BPMNJ - Key Persons
Brenda has worked for BPMNJ for over 30 years providing valuable support for the litigation team in the Walnut Creek office. She is well versed in civil litigation processes, deadlines, and procedures, and is happy to pitch in whenever needed to support our attorneys and clients.
Job Titles:
- Member of the American
- Retired
Mr. Nelson is a member of the American, California and Contra Costa Bar Associations. He has made presentations at several continuing legal education programs and has conducted ethics training (AB 1234) for local governmental officials. He is currently serving as the Immediate Past Chair of the Attorneys Committee of the California Association of Sanitation Agencies. He is admitted to practice in all state courts and in federal trial and appellate courts, including the United States Supreme Court.
Carl Nelson received his A.B. from University of California at Berkeley in 1977, and his J.D. from University of California, Hastings College of the Law, in 1984. He was a writer and editor of the Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly, and won the Roger J. Traynor Writing Competition.
Cecilia Tsang is an attorney who has spent virtually her entire legal career helping families in the area of Trusts and Estates. Cecilia earned both her undergraduate degree and Juris Doctorate (law) degree at the University of California, Davis. Unlike most Trust and Estate attorneys, Cecilia knew she wanted to practice in the area of Trusts and Estates before she finished law school. She realized that the relationship an attorney practicing in that field has with their clients and their families is closer and more enjoyable than in any other legal field. The biggest compliment any client can pay her is by saying that she has provided them with peace of mind for their family and their experience with her was pleasant.
Cecilia is an accomplished public speaker and is invited frequently to educate clients as well as professionals in related fields about Trusts and Estates. Her goal is to serve as a valuable resource to her clients and professional partners through the education she provides. Cecilia's practice focuses on Estate Planning, Probate, Trust Administration, Conservatorship, Litigation, and Mediation.
During her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and competing in Pickleball Tournaments.
Job Titles:
- Managing Shareholder of Bold, Polisner, Mad
- Managing Shareholder With Bold, Polisner, Mad
- Member of the American
Craig L. Judson is the Managing Shareholder of Bold, Polisner, Maddow, Nelson & Judson A Professional Corporation. Receiving his Bachelor of Arts from UC Davis in 1981 in political science/public service, he graduated cum laude and with Phi Beta Kappa honors. Shortly after, he earned his Juris Doctor from the UC Davis School of Law in 1984.
Craig's practice primarily focuses in the area of estate and trust planning, trust and probate administration, and related probate litigation, but also has significant general civil litigation practice involving real estate, construction defect, personal injury, and contract disputes. Through his work, Craig has gained considerable experience representing numerous local public agencies in civil litigation matters including real estate, inverse condemnation, construction, and personal injury defense. He also participates in general business matters related to the public agency representation portion of the firm's practice, most notably representing water agencies.
He is an adjunct law school professor at the UC Davis School of Law, instructing in the area of Trusts and Estates and Civil Litigation.
Craig Judson is the Managing Shareholder with Bold, Polisner, Maddow, Nelson & Judson, APC. He received his Bachelor of Arts from UC Davis in 1981 in political science / public service. He graduated cum laude and with Phi Beta Kappa honors. He also earned his Juris Doctor from the UC Davis School of Law in 1984.
His practice focuses primarily in the area of estate and trust planning, trust and probate administration, and related probate litigation. He also has a significant general civil litigation practice, involving real estate, construction defect, personal injury, and contract disputes. Through his work, Craig has significant experience representing numerous local public agencies in civil litigation matters including real estate, inverse condemnation, construction, and personal injury defense. He also participates in general business matters related to the public agency representation portion of the firm's practice, most notably representing water agencies.
He is an adjunct law school professor at UC Davis School of Law, teaching in the area of Trusts and Estates and Civil Litigation.
Craig is a member of the American, California, and Contra Costa Bar Associations, the Professional Fiduciary Association of California ("PFAC"), and also serves as a private arbitrator and mediator.
Craig resides in Walnut Creek with his wife of 35+ years, Jill, a California Licensed Professional Fiduciary in Walnut Creek. The entire family are alums of UC Davis. Their son, Scott, is an attorney practicing with the firm in trusts and estates, and their daughter, Stacy, teaches elementary school in San Ramon. Craig and Jill, have two grandchildren, Sydney and Tanner.Craig is a three-time past president of their local synagogue, serving on the board of directors for 27 years. He currently serves on the board of directors for The Reutlinger Community, a non-profit 180-bed senior facility in Danville which provides assisted living, skilled nursing, and memory care, and also as a director for the charity A Brighter Day, which provides resources and support for Bay Area teenagers struggling feelings of depression, sadness, isolation, suicide, stress, and helplessness.
