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Attorney Kimberly D. Neilson

Kimberly D. Neilson

Rated By Super Lawyers | Kimberly D. Neilson

Biography

KIMBERLY D. NEILSON, is a 2001 graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law. She graduated with honors and received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Tulsa in 1998. She is a member of the State Bar of California, admitted in 2001 and has been admitted to practice before all District Courts in the state of California as well as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Super Lawyers named Ms. Neilson a 2015 San Diego Rising Star, and a San Diego Super Lawyer 2022-2024.

Ms. Neilson has successfully litigated matters throughout the state, including financial elder abuse, contested conservatorships and guardianships, heirship determinations, breach of fiduciary duty, actions to remove trustees, power of attorney violations, accounting actions, denied creditors' claim civil actions, and numerous other trust and estate related matters. Recently Ms. Neilson successfully tried an elder financial abuse and breach of fiduciary duties of an agent under a power of attorney matter in front of a jury. As part of the litigation, Ms. Neilson was able to recover real property and cash on behalf of the estate. The jury returned a unanimous decision on liability and punitive damages. Ms. Neilson also assists clients with beneficiary representation and trust administration matters.

Since early 2020, Ms. Neilson has met the qualifications for and has been serving on the Probate Court panel for the San Diego County Superior Court, representing wards, proposed wards, conservatees and proposed conservatees in Probate Court proceedings when it has been determined the person is not represented by legal counsel and that the appointment would be helpful to the resolution of the matter or is necessary to protect the person's interests.

Ms. Neilson practices throughout the state of California litigating matters in various counties, including but not limited to San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Mateo, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Alameda, Orange, Imperial, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Butte, Contra Costa, and Sacramento.

Throughout her legal career, Ms. Neilson has litigated numerous matters in civil court. She has handled complex civil litigation cases involving consumer law, employment law, and wage and hour disputes. She also has extensive experience handling consumer class actions and collective actions. A fierce advocate for those less fortunate, she was instrumental in helping to obtain a positive verdict on behalf of low-income residents dealing with a local rent control ordinance violation, and she successfully represented San Diego's homeless population in a lawsuit involving illegal lodging tickets.

Active in her legal community, Ms. Neilson is a member of the State Bar of California, San Diego County Bar Association, and Probate Attorneys of San Diego. She has served as a committee member of the San Diego County Bar Association and a contributing author to the PASD Probate Handbook. In addition to her legal practice, she also gives back to the community in which she lives and volunteers her time and services with Voices of Children, a nonprofit devoted to advocating for the rights and best interests of foster children in the dependency courts. In addition to advocating on behalf of foster youth and serving as a consistent person in the child's life, she is an active member of the VFC Community Outreach Committee. In that role, she has given presentations regarding the positive impact of a CASA at a number of community events and meetings and has been a frequent speaker at Voices for Children's new volunteer trainings and prospective volunteer events.

Education

  • University of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, California
    • J.D. - 2001
  • University of Tulsa
    • B.A. - 1998
    • Honors: Graduated With Honors
    • Major: Psychology

Professional Associations

  • California State Bar
  • San Diego County Bar Association
  • Probate Attorneys of San Diego

Practice Areas

  • Estate Planning
  • Trust Administration
  • Probate
  • Trust & Elder Abuse Litigation
  • Beneficiary Representation
  • Conservatorships & Guardianships
  • Power of Attorney Litigation

Bar Admissions

  • California, 2001
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of California
  • U.S. District Court Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court Western District of California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit

Honors

  • San Diego Rising Star - 2015
  • Super Lawyers - 2022-2025