The State Bar of California
  • About CLA
  • CLE & Events
  • Sections
  • CYLA
  • Join Us
  • About CLA
    • News
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Board of Directors
    • Appointments Process
    • Awards
    • Legislative Program
    • Bookstore
    • Jobs and Opportunities
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • CLE & Events
    • Calendar of CLE and Other Events
    • Annual Meeting
  • Sections
    • Antitrust, UCL and Privacy
      • Antitrust, UCL and Privacy in the News
        • March 2018 Antitrust in the News
        • February 2018 Antitrust In the News
        • January 2018
        • 2017
          • December 2017
          • November 2017
          • October 2017
          • May 2017
          • June 2017
          • September 2017
          • July 2017
      • About the Section
      • Executive Committee
      • Education
        • Golden State Institute
        • Cybersecurity Symposium
      • Publications
        • Competition
        • The Cartwright Act at 100
        • Antitrust Treatise
      • Lawyer of the Year
    • Business Law
      • About
      • Executive Committee
        • Role of the Executive Committee
        • Past Chairs of the Business Law Section
      • Standing Committees
        • Application
        • Contacts
        • Meetings
        • Sign Up for Standing Committee Email Updates
        • Top E-Bulletins - Consumer Financial Services Cmte
        • Top E-Bulletins - Franchise Committee
        • Top E-Bulletins - Insolvency Law Committee
        • ILC Judicial Profile Series
        • Letter from Corporations Committee to SEC
        • Health Law Committee on Section 6402(a) of the ACA
      • Publications
        • Business Law News
          • Business Law News Submission Guidelines
        • Editorial Board
        • Business Law E-News
          • Business Law E-News March 2018
          • February 2018 BLS Enews
          • January 2018
          • December 2017
          • November 2017
          • October 2017
          • August 2017
          • September 2017
          • July 2017
          • June 2017
        • Annual Review
          • Commercial Law Developments
        • Opinion Resources
          • Third-Party Closing Opinions: California Limited Liability Companies and Partnerships
          • Third-Party Opinion for Venture Capital Financing
          • Third-Party Opinion for Business Transactions
            • Third-Party Legal Opinion - Business Transactions
            • Sample With Footnotes
            • Sample Without Footnotes
          • Venture Capital Financing Transactions
          • Third Party Remedies
          • Personal Property Secured Transactions
            • Introduction
            • Security Interest Opinions
            • UCC Scope Limitation
            • Attachment Opinions
            • Perfection Opinions
            • Priority Opinions
            • Conclusion
            • Appendix A - Acknowledgments
            • Appendix B - Sample Opinion
            • Report on Personal Property Secured Transactions
          • Legal Opinions in Business Transactions
            • Legal Opinions in Business Transactions
            • Contributors and Acknowledgments
            • Introduction
            • Purpose of this Report
            • Definition and Purpose
            • Legal Standards Applicable
            • Preparation of the Opinion Letter
            • Certain Common Opinions and Special Issues
            • Special Issues
            • Opinions Not Normally Requested
            • Appendices
          • Franchise Opinions
        • ABC Desk Guide
        • Hidden Liens
        • Lawyers Guide to Drafting ADR Clauses
        • Cyberspace Law and Policy
        • Agricultural Law Sourcebook CD
        • Incorporating a Business
        • Order Publications
      • Sign Up for Standing Committee Email Updates
      • Education
      • Lifetime Achievement Award
    • Criminal Law
      • About
      • Education
        • Criminal Law Home
      • Publications
        • Criminal Law Journal
      • Executive Committee
      • Student Writing Competition
    • Environmental Law
      • Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite
      • Education
        • Private Enforcement in California—Challenges in the Trump Era
        • Your Valley, Your Voice: Bringing Environmental Justice to San Joaquin Valley Communities
        • Yosemite
          • Yosemite Conference
          • Essential Information
          • Hotel Reservations
          • Program Schedule
          • Sponsorships
          • Scholarship Information
      • Publications
        • Environmental Law News
        • Environmental Law Update
      • About
      • Executive Committee
      • Legislation
      • Students
      • Student Negotiations Competition
        • Competition Rules
        • Past Competitions
        • 2016 Fact Pattern
      • Environmental Law Fellowships
      • Sustainability
      • Lifetime Achievement Award
      • Sponsors
    • Family Law
      • Committees
        • Executive Committee (FLEXCOM)
        • Standing Committees
      • About
      • Benefits
      • Publications
        • Family Law News
        • Family Law News Monthly
          • Monthly Issue 6 2017
          • Monthly Issue 5, 2017
          • Monthly Issue 4, 2017
        • Your Legal Rights
      • Past Chairs
      • Education
      • Essentials 2018: Making a Real Difference
      • Family Law Essentials Program
      • Seeking Award Nominations
      • Judicial Officer of the Year
    • Intellectual Property Law
      • Committees & Interest Groups
        • Executive Committee
        • Interest Groups
      • Education
        • IP Institute
      • Publications
        • New Matter
        • Trade Secrets Treatise
        • Inevitable Disclosures
          • Inevitable Disclosures for April 15, 2018
          • Inevitable Disclosures for March 15, 2018
          • Inevitable Disclosures for February 28, 2018
          • Inevitable Disclosures for February 15, 2018
          • Inevitable Disclosures for January 31, 2018
          • Inevitable Disclosures for January 15, 2018
          • Inevitable Disclosures for December 31, 2017
          • Inevitable Disclosures for September 30, 2017
          • Inevitable Disclosures for October 31, 2017
          • Inevitable Disclosures for October 15, 2017
          • Inevitable Disclosures for September 15, 2017
          • Inevitable Disclosures for August 31, 2017
          • ID October 31, 2016
      • About
      • IP Institute
      • IP Vanguard Awards
    • International Law
      • About
      • Executive Committee
      • Education
      • Publications
        • Journal
        • Newsletter
          • February 2018
      • Law Students
      • International Relations
      • International Lawyer of the Year
      • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Labor & Employment Law
      • About
      • Education
        • Employment Law 101
        • Immigration and Employment Summit
