Law Stein Anderson, LLP

Practice scope across estates, tax and business law

Individuals, multigenerational families, nonprofit organizations and businesses appear among the firm's stated client groups. Law Stein Anderson, LLP handles planning, administration, transactions and litigation. The firm's website says its lawyers have more than 150 years of collective experience.

The trusts, estates and tax practice covers estate planning, trust administration, probate, tax planning, tax controversies and related litigation. The business and corporate practice includes entity formation, succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, business transactions and real estate transactions. Civil litigation extends to business, real estate, product liability, premises liability and personal injury matters.

In my opinion, the clearest feature is the connection among the firm's estate, tax, business and litigation services. An estate plan can involve tax questions, business ownership and real estate. A later dispute may call for lawyers who understand those documents and the transactions behind them.

How the legal team is built

The attorney page identifies partners, senior associates, an associate and of counsel. It also gives each named lawyer a title and a description of the lawyer's work. The firm says Law & Stein, LLP changed its name to Law Stein Anderson, LLP because of Shauna R. Anderson's contributions as a partner.

Partners and ownership

R. Zebulon Law is an owner and partner who has worked as an attorney for 30 years. Matthew G. Stein is also an owner and partner, with a practice focused on probate litigation. Shauna R. Anderson handles estate planning, trust law and probate law. Christine M. Allen represents clients in complex litigation and has more than 15 years of experience.

These descriptions place planning and dispute work within the partner group. Stein's probate litigation work addresses contested estate proceedings, while Anderson's stated practice covers the planning and administration side of trusts and estates. Allen adds experience with complex civil disputes, and Law brings the longest individually stated period of practice on the attorney page.

Senior associate coverage

Erin M. Beranek represents individuals and families in estate planning and trust administration. Nick Carrigan handles trusts, wills, estate planning and trust administration, along with business and real estate law. Charlotte A. Flanigan has more than 15 years of experience in estate and income tax planning, probate, trust administration and business law. Katie A. Lindsey practices estate planning, trust administration and probate law.

Allison C. Gordon is a litigation attorney with more than ten years of practice in Southern California. David M. Huynh handles high-net-worth estate planning and represents clients in trust and probate litigation. Bryan K. Johnson practices tax law and handles estate and trust matters, and the site says he has prepared hundreds of estate plans. Gino G. Barrica, an associate, handles civil litigation that includes premises liability and personal injury matters across California.

Estate planning, trust administration and probate

The firm says its lawyers advise clients on planning intended to prevent disputes and represent clients when disputes enter litigation. Estate planning commonly begins with family circumstances, property ownership, business interests and intended beneficiaries. Wills, trusts and related instructions then record the client's decisions.

Trust administration begins after the event named in the trust document, often a death or incapacity. A trustee may need to identify assets, review the trust terms, communicate with beneficiaries, address tax matters and prepare distributions. Records and accountings can become central when beneficiaries ask how the trustee handled trust property.

Probate follows a court process for administering an estate. Common stages include appointing a personal representative, giving required notices, identifying assets, addressing creditor claims and seeking authority for distribution. Probate litigation can arise over a will, fiduciary conduct, inheritance rights or the proposed handling of estate property.

The roster ties these related tasks to several named lawyers. Beranek, Carrigan, Flanigan and Lindsey each list planning or administration work, while Anderson covers estate planning, trust law and probate. Huynh combines high-net-worth planning with trust and probate litigation, and Johnson brings tax work into estate and trust matters.

Civil disputes and contested estates

The website identifies inheritance and probate disputes, business litigation, real estate litigation, product liability and premises liability among the firm's litigation matters. Barrica's description also includes personal injury cases. Allen handles complex litigation, while Gordon has practiced litigation in Southern California for more than ten years.

Trust and estate disputes often turn on governing documents, amendments, accountings, property records and communications among family members or fiduciaries. The parties may exchange written discovery, take depositions and ask the court to decide disputed legal issues. Some matters resolve through negotiation or mediation, while others proceed to a court hearing or trial.

Business and real estate disputes draw on a different set of records. Contracts, ownership documents, payment histories and communications may define the parties' rights. Premises and product liability matters commonly require evidence about the condition at issue, the events surrounding an injury and the damages claimed.

The firm's roster assigns probate litigation to Stein and trust and probate litigation to Huynh. Its broader civil work includes lawyers with stated experience in complex litigation, premises liability and personal injury. That mix gives the website a clear account of the dispute categories the firm accepts.

Business, real estate and tax services

Entity formation, business planning, succession planning, transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and real estate transactions form the stated corporate offering. Carrigan's work includes business and real estate law. Flanigan also lists business law alongside estate, tax, probate and trust administration matters.

Business formation usually requires decisions about ownership, management authority, tax treatment and the transfer of interests. Transactional work may involve term sheets, due diligence, purchase documents, approvals and closing records. Succession planning addresses how control or ownership will pass when an owner retires, dies or leaves the business.

The tax practice includes tax planning, tax controversies, estate tax planning and income tax planning. Tax planning can affect the structure of an estate plan, a business transaction or a transfer of property. A tax controversy may involve an examination, a request for records, an administrative challenge or court proceedings.

The firm's stated services connect those tax issues with estate and corporate work. Johnson practices tax law and handles estate and trust matters, while Flanigan works on estate and income tax planning. Law Stein Anderson, LLP lists offices in Irvine and Carlsbad, California.