Law Firm Overview

Thompson & Bileci, LLP is a progressive law firm in the historic Miller Adobe (circa 1874), Monterey, California. After serving with the Monterey County District Attorney's Office, Ralph W. Thompson III co-founded Thomas, Panetta & Thompson in 1971. Partner Donald A. Thomas Judge was appointed Judge in 1972, and partner Leon E. Panetta was elected to Congress in 1976 and later became the President's Chief of Staff.  Joseph E. Bileci, Jr., a former associate, became a partner in June 2007.

The firm represents clients in business and general civil litigation; real estate; and wills, trusts, and estates throughout California. The attorneys also serve as co-counsel and local counsel for other firms, including out-of-state firms.

The firms' attorneys are committed to professional excellence, the highest ethical standards, civility in their business and professional relationships, and service to the community. The Monterey County Bar Association awarded Mr. Thompson The Chief Justice Phil S. Gibson Award for Outstanding Community Service (2003).

Areas of Practice

• Trust and Estate Litigation
• Elder Law
• Business and Real Estate Litigation
• Insurance Bad Faith and Coverage Issues
• Wills, Trusts and Probate
• Serious Injury and Wrongful Death Claims
• Professional Negligence
• Real Estate Transactions
• Construction Law

Honors and Awards

• Recipient, Chief Justice Gibson Award for Outstanding Community Service, 2003
• Loma Linda University, Alumnus of the Year Award, 1985

Classes and Seminars

• Instructor in Law, Criminal Law and Criminal Evidence, Monterey Peninsula College, 1969 - 1977
• Adjunct Professor, Administration of Justice, Constitutional Law, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and Political Science, undergraduate and graduate levels, Golden Gate University, 1971 - 1986
• Legal and Public Policy Programs, Civil Litigation, Civil Procedure, and Tort and Personal Injury Practice, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1997 - 2001
• Speaker/Panelist, National Convention Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, 1987
• Speaker/Panelist, California Trial Lawyers Association Advocacy College, 1989
• Speaker/Panelist, California Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention, 1990
• Speaker/Panelist, Mediation and Arbitration, California Judges Association 10th Annual Retired Judges Conference, 1998
• [State of California Standard Teaching Credential (Life), 1969

Representative Cases

• Geertz v. Ausonio, 4 Cal. App. 4th 1363 (Court of Appeal, 6th District 1992)

Ancillary Businesses

• The Thompson Mediation & Arbitration Center

West Practice Categories

Alternative Dispute Resolution, Arbitration, Mediation, Private Judging, Bad Faith Insurance, Lending & Secured Transactions, Foreclosure & Alternatives, Business & Commercial Law, Commercial Leasing, Contracts, Joint Ventures, Secured Transactions, Business Organizations, Closely Held Businesses, Formation & Business Planning, Limited Liability Companies, Partnerships, Construction Law, Environmental Law, Estate Planning, Elder Law, Living Wills, Powers of Attorney and Appointment, Trusts, Wills, Insurance Law, Litigation & Appeals, State Trial Practice, Water & Riparian Rights, Personal Injury -- Plaintiff, Probate & Estate Administration, Estate Administration, Products Liability Law, Professional Malpractice Law, Real Estate Law, Land Use & Zoning, Residential Real Estate, Toxic Torts