Irwin B. Feinberg
Partner, Head of our Litigation Department
Litigation, Probate & Trust Department
ifeinberg@fmbklaw.com   Ext. 201

Irwin B. Feinberg is our firm's lead litigator and a partner. Mr. Feinberg completed his undergraduate work at UCLA in 1976 and earned his J.D. from the University of California at Davis in 1979. He clerked for the Honorable Bertram Janes, Justice of the California Court of Appeal. Before founding FMBK, he originally practiced at the law firm of Buchalter, Nemer, Fields, Chrystie & Younger.

He is the former Board Chair and currently serves on the Board and Executive Committee of Our House, and serves as Chair of the Board of Westview School. He is also a former Board Member of Kayne ERAS and Cure FD Foundation.  He was named as a Super Lawyer by Los Angeles Magazine, 2005 through 2009.  Mr. Feinberg lives in Pacific Palisades with his wife, Deb, and has three sons.

Steven A. Mindel, CFLS*
Managing Partner, Head of our Business Transactions Department
Business Transactions & Family Law
smindel@fmbklaw.com  Ext. 220

Steven A. Mindel, a Certified Family Law Specialist* since 1998, is the Managing Partner of FMBK and heads our firm's Business Transactions Department. Mr. Mindel graduated Magna Cum Laude from UCLA in 1981 and from the USC Law Center in 1985.

Mr. Mindel currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the Board of Trustees of University Synagogue and previously served on the Governing Board of Directors of Los Angeles Free Clinic where he received two special recognition awards for his volunteerism. He was appointed and served a two year term on the California State Bar Family Law Section Executive Committee ("FLEXCOM"), where he currently serves as an Advisor. Mr. Mindel was named as a Super Lawyer by Los Angeles Magazine, in 2004 through 2009, and was named one of Southern California's Top 100 lawyers in both 2007, 2008, and 2009. In addition to being featured on the cover of the Super Lawyers insert in the 2009 issue of Los Angeles Magazine, he was featured in an article titled, "The Man Who Would De-Fang Divorce," in the 2009 Super Lawyers Magazine.  He has an AV rating with Martindale Hubbell. Mr. Mindel routinely lectures at Loyola Law School in Family Law and in addition, he is the resident Family Law expert for CouplesCompany.com. He is a lifetime member of the UCLA Alumni Association.  Mr. Mindel is the author of " Cooking For Our Friends," a cookbook that includes step-by-step instructions on cooking meals for parties of more than 40 people. He is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and resides in Pacific Palisades with his wife, Nancy and their children.

Robert C. Brandt, CFLS*
Partner, Head of our Family Law Department
Family Law
rbrandt@fmbklaw.com  Ext. 227

Robert C. Brandt is a Certified Family Law Specialist* and heads our firm's Family Law Department. He is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Mr. Brandt graduated from San Diego State University in 1971 with Distinction in Speech Arts. He earned a Masters degree in Speech from UCLA in 1972 and his JD from Southwestern University School of Law in 1976.

Mr. Brandt belongs to the Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills Bar Associations, the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, and the United States District Courts. He is the Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section (2008-2009) and has been a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Executive Committee Family Law Section for five years. He has previously served as the Chairperson of the Continuing Legal Education Subcommittee. Mr. Brandt participated in the forming of the Family Law Branch of the American Inns of Court in Los Angeles and has been on its Executive Committee since 2006. Among other achievements is his experience as a volunteer mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court and as a grader for the Family Law section of the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Brandt frequently participates in Continuing Legal Education seminars as a lecturer, moderator and panel member. He was named as a Super Lawyer by Los Angeles Magazine, 2005 though 2009 and was named one of Southern California's Top 100 lawyers in 2009. He has an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Brandt co-authored the article, "Undue Influence in Probate and Family Law Matters," with partner Howard Klein. The article was published in the September 2008 issue of Los Angeles Lawyer, and Brandt and Klein were featured on the cover of the magazine. Mr. Brandt resides in Calabasas, California with his wife Lynn, a school psychologist. They have three children and one grandson.

Mr. Klein is the immediate past Chair of the State Bar Advisory Commission on Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. He has chaired the Probate Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and sat for six years on the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Trust and Estate Section. He was named as a Super Lawyer by Los Angeles Magazine, 2005 through 2009. Mr. Klein co-authored the article, "Undue Influence in Probate and Family Law Matters," with partner Robert Brandt. The article was published in the September 2008 issue of Los Angeles Lawyer, and Klein and Brandt were featured on the cover of the magazine. A past member of  B'nai B'rith International ("BBI") Board of Governors, Mr. Klein resides in Porter Ranch with his wife, Rosalind, who is a Senior International Vice President of BBI.

