markets of Orange County, Los Angeles County, Palm Springs and Miami. She started working in real estate in 2011 and was licensed in 2016. Ms. Gutierrez’s expertise is prominently centered around ADUs, and she’s helped numerous homeowners buy and build these valuable property additions. She leads a dedicated team of real estate professionals who share her ADU specialization, sold over 500 homes and has helped clients with over 40 ADU projects between 2017 to 2023. Ms. Gutierrez runs ADU Meetup events, fostering a community of real estate professionals in Los Angeles and Orange County and San Diego who share her enthusiasm. Over the course of her career, she has successfully helped over forty homeowners and investors in building ADUs, positively impacting their property value and rental income. In addition to her ADU advocacy, Ms. Gutierrez has also played a pivotal role in guiding clients through the process of buying or selling properties with existing ADUs, leveraging her in-depth knowledge of this niche. Her involvement in various investments and construction projects further showcases her dedication to this market.

Mr. Meredith is the founder, owner and operator (director) of ADU West Coast, a full-service ADU design and build construction firm headquartered in Seal Beach, CA. He helps investors and homeowners in Orange County and Los Angeles maximize their property value and generate rental income or house family members by building high-quality, affordable ADUs. Mr. Meredith is a licensed general contractor with a diverse background in ADU consulting, project management, city submittals, ADU design, and construction management. He is uniquely qualified to guide clients through the entire ADU process from start to finish. Mr. Meredith is passionate about helping others achieve their financial and lifestyle goals through building ADU’s. He is involved in different housing advocate groups. Whether you are an investor looking to add to your portfolio or a homeowner looking to generate extra income or move a family member back, Mr. Meredith is here to help and guide you every step of the way.

Mr. Hansen litigates disputes involving real estate law, land use, environmental matters, and commercial transactions. He frequently litigates, writes about, and teaches at conferences on easements and boundary disputes. Mr. Hansen graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree in American Studies from Biola University in La Mirada, California. He earned his law degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. Among his many interests and community involvements, Mr. Hansen serves as an officer with the Real Property Section of the Sacramento County Bar Association and as a Dispute Resolution Conference pro-tem judge for the El Dorado County Superior Court.

Mr. Offord graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2005. Thereafter, he remained in Santa Barbara to work at a general litigation firm before attending law school at Santa Clara University and earning his J.D. degree in 2009. As a student at Santa Clara, he was named top of his class (receiving the CALI or the Witkin Award) in four of his courses, in addition to graduating on the Dean’s List. Mr. Offord joined the firm in 2009 after clerking for a law practice that primarily focused on real estate litigation and transactions. His experience includes law and motion practice and all stages of civil trials, including serving as lead counsel in many bench and jury trials. He has participated in State and Federal trials. He is heavily involved in the local real estate community, with an active role in several local real estate associations. He has also obtained his Real Estate Broker’s License from the California Department of Real Estate and also manages a real estate brokerage. He is regularly asked to be a speaker for local real estate organizations and brokerages, including SILVAR, Santa Clara County Association of Realtors®, Shasta County Association of Realtors and San Mateo County Association of Realtors®. He has also guest lectured at Menlo College for the Real Estate Law and Introduction to Law courses. In addition, Mr. Offord has been a speaker for both the Santa Clara County and San Mateo County Bar Associations. At Brewer Offord & Pedersen LLP, Mr. Offord works on matters representing real estate professionals and homeowners involved in neighbor and property disputes, as well as on commercial property matters.

Cecily Barclay advises clients on land use and entitlements, real estate acquisition and development, and local government law matters. She assists with land use application processing, drafting and negotiating purchase and sale agreements, and negotiating and securing the approval of development agreements. She also handles general plan amendments, annexations, initiatives and referendums, and tentative and final subdivision maps. Ms. Barclay’s projects include redevelopment of land for market rate and affordable housing, life science campuses, hotels and resorts, and transit-oriented mixed-use development projects. She has significant experience in processing entitlements for redevelopment and expansion of regional retail centers, resort hotels, entertainment centers, biotech/R&D campuses, large mixed-use master-planned communities, and multifaceted reuse of former military facilities and other infill development sites. Her work involves advising on land use initiatives, negotiating school fee mitigation agreements, preparing conservation easements to mitigate for loss of biological resources, and drafting affordable housing programs, Williamson Act contracts, and related issues pertaining to agricultural properties. Ms. Barclay works with local agencies on drafting ordinances relating to updating general plans and housing elements, planned development zoning, specific plans, mitigation fees, affordable housing, and growth management. She focuses on how agencies and developers can apply state housing laws, particularly antiNIMBY (Housing Accountability Act) and density bonus laws. Ms. Barclay is a lead author of Curtin’s California Land Use & Planning Law, a publication summarizing the major provisions of California’s land use and planning laws. She also co-authored Development by Agreement, an ABA publication providing a national analysis of laws and practices concerning various forms of development agreements. Ms. Barclay regularly speaks and writes on topics involving land use and local government law, including programs and articles for the American Bar Association, American Planning Association, Urban Land Institute, and other state and national associations and conferences.

