Elroy Schneider, J.D.

About

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

Roy Schneider's areas of practice include business planning, entity formation, mergers, acquisitions and sales of businesses, employment law, contracts, transactional matters of all kinds, real estate transactions, homeowners associations, non-profit law and estate planning.

Business & Corporate Transactions

Roy advises and represents companies and entrepreneurs with a broad range of business related services.  He advises his clients on business law, start-up assistance related to the choice and formation of an entity, the protection of a trademark or license agreement and regularly assists with buying or selling a business.  Roy prepares contracts of all types with the view of making sure his clients are well protected and that they are sure get paid for their goods or services. Roy is also an expert in Business Ethics, having taught the subject at Ventura Community College, Antioch University in Santa Barbara and University of Laverne.  Roy lectures frequently on the subject of Ethics to both for profit and nonprofit organizations.  Roy is often called upon by companies to assist them in making ethical decisions. 

Employment Counseling

Roy assists his clients, with respect to all aspects of personnel matters, including employee discipline, wrongful termination, retaliation, discrimination, hostile work environment, sexual harassment, leaves of absence, Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Employment and Housing Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, and the California Labor Code.  Roy also develops and reviews employee handbooks and employment policies for his clients. Roy also provides California's AB1825 mandatory two-hour training for supervisory employees in the identification, investigation and prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace.  Roy manages independent investigations, coordinates with applicable government agencies and resolves employee claims before they escalate into lawsuits.  Roy has drafted and negotiated employment agreements for executives of multi-national corporations and municipalities.

He has authored several articles on employment issues and frequently lectures to business owners regarding various employment topics such as employees vs. independent contractors, sexual harassment in the workplace, overtime, meal and rest breaks, and hiring, disciplining and terminating employees and employment law updates.

Non-Profits

Roy’s expertise in business and corporate law, employment, real estate and estate planning combine to provide the most effective and efficient representation of his non-profit clients.  Roy advises and guides his non-profit clients through the process of obtaining their tax exemption and with respect to all matters related to the management and operation of their organizations, including compliance with state and federal laws and regulations in order for the organization to maintain its state exempt status.  He assists boards with employment issues, leasing of real and personal property; negotiating and drafting contracts, interpreting existing agreements, and enforcing them when the other contracting parties fail to abide by their terms.  He has experience in alternative dispute resolution as well.  Roy also represents nonprofits before the IRS, California Attorney General’s Office and other administrative agencies.

Roy is an experienced estate planning attorney who works with high net worth individuals and charitable organizations in the area of planned giving.

Roy is highly experienced in the field of ethics as it relates to nonprofits and for profit organizations and is called upon to assist companies in resolving ethical dilemmas. Roy is a nationally recognized attorney in non-profit law and speaks regularly before attorneys, accountants and non-profit boards.

Homeowners Associations General Counsel -

Roy advises and guides his association clients with respect to board meetings and membership, including notice requirements, minutes, Open Meeting Act, executive sessions and elections. He assists boards with negotiating and drafting contracts, interpreting existing agreements, and enforcing them when contractors fail to abide by their terms.

Estate Planning

Roy strategizes with individuals, couples, families and businesses to protect their families, wealth and legacy by providing comprehensive estate planning tools that best fit his client’s wishes and unique circumstances with basic to advanced planning techniques such as trusts, wills, powers of attorney, family partnerships and life insurance trusts.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Roy, upon graduation served as Counsel for Bank of America in its Los Angeles Corporate Office.  He later joined an established firm in Ventura, California where he was a principal until August 2012, when Roy established his own law firm, Schneiders & Associates, L.L.P.

