Practice Expertise
Areas of Practice
- Family Law
Profile
Monica Mazzei is a Shareholder in Buchalter's San Francisco office and the chair of the Firm's Family Law group. Monica is a Certified Family Law Specialist representing high net worth clients. She represents clients throughout California, with a concentration in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, as well as Los Angeles.
For over two decades, Monica has specialized in dissolution actions involving complicated valuation and financial matters, complex community property, support issues and international issues, and dissolutions of marriage matters involving hedge funds, private equity, venture capital and privately held businesses. She also drafts and negotiates cohabitation agreements, pre-marital and post-marital agreements.
Monica takes a modern approach to the practice of family law - addressing various needs for her clients related and unrelated to their family law case. Monica has relationships with top professionals such as forensic accountants, mental health professionals, real estate agents, financial advisors and business valuation experts. She also works closely with estate planning attorneys to offer creative solutions for her clients and ensure their agreements reflect their current objectives.
Monica is a frequent lecturer and speaker on family law matters. She is a staunch advocate against domestic abuse in her pro bono work.
Bar Admissions
- California
Education
- Southwestern Law School, J.D.
- Pepperdine University School of Law, LL.M., Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Holy Names University, B.A., magna cum laude
- Harvard University, Advanced Negotiation Workshop, 2013
Areas of Practice
- Family Law
Professional Career
Professional Activities and Experience
- Named Top 10 Best Family Lawyers by the National Academy of Family Lawyers, 2024
- Included in Marquis Who's Who of Family Law, 2024
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Family Lawyers, 2025
- Best Lawyers in America, Family Law, 2024 & 2025
- Vogue Magazine's Influential Women of San Francisco, Winter 2024
- Top Women Attorneys in Northern California, The American Registry, 2024
- California Super Lawyer, 2015-2025
- International Chambers High Net Worth, Family/Matrimonial Law, 2017-2020
- 10 Best Attorneys in California, American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, 2016 and 2017
- Top 40 Family Lawyers Under 40 in California, The American Society of Legal Advocates, 2013-2017
- Outstanding Volunteer Award for Public Service, the Justice and Diversity Center of the San Francisco Bar Association, 2008, 2011, and 2015
- Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2011-2014
- Top 40 National Trial Lawyers Under 40, The National Trial Lawyers, 2014
Articles
- Commentary: A Prenup Is the Latest Must-Have for Tech Startup Founders in Love
- Commentary: Trump’s Tax Law Pushing People To Divorce Faster To Save Money
- Commentary: Millennial Millionaires and Their Prenups — What They Need to Be Thinking About
- Commentary: A Prenup Primer: What Silicon Valley Couples Should Consider
- Commentary: Secrets of the Divorce Lawyers
- Contributing Author: Inside the Minds: Strategies for Family Law in California, 14th ed
- Commentary: Tax Planning for the Divorcing and Newly Divorced
- Commentary: 3 Essential Money Conversations You Should Have Before Getting Married
- Shareholder Monica Mazzei Interviewed in Authority Magazine
- Commentary: Here's How to Start That Prenup Conversation
- Love & Money: What You Need To Know To Protect Your Wealth Before, During and After Marriage
- Cohabitation Agreements - "Prenups" for the Non-Married
- Monica Mazzei, Host at Sideman & Bancroft
- Monica Mazzei, Speaker at the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists' Meeting
- Monica Mazzei, Speaker at the Financial Planning Association of San Francisco
- Monica Mazzei, Speaking at the Breakfast Briefing Series
- Monica Potter, Speaker at the San Francisco International Tax Committee Presentation
- Monica Mazzei, Speaker at Women In Tech
- Monica Mazzei, Speaker at Morgan Stanley's Women in the Know Series
- Monica Mazzei, Speaker at the San Francisco Estate Planning Council
- Monica Mazzei, Speaker at CalCPA Conference
- Monica Mazzei, Speaker at the Academy of Professional Mediators Conference
- Monica Mazzei, Speaker at the Association of Family and Conciliation Court Annual Conference
- Monica Mazzei, Panelist at the California Certified Public Accountant Conference
- Monica Mazzei, Speaker at the Thomson Reuters West LegalEdcenter
- Monica Mazzei, Speaker at the Bar Association of San Francisco
- Monica Mazzei, Presenter at the ABA Ethics and Best Practices for Family Law Webinar
- Monica Mazzei, Speaker at the Beverly Hills Bar Association's Entertainment Law Section, "Will Taylor Swift Need a Prenup?"
- Monica Mazzei, Guest on the Divorce Survival Guide Podcast
- Monica Mazzei, Featured on Bloomberg Law podcast
- Monica Mazzei, Featured on the Divorce and Your Money Podcast
- Monica Mazzei, Featured on Latte With a Lawyer Podcast
- Monica Mazzei, Guest on Money Tales Podcast
- Monica Mazzei, Featured on the Esquire Elite Podcast
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