ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. A 1989 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Francine Ward is an intellectual property law and estate planning attorney. She is admitted to practice in California, New York, and the District of Columbia. Francine helps clients develop and protect their valuable creative content through copyright protection; protect their distinctive brand, including logos, slogans, designs, sounds, and colors through trademark protection; protect their books through carefully negotiated publishing agreements, and protect their purses by sensibly navigating social media legal issues—Knowing the Law. As an estate planning attorney, in addition to preparing proper estate documents based on the changing nature of the law, Francine counsels clients on the best estate plan for their needs. Such documents include trusts, wills, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, assignments of assets, certificates of trust, and trust deed recording documents. Not everyone needs a trust-based estate plan. For some people, a will-based plan is sufficient. And for others, an irrevocable trust might be more appropriate than a revocable trust. Understanding the clear distinction between these two plans is not just about spitting out documents at a trust-mill or document factory, it’s about knowing the nuances of each, and being able to competently explain the differences—Knowing the Law. Francine is an active participant in her church community, her support community, and her legal community. She is a leader in the American Bar Association’s 19,000+ Intellectual Property Law Section (IPL), where she is a member of the Council, the section’s governing body. In addition, Ward chairs the IPL Section’s Attorney Wellness Committee. Finally, she teaches intellectual property and contract drafting at the California Desert Trial Academy of Law in Indio, California. Author of two traditionally published self help books, she is nationally known gifted and inspiring speaker