        • Labor & Employment Law Annual Meeting and Public Sector Conference
          • Thursday - Labor & Employment Law Annual Meeting
          • Friday - Public Sector Conference
        • Continuing Education on Labor and Employment Law
      • Publications
      • Executive Committee
      • Sponsorship Opportunities
      • Grants
    • Law Practice Management & Technology
      • Member Benefits
      • Executive Committee
      • Education
      • Publications
        • The Bottom Line
          • The Bottom Line 2017
        • LPMT E-News
          • January/February 2018
          • November/December 2017
          • September/October 2017
          • July/August 2017
          • May/June 2017
          • March/April 2017
      • Discounts
      • Resources
    • Litigation
      • About
      • Executive Committee
      • Publications
        • California Litigation
          • California Litigation Editorial Board
          • Volume 21 to Current Volume
          • Volume 16 - Volume 20
          • Volume 11 - Volume 15
          • Volume 6 - Volume 10
          • Volume 1 - Volume 5
          • Coming Together: The California Supreme Court
        • California Litigation Review
          • E-Discovery Skills
        • Litigation Update
          • April 2018
          • March 2018
          • February 2018
          • January 2018
          • December 2017
          • November 2017
          • October 2017
          • September 2017
        • Lawyers Guide to Drafting ADR Clauses
        • E-Discovery Pocket Guide
      • Education
        • Online Education Catalog
        • Coaching for the New Practitioner
        • So You Want to Be a Judge? Pathways to a Judicial Career
        • Litigation Summit and Appellate Summit
          • Essential Information
          • Sponsors
          • Litigation Summit Schedule
          • Appellate Summit Schedule
          • Planning Committees
      • Past Chairs of the Litigation Section
      • Standing Committees
      • Law Suits Clothing Drive
      • Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame
        • Trial Lawyer & Appellate Lawyer Hall of Fame Nominations
    • Public Law
      • About the Section
      • Executive Committee
      • Education
        • 2018 California Public Records and Open Meetings Conference
      • Publications
        • Journal
          • Public Law Journal Article Submission Guidelines
        • How Government Works
      • Public Lawyer of the Year
      • Student Writing Competition
    • Real Property Law
      • Education
        • Real Estate and Law Symposium
        • RP Retreat
          • Schedule
          • Essential Information
          • Hotel Reservations
          • Social Events
      • Real Estate and Law Symposium
      • About
      • Publications
        • Journal
          • Surface Rights Analysis Chart
        • E-Bulletin
          • April 2018
          • March 2018
          • February 2018
          • November 2017
          • September 2017
          • August 2017
          • July 2017
          • June 2017
      • Executive Committee
      • Subsections
      • Student Writing Competition
      • Morning Star Awards
    • Solo & Small Firm
      • About
      • Executive Committee
      • Education
        • The Business of Law for Small Firms and the Solo Practitioner
      • Publications
        • The Practitioner
        • The ePractitioner
          • April 2018 E-News
          • March 2018 E-News
          • February 2018
          • January 2018
          • December 2017
          • November 2017
          • October 2017
          • September 2017
          • August 2017
          • July 2017
      • Attorney of the Year Award
    • Taxation
      • About
      • Membership Benefits
      • Education
        • Annual Young Tax Lawyers Conference
        • Annual Income Tax Seminar
        • Tax Annual Meeting and Tax Policy Conference
          • Essential Info
          • Sponsors
          • Hotel Reservations
          • Schedule at a Glance
          • Courses by Committee
          • Speakers
          • Wednesday Schedule of Events
          • Thursday Schedule of Events
          • Friday Schedule of Events
        • The 26th Annual Estate and Gift Tax Conference
      • Publications
        • California Tax Lawyer
        • California Tax Lawyer Articles Manual
        • California Journal of Tax Litigation
        • Taxation Section eNews
      • Committees
        • Executive Committee
        • Past Chairs
        • Standing Committee Officers
        • Join a Standing Committee
      • Annual Awards
        • Benjamin F. Miller Award
        • Joanne M. Garvey Award
        • V. Judson Klein Award
      • Washington DC Delegation
      • Sacramento Delegation
    • Trusts & Estates
      • About
      • Executive Committee
      • Education
        • 2018 Spring Education Conference
        • 2018 Financial Elder Abuse Symposium
      • Publications
        • California Trusts and Estates Quarterly
        • Ethics Guide
        • E-News
        • Practitioner Checklist
        • Statuory Will Form
        • Advance Care Health Directive
      • Educating Seniors
        • About Us
        • Community Speakers Bureau
        • Resources
          • Seniors Contact Card
          • Seniors and the Law
            • Seniors and the Law
            • Making Ends Meet
            • Choosing Where to Live
            • Obtaining Health Care and Benefits
            • Planning Ahead
            • Dealing with Debt
            • Staying on the Job
            • Getting Around
            • Handling Elder Abuse
            • Avoiding Consumer Scams
            • Getting Divorced or Remarried
            • Raising Your Grandchildren
            • Finding a Caregiver or Nursing Home
            • Losing a Spouse or Parent
            • Getting Legal Help
            • Resources
            • Credits, Acknowledgments and How to Help
            • Educating Seniors Home
          • Do I Need a Will?
          • Do I Need a Living Trust?
          • Do I Need Estate Planning?
          • What Should I Know About Elder Abuse?
          • How Can I Find and Hire the Right Lawyer?
        • Preserve Your Independence -- Protect Your Assets
        • Financial Risks and Scams
        • Preventing Elder Financial Abuse
      • Standing Committees
      • Professional Fiduciary
      • New Case Alerts
        • Case Alerts 2008-2016
    • Workers' Compensation
      • About
      • Education
        • 2018 Spring Education Conference
      • Publications
        • E-News
          • April 2018
          • March 2018
          • February 2018
          • January 2018
          • December 2017
        • Quarterly
      • Executive Committee
      • Awards
  • CYLA
    • About CYLA
    • Roster
    • Education
    • CYLA eNews
    • Useful Articles
    • Jack Berman Award
    • Member Info and Resources
  • Join Us
    • Join the California Lawyers Association
  • Self-Study
  • Member Sign in
  • About
  • Executive Committee
  • Education
  • Publications
  • Attorney of the Year Award

