David is an exceptional human being and attorney. I had several legal questions regarding our real…read moreestate transfer and purchase, and he took the time to answer every single one of them with incredible patience and care--without asking for any payment, which is truly rare and deeply appreciated. He is extremely knowledgeable and guided us thoughtfully through our situation, helping us understand our options and find the best path forward. We are very grateful for his generosity, expertise, and kindness. Thank you so much, David!

Very responsive and helpful. Thank you for being awesome and available, great resource.read more

A couple of weeks after my house was on the market, I was happy to receive an offer from a couple…read more As per standard practice, 3% of the agreed price was wired by the buyers to the title company handling the escrow. The buyers then proceeded to do their due diligence with various inspections, etc. Once the buyers were totally satisfied, they then removed all contingencies. I thought the rest of the process would be straightforward as we counted down towards the mutually agreed close-of-escrow date. But it turned out that the buyers' lending bank, which had earlier preapproved the buyers, decided at the last minute to back out, so the escrow fell through. I then had to go through the process of putting my house on the market again. Two months after that failed escrow, I received a letter from an attorney representing the unsuccessful buyers who argued that these buyers should get all their initial Ernest Money Deposit (EMD) back (this EMD was still being held by the title company). It was then that I contacted Cary Kletter's office to see if they would represent me in dealing with the buyers' attorney. Upon learning the key facts of this aborted escrow, Cary believed that I had a good case and agreed to represent me. So Cary wrote a very firm letter to the buyers' attorney. By first reminding the buyers the salient facts of this case, and why the escrow failed, Cary easily dismissed any basis the buyers might have for laying claim to the EMD. Nonetheless, Cary offered the buyers a small percentage of the EMD to settle the matter; the alternative being to go to mediation. Cary made it very clear to the buyers that should they lose in mediation, they would be responsible for all associated costs, including attorney fees. Thus with this one well-articulated and forceful letter, Cary was able to gain the upper hand in the negotiation that followed. This negotiation in fact went on for two more rounds. With each round, the buyers' attorney showed that they were willing to take a smaller and smaller percentage of the EMD. With the buyers evidently in retreat, Cary then issued a very strong 'take-it-or-go-mediation' final offer. The buyers' had little choice but to accede. Even though I did not get all the EMD and was quite sure that I would win in mediation, I was very happy with the final settlement. I was most relieved that we managed to avoid all the time and hassle of the mediation process. So I have to say Cary really knows his stuff when it comes to such negotiations! I was very impressed by Cary's negotiating style and tactics, and I am most grateful that he represented me.

As mentioned by someone else when I asked for a consultation, the reply I got back was a curt it'll…read morecost you $800. iMessage back can you please give me some contact for what that entails and got no reply. I then tried to call but no one picked up. Obviously, there's a cost for using their service but maybe providing a little context for how they are going to help me besides just saying it'll cost $800 would be advisable. Needless to say, I decided to go with someone else.

I hired Michael Notaro last November for an eviction case in Oakland. He was effective and helped…read moreus successfully regain possession of the property. Throughout the entire process, Michael communicated clearly, kept us updated, and explained our options. He also went above and beyond by offering practical advice and recommendations to help prevent similar issues with future tenants. I truly appreciated his professionalism and guidance. I would work with Michael again if I needed legal representation as a landlord.

Michael is really great mediator. He is really good at what he is doing, with professionalism,…read morefinesse and very good interpersonal skills in loaded situations. He assisted me with landlord-tenants issue. The mediation went for several hours non stop but he persisted through lunch break until he was able to achieve an agreement. I think he is good also and pointing the risks and benefits for each side and helpful in weighing in a decision. He is also very knowledgeable about the subject matter and you can see this right away. I really liked his style and would recommend him full-heartedly.

Very informative and provided different options to think about. She called me back and provided…read moreuseful information.

J. Richards is helpful, knowledgeable and generous. I recommend them highly for your legal needs.read more

I have been stressed out with the tenant not paying me the rent and refused to communicate with me…read moreat all. I was searching on the Yelp for top 10 best Eviction Attorney. "Richards law" was showing up right there. Today is Sunday, at 08:17 in the morning I called 925-231-8104 and left brief message. I was hoping that someone from the law firm will call me back tomorrow. Surprisingly, Mr. Richards called me back at 09:13 ,only 56 minutes after I called. He listened to my case patiently, laid out the plans what he is going to do to help me. He is so professional, knowledgeable and so easy to talk to . He spent over 20 minutes over the phone with me. I am very much confident that Mr. Richards will win the case for me.

I contacted Damien regarding a sale of my property and he picked up my phone. He is so easy to talk…read moreto. I was looking to get a quiet title action and he explained to me why me request was an uncommon one. He directed me to the right person and helped avoid paid consultation by using his network power. I liked the fact he was genuine. I would definitely recommend him to other folks.

