our mission
To provide a superior level of service and sense of calm throughout our representation of you, our client, and be a trusted sounding board and voice when needed.
our why
"Many years ago, before network television series broached the subject of surrogacy, my spouse and I dreamt of having a family. With few professionals available or willing to speak with us, I decided something needed to change. It is for this reason our law firm exists."
— Will Halm, Founder
Licenses - California, New York
our impact
40+
The Largest Legal practice dedicated to assisted reproductive technology
With eight attorneys on staff and Of Counsel attorneys across the country, IRLG is the largest law firm dedicated to the assisted reproductive field.
20+
Years Serving communities
Our firm began out of our own personal desires to have children.
28k+
NUMBER OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY CASES SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED
Our services span the ART field, from donor agreements to parental establishment.
9
Languages Spoken
We take some of the guess work out of the process with attorneys on staff that speak Catalan, English, French, German, Italian, Khmer, Portuguese, Spanish, and American Sign Language.
your team
Eliseo Arebalos, Managing Attorney
Eliseo began his work in the field of assisted reproduction in 2003, after holding a financial analyst position at a Los Angeles-based surrogacy agency. Eliseo earned dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in International Relations and Spanish, with a minor in French from the University of Southern California. Eliseo’s work in the assisted reproductive legal sphere extends throughout the U.S. A Texas native, Eliseo has resided in Los Angeles since 1998.
Licenses | Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio,
Tennessee, Texas, Washington
Languages |English, French, Italian,
Spanish, Portuguese
Brooke Hasegawa-Nakaoka, associate
Brooke is an alumni of the Syracuse College of Law, University of Southern California Gould School of Law, University of Hawaii at Manoa Shidler College of Business, University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and Punahou School. Born and raised on the island of Oahu, she holds a Juris Doctorate, Masters of Studies in Law, Masters of Business Administration and Bachelors of Science.
Mrs. Hasegawa-Nakaoka was the recipient of the Syracuse College of Law Pro Bono Scholars Award and the Arthur T. Ueoka Memorial Award, given by the Maui County Bar Association. Mrs. Hasegawa-Nakaoka provided 821 pro bono hours while serving at Legal Aid Hawaii from 2020-2021.
License | Hawaii
Language | English
Melissa Hong, Associate
After experiencing setbacks before having her son, Melissa gained an appreciation and understanding for how significant these journeys are for both intended parents and surrogates. Prior to IRLG, Melissa worked for another international law firm specializing in surrogacy and estate planning. Melissa also supported local governments with their homelessness policy while working at a national non-profit and has spent time working and living in China and Cambodia.
Melissa holds a JD and MBA from the University of San Francisco and a BA from the University of California Los Angeles. She speaks Khmer and beginning Mandarin, and in her free time she enjoys exploring new places with her husband and son. She is a Bay Area native, currently living in sunny San Diego.
License | California
Languages | English, Khmer
Catherine B. McGowan, Senior Associate
Catherine holds a French Maîtrise in Legal and Economic Sciences. Her background is in international business counseling. Prior to joining IRLG, she worked with the law office Fredricks & von der Horst in Los Angeles, where she helped European clients enter the US market and coordinated cross-border probate and estate matters. With Deloitte & Touche in Germany, she guided her clients from Asia, Europe and the US through fiscal audits and VAT matters.
Catherine grew up bilingual French and German. She entered a bi-national study program of German and French Law with venues in both Germany and France. She further earned a Master’s Degree in German and Foreign Law by writing a comparative thesis on legal child protection in Germany and France. Catherine gained her first professional experiences, among others, with the French Chamber of Commerce in China and the German Embassy in Uruguay. She is fluent in German, French, and English.
Licenses | California, Germany
Languages | English, French, German
Rachael J. Sandifer, Senior Associate
As a San Diego native, Rachael received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Public Administration from San Diego State University and Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law. In law school, Rachael obtained a Concentration in Child, Family & Elder Law and co-founded the organization, Children’s Advocacy Law Society. During law school, Rachael served as an Intern for San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, assisting in high conflict child custody, visitation and domestic violence cases. Before joining our team, Rachael worked for a renowned firm that specializes in family law and also worked for a civil litigation firm. Rachael previously served as a Committee Chair for the American Bar Association, Section of Family Law.
License | California
Languages | English, American Sign Language
Jessica Junyent, Director of business development
Jessica was born and raised in Spain. She holds a Law Degree with Honors from the prestigious Faculty of Law of Barcelona. Boasting an impressive linguistic repertoire, she is fluent in English, Italian, French, and written Portuguese, while also exhibiting bilingual proficiency in Catalan and Spanish. Additionally, she completed a master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology in the United States. Prior to joining IRLG, Jessica served as the VP of International Development at a premier surrogacy agency in the US, where she spearheaded the development of key markets in Europe, Canada, and Latin America, leveraging partnerships with top-tier IVF clinics and legal firms worldwide to provide her clients with a range of program options. Her extensive professional background includes leadership roles within the entertainment industry, real estate, and she also worked as a civil litigator at Piqué Abogados, one of Spain’s foremost law firms. Jessica’s personal interests include a passion for culinary exploration, as well as a deep-rooted love for the strategic game of chess.
License | Spain
Languages | Catalan, English, French, Italian,
written Portuguese, and Spanish
Angel Rael, associate
Angel is a proud Bay Area native. Angel received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa and her Juris Doctor from Tulane University Law School.
During law school, Angel served as a student attorney in the Tulane Domestic Violence Clinic. She also worked with the ACLU of Louisiana and Legal Aid at Work in San Francisco in the Racial Economic Justice Program. Angel was an active member of the Tulane Black Law Students Association and the Tulane Asian Pacific American Law Students Association.
Prior to joining IRLG, Angel worked with the Children’s Law Center of California, where she provided legal representation for youth impacted by abuse and neglect.
License | California
Language | English