Ms. Graham has practiced law in the area of real estate transactions and litigation for over 30 years, and has served as a mediator for over 15 years. Her law practice focuses on transactional real estate law and civil appeals. Ms. Graham’s mediation practice emphasizes business and real estate matters. She has also mediated personal injury, unlawful detainer and civil harassment disputes. Ms. Graham is an author of a chapter of the CEB treatise Neighbor Disputes: Law and Litigation, which she continues to update annually. She also edits chapters CEB’s California Easements and Boundaries: Law and Litigation. Ms. Graham has been a panelist at various California State Bar and local bar events on the topics of easements, neighbor disputes, contract issues, elimination of bias and advanced negotiation skills. Ms. Graham has a background in title insurance and liability insurance. She litigated an insurance bad faith matter which ultimately went to the California Supreme Court. She served as a mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Panel, serving on both its pro bono and pay panels during which time she mediated contract, business, real estate, unlawful detainer, personal injury and civil harassment matters, as well as private mediations. Ms. Graham has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the California State Bar Real Property Section and as a member of the Board of Trustees of Santa Monica Bar Association. She is an active member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Small Firms and Solo Section and presently serves on its executive committee. Ms. Graham trained as a mediator with the Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution of Pepperdine University School of Law. She holds a B.A. degree in English from UCLA and a J.D. degree from Loyola Law School.

Lauren Layne is a shareholder at Baker Manock & Jensen, PC, in Fresno, where she chairs the firm’s Business Department and leads the firm’s Water Law and Public Agency practice groups. Her law practice focuses on general water and environmental law, including CEQA and NEPA compliance, and includes various business transactional matters in the areas of water rights, water quality, public agency law, agribusiness, and real property. She also assists clients with land acquisitions and eminent domain proceedings. In addition to representing private farming clients, she serves as general counsel to various irrigation and water districts, flood control districts, and a number of groundwater sustainability agencies. Ms. Layne attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where she majored in Soil Science, and earned her J.D. degree, with distinction, from McGeorge School of Law. She is a native of Porterville and has an agricultural background that includes farming and raising sheep. She was very involved in both 4-H and FFA, is a past 4-H Leader, and received her American FFA Degree. She is currently serving as vice chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Cal Poly College of Agriculture Food and Environmental Sciences and as immediate past president to both the Cal Poly Alumni Association and the McGeorge School of Law Alumni Association. She is the chair of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) State Legislative Committee and serves on the ACWA Legal Affairs Committee. Ms. Layne is co-chair of the Fresno County Bar Association Ag Law Section and is a member of Fresno County Farm Bureau.

Mr. Offord graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2005. Thereafter, he remained in Santa Barbara to work at a general litigation firm before attending law school at Santa Clara University and earning his J.D. degree in 2009. As a student at Santa Clara, he was named top of his class (receiving the CALI or the Witkin Award) in four of his courses, in addition to graduating on the Dean’s List. Mr. Offord joined the firm in 2009 after clerking for a law practice that primarily focused on real estate litigation and transactions. His experience includes law and motion practice and all stages of civil trials, including serving as lead counsel in many bench and jury trials. He has participated in State and Federal trials. He is heavily involved in the local real estate community, with an active role in several local real estate associations. He has also obtained his Real Estate Broker’s License from the California Department of Real Estate and also manages a real estate brokerage. He is regularly asked to be a speaker for local real estate organizations and brokerages, including SILVAR, Santa Clara County Association of Realtors®, Shasta County Association of Realtors and San Mateo County Association of Realtors®. He has also guest lectured at Menlo College for the Real Estate Law and Introduction to Law courses. In addition, Mr. Offord has been a speaker for both the Santa Clara County and San Mateo County Bar Associations. At Brewer Offord & Pedersen LLP, Mr. Offord works on matters representing real estate professionals and homeowners involved in neighbor and property disputes, as well as on commercial property matters.

