Beth Bergman and Michael Allderdice, the founding partners of Bergman and Allderdice

We were inspired to found Bergman and Allderdice in 2005 by our belief in the need to create, support and advise nonprofit and mission-based organizations.  We see the work of these nonprofits and social enterprises as a key equalizer and resource in a world heavily skewed economically and socially.  We have both worked at large firms but prefer the personalized service of a smaller, women-owned law firm, and we are dedicated to providing high quality and cost effective legal services.  We work closely with every one of our clients to solve complex legal matters and to help each realize self-sustainability. Our areas of expertise include affordable housing, community development, social enterprise, tax-exempt bond financing, tax credit financing, including CDFI- and CDE- source financing, compliance, management, public/private partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, nonprofit and for-profit formation and qualifying organizations for tax-exempt status.

 

BETH BERGMAN

Beth is a partner at Bergman and Allderdice. She represents numerous local and national tax-exempt organizations, affordable housing developers, charter schools, community development financial institutions, institutional lenders and government agencies; her practice areas include corporate, real estate, real estate financing, affordable housing, economic and community development, tax-exempt governance and tax-exempt financing.

Prior to entering private practice, Beth was Assistant Housing Coordinator to Mayor Bradley. After the 1994 Northridge earthquake she was a counsel to the Los Angeles Housing Department facilitating real estate loans between the City and nonprofit corporations, utilizing tax credits, bonds and City subsidies to help rebuild the City's housing stock.

Beth currently serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations and she has served as associate editor for the American Bar Association Journal of Affordable Housing and Community Redevelopment Law. Articles Beth has authored have appeared in numerous legal and not-for-profit association journals. Her publications include Rebuilding Los Angeles – One Year Later: The Bitter Aftermath and Lessons Learned, published in the Journal of Affordable Housing and Community Redevelopment Law, Spring 1993, and New Markets Tax Credits for Equity and Low-Interest Loans for Capital Developments, The Nonprofit Advisor, December 2006.

Beth lectures in the areas of tax-exempt formation, nonprofit subsidiaries, affordable housing, joint ventures and social enterprise. She has also taught Constitutional Law at Loyola Law School and Environmental Law at Glendale School of Law.

Beth is a graduate of Brown University, Phi Beta Kappa, and of Harvard Law School, J.D. She attended a fellowship program at Stanford University Medical School. She was an Associate Editor for the Stanford Law Review and Clerk to the Hon. Chief Judge Consuelo B. Marshall, U.S. District Court, Central District of California.

Beth sits on the boards of National Trust Community Investment Corporation (NTCIC), a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which supports the country's architectural heritage, community development, and renewable energy initiatives through the use of historic and new markets tax credits, Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles, whose mission is to make live music accessible to all, creating stronger and more connected communities while celebrating diversity, and Integrated Recovery Network, whose mission is to help provide people who have been homeless with access to housing, health care and jobs, using a comprehensive, integrated network of community-based outpatient treatment providers, community clinics and permanent supportive housing organizations in Los Angeles County.

Beth is a member of the California, New York, Texas, Arizona and D.C. Bar Associations, and her memberships include the American Bar Association Sections on Affordable Housing and Nonprofit Law.

Beth Bergman is ranked as a Super Lawyer from 2019 to present, recognized as a top rated Nonprofit Organizations Attorney by “Super Lawyers®” in Southern California and is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest peer recognition for ethical standards and legal ability.

 

michael allderdice

Michael is a partner at Bergman and Allderdice.  He represents community lenders, the community development departments of several cities, tax-exempt organizations, affordable housing developers and residential developers. His practice areas include real estate finance, land use and planning, affordable housing, relocation and CEQA. Mr. Allderdice has extensive experience with virtually every type of real estate matter, including property management, leasing, purchases and sales, construction and take-out financing, bond financing, construction contracts, formation of joint ventures, general and limited partnerships and limited liability companies, zoning review, entitlement, subdivision, development and title matters.

Recent projects include several federally-qualified health centers in the Central Valley, Martin Luther King, Jr. Medical Center and LA Kitchen in Los Angeles, Geneva Car Barn and Meals on Wheels in San Francisco, the Lafayette Hotel and Monarch High School in San Diego, and affordable housing projects throughout California.

Michael has lectured in the areas of nonprofit subsidiaries, nonprofit governance, joint ventures and social enterprises. Michael serves on the board of directors of the West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation.

Michael is a graduate of Washington & Lee University and of George Washington University, National Law Center, J.D., where he graduated with honors.

Michael is admitted to the bar in California and Washington, D.C., is a member of the California Bar Association and the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and is "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

 

ABBY GARCIA

Abby is an associate attorney at Bergman & Allderdice.  Her practice areas include corporate, real estate, real estate financing, affordable housing, economic and community development, tax-exempt governance and tax-exempt financing.

