Best Lawyers Near You in Costa Mesa, California for Family Law
Paula J. Swensen, who was born in Orange, New Jersey in 1955, has been an Orange County resident since 2000 after relocating to California from New England. Ms. Swensen lives in Trabuco Canyon and has three children. She is an avid sports fan, supporting any and all teams from the Boston area. Ms. Swensen graduated from the University of New Hampshire (B.S., Behavioral Science, highest honors, 1996) and Franklin Pierce Law Center (J.D., 1999; M.A., Intellectual Property). Between her second a...
Nicole Whyte has been identified by the well-recognized Daily Journal as one of California’s top 100 women attorneys. Ms. Whyte is a Certified Family Law Specialist and a Fellow of the prestigious American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). She is also a member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Ms. Whyte is a founding principal of Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP. Admitted to the South African Supreme Court in 1990, the California State Bar in ...
Matthew S. Buttacavoli was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. Matthew graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Irvine (B.A., 1995) and cum laude from the University of San Diego School of Law (J.D., 1999), where he served as Executive Editor of the San Diego Law Review and received the General George W. Hickman, Jr. Award for excellence in Constitutional Law. Matthew was admitted to the California Bar in 1999, and was admitted to the United States Supreme Court Bar in 2003. ...
Janani Rana is a Partner, a Certified Family Law Specialist and an experienced trial attorney. She handles complex family law issues and high net worth matters. She commits significant time to her ongoing family law education, and in addition to attending typical monthly/annual family law seminars, she is a three-time graduate of the Kolodny Family Law Trial Institute, a national program that provides advanced education and training for family law attorneys (she has completed the 7-day progra...
Gregory G. Brown, Esq. is an accomplished jury trial veteran and Certified Specialist in Civil Trial Advocacy, a distinction earned by only 140 lawyers in California. A trial lawyer for over 30 years, he has spent over 200 days as lead trial counsel in jury trials throughout California. A student of the jury trial, Brown has been awardedMartindale-Hubbell’s highest honor, an AV Rating, signifying that his legal abilities are of the “very highest standard” and his professiona...
Brian G. Seastrom is President of Seastrom Tuttle Murphy Dockstader in Irvine, California, where he represents business owners, executives, and high-net-worth individuals in complex family law matters. A California Certified Family Law Specialist and Fellow of both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers, he brings more than two decades of experience to cases involving multi-entity business structures, contested business valuations, real est...
Denise H.D. Koeller earned her Bachelor degree at the University of California Irvine in Sociology, while also completing a minor in Political Science. She then earned her Juris Doctor from Chapman's Dale E. Fowler School of Law, graduating cum laude in the top 15% of her class. Her time at Chapman was spent actively involved with the Asian American student associations and earning a certification in Chapman's Advocacy and Dispute Resolution Emphasis Program. Denise has been dedicated to the ...
George Peniche is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Family Law. George practices law in Irvine, California Best Lawyers has recognized George Peniche since 2022. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which George Peniche is held by other lawyers.
Scott M. Savage received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Arizona State University and his Juris Doctor from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. While at Southwestern Law School, Scott was a Dean's Fellow, he received the Witkin Award in Business Planning, and was a finalist in the Negotiations Honor's Program Competition. Prior to beginning his career in Family Law at Minyard Morris, Scott worked as a teacher and also has owned his own business. Scott now limits his practice...
Emily N. Erickson is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Family Law. Emily N. practices law in Irvine, California Best Lawyers has recognized Emily N. Erickson since 2022. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Emily N. Erickson is held by other lawyers.
Eric Sather is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Family Law. Eric practices law in Irvine, California Best Lawyers has recognized Eric Sather since 2023. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Eric Sather is held by other lawyers.
Vicky Zuberi earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of the Pacific and received her Juris Doctor from the McGeorge School of Law. While attending law school, Vicky studied abroad under Associate Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy and Oxford University Professor Sionaidh Douglas-Scott, earning an International Legal Studies Certificate in Fundamental Rights in Europe and the United States. Vicky has limited her practice to family law prior to joinin...
Kendall Youngman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Ms. Youngman, who practices law in Newport Beach, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kendall is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area. Kendall Youngman is an Associate in the Newport Beach office of Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP. Ms. Young...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.
