Very happy with the work done by the Shepherd Law Group. The matter was settled within a short time and 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. read more

Top notch service.. Mr James Shepherded and staff were more than helpful. Always returning our calls and explaining everything step by step.. I really recommend them read more

The Shepherd Law Group is outstanding. They helped me navigate a difficult tenant and clearly and patiently directed me in next steps. They know the law and take the time to explain my legal rights and actions necessary to resolve my issues. I greatly appreciate how accessible they were and it felt good to have someone on my side. Do not hesitate to reach out to SLG if you are going through difficulties as a landlord. Also, I find that their fees are very reasonable for the quality their services. read more

I would advise caution when considering lawyer Michael Shepard. Based on my honest opinion, I feel he 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. read more

Michael Shepherd is solid. His focus is Eviction law. He charges typical attorney fees by the half hour for initial consults. He is quick, knows the local laws in the Bay Area, and supports property management companies as well as owners. Ask about HOA, Property Management, or non eviction related work as he may not be supporting that kind of work depending on work load. If you're in need of quick advice, or eviction assistance, this is your attorney. read more

Our first time working with The Shepherd Law Group and all I can say is that they are 100% wonderful. They are responsive and answered all of our questions in a timely manner. I would highly recommend them! read more

Too many over charges. I only need the lawyer to work out the tenant's total owing based on Oakland's rental law, she didn't do anything. In the end I figured out the total owing myself. But they still charged me $382.5 for the lawyer doing nothing. read more

My first time working with The Shepherd Law Group, and I echo the same sentiments of others. It was really great to work with Michael -- who is highly knowledgeable, generous, very responsive, and easy to work with -- on Covid-19 era challenges. I highly recommend him and his firm, and I would have no problem coming back to the firm to do business with them again. Thank you very much! read more

Very responsive to my request. They contacted me and gave me there opinions and options to help me I n my situation. I ended up not needing there assistance as my problem was resolved directly with my customer. read more

I recommend, Mr. Shepherd was very helpful. I plan to use this company for future services.

My situation was two folds: I had a terrible tenant plus a negligent property management company. The property management company did very little to try to get our tenant out that was already 7 months behind on rent. I received a referral to The Shepherd Law Group and within a week we got the tenant out. Michael and Elidia were professional, knowledgeable and provided tremendous guidance every step of the way. I'm very grateful to them and if you have any tenant issues I highly recommend their services. read more

Thus far I've had an EXCELLENT experience with the Shepherd Law Group, though I haven't even officially retained them yet! I had quite a long phone chat with one of their attorneys, Margaret, who was helpful and forthright about my tenant issue. She also sent me one of the forms they recommend for giving tenants a 3-day notice, as she was concerned that the form I had found online might not hold up in court. It was truly amazing that she was so helpful when I hadn't even given them any $$$ yet! I look forward to retaining them as soon as the holidays are over and will update this review as my eviction case proceeds. By the way, if you're reading this and also checking out other eviction lawyers, DO NOT hire Alex Verbeck of Verbeck Law. He took my money and did almost nothing - very very slow and unresponsive. read more

If you own residential property in Alameda County it is inevitable that you will be involved in an eviction action sooner or later. Tenants have All the rights and can wield Thor's hammer against you. Get Michael Shepherd to help you. I used him several times and I still have no reason to complain. He got me 12-0 jury verdicts in my favor! Against this "dear old woman" from hell who knew the rent control ordinance inside out And knew what games to play to win favors from judges. In Alameda County! Wow. Need I say more? Thanks Michael! read more

this is the second time i used Mike shepherd to help me remove a bad tenant. this place is the BEST!!!!! they kept me informed the whole way. Explained all the details to me and i knew cost upfront. unfortunately for me the 1st time we went all the way to court. Mike was very professional in his dealings in the courtroom and got the WIN!!! This 2nd time was way more difficult for us personally and he got resolution for us without court. If you have the tenant from hell DO NOT price shop. Use this firm regardless of cost. That said I believe I was treated and billed correctly for both cases. read more

