Stephen E. Penner

Stephen E. Penner graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1971 with a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. After graduation, he served in the Vietnam War as a Gunnery Officer on the USS Turner Joy from 1971-1973. Upon his return stateside, Stephen completed his remaining two years of Naval Service in San Diego as First Division Officer on the USS Prairie and as Shore Patrol Officer for Long Beach Naval Station, and also instructed a course in Naval Gunfire Support for the Marines in Little Creek, Virginia. Upon completion of his Naval Duty in 1975, Stephen E. Penner attended California Western School of Law. After two vigorous years, Stephen graduated with a Juris Doctor Degree from Cal Western in 1977. He passed the Bar that same year and moved to Santa Barbara to open up his first law office on Carrillo Street. From 1977-1980, Stephen built up his practice and expanded his client base by primarily working on Criminal Defense, Family Law, and Personal Injury cases. In 1980 Stephen moved to his current location at 1215 De La Vina Street. Stephen began to expand his practice to include Estate Planning and Trust & Probate Litigation, as well as Civil Litigation, Real Estate, Business, and Product Liability claims. Starting in January 2025, after being with the firm for approximately 10 years, U.S. Army veteran and 2006 graduate of George Mason University School of Law, Jeremy A.A. Purves has taken over ownership of the law firm upon Stephen’s retirement, and has hired Tiffany Gauthier and Paul Blewett to make us into a 3-attorney law firm. With specialization in both trusts & estates and in family law, Jeremy has narrowed our the law firm’s focus to (1) Estate Planning, (2) Family Law, (3) Trust Administration & Litigation, (4) Probate, and (5) Charitable Giving. Having represented over 8,000 clients in the Tri-Counties area, Penner & Purves offers abundant legal expertise. For 49 years, the firm has been dedicated to servicing the community by offering personal representation with a commitment to professional integrity. Penner & Purves offers representation that is result oriented, reasonably priced, and efficiently executed; but that also considers intangibles and the relationship with the client rather than only focusing upon fees and transactions. We at Penner & Purves know that finding the right attorney to represent you is a choice not to be taken lightly. That’s why we offer free phone evaluations to walk you through your needs, the scope of your goals, and your budget.