HUGHES & HUGHES - Key Persons
April Chriss grew up in various parts of the country but when arrived in San Diego to attend Miramar College, she became a confirmed Southern Californian. April received an Associate Degree in Applied Science in Paralegal Studies from San Diego Miramar College. While at Miramar, April simultaneously received her Paralegal Certificate and graduated with honors from the ABA approved program.
April then transferred to Palomar College where she received an Associate Degree in Applied Science in Communication. April continued her studies at California State University San Marcos working towards a Bachelor's Degree in Communication.
April has been working as a Family Law Paralegal since 2017 and is very passionate about her job and her clients. Her work experience assisting attorneys in family law has ranged from dissolution, pre and post- marital agreements, child custody as well as adoption and guardianship issues. April is a passionate animal lover and a yoga, body boarding and volleyball enthusiast. She makes her home in the Palm Springs area with her husband.
Job Titles:
- Managing Attorney
- Partner
- Partner at Our Orange County Family Law Firm
Bruce Hughes, partner at our Orange County Family Law Firm, published an article in Orange County Lawyer magazine in January of 2001regarding stock options and how they can be used as community property in a California divorce. Read more...
Bruce Hughes was appointed to the Orange County Board of Supervisors Audit Oversight Committee.
Bruce A. Hughes limits his practice area to family law. Bruce has also been a certified public accountant since 1973. Between 1973 and 1979 Bruce was vice president of an international subsidiary of ITT. From 1979 until 1994 he was one of the foremost forensic accountants in family law in Orange County and has testified over 2,000 times in family law matters. His expertise is in property and accounting issues, and he is involved in all complex property, high profile and high net worth cases in the office.
Bruce received his BS in Accounting from California State University at Long Beach, his MBA from UCLA, and his J.D. from Argosy Western State University in 1993. He is a member of the AICPA, the CSCPA, the ABA, and the Riverside County Bar Association and the Desert Bar Association. He has served on both the Orange County Internal Audit Oversight Committee and on various community boards in the past, including as vice chairman of the Harbors, Parks, and Beaches Oversight Committee for the County of Orange; one of five committee members of the Orange County Treasurer's Oversight Committee, which restructured the Treasurer's office after the Orange County Bankruptcy; and a member of the Orange County Treasurer's advisory board as well as various other non profit boards. Bruce is a former member of the Orange County Lincoln Club and the New Majority.
Bruce is the managing attorney of the office. He supervises the attorneys, guides them, educates them, assists them with any issues or questions they may have, and becomes active in their cases as necessary. Combining years of experience and a knack for gentle persuasion, he prides himself on his ability to settle cases and avoid expensive court litigation. Even his most ardent adversaries will agree that Bruce looks for common ground with which all parties may be comfortable.
Bruce likes to read. He actively enjoys tennis and enjoyed sailing his 52 foot sailboat, the "Me 'n Sweetie". He enjoys gardening, cooking and books. Bruce served in the Fourth Infantry Division, serving in a mortar platoon in Viet Nam between 1967 and 1968. Bruce was given the honor of being promoted to Sergeant in his two years of service, based on his outstanding leadership abilities.
Bruce is a father of four and grandfather to four. He shares his wife's love of animals; if it barks, neighs, or squawks, it is Bruce's friend.
Bruce decided to become an attorney to compliment his wife, Lisa, who was becoming a C.P.A. Bruce not only passed both the C.P.A. exam and the Bar in one sitting, but received the recognition of "National Honorable Mention" for writing one of the top 45 papers out of 45,000 papers written in the United States, for his C.P.A. examination.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Principal at Our Orange County Law Firm, Was Recognized by Martindale - Hubbell As Having the Highest Possible Rating in Both Legal Ability and Ethical Standards
David Wald, principal at our Orange County Law Firm, was recognized by Martindale-Hubbell as having the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards.
David E. Wald, a principal in the Tustin based family law firm, Hughes & Hughes, LLP, a passion for trial has sustained his long and illustrious career in family law. See David Wald featured on Laws.com in article, "Divorce Lawyer Makes Career of Lifelong Passion."
Principal David E. Wald gives the Orange County Register his tips on how employees can help companies weather the recession. April 2009.
David E. Wald joins Hughes & Sullivan Family Law Firm in Tustin as Principal, bringing with him 35 years of family law litigation experience. He will continue litigating in the courtroom as well as lead supervision and training of associates.
Faith was born and raised in the Central Valley before settling to the Coachella Valley which has been her home for the past 5 years. The daughter of a retired Fire Captain, she was raised to help others, she believes that by working in the field of law she will meet that need. Faith is currently attending San Diego Miramar College to continue her education to earn an Associate Degree in Applied Science with an emphasis in Paralegal Studies and becoming a certified A.B.A. Paralegal.
Faith loves to spend time with her two daughters, family, friends and travel.
Ira Liss has been practicing law in the Coachella Valley since 1994. Early on in his career he developed a passion for family law, especially cases involving child custody. Having been raised in a divorced family, Mr. Liss understands the devastating impact that divorce and other family law proceedings can have on families.
Mr. Liss was born and raised in Los Angeles. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History at the University of California, San Diego in 1989. He then attended the University of Puget Sound School of Law (now Seattle University School of Law) and graduated in 1993. While in law school, Mr. Liss worked for the Civil Torts Division of the State of Washington Attorney General's Office. After law school, Mr. Liss returned to California and settled in the Coachella Valley to start his own law practice, deciding early in his legal career to focus his practice on family law.
Mr. Liss is a devoted husband who loves to help his wife with her passion for baking and gardening. He is also a proud father of his incredible son, who is a graduate of Desert Christian Academy in Bermuda Dunes. Mr. Liss is encouraged by his faith and leads a local recovery ministry.
