Arnie Blakely, Attorney at Law
Lawyer in Orange County, California
At the law office of Arnie Blakely, Attorney at Law, we bring over 30 years of experience to individuals and businesses in Costa Mesa and the surrounding communities. Contact our office or call us at 714-881-2579 x2122 to schedule an appointment.
Mr. Blakely devotes his practice to defending and prosecuting lawsuits in business matters, taxation, probate (will contests, trust and inheritance disputes, and trustee omissions) real estate and lease litigation. In addition, he has been involved in various transactional matters including drafting and negotiating contracts, preparing wills trusts, IRS appeals and tax disputes, business formation and compliance, trust administration, and various probate matters.
Supporting all his personal and company transaction work is Mr. Blakely's considerable experience with all types of lawsuits. He understands that contract clauses, lease provisions, trust and will clauses that can and do cause expensive lawsuits. Since 1976, he has remained a member of the law firm of Watkins, Blakely & Torgerson, LLP, serving the needs of not only Orange County residents and companies, but also the needs of others in California, other states and other countries.
Mr. Blakely began his legal career as a prosecutor in the District Attorney's Office, where he handled major felony and misdemeanor trials. This work included working with grand and petite juries, trial strategy, pre-trial and post trial preparation, experience in cross-examination of hostile witnesses, and a variety of other skills obtainable only through trying a large number of cases. He received the Distinguished Service Award as an outstanding prosecutor in the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office (San Jose office).
After completing his work with the District Attorney's office, he devoted his full-time practice to the civil defense of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Blakely had successfully completed the Certified Public Accountant's exam, and was qualified to work with balance sheets, income statements, funds flow statements, auditing problems, and a host of other accounting related issues. In 1976, Mr. Blakely joined the Watkins, Blakely & Torgerson law firm (then known as Cohen, Stokke & Davis) and has remained with this law firm to the present. He subsequently became a partner of this law firm and is currently the senior partner of the firm.
Mr. Blakely received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Southern California and earned his law degree from Southwestern University School of Law. He also studied as a graduate business candidate in accounting at the University of Southern California and has passed the Certified Public Accountants Exam. Mr. Blakely is a member of the Orange County Bar Association and has served as a judge pro tem and an arbitrator on a variety of civil cases. Mr. Blakely has also served as a member of the board of directors on various nonprofit corporations.
To learn more about the firm's practice history, click on the links below to see Mr. Blakely's profile. To set up an appointment, contact us or call us at 714-881-2579 x2122. We have a voice mail service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our office is located in the South Coast Plaza Shopping Center, just off the Bristol exit on the 405 freeway.