  • Other Sections
    • Antitrust, UCL and Privacy
    • Business Law
    • Criminal Law
    • Environmental Law
    • Family Law
    • Intellectual Property Law
    • International Law
    • Labor & Employment Law
    • Law Practice Management & Technology
    • Litigation
    • Public Law
    • Real Property Law
    • Solo & Small Firm
    • Taxation
    • Trusts & Estates
    • Workers' Compensation

Solo and Small Firm

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Share with Email
  • Message from the Section Chair
  • The Business of Law for Small Firms and Solo Practitioners, April 13, 2018
  • Webinar Wednesdays!
    • Representing California Commercial Cannabis Clients, April 18, 2018
  • Solo and Small Firm Section Attorney of the Year Award
  • Volunteer Opportunities: Writers Wanted
  • Helpful Practice Pointers
    • Tech Report: Video Conferencing Solutions
    • What to Do If Your Client Dies Abroad
  • Updates in the Law
    • Selected Case Reviews [2/25-3/25]
    • Surrogacy & the Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage: What We Know Now, What to Expect in the Future
  • News from the Courts
  • News from the State Bar
  • News from the California Lawyers Association (CLA): CLA Annual Meeting


Message from the Chair

By Ritzel Starleigh Ngo

Dear Solo and Small Firm Section Members:

The Spring is almost here! We hope that the 1st Quarter of 2018 is going well for your law firm. Our section has identified several subcommittees of which I want you to be aware, so that you can join and participate and share your ideas.Thank you to our members who have reached out to me and other members of our executive committee with ideas to provide our section with feedback in how we can support your needs as a small law firm and/or a solo practice.

