# Wanger Jones Helsley PC > Wanger Jones Helsley PC is a full-service law firm in California's Central Valley, headquartered in Fresno with a second office in downtown Sacramento. Founded in 1995 by retired U.S. District Judge Hon. Oliver W. Wanger, the firm's attorneys represent businesses, individuals, and public institutions across nine practice areas and nine industry groups, and are frequently retained by other attorneys for trial and litigation support. WJH holds Martindale-Hubbell's AV Preeminent rating and has been recognized by Chambers USA, Northern California Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers. Tagline: "Trial-Tested. Business-Driven." The firm serves clients throughout California in state, federal, and appellate courts from two offices. Fresno (headquarters): 265 East River Park Circle, Suite 310, Fresno, CA 93720, phone (559) 233-4800. Sacramento: 400 Capitol Mall, Suite 2550, Sacramento, CA 95814 (inquiries route through the Fresno line). ## About the Firm Wanger Jones Helsley PC is a full-service law firm serving national, regional, and local clients from offices in Fresno and Sacramento, California. The firm was founded in 1995 by the Honorable Oliver W. Wanger, who served as a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of California before returning to private practice. WJH is known for trial-tested advocacy combined with practical, business-minded counsel, and is frequently retained by other law firms for litigation and trial assistance. Differentiators: bench-level litigation perspective from a founder who spent two decades on the federal bench; a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating (5.0 out of 5.0) with repeat recognition in Super Lawyers, Chambers USA, and Best Lawyers, which is rare among Central Valley firms; and full-service breadth that extends beyond litigation into corporate governance, estate and succession planning, insolvency and bankruptcy, water and land transactions, and complex financial matters. Recognition includes Chambers USA California Spotlight 2026 (Environment), The Best Law Firm in America (2023, National Institute of Trial Lawyers), Bee's Best of Central California Gold for Employment and Labor Law, and Northern California Super Lawyers firm recognition each year from 2018 through 2026. Offices: - Fresno (headquarters): 265 East River Park Circle, Suite 310, Fresno, CA 93720. Phone (559) 233-4800. Hours Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Service in English and Spanish. - Sacramento: 400 Capitol Mall, Suite 2550, Sacramento, CA 95814. Opened 2025, with a focus on water law and state regulatory matters. Inquiries route through the Fresno line at (559) 233-4800. ## Practice Areas ### [Practice Areas Overview](https://wjhattorneys.com/services) Explore the practice areas of Wanger Jones Helsley, from corporate and real estate to litigation, employment, and estate planning, across Fresno and Sacramento. ### [Corporate & Business](https://wjhattorneys.com/services/corporate-and-business) Wanger Jones Helsley advises California businesses on formation, transactions, contracts, and governance from its Fresno and Sacramento offices. ### [Real Estate](https://wjhattorneys.com/services/real-estate) Wanger Jones Helsley handles California real estate matters including acquisitions, leasing, development, financing, and property disputes. ### [Environmental, Water & Land Use](https://wjhattorneys.com/services/environmental-water-and-land) Wanger Jones Helsley counsels clients on California water rights, CEQA, land use, and environmental regulation across the Central Valley and Sacramento. ### [Litigation & Dispute Resolution](https://wjhattorneys.com/services/litigation-and-dispute-resolution) Wanger Jones Helsley litigates complex business, real estate, and commercial disputes in California state and federal courts from Fresno and Sacramento. ### [Labor & Employment](https://wjhattorneys.com/services/labor-and-employment) Wanger Jones Helsley advises California employers on wage and hour, discrimination, wrongful termination, and workplace compliance across the Central Valley. ### [White Collar & Criminal Defense](https://wjhattorneys.com/services/white-collar-and-criminal-defense) Wanger Jones Helsley defends individuals and businesses in California white collar, fraud, and criminal matters in state and federal court. ### [Family Law](https://wjhattorneys.com/services/family-law) Wanger Jones Helsley handles California family law matters including divorce, custody, support, and property division for Central Valley families. ### [Estate Planning & Probate](https://wjhattorneys.com/services/estate-planning-and-probate) Wanger Jones Helsley helps California clients with wills, trusts, probate, and estate administration, plus probate litigation across the Central Valley. ### [Insurance Defense](https://wjhattorneys.com/services/insurance-defense) Wanger Jones Helsley defends insurers and policyholders in California coverage disputes, liability claims, and bad faith litigation from Fresno and