Job Titles:
- Senior Attorney at Bold, Polisner, Mad
J. Kevin Moore is a senior attorney at Bold, Polisner, Maddow, Nelson & Judson. He has more than thirty years of experience representing clients in construction, commercial, and general liability litigation matters. His clients include residential and commercial developers and general contractors, owners, water districts, trade contractors, and construction material suppliers. Mr. Moore also has significant experience in advising clients concerning risk management, contract formation and negotiation, and insurance issues.
He has tried cases before various California Superior Courts and arbitration panels administered by the American Arbitration Association. He has also briefed and argued appeals before various California Courts of Appeals.
Mr. Moore has authored and co-authored articles for legal publications on a variety of issues including the use of alternative disputes resolution in construction litigation and the impact changes in indemnity statutes have had on construction contracting and litigation. He has spoken on construction and litigation topics, including electronic discovery, the California Right to Repair Act, green construction, infrastructure construction and claims, construction contracting, and risk transference and indemnity provisions. He also was an adjunct instructor for the University of California, Berkeley University Extension Program.
Mr. Moore is a member of the California State Bar and an inactive member of the State Bar of Virginia. He is admitted to practice before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Ninth, and Federal Circuits; the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Northern and Eastern Districts of California; and the United States Claims Court. He has also represented clients in matters before various Boards of Contract Appeals, the Comptroller General for the United States, the United States Bankruptcy Courts, and private professional arbitrators and mediators.
Mr. Moore graduated from the University of Virginia in 1983 with a B.A. degree in Government and from the Wake Forest University School of Law in 1986 with a J.D. degree. While at Wake Forest, he was on the staff of the Wake Forest Law Review.
Mr. Moore is a member of the Association of Defense Counsel for Northern California and Nevada and the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance. He is also an active community volunteer, serving numerous years as a coach for the Walnut Creek Youth Association and serving on the boards of various non-profit organizations in Walnut Creek, California.
Jake applies his knowledge and experience as a Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate & Trust law to shepherd clients through the valleys and peaks of trusts and estates disputes. His practice focuses on helping clients achieve the right result tailored to their situation.
Janet joined our firm in 2021 after considerable experience supporting civil litigation attorneys. Janet is always willing and able to help our clients in any way she can, and is an amazing part of our team in the Walnut Creek office.
Jennifer Garner began working as an attorney on a contract basis for BPMNJ in 2019. In 2022, she joined the firm permanently as an associate attorney. Prior to joining BPMNJ, Jennifer had significant experience practicing in the areas of estate planning and construction defect litigation. Today, she brings her versatile experience to our firm where her practice is primarily focused on a variety of matters in the areas of Probate administration, Conservatorships, Guardianships, and Trust administration and litigation.
Jennifer's aim is to help her clients resolve their challenges and make their lives easier. She is committed to maintaining a high level of communication with her clients so that they can see how their interests are being served at every stage of their involvement with her. She believes in collaborating with her clients and loves helping them to rest easy about their futures.
Jennifer grew up in the Bay Area and has spent her entire career practicing in Contra Costa County. She is a member of the California State Bar and the Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyers Association. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from UC San Diego in 1992 and earned her Juris Doctor degree from McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento in 1996.
Jennifer resides in Clayton with her husband of 24+ years and her two youngest sons. In her spare time, she loves traveling, listening to audiobooks, gardening, and watching her children perform music and participate in sports.
Job Titles:
- Attorney at Bold, Polisner, Mad
Kimberly L. Moore is an attorney at Bold, Polisner, Maddow, Nelson & Judson. She represents individuals, developers, general contractors, product manufacturers and suppliers, trucking companies and trade contractors in litigated matters. Her practice includes resolution of significant damage claims through motions for summary judgment and summary adjudication. She also uses her prior nursing experience in evaluating claimed injuries and taking and defending medical expert witness depositions.
Ms. Moore graduated magna cum laude from the University of California Los Angeles in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. She graduated in 1986 from King School of Law at the University of California Davis with a Juris Doctor degree. Ms. Moore is a member of Claims & Litigation Management Alliance (CLM). She attended the 2013 CLM Litigation Management Institute, receiving the Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP) designation.
In addition to her law practice, Ms. Moore has been active in the Walnut Creek, California community. She has served on the board of directors for multiple non-profit organizations, including the Center for Human Development and the Northgate Pride Community Foundation.
