FMBK LAW - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Certified Family Law Specialist
- Member of the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists
- Partner Family Law
Alex Grager is a Certified Family Law Specialist with experience in every type of dispute between couples, in married and non-married relationships. He represents clients in all stages of family law proceedings and specializes in high conflict custody cases, complex property issues, and matters involving domestic violence. His litigated cases include several international child custody disputes, one of which resulted in a published appellate decision, and a multi-million-dollar breach of fiduciary duties.
Alex Grager is a member of the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Beverly Hills Bar Association, where he serves on the Family Law Executive Committee. His honors include the Beverly Hills Bar Association Lawrence J. Blake award for his community service, as well as a number of accolades for his work through the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. Alex regularly presents on family law and related areas at continuing legal education programs.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate Family Law
- Member of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of California
Alleen Markarian is an associate at FMBK. She has exclusively practiced family law in Los Angeles County since passing the California Bar in December 2016. Alleen graduated cum laude from California State University Northridge in May 2012 with a degree in Political Science. She later graduated from Pepperdine Law School in May 2016, earning a Juris Doctorate degree and a Certificate in the top-ranked Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, where she enhanced her conflict management and dispute resolution skills.
Alleen is a member of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of California, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Armenian Bar Association, the San Fernando Valley Bar Association, and Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles.
In her free time, Alleen enjoys hiking the beautiful Los Angeles mountains, cooking, and spending quality time with her husband and her six young nieces and nephews.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Certified Family Law Specialist
- Senior Associate Family Law
Anthony is an active leader in the legal community, and is honored to serve on several bar association. Anthony serves as the secretary of the California Lawyers Association, Board of Representatives, is a Board Member on the Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section Executive Committee. He is a Member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles Board of Directors and the Loyola Law School Alumni Association - Asian Pacific American Chapter.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Family Law Associate Family Law
Ariana Sisoian is an associate attorney at FMBK whose practice focuses exclusively on family law.
Job Titles:
- Partner and Certified Family Law Specialist
Bill Fingerett is a Partner and Certified Family Law Specialist at FMBK with forty-seven years of experience. He understands both the financial and emotional needs of his family law clients and their children. During your initial meeting with Bill, he will write down your goals and make sure that each is addressed throughout every stage of the legal process. Bill has extensive experience representing clients in custody matters, including move-away cases and Hague Convention cases. He has also litigated, settled and mediated child and spousal support matters, as well as financial issues, such as valuing and dividing assets, including businesses, real estate, investment and retirement accounts. In addition, Bill represents clients in civil palimony suits, same sex relationships and families with special needs. He also litigates the validity of pre and post marital agreements.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney Family Law
Chelsea Stevens became an associate at FMBK after her summer as one of FMBK's Summer Associate's in 2017. Her practice focuses exclusively in family law, and is currently on track to become a Certified Family Law Specialist*.
Prior to graduating from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Chelsea clerked for the Honorable Marc D. Gross at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles, California. While working with Judge Gross, Chelsea researched and analyzed a variety of family law cases including dissolution, complex child custody disputes, and paternity disputes. Chelsea also worked with Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice, providing low cost family law services for indigent clients in Los Angeles. While at Loyola Law School, Chelsea served as President of the Women's Law Association and President of the Children and Family Law Association.
Chelsea graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and went on to receive her J.D., from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, graduating in the top 25% of her class.
Job Titles:
- Family Court Services Committee Member, Beverly Hills Bar Association
Job Titles:
- Attorney Estate Planning
- Attorney in FMBK 's Trusts
- Member of University Synagogue
Donna L. Shapiro is an attorney in FMBK's Trusts and Estates Department and her practice is devoted to the area of estate planning. She attended Harvard Law School in 1986 and received her Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School in 1989. She has been practicing in the areas of Wills and trusts since her admission to the California State Bar in 1989. Donna has always been interested in the personal aspect of estate planning. She strives to meet the legal needs of each of her clients in light of their individual human stories, and to be a compassionate and understanding counselor. Donna is committed to providing sound legal advice in a supportive, encouraging and respectful manner.
Although estate planning is not necessarily something that most people feel comfortable contemplating, Donna's clients appreciate her ability to make the estate planning process comprehensible and even enjoyable. With integrity and humor, Donna is able to offer judicious advice regarding family dynamics and help clients make the important decisions necessary to plan for the future of their loved ones. Donna is proud to practice law in the necessary, constructive and personal area of estate planning.