Sacramento. ## Industries ### [Industries We Serve (Overview)](https://wjhattorneys.com/industries) Wanger Jones Helsley serves California's agriculture, water, real estate, healthcare, public agency, and financial sectors with industry-focused legal counsel. ### [Agriculture & Food Production](https://wjhattorneys.com/industries/agriculture-and-food-production) Wanger Jones Helsley counsels California's food production chain, from farms and orchards to packing, cold storage, and distribution. ### [Water, Energy & Natural Resources](https://wjhattorneys.com/industries/water-energy-natural-resources) Wanger Jones Helsley advises on California water rights, energy development, and natural resource matters in a complex regulatory landscape. ### [Real Estate Development & Construction](https://wjhattorneys.com/industries/real-estate-development-and-construction) Wanger Jones Helsley represents developers, owners, and contractors from entitlement through closeout in California real estate and construction. ### [Public Agencies & Special Districts](https://wjhattorneys.com/industries/public-agencies-and-special-districts) Wanger Jones Helsley provides specialized counsel to California public agencies and special districts on governance, procurement, and regulatory compliance. ### [Financial Institutions & Capital Providers](https://wjhattorneys.com/industries/financial-institutions-and-capital-providers) Wanger Jones Helsley counsels banks, lenders, and capital providers on California lending transactions, regulatory compliance, and financial technology matters. ### [Healthcare Providers](https://wjhattorneys.com/industries/healthcare-providers) Wanger Jones Helsley advises California healthcare providers on practice formation, transactions, regulatory compliance, and litigation across the industry. ### [Transportation, Logistics & Distribution](https://wjhattorneys.com/industries/transportation-logistics-and-distribution) Wanger Jones Helsley represents California transportation and logistics businesses in employment, regulatory, contract, and commercial litigation matters. ### [Commercial, Manufacturing & Industrial](https://wjhattorneys.com/industries/commercial-manufacturing-industrial) Wanger Jones Helsley counsels California's industrial sector on employment, environmental, commercial contract, and litigation matters affecting operations. ### [Nonprofits & Faith-Based Organizations](https://wjhattorneys.com/industries/nonprofits-and-faith-based-organizations) Wanger Jones Helsley provides mission-sensitive counsel to California nonprofits and faith-based organizations on tax-exempt status, governance, and employment. ## Attorneys The firm's attorney profiles are listed below. Directory: https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys ### [Patrick D. Toole](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/patrick-toole) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Corporate & Business; Litigation & Dispute Resolution; Insurance Defense. Mr. Toole joined WJH as a lateral attorney in 2001, and was elevated to a shareholder in 2005. ### [Amanda G. Hebesha](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/amanda-hebesha) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Corporate & Business; Litigation & Dispute Resolution; Labor & Employment; Family Law. Ms. Hebesha joined Wanger Jones Helsley PC in April 2018 as Of Counsel. ### [Benjamin C. West](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/benjamin-west) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Corporate & Business; Real Estate; Litigation & Dispute Resolution; Labor & Employment. Benjamin C. West joined Wanger Jones Helsley as an associate in 2018. ### [Deborah K. Boyett](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/deborah-boyett) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Corporate & Business; Estate Planning & Probate. Ms. Boyett's practice focuses on Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts, Probate and Conservatorships, and Business and Real Estate transactions. ### [Giulio A. Sanchez](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/giulio-sanchez) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Labor & Employment. Mr. Sanchez is a shareholder at Wanger Jones Helsley PC. ### [Hunter C. Castro](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/hunter-castro) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Real Estate; Environmental, Water & Land Use; Litigation & Dispute Resolution. Hunter C. Castro joined Wanger Jones Helsley as an associate in 2018. ### [Jay A. Christofferson](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/jay-christofferson) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Corporate & Business; Real Estate; Litigation & Dispute Resolution; Family Law; Estate Planning & Probate; Insurance Defense. Mr. Christofferson is a shareholder of WJH. ### [John P. Kinsey](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/john-kinsey) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Real Estate; Environmental, Water & Land Use; Litigation & Dispute Resolution. Mr. Kinsey is a Shareholder of the law firm of Wanger Jones Helsley PC. ### [Kurt F. Vote](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/kurt-vote) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Corporate & Business; Real Estate; Environmental, Water & Land Use; Litigation & Dispute Resolution. Mr. Vote practices both commercial litigation and real estate transactions, which allows him to offer his clients a unique blend of deal-making and dispute resolution. ### [Michael S. Helsley](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/michael-helsley) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Labor & Employment. Mr. Helsley is a shareholder at Wanger Jones Helsley PC, and is head of its Employment Litigation practice. ### [Nicolas R. Cardella](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/nicolas-cardella) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Environmental, Water & Land Use; Litigation & Dispute Resolution. Mr. Cardella's practice focuses on environmental law, land use law, water law, and public agency law. ### [Riley C. Walter](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/riley-walter) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Corporate & Business; Bankruptcy & Insolvency. Riley Walter has focused on restructuring, insolvency and reorganization matters since 1980. ### [Robert E. Donlan](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/robert-donlan) Shareholder, Sacramento office. Practice areas: Environmental, Water & Land Use. Mr. Donlan specializes in water and natural resources law, including all aspects of surface water and groundwater rights and management; state and federal Endangered Species Acts and fisheries laws; the California Environmental Quality Act; water quality and wetlands regulation; and other areas of state and federal regulation involving use and management of water resources. ### [Scott D. Laird](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/scott-laird) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Corporate & Business; Real Estate; Litigation & Dispute Resolution; Insurance Defense. Mr. Laird focuses his practice on representing businesses and individuals in commercial, real property, insurance, agriculture, partnership/shareholder and litigated probate disputes in trials, arbitration and litigation. ### [Steven K. Vote](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/steven-vote) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Corporate & Business; Real Estate; Litigation & Dispute Resolution. Mr. Vote joined Wanger Jones Helsley PC in September 2015. ### [Timothy Jones](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/timothy-jones) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Real Estate; Environmental, Water & Land Use; Litigation & Dispute Resolution. Mr. Jones focuses his law practice on civil litigation with a strong emphasis on real estate litigation, construction litigation, environmental litigation, and land use. ### [Troy T. Ewell](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/troy-ewell) Shareholder, Fresno office. Practice areas: Corporate & Business; Real Estate. Mr. Ewell joined Wanger Jones Helsley in October 2011 as an associate attorney. ### [Craig A. Carnes](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/craig-carnes) Of Counsel, Sacramento office. Practice areas: Environmental, Water & Land Use. Mr. Carnes joined Wanger Jones Helsley PC as Of Counsel in 2025, after over a decade working for the well-known water law firm of Ellison, Schneider, Harris & Donlan LLP. ### [Ethan Mora](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/ethan-mora) Of Counsel, Fresno office. Practice areas: Environmental, Water & Land Use; Litigation & Dispute Resolution. Ethan Mora joined Wanger Jones Helsley as Of Counsel in 2024. ### [Jeffrey B. Pape](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/jeffrey-pape) Of Counsel, Fresno office. Practice areas: Corporate & Business; Real Estate; Estate Planning & Probate. Mr. Pape is an Of Counsel at the Firm. ### [Kathleen DeVaney](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/kathleen-devaney) Of Counsel, Fresno office. Practice areas: Corporate & Business; Real Estate; Litigation & Dispute Resolution; Bankruptcy & Creditors' Rights. Ms. DeVaney brings a wealth of experience in advising and representing clients across various industries, including agriculture, real estate, financial services, health care, manufacturing, and entertainment. ### [Marisa L. Balch](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/marisa-balch) Of Counsel, Fresno office. Practice areas: Corporate & Business; Real Estate; Environmental, Water & Land Use; Litigation & Dispute Resolution. Ms. Balch joined Wanger Jones Helsley in July 2011, and has experience representing clients in a wide range of commercial and business litigation, including but not limited to, contract and lease disputes, real estate litigation and residential construction defect