3 DP&F Directors Cited as “Super Lawyers” Richard P. Mendelson, Francis J. Collin, Jr., and David A. Diamond have been designated “Northern California Super Lawyers” in a 2007 report by Law & Politics, a legal publisher, which appeared in the August issue of San Francisco magazine. Mr. Mendelson was included among lawyers in the category “Land Use/Zoning” and Mr. Collin and Mr. Diamond in “Estate Planning & Probate.” Only 5 percent of attorneys in Northern California won “Super Lawyer” designation in a rigorous selection process including balloting, peer evaluation and internal research. The publisher mailed out 52,000 ballots to active lawyers in Northern California, and then did a three-step evaluation using a point system for the final list. According to Law & Politics, “the resulting product is a diverse and comprehensive listing of outstanding lawyers” in 65 areas of the law. Richard Mendelson, a wine grower and proprietor himself, is a founding member of the International Wine Law Association with headquarters in Paris, and is an internationally recognized authority on wine law and land use planning for wineries and vineyards. He represented the Napa Valley Vintners Association in successfully achieving a ban on the use of “Napa” on wine not originating from Napa County, which involved one appeal to the California Supreme Court and two to the U.S. Supreme Court. Frank Collin has specialized in estate planning and estate administration for 40 years, 28 of them with DP&F. He specializes in planning for the owners of agricultural real property, wineries, and other closely held family businesses. Frank is a State of California Certified Specialist in Probate, Estate Planning and Trust Law and a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He has written and lectured extensively on estate planning and family succession planning matters. He has also been recognized as a leading trust and estate attorney by “The Best Lawyers in America” and “The Best of the U.S.” David A. Diamond has been a member of the Napa legal community since 1989. He joined DP&F in 2004. He has given educational seminars for California Continuing Education of the Bar, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and other organizations. He is a State of California Certified Specialist in Probate, Estate Planning, and Trust Law, and has written and lectured extensively on trust and estate matters. His memberships include the American Bar Association Section on Real Property, Probate and Trust Law, and the California State Bar Trusts and Estates Section. |