Outside the office, Donna is an active member of University Synagogue, where she is a Past President of the Congregation. Donna is also a Capitol Club member of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Donna has a great love of reading, and she is a founding member of two book clubs.
Prior to joining FMBK, Ms. Shapiro practiced with the law firm of Rosenfeld, Meyer & Susman in Beverly Hills. She is the mother of two sons and resides in Pacific Palisades.
Job Titles:
- Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust
- Retired Probate & Trust Litigation, Estate Planning
Howard S. Klein has been a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law** since 1993. After graduating UCLA Law School, Mr. Klein worked as a trust administrator, and has practiced law in Los Angeles County for 50 years, 35 of which included family law.
Mr. Klein has lectured, written and been a frequent panelist for Continuing Education of the Bar and most major local bar associations, primarily on probate/family law cross-over issues, on which he is an acknowledged authority. He is on the Los Angeles Superior Court Probate Mediation Panel and has mediated over 100 cases in the past decade. Mr. Klein resides in Porter Ranch with his wife, Rosalind, who is a Senior International Vice President of B'nai B'rith International.
Howard Klein retired on April 7th, 2014 and has been spending his new found free time with his family and traveling the world.
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner
- Partner Civil Litigation, Probate & Trust Litigation
Irwin B. Feinberg is a founding partner at FMBK and Head of the Civil Litigation and Probate & Trust Litigation Departments. After completing his undergraduate studies at UCLA in 1976, Mr. Feinberg went on to earn his J.D. from King Hall School of Law, University of California at Davis.
Mr. Feinberg brings a wholistic approach to litigation centered around each client's needs. He prides himself on finding the most cost-efficient approach to obtaining the best results for his clients. Mr. Feinberg's main areas of practice include civil litigation, more specifically real estate and commercial litigation and partnership dissolutions, as well as probate and trust litigation. Throughout his decades of practice, Mr. Feinberg has conducted jury trials in a variety of civil litigation matters.
Mr. Feinberg sees himself as a legal counselor to his clients and believes that, when appropriate, connecting his clients to the specialists they need is a crucial part of his representation.
Job Titles:
- Certified Family Law Specialist
- Partner Family Law
Mr. Kline is a Certified Family Law Specialist* and is a partner at FMBK. Mr. Kline's law practice focuses on family law (premarital and post marital agreements, marital dissolution, support, child custody and visitation, and paternity). Mr. Kline's practice also includes real estate and business litigation (unfair competition, trade secrets, and commercial disputes). Jerry and his wife Betsy have two children.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Family Law Associate Family Law
Julia Matzenger is an associate attorney at FMBK whose practice focuses exclusively on family law. Julia's passion for family law became evident during Law School, where she interned for the National Network to End Domestic Violence on the WomensLaw Project in Washington D.C.. She answered emergency hotline emails from victims of domestic violence and individuals seeking help with custody, divorce, and child relocation. For well over a year after she graduated law school, Julia continued to volunteer for the organization while simultaneously building her legal career.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Family Law Associate Family Law
Maya Doron is an associate attorney at FMBK whose practice has focused exclusively on family law since being admitted to the State Bar of California in 2019. However, Maya's family law career began long before she received her Juris Doctorate.
Prior to law school, Maya graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with a Bachelor's Degree in Human Development and Family Studies, along with a Criminal Justice Minor. She then went on to receive her J.D. from Southwestern Law School in 2019.
Job Titles:
- Certified Family Law Specialist and Partner
- Partner Family Law
Megan Green is a Certified Family Law Specialist* and Partner in the Family Law Department at Feinberg, Mindel, Brandt and Klein, LLP. Megan has been practicing family law for 19 years. Her practice focuses on complex child custody disputes, including move away cases, as well as division and characterization of assets and debts, determination of child and spousal support, tracing of assets, fiduciary duty obligations, transmutations, business valuations, paternity disputes, and palimony actions.
Megan earned recognition by Southern California Super Lawyers as a "Rising Star" from 2010-2018, and a "Super Lawyer" each consecutive year since 2019 . She was named under "Top Women Attorneys in Southern California", a special section featured in Los Angeles Magazine, and has also been selected for inclusion on the Top 100 Up And Coming attorneys in Southern California and the Top 50 Up And Coming women attorneys in Southern California.
