"We wish we had gone to Bonnie's firm to begin with..."
We experienced that very thing with a past attorney...blatant assistance to the school district with deceitful, dishonest communications with us. This person insisted on a specific assessor who was playing the same game. It was an outrageous scam.
In sharp contrast, we found Bonnie and Elizabeth to be the real deal. Not an ounce of what we experienced before. It was a relief on so many levels to be working with attorneys that uphold professional ethics. Along with the honest dealings, they were great at listening to us and explaining everything, so that we were on the same page. We wish we had gone to Bonnie's firm to begin with."
-- M.H.
"Her name can send chills down the spine of schools and regional centers..."
Bonnie Yates specializes in education/special education law and laws pertaining to the Lanterman Act and regional centers. Years ago, we ran into some real problems with my son's school. When enough was enough, we decided to seek legal help. After asking around, I found the attorney that I heard the school feared most, Bonnie Yates.
Her name can send chills down the spine of schools and regional centers. I have talked to people that had been sitting across the table from us, so I know. She is feared simply because she knows her stuff. This was especially apparent when we met with the school's attorney, who was amateurish by comparison.
We retained Bonnie and took on the school and the issues we had with them. The school had been insulting and took positions with my son that were indefensible and against the law. Once Bonnie got involved, this all changed.
Bonnie knew exactly how to prepare the case. We never wanted something crazy, just what was fair. Bonnie let us know exactly what to expect, how long it would take and how much it would cost.
Everything dragged on for over a year, as she said it would. The school finally came to the table and proposed a settlement. In the end, my son got the services he needed and some (but not all) of our legal expenses were covered.
It was worth every penny we spent. New management came into the school. They acknowledged that the prior administration had really screwed up and since that day we have never had another problem. Bonnie also has assisted us with regional center issues.
She runs a great office. Communication was always good. She always presented what we could realistically expect for an outcome. On top of this all, she is a mother as well that dealt with her own issues. So, she has been on the other side of the table as well.
Hopefully, you never need to get an attorney involved to get what you are legally entitled to. If you do, make sure you get one of the best. Legal help of any kind does not come cheap, but her rates are very reasonable for a specialized lawyer in Los Angeles.
-- L.M.
"The best thing about Bonnie Yates is that she consistently gets RESULTS..."
She has been our lawyer for several years, through numerous IEPs, and is an excellent strategic thinker and masterful advocate and negotiator. I recommend her highly."
-- P.C.
"She gave us unbiased advice and emotional support. In the end, the services she fought for are now helping our son grow to his utmost potential."
I have met few people in my life who I trust and respect more than Bonnie Yates.
My wife and I were in the midst of coping with a newly diagnosed 2 year old and were having a negative experience interacting with the Regional Center. We concluded the services the Regional Center was proposing were not acceptable, but we didn't know what else to do; we didn't know what else was out there to help our son.
We reached out to Bonnie to see what options we had. Our first introductory phone call changed the direction and ultimate treatment path of our son. The call was so informative and had such a positive impact on us, we immediately scheduled a time to meet in person.
We had a very emotional meeting; I will never forget it. From this point on, my wife and I had hope that someone really cared about our son - intimately knew what we were going through - and was willing to fight for the appropriate services he was entitled to.
Bonnie created a game plan to demand the services we thought were critical for our son. For the next several months, Bonnie and her team executed on their game plan. Along the way, she gave us unbiased advice and emotional support. In the end, the services she fought for are now helping our son grow to his utmost potential.
Without the direction and support from Bonnie, our son would be at a lower level of development than he currently displays. We would have been lost in the Regional Center's system while our son suffered. I am forever grateful to Bonnie and her staff for the all the help they gave us. We would without question recommend her services.
-- C.M.
" I first met Ms. Yates after listening to her speak at an LA Feat meeting many years ago..."
I have never known her to be anything but completely forthright and honest. She has been in this line of work for almost twenty years. She is very valuable as an advocate, a good listener, and as a guidebook on how to deal with State and local agencies. Her standards are extremely high. She is solely concerned with the best interests of the children she represents."
-- H.M.
"You are the most amazing person. You were such an inspiration to me and pushed me beyond where I thought I could go as an advocate for my daughter."
I learned so much from you, not only as a professional but as a friend.
It took everything I had to hold the tears of joy back-- walking into the the Morgan Center, it was like an amazing dream.
I got a call from Judy saying Madison did great in the interview and both teachers were fighting over who would have her in the classroom.
My very good friend who used to be our therapist will be placed in Madison's classroom as her teacher next year--we are both overwhelmed with joy and excitement.
Above all Madison said "Happy" when she was in the office waiting for the interview. Everyone was so nice and the kids at the school were so calm. Without you this would never have happened.Thank you for making my long awaited dream come true!
I will never forget you.
-- J.K.
"We really appreciate your guidance and valuable advice in coming up with the strategy that is suitable for our family situation."
Thank you so much for all your professional help and expertise as we've worked out an agreement with the school district to get the much needed services for our son. We really appreciate your guidance and valuable advice in coming up with the strategy that is suitable for our family situation. We're excited that our son will start school next week with an ABA support service in place and that's the most important thing we wanted for our son's support.
-- H.L.
"We are extremely grateful for your diligent and tireless efforts."
Dear Bonnie,
We extend our deepest gratitude to you and Jenny; we are extremely grateful for your diligent and tireless efforts.
C. and I will carefully review the agreement this weekend; we will email you with any questions. Hopefully, we will sign on Monday.
Enjoy your weekend.
Best,
J.R.
"I just can't thank you enough, and I am so happy to have spoken with you."
Dear Ms. Yates,
Not sure if you remember, but my husband and I were referred by a colleague of yours, and I spoke
with you about trying to get funding for ABA services. You referred me to Evelyn Kung at CARD, and I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart. We met with Evelyn yesterday and were completely blown away.
We learned more about our son in the time with her than we have in many years of working with
other clinicians and "experts" in the field. I only wish we had come to CARD sooner, but we are hoping that we'll be able to dig in and get the help from them we so desperately need as a family. Anyway, I just can't thank you enough and I am so happy to have spoken with you. I will keep you posted (and obviously any legal needs we may have I will call you immediately!) but thanks again - we are so appreciative.
All the best,
Grateful Parent