The subcommittees of the Solo and Small Firm section, which includes a brief description and e-mail contact person are as follows:

Membership, Marketing and Social Media: focus on improving member benefits, and marketing our section and practice, and social media efforts for our section. Steven Mayer, e-mail: smayer@mayerlawla.com

Publications committee: focus on the Practitioner magazine, reviewing and publishing substantive and procedural articles.Subcommitee Chair:Omar Anorga, e-mail: omar@anorgalaw.com

Bylaws subcommittee: focus on the California Lawyers Association and drafting our section bylaws which correspond with the new association;Subcommittee Chair:Trina Chatterjee, e-mail: tchatterjee@mvtcfamilylaw.com

Outreach committee: focus on serving the needs of the underserved attorney/legal population in our section, which includes lesser populated areas.Subcommittee Chair: Nancy Goldstein, e-mail: nbg.esq@gmail.com

Appointments subcommittee: focus on appointing new members to the section's executive committee.Subcommitee Chair: Susan Share: sshare@susansharelaw.com

Attorney of the Year Award: focus on identifiying multiple attorney candidates for the attorney of the year award which is recognized and celebrated that the Sections Convention annually in September.Subcommittee Chair: Robert Klein, e-mail: Robert@rkleinlaw.com

Programs subcommittee: focus on identifying educational MCLE programs (live, webinars, webcasts, Section Convention).Education Chair: Sabrina Green: sgreen@sglawcorp.com

We look forward to your participation.

Please mark your calendars for our live MCLE Spring Conference which will be held at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles on April 20, 2018.We have three MCLE presentations, which will focus on the 2018 Tax Reform laws, marketing for solo and small law firms, and a program on client-centered law practice.

Please keep a look out for our live program e-blasts and upcoming e-newsletters for details which will include executive committee member visits to your local bar association, webinars, and committee updates.

We are looking to bringing the Winter to a close and welcoming the Spring.

Ritzel Starleigh Ngo, Chair

The Business of Law for Small Firms and the Solo Practitioner

Earn 4.0 Hours MCLE and Legal Specialization Credit. 

Friday, April 13, 2018

Loyola Law School
Hall of the 80’s
919 Albany Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Register Here!

Schedule | Essential Info
Printable Brochure | Mail/Fax Registration Form

Click here for more information!

Webinar: Representing California Commercial Cannabis Clients

Wednesday, April 18, 2018 12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M.

This program offers 1 hour participatory MCLE credit. You must register in advance to participate.

The webinar will focus on issues created by representing clients involved in California's newly regulated cannabis industry. Topics will include new laws and regulations, State and local licensing, intellectual property and impact of Federal policy on the industry.

Speakers: Robert Finkle, Kimberly Simms, Movses Shakarian, Luke Zimmerman

Solo and Small Firm Section Attorney of the Year Award

Request for Nominations - Due May 15, 2018

The Solo and Small Firm Section of the California Lawyers Association is pleased to request nominations for the Solo and Small Firm Attorney of the Year Award. The award will be presented at the California Lawyers Association Annual Meeting held on September 14, 2018 in San Diego.

The Solo and Small Firm Section of the California Lawyers Association presents its Attorney of the Year Award to honor a solo or small firm attorney, who has demonstrated exemplary leadership and dedication to the legal profession, contributed to the betterment of the practice of law, and has devoted significant service to the public and legal community.

Click Here for the Application Form

Volunteer Opportunities: Writers wanted

The Solo and Small Firm Section has two publications: The Practitioner, our quarterly magazine; and the ePractioner, our monthly electronic newsletter.  We are always looking for content.  Because this section is not in a particular substantive area, we are able to publish all kinds of subject matter.  And we have great discretion as to length - so a great idea of one paragraph can be considered!

