During his more than forty years in the practice of law, Bill has focused on helping individuals, families and trustees on the West Coast resolve contentious estate and trust disputes.

Licensed in Oregon and California, Bill has tried cases involving estates, trusts and conservatorships throughout Oregon, California and neighboring states, and has been designated as an expert witness in trust, estate and conservatorship litigation and related tax and professional negligence cases. Knowledgeable about complex estate and tax planning, trust and estate administration, Bill has lectured extensively for Continuing Education of the Bar, the National Business Institute and addressed numerous Bar Associations, Estate Planning Councils, and estate planning professionals.

Bill taught Estate Planning for over a decade at California State University, Fresno, and has a demonstrated his ability to communicate, author and listen. Trained through Pepperdine University’s Center for Dispute Resolution, Bill has served as a mediator for trust, estate and conservatorship disputes and brings an extensive knowledge of estate planning and trust administration, practical and real life experience as trial counsel and his training as a mediator to settling cases in the same trusts’ and estates’ arena. He is a former chair of the Fresno County and the Orange County Bar Association estate planning, trust and probate sections and the former president of the Fresno Estate Planning Counsel. Bill has served as judge pro tem in the probate departments of the Fresno County Superior Court and the Orange County Superior Court.

Professional Activities

• Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Member, 2002-present
  • San Joaquin Chapter, Board of Directors, 2009-present
  • Annual Seminar Planning Committee, 2011
• Fresno County Superior Court, Probate Department, Judge Pro Tem, 1996-2002
• Notre Dame Law Association, Member
• Orange County Bar Association, Member
  • Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law Section, 1985-1989
    • Education Officer, 1986-1987
    • Secretary, 1987-1988
    • Vice Chair, 1988-1989
  • Probate Policy Memorandum Revision Committee, Chair, 1985-1986
  • Section Education Officer and Moderator, 1986
  • Resolutions Committee, 1988
  • Conference of Delegates, 1988-1989
  • O.C.B.A. Probate Clinic
  • State Controller’s Office Liaison Committee, Legislative Review Committee, Member
• Orange County Superior Court, Probate Department, Judge Pro Tem, 1988
• Oregon Mediation Association, Member
• Owen M. Panner American Inn of Court
• St. Thomas More Law Society, Member

Community Activities

• Catholic Professional & Business Breakfast Club, Fresno, California, Board of Directors, 1997-2001
• C.S.P., Inc. (Community Service Programs), Member
  • Board of Directors, Former President
  • Victim Witness Advisory Board
• Fresno Estate Planning Council, Member
  • Treasurer, 1989-1999
  • Board of Directors, 1994-1999
  • President, 2000-2001
• Newport Beach Estate Planning Council, Member
• Notre Dame Clubs of Fresno, Orange County and Portland, Member
• Orange County Estate Planning Council, Member
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Clovis, California, School Board Member, 1994-1999
• San Joaquin Memorial High School, Fresno, California, School Board Chair, 1998-2001

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