- FraudDan Bernhard tries cases involving a range of investment and business disputes, including contract, partnership and securities claims in state and federal courts. His practice is evenly divided between the representation of plaintiffs and defendants. He recently obtained a defense verdict in a 3 week securities fraud jury trial in federal court. He also handles matters involving trust, estate and inheritance disputes in California trial courts and through various forms of alternative dispute resolution.
- Corporate LawFrank is a partner in the Corporate and Business Transactions group and the Real Estate group. His practice includes representing companies, investors and individuals in mergers and acquisitions, real estate acquisitions and leases, venture capital, private equity and debt transactions. He also has extensive experience advising clients on the formation of new companies and entities, start-ups, partnerships, business contracts, corporate governance and securities law compliance.
- Mergers and AcquisitionsPrior to joining Freeland Cooper & Foreman, Fred developed his corporate practice at major international law firms in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York, where he represented private and public companies, and institutional and strategic investors throughout the life cycle of business ventures, including entity formation, complex venture and debt financing transactions, federal and state securities law compliance, and mergers and acquisitions.
- Business FormationPeter also has substantial experience in the areas of trust and estate administration, business formation, planning and transactions, and taxation, including estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax, income tax and property tax matters.
- Business Disputes
- Business TransactionsFreelandLaw LLP provides a full range of legal services in the areas of estate planning, business transactions, civil litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and real estate. For over 40 years, we have represented a wide array of individuals, families, businesses, investors and entrepreneurs. With a breadth of experience and excellent academic credentials, our attorneys offer quality legal services that are personalized and efficient. We work with our clients to solve difficult problems through planning, negotiation, litigation, arbitration and other actions.
- Limited Liability CompaniesMeg has been with Freeland Cooper & Foreman LLP for over 30 years, working closely with all of the estate planning partners, the corporate partners and directly with the clients. Her expertise is in trust administration (both simple and complex), sub-trust funding post death, and preparing and filing estate tax returns. Meg also focuses on estate planning, trust funding, gift tax returns, and setting up and funding all types of irrevocable trusts. She has worked with the probate courts in each of the Bay Area counties. She also has extensive experience in forming and dissolving closely held entities, including corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships, and keeping records for such entities up to date.
- Trade Secrets
- Intellectual PropertyWe represent entities and individuals in their business transactions, including formation, mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financing, general counsel services, technology and intellectual property licensing, negotiations with investors and lenders, debtor-creditor disputes, and liquidations. Our corporate practice group has substantial prior experience at nationally recognized law firms, and we frequently engage in sophisticated transactions with attorneys from national and international law firms.
- Unfair Competition
- Employment LitigationWe represent business entities and individuals in a wide range of sophisticated and complicated disputes, with particular expertise in solving investment and financial disputes; trust and estate litigation; contractual and employment disputes; unfair competition claims; disputes between alcoholic beverage suppliers and their distributors and importers; and real estate matters. We truly have a “big firm” practice in a small firm setting. Our litigation attorneys have represented clients in such diverse matters as a nuclear power plant licensing lawsuit in state court; and claims under the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act in front of state and federal resource agencies.
- Real Estate Litigation
- Real Estate TransactionsReal estate has always been a valued aspect of life and business in the Bay Area. Our firm represents a broad range of parties in residential and commercial real estate transactions, including buyers and sellers, landlords and tenants, lenders and borrowers, and investors. Whether it be the sale of a home, the purchase of a multi-unit property, the negotiation of a triple-net commercial lease, or a joint investment, we have the expertise to resolve legal issues necessary to facilitate and close the transaction.
- Disability Discrimination
- Estate PlanningOur estate planning group employs a comprehensive, yet practical approach. We develop an understanding of each client’s unique circumstances so that we may apply our expertise most appropriately in each case.
- Wills
- TrustsOur clients benefit from our substantial experience administering trusts and estates after death. In addition, our work handling trust and estate disputes enables us to provide effective counsel to minimize future conflicts.
- ProbateBeth’s practice focuses on the tax and non-tax aspects of estate planning trust and probate law, including structuring and implementing wealth transfers to charitable and individual recipients during lifetime and at death, forming and advising family business entities, administering estates and trusts, preparing estate and gift tax returns and representation in connection with estate and gift taxation generally.
- Tax LawEstate planning must be integrated with personal, financial, business and tax planning. Our attorneys have a depth of quantitative skills to ensure that our clients understand the economic implications of their planning choices. At the same time, we are sensitive to the fact that overemphasizing tax issues is of less value to our clients when the result is unduly complex or confusing in the day-to-day management of affairs.