News and Announcements Archives | SBEMP Attorneys LLP

SBEMP’s Austin Gutierrez on GPS Business Insider

“Corporate Transparency Act: A New Compliance Requirement for Small Businesses”

“At the beginning of this year, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) introduced a sweeping new requirement for small businesses across the United States. Aimed at combating illicit activities such as money laundering, tax fraud, and financing terrorism, the CTA mandates that many business entities disclose their beneficial ownership information to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). While well-intentioned, the CTA introduces a significant new compliance burden for small and medium-sized businesses that must be navigated carefully to avoid severe penalties.” Read the full article here.

SBEMP Attorneys is pleased to announce that Jacquetta Bardacos has become a partner in the firm.

Ms. Bardacos is an experienced, compassionate attorney serving in the firm’s Trust, Estate & Probate and Litigation Departments. Based in the firm’s Indian Wells office, she maintains a diversified practice based on her expertise in trust, estate, business, qui tam, tort litigation, and appellate law, where she has successfully prosecuted and defended appeals. She has been practicing in all stages of litigation for over two decades in federal and state courts.

Ms. Bardacos is a native of Southern California, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego, and received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Santa Clara. While attending Santa Clara, Ms. Bardacos worked as an Associate Editor of Santa Clara Law Review and served as a Judicial Extern to Hon. Nat A. Agliano, in the California Court of Appeal, Sixth Appellate District. She has also collaborated with the U.S. Department of Justice and federal government investigators to complete a series of cases against federal government contractors, which yielded over $300,000,000 in settlements.

Recent representative cases include successful litigation and recovery of $4,000,000 in an undue influence case, recovery of $10,000,000 for heirs in a contested trust matter, and successful trial defense of a developer in a civil action brought by a local public entity for restitution of $2,000,000 under California Government Code Section 1090 and other conflict of interest laws.

Ms. Bardacos has been named a Top Lawyer by Palm Springs Life Magazine yearly since 2017 after she moved to the Coachella Valley. She is admitted to practice in all federal and state courts in California.

SBEMP Attorneys is a full-service law firm with core practice areas focused on civil litigation; estate planning; trust, estate, and probate litigation; labor and employment law; public agency law; business law; mergers and acquisitions, and family law. With offices in Indian Wells, Palm Springs, Orange County, San Diego, New Jersey, and New York, the firm has ten partners, 24 attorneys, and a team of six paralegal professionals, making it the largest law firm in the Coachella Valley and one of the largest in Riverside County.

Ms. Bardacos can be reached at bardacos@sbemp.com and (760) 322-9240.

Have any legal questions? Contact the Attorneys at SBEMP Law Firm:

For more information or to request a consultation please contact the law offices of SBEMP (Slovak, Baron, Empey, Murphy & Pinkney) by clicking here.

SBEMP LLP is a full service law firm with attorney offices in Palm Springs (Palm Desert, Inland Empire, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells), CA; Indian Wells, CA; Costa Mesa (Orange County), CA; San Diego, CA; New Jersey, NJ; and New York, NY.

DISCLAIMER: This blog post does not constitute legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is formed by reading it. This blog post may be considered ATTORNEY ADVERTISING in some states. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Additional facts or future developments may affect subjects contained within this blog post. Before acting or relying upon any information within this newsletter, seek the advice of an attorney.

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The largest Coachella Valley based law firm, Slovak Baron Empey Murphy & Pinkney LLP (SBEMP), has formally announced attorneys Carolyn Martino and Robert Patterson as new partners.

Ms. Martino is a highly accomplished family law practitioner with experience representing a broad range of clients, including athletes, doctors, attorneys, business owners, real estate developers, hospitality industry leaders, and entrepreneurs to name a few. She is known for her compassion in handling cases and for her practical approach to advocacy for her clients. Ms. Martino is based out of SBEMP’s Indian Wells office and will continue representing clients throughout Southern California.

“I am excited about this new role and honored to be among such a talented group of attorneys and staff. One of the changes we have noticed in the legal world in recent years is that businesses and individuals have developed a need for a broad range of legal services that cross over multiple disciplines such as Estate Planning, Family Law, Real Estate, contract disputes, Business matters and Employment Law. Slovak, Baron, Empey, Murphy & Pinkney LLP has responded to that need by assembling a topnotch group of advocates providing a full service law firm of highly talented attorneys. I look forward to being part of this team and meeting those challenges as our Valley continues to expand and grow.”

