Drag me to the header/ footer & Preview
Our Team
Sarah Summerall
Managing Attorney
Jihyun Kim
Attorney​
.png)
Anne Ciccarelli
.
Kelly Wessels
Managing Attorney
Norell S. Manning
Attorney
Mary Miramontes
Billing Specialist
Albert Wu
Attorney
Danielle Holt-Gsell
Attorney
"Capi" Schnuggles
Office Greeter
Amina Dzano
Attorney
Kate Bartles
SF Office Manager
Grace Harryman
Marketing Manager
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 20 years of experience as an attorney and working with LGBTQI families holds a special place in his heart. To learn more about Kelly, 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.
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.
​
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.
Norell S. Manning
Estate Planning Sr. 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.
Danielle Holt-Gsell
Associate Attorney
Danielle grew up in Maryland and is a graduate of University of Maryland, where she earned a B.A. in Economics and B.S. in Animal Sciences. Danielle moved to California to attend UC Berkeley for law school and fell in love with the Bay Area. While at Berkeley, Danielle was an editor for the California Law Review and Ecology Law Quarterly. After graduating from law school, Danielle practiced project finance in New York City before finally returning back to the bay to put down permanent roots.
Danielle is excited about estate planning because she enjoys getting to know clients and helping them plan for the future.
Outside of the office, you can find her working on stained glass projects and spending time with her wife and rabbit.
Kate Bartles
SF Office Manager
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.
Anne Ciccarelli
​
​
Anne grew up in the Bay Area, left to get an undergraduate degree at Northwestern University, and returned the day after graduation to escape the Chicago winter. She worked in tech and finance operations prior to joining Summerall, and is thrilled to welcome clients into the Oakland office. Outside of work, Anne enjoys working on her sci-fi/fantasy novel, annoying her cat, and spending time with family.
.png)
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.
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.
Grace Harryman
Marketing Manager
Grace Harryman is a Northern California native. She attended University of California at Santa Cruz but decided to take a pause in her education after her sophomore year to follow her dreams of a career in entertainment. She proceeded to work for the next 7 years in Los Angeles writing and performing comedy. Grace eventually returned to Santa Cruz where she graduated with a BA in Theatre/Gaming but still continues to perform stand up comedy around the City.
Grace is currently pursuing a Master of Liberal Arts degree at Stanford University.
​
She works as our Marketing Manager.
Sarah Summerall, Partner
Certified Probate, Trust & Estate Specialist
Sarah is not currently accepting new estate planning clients, she is focused on serving her existing clients and supporting the associate attorneys.
Amina Dzano, Associate
Speaks Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian
Start here: 15-30 min Call/Video
Oakland in-person appointments are available, email clienthelper@summeralllaw.com for details.
Kelly Wessels, Partner
Georgetown Law Grad & 19+ Yrs Advising Clients