Mr. Liss now brings his extensive experience in family law to Hughes & Hughes adding his expertise to an already existing team of dedicated professionals.
Job Titles:
- Advisory Council
- Partner
- As Founding Partner
- Expert
- Expert Comments in Orange County Register Regarding the Trend of Couples Putting off Divorce Due to a Down Economy and Bad Housing Market. December 2008
- Partner, CPA, CFLS
Lisa Hughes is working hand in hand with Senator John Morlach writing new legislation to simplify family law litigation which was turned upside down by the Sanchez ruling. The goal of this new legislation authored collectively with Lisa Hughes will remedy this issue effective January 1, 2020.
Lisa Hughes worked with Senator Moorlach for the past year (July 2015-July 2016) on Senate Bill 1255. This bill was important to the citizens of the State of California and ultimately became California Family Code Section 70. This new provision resolved an issue raised by the Supreme Court on the Date of Separation between divorcing parties. The Date of Separation is vitally important as it determines when the marriage ended. This date is used to determine the length of marriage for Spousal Support purposes; it is used to calculate the community share of various financial instruments such as bonuses, stock options and retirement accounts. We were very pleased to have initiated this effort and monitored and revised the bill throughout its progress in cooperation with Senator's staff.
Lisa Hughes is featured as "Attorney of the Month" for Orange County Attorney Journal Magazine.
Lisa Hughes, of Hughes & Hughes LLP, has been selected to the 2015 list as a member of the Nation's Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. NADC is an organization dedicated to promoting the highest standards of legal excellence. Its mission is to objectively recognize the attorneys who elevate the standards of the Bar and provide a benchmark for other lawyers to emulate.
Lisa Hughes joined the Orange County Sheriff's Advisory Council, the American Association of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants, and the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts.
Lisa Hughes was one of 4 "roasters" of Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Sandra Hutchens at an event hosted by BIZPAC and the Orange County Business Council. Read the Thank You Letter and check out the photo gallery below:
Lisa Hughes was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Orange County Lincoln Club.
Lisa Hughes has been featured in the most recent edition of Southern California's Super Lawyers as one of the top attorneys in Southern California.
Lisa Hughes provided expertise in the Kid Health column of OC Family regarding the impact of divorce on children. December 2008.
Lisa Hughes provided advice in BusinessWeek to small business owners regarding navigating through a divorce while ensuring the business does not suffer. October 2008.
Lisa Hughes is featured in Ask the Expert column in Orange County Parenting Magazine, responding to a question about creating a will for children. October 2008.
Sharla Harris was raised in the Coachella Valley and received her Bachelor of Art's Degree from California State University Stanislaus in 2017 where she majored in Legal Studies with a minor in Psychology.
While at CSUS, Sharla was awarded an internship by the Criminal Justice Department with CRLA, a non-profit law firm that provides free legal services to the indigent community. She also became a member of Phi Mu, a female fraternal organization that empowers women to discover their full potential by having the opportunity to get involved in leadership, educational and philanthropic events.
Before joining Hughes and Hughes, Sharla worked as a Legal Administrative Assistant for a civil litigation law firm in Palm Springs in a practice covering areas such as personal injury, motor vehicle accidents and construction defect matters. Her work there consisted of managing client intakes, and assisting the attorney with all aspects of client representation, including trial preparation.
She is passionate and takes pride in aiding those individuals in need of a helping hand. Her enthusiasm, faith and passion in family law encourages to pursue her career within the legal field in hopes to practice law in the future.
In her personal life, Sharla enjoys spending time with family and friends. She also enjoys being an unofficial food critic whenever she has the time to travel or explore new places. Sharla is also fluent in Spanish and frequently acts as the firm's translator when needed.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Iowa State University
Thomas R. Saltarelli, a highly rated lawyer, holding a very high ethical standard, in the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, was born in Pennsylvania in 1947. Mr. Saltarelli is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, having been conferred a Bachelor of Science degree in finance in 1969. Following his graduation from Penn State, Mr. Saltarelli attended the Naval Officer Candidate School. Thereafter he was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy and during his four-year tenure, served two active tours of duty in Vietnam. Mr. Saltarelli left the United States Navy as a Lieutenant in 1972 and went to work for American Hospital Supply Company in Irvine, California. Thereafter, Mr. Saltarelli became the president of Dacion Corporation, a business marketing and financial services consulting group. Simultaneously, Mr. Saltarelli attended business school at the University of Southern California, earning his Master of Business Administration in 1974. He commenced his legal career following his graduation from Western State University College of Law and became a member of the State Bar of California in 1981 and the Bar of the District of Columbia in 1992.
Mr. Saltarelli has memberships in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Judicial Circuit and the United States District Courts of the State of California (Central and Southern). Mr. Saltarelli is also a member of the American Bar Association, previously in the California Trial Lawyers Association, and the Orange County and Desert Bar Associations. Mr. Saltarelli is recognized as a real estate specialist and he has developed an expertise in general business, business and real estate litigation, as well as real estate development, real estate and corporate transactional matters, and governmental relations. He has governmental and public service experience serving twice as Mayor of the City of Tustin, California during his eight years on its City Council, as a Director of the Orange County Sanitation District, and as the Vice-Chairman of the Orange County Fire Authority. While serving on the Tustin City Council, he directed the governmental closure aspects of the Marine Corps Air Station, Tustin. Mr. Saltarelli serves on numerous corporate boards of director, and was previously the Chairman of the Board and President of Veterans Park Conservancy, a non-profit based in West Los Angeles, California. Mr. Saltarelli was elected to the Board of Directors of Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation in Washington D.C. (Now known as Veterans for America) and served in that capacity for several years.