While maintaining his law practice, Roy founded the California College of Paralegal Studies and served as its Dean until the College was sold to a public corporation. Roy has a passion for education and in furtherance of this interest, Roy was recently appointed as an Adjunct Professor at the University of La Verne, Moorpark Campus where he teaches a legal environment of business course and is on the faculty as an Adjunct Professor of Business Law and Business Ethics at Ventura Community College. He served for 15 years as a Professor of Corporations Law at Ventura College of Law, and taught for five years as an Adjunct Professor of Business Law of a course entitled Ethics, Executive Integrity and Social Responsibility at Antioch University in Santa Barbara, California.  In 2016, Roy became an Adjunct Professor at California Lutheran University teaching Business Law. 

State licensed to practice -

• California

Court admissions -

• All Courts in California
• Federal District Courts
• 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
• U.S. Tax Court

Education

Law School attended -

• Loyola Law School of Los Angeles

College attended -

• University of California, Los Angeles

Major -

• Political Science

Degrees earned -

• Bachelors of Arts
• Juris Doctorate

Honors received -

• Political Science honors from UCLA
• Magna Cum Laude from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles

Journal involvement -

• Staff of the Law Review at Loyola Law School of Los Angeles

Volunteer work -

• Research assistant for first year law students at Loyola Law School of Los An

Expertise

Business Law, Corporate Law, Employment Law, Business Ethics, Tax-Exempt Entities, Estate Planning.  See more under Bio.

Publications

PERSONAL

Involvement in charities -

• Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation, Board Member
• Women's Economic Ventures, Board Member and Nominating Committee Chair
• SCORE, Lecturer and Counselor

Involvement in community -

• Lecturer and advisor for Women’s Economic Venture and SCORE of Ventura County
• Classroom presenter at various Ventura high schools for Seque
• Adjunct Professor at the University of La Verne, teaching a Legal Environment of Business course
• Adjunct Professor of Business Law and Business Ethics at Ventura Community College.
• Professor of Corporations Law at Ventura College of Law
• Adjunct Professor of Business Law of a course entitled Ethics, Executive Integrity and Social Responsibility at Antioch University in Santa Barbara,
• California
• Adjunct Professor of Business Law at California Lutheran University
• Lecturer for CLU Non-Profit Roundtable 
• 2015 Ventura Man of the Year
• 2017 Oxnard Small Business of the Year

Published articles -

• Co-tenancy Ownership of Real Property
• 1031 Tax- Deferred Exchanges
• Charitable Planned Giving           
• Taking a Fresh Look at Using Limited Liability Companies
• Why Every Homeowner Should Consider a Living Trust
• Many More...................

Presentations and lectures -

• How to Effectively Negotiate Hospital Contracts for Perfusionists, California Perfusion Society 2012 Annual Conference
• Employee vs. Independent Contract – What’s the Big Deal? for Perfusionists, California Perfusion Society 2012 Annual Conference
• Annual Employment Law Updates for business groups, clients and Chambers of Commerce
• Estate Planning Basics seminar for groups, clients and organizations
• Pitfalls of Obtaining Financing from Family & Friends for the SCORE of Ventura County
• What Would You Do? The Daily Challenges HR Managers, Supervisors and Business Owners Encounter  for the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce
• Protecting Your Assets: Wills and Living Trusts for Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation
• Exit Strategies, Business Succession & Estate Planning for the SCORE of Ventura County
• Sexual Harassment in the Workplace for the SCORE of Ventura County and for many private and publicly held companies
• Employees vs. Independent Contractors and Terminating an Employee for the SCORE of Ventura County and before many business and HR groups
• Tax Exempt Organizations From Start to Finish for attorneys, accountants and non-profit executive directors sponsored by the National Business Institute
• Legal Responsibilities and Best Practices for Changing Times for non-profit board members
• Wealth Management for the Small Business Owner for the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce Lunch & Learn
• Called to Action: What You Need to Know! Legal Responsibilities and Best Practices in Challenging Times for the Ventura Chamber of Commerce and Oxnard Chamber of Commerce
• Exit Strategies for SCORE of Ventura County and National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Ventura County CPA Society, Women’s Economic Venture Thrive in Five series
• Understanding Employee vs. Independent Contractor following the Dynamex Case and AB5