JULIA L. BIRKEL brings over 25 years of civil litigation experience to her practice as a partner of Hill, Farrer & Burrill.  During the past decade, she has focused her practice primarily in the areas of trust and probate litigation (with emphasis on elder financial abuse and undue influence), real estate litigation, general business litigation (such as partnership and contract disputes), and attorney legal malpractice defense.   She has successfully represented Conservators, Trustees, Executors and individuals in trust and probate disputes, including will contests, capacity issues, undue influence claims, and financial elder abuse litigation.  She authored an article captioned “Litigating Elder Financial Abuse Claims” which was published in the Los Angeles Lawyer magazine.  Her real estate practice has involved successful representations of brokers, lenders, private parties and others in real estate litigation, such as boundary disputes, specific performance, debt collection and enforcement of liens, equitable subrogation claims, and real estate fraud lawsuits.  Her legal malpractice defense practice has spanned two decades, and has involved successful representation on claims in the multi-million dollar range.

Ms. Birkel received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University in 1979.  She entered UCLA School of Law in 1981, receiving her J.D. degree in 1984.  She attended the Mass Media Institute, Broadcast News, at Stanford University in 1990, and went from there to a brief stint as a news reporter.  She returned refreshed to the practice of law, and brought her interviewing and reporting skills to bear in enhancing her deposition and courtroom skills.