Brian G. Seastrom

I handle complex, high-net-worth divorce and family law matters throughout California, with a focus on cases involving multi-entity business structures, private equity interests, real estate portfolios, and executive compensation. My practice spans both traditional litigation and mediation, and I am one of relatively few California family law attorneys who holds dual fellowships in both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL).

What sets my practice apart is the financial depth I bring to every case. I have handled divorces involving 40 or more business entities, carried interest and waterfall distribution structures, 1031 exchange chains, complex debt allocation, and multi-layered partnership arrangements. Business owners, fund managers, real estate developers, and C-suite executives come to me because I understand their financial world at a practitioner level.

My mediation practice has grown substantially because sophisticated clients recognize that a mediator who understands complex financial instruments can craft creative settlement structures, including deferred equalization, tax-optimized asset allocation, and structured buyouts, that protect both parties' interests while preserving business continuity and investor confidence.

The question I hear most often from business owners facing divorce is: "How do I protect my business and keep it running?" They worry about forced sales, disrupted partnerships, and investors losing confidence. My answer is that California community property law does not require liquidation. With the right legal strategy, whether through litigation or mediation, we can structure a settlement that preserves operational continuity while ensuring fair division.

Clients with private equity interests frequently ask how carried interest and unvested fund positions will be treated. These are among the most technically difficult assets to value in a divorce, and the answer depends on the specific fund structure, vesting schedule, and clawback provisions. Getting the valuation right requires an attorney who understands PE economics, not just family law.

Another common question from high-net-worth clients is whether mediation can actually work for a complex case. The answer, in my experience, is that the most complex cases are often the best candidates for mediation, precisely because a skilled mediator can design creative solutions that a court cannot. A judge divides assets. A mediator can restructure them.

One case that stands out involved a marriage where my client had built a real estate portfolio spanning multiple states, held through a series of LLCs, each encumbered by institutional loans with change-of-membership restrictions. 

The central challenge was not valuation in the traditional sense. It was engineering a property division that could be implemented without triggering loan defaults on the commercial real estate and a structured approach to 1031 exchange cooperation. Each LLC's loan documents prohibited membership transfers, so a straightforward "you get this entity, I get that one" order would have put both parties in immediate breach. With the assistance of tax and real estate professionals, I designed a set of transfer mechanics that allowed each spouse to take full economic ownership of their awarded LLCs on the effective date while deferring the formal membership transfer through a neutral document holder. The case required fluency in real estate finance, tax, entity structuring, and loan compliance alongside the family law. That combination is what made it work. A standard property division order would have created more problems than it solved.

The biggest challenge in high-net-worth family law is that the financial structures involved are constantly evolving. Twenty years ago, the hardest valuation problems involved stock options and restricted stock. Today, I regularly encounter carried interest positions with complex waterfall provisions, cryptocurrency holdings, NFT portfolios, SPACs, QSBS-eligible stock, and multi-jurisdictional trust structures that did not exist a decade ago. Staying current on these financial instruments is not optional; it is the baseline requirement for competently representing clients at this level.

International cases add another layer of complexity. As an IAFL Fellow, I handle matters involving assets and family members across multiple countries, each with its own property division framework. Coordinating California proceedings with foreign jurisdictions, addressing Hague Convention issues, and navigating international asset tracing requires both legal knowledge and a network of trusted colleagues abroad.

The other persistent challenge is managing the emotional dimension of divorce for clients who are accustomed to being in control. Business owners and executives are used to making high-stakes decisions. Divorce puts them in unfamiliar territory. Part of my job is helping them apply the same clear-headed, strategic thinking to their personal situation that they bring to their professional lives.

My father, Philip Seastrom, founded what is now Seastrom Tuttle Murphy Dockstader in 1976. Watching him build a family law practice grounded in integrity, financial sophistication, and genuine care for clients shaped everything about how I approach this work. He is an AAML Fellow and Past President of the Southern California Chapter, an IAFL Fellow, and a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was my mentor and is still my hero. Sitting in on his complex cases early in my career showed me how the best family law attorneys think through problems, and that is what got me to where I practice today.

My involvement with the State Bar's Family Law Advisory Commission and the California Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission also gave me perspective on how family law is practiced statewide and reinforced my belief that the attorneys handling the most consequential cases need both technical skill and sound judgment.

I have also invested heavily in the institutional side of family law. I chaired the State Bar of California's Family Law Advisory Commission, which writes the Certified Family Law Specialist exam. I served as a Commissioner on the California Judicial Nominee Evaluation Commission, evaluating candidates for judicial appointment. And I led the Orange County Bar Association's Family Law Section. Those roles gave me a perspective on the profession that goes well beyond individual cases.

I offer both representation and mediation for the full spectrum of high-net-worth divorce: contested litigation through trial, private mediation, and collaborative divorce. Our office is in Irvine and we serve clients throughout Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, and across California. I can be reached directly at 949.994.9251.