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Northern California Chapter The following volunteers are the Officers and Directors of the Northern Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys for 2008-2009. | President | Helene V. Wenzel
Helene V. Wenzel is a solo practitioner in Estate Planning and ElderLaw. Her estate planning practice includes the preparation of wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney and advance health care directives; trust administration; and probate for people of all ages and marital status. Her Elder Law practice focuses on planning for incapacity; conservatorships; long-term and Nursing Home care; asset management and Medi-Cal eligibility. Helene also counsels and works with LGBT clients on estate planning issues in domestic partnerships and same sex marriage . Before opening her own practice, Helene worked as Staff Attorney for California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR). | | Secretary | James Watson | | Treasurer | Ian Sammis
Ian has been practicing law in Marin County for over thirty years. He has maintained a general law practice with an emphasis on Estate Planning, Elder Law, Wills, Guardianship and Conservatorship, Social Security and MediCal since 1974. His comprehensive knowledge has been amassed while working in the Law in various capacities including: Mr Sammis has been a member of the Marin Bar Association since 1971. Since 1988 he has belonged to the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and has acted as Vice President and Treasurer of the Northern California Chapter. He is a long time member of the California Bar Association's Probate and Estate Planning Section, and Legal Services Section. He is a longtime member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimant's Representatives. | | Director | Ruth Ratzlaff | | Director | Gregory Wilcox
Gregory Wilcox has his own practice in Berkeley, specializing in public benefits planning and related estate planning. Mr. Wilcox is a board member and past Chair of the Northern California Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and a past member of the National Board of NAELA. He is a current board member of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR), San Francisco, and also serves on its Lawyer Referral Service Advisory Committee. He is a member and former Chair of the Elder Law Committee of the Alameda County Bar Association's Trust and Estates Section. A frequent lecturer to attorneys on public benefits, Mr. Wilcox has also published numerous articles on Supplemental Security Income, special needs trusts, and public benefit planning. He received his B.A. in 1968 from Haverford College, his Master of Public Affairs degree in 1971 from Princeton University, and his J.D. in 1976 from the University of California School of Law (Boalt Hall).
For many years, Mr. Wilcox has contributed to CEB books on elder law, including California Elder Law Resources, Benefits, and Planning: An Advocate's Guide (Cal CEB 2003) (and its original incarnation as California Elder Law: An Advocate's Guide) and our 2008 publication Special Needs Trusts: Planning, Drafting, and Administration (Cal CEB 2008). He has also spoken at many CEB programs on elder law and special needs trusts over the past 10 years. Mr. Wilcox has always given generously of his time and expertise on these topics, believing that the vulnerable in our society are deserving of legal protection.
| | Director | Doris Hawks | | Director | Trisha Schindledecker | Southern California Chapter The following volunteers are the Officers and Directors of the Southern Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys for 2009-2010. | President | E. Bonnie Marshall
E. Bonnie Marshall has been an attorney for well over two decades. She was a trial attorney for a number of years before setting up her own Elder Law Practice in Glendale, CA. Her practice focuses on planning for incapacity, obtaining long term care Medi-Cal public benefits. She is also a member of the National Elder Law Foundation and is certified by that organization as a Certified Elder Law Attorney. She is a member of the Elder Law committee of the Los Angeles Bar Association. She has written articles for various publications including California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform and provides lectures and presentations for numerous hospitals, nursing homes and senior organizations as well as legal organizations. | | President Elect | Martha Jo Patterson
Martha Jo Patterson, J.D., CELA
Certified Elder Law Attorney, Certified by the National Elder Law Foundation
28 years in practice, 18 years in Elder Law and Estate Planning, PVP Panel, Los Angeles Superior Court
10 years as a litigator and Deputy City Attorney.
My focus is on planning for incapacity, Medi-Cal, and Veteran's Benefits planning, Special Needs Planning, Estate Planning, Conservatorships, Trust Administration and Probate. | | Vice President | Maureen Lyons
Maureen Lyons is a shareholder with the firm MOYNIHAN LYONS PC in Riverside, CA. Her practice focuses on Life Care Planning, Elder Law, Medi-Cal & Veteran's Long Term Care Planning, Estate Planning and Special Needs Planning. In addition to serving as Vice President of the Southern California Chapter of NAELA, Maureen is also Co-Chair of the Riverside County Bar Association's Estate Planning, Probate and Elder Law Section. She is a legal consultant for the Inland Caregivers Resource Center. She is a member of the Cooperating Attorney Network of Lambda Legal. Maureen is a member of Rotary Club of Magnolia Center (Riverside, CA) and the 2011 Class of Leadership Riverside. | | Treasurer | Sandra Diaz | | Secretary | Pamela Young Valencia
Pamela is an associate of Dennis M. Sandoval, A PLC. She received her J.D. from University of New Mexico School of Law and her LL.M. in taxation from New York University School of Law. She is a certified as a Legal Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. |
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