concerns. ### [Peter M. Jones](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/peter-jones) Of Counsel, Fresno office. Practice areas: Litigation & Dispute Resolution; White Collar & Criminal Defense. Mr. Jones was admitted to the practice of law in the state of California in 1982. ### [Shawnda M. Grady](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/shawnda-grady) Of Counsel, Sacramento office. Practice areas: Litigation & Dispute Resolution; Environmental, Water & Land Use. Ms. Grady concentrates her practice on water rights and related areas of natural resources law. ### [Nina M. Alvarado](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/nina-alvarado) Associate, Fresno office. Nina M. Alvarado is an associate at Wanger Jones Helsley whose practice focuses on civil litigation, real estate, and business matters. ### [Kevin W. Bursey](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/kevin-bursey) Associate, Fresno and Sacramento office. Kevin W. Bursey joined Wanger Jones Helsley PC as an associate in 2025 after several years of specialized water law practice with Ellison Schneider Harris & Donlan LLP, where he assisted in representing a broad range of public and private water users. ### [Payton D. Dolenar](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/payton-dolenar) Associate, Fresno office. Payton D. Dolenar is an associate at Wanger Jones Helsley whose practice focuses on general civil litigation, commercial disputes, and public agency law. ### [Daniel J. Frea](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/daniel-frea) Associate, Fresno office. Daniel J. Frea joined Wanger Jones Helsley PC as an associate in 2024. ### [Stephanie M. Hosman](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/stephanie-hosman) Associate, Fresno office. Stephanie Hosman joined Wanger Jones Helsley as an associate in 2019. ### [Danika E. Jones](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/danika-jones) Associate, Fresno office. Danika E. Jones joined Wanger Jones Helsley PC as an associate in 2023. ### [Colleen E. Little](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/colleen-little) Associate, Sacramento office. Colleen E. Little joined Wanger Jones Helsley as an associate in 2023. ### [Rachel L. Pombo](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/rachel-pombo) Associate, Fresno office. Rachel L. Pombo joined Wanger Jones Helsley as an associate in 2021. ### [Ian J. Quinn](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/ian-quinn) Associate, Fresno office. Ian J. Quinn joined Wanger Jones Helsley as an associate in 2023. ### [Hannah L. Ravizza](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/hannah-ravizza) Associate, Fresno office. Hannah L. Ravizza joined Wanger Jones Helsley PC as an associate in 2024. ### [Jessica L. Vived](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/jessica-vived) Associate, Fresno office. Jessica L. Vived joined Wanger Jones Helsley as an associate in 2022. ### [Michelle Rocha Frea](https://wjhattorneys.com/attorneys/michelle-frea) Associate, Fresno office. Michelle Rocha Frea joined Wanger Jones Helsley PC in 2026. ## About & Firm Pages - [About the Firm](https://wjhattorneys.com/about): Firm overview, positioning, awards, and recognition. - [Our Story](https://wjhattorneys.com/about/our-story): The firm's history and its founding by retired U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger. - [Fresno Office](https://wjhattorneys.com/about/fresno): Headquarters in the River Park area of Northwest Fresno. - [Sacramento Office](https://wjhattorneys.com/about/sacramento): Downtown Sacramento office on Capitol Mall, opened 2025. - [Community Involvement](https://wjhattorneys.com/about/community): Central Valley civic engagement, sponsorships, and pro bono work. - [Select Cases & Results](https://wjhattorneys.com/about/select-cases): Representative matters across litigation, real estate, and business disputes. - [Careers](https://wjhattorneys.com/careers): Attorney and staff opportunities across the Fresno and Sacramento offices. ## Insights - [News & Insights](https://wjhattorneys.com/news): The firm's articles and legal commentary. - [Fabricated Legal Citations: What Happens When a Court Relies on a Fake Case](https://wjhattorneys.com/news/ai-fabricated-legal-citations-california) - [Environmental, Water, and Land Use Law in California's Central Valley](https://wjhattorneys.com/news/environmental-water-law-central-valley) - [Legal Issues Facing California Nonprofits and Community Action Agencies](https://wjhattorneys.com/news/nonprofit-legal-issues-fresno-california) - [Community Involvement at Wanger Jones Helsley in the Central Valley](https://wjhattorneys.com/news/community-involvement-fresno-central-valley) ## Contact - [Contact the Firm](https://wjhattorneys.com/contact) - Fresno (headquarters): 265 East River Park Circle, Suite 310, Fresno, CA 93720. Phone (559) 233-4800. - Sacramento: 400 Capitol Mall, Suite 2550, Sacramento, CA 95814. Inquiries route through the Fresno line.