Curt Craton is the senior member of the law firm, having been admitted to practice law in California in 1985. He was born New Orleans, Louisiana, but moved to California in 1955 when his parents relocated.
He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Harvey Mudd College where he honed the analytical skills that he uses today solving problems and finding solutions for clients in his law practice.
Curt earned his law degree from Loyola School of Law in 1985 just a few months before passing the State Bar Exam. Curt has served as Judge Pro Tem in the Long Beach Superior Court for Small Claims cases and he is admitted to practice in all of the following courts: Superior Court of California; U.S. District Court (Central District of California, Eastern District of California, and Southern District of California); U.S. Court of Appeals (Ninth Circuit); U.S. Tax Court; and U.S. Court of International Trade.
Curt is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Long Beach Bar Association. Curt also is a member and past-president of the Long Beach Optimist Club and a director of the Long Beach Area Council Boy Scouts of America.
The motto of Curt’s grade school (Southern California Military Academy) was “Character Before Career,” which he follows as a guide in his career path. Curt has extensive experience in all aspects of estate planning including trusts, wills, property agreements, tax planning, real estate, business succession planning, probate, trust administration, tax preparation, and civil litigation.