Our Team
Sarah Summerall
Managing Attorney
Celeste Villa
Attorney
​
Kate Bartles
Client Relationship Manager
Che Ortiga
Notary Manager
Kelly Wessels
Managing Attorney
Jihyun Kim
Attorney
​
"Capi" Schnuggles
Office Greeter
Alvaro Andres
Attorney
Renee Landingham
Accounting Manager
​
Sam Howard
Law Clerk
Amina Dzano
Attorney
Kameela Hall
Administrative Manager
Mary Miramontes
Billing Specialist
Sarah Summerall
Managing Attorney, Firm Founder, Sister of Kelly
Sarah started this law firm in 2008 because she wanted to help people use the law to make their loved ones’ lives better, even after they were gone. She believes each of her clients knows what is best for their family (biological or chosen) and enjoys helping them find the legal solution that makes that happen. She is proud to have built a law firm that now helps hundreds of families in the Bay Area do just that every year. She is an Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law Certified Specialist and leads Summerall Law’s Probate and Trust Administration and Litigation practices. To learn more about Sarah's Philosophy and personal approach, read her full bio here.​​
Kelly Wessels
Managing Attorney, Estate Plan Practice Leader, Brother of Sarah
Kelly has always loved the written word and solving problems. That’s why working in estate planning is such a great fit for him–he gets to use his precise legal writing and problem-solving skills to help people create the estate plan that is right for their family. Kelly has 15 years of experience as an attorney and working with LGBTQI families hold a special place in his heart. To learn more about Kelly's 15 years of experience as an attorney and why working with LGBTQI families will always have a special place in his heart, read his full bio here.
​
Albert Wu
Estate Planning Sr. Associate Attorney
Albert grew up in Stockton, CA then attended Cal (Go Bears!) where he was a double major in Business Administration at Haas and History and also was a member of the Cal Men's Lacrosse Team. Albert then attended Harvard Law School for his J.D. His family is from East Asia, specifically, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, and mainland China.
Albert enjoys trust and estate planning because it allows him to help families and individuals navigate their important family and financial decisions.
Albert also enjoys tennis, soccer, basketball, reading, and playing piano, and regularly attend Quaker meetings in the East Bay.
Albert is fluent in English and Mandarin.
Start an estate plan with Albert:
Alvaro Andres
Estate Planning Associate Attorney
(Picture Coming Soon)
Alvaro was born in Caracas, Venezuela and grew up on Oahu in Hawaii. At UC San Diego he majored in Economics and minored in Environmental Studies. Alvaro moved to the Bay Area in 2010 to attend the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly known as UC Hastings). He loved the Bay Area so much, he has stayed ever since.
​
At Summerall Law, Alvaro enjoys helping people secure their futures for themselves and their loved ones.
Alvaro loves watching soccer, going to concerts, photography, and playing guitar. He speaks Spanish.
Start an estate plan with Alvaro:
Alvaro Andres
Estate Planning Associate Attorney
Alvaro was born in Caracas, Venezuela and grew up on Oahu in Hawaii. At UC San Diego he majored in Economics and minored in Environmental Studies. Alvaro moved to the Bay Area in 2010 to attend the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly known as UC Hastings). He loved the Bay Area so much, he has stayed ever since.
​
At Summerall Law, Alvaro enjoys helping people secure their futures for themselves and their loved ones.
Alvaro loves watching soccer, going to concerts, photography, and playing guitar.
Alvaro is fluent in English and Spanish.
Start an estate plan with Alvaro:
30-min Call/Video (Basic Intro)
60-min Call/Video (Start Your Plan)
60-min Oakland In-Person Meeting (Start Your Plan)
​
Amina Dzano
Estate Planning Associate Attorney
Amina was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina and grew up in Massachusetts and California's Central Valley. Amina studied international relations and philosophy at Mills College in Oakland, CA, where she was a member of the swim team and president of the Muslim Student Association before graduating with honors. During law school, Amina was active in student life and delivered the commencement address graduating from Penn State Law. Prior to joining the Summerall Law team, Amina worked in private practice in the U.S. Virgin Islands focusing on civil matters, in particular estate planning and probate.
As the administrator of her late father's estate, Amina appreciates the important role effective estate planning plays in providing individuals and families protection, comfort, and peace of mind.
In her spare time, Amina enjoys traveling, watching soccer, gardening, and perfecting recipes in the kitchen.
Amina is fluent in English, Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian.
​
Start an estate plan with Amina:
Celeste Villa
Estate Planning Associate Attorney
Celeste grew up in San Diego with her mom and two younger sisters. She studied Political Science and Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame. She graduated from UCLA School of Law in 2019. During her second year of law school she particularly enjoyed her Wills & Trusts class, taught by her favorite professor, and decided to work part-time as a law clerk at an Estate Planning Firm. She enjoys estate planning because she gets to help her clients protect themselves and their loved ones.
Celeste loves to travel, especially to Mexico where her family is from. She grew up speaking Spanish with her grandparents. She also loves trivia, reading, and rewatching her favorite sitcoms. Her favorite travel memory is paragliding in Switzerland.
