Beti Bergman

Top rated Estate & Trust Litigation attorney in Torrance, California

Peninsula Law, A Professional Law Corporation
Beti Bergman
Peninsula Law, A Professional Law Corporation

Practice Areas: Estate & Trust Litigation, Estate Planning & Probate; view more

Licensed in California since: 1997

Education: University of California Davis School of Law

Selected to Super Lawyers: 2018 - 2025
Virtual Appointments

Peninsula Law, A Professional Law Corporation

3220 Sepulveda Blvd
Suite 203
Torrance, CA 90505 Visit website

Details

Ms. Bergman is the founder and principal shareholder of the law firm, Peninsula Law, A Professional Law Corporation. Her firm specializes in probate, trusts, estates, conservatorships, and financial elder abuse. Ms. Bergman is certified by the California Board of Legal Specialization in probate, trust, and estate planning law and has extensive experience in representing conservators, trustees, and executors, as well as, heirs and beneficiaries in uncontested and contested trust and estate matters. Before specializing in probate, Ms. Bergman was a Deputy City Attorney for City of Los Angeles and was a business litigator in private practice.

Ms. Bergman has also been named as a Southern California Super Lawyer, listed among the Super Lawyers Top Women in Southern California, named as a Top Attorney by Los Angeles Magazine, as a 10 Best Estate Planning Attorney by the American Institute of Legal Counsel, a Top 3 estate planning lawyer in Torrance by ThreeBestRated, and Peninsula Law has been selected for the Best of Torrance Award in the Local Business Category by the Torrance Award Program.

Ms. Bergman attended UCLA where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics. She went on to earn a Master of Science degree in Applied Mathematics with concentrations in probability and statistics and partial differential equations from California State University, Long Beach, where she graduated with departmental distinction. Ms. Bergman pursued her legal studies at the University of California, Davis, School of Law where she was a member of the UC Davis Law Review, and was awarded a Juris Doctor in 1997. She also earned a Master Advocate Designation from the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, where she returns as a faculty instructor for their annual Building Trial Skills Program at Loyola Law School. 

Ms. Bergman is admitted to practice before the California Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. She is highly regarded by her fellow attorneys, as evidenced by her 10.0 "Superb" peer-review rating through Avvo, Lead Counsel, and award as a Top Attorney in Southern California by Los Angeles magazine. 

Ms. Bergman is active in the community as a board member of the Executive Committee of the Trusts and Estates Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, sits on the Professional Advisory Council for Torrance Memorial Hospital, and is a long-standing member of the Los Angeles Superior Court panel of Court-Appointed Counsel. She is also a member of the South Bay Inn of Court, a past president of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, a past-president of Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance, and a past Probate Co-Chair of the South Bay Bar Association.

Practice areas

Estate & Trust Litigation, Estate Planning & Probate

Focus areas

Estate Planning, Guardianships & Conservatorships, Living Wills, Power of Attorney, Probate & Estate Administration, Trusts, Will Contests, Wills

