Santa Rosa’s leading Administrative, Employment, and Professional License Defense attorney.
I am a 14-year attorney practicing primarily in the fields of Employment Law, Administrative Law, Contract Law, and Healthcare Law. I represent a variety of professionals and businesses ranging from doctors, veterinarians, accountants, and brokers, to breweries, wine importers, private schools, trucking companies, and automotive repair shops.
This included representation before the State Personnel Board, Office of Administrative Hearings, all boards and bureaus within Department of Consumer Affairs (e.g. Medical Board of California, etc.), Labor Commissioner, and various County, City, and Municipal Civil Service Commissions. Services range from obtaining and defending licenses, participation in government benefit programs, and resolving business disputes.
I also helped form dozens of healthcare professional practices, serving as general counsel to them. And I oversaw my most recent employer’s marketing, public relations, and served as its In-house General Counsel, advising its Board of Directors, and Officers, as it continued to grow as a business.
Prior to that, I oversaw the business operations of a 25-member law firm that employed a staff of over 150. My management areas included Client Service, Marketing, Public Relations, Human Resources, and Information Technology. In this role, I also represented thousands of the firm’s individual and business clients before the Internal Revenue Service.
I am a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received his law degree at the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2005.
While in law school, I served as a judicial extern for the Honorable James A. Richman of the Superior Court of California, Alameda County and as a research project assistant for Assistant Dean Carolyn Butler and Professors D. Gordon Smith and John Ohnesorge.
I am licensed to practice law in the State of Wisconsin and the State of California. I am also admitted to practice law before the U.S. Tax Court and U.S. District Court, Eastern and Northern Districts of California. I am a member of the American Bar Association, Federalist Society, California Society of Healthcare Attorneys, California Academy of Attorneys for Healthcare Practitioners, Schwartz-Levi American Inn of Courts, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, and Sonoma County Bar Associations. I was named Top Employment Attorney by Sacramento Magazine in 2015-2016, Rising Star in Northern California by Super Lawyers in 2017-2019, and Top Employment Attorney by San Diego Magazine in 2018.
My practice areas include: Workplace and Employment Regulation, Contract Law, Professional Licensing and Regulation, Business Formation Law, Government and Administrative Law, Healthcare Law, and Public Agency Law. I have years of experience handling Litigation, Appeals, Writs of Mandate (Traditional and Administrative), Administrative Hearings (before Federal, State, and Local Agencies), and Wage Claim matters.
Practice areas
Preemptive advice and management to employers about workplace related issues ranging from advertising, hiring/decline, onboarding, training, recordkeeping, third party reporting, corrective action, discipline, wage-and-hour, and safety, among others.
14 years
Covers many types of claims, including discrimination; harassment; wage-hour pay, classification, and overtime violations; wrongful discharge; entitlement to employee benefits; misappropriation of trade secrets and confidential information.
12 years
Encompasses government regulation, legislation, rulemaking, and adjudication. In practice, provide services to individual and corporate clients who require counsel regarding navigating permitting and enforcement.
8 years
Assist in guiding clients through the challenges of deciding appropriate jurisdiction, entity selection, tax election, initial articles and bylaws, shareholder agreements, security agreements and registration, and then general preparation.
8 years
Touches upon the fiduciary duties of doctor-patient, such as privacy HIPAA, informed consent (battery unlawful touch), conflict of interests, abandonment, ADA, among others. Services include licensing, certification, registration, and credentialing.
8 years
Advise, negotiate, and draft clients in all aspects of transactions, including due diligence, intellectual property evaluations, tax consequences, employee relations/affairs, environmental matters, creditors' rights, standard terms and conditions.