Pallamary & Associates is owned and operated by Michael J. Pallamary, a professional land surveyor licensed by the State of California. Mr. Pallamary has 42 years experience in the land surveying, land planning, land use consultation and engineering professions. He is a nationally recognized authority on land surveying and local land development regulations. Mr. Pallamary is a founding member of the Land Surveyors Advisory Council on Technical Standards (LSACTS). He writes a regular column for The American Surveyor magazine. He owned and operated Precision Survey & Mapping from 1983 to 1999. Mr. Pallamary has also been the owner and president of Land Survey Service of La Jolla since 1983. He is recognized as the preeminent authority on the redevelopment of property in La Jolla and San Diego’s coastal regions. Mr. Pallamary is also the owner and operator of www.tiepoints.com, the state of California’s premiere Land Surveyor Resource and Research Site. This site is also used as a tool to locate City of San Diego Tie Points. Pallamary & Associates specializes in land use litigation and the processing of complex land use permits, land planning, discretionary permits and coastal development permits issued by the City of San Diego and the California Coastal Commission. The company also provide project management services and land development consultation services for conventional projects and also in connection with insurance matters. As the owner of Land Survey Service of La Jolla, Mr. Pallamary owns the largest private collection of property records and survey maps of La Jolla properties. Mr. Pallamary is also a former member of the City of San Diego’s Board of Zoning Appeals in addition to having spent many years as a member of a variety of planning organizations including a term as the elected chairman of the Clairemont Mesa Planning Group, an elected member of the North Bay Project Area Committee and an appointed member of the Mission Bay Park Committee and Mission Bay Park Planners. In these capacities, he has co-authored the Mission Bay Park Master Plan, the Clairemont Mesa Community Plan and the North Bay Redevelopment Master Plan. Mr. Pallamary is also a co-author of the City of San Diego’s Mapping and Land Title Document Preparation Manual.

Mr. Dowsing is senior counsel in the Orange County office of Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester LLP. He practices in the fields of engineering professional liability and construction law and is a Design-Build Institute of America certified professional. His experience as an attorney includes helping parties with their complex engineering projects, to identify engineering risks and develop programmatic approaches to reduce those risks. He serves as project counsel and lead risk manager for three progressive design-build projects in California valued at over $100 million. Finally, he also represents A/E firms, contractors, and developers in engineering claims throughout California.

Mr. Gibson is a construction business litigator who helps his clients build successful projects and negotiate and resolve disputes. A partner in Stoel Rives’ Real Estate, Construction, and Design Practice, Mr. Gibson drafts and negotiates all forms of project documents, from the design phase through construction, and regularly navigates clients through the tricks and traps of contracting and insurance coverage issues. Licensed in California, Oregon, and Washington, Mr. Gibson is a veteran of all formal legal proceedings and has successfully pursued construction defect claims, delay claims, insurance and bond claims, bid protests, mechanic’s liens, real estate disputes, and collection actions through mediation, arbitration, and litigation.

Mr. Knight is the founding partner of the Law Offices of Daniel J. Knight, APLC. As a practicing attorney in California and Hawai’i, university lecturer, California contractor and California real estate broker. Professor Knight can truly be considered something of a “renaissance man” in real property-related matters. His law practice focuses on construction law and real property-related legal services with an additional focus on providing expert witness services in disputes ranging from initial consultation, to mediation, arbitration and/or trial. He is an adjunct professor in the Construction Management Department at Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo, where he instructs, among other courses, Construction Law and Construction Accounting. Professor Knight holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accountancy from Walden University and a juris doctor degree from the Santa Barbara Colleges of Law. Prior to passing the bar in California and Hawai’i and starting his own law practice, he worked his way through college and law school as the owner/operator of a successful construction, house lifting and moving business. 

