Dr. Teo Ernst

Dr. Teo Ernst is a clinical and forensic psychologist in private practice in Alameda and San Francisco. He is an assistant clinical professor in the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and a Qualified Medical Examiner for the California Department of Industrial Relations. He routinely provides evaluations and expert testimony in legal cases involving capacity, psychological injury, and violence or suicide risk.

Francine Lee

As Business Leader for the EY Fiduciary/Trust & Estate Accounting Services (FTEAS), Francine and her team focus on the development of go-to-market strategies and managing relationships with banks, law firms and family offices.

Frank Acuna, Esq.

Frank R. Acuña is a founding partner of Acuña & Regli, LLP, with offices located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Acuña & Regli has built its practice around the needs of licensed professional fiduciaries throughout the State of California. He is a California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate, and Trust Law and was admitted to the California Bar during 1985.

Jeffrey Marvan, Esq.

JEFF MARVAN is the founder of MarvanLaw, A.P.C.  A 1999 graduate of the U.C. Davis, King Hall School of Law, Jeff started his career as a criminal public defender for Yolo County.  Jeff established MarvanLaw, A.P.C. in 2006.  The firm focuses on probate litigation, trust litigation, estate planning, guardianships, and conservatorships in Los Angeles.  The firm represents professional fiduciaries.  

Jeff served as an associate professor at Glendale University College of Law, teaching trusts and estates.  Jeff has presented at numerous legal education programs sponsored by many legal organizations.   Jeff is a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Probate Volunteer Panel, and the Los Angeles County Probate Settlement Officer Program.  Jeff is on LACBA’s Trust and Estates Executive Committee and was recently recognized a Super Lawyer for Trust and Estates Litigation.   

Jeremy Lau, CFA, CFP

Jeremy L. Lau serves as President and Chief Investment Officer of Prudent Investors. He specializes in managing assets for public and private fiduciaries and individual households. He teaches the investment management course for Cal State University, Fullerton’s trustee certification program and frequently speaks on fiduciary investing to attorneys and fiduciaries across various associations. Before joining Prudent Investors, he worked as an Executive Director in investment banking in Asia for some of the world’s largest securities firms in structured credit and convertible bonds. He graduated in Accounting (with Honors distinction) from Brigham Young University and has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designations.

Kevin Urbatsch, Esq

Kevin Urbatsch is a principal of the special needs and settlement planning law firm, The Urbatsch Law Firm P.C. located in Pleasant Hill, California. Kevin also serves as National Director of the Academy of Special Needs Planners (ASNP), a national organization of special needs and settlement planning professionals. Kevin also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the NAELA Journal. Kevin is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. Kevin is also a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).

Leslie Sugai, Esq.

Leslie Yarnes Sugai is a partner in the Los Gatos law firm of Sugai & Sudweeks, LLP. Ms. Sugai has been designated a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. She is a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. She practices in the areas of estate planning, trusts and estate administration, Medi-Cal and special needs planning, and conservatorships. Ms. Sugai has previously lectured on estate planning and trust administration matters. She is a member of the Silicon Valley Bar Association, the West Valley Bar Association, Santa Clara County Estate Planning Council and the Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law section of The State Bar of California. Ms. Sugai earned her B.A. degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz and her J.D. degree from University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

Maria Stratton, Honorable Judge

Judge Stratton received her BA magna cum laude from the University of Southern California and her law degree from Boalt Hall School of Law. She served as a law clerk for the Honorable Harry Pregerson at both the U.S. District Court and U.S. Circuit Court. In 1981, Judge Stratton joined the Office of the Federal Public Defender in Los Angeles as a deputy federal public defender. In 1985, she joined Talcott, Lightfoot, Vandevelde, Woehrle and Sadowsky, where she practiced civil and criminal litigation until 1993 when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals appointed her Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California. In 2006 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed her to the Los Angeles County Superior Court. She currently serves on the Judicial Council’s Probate Curriculum Committee and Probate and Mental Health Advisory Committee. In 2016, Judge Stratton received the Ernestine Stahlhut Award, the highest award given by Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, for her outstanding character, dedication to service, and significant contributions to the cause of justice. She is a founding member of the Los Angeles Criminal Justice American Inn of Court.

