Attorneys

Shannon B. Jones	Jessica M. Takano	Jojiro Takano	Hannah M. Shafsky
Julie V. Chan	David M. Austin	Peter W. Hoefs	Andrea Ritigstein

Shannon B. Jones

Shannon B. Jones graduated from the University of Southern California in 1987 with a B.S. in Public Administration. She was on the dean’s honor roll for two years immediate prior to graduation. She also graduated from USC in 1990 with a Juris Doctor. She graduated at the top of her class, with an emphasis in real estate. She received recognition for a paper regarding the impact of the endangered species on real estate development, which was subsequently used for a discussion at the USC Real Estate Symposium. Upon graduation, Ms. Jones was employed by the litigation firm of Bowles & Verna in Walnut Creek, California, where she represented real estate brokerages and insurance companies. In 2003, she was employed by the international law firm of Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold in San Francisco, California. She continued to represent parties in real estate matters and broadened her practice to include business litigation, franchise-franchisor disputes, representing financial institutions, insurance companies and employment law. She successfully defended a group of insurance companies who were sued for $125 million. In 1998, Ms. Jones started the Law Offices of Shannon B. Jones, which subsequently became the Shannon B. Jones Law Group. Ms. Jones specializes in representing real estate agents and brokers throughout California, as well as contractors, subcontractors, developers and other landowners. She also represents businesses in formation and litigation. Ms. Jones has published the best-selling real estate book, “A Real Estate Agent’s Practical Guide to Avoiding Litigation.” She has published monthly articles for a number of magazines, including CCAR Today, Broker Agent Magazine and a number of other magazines across the country. She is a certified instructor by the California Department of Real Estate and Graduate Real Estate Institute. She is a frequent speaker before the California Association of Realtors, as well as many other local associations. Ms. Jones spends her personal time with her family, particularly attending her sons’ sporting events, including football, baseball, rugby, basketball and horseback riding. She also rides hunters and jumpers competitively. She takes a personal interest in community services, including supporting the Bay Area Crisis Nursery, Contra Costa Food Bank, local schools and the San Ramon Valley T-Bird organization. She is also active in the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce and has served as the chairperson for the Danville Tree Lighting for the last several years.

Shannon B. Jones Publications

Monthly column for CCAR Today (Contra Costa Association of Realtors’ Monthly b Magazine).

Monthly column for Certified Residential Specialists.
Monthly column for Contra Costa Women’s Council of Realtors publication, 2007.
“A Real Estate Agent’s Practical Guide to Avoiding Litigation,” Book published in 1998 regarding real estate law. Book was recommended by several insurance companies and was the No. 3 best selling real estate book for Amazon.com in October 1998
“Top Ten Tips for Avoiding Litigation,” Lawyer’s Weekly, 2000
“Woe to Those Agents Who Take Real Estate Sales Legalities Lightly,” The Real Estate Professional, September/October 1999
“Legal Corner,” Monthly Column in Broker-Agent Magazine, Bay Area Edition Presentations
Member, California Association of Realtors (“CAR”) Strategic Defense Panel.
Certified Instructor by California Department of Real Estate.
Approved GRI Instructor.
Regular Presenter, CAR Legal Affairs Forum.
Regular Presenter, CAR Risk Management Meetings.
Key Note Speaker at the San Diego Association of Realtor’s Expo.
Presenter, Tri-Annual Contra Costa Association of Realtors Risk Management Seminars, 2005-Present.
Presentations include: California Association of Realtors; Women’s Council of Realtors, State Meeting; California Association of Realtors Expert Witnesses; Contra Costa Association of Realtors; Santa Clara Association of Realtors; Greater Los Angeles and Beverly Hills Association of Realtors; San Benito Board of Realtors; KERN Real Estate Hour (Radio); Women’s Council of Realtors, Contra Costa; Women’s Council of Realtors, Southern Alameda; Tri-Valley Real Estate Marketing Group; San Ramon Valley Real Estate Marketing Group; Bay East Association of Realtors; Berkeley Association of Realtors; Oakland Association of Realtors; Delta Association of Realtors; Sacramento Association of Realtors; Marin Association of Realtors; Northern Solano Board of Realtors; and numerous real estate brokerages and organizations. • Regular training of agents of Contra Costa Association of Realtors, Pacific Union Real Estate Group, Ltd. and RE/MAX Accord

