They are knowledgeable and answered all my questions. They were available immediately.read more

Mr. Ugarte couldn't help me because of the nature of my issue. But he gave me clear, knowledgeable…read moreadvice on the next steps I should take. What a guy!!

Contacted this office a couple years back, put in a simple inquiry online via a worker's…read morecompensation issue. We heard back from Mr. Elder; I'll just say that he was one of the rudest, if not the rudest, attorney I have ever encountered. He could have simply said he didn't think we had a case, or wasn't interested in the case (as some others have before I found my attorney) but he took time to chew me out via email and make me feel stupid. I honestly don't know if he was having a bad day, or what he got out of sending such an aggressive and abrasive letter to a non client, but I found it very unprofessional. I have since found representation and gotten compensated for my injuries, just wanted to warn others out there that if your encounter with this attorney is that they're astonishingly rude to the point of being mean, you're not alone.

Thank God I found Mark Berg is all I can say! He is a partner with Mr. Elder and they have a very…read moresmall office on Clayton Road in Concord. When I walked in, I was surprised to see mountains of books and papers everywhere in this tiny little office. The office was old and run down, but don't let that fool you one bit. Mark has taken on my case with the full steam and diligence of a newly graduated lawyer ready to take on the world. He has responded to my emails not only promptly, but in written letter usually received by the very next day. He is very well educated on the current workers comp laws and is a no bullshit kind of guy. He saved my case from a $1500 throwout settlement to a roughly $40,000 settlement. Most lawyers will not take over a workers comp case in mid suit. There is simply not enough money in it for them. Mark Berg did and I urge anyone seeking a workers comp attorney in the Bay Area to call his offices right away. Even if you think you don't need one, you do!

Wonderful man Great attorney!…read moreThank you John for your assistance I'm referring another patient!

John is a true Professional answered all my questions got me organized made me feel confident truly…read moreone of the best attorneys I know and have dealt with.

After experiencing truly one of the most difficult times of my life, I cannot express how much I…read moreappreciated having Stefanie in my corner to help me navigate the process of trust administration of my late mother's estate. Early on I naively thought that my mother's estate was not so complicated and I should be able to manage the trust administration on my own. But even when the estate is seemingly simple, beware the "Bureaucracy of Death!" There were a lot of unexpected hoops to jump through in dealing with banks and other institutions, even when the estate is in a trust and not probate. I searched and met with a handful of Contra Costa County area trust attorneys before I found Stefanie. What stood out about Stefanie is that she is a kind human being, along with being very smart and knowledgeable. Whenever I talked to her, it felt like I was speaking with a person, not a "lawyer," and I really appreciated that during a difficult time. She was also very responsive whenever I reached out with a question. Without her, I would have likely made many errors in administering the trust, had so many more headaches, and gone down unnecessary paths. Her pricing is very fair and I felt so lucky to have worked with her!

We found ourselves needing to move forward with estate planning during a difficult and uncertain…read moretime, and we honestly had no idea where to start. Stefanie's testimonials were what first drew us to her. She came across as knowledgeable, personable, and someone we would feel comfortable working with, and that turned out to be exactly right. Working with Stefanie made what could have felt like an overwhelming process feel clear, manageable, and straightforward. She was incredibly kind, understanding, and accommodating with our schedule, especially while we were juggling doctor's appointments and personal matters. She explained everything in a way that was easy to understand and made the entire process feel much less intimidating. Throughout the process, we felt supported, never rushed, and truly cared for. Stefanie is organized, patient, thorough, and genuinely compassionate. We would highly recommend her to anyone looking for an estate planning attorney who is not only knowledgeable, but also kind and understanding during life's more challenging moments.

I received a falsehood ridden Cease and Desist letter from this firm that included threats of…read morefurther action. The letter ended with: "...please do not hesitate to contact me directly." Yet they refuse to take or return my calls, and multiple written communications sent to them have been ignored. I believe this review is compliant with the written Yelp Guidelines which state: "address the core of the consumer experience"

They helped me out on a legal matter with all the necessary documentation etc. Very professional…read moreand helpful.

I never thought that I would have to use an attorney but here I am. I had an accident in which I…read morehad to retain a lawyer and I think that by doing my homework and consulting with my wife, I selected the perfect law firm. I came in the office for my initial consultation and from the moment that I met Mr. Appel I felt extremely comfortable and at ease. My wife and I put all of our trust in Mr. Appel and his team and we are extremely grateful with everything they did. The entire process was explained to us in plain English that we could understand and there were never any surprises. My wife and I strongly recommend Mr. Appel and the Appel law firm to represent anyone, and I truly hope that I never have an accident, but if I do and/or anyone in my family does, I will make sure that they contact the Appel Law Firm. Mr. Appel, thank you and your staff for everything and making us feel at ease throughout the entire process as we are sure that you will do the same to anyone that comes through your door. Very truly yours. Fernando Peinche

Only did a consultation (did not retain) and they were fabulous! Thomas took the time to thoroughly…read moreexplain a complex report in terms I could easily understand. Their patience and expertise made a potentially overwhelming situation clear and manageable. Highly recommend!