Monica Goel, Esq.

Monica Goel has been rated “superb” by AVVO and names as one of the top estate planning attorneys. With over fifteen years of legal experience, Ms. Goel advises clients on a full range of estate, trust, probate, and conservatorship matters. Her practice focuses on estate planning, trust administration, probate administration, elder law, trust and probate litigation.

Nancy Sanborn

Nancy Sanborn is Executive Director of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Probate and Trust Sales Division. For 30 years she has developed a far-reaching network and built a team that provides informed representation to repeat and referral clients. With unequaled expertise in probate, trust and conservatorship, Nancy's people-friendly approach is direct and considers the big picture, while managing the complex transactions.

Richard Lambie

With over thirty years experience in Trust Administration, including 15 years with Bank Trust Departments, Richard set up his Professional Fiduciary practice fourteen  years ago to focus on the needs of families and individuals requiring special assistance with asset management and problem resolution.​

Richard is a past President of the Santa Clara County Estate Planning Council (1995), past President of the Professional Fiduciary Association of California (2003) and served a three year term as a Commissioner for the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Advisory Commission (2009-2012).  

Russ Marshall

Russ Marshall is the owner of Marshall Fiduciary Services. He is a registered professional conservator and trustee and a California Licensed Fiduciary. He served as President of the Professional Fiduciaries Association of California in 2002/2003.

Prior to entering private practice, Russ was the Manager of Estate Administration for the Santa Clara County Public Guardian. He served as President in 1993/1994 of the California State Association of Public Administrators/Guardians/Conservators.

Russ is certifed by the National Guardianship Association as an Approved Educator. He is also Certified by the Center for Guardianship Certification as a Naitonal Master Guardian.

Scott MacDonald

Scott MacDonald is the founder and leader of the Special Needs Team at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, a group of financial advisors and client associates dedicated to enhancing the long-term well-being of special-needs, disabled and elderly individuals by offering financial advice and guidance. Scott joined Merrill in 1987 and has spent his entire career addressing the unique needs of society’s most vulnerable members.

Ted Ong

Ted Ong specializes in retire­ment, fiduciary and estate planning. He is a nationally recognized expert on the Uniform Prudent Investor Act and has been an investment professional since 1983. He teaches the on-line “Management of the Investment Portfolio” class offered by California State University at Fullerton’s Trustee Certification Curriculum and has taught numerous fiduciary investment classes. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford and an MBA from Brigham Young University.

Tracy Regli, Esq.

Tracy S. Regli is a founding partner of Acuna & Regli, LLP. Tracy focuses her practice on probate and trust administration, fiduciary representation, conservatorship and special needs planning. She has assisted many banks, fiduciaries, and family members with administering large and small estates throughout California. Prior to starting the firm, Tracy worked for a national real estate investment trust, negotiating and drafting commercial real estate transactions. Her extensive business experience makes her a more effective lawyer when administering estates and negotiating disputes for her clients.

Viki Kind

Viki Kind is a clinical bioethicist, professional speaker and hospice volunteer. Her award-winning book, The Caregiver’s Path to Compassionate Decision Making: Making Choices For Those Who Can’t, guides families and professionals who are making decisions for those who have lost capacity. Viki is known as “The People’s Bioethicist,” because she is a rare individual who bridges two worlds, that of the health care professional and of the family struggling to make the right decision. She is an honorary board member of the Well Spouse Association and has been a caregiver for many years for six members of her family.

Yevgeny Belous, Esq.

Yevgeny (Eugene) L. Belous was born in 1983 in Kiev, Ukraine. He is fluent in Russian. He graduated in 20015 from the University of California, Santa Cruz, majoring in Economics and Business Management. Mr. Belous completed his J.D. from Thomas Cooley Law School in 2009 and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2009. In Law school, he was a senior intern at the Sixty Plus Elder Law Clinic, which exposed him to a wide variety of legal issues facing the elderly. Since becoming an attorney, he has continued upon this path practicing exclusively in the areas of trusts and estates, conservatorships, guardianships, and probate litigation.