OUR TEAM
James Judge, Esq., Founder & Managing Partner
Mr. Judge has been a member of the California Bar since 1985. He is the founder and managing partner of The Judge Law Firm. Mr. Judge is an expert in the area of common interest development and real estate law and has become a respected leader in the industry through achieving results for clients while delivering unmatched customer service and protecting homeowner associations through California. He received his juris doctorate, with honors, from Western State University College of Law in 1985 and has been admitted to practice law in all of the United States District Courts in the State of California, California Supreme Court, 9th and 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
In addition to his law practice, Mr. Judge is a member of the Orange County chapter of California Association Institute's (CAI) Program's Committee and Professional Standards Committee and also a member of the California Association of Community Managers (CACM) Teaching Faculty. He has also served on the Legal Steering Committee, Legislative Committee and Professional Standards Committee for CACM and has been a speaker at their annual law seminar and had written and edited the CACM Law Journal.
Admissions:
State Bar of California, 1985
United States District Courts in the State of California
California Supreme Court
9th Circuit Court of Appeals
10th Circuit Court of Appeals
Supreme Court of the United States
Education:
J.D. Western State University College of Law
Professional Associations and Memberships:
California Bar Association
California Association of Community Managers (CACM)
Community Associations Institute (CAI)
Diego Santana, Esq., Senior Attorney
Mr. Santana has been a member of the California Bar since 2000. He is the senior attorney at The Judge Law Firm and has been with the firm since 2010. Mr. Santana practices in areas of community association, municipal, and real estate development law. Mr. Santana received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and his juris doctorate from Southwestern University, School of Law.
Prior to joining The Judge Law Firm, Mr. Santana served as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Palm Springs, Planning Commission Counsel for the City of San Juan Capistrano, and Deputy City Attorney for the Cities of Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, and Coachella. He has also served as in house counsel for K. Hovnanian Homes, a Fortune 500 company, and Pacific Century Homes, the largest builder in the Inland Empire. Additionally, he was an associate with the firm of Guralnick & Gilliland specializing as general counsel for community associations.
Admissions:
State Bar of California, 2000
All Federal District Courts in California
Education:
J.D. Southwestern University, School of Law
B.A. University of California, Los Angeles
Professional Associations and Memberships:
California Bar Association
Orange County Bar Association
Desert Bar Association
American Bar Association
California Association of Community Managers (CACM)
Community Associations Institute (CAI)
Akbar Sharif, Esq., Associate Attorney
Mr. Sharif has been a member of the California Bar since 2008 and is an associate attorney with The Judge Law Firm. Mr. Sharif is the firm’s trial and general counsel lawyer. He specializes in providing legal opinions for homeowner associations on an array of issues ranging from CC&R interpretations, resolving homeowner/association disputes and explaining association rights/obligations. As a trial attorney, Mr. Sharif regularly tries assessment delinquency cases and works directly with Board of Directors and management companies in order to reach favorable verdicts for associations. Mr. Sharif received his bachelor of arts from Denison University, his juris doctorate from New England School of Law, and his Masters in International Relations from Freie Universitat from Berlin, Germany.
Prior to joining The Judge Law Firm, Mr. Sharif was a transactional lawyer in the Boston area representing banks and private investors for several years prior to moving to California. He has also clerked with the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General: Division of Economic Crimes, worked as a Contracts Analyst with The World Bank in Washington, D.C., worked as a Legal Analyst with the German law firm of Orrik, Holters & Elsing in Berlin, Germany, and committed extensive research for the International Human Rights Center at Postdam University in Postdam, Germany.
Admissions:
State Bar of California, 2008
State Bar of Massachusetts
Education:
J.D. New England School of Law
Masters in International Relations, Freie Universitat, Berlin, Germany
B.A. Denison University
Professional Associations and Memberships:
California Bar Association
California Association of Community Managers (CACM)
Community Associations Institute (CAI)