Napa, Calif.—Gaw Van Male, Napa’s premiere estate planning, wine and business law firm, has hired three new attorneys to strengthen their growing estate planning, wine business and real estate groups.
Caitlin Connell joins Gaw Van Male as an associate attorney in the wine law, business and real estate group. A Napa native, Connell earned her undergraduate degree from UCLA and returned to the Bay Area to earn her law degree from University of California Hastings School of Law. As a law student, she interned at the Napa County Superior Court for the honorable Judge Raymond Guadagni (retired).
Connell worked at a prominent Pleasanton firm as a litigator before joining Gaw Van Male, specializing in all aspects of commercial and residential real estate transactions. She also assisted clients in disability discrimination claims and employment contract disputes. Connell served on the executive committee of the Trial Practice Section of the Alameda County Bar Association, contributing to the Section’s quarterly newsletter and continuing legal education events. She participates in the Women’s Section and Barristers Section of the Napa County Bar Association and the Contra Costa County Bar Association.
Doug Mitchell, a native of Northern California, joined Gaw Van Male as an associate attorney in the wine law, business and real estate group. Mitchell earned his undergraduate degree from California State University at Sonoma and earned his law degree from the University of California Davis School of Law. After law school, Mitchell joined a firm in Monterey focused on real estate and business litigation. At Gaw Van Male, Mitchell will focus on all manner of business and real estate transactions, particularly in the wine industry.
Karen Blank returns to Gaw Van Male as an associate attorney, having worked at the firm more than ten years ago as an associate under Dave Gaw. She joins the estate planning group to support probates, court proceedings and conservatorships, trust administration and more. Most recently, Blank served as general counsel for the Virginia Tech Foundation managing mature bequests and donor gifts through estates and trusts. Blank also worked for the Los Angeles Superior Court for six years as a probate attorney, as staff attorney for the Yolo County Superior Court and in private practice in Yolo County.
Blank received the Ralph M. Kleps award from the California Supreme Court and Distinguished Service Award from Yolo County Superior Courts, recognizing her outstanding service to the state. She is a member of the Trust and Estates Section of the California State Bar
Gaw Van Male is located at 1000 Main Street in Napa, 707.252.9000, and at 1300 Oliver Road, Suite 107 in Fairfield 707.419.7281.
About Gaw Van Male
Attorneys Dave Gaw and Nicholas Van Male founded Gaw Van Male in 1972. Over more than 40 years, the firm has grown to become one of Napa Valley’s premier law firms. Founder Dave Gaw developed the Gaw System™ of wealth preservation. Gaw Van Male has become one of California’s leading estate planning and wine law firms. Gaw Van Male proudly lists some of California’s leading vintners, vineyard owners, farmers and ranchers as clients, serving them in estate planning, wine, business and real estate law, succession planning and more with offices in Napa and Solano counties.
