Steven Oakley, Managing Attorney
Attorney Steven Oakley received his law degree from UCLA School of Law in 1995 and is admitted to practice before all California courts and the U.S. District Court for the central district of California. He is a member of the State Bar’s Trusts and Estates Section and Wealth Counsel, LLC.
Steve served as a judicial extern to the Honorable William Rey of the U.S. District Court, as assistant to retired California State Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso, as interim Special Assistant to the Vice Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in Washington, D.C. and as a Pro Bono attorney for Public Counsel.
Gena Merrill, Of Counsel
The other day a client was in my office signing her new estate plan. When the appointment was ending she breathed a deep sigh of relief, her body relaxed, and she told me she felt so much better knowing that now, whatever happened, she and her loved ones were taken care of.
That is why I not only do what I do, but enjoy what I do. I became an attorney because I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. I wanted to help. I believe I practice the best possible area of law, because it allows me to do just that. I can make the stressful and emotional time after death easier for my clients’ families. And that is the best job I can imagine doing.
I earned my Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, but I decided to use those skills in the estate planning field. As a paralegal in another firm and now here at the Alpha Law Group I help clients design estate plans and help their families administer those plans. I gained experience at my prior firm as I completed law school; experience I brought with me when I moved to The Alpha Law Group. I am now where I was meant to be and look forward to serving you and your family.
I enjoy reading historical fiction and I love museums. I love board games and I’m a closet nerd. My husband and I have no children of our own, but I’ve spent decades of my life helping to raise other people’s children as a nanny, jeune fille au paire, preschool teacher, babysitter and therapist working with autistic children.