Sophie C. Bidet
Ms. Bidet joined Trope and Trope in October 2006. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree with Dean's Honors from the University of California, San Diego. Prior to joining Trope and Trope, Ms. Bidet was an associate at Buter, Buzard, Dunaetz & Fishbein LLP, where she also practiced family law. While in law school, Ms. Bidet interned at Clifford Chance in Paris, France and worked for the Department of Labor-EBSA. At Trope and Trope, Ms. Bidet's practice is dedicated exclusively to family law. She is admitted to practice in California and is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (Family Law Section), the American Bar Association, the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and the Consulat General de France à Los Angeles as a French-speaking family law attorney.
Meghann Bonvie
Ms. Bonvie joined Trope and Trope as an associate in 2007. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from West Virginia University College of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowling Green State University. Prior to joining Trope and Trope, Ms. Bonvie practiced family law in San Diego County for two years as an associate at the Law Office of Charlene S. Baron. Ms. Bonvie is admitted to practice in California, and her practice is currently dedicated exclusively to family law.
Sarah M. Engelbert
Ms. Engelbert obtained her Juris Doctor degree and Certificate in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2005 and her Bachelor of Science degree from Valparaiso University. She is admitted to practice law in California, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and Illinois. Prior to joining Trope and Trope, Ms. Engelbert practiced family law at a Beverly Hills law firm where she handled client cases from intake through trial. She has argued over 100 motions and order to show cause hearings and has been the lead attorney on multiple trials. Ms. Engelbert's practice is exclusively devoted to family law litigation. She is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.
Michelle Fay
Ms. Fay joined Trope and Trope as an associate in 2007. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Before joining the firm, she practiced civil litigation for three and a half years. She then opted to change the focus of her practice and volunteered as a pro bono attorney with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles's Family Law and Domestic Violence clinic in Santa Monica. Prior to joining Trope and Trope, Ms. Fay worked for a sole practitioner in Century City practicing predominantly family law. She now devotes her practice exclusively to family law matters. Ms. Fay is admitted to practice in California.
Erin Gardiner
Ms. Gardiner joined Trope and Trope as an associate in 2004. She obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan. While in law school, Ms. Gardiner interned at the Alliance for Children's Rights, the ACLU of Southern California, and the USC Family Violence Clinic. She is admitted to practice in California and New York and is a member of the Los Angeles County and the New York State Bar Associations.
Angela Harris
Ms. Harris was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1997 and began her career as a civil litigator in Toronto, Ontario. Admitted to the State Bar of California in 1999, her practice is now limited exclusively to family law. Ms. Harris has been named as a Rising Star by Southern California Super Lawyers in 2005; 2006; 2007; 2008; 2009 and 2010. In addition to practicing family law, Ms. Harris has made several appearances on the nationally syndicated legal news program Celebrity Justice. Ms. Harris raises her two sons in Brentwood, California.
Katie Heersema
Ms. Heersema joined Trope and Trope as an associate in 2010. She obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Before joining Trope and Trope, Ms. Heersema practiced family law at another Los Angeles law firm. Ms. Heersema is admitted to practice in California and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. She is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.
Bret H. Hunter
Mr. Hunter has fifteen years of legal experience in the public, corporate and private sectors, with the last eight devoted strictly to complex family law litigation and child custody matters. Mr. Hunter earned his Juris Doctor degree from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, his Master of Arts degree from Emory University, and his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan. He started his legal career as a Legislative Assistant on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where he worked for the Energy & Commerce Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. Thereafter, Mr. Hunter began his career in family law as an associate attorney with the prestigious family law firm of Warner, Mayoue, Bates & Nolen in Atlanta. Prior to joining Trope and Trope, Mr. Hunter had his own successful private practice in Beverly Hills. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, he was named one of the top young lawyers in Southern California by Los Angeles Magazine. Mr. Hunter is admitted to practice in California, Georgia, and Texas, and he is a member of the Atlanta Bar Association, the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and LGLA.
Soo J. Kim
Ms. Kim has been admitted to practice law in California since 1995. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern Law School, her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Irvine, and her Masters degree in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to pursuing a career in law, Ms. Kim was a high school counselor. For the past 15 years, her legal practice has been devoted exclusively to the area of family law. Ms. Kim speaks fluent Korean. She is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar association.
Joseph P. Koenig
Mr. Koenig has been admitted to the practice of law in California since 1991. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern Law School and his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern California. His practice has included family law matters for over 14 years, and has been devoted almost exclusively to the area of family law for the past four and a half years. During this time, he has been involved in literally dozens of family law matters, and has been the trial attorney in numerous cases. He has participated in the Los Angeles County Superior Court Mediation Program in family law and has served as a mediator. Mr. Koenig was a Regional Finalist in the NATL National Trial Competition. He is a member of the Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills Bar Associations.