Jeremy B. Kline, CFLS*
Partner
Litigation & Family Law
jkline@fmbklaw.com  Ext. 219

Jeremy Kline, Certified Family Law Specialist, graduated Cum Laude from UCLA in 1982 and from the USC Law Center in 1985. Mr. Kline is a partner and practices in the areas of business, real-estate and commercial litigation, as well as family law. He has briefed several appeals during his practice, including City National Bank v. Adams, 96 Cal.App.4th 315 (2002).  He is a member of the LA County, Beverly Hills, American Bar Association and the Century City I, Professional Network Group.  He was named as a Super Lawyer by Los Angeles Magazine in 2009. He is also a lifetime member of the UCLA Alumni Association. Jerry has a wife, Betsy, and two children.

Maritoni A. Acosta, CFLS*
Partner
Family Law Mediation
macosta@fmbklaw.com  Ext. 223

Maritoni Acosta is a Certified Family Law Specialist*. She graduated from UCLA in 1991 and Loyola Law School in 1994, and became a partner at FMBK in 2000. Ms. Acosta heads the firm's Family Law Mediation department where she works closely with parties and their attorneys to resolve their family law matters as efficiently as possible. She has served as chairperson of the Santa Monica Bar Association's Family Law Section, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Philippine American Bar Association.  Ms. Acosta was named a Rising Star by Los Angeles Magazine in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.  She is a lifetime member of the UCLA Alumni Association.

Ms. Acosta serves on FMBK's Summer Law Clerk Program Committee along with Associate Evan N. Okamura.

Wallace S. Fingerett is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He has been an attorney for more than 30 years. He graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in business and the University of La Verne Law School. Mr. Fingerett practices Family Law exclusively. He was named as a Super Lawyer by Los Angeles Magazine in 2009. Mr. Fingerett's experience includes work as a solo practitioner for more than twenty years and a senior financial consultant for a major brokerage. He has lectured at adult continuing education courses; volunteer attorney at Senior Citizens Center in Van Nuys and Reseda; volunteer attorney at Haven Hills Women's Shelter in San Fernando Valley; volunteer attorney at Ventura County Family Services in Thousand Oaks; volunteer attorney on behalf of Asylum applicants in Texas. He resides in Woodland Hills with his wife, Rhonda, and two teenage boys.

David P. Shebby is Of Counsel to Feinberg, Mindel, Brandt & Klein. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1990 and received his Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1993. His practice is devoted to the areas of Family Law and complex Civil Litigation, including contract and intellectual property disputes.

Prior to joining FMBK, Mr. Shebby was the principal of The Law Office of David P. Shebby. Mr. Shebby previously practiced law at Quinn Emanuel and Kinsella,  Boesch, et al.  Mr. Shebby is an experienced trial attorney with extensive experience in both state and federal courts.  He has litigated scores of matters to conclusion in jury trials, bench trials, and arbitrations.

Despite his comfort and expertise in the courtroom, Mr. Shebby’s nearly 16 years of legal experience have convinced him that a contested trial should be the option of last resort.  Although trials are certainly in the best interest of attorneys, they are rarely in the best interest of clients.  Accordingly, Mr. Shebby believes that his paramount duty to his clients is to seek a just and speedy informal resolution of disputes.  Where such an informal resolution is impossible, Mr. Shebby strives to ensure that the litigation remains focused upon issues that are salient to its outcome, and seeks to prevent the matter from degenerating into an outlet for bitterness and revenge.

Mr. Shebby is admitted to practice in all California state courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Central District and Southern Districts of California.

Mr. Shebby currently serves his Catholic community as the chair of the Parish Council at St. Mark Catholic Church in Venice, California.  In addition, he founded and runs a Pro Bono legal clinic at Miriam’s House, a sober-living facility for women and their children. Mr. Shebby enjoys hunting and fishing, and remains in search of the (thus far) elusive 14 point buck and 100 pound tuna.

Brett A. Berman graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in history and received his JD from Southwestern University School of Law. Before becoming a lawyer, Mr. Berman served as a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch where he worked with individuals and small businesses in achieving their financial goals and objectives. Mr. Berman, who practices solely in the area of family law, has published articles on complex family law issues in the Los Angeles Daily Journal newspaper and lectured on divorce taxation. He has volunteered as a Judge for the Constitutional Law Foundation annual mock trial competition held at the Los Angeles Superior Court. He is also an active member of the Los Angeles Domestic Violence Project, a pro bono organization that assists indigent victims of domestic violence. Mr. Berman has a wife, Michelle, and two children.