Mr. Kommer is a provisionally licensed attorney with a robust background in construction, human resources, and risk management. Originally from Los Angeles County, California, he later relocated to San Luis Obispo County, California. Mr. Kommer holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Marketing from San Diego State University, a Juris Doctor from Concord Law School at Purdue University Global, and a Higher Education Teaching Certificate from Harvard University’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning.

With nearly 25 years of experience in construction, human resources, and risk management, Mr. Kommer transitioned to academia and legal work in 2016. He consults on construction matters and contributed to rewriting the Preconstruction Risk Assessment and Infection Control Risk Assessment certification exam for Green Advantage.

Mr. Lindborg leads the firm’s construction practice. Lindborg and Mazor acts as general counsel to private entities and as outside counsel to private and public entities. The firm specializes in all facets of real estate and construction, from the negotiating and the documentation stage, through project completion and beyond, including the counseling of clients in claims avoidance and mitigation techniques and the mediation, arbitration and litigation of claims. He has been lead counsel in numerous trials and arbitrations involving the prosecution and defense of multi-million dollar construction and real estate claims. Mr. Lindborg has also represented clients before various state and federal administrative agencies and has appeared in a number of state and federal courts throughout the United States. He is a member of the American, California, New Mexico and Los Angeles County Bar Associations.

Mr. Nicholas is a member of Stoel Rives’ Construction and Design group with experience litigating a range of construction disputes and drafting a variety of construction agreements. Mr. Nicholas has trial and arbitration experience and has assisted clients before federal and state courts, domestic and international arbitration panels, and administrative bodies. He is licensed in Oregon, Washington, and California. Before joining Stoel Rives, Mr. Nicholas worked as a summer associate for Oracle Corporation in Redwood Shores, California, and as a judicial extern for the Honorable William Q. Hayes of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in San Diego, California.

Mr. Forester practices in the areas of tax and trust law, personal injury and criminal law. He also testified as an expert witness in various state and federal courts in California.  Mr. Forester is a Certified Public Accountant, Attorney, and Economist. As a CPA , he provides accounting, financial, and business valuation services. He received his M.A. in Economics and Finance, his Ph.D. Candidacy degree in Economics from UCLA, and his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles.  Mr. Forester is an adjunct professor at California State University (CSU) and has teaching credentials in Accounting and Economics. He has taught tax, accounting, business law, statistics, and computer courses to graduate and undergraduate students. Mr. Forester is a Judicial Arbitrator of the Superior Court of the State of California for Los Angeles County as well as a mandatory fee arbitration for the State Bar of California.

Mr. Grabske specializes in real estate and complex business litigation. His practice is focused on assisting landowners, businesses, and public agencies with eminent domain, inverse condemnation, contract disputes, land use and environmental issues. Mr. Grabske has successfully represented clients in high stakes trials and before the Court of Appeals. Mr. Grabske has also been recognized as a “Rising Star” in Los Angeles magazine’s Southern California Super Lawyer edition.

Mr. Hansen litigates disputes involving real estate law, land use, environmental matters, and commercial transactions. He frequently litigates, writes about, and teaches at conferences on easements and boundary disputes. Mr. Hansen graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree in American Studies from Biola University in La Mirada, California. He earned his law degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. Among his many interests and community involvements, Mr. Hansen serves as an officer with the Real Property Section of the Sacramento County Bar Association and as a Dispute Resolution Conference pro-tem judge for the El Dorado County Superior Court.

Mr. Offord graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2005. Thereafter, he remained in Santa Barbara to work at a general litigation firm before attending law school at Santa Clara University and earning his J.D. degree in 2009. As a student at Santa Clara, he was named top of his class (receiving the CALI or the Witkin Award) in four of his courses, in addition to graduating on the Dean’s List. Mr. Offord joined the firm in 2009 after clerking for a law practice that primarily focused on real estate litigation and transactions. His experience includes law and motion practice and all stages of civil trials, including serving as lead counsel in many bench and jury trials. He has participated in State and Federal trials. He is heavily involved in the local real estate community, with an active role in several local real estate associations. He has also obtained his Real Estate Broker’s License from the California Department of Real Estate and also manages a real estate brokerage. He is regularly asked to be a speaker for local real estate organizations and brokerages, including SILVAR, Santa Clara County Association of Realtors®, Shasta County Association of Realtors and San Mateo County Association of Realtors®. He has also guest lectured at Menlo College for the Real Estate Law and Introduction to Law courses. In addition, Mr. Offord has been a speaker for both the Santa Clara County and San Mateo County Bar Associations. At Brewer Offord & Pedersen LLP, Mr. Offord works on matters representing real estate professionals and homeowners involved in neighbor and property disputes, as well as on commercial property matters.

