No. 01 — IN RE MERIDIAN HOLDINGS / ALTAN GRP. ACQUISITION
Two jurisdictions, one closing window.
Meridian Holdings
- Corporate
- M&A
- Diligence
Cleared in 90 days
BOUTIQUE LITIGATION & COUNSEL — SAN FRANCISCO — EST. 1992
ConsideredCounselforhighstakes
We take the disputes that keep founders, families, and institutions awake — and we out-prepare them.
Independent since 1992
We win by out-preparing the room, not out-shouting it.
Eleanor R. Halbrook
Founding Partner
Our Standard
Every matter is staffed by a partner who answers your calls — not handed down a chain of associates you never meet.
Our Mission
Protect what you have built. We measure success by the problems that never reach a courtroom, not just the ones we win in it.
Our Approach
Plain language, candid odds, and a plan you can actually follow. No theatrics, no surprises on the invoice.
Our Expertise
Three decades across corporate, litigation, and family matters — depth that lets us see the move three steps ahead.
What we handle
Practice areas
Formation, financing, contracts, and the disputes that come with growth. We keep the deal moving and the risk visible.
When a matter has to be fought, we are built to fight it — disciplined discovery, sharp motions, and a courtroom presence that lands.
Coverage fights, bad-faith claims, and the long collections that others give up on. We read the policy you forgot you signed.
Trusts, succession, and the difficult conversations around them — handled with discretion and a plan everyone can live with.
Representative matters
In their words
They found the one argument that mattered — and held it until the other side blinked.
By the numbers
THE RECORD PREPARATION BUILDS
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Matters resolved
Across corporate, litigation, and family practice since the firm opened its doors in 1992.
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Settled before trial
Most disputes are won in preparation. We resolve the large majority of matters without a courtroom.
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A partner on every matter
Every file is owned by a partner from the first call to the last signature — never handed down a chain.
Preparation is the whole trick. By the time a matter reaches a courtroom, the work that decides it is already done.
Founding Partner
Our people
Meet the partners
Founding Partner
Eleanor R. Halbrook
Managing Partner
Marcus T. Vance
Litigation
Isadora F. Quinn
Corporate
Soren J. Castellan
Estate & Trusts
Naomi L. Adair
Questions, answered
Straight answers, every side of it
A partner reviews your situation, gives you a candid read on the odds and the likely cost, and tells you whether you even need a lawyer. No pressure, no obligation — sometimes the best advice is that you can handle it yourself.
Time-sensitive matter? Reach us directly
No-cost first step
Spent enough nights worrying? Let us read it.
Bring us the matter that is keeping you up. We will tell you, plainly, what we would do about it.
From the firm
Notes & insights
Why your operating agreement is the only contract that matters
Reading the room: what discovery really tells you early
The hard family conversation, and how to have it once
Free live webinar
The Deposition Room
A deposition is where most cases are quietly won or lost — long before anyone sees a courtroom. In forty-five candid minutes, a partner walks you through what actually happens across that table.
What’s inside
- 01What a deposition is really for — and what opposing counsel is listening for
- 02The four question patterns designed to rattle you, and how to answer each
- 03Preparing a witness: the day before, the morning of, the room itself
- 04Live Q&A — bring the matter that is keeping you up
Live session
The Deposition Room