12 years
Languages spoken
English
Smith Dollar, PC
418 B Street
4th Floor
Santa Rosa, CA, 95401
State | Status | Acquired | Updated |
---|---|---|---|
CA | Active | 2007 | 11/04/2019 |
WI | Good Standing | 2005 | 07/01/2019 |
Award name | Grantor | Date granted |
---|---|---|
Rising Star | Super Lawyers | 2019 |
AV Preeminant Rated | Martindale-Hubbell® | 2019 |
Top Employment Attorney | San Diego Magazine | 2019 |
Top Attorneys in Northern California | San Francisco Magazine | 2019 |
Top Employment Attorney | San Diego Magazine | 2018 |
AV Preeminant Rated | Martindale-Hubbell® | 2018 |
---|---|---|
Rising Star | Super Lawyers | 2018 |
Top Attorneys in Northern California | San Francisco Magazine | 2018 |
AV Preeminant Rated | Martindale-Hubbell® | 2017 |
Rising Star | Super Lawyers | 2017 |
Top Lawyers in California | The Legal Network | 2017 |
Top Attorneys in Northern California | San Francisco Magazine | 2017 |
Top Attorneys in Sacramento | Sacramento Magazine | 2016 |
AV Preeminant Rated | Martindale-Hubbell® | 2016 |
Top Attorneys in Sacramento | Sacramento Magazine | 2015 |
AV Preeminent Rated | Martindale-Hubbell® | 2015 |
Title | Company name | Duration |
---|---|---|
Attorney | Smith Dollar PC | 2018 - Present |
Attorney | Simas & Associates, Ltd. | 2011 - 2018 |
Independent Business Consultant | Justin D. Hein | 2011 - 2014 |
Attorney | Roni Deutch, A Professional Tax Corporation | 2005 - 2011 |
Summer Associate | Averbeck & Hammer, S.C. | 2004 - 2004 |
Legal Assistant | Gray & End, LLP | 2001 - 2002 |
---|
Association name | Position name | Duration |
---|---|---|
United States District Court for the Central District of California | Member | 2018 - Present |
Sonoma County Bar Association | Member | 2015 - Present |
California Academy of Attorneys for Health Care Professionals | Member | 2015 - Present |
United States District Court for the Northern District of California | Member | 2015 - Present |
Milton L. Schwartz/David F. Levi American Inn of Court | Barrister | 2012 - Present |
State Bar of California | Member | 2007 - Present |
---|---|---|
United States Tax Court | Member | 2007 - Present |
United States District Court for the Eastern District of California | Member | 2007 - Present |
State Bar of Wisconsin | Member | 2005 - Present |
Federalist Society | Member | 2005 - Present |
California Society for Healthcare Attorneys | Member | 2012 - 2018 |
San Luis Obispo County Bar Association | Member | 2011 - 2018 |
Sacramento County Bar Association | Member | 2007 - 2018 |
American Bar Association | Member | 2005 - 2018 |
Publication name | Title | Date |
---|---|---|
Citizen Dain | Blog Entries | 2005 |
School name | Degree | Graduated |
---|---|---|
University of Wisconsin Law School | JD - Juris Doctor | 2005 |
University of Wisconsin, Madison | BS - Bachelor of Science | 2001 |
Conference name | Title | Date |
---|---|---|
Bag Lunch Seminar | Workplace Sexual Harassment and #MeToo as Moment of Opportunity | 2018 |
Bag Lunch Seminar | Introduction to Administrative Law | 2017 |
Sacramento County Bar Association, Administrative Law Section Luncheon | Between a Rock and a Hard Place – When Criminal Law Overlaps Administrative Law | 2014 |
San Mateo County Bar Association, Private Defender Program | The Intersection of Criminal and Administrative Law | 2013 |
Posted by Amy
Sat Mar 16 2013
Julia Jackson, Environmental and natural resources Attorney on Nov 17, 2008
Relationship: Friend
Justin is conscientious and a very hard worker who is committed to his clients and his business.
John Wetenkamp, Tax Attorney on Apr 3, 2008
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
I worked closely with Justin for over 4 years (2006-2011). He was my direct supervisor for much of that time and I know him to be a very smart and very hard-working attorney. I have the highest degree of respect for Justin.
Karen Chilina, Estate planning Attorney on Jul 16, 2014
Relationship: Worked together on matter
I endorse this lawyer.
Christian Lassen, Life insurance Attorney on May 22, 2014
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
Top-notch attorney. Highly respected in the legal community.
Benjamin Stolz, Administrative law Attorney on May 7, 2013
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
I endorse this lawyer.
Chad Kemp, Estate planning Attorney on Apr 20, 2013
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Nicole Hendrickson, Tax Attorney on Jan 13, 2010
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Shaun Culbreath, Tax Attorney on Jan 12, 2010
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Ngoc Huynh, Tax Attorney on Jan 12, 2010
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Mihaella Smith, Tax Attorney on Jan 12, 2010
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Kelly Mieske, Tax Attorney on Jan 12, 2010
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Jon-Paul Moorehead, Tax Attorney on Jan 12, 2010
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Carmen Dunbar, Tax Attorney on Jan 12, 2010
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Elizabeth Kim, Tax Attorney on Jan 11, 2010
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Daniel Lynch, Divorce and separation Attorney on Jan 11, 2010
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Arnold Rose, Tax Attorney on Jan 11, 2010
Relationship: Co-worker
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Hubert Johnson, Tax Attorney on Mar 11, 2009
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Kirandeep Sihota, Tax Attorney on Mar 11, 2009
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Jin Kim, Tax Attorney on Mar 11, 2009
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Arica Bryant-Presinal, Litigation Attorney on Mar 11, 2009
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I endorse this lawyer's work.
Erin Sands, Employment and labor Attorney on Dec 8, 2008
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
I endorse this lawyer's work.
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