Megan is a proud alumna of Southwestern University School of Law, where she was a member of the Trial Advocacy Honors Program, symposium editor for the Journal of Law and Trade in the Americas, President of the Family Law Society, and university liaison with the American Bar Association. During law school, Megan was honored with an externship with Family Law Judicial Officer, the Honorable Roy Paul. Prior to attending law school, Megan received her Bachelor of Arts from Auburn University, where she served as Student Body President of the College of Liberal Arts, interned for the Supreme Court of Alabama, and was a member of the Kappa Delta Sorority. Megan remains an active alumna of her Alma Maters and recently served as a guest lecturer for Southwestern School of Law's Negotiation and Legal Writing Course (2015). Megan is dedicated to professional excellence. She was a participant in the Family Law Branch of the American Inns of Court in Los Angeles, a foundation designed to improve the skills, professionalism and ethics of the bench and bar.
Megan prides herself on her client-centered approach to legal practice. Her professional philosophy draws on Theodore Roosevelt's ideology, "speak softly, and carry a big stick." She believes strong advocacy requires both reasoned negotiation and decisive litigation strategies. Megan advocates vigorously for her clients in both respects, while simultaneously counseling them through what is often the most tumultuous experience of their lives.
Job Titles:
- Certified Family Law Specialist
- Partner Family Law
Nancy Burt, a Certified Family Law Specialist* since 2010, is a Partner in FMBK's Family Law Department. Ms. Burt is experienced in handling complex family law litigation matters, with an emphasis in contested child custody matters. While a well-seasoned family law litigator, Ms. Burt focuses a large part of her practice on mediation and settlement and takes great pride in the fact that she is able to settle the vast majority of her cases, even those involving highly complex financial and custody issues.
For over 25 years, Ms. Burt has earned her clients' trust by providing a patient, supportive yet extremely practical and straightforward strategy for their family law cases. In doing so, she has achieved great success in balancing clients' emotional and financial needs. Ms. Burt is dedicated to sharing her extensive family law knowledge with all of her potential clients and has repeatedly been told that the information she provides in her initial client meetings is more comprehensive than what they have received elsewhere. By always clearly analyzing the potential costs and risks in their cases, Ms. Burt's clients feel assured that they are getting the straight story they need to make the best decisions in their family law matter.
Ms. Burt received her Bachelor's degree in Political Science from UCLA where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and received her law degree from the University of San Francisco.
While attending the University of San Francisco, Ms. Burt published "Sex Discrimination: Isbister v. Boy's Club" in the University of San Francisco Law Review in 1985. She also assisted Honorable Robert Weil (Judge Ret.) in editing the Rutter Group, California Practice Guide: Civil Procedure Before Trial.
Prior to joining FMBK, Ms. Burt practiced with the law firm of Coleman-Schwimmer & Warren where her focus was primarily on complex family law litigation.
Ms. Burt heads FMBK's Summer Law Clerk Program where she reviews over 200 applicants each year to select highly qualified law clerks. As a result of this program, FMBK has had the opportunity to closely mentor skilled young family law professionals. This project is extremely important to Ms. Burt, as she sees it as an opportunity to influence the California family law bar in a positive manner.
Job Titles:
- Certified Family Law Specialist
Robert C. Brandt is a Certified Family Law Specialist* and heads FMBK's Family Law Department. Applying over 40 years of experience as a family law attorney, Mr. Brandt focuses on getting to know his client's individual needs, concerns and sensitive situations. Throughout the difficult separation process, Mr. Brandt remains respectful of his clients' wishes, never suggesting a plan that is against their best interests. Clients appreciate Mr. Brandt's sensitive approach to understanding the severity of their matters and value his strategic methods in dealing with difficult situations.