I had a tenant from hell. My tenant was harassing myself and neighbors, making false incident reports and lying in court etc. This tenant had nothing to lose, not even the Section 8 voucher. Section 8 did nothing to help resolve the tenant harassment. The tenant was represented by the community free legal group. Michael Shepherd was not afraid to take on my case. Eventually, the judge saw what was happening and sided with me. I would DEFINITELY recommend The Shepherd Law group. They are professional and knowledgeable regarding the eviction and ordinance laws in the San Francisco / Oakland area. I appreciate the time Michael and his staff took to explain the laws to me. During the middle of my case, the Oakland eviction laws had changed and Michael & Maraget did the research to figure out how to proceed with my case. If you know anything about the OAKLAND rent control and eviction laws, you know you will need Shepherd Law Group on your side fighting for you. I highly recommend The Shepherd Law Group!! read more

Long story short, I bought a duplex and inherited a tenant, which I had to evict a year later. It should have been a very straightforward case considering I owner occupy one of the units. I decided to use The Shepherd Law Group in this case, which was the worst thing I could have ever done. First, they failed to advise me that there was a legal clause in the old rental agreement between the tenant and the prior owner, which I inherited, could have ended up costing me $30k+ if I were to lose the case. I received a phone call notifying me of this literally the day after the 90-day notice expired and in the process of filing the unlawful detainer. Second (the WORST part), they failed to submit the required documents to the rent board in a timely manner. I found out about this on the settlement day, resulting in the tenant not wanting to settle since the tenant's attorney was pretty confident the case would get dismissed in court. The Shepherd Law Group thought that I should continue with the case, pay a $5k retainer, and see if it would get dismissed. This is even after they told me it was a long shot. What a joke! After 7 months of stress and almost $3k in legal fees, I could not believe I had to choose to dismiss the case because my attorney failed to submit a document in a timely manner. Oh yea, they ended up billing me for their mistake! read more

I part-own and manage several larger apartment properties in Oakland (for over 30 years). I use communication with residents to minimize the need for eviction or legal action. Avoid going to court as much as possible. But in rare cases, there is no choice. I have known Michael for many years and I trust his judgment to get a reasonable settlement from an unfair and unreasonable system stacked against owners. His team of professionals can be counted on to follow through and keep you informed. Communication is the key, so when (not if) you engage Shepherd Law, listen carefully. Judgment and experience are critical and he has both. read more

Over a year ago, I decided to move into my home, which involved a long, and complicated process negotiating the departure of the Oakland-based existing tenants. The Shepherd law team successfully assisted me, at every step of the way,..and were always, just a phone call-away. If you MUST speak with your attorney Shepherd Law may not be the best fit, as they depend upon a robust team of experienced paralegal and other professionals, to manage most of the mundane questions. That being said, when Mr. Shepherd was needed or requested, I was able to secure a conversation within a few days of my request. I might also warn that, due to The Shepherd Law Group being in high demand, you may need, occasionally, to follow up on the status of paperwork, and other clerical issues. Not a deal breaker for me, but, might be a bit of an area of concern if expect your attorney to get back with you EVERY time you make a request for call-back. Over-all, I would most definitely recommend Shepherd Law Group! read more

We were facing a very complicated situation. My Mother, for whom I serve as the POA, is in a skilled nursing facility near Oakland; I had moved to Modesto. My parents had entered into a reverse mortgage many years earlier that stipulated upon their notifying the company that they were no longer living there as their primary residence, we were to contact the company: which I did. My Mother's belief was that upon doing so, the company would take over management of the property. She was wrong. The home was taken over by squatters who committed many illegal acts wreaking havoc upon the neighborhood. I went to Mr. Shepherd to get them removed. Every other attempt had failed. I can not speak more highly of Mr. Mike Shepherd's knowledge, strategic ability, intelligence and professionalism. He also has surrounded himself with one of the finest professional staffs I've had the pleasure of working with. Mr. Shepherd turned a potentially months-long process into a matter of weeks by knowing the law thoroughly, knowing exactly what to do and when and maintaining a constant vigilance over our case. I can not express how grateful my family and I are to him - we did not want the neighborhood to continue suffering. He ended that promptly. read more

Called Mike regarding some issues I have been having with my tenants, he was really great to talk to, and gave me advise for my situation that's been causing me a lot of stress. Was very kind and generous of him to give me his time and update me on California laws that change everyday. Would definitely get back to him for legal representation. read more

