When I first began my career in law, when I was still in law school, I had discovered the practice area of elder law. I learned that seniors in our community had a variety of legal issues that the law provided answers to, but not enough affordable lawyers who could get them such answers. It is the drive to help one of our most vulnerable populations, senior citizens, that drove me to begin practicing in the areas of elder law and trust & estates once I was admitted to practice. Experiences, both professional and personal, led me to want to open my law firm and help those individuals and families who sometimes need it most and who receive help the least.

I counsel and advise small and medium-sized businesses and influencers to gain legal advantages and protection by providing original, success-focused strategies and legal know-how. I help protect business owners from making legal mistakes by educating them with knowledge about the legal issues that affect them in business. Businesses that thrive include a lawyer as part of their success team.

Franklin J. Contreras, Jr. is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department and is a resident in the Irvine office. Mr. Contreras has been with the firm since 1995 when he initially joined the firm as a law clerk. Mr. Contreras concentrates his practice on appellate matters and business litigation including breach of contract disputes, business torts, corporate director and officer litigation and bankruptcy litigation. Mr. Contreras is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of California, Southern District of California and all courts of the State of California. Mr. Contreras received his undergraduate degree in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine and his law degree from Western State University College of Law. During law school, Mr. Contreras earned the American Jurisprudence award for legal writing. Mr. Contreras co-authored an article entitled “Bust the Trust: Why the Bankruptcy Trustee Should Carefully Examine the Creation, Funding and Administration of Irrevocable Trusts,” which was published in the California Bankruptcy Journal in 2011.

Franklin J. Contreras, Jr. is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department and is a resident in the Irvine office. Mr. Contreras has been with the firm since 1995 when he initially joined the firm as a law clerk. Mr. Contreras concentrates his practice on appellate matters and business litigation including breach of contract disputes, business torts, corporate director and officer litigation and bankruptcy litigation. Mr. Contreras is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of California, Southern District of California and all courts of the State of California. Mr. Contreras received his undergraduate degree in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine and his law degree from Western State University College of Law. During law school, Mr. Contreras earned the American Jurisprudence award for legal writing. Mr. Contreras co-authored an article entitled “Bust the Trust: Why the Bankruptcy Trustee Should Carefully Examine the Creation, Funding and Administration of Irrevocable Trusts,” which was published in the California Bankruptcy Journal in 2011.

Matt graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1999 and went on to obtain his Juris Doctor in 2003 from the University of South Carolina. During his legal study, he received CALI Awards for the highest law school grade in Insurance and Criminal Procedure. Matt has practiced solely in SC Workers' Compensation Law since 2004. Matt is a member of the South Carolina Bar Association, South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Educational Association, South Carolina Injured Workers’ Advocates (IWA), and Charleston County Bar Association. He is a certified court mediator. Matt was inducted into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum having achieved a workers’ compensation settlement in excess of One-Million Dollars. He was named to the South Carolina Super Lawyers Rising Star list and was honored to be nationally recognized by being named to the Lawyers of Distinction.