Ms. Graves handles all aspects of family law, including divorce, child custody, child support, modifications, paternity, visitation rights, and other related legal issues in California. After receiving an undergraduate degree in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley, she went on to receive her juris doctor degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. After practicing family law with a small law firm in Arcadia, Ms. Graves decided to start her own family law firm in Pasadena and Beverly Hills, The Graves Law Firm, and the rest is history. She is a professor at West Los Angeles Community College and a recipient of the “Teacher of the Year” award. Ms. Graves is also the former legal chair of the YWCA of Glendale. She is also involved in many organizations, including the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Langston Bar Association, Pasadena Bar Association, the Black Women’s Lawyers Los Angeles, Inc. (past president), and the Loyola Law School African American Alumni Association.

Mr. Hittelman started his career in Orange County, California, as the first Deputy District Attorney dedicated solely to family law cases. He was quickly recruited into private practice at one of Orange County’s premier law firms and became Managing Partner of his own Newport Beach family law firm in 2011. Today, with over 25 years of experience, he and his team at Hittelman Family Law Group continue to handle all facets of family law for clients throughout Southern California.Mr. Hittelman’s depth of family law experience and passion for guiding his clients to a successful outcome is the hallmark of his practice. He is a Certified Family Law Specialist with the State Bar of California, a distinction only 1% of all California attorneys achieve. He understands the difficulties clients are going through when they face the end of a marriage, the change in the relationship as a parent to a child, and the numerous other challenges in family law matters. Mr. Hittelman knows that each case is unique, and calls on his extensive family law background to determine the best approach to receive positive results for his clients. Designated a Super Lawyer since 2005, Mr. Hittelman’s expertise in family law has led to his election as the President of the Family Law Section of the Orange County Bar Association twice, service on the Orange County Bar Association Board of Directors for six years, membership on the Executive Board of the State Bar of California Family Law Section to review California family law legislation, and position as an Executive Board member of the California Lawyers Association. Mr. Hittelman donates his time to run domestic violence legal clinics at the Human Options shelter and has served as a Judge Pro Tem in both Los Angeles Superior Court and Orange County Superior Court. He also enjoys educating new attorneys on family law issues such as custody and visitation at the annual “Bridging the Gap” conference run by the Orange County Bar Association and supporting his alma mater, Southwestern Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctorate in 1994.

Ms. Sheppard has practiced family law since 2009. Using her extensive experience, she guides families through the legal system, specializing in divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, and mediation. She possesses significant expertise in handling military divorce matters. Ms. Sheppard is often appointed by the court as a minor’s counsel and qualified as a discovery referee. Beyond her legal practice, she actively contributes to the legal community. Ms. Sheppard held a position on the Family Law Bar Association Board and officer positions on the Foothills Bar Board, engages as a mandatory continuing legal education presenter, volunteers for the Lawyer’s Club and Pro Bono services in San Diego, and is an adjunct professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law.

Ms. West has 20 years of experience in both family and criminal law and is certified by the California Board of Legal Specialization as a Specialist in Family Law. She joined Genesis Family Law, APC, in April 2023. For the six years prior to joining Genesis, Ms. West worked as a senior litigation attorney in local firms. She also owned West Maldonado Law Group and was an owner-partner at Rhoads & West for 11 years. Ms. West has been the lead attorney on 30-plus trials, including countless family law trials, rape and criminal domestic violence jury trials, fraudulent conveyance and partition actions, and multiple contempt trials. She has also been the lead attorney on over 50 domestic violence restraining order and/or civil restraining order evidentiary hearings. Ms. West has written four and argued two appeals in front of the 4th DCA.

Morgan Dobis, Ratzer | Dobis, A Practice Limited to Family Law
Ms. Dobis is a Californian native growing up in Big Bear California. Ms. Dobis attended University of La Verne where she was a varsity softball athlete. Ms. Dobis attended law school in San Diego and was admitted to the bar in 2012. Since entering the practice, Ms. Dobis has focused on all aspects of family law. She appears regularly in Court and is very experienced in what needs to be presented in Court to succeed. She relies heavily on the assistance of paralegals in her office and guides their efforts on a daily basis. In 2018 Ms. Dobis earned the designation, Certified Legal Specialist in Family Law, as certified by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization.