​
Celeste is fluent in English and Spanish.
Start an estate plan with Celeste:
Jihyun Kim
Estate Planning Associate Attorney
Ji grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and moved to the Bay Area to be closer to her family who relocated here. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she received her B.S. in Accountancy and her Masters in Accountancy with a specialization in Taxation, and attended New York University School of Law. She got into estate planning because she enjoys helping people achieve peace of mind for their future and security for their loved ones.
Ji loves spending time with her family and getting outside with her dog. She enjoys hiking, reading and exploring the Bay Area food scene.
Start an estate plan with Jihyun:
Norell S. Manning
Estate Planning Associate Attorney
Norell is a west coast transplant from New Jersey, but grew up splitting her time between New Jersey and Delaware. She moved to California in 2013 to attend law school. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in English from the University of Delaware and an MBA specializing in Project and Team Management from Full Sail University. She graduated Cum Laude from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, where she was an active member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution team and Vice President of the Business Law Society.
In 2019 and 2020, she was recognized by the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program for her volunteer legal work assisting victims of domestic violence. She enjoys volunteering with organizations that provide legal assistance to indigent and disenfranchised communities in her free time. When she is not working or volunteering, she enjoys baking – her favorite thing to bake is vegan lemon bars (trust her, they are delicious!) - and she will be starting violin lessons soon.
Start an estate plan with Norell:
Renee Landingham
Accounting Manager
Renee enjoys working with numbers and finds spreadsheets soothing. As a CTEC Registered Tax Preparer, she helps clients solve their math problems and keeps all their accounts in balance. She has enjoyed calling the Bay Area home for many years, but is originally from Alabama and has a Bachelor's degree (summa cum laude) in Anthropology from UAB. In her free time, Renee enjoys gardening, hiking and camping, playing with her dog and live music. She reads constantly and loves baking.
Kameela Hall
Administrative Manager of Client Relations and Special Projects
Kameela oversees the client experience to ensure a seamless and effective process. She enjoys meeting new clients, engaging with existing clients, and working alongside the attorneys to make sure the Summerall Law experience is a great one. Kameela was born and raised in Oakland, California. She is completing her studies with Northern Arizona University's Honors College; majoring in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management and Marketing. In her freetime Kameela enjoys taking hikes, going to see what is new in the movie theatres, and spending time with her family.
Kate Bartles
Client Relationship Manager & Executive Assistant
Kate received her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona; majoring in Law and minoring in Creative Writing. She graduated cum laude and was involved in many organizations on campus such as student class council. Kate enjoys meeting with existing clients, and helping to create a welcoming environment for new clients. In her free-time, she loves to try new restaurants with friends and explore San Francisco.
Shelley Williams
Client Relationship Manager
​Shelley was born and raised in Oakland. Attended Merritt and Chabot Colleges, with a focus on Healthcare. Shelley has many years of Administrative Assisiting in the medical device industry. In her free time, she likes hiking, going to beaches, traveling, trying new foods and making friends and family laugh.
Trinity Friedrich-Rius
Client Relationship Manager
I enjoy working with new people and am a social butterfly. Estate planning brings me joy in how it can put someone’s mind at ease and help them focus on the more important things in life like family and fun.
I also like reading and painting in my free time :)
Sam Howard
Paralegal
Sam helps with everything. While managing the estate of a loved one can be daunting, Sam enjoys doing what he can to make the process easier. He grew up in Gilroy and attended college at Chico State and has worked in nonprofits advocating for tenants and supporting SSDI appeals, in immigration law, and leading camping tours in the continental US. He loves travel (28 stated and 11 countries) and likes reading novels, playing in local volleyball leagues, and sampling the many great beers the East Bay has to offer.
Mary Miramontes
Billing Specialist
Mary enjoys handling all the billing issues (so clients don’t have to) and working with a team that is kind, helpful, and hardworking.
She is from the Seattle area and has a bachelor’s in environmental studies from the University of Washington. Mary moved to California in 2018 after meeting her husband, and now they have 1 son together. She loves learning about native plants and is currently converting her lawn into a garden.
Che Ortiga
East Bay Notary Manager
Che is the go-to team member for the coordination of your Estate Plan signing. They are pleased to be your point of contact for any special requests, questions or concerns during that process. Che holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education from The Evergreen State College and comes from a background in HR and customer service. They also conduct trainings for 'Raising the Bar', as a curriculum builder and facilitator. You can find Che spending their time writing music for their band, enjoying the outdoors, and growing a garden of food for his bunny.
Captain "Capi" Schnuggles
Official Office Greeter
Captain Schnuggles joined the team in January of 2018 at 8 weeks of age. He is available at the Oakland office to provide greeting services, play with bored children, and supply hugs and love to all. Please let us know if you have any allergies or pet-avoidance preferences and he can stay in the training room. If you would prefer to hold him during the session we can provide a clothing-protection blanket.