We're so grateful for the assistance proffered by Michael Shepherd and his team. My mother-in-law had done a kindness for a woman and allowed her to move in temporarily. The woman then refused to leave and became increasingly hostile. She seemed to know chapter and verse of tenant law and CA civil codes, leading us to suspect this was not her first rodeo. Mike was interested in the situation and wrote a carefully outlined 60 days notice that stressed that she did not have status as a tenant and therefore was not to be afforded the protections she was claiming. It took a year to get her extricated and clearly we should have brought legal representation into the picture much sooner. Just over 3 months after retaining Michael Shepherd the situation was resolved. Bravo! And as a sidebar - we appreciated that his fees were reasonable. We would recommend him without hesitation. read more

This group all of them have been so incredible in helping us with an eviction. Before I spend one penny they consulted me for 2 months as to what to do. They sent me forms to use in my contract. I must have spoken to them 30 times before I ever giving them a check. Then when they started the unlawful detainer they were so helpful. I would call them constantly asking questions and they always were informative and patient as many times I needed clarification. I am grateful Beyond measure I found them. read more

For a long time I was searching for a good eviction law firm. I have used about five different eviction firms over many years before I came across The Shepherd Law Group. I found them more credible than those I previously used. They are very welcoming and easy to communicate with. They explained questions clearly and always updated and kept me informed on the case. Great team work and coordination with their paralegals. In every aspect I am completely satisfied with the firm. I had a tenant from hell but they helped me. I highly recommend them to someone who is looking for an honest and professional law firm. read more

This guy is why they make all the bad jokes about attorney's. My experience is that he charges and charges and charges attorney level prices even though his assistant is doing the work. I met with him once when he took my case (my property), after that he was never available, I had to call to try to find out what was going on with my case and was only ever able to speak with the office person yet later being charged as if I spoke directly with him. I saw him again at our court date for the tenant eviction. After seeing him in action I felt like I needed to go home and shower! While we were at court, he wanted me to sign my name to a document and back date it to misrepresent evidence, basically perjury myself if caught. He also kept saying that the tenants attorney was making him spend alot of time in the judges chambers even though he was the person that kept asking for small clarifications from the judge. I luckily was able to get another attorney's advice. My new attorney told me the other party had offered several fair settlements but Shepard never told me about any of them. The only thing that makes sense is he wanted to keep case alive for as long as possible. In hindsight, he prolonged every part of the process in and out of court for as long as he can for billable hours. It's sad to think he was doing everything he could to stretch out the time because he gets paid by the hour. I overheard the new attorney talk to others lawyers and seems Michael Sheppard is known around for producing months old documents on the fly as needed to present as evidence! He also has a reputation of throwing his clients under the bus if caught by going along with his misrepresentations. I dodged a bullet. Funny that another yelp reviewer blamed the "other party" for drawing out the process, lol, yeah no, it was Michael Shepard, that stretched the time and took your money. It was my first time with this type of legal issue but I've been around long enough to understand the type of lawyer sheppard is. In case any one has to deal with eviction issues, learn from my experience and find someone other that the sheppard group. I'm very glad I found another attorney that did right by me. read more

The shepherd law group is the place to go for all landlord tenant issues! mr shepherd is extremely competent, fluent with the law and brilliant in court. His team is always available to answer all your questions and to make sure your case moves along timely. He knows eviction law, rent control and all matters of tenancy. Great lawyer and I highly recommend his services! read more

I hired Mike and his team to represent me in a long and difficult eviction proceeding at my Oakland property. The tenant was able to secure free legal assistance. Her legal counsel did everything in their power to make the process as expensive and stressful as possible, resorting to outright lying and deception and many underhanded legal games. Mike and Margaret did an outstanding job navigating this arduous and lengthy process, both as highly competent legal representatives, all the while maintaining the utmost in professionalism. I would choose to work with them on any complicated tenant matter in the future. read more

Michael Shepard and his team have always gone the extra mile for me. The respond to your questions on the phone and they have aggressively represented us on several eviction cases over the years. We highly recommend them. read more

The Shepherd Law Group did at least 3 evictions for me. They were very efficient in ushering my cases through the eviction process. I was very pleased with the service and would continue to use Michael Shepherd whenever I need to evict a tenant. In one of the cases, however, when we negotiated with the judge in order to avoid court, I felt that the tenant was granted too many benefits. read more