HOLLANDER & HOLLANDER, PC - Key Persons
A valued and respected member of our team, Amy's compassion, empathy, and friendly demeanor helps to put our clients at ease.
Driven and ambitious, Amy has gained her legal experience working for several leading law firms in the Contra Costa-greater East Bay area. Before finding her home with Hollander & Hollander, PC, Ms. Harris worked as an Estate Planning Assistant, Notary Public and Secretary in Brentwood for the East County Family Law Group. Prior to working in Brentwood, Amy spent her formative years studying all aspects of estate planning under the guidance and supervision of her father, Attorney Joel Harris, as well as conducting due diligence and support for an array of business transactions under Attorney Michael Schachter of Pearson & Schachter, PLC in Walnut Creek. Ms. Harris also received her bachelor's degree in communications from the University of The Pacific, Stockton in 2018 and attended Golden Gate University of Law in 2020.
Amy enjoys her time outside the office baking cupcakes, investing in vintage fashion, wine tasting, and traveling. She is also passionate about helping underprivileged children in the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) organization of Contra Costa County by supporting their events planning team.
For the past 15 years, Carolyn Urenia Kuehn has represented the face of The Law Offices of Gary R. Lieberman. She as proven to be indispensable in organizing scheduling and managing schedules and resources while innovating projects to improve office system. Carolyn's positive attitude and rapport with the new and old clients has proven to be an asset for the firm.
Carolyn was offered a receptionist position with the Law offices of McCarty & Lieberman and quickly grew into a competent Legal Assistant. In the years, Carolyn worked to organize the legal files, learned how to set up financial reports for cases, providing necessary correspondence with attorney(s) and clients. Her reorganization of firm's data management and keen handling of the firm has cultivated a balanced work environment.
Prior to working at The Law Offices of Gary R. Lieberman, she has worked at an aircraft leasing firm as a Legal Contract Manager for six years. Her specialty was leasing small aircraft to small colleges and to South American airlines.
Carolyn currently lives in Novato, CA and has grown twins. She and her husband own a German Auto Repair shop that Carolyn also manages.
Expertise
Estate Planning
Estate and Trust Administration
Elder Law
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Founder and past President
David is on a mission to reduce his clients' financial fears by addressing their biggest challenges and future goals.
While practicing as an attorney, David worked for Smith Barney and then Merrill Lynch as a financial adviser. It was while working for these firms he had the vision to create a practice where Finance, Law and Tax were all available under one roof. Additionally, as the practice developed and technology improved, his desire was to be able to offer the latest technology to his clients. Liberty Group completes this vision. Liberty Group is a one-stop shop that provides clients who desire the full experience of finance, legal and tax planning services.
Throughout his career, David has been involved in the legislative process to try and improve the financial services business. He worked on multiple pieces of legislation that affected retirees, including Assembly Bill 412 (Chan), which was a bill that sought to address insurance consumer protection. He was a member of the Eight Hour Annuity subcommittee for the Curriculum Board under the California Department of Insurance and was the lead attorney in CASEP vs. CA Dept. of Health Services, an action started to stop the state from recovering against retirement accounts pursuant to emergency regulation R-22-02E.
David is the founder and past president of a nonprofit trade association created to educate those who advise retirees about compliance issues. David is also a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and has been a featured speaker and panelist for the California Partnership for Long-Term Care. He was also on the legislative committee for the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.
David obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He obtained his Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1993 and remains an active member of the State Bar of California. An Investment Adviser Representative, he has passed the Series 7, 24, 53, 63 and 65 exams, and holds insurance licenses in several states, including California (#0B48569).
David was named one of the top five "Advisors of the Year" in 2008 by Senior Market Advisor magazine. He has been featured on KNBR, KSFO, KRON 4 and ABC 7, as well as in Forbes magazine.
David is the host of the "Protect Your Assets" radio show, which airs on KNBR AM 680 and KSFO AM 560 each Saturday. He is also the author of the ebook "Protect Your Assets: Are You Ready for Retirement?", available for purchase at www.amazon.com
Education
Bachelor's Degree, University of California, Berkeley
Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego School of Law
Ethan Feffer has been a business lawyer in California for over 25 years and has handled over $10 billion in corporate acquisitions, public offerings, and private equity transactions.
Ethan practiced for 20 years at international law firms, Pillsbury Winthrop and Sheppard Mullin. He represented public and private companies in M&A and financing transactions, and venture capital firms in their investment activities. Since 2014, Ethan has served as general outside counsel to several southern California companies, where he advises them on corporate transactions, as well as day-to-day legal matters. Ethan also specializes in representing entrepreneurs who are selling their business to corporate and private equity buyers. He is committed to getting transactions done promptly and minimizing expense and risk.