Ms. Rosenfeld is a family law attorney and mediator specializing in divorce, child custody, property division, child and spousal support, relocation cases, premarital agreements, and related issues. Her emphasis is on mediating and collaborative problem solving whenever possible. Ms. Rosenfeld is fluent in Hebrew and is Rated “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell. She has been voted “Northern California SuperLawyer” and “Top Women Attorneys of Northern California” by California SuperLawyers magazine, “Top Lawyers in California” by American Lawyer Media. Ms. Rosenfeld is co-author of CEB’s Family Law Financial Discovery and CEB’s California Child and Spousal Support: Establishing, Modifying and Enforcing, and she has been a guest speaker on KALW’s “Your Legal Rights” and internet-based radio program “Business Leaders Spotlight.”

Ms. Ross is the founder and Managing Attorney of All for the Family Legal Clinic, Inc. a Bay Area nonprofit focusing on family law and restraining orders. She also has a private firm, Pamela Ross Legal Services, PC where they assist modest means clients with Family law, Immigration, Labor/Employment, and Estate Planning/Probate issues. Ms. Ross served as the 2022 President of the Alameda County Bar Association (ACBA) and previously served as the Chair of the ACBA Family Law Section. She has been named a California Rising Star by Super Lawyers over various years since 2016. In May of 2015 she was honored by VLSC as their Volunteer of the Year and in March of 2014 she was honored by Assemblyman Bill Quirk’s office as the District 20 Woman of the Year in Law. Her background also includes six years working for Purchasing Management International, a purchasing firm for hotels and casinos and acting as a visiting professor at Westwood College in Dallas where she taught courses in English Literature and Ethics. Ms. Ross holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and a Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of San Diego. She also holds a Master’s degree in English Literature and received her Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.

Sylvia Woods Law Office of Sylvia Woods
At the law office of Sylvia Woods in Oakland City Center, she and her associate attorney, Terry S. Wheeler, along with the rest of their legal team, provide quality legal support and counsel to families throughout the Bay Area. Since opening their practice in 1992, they have earned a reputation for being consistently thorough, honest, understanding, and committed to their clients. They think mediation is often preferable to litigation in family law conflicts, and they welcome high-conflict and multi-ethnic custody cases. Among her professional and community affiliations, Ms. Woods is a member of the Alameda County Family Law Association, the Alameda County Bar Association, and the Women Lawyers of Alameda County.

Ms. Arnott was certified as a specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization in 2015 and served as the chairperson of the family law section of the San Francisco Bar Association’s Barristers Club in 2013. She is also trained in Collaborative Divorce. A native of New York and North Carolina, Ms. Arnott moved to California to attend Santa Clara University School of Law, from which she received her J.D. She has exclusively practiced family law since 2008. Ms. Arnott is well-versed in all areas of family law, including dissolutions, custody, spousal and child support, enforcement, and contempt proceedings. Additionally, she has demonstrated excellence in matters relating to domestic violence protective orders, and premarital agreements. In 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, she achieved a remarkable milestone by earning the prestigious Super Lawyers award, a testament to her outstanding legal expertise and dedication to excellence. Ms. Arnott was named 2023-2024 Volunteer Attorney of the year by San Francisco Unified Family Court

Ms. Buckley is the prior president of the San Francisco Bar Association Paralegal Section and continues to sit on the board. She taught family law for two semesters at San Francisco State in their paralegal program. Since obtaining her paralegal certificate from Cañada College in 2011, Ms. Buckley has worked exclusively in family law. Prior to becoming a paralegal, she taught English at middle and high schools across the country. During her free time, Ms. Buckley enjoys reading Victorian novels, trashy true crime, and taking her Golden Retriever, Jolene, on swim dates. She has presented multiple CLEs over the years, mostly focusing on discovery.

