KM
Biography
One of the fall out pieces from the COVID-19 pandemic was a system-wide shift in the legal industry from in-person hearings and appearances to remote ones. Many, if not all, of the counties in which I regularly practice have made the remote platform its main artery of legal communications, for appearances as well as filings. This has translated into substantial savings to clients, which is an unusual and few-and-far-between kind of result for this industry! In keeping with remote work, I, too, continue to work primarily from outside the brick-and-mortar office space – this allows me to keep overhead to a minimum, a cost of business typically passed on by a firm to its client by way of higher billable hour fees. For those times when office consults are necessary, I meet with clients at my San Ramon offices.
I continue to offer e-billing, which clients take advantage of on a regular basis: clicking on a payment link is second-nature to most people, and I am pleased to offer this option. Billing Statements are sent every month to each client, and each month’s Billing Statement is provided as an attachment to each month’s payment link for reference. Every payment link is individualized to a particular client and statement, so there is no accounting confusion and clients can easily track their legal fees and expenses to date.
My office hours are 9-4:30 Mondays through Thursdays, and 9-12:30 on Fridays, unless by appointment or special arrangement. As a long established protocol for me, I am available to clients directly as may be necessary in any given case or situation. The best way to reach me is always by cell, text, or email, as I receive all messages on my phone and my phone is almost always with me wherever I go. I respond to message within 24 business hours of receipt, but often quicker, though I do not conduct business outside of regular office hours unless necessary or pre-arranged — this includes responding to phone and text messages, as well.
I continue to serve as a court-appointed Discovery Dispute Facilitator and Discovery Referee for the Superior Court of Contra Costa County. This special appointment allows me to serve the court in a pro bono fashion on an on-going basis. I provide Recommendations on discovery disputes to the Court, and as a Discovery Referee I oversee and manage the discovery phase of civil litigation matters. A Discovery Dispute Facilitator is a quasi-judicial role which I enjoy holding and from which I have had the unique opportunity to develop an unusual breadth and depth of knowledge of the California Discovery Act and its applications.
I welcome new clients at this time, and look forward to continuing to serve all clients with the a heightened level of personal attention, which I am proud to say is a hallmark of my practice.