Jessica M. Takano

Jessica Takano has litigated and mediated numerous cases in both state and federal court in a wide variety of substantive areas, including breach of contract, fraud, insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, product liability, gender discrimination and civil rights, unfair business practices, employment discrimination, and land use. Since joining the Shannon B. Jones Law Group in 2003, Ms. Takano has focused on real estate and construction litigation, as well as related insurance issues. Ms. Takano received a Bachelor of Arts degree with high honors from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1993. She obtained her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall) in 1996. Ms. Takano completed her formal mediation training and received her Certification in Mediation and Conflict Resolution from the University of California, Berkeley, UC Extension.

Jojiro Takano

Jojiro Takano is a civil litigator with extensive experience in a wide range of subject areas, including complex commercial litigation, securities arbitration, investment fraud, product liability, construction defect, employment, eminent domain, real estate, bankruptcy, regulated entities, and administrative and public law. Mr. Takano has practiced in both state and federal courts, including state and federal appellate courts, as well as other venues such as securities industry arbitrations. Since joining the Shannon B. Jones Law Group in 2004, he has focused on real estate litigation, including regulatory requirements and proceedings. Mr. Takano received a Bachelor of Arts degree with high honors from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1991. Mr. Takano received a Certificate of Distinction as a finalist for the University Medal Finalist, the top academic award for graduates of U.C. Berkeley. Mr. Takano graduated from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall) in 1997. From 1997 to 1998, Mr. Takano served as a law clerk to the Honorable David F. Levi in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. Mr. Takano is a board member and Vice President of the National Japanese American Historical Society. He has participated as a member in a number of bar associations, such as the Edward J. McFetridge chapter of the American Inns of Court.

Hannah M. Shafsky

Hannah Shafsky joined the Shannon Jones Law Group as an attorney in 2007. Ms. Shafsky’s practice focuses on real property disputes, land use issues, and construction matters. Ms. Shafsky obtained an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1996. She graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2001. At Hastings, Ms. Shafsky was the editor-in-chief of the Hastings West-Northwest Journal of Environmental Law and Policy. She co-authored “Environmental Justice: A Survey of State Responses,” which was published in West-Northwest in 2002. During law school, Ms. Shafsky also had an externship at the Office of the California Attorney General, Natural Resources Division. Before joining the Shannon Jones Law Group, Ms. Shafsky practiced for five years at a large international law firm, focusing on business litigation, and environmental and products liability matters. Ms. Shafsky has also been active in the Lawyers in the Library pro bono program administered through the Alameda County Bar Association and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Educating for Justice program. In 2005, Ms. Shafsky achieved permanent asylum status for a pro bono client and her children who were victims of domestic abuse in their home country of El Salvador. Ms. Shafsky is a member of the Real Estate Section of the California Bar Association. 2009 Annual Report 23

Julie V. Chan

Julie V. Chan joined the Shannon B. Jones Law Group as an associate attorney in 2008. Ms. Chan’s practice focuses primarily on representing real estate agents, brokerages, and other parties in real estate and construction litigation. Ms. Chan obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and her undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California. Prior to joining Shannon B. Jones Law Group, Ms. Chan worked at a civil litigation firm focusing on real estate, business, and probate matters. While in law school, Ms. Chan served as an editor for the Constitutional Law Quarterly and interned for Judge Natalia Combs Greene in the District of Columbia Superior Court. Ms. Chan is a member of the Real Property Law Section of the California Bar Association, the Contra Costa County Bar Association, and the Asian American Bar Association. 2009.