Jennifer Buckman has more than 20 years of experience representing public agencies and private clients on water and land use issues involving the federal and state Endangered Species Acts, federal reclamation and other water supply laws, and the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. She also has extensive administrative law experience and has negotiated complex matters, such as the San Joaquin River Restoration settlement agreement and its implementing legislation, with regulatory agencies such as the United States Bureau of Reclamation, State Water Resources Control Board, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Before joining BKS, Ms. Buckman served as the in-house General Counsel for Friant Water Authority, a joint powers agency that delivers water to over one million acres of highly productive irrigated farm land on the east side of the southern San Joaquin Valley. Prior to joining Friant, she was in private practice for 16 years, where she represented clients in matters concerning a host of environmental and public law issues. 

Mr. Emrick has over 30 years’ experience in water rights, land use, business/real estate litigation and environmental matters. He practices throughout California. He earned his juris doctorate degree from the University of California School of Law, San Francisco in 1990. Mr. Emrick is admitted in both State and Federal Courts in California including the First. Third and Fifth District Courts of Appeals as well as the United States Northern and Eastern District Courts. Mr. Emrick has also practiced before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal. Mr. Emrick has represented numerous public agencies and private parties over the years on water rights matters, including water districts and cities. This experience includes water rights litigation, water rights due diligence and verification, water rights valuations, and practice before the State Water Resources Control Board. Mr. Emrick is a frequent lecturer on water and property rights law. He has appeared on radio programs including KZYX in Mendocino County.

Mr. Hicks is a California water law, real property, and conservation attorney who represents a variety of public interest organizations, landowners, and others on select public policy, transactional, administrative, regulatory, and litigation matters. Before law school, he was an energy and water policy analyst at the Natural Heritage Institute and the founder and executive director of the Headwaters Institute. He has interned at the San Francisco Office of the City Attorney, California State Water Resources Control Board, and American Rivers. Mr. Hicks founded and chaired the inaugural California Water Law Symposium sponsored by leading northern California law schools and is a Board member. He is the author of the Water Education Foundation’s 2020 Layperson’s Guide to Water Rights Law, recognized as the most thorough explanation of California water rights law available to non-lawyers. He is a former whitewater raft guide, kayaker, and Colorado Outward Bound School instructor. Mr. Hicks holds a J.D. degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law and a B.A. degree from the University of Vermont.

Hugo A. Loáiciga, Ph.D., P.E., B.C. WRE, PH is the Director of the Hydrology Laboratory and Distinguished Professor with the University of California Santa Barbara. His fields of specialization include Groundwater Hydrology/Water Resource Planning, Management and Natural Resources and Applied Mathematics/Statistics. Dr. Loáiciga has earned numerous awards and professional distinctions some of which include: 2026 Pioneers in Groundwater Award, American Society of Civil Engineers/Environmental and Water Resources Institute, 2025 Fellow, Environmental and Water Resources Institute, 2025 Public Voices Fellow of The OpEd Project and University of California, Santa Barbara, and the 2024 Outstanding Research and Innovation Award, American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE). He has been published in 441 Scholarly Publications. Dr. Loáiciga earned his Master of Science degree and his Ph.D. in Hydrology & Water Resources from the University of California, Davis.

Beginning in 2005 at Ardalan & Associates, Maryam Ardalan worked her way through virtually every position in the legal field – from receptionist and file clerk to legal assistant, bookkeeper, and office manager. After earning her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School, she became an attorney in 2016 and eventually rose to managing partner at Ardalan & Associates. In 2024, she founded her own personal injury firm, Swift Justice, Inc., where she continues to advocate for clients. Beyond her legal practice, our speaker shares their wealth of knowledge with other firms through Ecasa Education, providing consultation on efficiency, protocols, morale, and office culture.

Jesse Danoff is a managing partner with Mitchell & Danoff. His main area of practice is plaintiff’s personal injury. He is the type of attorney that will go the extra mile to get justice for his clients, no matter the size or strength of the opposition. Mr. Danoff is also the type of skilled negotiator that gets his clients the best deals they could possibly achieve thanks to his quick wit, vast knowledge of the law, and sense of humor, which helps smooth things over for clients in tough situations. Mr. Danoff previously managed a law firm with offices in San Francisco and New York. Prior to becoming a plaintiff’s personal injury attorney, Mr. Danoff worked in-house for small and large corporations, making major deals in a variety of different areas of business. Mr. Danoff’s clients even included 30 members of the Fortune 50. He is known as the “get-it-done” guy for his analytical skills and tenacious attitude, as well as his ability to perceive cases from a variety of different angles to help find his clients extra dollars where they might not even have looked. Mr. Danoff graduated from The Ohio State University Moritz School of Law and is licensed to practice law in California, New York, and New Jersey.