Mr. Brandt has earned great respect from both clients and peers, as reflected by his inclusion on the Southern California Super Lawyers Top Ten list for eight consecutive years, and his being named a Southern California Super Lawyer every year since 2005. And in 2020, Mr. Brandt was featured on the cover of the annual Super Lawyers Magazine, which included an article about his background and legal career in family law. Mr. Brandt was also selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers® 2010- 2022, while also holding an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Brandt graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in Speech Arts. He then went on to earn his Masters Degree in Speech from UCLA before earning his Juris Doctorate from Southwestern Law School Mr. Brandt is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, where he serves as Past President of the Southern California Chapter and received the 2018 National Professionalism Award. Mr. Brandt is also a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists and previously served as Chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) Family Law Section. In 2021, Mr. Brandt was appointed to the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, which is an organization consisting of the top 100 family law trial lawyers in the United States. He is also the recipient of the LACBA Spencer Brandeis Award (2022) which is the highest honor bestowed by the Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section. This Award is presented, when deemed merited, to pay tribute to an individual who has had an extraordinary impact upon the advancement of family law by way of creative legal advocacy and commitment to the service of the family law community.
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner
- Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Southern California Chapter
- Law Specialist
Steven A. Mindel, Certified Family Law Specialist* and FMBK Managing Partner, divides his time between practicing Family Law and operating one of Southern California's largest family law firms. Since opening its doors in 1996, FMBK has grown to include over 20 attorneys, 3 office locations and over 40 employees. When he is not occupied with FMBK's operations, he is busy applying his 35+ years of family law experience to attend to the legal needs of his valued clients.
Steve is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Southern California Chapter and the International Academy of Family Lawyers. He is the Immediate Past Chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section Executive Committee and currently sits on the Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center Advisory Council. He was appointed and served a two year term on the California State Bar Family Law Section Executive Committee ("FLEXCOM"). He also served as an Advisor to FLEXCOM for four additional years.
Job Titles:
- Law Specialist and Partner at Feinberg Mindel Brandt & Klein
- Partner Family Law
Thomas Simpson is a Certified Family Law Specialist and Partner at Feinberg Mindel Brandt & Klein. Before joining forces with the FMBK Team in 2021, Tom was the managing partner for the highly reputable family law firm The Simpson Law Group for 25 years. With the two offices merging, the team is now over 20 attorneys, with offices in West LA, Calabasas, and Glendale.
Prior to his admittance to The State Bar of California, Tom was commissioned in the U.S. Army Reserve where he attained the rank of Captain upon discharge. The Los Angeles Native then went on to obtain his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Santa Clara University, followed by a Juris Doctorate Degree from Santa Clara University, School of Law. Today, Tom's family law experience spans nearly four decades.
Over the years Tom has had a vast exposure to complex child custody matters, child and spousal support modification, complex property issues, and mediated agreements. In addition to litigating and mediating hundreds of family law cases, Tom has qualified as an expert witness for plaintiff and defense work, having completed more than 10 Superior Court legal malpractice cases involving complex issues of Family Law. Presently, Tom volunteers as a Daily Settlement Officer and Mediator for the Family Law Department of the Los Angeles Superior Court, one of many pro bono affiliations he provides to the underserved in Greater Los Angeles. Tom also has developed a special expertise in prosecuting and defending issues of breach of fiduciary duty, an ever-expanding area of California Family Law. In 2006, he won his client the then-highest award in Los Angeles County history for a breach of fiduciary duty case, in the amount of over $3 million dollars.
Co-authored Law of Professional and Amateur Sports Volume 3 - Chapter 3A, entitled, "Family Law/Domestic Relations Issues Affecting a High Net Worth Athlete or Coach," 2009
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate Family Law
Tin Le is an associate at FMBK whose practice is focused exclusively on family law. Before joining the firm, Tin was an associate at a boutique family law firm in Beverly Hills that specialized in handling high-profile cases. While there, Tin gained years of valuable experience advocating for his clients in all matters of family law, from the simple to more complex cases involving unusual or novel areas of family law. It is this wide range of experience that gives him the ability to tackle any case in the most efficient and cost-effective manner for his clients while providing them with excellent results.
Prior to graduating from Loyola Law School, Tin served as an editor on the school's International and Comparative Law Review. He also completed a public interest fellowship with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles where he successfully petitioned the Department of Veteran's Affairs to obtain disability benefits on behalf of military veterans.
Following law school, Tin also practiced in business immigration and corporate law. Tin's expertise in these areas of law give him not only a unique perspective but advantageous approach for clients who are business owners or professionals in the middle of difficult and complex divorce, custody, support and division of property matters.
In his free time, Tin enjoys playing and watching basketball. He also enjoys drawing, biking, and running in half marathons.
Job Titles:
- Attorney, CFLS Family Law