Law School
University of San Diego School of Law
Major Cases
Probate litigation involves family/sibling disputes, so each case is a major event in my clients’ lives. The matters are a unique mix of facts and personalities — each family has its story and there are always at least two sides. I represent every side — from those suspecting that their evil sibling manipulated their parent(s); the "evil" siblings who lovingly cared for their parent and was "rewarded" with the entire estate; charitable organizations forced to sue trustees who mysteriously fail to account for all assets and have failed to distribute; and trustees that deal with beneficiaries who complain every step of the way.
Professional Background
I began with genius plans for a career in medicine. After attending medical school for two miserable years, I took a break to answer, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” Eventually the light bulb went off and I was reading about peppercorns, Blackacre and International Shoe. At my first job with a local insurance defense firm, I litigated premises liability and bodily injury cases. In 2005, I joined Miller Monson and now litigate probate, business and real estate matters. Litigation is story-telling — but you start out not knowing the story and through the process you ultimately end with telling the story to a judge/jury, and in some instances, to your client who thought he/she knew it best!
Professional Affiliations
I am a Board Member of the Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego and am an At-Large Member for the Estate Planning, Trust and Probate division of the San Diego County Bar Association. I belong to the following organizations: Lawyers Club; Probate Attorneys of San Diego; and San Diego Defense Lawyers. I have mentored new attorneys through the San Diego County Bar Association — New Lawyer Division’s mentoring circle program. I also volunteer as a Mandatory Settlement Conference pro-tem with the Probate Court.
Personal Background
I have the greatest parents who are thrilled that their daughter did not wind up a med school dropout, living on their couch. My childhood library trips to borrow yet another Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys book was the genesis of my love for a good mystery and unraveling what happened. My little brother is my biggest defender — he gets to insult me all he wants, but do not say anything bad about me to his face, that’s his job. I rescued my dog, Toby, from my parents when she and her sister decided that they could no longer live together.
View our Top Attorneys Emeritus, attorneys who have been named finalists four years or more from 2009 through 2013.
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Nominations Open | February 24 |
Nominations Close | April 17 |
Sponsorship/Advertising Close | July 17 |
Publication Date | July 29 |
Reception | August 10 |
Aug. 13, 2014 -- Reporter Doug Sherwin speaks with attorney Randy Kay, partner with Jones Day and a 2014 Top Attorney, about why there's a surge in trade secrets litigation.
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