Mr. Patterson is an experienced real estate, business, and public agency transactional attorney who has served as legal counsel to several cities in California and general counsel to several special districts. He represents commercial landlords, real estate developers and public agencies in complex real estate transactions and land use matters.

SBEMP is proud to announce Ms. Martino and Mr. Patterson as partners of the firm, and looks forward to their leadership and dedication to the community. SBEMP is a full service law firm with offices in Palm Springs, Indian Wells, Orange County, San Diego, New Jersey and New York.

Have any legal questions? Contact the Attorneys at SBEMP Law Firm:

For more information or to request a consultation please contact the law offices of SBEMP (Slovak, Baron, Empey, Murphy & Pinkney) by clicking here.

SBEMP LLP is a full service law firm with attorney offices in Palm Springs (Palm Desert, Inland Empire, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells), CA; Indian Wells, CA; Costa Mesa (Orange County), CA; San Diego, CA; New Jersey, NJ; and New York, NY.

“The DFW resident who earlier this month caught New York Yankees hitter Aaron Judge’s 62nd American League home-run-record ball at Globe Life Field is exploring options about what to do with the prize, and has hired a firm to represent him regarding all inquiries in the possible sale of the ball.

David Baron, a founding partner of SBEMP Attorneys, is representing Cory Youmans, who caught the historic home run ball hit on October 4, 2022 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and his wife Bri Amaranthus.”

Read the Full Article Here

Have any legal questions? Contact the Attorneys at SBEMP Law Firm:

For more information or to request a consultation please contact the law offices of SBEMP (Slovak, Baron, Empey, Murphy & Pinkney) by clicking here.

“As a baseball fan, Dave Baron of Palm Springs, California, understood the impact of Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees hitting a record-setting 62nd home run Oct. 4. What Baron didn’t expect was to be in the middle of what will happen to the baseball that might fetch $4 million at auction.

Baron is a partner in the Palm Springs law firm of Slovak, Baron, Empey, Murphy & Pinkney, some 1,300 miles from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. That’s where Judge hit his 62nd home run in the second game of a doubleheader against the Texas Rangers. Baron had no connection with Judge, the Yankees or the Rangers until he received a phone call.”

Read the Full Article Here

Have any legal questions? Contact the Attorneys at SBEMP Law Firm:

For more information or to request a consultation please contact the law offices of SBEMP (Slovak, Baron, Empey, Murphy & Pinkney) by clicking here.

PR Newswire

PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Many owners of homes who want to rent their properties on a short-term basis within homeowner associations (HOAs) in California got a huge boost from a recent decision by the California Court of Appeal in a case regarding the emerging trend of HOAs changing their governing documents to prohibit short-term renting.

The decision, published as Brown v. Montage at Mission Hills, 2021 Cal.App. LEXIS 694 (Aug. 20, 2021), will have statewide impacts on the short term vacation rental industry in common interest developments (CIDs) more commonly known as HOAs.

Shaun M. Murphy, a partner at Palm Springs-based SBEMP Attorneys, LLP, successfully represented plaintiff Nancie Brown in the Court of Appeal.

Read the full article here.

Have any legal questions? Contact the Attorneys at SBEMP Law Firm:

For more information or to request a consultation please contact the law offices of SBEMP (Slovak, Baron, Empey, Murphy & Pinkney) by clicking here.

Slovak Baron Empey Murphy & Pinkney LLP Congratulates Nancy Tragarz & Misty Calder on Joining the Firm

SBEMP is proud to announce the addition of Nancy Tragarz & Misty Calder to its legal team.

Nancy Tragarz has worked for more than twenty years in litigation and transactional law, and served over eighteen years as a Judge Pro Tempore. With public service as a distinguishing feature of her career, Nancy is currently in her fourteenth year on the Walnut City Council, where she also served as Mayor. She has held leadership positions on numerous Boards. Her dedication to serving clients and her community has been reflected in all of the work she has performed in challenging cases, including cases in state and federal courts. She has published opinions in her client’s favor from the Ninth and Federal Circuits, and will be joining SBEMP’s Trusts, Estates & Probate Department.

Misty Calder is an attorney with over sixteen years of litigation experience. Misty will be focusing on representing SBEMP clients in connection with litigation and the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). Prior to joining SBEMP’s Litigation Department, Misty served as an assistant professor at Whittier Law School and worked as an attorney with a global 100 law firm.

Both attorneys have extensive experience and accomplishments in their areas of practice. SBEMP is proud to have these two exceptional attorneys join its team.

SBEMP is a full service law firm with offices in Palm Springs, Indian Wells, Orange County, San Diego, New Jersey, and New York.