Damian was quick to respond to my inquiry, and while he was upfront about not specializing in the…read moreparticular kind of law I needed assistance with, he immediately introduced me to a firm that did. Thank you, Damian!

Very happy with the work done by the Shepherd Law Group. The matter was settled within a short time…read moreand we were satified with the results. A special shoutout to Elidia, the paralegal who was quick to answer all of our questions. Would definitely recomend to all landlords in the area with tenant issues.

I would advise caution when considering lawyer Michael Shepard. Based on my honest opinion, I feel…read morehe seems overly driven by money and greed, which worries me. Please be careful and make sure to choose someone who genuinely cares about your best interests.

I almost didn't reach out because I was scared of all that would be involved in the lawsuit. But we…read morewere so frustrated with the wrongful eviction our landlord did (claiming he was moving back in so he could kick us out) that we decided to pursue legal action. I'm so glad we did. Allyson and the team were so great to work with. And we won more money than expected! I've already referred a few folks to Tobener Ravenscroft who are having landlord issues.

I've dealt with this law firm twice in three years. The same intake specialist questioned me both…read moretimes over the phone, sometimes asking me in the interview what I thought were irrelevant questions while also conveying the impression of an authoritarian who would reject me instantly if I did not answer her questions with the requisite politeness and subservience she demanded since she balked palpably when I questioned her about the appropriateness of some of her questions. Based on her responses to my questions and the clinical way in which she asked her questions, I felt this intake specialist was going to reject my plea for help -- before the law firm had made any final determination. And on both occasions, it turned out that my intuition proved correct. On my second call to this law firm last month, the intake specialist asked in a decisively clinical and less-than-friendly manner, "What makes you call us back a second time after you had already been rejected by our firm the first time? Has anything significantly changed?" This same intake specialist, on both occasions, when it was decided the law firm would not take up my case and would not provide me with legal assistance, emailed me my rejection but gave me no reason whatsoever why my petition or inquiry was rejected. None, on either occasion. On both of my inquiries seeking legal help, I was seeking legal defense as a tenant from chronic noise nuisance by an upstairs neighbor my landlord enabled as a noise-maker and refused to warn. On both occasions, the one question the intake specialist asked me and that I had deemed totally irrelevant was: do I want to move out of my apartment? What had my desire (or no) to continue to live in my apartment have to do with seeking justice for my right to quiet enjoyment or the harassment and nuisance as a tenant I was receiving from my landlord? Without, as I've already stated, the law firm once ever stating its real reason for its decline to help me, it later became clear to me that this law firm, which pretends to represent tenants, only wants to help tenants who are willing to move out of their apartment since the firm is able to make a decent profit thereby and only with this particular strategy in mind. It judges that it cannot make money simply by doing the right thing, defending a tenant's legal right to quiet enjoyment of one's rented abode. This firm isn't interested in justice or rights for the tenant. It is interested only in its means of making a profit.

Karyne is reliable, honest and trustworthy. I called her office and left my info and Karyne…read morereturned my call shortly after to tell me she got the message and she will call me back in a couple hours when she is free. She did just that. Not only that but she provided complimentary advice from a lawyer POV on what I should do in my situation all without a retainer. If I am ever in a situation where I need an attorney I will not hesitate to retain Karyne. Thank you Karyne!

I had a great experience working with Attorney Karyne Ghantous. Yes, her services are on the…read morepricier side, but you truly get what you pay for. She is incredibly smart, quick to respond, and highly professional throughout the entire process. She explained everything clearly, stayed on top of deadlines, and made what could have been a stressful situation much easier to navigate. If you're looking for someone sharp and dependable, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her.

She. is. a. boss. She gets things moving!…read more We had a legal situation and thought we were in good hands with insurance. So, we were, in parallel, seeking legal counsel for guidance. From the first call, Karyne gave us some peace of mind that what was happening was out of the ordinary but also gave us direction - and this was just a phone consultation. She was direct, action oriented and someone who I felt I could trust. I would strongly recommend her!

We were impressed with the integrity, knowledge, expediency and guidance received from Attorney…read moreKaryne Ghantous. She responded quickly to our reaching out about a dilemma we were experiencing in finding resolution to a dispute/misunderstanding with our HOA regarding on going serious, dangerous damage to our street via a large sink hole that had developed as a result of a lack of an adequate system to handle subterranean drainage from the adjacent hillside. Karyne helped us open up avenues of research and communication in navigating through investigative dialogue with the City and HOA that has finally brought about the beginnings of a long term remedy to this unfortunate situation. We are grateful to have found in Karyne somebody with substantial responsible experience in this area that has brought us and our neighbors peace of mind.