David M. Austin

David Austin is a civil litigator with several years of practical experience in all phases of litigation and a wide variety of subject areas, including business litigation, real property litigation, construction contract and construction defect matters, employment disputes, wrongful termination actions, homeowners association disputes and complex litigation. Since affiliating with the Shannon B. Jones Law Group in 2010, David has focused on real estate and construction. David graduated with honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1998 with a degree in Japanese He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California Davis in 2001. David is an editor of Chapter 5 (Injury to Property) of the California Attorney’s Guide to Damages and an articles editor for the Real Property Journal published by the Real Estate Section of the California State Bar.

Peter W. Hoefs

Peter Hoefs joined the Shannon B. Jones Law Group in July 2011 to focus on all aspects of real estate litigation. Mr. Hoefs previously worked for Nixon Peabody LLP concentrating on business, insurance, construction, products liability and bankruptcy litigation. Peter received his Juris Doctor degree from Golden Gate School of Law in December 2006. Peter graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1989. Prior to law school, Peter worked in marketing and advertising for twelve years where he worked on several campaigns for international companies, such as Miller Brewing Company, Hewlett-Packard and Pacific Bell.

"It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit." –John Wooden

Andrea Ritigstein

Andrea Makely Ritigstein has significant experience in all aspects of civil litigation from case inception through trial preparation. She has litigated and mediated numerous cases in many practice areas, including business disputes, real estate, employment discrimination, intellectual property and dangerous condition of public property. Since joining the Shannon B. Jones Law Group in 2011, Andrea’s practice focuses primarily on real estate, construction and business litigation. Andrea graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles with a degree in Political Science in 1993, and received her law degree from American University, Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. in 1996.

"One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes... and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Marc Cardinal, Of Counsel

Marc J. Cardinal graduated from Santa Clara Law School in the top 10 percent of his class in 1998. Since law school, Mr. Cardinal has gained extensive litigation experience representing his clients in numerous legal matters including: real estate; construction; business disputes; personal injury; products liability; and trade secret. Mr. Cardinal also has experience in negotiating and drafting commercial agreements, licensing agreements, employment agreements, distributorship and wholesale agreements, partnership agreements, franchise agreements, shareholder agreements, non-disclosure agreements, non-compete agreements, corporation and other business organizations’ formation documents. In his free time, Mr. Cardinal enjoys spending time with his wife Brenda and son Colton. Mr. Cardinal is also an avid lacrosse player; playing field lacrosse with the Palo Alto Lacrosse Club and box lacrosse..

Steven Spile, Of Counsel

Steve Spile is the senior partner of Spile, Siegal, Leff & Goor, LLP in Los Angeles, California. He received his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1978 and his J.D. from the University of Southern California Law Center in 1982. Steve uses his extensive litigation, dispute resolution and transactional experience in a wide variety of areas. He was involved in the creation of the California Association of REALTORS® ("C.A.R.") Strategic Defense Panel and is one of the handful of attorneys selected to serve on this Panel. Steve also supports C.A.R. and various REALTOR® Associations through his participation in a variety of committees and the C.A.R. Legal Affairs Forum. He is counsel for California Real Estate Technology Services ("CARETS") and for the Burbank Association of REALTORS®. He is a certified Department of Real Estate instructor, and appears regularly as a guest lecturer throughout the State of California. He also has written/produced a number of risk management videos for the real estate industry. Steve is the chairperson for the Southland Regional Association of REALTORS® ("SRAR") Risk Management Committee.

Vern Hansen, Consultant

Vern Hansen has been a real estate licensee and broker for 37 years. He has owned a brokerage and was employed as a branch manager for a large real estate brokerage. In 2001, Mr. Hansen was employed as the Director of Risk Management for Pacific Union Real Estate, Ltd., which included responsibility for agent training, answering all transactional questions for the managers and agents. He also managed all incoming claims, mediations and settlement negotiations. In October 2009, Mr. Hansen formed Vern Hansen Broker Risk Management Services, Inc., and he continues to provide risk management services to broker clients in an effort to reduce their insurance rates and claims costs.