Attorney Information

Printer friendly version

Sheldon S. Baker

Sheldon S. Baker obtained his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and graduated summa cum laude and was selected to Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated from the Stanford University Law School where he served as an editor of the Law Review and graduated Order of Coif. Mr. Baker is a certified specialist in taxation law, is a frequent lecturer on asset preservation and transfers of closely-held businesses, and has authored numerous articles, including co-authoring "Post Mortem Tax Planning" and "California Inheritance Tax Planning."

Mr. Baker specializes in business transactions and estate planning matters. He has extensive experience in mergers and acquisition and sales of businesses; real estate transactions of all nature; estate planning, and asset and business preservation transactions; business tax planning; partnership planning; and taxation and counseling of individuals regarding shareholder and partnership agreements, consulting contracts, employment agreements and executive compensation packages.

Mr. Baker served two terms as an elected member of the Glendale City Council and served as Mayor of Glendale 1996-1997. He is currently serving his second four-year term on City Council and also serves as a member of the Glendale Redevelopment Agency (Chair in 1995-1996) and is a member of the Glendale Housing Authority (Chair for the 1993-1994 fiscal year). Among other matters, he has provided leadership in economic development, home ownership and neighborhood planning, and has been a leader in the arts. Mr. Baker is a member of the League of California Cities, Committee on Housing and Economic Development. He serves on numerous City Council task forces and committees. Mr. Baker was a member of the Glendale Unified School District Board of Education of Glendale, California from 1965 to 1981 and served as its President during 1968-1969; 1972-1973 and 1979-1980. During the same 16 years, Mr. Baker served as a member of the Community College District, Board of Education in Glendale, California and served as that Board's President during 1971-1972; 1975-1976; and 1980-1981. From 1976 to 1978, he served as President of the Los Angeles County School Trustee's Association and in 1980, served as President of the California School Boards Association. Mr. Baker is involved in numerous civic matters and has served as President of the Verdugo Hills Council Boy Scouts, Kiwanis, and alumni organizations and as a member of numerous boards including the Salvation Army, Girl Scouts, and the Glendale College Foundation. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of several for-profit corporations.

Mr. Baker was a senior partner of Halstead, Baker & Olson. He joined the firm in 1961 and became a partner in 1965.

E-Mail: sbaker@boldlaw.com

Eric Olson

Eric Olson is a graduate of Pomona College (BA 1962) and Harvard Law School (JD 1965). His areas of emphasis are in civil business and probate litigation, commercial transactions and complex real estate transactions and leases.
Mr. Olson is active in a variety of local and civic activities, including: Pasadena Rotary, Glendale Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Glendale Business Association, Angeles Crest 100 Mile Run, and formerly Pasadena Development Corporation (founding member and counsel); Los Angeles Master Chorale Association (director); Pomona College Alumni Association (2 terms Alumni Council; Chairman, Clubs Committee; Director, Young Alumni Club; Director, Pasadena Alumni Club; Director and President, Downtown Club; Director, Associates; Director, Torchbearers; Member, Finance Committee); Los Angeles County Bar Association (founding director of Los Angeles County Bar Association Credit Union, now merged into Southland Civic Federal Credit Union); and Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. He was a Teaching Fellow at Stanford Law School 1965-66 and served as Los Angeles County Deputy County Counsel, Schools Division, 1968-69.

Mr. Olson was a senior partner of Halstead, Baker & Olson. He joined the firm in 1969 and became a partner in 1971.

E-Mail: eoesq@boldlaw.com

Charles L. LeCroy, III

Charles L. LeCroy, III completed his undergraduate studies at UCLA and legal studies at the University of California at Davis, where he served on the Law Review. A certified specialist in taxation law since 1987, Mr. LeCroy specializes in estate planning, corporate transactions and tax planning, and real estate transactions and tax planning.
Mr. LeCroy is a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Chamber Ballet.
Mr. LeCroy was a partner of Halstead, Baker & Olson.

E-Mail: tlecroy@boldlaw.com

Arsen Danielian

Arsen Danielian received his LL.B. degree from the National University of Iran, and his M.A. in Political Science and J.D. degrees from the University of La Verne, California. Mr. Danielian's areas of practice include immigration and naturalization, and corporate and business law.

Mr. Danielian is a member of the Central Executive Council of the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia, Antelias, Lebanon. He is also the Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Glendale Symphony Orchestra Association, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Armenian National Committee of America, Western Region, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Glendale Adventist Medical Center Foundation. He has also been Chairman of the Executive Board of the Garikian Scholarship Fund of the Western Prelacy since July, 1981. Mr. Danielian served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Glendale Rotary Club (1996-1997), as Vice-Chairman (1992-1996) and Secretary (1990-1992) of the Executive Council of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, as Secretary of the Board of Directors of the United Armenian Fund (1992-1996), and as Chairman of the Education Council of the Schools of the Western Prelacy (1987-1991). He served as Chairman of the Glendale Schools 2000 Action Planning Team for Developing Pride & Confidence in the Glendale Unified School District (1992-1993), and was a member of the Arroyo-Verdugo Sub-Region Advisory Council, Southern California Association of Governments (1993-1994). Mr. Danielian was a Representative from California at the General Assemblies of the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia held in Aleppo, Syria in 1992, and in Antelias, Lebanon in 1996. He served as Chairman of the 18th National Representative Assembly of the Western Prelacy in 1990, as Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Holy Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church and Ferrahian School of Encino (1982-1983), a member of the Board of Directors of the Armenian Educational Foundation (1992-1996), and a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of the American Armenian International College of the University of La Verne (1990-1991).

