Phancao & Shaffer, LLP—Orange County Asset Protection, Estate Planning, Business and Criminal Law Firm
Since its inception, Phancao & Shaffer, LLP, has been committed to representing its Clients with integrity, hard work, and delivering quality legal services. The Firm seeks to impart with each Client a sense of knowledge and security no matter what their legal situation.
Phancao & Shaffer, LLP is a tightly knit and highly trained team. The law firm is devoted to representing individuals, families, and businesses including corporations / professional partnerships, both domestic and foreign. Our law office is as diverse and international as our Clients. We have represented Clients locally, nationwide, as well as internationally from Europe to Asia and beyond.
Our practice includes all aspects of Estate Planning, Domestic and Offshore Asset Protection, Medicaid Planning, and selective Criminal Defense proceedings.
Phancao & Shaffer takes pride in the fact that it receives the bulk of its new business and success through referrals from existing clients – proving its integrity and service is of the highest standards in its practice of law.
We are also different from most Orange County law firms in that we do not operate under the traditional “hourly billing” model where clients are billed in every six minutes increment, or sent an invoice for each email, phone call or fax that crosses our desk.
Instead, we operate under a flat-fee model, which means you pay one price—no matter how many times you need to call or how many hours we invest in your case (litigation excluded). We believe clients should have access to great representation in a way that is straight-forward, equitable and affordable—which is why flat-fee billing is our billing method of choice.
Phancao & Shaffer, LLP is located in Irvine in the County of Orange and serves Southern California and surrounding Counties along with Miami, Florida and international countries abound.
PATRICK P. PHANCAO
Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, Asset Protection and Criminal Attorney
Unlike many traditional lawyers, attorney Patrick Phancao began his career abroad. Having been raised in Europe, Asia, and Africa, traveling has always been a part of his life. After law school, when the opportunity arose to act as the Assistant Legal Counsel to a French Bank based abroad, he took on the opportunity. He stayed there for a year, where he learned a great deal about the Financial Industry.
When he came back to CA, he was then offered a position as Legal Counsel to a Supplemental Nutrients Co. in Los Angeles. There, he became acquainted with the Previous Owner who had a wide range of Legal Needs. In his year and a half at the company, Mr. Phancao received a great deal of legal exposure in the following fields – Patents and Trademarks, Corporate Governance, and Asset Protection to name a few. As a criminal attorney, Patrick set the highest Bond in CA History in the White Collar Crime Division. He also participated in the biggest individual tax case of 2003, and has successfully mediated a settlement with Prop. 65.
Mr. Phancao then partnered up with Ms. Shaffer to further strengthen his passion for the legal field. The two of them started a boutique law firm in Irvine, CA specializing in estate planning, asset protection, Medicaid planning, and criminal defense.
SHADI ALA’I SHAFFER
Estate Planning, Probate Litigation, Trustee Administration, and Criminal Defense Attorney
Attorney Shadi Shaffer completed her Bachelor of Arts in Law & Society at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The following year, she went on to complete her Masters Certificate while studying abroad in Spain. Attorney Shaffer thereafter completed her Juris Doctorate degree in San Diego, California in 2002 and was proudly admitted to the State Bar of California on November 12, 2002.
Prior to her legal career, Attorney Shaffer had an extensive and diverse work history, which helped her gain skills which has proved valuable to her legal practice. As an Attorney, she worked for the underserved at the San Diego Labor Board. She then joined a legal defense firm where she represented large insurance companies and hotels located throughout California.
Shortly after, Attorney Shaffer opened her own firm so she could provide clients with exceptional legal representation and personalized client service of a different caliber than she had experienced thus far. She started The Law Offices of Phancao & Shaffer, LLP with her like-valued partner Patrick P. Phancao, in an effort to build a proud and distinguished law practice.
To date, the firm receives the majority of its business through referrals; which shows the commitment and quality representation the two partners have provided to their clients. Since its formation, Phancao & Shaffer, LLP and its staff has shown an uncompromising commitment to its clients. Throughout its growth and success, Attorney Shaffer continues to strive for ongoing personalized attention, all the while maintaining a cost-effective client centered firm.
Attorney Shaffer has volunteered overseas helping orphaned children. She has worked with at risk teens through the Orange County Bar Association, continues to provide numerous pro bono hours to her community, and is serving her third year as a Big Sister with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County. In 2009, Attorney Shaffer also became an active and contributing Board Member of the Pacific Youth Symphony Ensemble of Orange County.
Attorney Shaffer’s passion is educating clients about estate planning and the law in general. She strives to provide individuals & families with an estate plan that will act as a foundation to protect clients, their loved ones, & all that is valuable to them.
Our Staff
LIZ GUZMAN, Paralegal and Trust Funding Specialist
We are pleased to welcome back our long time paralegal Ms. Liz Guzman; she had left the PS Team as a result of her husband’s military orders to be stationed outside CA for two years. Ms. Guzman has both her B.A. and Paralegal Degree and has been an invaluable asset to the PS Team. She represents the true example of a passionate paralegal and has an array of experience in estate planning, civil litigation, family law, and injury matters. Liz is bi-lingual as she is fluent in Spanish and has assisted in the successful completion of countless trusts for PS clients from beginning to end. Having been exposed to an array of estate and legal scenarios, she is the perfect compliment to the PS team to further guarantee your Trust or legal matter will be handled efficiently and with the utmost success.
PUNEH ALA’I, Client Services Coordinator and Law Clerk
Ms. Ala’i has been with the PS Team before but we are delighted to announce that she is now a permanent team mate assisting us to better serve our clients – new and old. Ms. Ala’i has her B.A. from the University of California, Irvine. She is wonderful at assisting the members of the firm to meet the needs and surpass the experience and expectations of our clients. Ms. Ala’i assists in the marketing and public relations of the firm and ensures that we have the proper systems in place so that the clients legal matter and personal needs are managed with utmost efficiency. Puneh is also bi-lingual as she speaks fluent Farsi and her international travels enables her to work with a diverse clientele. She is just one example of the family values the PS Team has incorporated into the firm and into each client and family the firm represents.