Leila Tabrizi began working as an attorney for BPMNJ in 2023. Prior to joining the firm, Leila worked as a family law attorney. Her previous practice uniquely equips her to handle the ever-growing family law crossover issues that arise in estate planning. Leila's practice is primarily focused on estate planning, probate and trust administration, conservatorships, and guardianships.
Leila attended the University of California, Davis, for both her undergraduate studies and to earn her Juris Doctor degree. She was admitted to the California State Bar in 2022.
An East Bay Area native, Leila was born and raised in Walnut Creek. As a lifelong resident, she is committed to using her legal skills and expertise to serve her community. Leila truly enjoys meeting her clients and working with them to achieve their desired outcomes.
Outside of the office, Leila enjoys spending time with her fiancé, Alex, and their Manchester Terrier, Onyx.
Mary Catherine has been working in the legal field since 1983, and joined in 1991. Today she is a leading paralegal focusing her work on Probate and Trust Administration in our Walnut Creek office. Mary Catherine works independently and efficiently, and provides great service and support for our clients in a cost-effective way.
Maureen joined the Sacramento team in 2022 after working at Family Wealth Law Group. Maureen brings extensive trusts and estates experience to our firm, is knowledgeable about each individual court's policies and procedures, and provides particular assistance with our conservatorship cases and other trust and estates matters.
Melody joined BPMNJ in Walnut Creek in 2022 after finishing her paralegal program. Melody serves in a valuable support role for each of our attorneys and staff, and assists with the firm's Administrative Operations to ensure that the operations in both of BPMNJ's offices are as efficient as possible.
Job Titles:
- Practice Focuses on Providing General Counsel
Morgan S. Biggerstaff's practice focuses on providing general counsel services for the various public agencies the firm represents in addition to representing both public and private clients in civil matters. Mr. Biggerstaff currently serves as General Counsel to the Rodeo Sanitary District and is principal counsel to the North Marin Water District, as well as serving as primary backup and assistant General Counsel to several other firm agency clients. He also serves on the State Legislative Committee of the California Association of Sanitation Agencies.
Mr. Biggerstaff is knowledgeable in public agency governance issues, including the Brown Act, Public Records Act, rates and charges, customer services regulations, environmental documentation, and construction contracting. He has assisted public agencies in defending against Proposition 218 challenges to water rates. He has also represented victims of wildfires caused by PG&E and has litigated on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants in actions for breach of contract.
Biggerstaff received a B.A. in History and in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles where he graduated cum laude in 2006. Before attending law school, he received an MSc in Politics and Government in the European Union from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2010. He received his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2016.
Education
University of California, Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, California
J.D. - 2016
The London School of Economics and Political Science
M.Sc. - 2010
Job Titles:
- Member of the Advisory Board
- of Counsel
- Partner
- Member of the American
Robert Maddow, a partner, joined the firm in 1993. Before joining the firm he was General Counsel for East Bay Municipal Utility District in Oakland, California, for nine years, and was an attorney for EBMUD for twelve years prior. He has extensive experience in all phases of the legal work necessary to establish, govern, operate, and maintain a publicly owned water utility to supply municipal and industrial water. Mr. Maddow has also worked on a wide variety of water supply issues related to surface water, groundwater, and recycled water used for irrigation, for both public and private clients. His areas of concentration have included water rights, water supply and quality, wastewater and recycled water, capital improvements programs and projects, real property acquisition and ownership, governmental organization and operation, environmental law, public finance, rates and charges, and customer services regulations.
Mr. Maddow has been a member of the American, California and Alameda County Bar Associations. He has been particularly active in the Association of California Water Agencies, where he served a member of the Board of Directors, and was Chair of the Legal Affairs Committee from 1992 through 2009. He chaired the Proposition 218 subcommittee and has served on the Continuing Legal Education Committee, the Strategic Planning and Policy Committee, and the Water Rights Committee. He previously chaired the Attorneys' Conference, and served on the Legislative Committee and several other standing and ad hoc committees. In 2006, he was named the first winner of the Association's Emissary Award.
Mr. Maddow is a member of the Advisory Board of the "California Water Law and Policy Reporter", which has published several of his articles, and has co-chaired its annual Water Law and Policy Conference. He has lectured for sections of the Alameda and San Francisco Bar Associations, made presentations or served as moderator at numerous continuing legal education programs, and has been a guest lecturer on water law matters at the University of California, Boalt Hall School of Law.
Mr. Maddow received his B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University in 1964, and his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, in 1967.