If you like to write, please send ideas and articles to the editors:

Marilyn A. Monahan, marilyn@monahanlawoffice.com and Nancy B Goldstein, nancy@gr8calilawyer.com

Helpful Practice Pointers

Tech Report: Video Conferencing Solutions

By Robert M. Klein, Esq., A Law Practice Devoted to Helping Personal Injury Victims
robert@rkleinlaw.com

You need to set up a meeting with the client and after talking on the phone you realize your client cannot make the trip to your office. Or maybe you cannot make the trip to your client. You consider your options: do you send a car service to bring the client to your office? Do you send a substitute to your client’s residence or place of business for the meeting? Do you meet the client on a weekend? There is a simple alternative - a video conference (or video chat). Read More

What to Do If Your Client Dies Abroad

Posted on March 21, 2018 by Julie Brook, Esq., CEB
Reprinted by permission.

Although most attorneys never get involved with probate administration outside the United States, you might encounter practical problems if your client, who’s a California domiciliary, dies abroad. The first thing to do when a U.S. citizen dies in a foreign country is to contact the U.S. Department of State or the American consulate of the country in which the death occurred. This is for a few very practical reasons. Read More

In the Know

Updates in the Law

SELECTED CASE REVIEWS [2/25-3/25]

By Steven L. Krongold
Irvine, CA 
steve@krongoldlaw.com

CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT

Partnerships—Dissolution—Property Interest in Hourly Cases

Heller Ehrman LLP v. Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, S236208 (Cal., 3/5/2018)

Resolving a question posed by the Ninth Circuit, the Supreme Court held that a partnership has no property interest in legal matters pending at the time the firm is dissolved, when the firm was retained on an hourly basis. Based on this decision, partners of dissolved law firms are free to take pending hourly cases to their new firms without fear of being sued for disgorgement, for breach of fiduciary duty, or for an accounting of profits. Read More

Surrogacy & the Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage: What We Know Now, What to Expect in the Future

By Evie Jeang
Ideal Legal Group, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA
ejeang@ideallegalgroup.com

Last year’s landmark Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states, was a tremendous equal rights victory for same-sex couples. It also naturally lead to an influx of same-sex couples looking to expand their families, often through surrogacy. Make no mistake, as science has evolved, new doors have opened for couples seeking to have children through surrogacy. Yet surrogacy laws have struggled to keep up with the breakneck pace of these medical advances, and thus family law surrounding this relatively new field is ever-changing. (Case in point, surrogacy laws are not the same in all 50 states. In fact, states such as New York, Michigan, and Washington, D.C., still prohibit surrogacy.) It is crucial that same-sex couples considering surrogacy are armed with as much knowledge as possible before deciding where to find a surrogate and where to forge their surrogacy agreement. Read More

News from the Courts

California Supreme Court: The California Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions (CJEO) invites public comment on a draft opinion on whether a judge may give an educational presentation to a specialty bar association, such as a district attorney or public defender association. The deadline for comment is May 15. Read More

News from the State Bar

The State Bar of California notified members of the Bar last week that it intended to file a request with the California Supreme Court for approval of a proposed California Rule of Court regarding re-fingerprinting of attorneys. The change will allow the State Bar to obtain criminal record information in compliance with state law.

In the interim, the State Bar encourages attorneys to immediately notify the State Bar of any mandatory reportable actions. As a reminder, failure to report mandatory reportable actions in and of itself constitutes violations of various sections of the Business & Professions Code and may subject attorneys to disciplinary action.

The State Bar has posted FAQs on its website:http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Attorneys/Conduct-Discipline/Self-Reporting-FAQ

News from the California Lawyers Association (CLA): CLA Annual Meeting

Mark your calendars for the inaugural California Lawyers Association Annual Meeting—a terrific opportunity to learn and to network. The CLA Annual Meeting will be held in San Diego this year:

Friday-Saturday, September 14-15, 2018
Sheraton San Diego Harbor Island
San Diego

This event follows in the footprints of the Sections Convention of 2017, and more than 30 years participating in the Annual Meeting of The State Bar of California. In fact, this event will feature many of the events you associated in the past with the Bar’s Annual Meeting. The Solo and Small Firm Section hopes to see you there!

Contact Us

Solo and Small Firm Section
California Lawyers Association
180 Howard Street, Suite 410
San Francisco, CA 94105-1639
415-795-7186
solo@CAlawyers.org

The California Lawyers Association
Copyright © 2018
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Staff Log in
  • CONTACT US
    180 Howard St., Ste. 410
    San Francisco, CA 94105
    415-795-7029
    info@cla.legal