Jennifer M. Leong
Ms. Leong joined Trope and Trope as an associate in 2008. She earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Southern California. In law school, Ms. Leong interned with the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law and Public Counsel's Children's Rights Project, and externed for a Judge in the Family Law section of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Ms. Leong's practice is devoted exclusively to family law. She is an active attorney volunteer with the Buhai Center, providing free legal services to low income individuals. Ms. Leong is admitted to practice in California and before the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Jonathan Pakravan
Mr. Pakravan joined Trope and Trope as an associate in 2006. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California Law School and his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. While in law school, Mr. Pakravan was an extern in the Family Law Division of the Los Angeles Superior Court. He is admitted to practice in California and is a member of the Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills Bar Associations.
Elizabeth Stuart Perry
Ms. Perry joined Trope and Trope as an associate in 2007. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the Duke University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Chicago. Prior to joining Trope and Trope, Ms. Perry practiced family law for eight months and civil litigation for nearly two years following a post-college career in biological sciences and non-profit communications research. She has developed significant familiarity with the medical, educational, psychological, and entertainment industries and communities. Such familiarity informs her now-exclusively family-law practice. Ms. Perry is admitted to practice in California and before the United States District Court for the Central District of California. She is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and is a volunteer attorney with the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law and the Family Law Inns of Court.
Mirka Royston
Ms. Royston practices family law litigation, encompassing all issues pertaining to divorce, separation, child custody, child support, spousal support, restraining orders and property distribution. In addition to family law, her experience includes litigation of complex business disputes, insurance and professional negligence claims. Ms. Royston has conducted several trials, and has successfully argued numerous motions and orders to show cause, including a contested motion for nonsuit. She obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree from York University. She was admitted to the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California in 1998, the California Bar in 1997, and the Ontario Bar in 1996. Ms. Royston has been named a Southern California Super Lawyer Rising Star for 2005 through 2008, and is recognized in America’s Who’s Who for having achieved success in her field. Mirka has volunteered for Break the Cycle, a nonprofit organization providing preventive domestic violence education and free legal services to teens throughout Los Angeles County. She has also acted as a volunteer mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court and has made numerous appearances as a family law advisor on legal news programs.
Tara L. Scott
Ms. Scott joined the firm in August 2001 and began practicing shortly thereafter upon successful completion of the California Bar Exam. She earned her Juris Doctor and Masters in Dispute Resolution degrees from Pepperdine University, and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola Marymount University. Ms. Scott is admitted to practice in California and is a member of the Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills Bar Associations.
Melanie Shornick
Ms. Shornick has devoted her practice exclusively to family law since joining Trope and Trope as an associate in 2006. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Ms. Shornick is admitted to practice in California. Prior to joining Trope and Trope, Ms. Shornick was an associate at Reback, McAndrews & Kjar where her practice was dedicated to defending claims of professional liability including the defense of physicians, hospitals and health organizations in such areas as malpractice and sexual harassment. Ms. Shornick has acted as a volunteer mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court and was selected as a Rising Star for Southern California Super Lawyers in 2009. Her published opinions include Simmons v. Ghaderi (2008) 44 Cal. 4th 570 and Quintanilla v. Dunkelman (2005) 133 Cal.App. 4th 95.
Hillary Slevin
Ms. Slevin joined Trope and Trope in 2003 after completing a two-year clerkship as a judicial research attorney at the Los Angeles Superior Court, Family Law Department. She obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles Law School and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hampshire College. During her tenure with the Court, Ms. Slevin worked with numerous judicial officers. Currently, Ms. Slevin focuses in all areas of family law including dissolutions, paternity, custody, and pre and post marital agreements. She is admitted to practice in California.
Mary Dinius White
Ms. White has been practicing since 1991 in the areas of family law, trusts and estates, probate, and estate planning. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School and her Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, from Loyola Marymount University. She was previously a sole practitioner, and joined Trope and Trope in 2001. Ms. White's practice involves family law litigation, contested and uncontested probate matters, and estate planning, including the drafting of family living trusts and powers of attorney. In addition, she has handled criminal appeals under appointment from the Court of Appeal, as a member of the Panel of the California Appellate Project. Ms. White has served on the Pro Bono Panel of the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law for 10 years. She has also served on the Board of Directors of the Airport Marina Counseling Service, a nonprofit mental health clinic serving the Westside and South Bay, and was the Awards/Advancements Chair and den leader for Cub Scout Pack 748 in Westchester. Prior to entering law, Ms. White taught high school chemistry and physics and was a member of the technical staff at Hughes Aircraft Company. Ms. White is a member of the Los Angeles County and American Bar Associations, and she has been certified as a Specialist in Family Law by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.