Job Titles:
- Managing Attorney - Sacramento
- Managing Attorney of the Sacramento
Scott J. Judson is the Managing Attorney of the Sacramento office of Bold, Polisner, Maddow, Nelson & Judson, A Professional Corporation. He received Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Political Science with High Honors and Communication with Honors from the University of California, Davis in 2009. Scott earned his J.D. in 2012 from UC Davis School of Law, where, among other things, he graduated in the top 25% of his class, earned the Witkin Award in Legal Research and Writing, served as Chair as the Trial Practice Honors Board, won the Seventh Annual Williams Institute Moot Court Competition at UCLA, and graduated as a member of the Order of Barristers.
Prior to joining BPMNJ, where his father, Craig, has worked for almost Scott's entire life, Scott served as the "litigation specialist" at a recognized estate planning, estate administration, business and taxation firm in Sacramento, California, gaining invaluable experience and familiarity with the Probate code and the practical aspects of trusts and estates planning, administration, and litigation. This work built upon the experience Scott gained as an associate attorney at a boutique litigation firm in Sacramento, California, where he worked under an esteemed trial attorney specializing in complex business and trust litigation, and corporate, partnership, and LLC disputes.
Scott remains extremely active in his beloved alma mater by serving as the President of the UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association Board of Directors and as a Public Address Announcer for various UC Davis Athletics events. In his free time, Scott enjoys spending time with his wife, Kristen, their daughter, Sydney, and their son, Tanner. He also enjoys anything and everything sports, particularly the San Jose Sharks, UC Davis Aggies, San Francisco Giants, and San Francisco 49ers, wine tasting, golfing and barbecuing on his beloved Traeger.
Sharon Nagle has worked at Bold, Polisner, Maddow, Nelson & Judson since 2003. She focuses on a variety of civil litigation matters, including representation of both individuals and public entities. Her public entity work has emphasized defense of personal injury, trespass, and inverse condemnation litigation. Additionally, she frequently represents courts and judges in civil litigation matters.
From 1995 through 2003 she worked for the Law Offices of Thomas C. Nagle, focusing on civil litigation and appeals. Her areas of emphasis at that time included eminent domain, inverse condemnation, real property disputes, and multiple-party construction defect cases.
Ms. Nagle is a past Board Member of the Contra Costa County Bar Association and the California Association of Young Lawyers, Past President of the Contra Costa Barristers, and a former member of the American Inns of Court. She has published real estate articles in the Contra Costa County Bar Journal, and serves as an editor of various chapters of Decedent Estate Practice (CEB).
She received her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her J.D. from the University of San Diego. While at USD, she served as a member of the Moot Court Board. She is a past member of the National Charity League and current member of Boys' Team Charity.
In her free time, Sharon enjoys exploring the Bay Area and beyond with her family.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant
- Receptionist
Stacey joined the BPMNJ team in 2011 as a receptionist and administrative assistant. Her role quickly evolved to legal assistant to all attorneys in the areas of estate planning, trust administration, probate, and water law. Stacey re-joined the family at BPMNJ in 2021, and currently acts as the firm's Director of Administrative Operations.
Virginia Peiser joined the BPMNJ team on May 1, 2023 when she merged her robust estate planning practice with Craig Judson. She creates and implements specialized legal strategies for her clients' tax, estate planning and business needs to minimize tax and to maximize the wealth they pass to the next generation. As a Certified Specialist both in Taxation Law and in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, Virginia integrates her clients' estate plans and their tax matters with their business and investment assets.
Virginia represents investors and owners of closely held businesses in tax, estate planning, business and real estate matters. Since 1975, she has represented clients in tax controversies and in planning specialized tax strategies, formed business entities and served as business counsel, prepared wills and revocable and irrevocable trusts, and provided representation in trust administration, probate matters and real estate transactions.
Virginia has an AV rating (the highest) from the publishers of the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Contra Costa County Bar Association Taxation Section since 1988, and she has served four separate terms as Chair of the Taxation Section. Virginia is a regular lecturer in the areas of tax and estate planning, and she has published numerous articles in these fields.
She received her Juris Doctor degree with honors from Hastings College of the Law, and her LL.M. in Taxation from Golden Gate University School of Law. Upon graduation from law school, Virginia based her practice in San Francisco. In 1978, she opened her own law firm in San Francisco in order to represent business owners and investors in their tax, business, and real estate matters. In 1987, she moved her tax and estate planning practice to Contra Costa County, and in September, 2018, she joined the law firm of Doyle Quane in Danville, California.
Professional Associations
Contra Costa Bar Association, Member, 1988, Member, Present
Estate Planning Council of Diablo Valley, 2000, Member, Present
CouncilOne Advisors, 2010, Member, Present
East Bay Trusts and Estates Lawyers, 2019, Member, Present
California Bar Association