For much of my legal career, I worked internationally, from an international law firm in Russia to senior legal leadership roles with a Fortune 500 company in Switzerland. For more than two decades, I advised on complex legal, regulatory, and business matters across multiple jurisdictions, including the financial services and payments industries.
Over time, however, I realized something important was missing. Even the most sophisticated legal work often felt disconnected from the moments that matter most in people’s lives. That realization became deeply personal after my family and I reviewed our own estate plan and discovered many of the same problems I now see in traditional estate planning every day: outdated documents, unfunded trusts, and plans that no longer reflected reality. Around the same time, my stepfather passed away, and with him went a lifetime of stories, memories, and wisdom that had never been preserved for future generations of our family.
Those experiences changed the direction of my career. They made me realize that estate planning should help protect the people you love, preserve family harmony, support business continuity, and pass on not only financial wealth, but also values, stories, and life experience.
Today, I work with families and business owners who want more than a binder sitting on a shelf. As a Personal Family Lawyer®, I use a Life & Legacy Planning approach designed to help clients create thoughtful, practical plans that truly work when their loved ones need them most.
I am a California-licensed attorney and also hold legal qualifications in Russia, along with a Ph.D. in Law and an LL.M. from a U.S. law school. In addition, I hold the Certified Payments Professional (CPP) credential and a California life insurance license, which support my broader work with business owners, financial services professionals, and families planning for the future.
I believe true peace of mind does not come from simply having documents. It comes from knowing the people you love will be cared for, protected, and guided in the way you intended — no matter what the future brings.