Prior to joining Bergman & Allderdice, Abby was a Deputy Public Defender III at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office for over ten years, where she represented indigent clients in criminal matters.  She completed over 60 felony and misdemeanor trials and represented thousands of clients in different stages of their case.  She subsequently consulted pro bono on criminal matters for four years.

Abby is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and The George Washington University Law School, J.D, where she was a member of the Editorial Board for the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) Journal.   Abby was admitted the California Bar in 2004.

 

JASMIN BOODAIE

Jasmin represents tax-exempt organizations, community lenders, and government agencies. Her practice areas include affordable housing, real estate, real estate finance, and New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC), Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), and Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit (HTC) transactions.

Prior to joining Bergman and Allderdice, Jasmin gained experience in these fields as a law clerk for the housing unit of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, a project coordinator of a sustainable communities partnership redevelopment project, and a clinical student of her law school’s Community and Economic Development Clinic.

Jasmin received her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she graduated summa cum laude and as a Regents Scholar, and her J.D. from the University of California, Irvine School of Law (UCI Law). She was an Executive Editor of the UC Irvine Law Review, co-chair of the Women’s Law Society, and president of the Jewish Law Association. Jasmin is admitted to the bar in California.

Jasmin has been selected to the Super Lawyers Southern California Rising Stars List from 2023 to present.

 

DANIEL GERMAIN

Dan is of counsel to Bergman & Allderdice, and is a trial attorney with more than 3 decades of experience. While Dan routinely litigates a wide variety of matters, his practice emphasizes litigation involving corporate, real estate, construction, banking, finance, entertainment, securities, employment, intellectual property, probate and trusts, insurance, catastrophic personal injury, and consumer fraud issues. Dan also has substantial experience in alternative forums such as arbitration and mediation. He has handled numerous cases to bench and jury verdicts. Dan has argued extensively in the Courts of Appeal and has broad experience with pre and post trial remedies. Dan is AV rated by Martindale-Hubble and has been selected as a Southern California Super Lawyer for Class Action and Mass Torts.  Dan is also a California licensed real estate broker.

Dan received his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with honors, and J.D. from Loyola of Los Angeles Law School. He is admitted to California Bar as well as the United States District Courts for the Central, Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.

 

SCOTT PRICE

Scott is of counsel to Bergman & Allderdice, and is a transactional corporate/business attorney.  With 30 years in practice, Scott has advised companies in a broad range of businesses and industries, from start-ups and small privately held entities, to large, public corporations.  

Scott regularly represents entrepreneurs and start-up businesses in connection with organizational and capital raising activities.  Over the years, he has acted as outside general counsel to many of the start-up businesses he advises – in most cases taking them from entity formation, through rounds of capital-raising, and negotiating and drafting the necessary commercial contracts required to conduct business.  He assists clients in choice of entity issues and has substantial experience with corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies.  Scott has represented emerging businesses in debt and equity financing transactions including private placements of securities.  He has counseled entrepreneurs and emerging businesses in connection with product distribution arrangements, website development issues, shareholder and buy-sell agreements, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, and employment and independent contractor matters.  He also has assisted both issuers and underwriters in public offerings and has assisted public companies with their periodic reporting obligations.

Scott received his B.A. from Utah State University, cum laude, and J.D. from Cornell University.  He is admitted to the bar in California and Washington D.C., and is a member of the Bar Association in both jurisdictions.

 

ANDREW GRADMAN

Andrew is of counsel to Bergman and Allderdice.  He is a Certified Tax Specialist through the California Board of Legal Specialization, specializing in Opportunity Zones, New Market Tax Credits, Low Income Housing Tax Credits and the Rehabilitation Credit.  He previously worked at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell as an associate in their Tax, Trust & Estates Group, and later was a part of the Tax Credit Development Group at Bocarsly Emden Cowan Esmail & Arndt LLP.  

Andrew received his LLM in Taxation from NYU School of Law in 2015, an Advanced Certificate in Law & Business from NYU Stern School of Business, his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2011, and his B.A. from Stanford University in 2006.  Andrew is admitted to the bar in California and Nevada.  In his spare time, Andrew enjoys playing cello with the Los Angeles Lawyer’s Philharmonic.


 


Anita Tolbert

Anita is the Bookkeeper at Bergman and Allderdice. She is also principal of a multi-family office for some of Los Angeles' major philanthropists. With over  25 years of bookkeeping experience and a family tradition of community service, Anita is proud to be a part of Bergman and Allderdice.  She received her B.A. in Psychology from UCLA.