Our Team
Stephen B. Ruben | Deneen Consagra | Rob Ginda | Latrice Harry
Evelisse Escalante
Stephen B. Ruben
(415)399-6830
sruben@rubenlawfirm.com
Profile
Stephen B. Ruben has been practicing law for over thirty years, with extensive experience in a wide variety of family law cases. Steve has also been certified by the California Board of Legal Specialization as a Specialist in Family Law. Certified Family Law Specialists have recognized experience in the areas of California Family Law including divorce, child custody and visitation, property division, domestic partnership agreements, domestic partnership dissolution, child and spousal support, tax consequences, settlement negotiations and trial litigation. Certified Specialists have also passed a rigorous written examination, demonstrated a high level of experience in family law, fulfilled ongoing education requirements and have been favorably evaluated by peers and judges who are familiar with their work.
Steve has a wealth of legal experience, a deep-rooted commitment to the betterment of the community, and is active in the betterment of the legal profession through membership and leadership roles in several bar associations. He has a reputation as a creative attorney who is sensitive enough to care yet tough enough to be an exceptionally able advocate.
Education
Steve earned a B.A. with honors in history and political science from Bethany College in 1970 and earned his law degree from Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago - Kent College of Law in 1973.
Experience
After being admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1973, he spent three years prosecuting civil and criminal cases for the city of Chicago, Cook County Illinois. After leaving the city attorney's office, Steve joined the prestigious law firm of Jann and Carroll, Ltd. By 1977 he opened his own law practice, handling a wide variety of real estate, family law, probate litigation, business, and intellectual property cases.
While engaged in private practice in Illinois, Attorney General Neil vHartigan appointed Steve as a Special Assistant Attorney General. For eight years Steve handled a variety of complex and challenging civil litigation matters on behalf of the state of Illinois in both state court and state agencies. Steve also served as the Special Administrator to the Presiding Judge of the Probate Division of Cook County Courts, conducting investigations of wrongdoing by personnel representatives and attorneys in the administration of decedent and guardianship estates.
In 1992, after relocating to California and passing the California Bar, Steve opened his own law practice. Drawing upon his extensive experience in Illinois, Steve has specialized in family law matters while also capably handling matters in the areas of corporate and intellectual property law. He has been certified as a mediator by the Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine University School of Law and serves as an arbitrator for the Bar Association of San Francisco resolving attorney client fee disputes for family law matters. Steve has been appointed and serves as Judge Pro-Tem and Settlement Judge in the Family Law Division of the San Francisco Superior Court.
Practice Areas
Family Law, Premarital and Postnuptial Agreements, Family Business Law, Marital Property Settlement, Domestic Violence, Spousal Support, Child Support, Child Custody Disputes, Mediation, Estate Administration, Cohabitation Agreements, Estate Planning, Wills, Living Trusts, Business Law, Business Litigation, Business Formation, Partnership Law, Closely Held Businesses Law, Mergers and Acquisitions and, Intellectual Property.
Articles
Steve has authored several articles in the family law field. These include "I Now Pronounce You Separated!" appearing in the State Bar of California, Family Law Journal in 1994 and in 1998 in "The Bankruptcy Aspects of Dissolution under California Law," published by The National Legal Institute. His article, "Collaborative Divorce: A New Paradigm," published in the winter of 2002 in the California State Bar Litigation Journal. Additionally, Steve has also published several documents in the California State Bar's Business Litigation Magazine, Family Law News publication, and in The National Business Institute.
Steve has also been a part of several lectures that deal with issues specific to Family Law. Most recently, he served as a panelist at a Family Law forum on October 29, 2006 entitled "Handling Move-Away Cases, Recent Developments and Legal Strategies - Pre and Post Dissolution." In 2004 he was a speaker on "Collaborative Family Law Process" in Louisiana in front of the Louisiana Clerks and Judicial Officers. He has also published several documents in the California State Bar's Business Litigation Magazine, Family Law News publication, and in The National Business Institute.
Bar Admissions
Steve is admitted to practice in all the Bars in the State of California and Illinois, the U.S. District Court, the Northern District of Illinois, including the Trial Bar, and the U.S. District Court, the Northern and Central Districts of California, and the United States Supreme Court.
Community Service
Steve has dedicated time to a wide range of community efforts, both in Illinois and California. His activities have included:
- Past President and Board Member, Lawyer's Club of San Francisco 1992 to present
- Executive Committee, Conference of Delegates, State Bar of California, State Bar legislative initiatives for family law and civil litigation matters
- Judge Pro-Tem, Unified Family Court of San Francisco, Law and Motion, Domestic Violence and the Settlement Calendar
- San Francisco Community Board - Special Mediator for neighborhood disputes
- Arbitrator and Mediator; Bar Association of San Francisco and San Francisco Superior Court, Family Law Dispute Resolutions, and Attorney/Client Fee Disputes
- Aid Foundation
- Board Member, Boy's and Girl's Club of San Francisco
- Music In Schools Today, past Board Member
- Current KQED Signal Society Board Member
Interests
Steve an accomplished pianist and singer. Steve enjoys music, performing, golfing, racquetball and hiking.
Memberships
- State Bar of California
- State Bar of Illinois
- U.S. Supreme Court
- American Bar Association: Family Law Section
- Association of California Certified Family Law Specialists
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
- Lawyer's Club of San Francisco: Former Board of Directors and State Bar Delegate Chair
- Bar Association of San Francisco
- Family Law Section, State Bar of California
- DuPage County (Illinois) Bar Association
- San Francisco Collaborative Family Law Group
Deneen Consagra
Senior Paralegal and Office Manager
(415)399-6830
dconsagra@rubenlawfirm.com
Profile
Deneen Consagra has 25 years experience working in the legal environment supporting attorneys as a paralegal and office manager. Deneen has worked in the areas of civil litigation, family law, estate planning, probate, asbestos and insurance defense. She earned her American Bar Association Paralegal Certificate from California State University, Hayward in 1994.