Attorney Profiles

Michael D. Schley, Partner

Financial Regulation / Corporate Finance / Business Law / Tax-Exempt Orgs

J.D., Hastings College of Law (1980)
B.A., Westmont College (1977)

Mr. Schley has almost three decades of experience in financial regulation and corporate business law. He also advises charities, private foundations and other exempt organizations on corporate governance and tax matters, and is a member of the California Bar's nonprofits committee. Mr. Schley has written federal banking regulations, has been General Counsel to a large NYSE-listed financial institution and has practiced with firms in New York, Washington, DC and Santa Barbara. He has authored or co-authored a report to Congress on the S&L crisis and articles on banking, business and tax-exempt law, and speaks on these subjects. Mr. Schley is a graduate of Hastings College of the Law (1980) and Westmont College (1977 magna cum laude).

	Author, speaker on business and nonprofit law topics
	Co-Founder, S.B. Business & Industry Associates
	Past Director & officer, Nonprofit Support Center, Transition House, Foundation for SBCC
	2001 Richard Abbe Humanitarian Award, S.B. County Bar
	Listed in Marquis Who's Who in America
	Contributer, CompassPoint Board Cafe
	Member, California Bar Committee on Nonprofit Organizations
	GLG Scholar (Gerson Lehrman Group Law Council)

Joseph F. Look, Partner

Estate Planning / Wills & Trusts / General Business & Corporate / Real Estate / Tax Planning / Securities Compliance / Trademark Registration

J.D., Northwestern University (1980) B.A., Loyola University –  Chicago, IL (1975)

 Mr. Look practices in the areas of general business, estate planning, corporate law, real estate, tax planning and transactions, securities compliance and trademark registration. He has practiced business law in Santa Barbara County for nearly three decades. 

	President of the Santa Ynez Valley Bar Association
	President of the Solvang Chamber of Commerce
	Board Member - Solvang Lutheran Home
	Board Member - Valley Haven, senior day center
	Board Member - Threshold Ministries, Christian service and evangelical ministry
	Board Member - Santa Ynez Valley Economic    Forecast Project
	Pro Bono Counsel to Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People, a local service organization

Ian M. Guthrie, Partner

Business Litigation/Physician Law

Pepperdine University School of Law (1980)
University of the Redlands(1975)

Mr. Guthrie has practiced for two decades in the Santa Barbara area. His practice has focused primarily on business litigation matters and physician law but also includes general business and contract work.

	Member: California Society for Healthcare Attorneys
	Counsel to the California Chapter of the American  College of  Emergency Physicians

Brett Locker, Partner

Summary/Sample of Brett Locker's Current and Past Projects

Transactional Matters:

	Represented and counseled owners of a wide variety of service, manufacturing and information technology companies in connection with the purchase and/or sale of their businesses
	Represented and counseled wide variety of businesses in connection with the selection, federal registration, licensing and defense of trademarks
	Negotiated variety of license agreements pertaining to trademarks, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property assets
	Represented co-owner of information technology business in connection with sale of ownership interests to partner
	Drafted employment manuals for wide variety of service, manufacturing and information technology companies, and nonprofit organizations
	Counseled and represented owners and boards of directors of a wide variety of service, manufacturing and information technology companies and nonprofit organizations on employment policy matters
	Counseled and represented owners and boards of directors of a wide variety of service, manufacturing and information technology companies and nonprofits in connection with the initiation and termination of employment relationships, including the negotiation and termination of employment agreements
	Counseled owners and boards of directors of a variety of service, manufacturing and information technology companies, and nonprofit organizations with respect to the development of trade secret protection policies
	Counseled owners and boards of directors of a variety of service, manufacturing and information technology companies, and nonprofit organizations with respect to the adoption, amendment, negotiation and interpretation of bylaws, articles of incorporation, operating agreements, shareholders' agreements, and other corporate governance documents
	Counseled and represented communications and marketing businesses in connection with the development and negotiation of scores of master services agreements
	Counseled and represented business owners in connection with the initial incorporation/organization in California, Nevada and Delaware corprations and limited liability companies
	Negotiated and renegotiated commercial leases for wide variety of businesses

Litigation Matters:

	Represented businesses and nonprofit organizations in United States Patent and Trademark Office Trademark Trial and Appeal Board opposition proceedings (as applicants and and as opposers)
	Represented service business (as plaintiff) in trademark infringement and unfair business practices lawsuit, obtaining judgment, permanent injunction and award of attorneys' fees
	Represented lender in breach of loan agreement action, obtaining judgment and award of attorneys' fees
	Represented technology business (as defendant) in federal copyright infringement suit
	Represented employers and employees in wage claim disputes before the California Labor Commissioner Department of Labor Standards Enforcement
	Represented co-owner of information technology business (as plaintiff) in litigation between owners of said business
	Represented trustees and beneficiaries of irrevocable trust in Heggstad Petition
	Represented purchaser of professional services business in binding AAA arbitration (as plaintiff) in breach of contract action filed against seller of said business, obtaining judgment and award of attorneys' fees
	Defended international retail store in nine jury trials, obtaining a defense verdict in eight of nine such trials
	Defended operator of fleet of vehicles in jury trial based upon alleged vehicular accident, obtaining a defense verdict
	Defended tenant in court trial regarding interpretation of NNN lease
	Counseled employee in connection with claims of breach of employment agreement and inappropriate use of employer's trade secrets and other intellectual property

Community Service Activities:

	Anti-Defamation League, Santa Barbara / Tri-Counties Region; Chairman of Civil Rights Committee (May 2008 - present)
	Anti-Defamation League, Santa Barbara / Tri-Counties Region, Regional Board of Directors (2007 - present)
	Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Pet Assisted Therapy volunteer (with Chocolate Labrador Retriever, Rider) (2007 - present)
	Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, Secretary, Member of Executive Committee (January 2005 - December 2007)
	Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, Board of Directors (2000-2007)

Miscellaneous:

Named to Pacific Coast Business Times 40 Under Forty Class of 2003

Education:

	Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Juris Doctor, 1994
	UCLA, Bachelor of Arts (English), 1991