SBEMP Attorneys, Palm Springs Life, and Coachella Valley Economic Partnership
present conversations with the top thinkers from each sector
of the local economy from Sept. 23 to Nov. 18.

PALM SPRINGS — It will take several years, but the Coachella Valley will bounce back from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. When it does, the local economy with be healthier, more diverse, and better educated and prepared to weather the uncertainties of the future.

How will we get there?

To answer to this complicated question, Palm Springs Life partnered with the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and the law firm Slovak Baron Empey Murphy & Pinkney to produce the webinar series The Economic Future of the Coachella Valley, featuring leaders from cross-section of the region’s most critical industries.

Joe Wallace, CVEP’s CEO and chief innovation officer, and Valerie Powers Smith, partner at SBEMP, moderate the nine webinars, which stream weekly, Wednesdays at 2 p.m., and are also available on the Palm Springs Life YouTube page. The webinars are free.

“It’s important that leaders remain optimistic and realistic,” says Wallace, who oversees “innovation hubs” in Palm Springs and Palm Desert where entrepreneurs bring products to the market and create high-skill jobs in the region. “[COVID-19] cannot take our sunshine away. We’ll be back, and we’ll be back strong.”

[button link=”https://www.palmspringslife.com/our-events/the-economic-future-of-the-coachella-valley/” target=”_blank”] Register for the webinars here [/button]

Here’s the schedule:

September 23: Tourism and Hospitality

Scott White (Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau), Kelly Steward (The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage), and Allen Monroe (The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens) discuss how airlines, hotels, attractions, and events are making Greater Palm Springs a safe and welcoming place to visit for business and pleasure.

September 30: Health, Medicine, and Wellness

Ken Wheat (Eisenhower Health), Jenna LeComte-Hinely (Health Assessment and Research for Communities), and Kim Saruwatari (Riverside University Health System–Public Health) discuss the future of primary and secondary care as well as public health in the COVID-19 era.

October 7: Arts and Culture

Louis Grachos (Palm Springs Art Museum), Chris Mobley (Modernism Week), and Ron Celona (Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre) discuss how arts and culture organizations, venues, and events are adapting to safely welcome visitors and deliver on their missions.

October 14: Education

Joel Kinnamon (College of the Desert), Jake Zhu (CSUSB Palm Desert), and Sandra Lyon (Palm Springs Unified School District) discuss the pandemic’s temporary and long-term effects on education as well as how our local institutions are innovating new ways to teach and learn.

October 21: Real Estate

Michael Meade (Wilson Meade Commercial Real Estate), Peggy Sue Lane (First American Mortgage), and Brady Sandahl (Brady Sandahl Real Estate Group at Keller Williams Luxury Homes) discuss the boom in home sales and the challenge for commercial real estate. Sponsored by Franklin Loan Center.

October 28: Retail and Restaurants

Michael Braun (Grit Development), Tara Lazar (f10creative), and Patrick Klein (The Gardens on El Paseo) discuss the state of retail and restaurants in the Coachella Valley — from the impacts on sales and employees to the new world of risk reduction.

November 4: Nonprofits and Philanthropy

Laura Fritz (Eisenhower Health Foundation) and Debbie Espinosa (FIND Food Bank) discuss how nonprofit organizations are tuning their programming and fundraising strategies for the COVID era.

November 11: Governance

One valley, nine cities, five tribal governments, and one pandemic: Lauri Aylaian (City of Palm Desert) and Jeff Grubbe (Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians) discuss how local governments can work together to lift the entire region.

November 18: The Future is Economic Diversity

Is the region too dependent on tourism? In the final installment in our nine-part series, Joe Wallace of CVEP and his guests discuss how to diversify the economy of the Coachella Valley.

About Slovak Baron Empey Murphy & Pinkney (SBEMP Attorneys):

SBEMP Attorneys is a full-service law firm with offices in Palm Springs, Orange County, San Diego, New Jersey, and New York. The founding members were partners in the largest law firm in the Inland Empire, each with a proven track record of substantial success. They formed SBEMP to concentrate exclusively on providing clients with superior legal representation and first-class service at competitive pricing.

The foundation of the firm is hard work, creative and aggressive advocacy, and an unwavering focus on the needs of our clients. Our goal in every matter is to achieve the best possible result in a cost-effective manner. Visit www.sbemp.com or call 760-322-2275 for more information.

About Palm Springs Life

Founded in 1965, Palm Springs Life is a publishing and media company headquartered in Palm Springs, California. Palm Springs Life media enterprises include consumer and custom publishing, brand development, advertising, graphics, printing, media buying, events, social and digital media creation and management, public relations, content marketing, video production, web development, and optimization. Visit www.palmspringslife.com or call 760-325-2333 for more information.