  • 70% Estate & Trust Litigation
  • 30% Estate Planning & Probate

First Admitted: 1997, California

Professional Webpage: https://www.peninsula.law/beti-tsai-bergman

Bar/Professional Activity:
  • 2018 to present: LACBA Trusts & Estates Executive Committee; Chair of LPS and Probate Conservatorship Advisory Committee; Chair of Diversity Outreach Committee , 2021
  • 2017-present, Torrance Memorial Medical Center Professional Advisory Council., 2020
  • South Bay Inn of Court, Member, 2016-present, 2020
  • Volunteer Settlement Officer for Los Angeles Superior Court, Probate Court. , 2020
  • Bench-Bar Coalition, Member-at-Large for Southern Region, 2018-present., 2020
  • Los Angeles Superior Court Probate Court-Apointed Counsel, 2008-present, 2020
  • Asian Pacific Women Lawyers’ Alliance, Past-President. Chair of MCLE Committee; Board member 2000-present. , 2020
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association ("LACBA"), Trust & Estates Executive Committee member; Chair of Advisory Committee re Board of Supervisors Motion to Expand LPS and Proate Conservatorships. , 2020
  • South Bay Bar Association, Probate Co-Chair, 2016-2018., 2018
  • Los Angeles County Bar, LRS Advisory Committee, 2016-2018., 2017
  • 2011-2013. Los Angeles Superior Court, Southwest District Probate Court Guardianship Clinic volunteer., 2013
  • 2011-2013, Los Angeles Superior Court volunteer mediator. , 2013
  • Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, Past-President Past Executive Vice President, Past Vice President, Past Secretary, Past Treasurer, Past Board Member, 2008
  • 2001-2003, UCLA Asian Pacific Alumni Board of Directors. , 2003
  • Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, Chair, Trial Skills Workshop, 2001-2003, 2003
  • Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, Board of Governors, 2000-2008. , 2000
Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):
  • Successfully settled contested accounting saving my client what would have otherwise been more in attorney fees and costs to litigate than the disputed amounts. , 2020
Representative Clients:
  • Mentally or legally incompetent parties who are unable to make decisions for themselves. , 2021
  • Family members who need to file for a conservatorship over a parent or loved one so they can have the legal authority make healthare decisions, manage finances, and protect them. , 2020
  • Defending trustees, their accountings and their acts as trustee. , 2020
  • Beneficiaries of trusts or estates who needs to compel a trustee or other fiduciary to distribute their rightful share and to account and report their acts. , 2020
Transactions:
  • Prepare comprehensive estate plans for families. Estate plans include living trusts, asset-protection trusts, heritage trusts for children, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and wills., 2020
Special Licenses/Certifications:
  • Designated as a Master Advocate by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, 2018
  • Certified in estate planning, trust, and probate law by the California Board of Legal Specialization, 2014
  • CA Real Estate Broker's License. , 2011
  • LACBA TAP (Trial Advocacy Project), 2003
  • LACBA iTAP (Trial Advocacy Project), 2002
Pro bono/Community Service:
  • Asian Pacific Women Lawyers' Alliance, 2018 President; Board of Governors 2000 to present. Current MCLE chair. , 2020
  • Torrance Memorial Hospital Professional Advisory Council, 2020
  • Los Angeles Superior Court, Southwest District, Volunteer Mediator, 2012-2013, 2013
  • Probate Court Guardianship Clinic volunteer, 2011-2013, 2013
  • UCLA Asian Pacific Alumni Board of Directors, 2001
Honors/Awards:
  • Top 10 Estate Planning Attorney, Best of the Best, 2021
  • Top 10 Attorney for Estate Planning, Attorney & Practice Magazine, 2021
  • Name as a Top 3 Estate Planning Lawyer by ThreeBestRated. , Top 3 Estate Planning Lawyers, ThreeBest RAted, 2018
  • Published in Los Angeles Magazine 2021, Top Attorneys in Southern California, The American Registry, 2021
  • 10 Best Attorney, American Institute of Legal Counsel, 2021
  • Selected for the 2018 Best of Torrance Award in the Local Business Category by the Torrance Award Program., Best of Torrance Award, Torrance Award Program, 2018
  • Names as a 10 Best Estate Planning Attorney by the American Institute of Legal Counsel. , 10 Best Estate Planning Attorney, American Institute of Legal Counsel, 2018
  • Named as Top Attorney by Los Angeles Magazine., Top Attorney, Los Angeles Magazine, 2018
  • Advocate Designation, National Institute of Trial Advocacy, 2015
  • Southern California Chinese Lawyers' Association, President's Award, 2007
  • Member of UC Davis Law Review. , UC Davis Law Review, member, 1996
  • Graduated with distinction, Cal State University at Long Beach, 1994
Educational Background:
  • J.D. from UC Davis School of Law, 1997
  • Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from UCLA, 1988
  • Master of Science in Applied Mathematics from California State University at Long Beach, 1994
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
  • Featured Speaker, Amending a Revocable Living Trust, CEB, 2016
  • Presented webcast about the basics of conservatorships, when conservatorships are needed, the difference between conservatorships and powers of attorney and other estate planning instruments, court proceedings involved, and different types of conservatorships., Faculty, Conservatorship Basics 101, CEB, 2019
  • Presented seminar about how to take the Probate Specialization Exam and what to expect on the day of the exam. Discussed a sample essay question and a sample mulitple choice question. Demonstrated how to outline answers to questions and how to best manage time during the exam., Faculty, Welcome to EPIC and How to Take the Specialization Exam, CEB, 2019
  • Presented segment about Statements of Decisions for this program that covered other trial topics, such as, evidentiary objections to make at trial and preserving the record for appeal., Featured Speaker, Trial Preparation and Advocacy: Part II, LACBA, 2019
  • Presented a basic seminar to an Alzheimer’s support group to educate them about how get a conservatorship to have the legal authoirty to act and protect a person who has lost capacity, and how to put proper estate planning instruments in place to prevent the possibility of a consevatorship., Featured Speaker, Conservatorships, Probate, and Estate Planning, Cerritos Senior Center, Alzheimer’s Support Group, 2018
  • Speaker for seminar presented to PVP attorneys on the topic of limited conservatorships focusing on understanding the proposed conservtor and proposed conservatee and family dynamics, the seven powers involved in limited conservatorships, modification of those powers, and the proposed conservatee’s voting rights., Featured Speaker, Know Your Limits: PVP Training for the Limited Conservatorship Practitioner, LACBA, 2018
  • As one of my main focuses as President of APAWLA, we enhanced our mentoring efforts and partnered up with our sister bar, SCCLA, to present our inaugural joint quarterly mentoring circle to advance and support young women lawyers., APAWLA President, Quarterly Mentoring Circle, APAWLA, 2018
  • Seleted to represent the Asian legal community to present issue and question to Gavin Newsom., Featured Speaker, Los Angeles Minority/Ethnic Bar Association Meet & Greet Event with Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles City Club, 2018
  • Speaker for seminar to educate the public on how elder abuse can happen, how to recognize and address it, and what type of legal protetions you can put in place to try to prevent it., Featured Speaker, Protecting Yourself, Your Assets, and Your Relationships, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, 2018
  • Helped provide civic education, judicial mentorship, and exposure to the judicial branch for high school students from underserved communities. Participated in mentoring sessions with students, worked through legal educational exercises with students, and answered student questions about the practice of law., Featured Speaker, Judge Beverly Reid O’Connell Power Lunch Program, Los Angeles Superior Court, Central Distrct, 2018
  • Featured Speaker, Drafting Revocable Trusts: Tricky Clauses, CEB, 2017
  • Faculty, Building Trial Skills, NITA, 2017
  • Instructor, Estate and Incapacity Planning II, CEB EPIC, 2017
  • Faculty Instructor, Probate Litigation 101: Nuts & Bolts, Pincus Professional Education, 2017
Other Outstanding Achievements:
  • Earned Advocate Designation from National Institute of Trial Advocacy ("NITA")., 2015
Industry Groups:
  • Law

These comments were made by fellow attorneys during the annual nomination process.

“Beti Tsai Berman is great at what she does. I have referred clients to her for various trust and estate issues and they have always given very positive feedback for the work she has done. I will continue to refer her my friends and clients as she is a trusted expert in her field.”

“Beti is the South Bay equivalent of me - a smart, knowledgeable, hard-working, tough, emotionally intelligent probate litigator. She is one of the top in probate litigation in Los Angeles County and I am honored to also call her a friend. (We met at the courthouse like all good probate litigators and became fast friends.)”

Office location for Beti Bergman

3220 Sepulveda Blvd
Suite 203
Torrance, CA 90505

Phone: 310-694-8703

Selections

8 Years Super Lawyers
  • Super Lawyers: 2018 - 2025

Certificates and credentials

California Board of Legal Specialization
Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law
California Board of Legal Specialization logo

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