Ethan is based in Newport Beach. He serves on the board of www.surefire.com, a 40-year old Orange County company that manufactures patented products for specialized military and police applications.
Ethan was selected to "Law Dragon 3000," a client survey that identified the top 1% of U.S. lawyers. He co-authored the chapter in California's Continuing Education of the Bar practitioner's guide entitled, How to Draft and Negotiate Private Equity and Venture Capital Transactions.
Job Titles:
- Elder
- of Counsel
- Member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
Gary is an Elder Law, Probate, Estate Planning Attorney who has been in the private practice of law since 1976.
Gary offers one of the most unique and comprehensive Elder Law practices in the State of California. In addition to being an attorney, Gary holds a California Real Estate Broker's License and owns and operates a full-service Real Estate Brokerage (Estate Realty, Inc.), since 1988. Gary has qualified as an expert in Medi-Cal, Real Estate, Probate, and Insurance, in San Francisco, Contra Costa, and Sonoma County Superior Courts.
Gary is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, and has served on the Board of Directors for the California Association of Senior Estate planners.
Gary is published and has served on the panels for court-appointed counsel in conservatorship cases in Marin and San Francisco counties. Gary lectures throughout the state of California on a broad range of Elder Law, Probate, Trust and Real Estate issues and appeared on a regular basis on KFBK and KSRO radio stations.
Education
Juris Doctorate from Lincoln University Law School
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the State Bar of California
Sheila Hollander began working for herself in 1998. Since that time, Sheila has been involved in various kinds of civil litigation as well as estate planning. Prior to 1998, Ms. Hollander worked as an associate for Gordon & Rees in San Francisco practicing general civil litigation, including insurance defense, asbestos litigation, and breast implant litigation. Before coming to Gordon & Rees, Sheila worked in several firms in southern California specializing in personal injury. While in law school, she also worked for the Los Angeles Public Defender's Office, Appellate Division and studied law abroad in Paris, France.
Ms. Hollander received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1990. She obtained her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles in 1993.
Sheila is a member of the State Bar of California. While not practicing law, Sheila enjoys time with her two daughters, hiking/running, cooking, and traveling. She is a passionate advocate for women's rights and an environmentalist committed to fighting global warming.
Education
Bachelor's Degree from University of California, Berkeley
Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles
Thomas is an Associate Attorney at the Law Offices of Hollander & Hollander, part of the Liberty Group, and is passionate about elder law and estate planning. Having witnessed firsthand the consequences that inadequate wills, estates, and trusts have on families, loved ones, and legacies for generations to come, Thomas has built on those personal experiences to enrich his appreciation for the personal nature of succession planning, the people that shape each strategic decision, and the reward that comes from ensuring that your legacy is protected.
Thomas obtained a bachelor's degree in commerce and arts from the University of Sydney with First Class Honors and his Juris Doctorate from the University of New South Wales. He is admitted to the State Bar of California and has bar admissions from the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia. His accolades from college include winning the 2013 Dean's List Prize for outstanding achievement from The University of New South Wales and the 2009 Sir Alexander Beatie Prize for academic excellence from The University of Sydney.
Beginning in 2012, Thomas worked in the law offices of Breene & Breene Solicitors, practicing as an attorney in a range of areas including estate planning, estate and trust litigation, probate, civil litigation, real property, and commercial leasing.
Thomas left Breene & Breene in 2019 to establish his own firm, Thomas Binetter - Attorney at Law, where he practices in wills and trusts, business succession planning, real property, commercial leasing, and conveyancing for Australian clients.
A resident of Newport Beach, Thomas is an established musician, playing electric guitar for over 20 years in a variety of heavy metal bands including the 3x Australian Grammy-nominated post-rock juggernaut ‘sleepmakeswaves.' Thomas is also a fervent scotch whisky enthusiast and avid world traveler, having visited 38 countries with an ultimate goal of reaching 100 in his lifetime.
Thomas brings with him a variety of experiences in the law and, having practiced in both litigation and transactional work, knows the value of protecting your interests now so as to avoid costly litigation in the future.
Education
Juris Doctorate from the University of New South Wales 2014
Bachelor's Degree - Commerce from the University of Sydney with First Class Honors 2011
Bachelor's Degree - Arts from the University of Sydney 2011