Nancy L. Burt
Associate
Family Law
nburt@fmbklaw.com  Ext. 210

Nancy Burt graduated Magna Cum Laude from UCLA in 1983 and received her law degree from the University of San Francisco in 1986. Her practice is devoted exclusively to the practice of family law. Prior to joining FMBK, Ms. Burt practiced with the law firm of Coleman-Schwimmer & Warren. She has published "Sex Discrimination: Isbister v. Boy's Club" in the University of San Francisco Law Review, 1985.

Alex Grager
Associate
Family Law
agrager@fmbklaw.com Ext.222

Alex Grager received his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Southern California in 2001 and his law degree from the University of Southern California Law Center in 2004.  While in law school, Mr. Grager worked at Bet Tzedek Legal Service a non-profit law group providing low cost/no cost legal counsel to the community. He is experienced in family law litigation representing clients in all aspect of family law including custody disputes and domestic violence. He is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Beverly Hills Bar Association and the Orange County Bar Association. Mr. Grager is a co-chair of Roxbury Park Legal Clinic of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and he has been recently elected to the Board of Governors of the Barristers of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. Mr. Grager was named a Rising Star by Los Angeles Magazine in 2009. Mr. Grager speaks fluent Russian.

Megan E. Green graduated Cum Laude from Auburn University with a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish. At Auburn, Ms. Green served as the President of the College of Liberal Arts and interned for the Supreme Court of Alabama. She earned her J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law, where she was a member of the Trial Advocacy Honors Program, the symposium editor for the Journal of Law and Trade in the Americas, President of the Family Law Society, and Southwestern’s liaison to the American Bar Association. During law school, she externed for the Honorable Roy Paul, a family law judge.

Ms. Green is a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association board and Barristers board.  In addition, she is the Homeless Project Chairperson and former Treasurer for the Beverly Hills Bar Association Barristers. Ms. Green is a founding friend of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charities ("LATLC"), an organization dedicated to community service. She is a member of Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles ("CAALA"). Ms. Green has volunteered for the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law and served as a lecturer for a Continuing Legal Education seminar on the subject of spouses’ fiduciary duties as interpreted in the case Marriage of Feldman.

John Adam Lazor is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Departmental Honors and Distinction in psychology from Stanford University in 1987 and received his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1992.

Mr. Lazor has practiced family law for 16 years. He is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and Beverly Hills Bar Association. Mr. Lazor has been a member of the Family Law Indigent Paternity Panel since 1993, has worked with the Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center, and has volunteered for the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law and Aids Project Los Angeles. Mr. Lazor has been the featured guest on two one-hour television shows designed to educate parents regarding their legal rights and responsibilities. He has been a guest lecturer speaking with high school students about the realities of teenage parenthood as well as being a contributing author to Los Angeles Lawyer magazine. Mr. Lazor is currently a member of the California Bar's Family Law Committee on Financial Affairs. He is a lifetime member of the Stanford Alumni Association. Mr. Lazor is a member of Broadcast Music, Incorporated. He resides in Culver City with his wife, Pam, and their daughter.

Evan N. Okamura graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Asian American Studies in 2003. He earned his J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law in 2007. While at Southwestern, Mr. Okamura was a member of the Trial Advocacy Honors Program. Evan and his partner were finalists in mock trial competitions held by the American Association for Justice and the San Diego Defense Lawyers.

Before entering law school, Mr. Okamura was selected as a Mike M. Masaoka Congressional Fellow by the Japanese American Citizens League, through which he had the opportunity to work in the office of the Honorable Dianne Feinstein. He is a member of the Japanese American Bar Association and volunteers with the Trial Advocacy Honors Program as an assistant coach.

Mr. Okamura serves on FMBK's Summer Law Clerk Program Committee along with Partner Maritoni A. Acosta.

Donna L. Shapiro graduated with Honors and Distinction from Stanford University in 1986, attended Harvard Law School and completed her J.D. at Stanford University in 1989. Her practice is devoted to the area of estate planning. Prior to joining FMBK, Ms. Shapiro practiced with the law firm of Rosenfeld, Meyer & Susman in Beverly Hills. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of University Synagogue. She is also a lifetime member of the Stanford Alumni Association. Ms. Shapiro resides in Pacific Palisades with her two sons.