Mr. Danielian is fluent in Armenian and Persian languages.

Mr. Danielian was a partner of Halstead, Baker & Olson.

E-Mail: bold@boldlaw.com

Nyree S. Kolanjian

Ms. Kolanjian is an Associate of the firm and specializes in estate planning, tax advice, probate, and business transactions including mergers and acquisitions, sales of businesses, and real estate and corporate transactions.

Ms. Kolanjian graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Minor in Public Policy in 2003. She earned her Juris Doctor degree in 2006 from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where she graduated with honors and was an active member and officer of the Armenian Law Students Association. While at Loyola, Ms. Kolanjian was involved in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Dickran M. Tevrizian, and served as a legal intern at Warner Bros. Records in the Business & Legal Affairs division.

Ms. Kolanjian is fluent in Armenian and has a working knowledge of Spanish. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and the Armenian Bar Association. She is admitted to practice in California.

E-Mail: nkolanjian@boldlaw.com

Anahita Z. Ferasat

Ms. Ferasat is an Associate of the firm and specializes in estate planning, tax advice, and business transactions including mergers and acquisitions, sales of businesses, and real estate dealings.

Ms. Ferasat graduated cum laude from the University of California, San Diego, in 2003 with concurrent Bachelors of Arts degrees in Political Science and French Literature, as well as a minor in Middle Eastern studies. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles in 2006 where she was a member of the Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review and worked as a research assistant to Professor Marcy Strauss in the area of constitutional law. While in law school, Ms. Ferasat also served as an extern at the Los Angeles Immigration Court and at the American Civil Liberties Union.

Ms. Ferasat currently serves as a Director on the national board of the Iranian American Bar Association and is also active with the American Bar Association's Section of International Law, where she serves as vice-chair of the Middle East Committee and is Editor in Chief of the committee¹s annual Year in Review publication. She was co-editor of and contributing author to The Middle East Year in Review: 2006 (Jim Phipps and Anahita Ferasat eds., 2007), at www.abanet.org/dch/committee.cfm?com=IC850000 . Her own publications include The Middle East Year in Review: Iran, 39 Int'l Law. 597, 600 (2005) and 40 Int'l Law. 597, 602 (2006).

Ms. Ferasat is fluent in Farsi and French and has a working knowledge in Italian. She is admitted to practice in California.


E-Mail: bold@boldlaw.com

John J. Jacobson (of Counsel)

John J. Jacobson, of counsel to the firm, is an attorney and certified public accountant. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting from California State University, Northridge, his Master of Business Taxation degree from the University of Southern California and his law degree from the UCLA School of Law. Mr. Jacobson specializes in federal and state taxation, estate planning, probate and trust administration, and corporate and business law. He is a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Association of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants.

Mr. Jacobson is a director of the Los Angeles Chapter of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and a member of the Steering Committee of its Estate Planning Section.  He was a director of the California State University Northridge Alumni Association from 1988-1997.

Mr. Jacobson was a partner of Halstead, Baker & Olson.

E-Mail: jjacob@pacbell.net

John M. Gantus (of Counsel)

John M. Gantus, of counsel to the firm, obtained his undergraduate degree from California State college at Los Angeles.  He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of San Diego.  Mr. Gantus became of counsel to the firm of Baker, Olson, LeCroy & Danielian on June 1, 2000 after having been in private practice, either individually or in partnership for 23 years.

Mr. Gantus specializes in Family Law, Probate Matters, Business Litigation, Condominium Litigation, Construction Litigation, Collection Litigation, Real Estate Litigation and Local Governmental Advocacy.  he is currently a Settlement Officer for the Glendale Superior Court.  He has served as the court's special master on a variety of cases.

Mr.Gantus is a member of the City of Glendale Civil Service Commission; Salvation Army Advisory Board, Glendale Corps; Board of Directors, Glendale foundation for the Retarded.  Mr. Gantus is a former President of the Glendale Kiwanis Club and the City of Glendale Board of Zoning Adjustments, responsible for Variances and Conditional Use Permits in the City of Glendale.  he is currently a Judge pro Tem of the Los Angles Superior Court.

Mr. Gantus is an active member of the American Bar Association; Los Angeles County Bar Association, Family Law Section and Real Property Section, as well as the Glendale Bar Association.

E-Mail:  jgantus@boldlaw.com

Frederick L. Simmons (of Counsel)

Frederick L. Simmons, of counsel to the firm, obtained his undergraduate and law degrees at University of California at Los Angeles.  In law school he was a member of UCLA Law Review (1956-58) and Phi Alpha Delta.  Mr. Simmons became of counsel to the firm of Baker, Olson, LeCroy & Danielian June 1, 2002, having been in private practice since 1958, particularly with the firm of Simmons, Ritchie & Segal.

Mr. Simmons is a Certified Specialist in Taxation Law and Probate, Trusts and Estate Planning, California Board of Legal Specialization.  he practices particularly in the areas of Federal and State Taxation; Estate Planning; Trust; Probate; and Corporate Law.

Mr. Simmons has been a regular lecturer and author of at least 20 published articles on tax and estate planning topics including most recently "Escaping Income and Transfer Taxes; A tax Plan Too Good to be True" TAXES - The Tax Magazine, April 1999 and "A Value Reduction Strategy for Family Owned Real Estate" TAXES - The Tax Magazine, March, 1996.

E-Mail:  simmonsLA2@aol.com