Mr. Suits is the Chief Executive Officer of Suits Litigation, Inc., a plaintiff personal injury firm based in San Jose, California, which he founded in 2012. With 22 years of legal experience, he focuses his practice on advocating for individuals who have sustained serious injuries in motor vehicle accidents, including those involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Mr. Suits earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1997 before obtaining his law degree from the University of Southern California Law School in 2003. Prior to establishing his own practice, he worked as a litigation attorney for the firms of Tharpe & Howell, LLP and Robinson & Wood, Inc.

Mr. Bowcock has been appointed to serve on several Watermaster Boards by California Superior Courts since 1990. He is a licensed California Grade V Water Treatment Operator and maintains various other water industry licenses. He routinely provides expert witness work to legal firms in the specific area of water resource management. Mr. Bowcock has decades of experience in designing, running, and advising municipal drinking water systems around the country and around the world. He is a water consultant to environmentalist in Erin Brockovich, who brought the lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electrical in California and was featured in the 2000 movie Erin Brockovich.

Dr. Laton is an expert in the field of geology/hydrology/hydrogeology. He is the 2014 recipient of the prestigious Ross Oliver Award. This is a continuation of a career that includes years of teaching, consulting, litigation support and management experience. Dr. Laton possesses extensive knowledge in the areas of hydrogeology, soil and water contamination, hydrology and surface water, wetlands, coastal monitoring/ geomorphology, field sampling techniques and well hydraulics-well design, as well as environmental remote sensing/GIS. His classes at the university encompass water quality, environmental sampling, groundwater modeling, well hydraulics, oceanography and basic geology. Dr. Laton enjoys introducing students to applied research and acts as the faculty adviser to many upper-level students. He also has acted as a consultant for numerous companies and agencies that need input on the above subjects, as well as natural hazard
assessment and mapping.

Mr. Moynier has roughly 40 years of experience in the water resource engineering and environmental resources fields and began his career in operations and management of a public water/ wastewater utilities agency. He is a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) and a Certified Environmental Professional (CEP) and is recognized as an expert in the field of water supply planning and management. Mr. Moynier is an elected member of the Board of Directors for the Floodplain Management Association (FMA) and served as Water Resource Chair for the Board of Directors for the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP). He has prepared more than two dozen water supply assessments for a broad range of projects and has more than 20 years’ experience preparing urban water management plans and integrated water resource management plans for clients throughout California.

Mr. Wance is a shareholder and former chair of Buchalter’s Land Use Practice Group. He has built a cross-disciplinary practice involving land use and entitlements, water resources, environmental compliance, natural resources, and public law through the representation of both public agencies and private businesses throughout California. Mr. Wance has handled all aspects of these substantive areas, from advising clients regarding the applicability of the law, to guiding clients through a permitting or entitlement process, or defending clients subject to enforcement actions. He successfully represented businesses and public agencies in sophisticated financial, real estate, water resource, environmental compliance, and land development matters in court and before administrative agencies. Mr. Wance’s land use and entitlement background includes representation of residential developers, public entities, major industrial facilities, and other commercial businesses in all phases of project development before local and state agencies, city councils, and county board of supervisors. He has assisted clients in obtaining development and environmental permits and project approvals for power plants, schools, mixed-use, and industrial development projects.

Mr. Wance is a shareholder and former chair of Buchalter’s Land Use Practice Group. He has built a cross-disciplinary practice involving land use and entitlements, water resources, environmental compliance, natural resources, and public law through the representation of both public agencies and private businesses throughout California. Mr. Wance has handled all aspects of these substantive areas, from advising clients regarding the applicability of the law, to guiding clients through a permitting or entitlement process, or defending clients subject to enforcement actions. He successfully represented businesses and public agencies in sophisticated financial, real estate, water resource, environmental compliance, and land development matters in court and before administrative agencies. Mr. Wance’s land use and entitlement background includes representation of residential developers, public entities, major industrial facilities, and other commercial businesses in all phases of project development before local and state agencies, city councils, and county board of supervisors. He has assisted clients in obtaining development and environmental permits and project approvals for power plants, schools, mixed-use, and industrial development projects.