David Arietta and Megan Huffman were both incredibly patient and compassionate throughout the…read moreentire case, helped guide us through every step, and made sure everything was taken care of. Professional, diligent, and reliable; highly recommended to anyone who needs legal representation!

Terrible experience!!! I reached out to David and his team for their service. I was charged $3500…read morefor the entire service and when I asked to delay the filing of the case, he was going to charge me another $3500. All I needed was to wait to file my case for another 2 months. From there, I opted to cancel his service and I only got partial of my payment. He and his team (Megan) lacks communication. It takes weeks for either one of them to get back to you. Megan had all my paperwork all wrong. More than half of my claims were missing for the filing and she says "I didn't look through all of them." What am I paying you for?!? Would NOT recommend their service.

I left a message on here, and he responded very promptly. In his reply, he specifically highlighted…read morethe details of the case that could potentially work against you, thereby ensuring that you were mentally prepared to address these issues in advance. This stands in stark contrast to some of his peers, who often prioritize legal fees and billable hours above all else.

J. Richards is helpful, knowledgeable and generous. I recommend them highly for your legal needs.read more

Continuing from first review…read more.. Robert A. Miller made me subpoena a former roommate in order to get her to be a witness. This was unnecessary as her email to me was sufficient. Additionally, there are many instances where Robert A. Miller and David M. Sternberg revealed that they did not examine all of the evidence that I provided. Robert A. Miller kept stressing issues of my pet cat's bodily functions. There was not a single complaint (no email or text, but only something the landlord wanted to add to her retaliatory eviction) of cat urine smell from my two roommates and their partners. I stated that numerous friends of mine have visited and can be witnesses to support that cat urine smell was never an issue. Robert A. Miller responded that the plaintiff Juliet Welch would then call on the other four downstairs tenants as witnesses of cat urine smell. How can downstairs tenants witness what happens in my upstairs apartment when the units are separate and the downstairs tenants and upstairs tenants are not friends and therefore the downstairs tenants are never invited inside the upstairs unit. Moreover, the downstairs tenants have a senior dog and a new puppy, both of whom require puppy pads and potty training. The downstairs tenants also dogsit. There are multiple animals at the 61 Franciscan Way address. A week before my conference court date, Robert A. Miller and David M. Sternberg required an additional $18,000 in order to represent me, essentially abandoning me. At which point, I asked them to stop work. My new counsel reached a settlement of my staying until the end of December (as opposed to October) and $9000 in new money. The attorney fee agreement clearly states that the $5,000 (the one where I gave $10,000) would ensure the case goes to a jury trial. This is a breach of contract, fiduciary duty, and fraud. Neither Robert A. Miller nor David M. Sternberg went over the retainer fee agreement with me. As a matter of fact, David M. Sternberg did not even sign the retainer fee agreement until August 14th, 2019 after receiving the additional $5,000 (where I gave $10,000). I filed a Ca State Bar Mandatory fee dispute in Feb. 2022. Robert A. Miller answered to serve David M. Sternberg who did not agree to be served until November 2022. Robert A. Miller and David M. Sternberg ignored the CA State Bar Mandatory fee dispute so that the statute of limitations would expire. Robert A. Miller and David M. Sternberg responded after I filed small claims because the CA State Bar Dispute was not going anywhere. I called everyday and left messages and CA State Bar only responded once when I received a call back that they will not discipline attorneys for not answering. At the small claims court date, David M. Sternberg twisted the fee dispute to become legal malpractice to claim a one year statute of limitation. I never used the language of legal malpractice in any of my communication with Robert A. Miller and David M. Sternberg. Robert A. Miller and David M. Sternberg set themselves up nicely so that they can claim that any court proceeding waives my rights to pursue a fee dispute with Ca State Bar. Robert A. Miller and David M. Sternberg are unscrupulous lawyers who are greedy and take advantage of vulnerable clients.

I am having a difficult time getting my landlord to complete payment of relocation expenses as…read moreagreed upon. I reached out to the Law offices of Robert Miller to see what steps I could take and what to do next since my requests to the landlord are going unanswered. Mr. Miller called me back within 24hrs of me reaching out and was very thorough in explaining what steps I should take before reaching the point of needing to officially engage legal counsel. Legal fees can add up quickly and I appreciated him pointing me in the right direction during our phone consultation. I intend on following his guidance and because of his willingness to help without my retaining him, when the time comes to engage counsel with this matter, I will absolutely be using his services. Thank you Robert!

I highly recommend this law office and Ryan Sutherland. He was been my attorney for my Workers…read moreCompensation claim as well as my SIBTF claim. Won both of them, thanks to Ryan. He was always there for me, compassionate and caring. Explains everything so clearly too. Highly recommended!!!

Ryan assisted me with a complex matter and helped me navigate the State's bureaucracy to reach a…read moreresolution quickly. He was willing to consider my situation when other attorneys wanted to tell me to work with the bureaucracy that went nowhere. His rates are very much in line with industry standard and I found his work to be worth much more! I would not hesitate to hire Ryan again in the future! He's top-notch!