About Coachella Valley Economic Partnership

The mission of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) is to incite vision-driven transformation in the Greater Palm Springs region. Established in 1994, the nonprofit organization has emerged as a vital innovator of regional business development initiatives by fostering entrepreneurship and diversifying industry. As the only regional entity with the capacity to execute technology-led economic development, the partnership promotes a diversified, year-round economy by facilitating programs that stimulate job creation in key industries through business attraction, retention, and expansion. Visit www.cvep.com or call 760-340-1575 for more information.

After completing a thorough RFP process, the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) has selected the law firm of Slovak Baron Empey Murphy & Pinkney (SBEMP) as its legal representation. SBEMP will provide all manner of legal support to the CVB from the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) to advice and guidance on day-to-day legal operations.

SBEMP partner, Lena Wade, will serve as General Counsel to CVB. According to Ms. Wade “SBEMP is thrilled that we will be working with the CVB board and its professional staff. We share many of the same core values as CVB. SBEMP attorneys are invested and engaged in the Coachella Valley and we look forward to working as part of the CVB team as it provides vital tourism related services to its member agencies and the Coachella Valley.”

The Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is the official tourism marketing agency for the nine-city Southern California oasis of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio and Coachella. With a mission to positively affect the destination’s $7.5 billion tourism economy and quality of life for its citizens, the CVB serves more than 3,000 business partners, providing sales, marketing and promotional efforts targeted to potential leisure travelers and event, meeting, and convention group markets.

About SBEMP: Established in 1995, SBEMP LLP has grown to become the largest full-service law firm based in the Coachella Valley. With offices in Palm Springs, Indian Wells, Orange County, San Diego, New Jersey, and New York, SBEMP provides legal services that range from labor and employment law, business and real estate law, mergers and acquisitions, healthcare law, tribal law, trusts and estates, litigation, public agency law and family law. The foundation of the firm is hard work, creative and aggressive advocacy, and an unwavering focus on the needs of its clients.

SBEMP is proud to announce that Bruce T. Bauer has won attorneys’ fees on behalf of his client, Save Rancho Mirage, in a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) case filed against In-N-Out Burgers Restaurant and the City of Rancho Mirage. The case began in October 2019 when Save Rancho Mirage took action against the City and In-N-Out, claiming that both had ignored residents’ concerns about placing a popular fast-food restaurant in the Las Palmas Shopping Center.

Rancho Mirage residents raised concerns to the City Council early on in the development process, yet project plans were approved despite their urgent requests to protect the proposed site. According to Save Rancho Mirage, a drive-through in this particular area would potentially increase traffic and crime rates, and negatively impact air-quality. Ultimately, in late January 2020, In-N-Out agreed to conduct an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in the CEQA case and announced, through the City, that it had terminated the project and would proceed with the EIR.

On June 29, 2020, Save Rancho Mirage was awarded attorney fees since its actions were the catalyst for the In-N-Out decision. Save Rancho Mirage was awarded $64,571.35 in attorney fees. Although In-N-Out rescinded its development plans with the City in January 2019, SBEMP attorney Bruce Bauer pursued further action by filing for reimbursement of attorney fees. The Court accepted his request, agreeing that In-N-Out’s decision was brought about by Save Rancho Mirage’s filed complaint.

The suit against the City of Rancho Mirage and In-N-Out was meant to protect the residents of the City and the members of Save Rancho Mirage. Bruce T. Bauer handles all aspects of litigation, including appeals, and has numerous published decisions in state and federal courts. To learn more about his work or SBEMP’s Litigation Department, please visit our website here .

Litigation Department

With locations in Palm Springs, CA, Princeton, NJ, and Manhattan, NY, SBEMP’S Litigation practice group offers a wide range of specialized litigation services for private sector companies, public agencies and individuals. Our litigators represent clients in an array of civil disputes, including: intellectual property, personal injury, complex business and real estate, trusts and estate, construction defect, owner, contractor/sub-contractor disputes, eminent domain and condemnation, homeowners’ association and hospitality, partnership disputes, tribal, healthcare, first amendment, and defamation.

DISCLAIMER: This newsletter does not constitute legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is formed by reading it. This newsletter may be considered ATTORNEY ADVERTISING in some states. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Additional facts or future developments may affect subjects contained within this newsletter. Before acting or relying upon any information within this newsletter, seek the advice of an attorney.