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.

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.

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.

Indian Wells, CA— December 19, 2019 — The law firm of Slovak, Baron, Empey, Murphy and Pinkney (SBEMP) announced an expansion into family law headed up by veteran family law attorney, Carolyn H. Martino, Esq.

“With more than 25 years of practice in the Coachella Valley and Los Angeles, Ms. Martino has earned an exceptional reputation for integrity, professionalism, and dedication to achieving positive results for her clients. Her expertise in handling complex dissolutions involving significant assets and custodial issues dovetails perfectly with SBEMP’s goal of serving the full spectrum of legal needs for our clients. We are very fortunate to have her on board.” said SBEMP Managing Partner, John Pinkney. Ms. Martino will launch the new practice field for SBEMP from their recently opened Indian Wells offices.

A New York native, Ms. Martino’s father was a legal scholar interested in International Law and public policy. She earned her undergraduate degree at UCLA and her J.D. at Loyola Law School. In addition to her outstanding legal acumen and trusted client relationships, Ms. Martino devotes her free time to her family and philanthropy through a variety of endeavors, including her roles as Co-Chair of the Family Law Section of the Desert Bar Association; Founding Member and VP of the Coachella Valley Youth Hockey Foundation; and Member of the City of Indian Wells Architecture and Landscaping Committee.

“Family law matters are so personal and unique to each individual,” Martino said, “yet they require the same keen attention as business law matters. Complex and emotional real-life issues related to how children are going to grow up and how a family’s financial life is going to change can become all-consuming. That is the part of this practice field that I connect with – the ability to hopefully counsel and guide people through what will be one of their most challenging periods in life, and to do so discretely and with compassion.”

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 now family law. 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.

Contact Us

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), 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.

Slovak Baron Empey Murphy & Pinkney LLP (SBEMP), the largest law firm based in the Coachella Valley, has formally announced attorneys Lena Wade and Vee Sotelo as new partners.

Ms. Wade is a Coachella Valley native who returned to practice law in the Valley after graduating from Duke University Law School. She serves as general counsel, special counsel and litigation counsel to several public agencies in the Coachella Valley and the Inland Empire.  She has represented counties, cities, public housing authorities and various quasi-public and private entities.    In addition to representing public agencies in day to day matters, Ms. Wade also represents public agencies in labor negotiations as well as private businesses in connection with ADA compliance and litigation.  Ms. Wade will be based out of SBEMP’s soon to be opened Indian Wells office and will continue representing clients throughout Southern California.

Ms. Wade serves as the Chair of SBEMP’s public agency practice group and has played a vital role in SBEMP’s growing public agency practice. “Lena is one of the most ethical and honest attorneys I know.  We are proud to have her as a partner and we look forward to great things to come from Lena,” said John Pinkney, Managing Partner of SBEMP.  “Her clients value her candid advice, her commitment to their interests and her calm level-headed demeanor as she guides them through even the most challenging situations. She is a true pleasure to work with and to have as part of our growing partnership team.”

Mrs. Sotelo represents employers in a wide array of labor and employment related matters. She regularly advises and represents clients in connection with day to day human resource issues, employment policies, regulatory compliance, class action defense, wage and hour law, wrongful termination and sexual harassment matters.  Mrs. Sotelo is a frequent speaker and presenter at employment law training seminars and sexual harassment seminars.  Although Mrs. Sotelo is based in the Palm Springs office of SBEMP, she regularly represents clients throughout California.

“Mrs. Sotelo serves as the Chair of SBEMP’s labor and employment practice group. She is an outstanding and experienced labor and employment attorney, litigator and trial attorney.  Her clients value her advice, her work ethic, dedication and her proactive approach to the practice of law,” said John Pinkney, Managing Partner of SBEMP.  “Mrs. Sotelo exemplifies qualities and expertise that our small, midsize and large institutional clients have come to rely on from our attorneys.  She is a wonderful addition to our firm’s growing partnership and we welcome her and congratulate her on her continuing success as a fierce advocate for her clients.”

SBEMP is a full service law firm with offices in Palm Springs, Indian Wells, Orange County, San Diego, New Jersey and New York.
Click to congratulate Lena Wade or Vee Sotelo.

Guidelines

SBEMP BUSINESS AWARDS – SELECTION COMMITTEE GUIDELINES 2018

Congratulations and thank you for participating on the Selection Committee for the SBEMP Business Awards.

Please save the evening of October 10, 2018 to attend the Awards Ceremony and be honored for your contribution to this year’s Awards.

The purpose of these awards is to recognize individuals who are making significant contributions to the Coachella Valley’s business community.

The SBEMP Awards departs from other business awards programs in several significant ways:

The Awards

This award honors the individual who has created a new business in the Coachella Valley that has experienced significant financial growth and quality job creation. This award is exclusively given to individuals working in for-profit enterprises.

This award goes to the individual who has grown an existing business (2+ years) in the Coachella Valley that has resulted in significant financial and/or quality job creation. This award can also recognize an individual in a non-profit or government agency that has addressed a critical economic issue.

This award honors an advocate, educator, journalist, consultant or government official who has contributed in a significant way to an economic initiative which has positively affected the local business economy (without adverse unintended consequences).

This award honors an individual who has implemented one or more innovative solutions in their business that protects or enhances the environment. (This is not intended as an award only for “green” industry businesses. Any business that innovates with environmentally friendly solutions can be considered here).

The Nomination Process:

Nomination Requirements & Considerations:

To nominate, visit here.

2018 SBEMP Business Awards judges

Adam Ochoa
The Practice
44651 Village Court
Suite 125
Palm Desert, CA 92260
aochoa@thepracticecpa.com


Kristi Hanson
KHA Architects
72-185 Painters Path, Ste. A
Palm Desert, CA 92260
kristi@kristihanson.com


Paige Skip
78365 Highway 111
PMB 508
La Quinta, CA 92253
paigeskip@gmail.com

Antun Barbato
Family Development
73081 Fred Waring Drive
Palm Desert, CA 92260
antun@fdgroup.us

 

Stephanie Greene
FG Creative
74020 Alessandro, Suite E
Palm Desert, CA 92260
stephanie@fgcreative.com

Marcie Madain
Fresh Juice Bar
73030 El Paseo #104
Palm Desert, CA 92260
Marcie.madain@aol.com

 

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SBEMP, LLP announced that the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three, rejected the defendants’ special motion to strike the complaint in Chyssikos v. MCC Radio, LLC, et al (Riverside County Superior Court, Case No. INC1109827). The Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court’s denial of the defendants’ SLAPP motion, sending the case back to the trial court.

Mike Meyers was at the forefront of California Real Property Law for the last 55 years. Before joining SBEMP more than a decade ago, Mike chaired the real estate department at Jeffer Mangels Butler and Marmaro in Century City.   A graduate of UCLA, Mike became an adjunct professor teaching a variety of real property law classes, including “Foreign Investment in United States Real Estate” and “Advanced Aspects of Real Estate Acquisition and Finance”. He also authored “Foreign Investment in US Real Estate” and frequently was a featured presenter on real estate law at Continuing Education of the Bar conferences.

After a brief illness, Mike passed away on May 16, 2013. Mike truly enjoyed the practice of law and being a lawyer, which is why he practiced up to the time of his death with passion and commitment. They just don’t make lawyers like Mike anymore. He provided our firm with a wealth of knowledge on real property, financing, and banking matters. He was a ‘teacher’ during his tenure with our firm and was always willing to share his knowledge with his colleagues. We will miss his approach to the law and the valuable contribution he made to all of our attorneys.

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