WILL HALM

Will Halm is the Managing Partner of International Reproductive Law Group.  He has specialized in the field of assisted reproductive law for over 20 years. Will is a magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, and received his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He is the father of three children through surrogacy and egg donation.   He has devoted his legal career to surrogacy and egg donation law after practicing business and corporate law with the top U.S. law firms of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher. Will’s legal work in the field of assisted reproduction has been featured in numerous documentaries, television programs, publications, and books, including 20/20, NBC News, The New York Times, UK Guardian, the Advocate, and others.  Will has set a number of legal precedents in the field of assisted reproduction law, including being granted, in 1998, the first parentage judgment to a same-sex couple in a gestational surrogacy case.  Will is a member of the American Bar Association, Assisted Reproductive Technology Section and Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys. 

Law Licenses:

Willard K. Halm, SB# 087555
State Bar of California - Active

RN# 1604453
State Bar of New York - Active

Degrees:

Juris Doctor, University of California, Berkeley
B.A., University of California, Los Angeles

Professional Affiliations:

American Bar Association
California Bar Association
New York State Bar Association Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys                                 Los Angeles County Bar Association
Family Equality
AIDS Project Los Angeles
The LA Gay & Lesbian Center
GLAAD
Phi Beta Kappa

 
_DSC1631.jpg

Eliseo Arebalos

Eliseo Arebalos is the Chief Legal Analyst and Chief Operating Officer of International Reproductive Law Group. He 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 from the University of Southern California. Eliseo’s work in the assisted reproductive legal sphere extends throughout the U.S. as a member of the Policy Advisory Committee of Family Equality Council. The Committee’s purpose is to drive legislative changes at both the state and federal levels on a host of family-building related topics, including surrogacy and egg donation. A Texas native, Eliseo has resided in Los Angeles since 1998.

Degrees:

B.A., University of Southern California

Professional Affiliations:

Family Equality - Policy Advisory Committee
 

_DSC1601.jpg

Catherine McGowan

Catherine B. McGowan is licensed to practice law in California and Germany. She also 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.

Law License:

Catherine B. McGowan, SB#312240

State Bar of California – Active

German Bar – Active

Degrees:

Juris Doctor, University of Mainz, Germany

Master’s Degree in German and Foreign Law, University of Mainz, Germany

Maîtrise in Legal and Economic Sciences, University of Nantes, France

Professional Affiliations:

American Bar Association

California Bar Association

Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys

Member, Board of Directors, Friends of Goethe, Los Angeles, California

Certified Translator (English-German), German-British Chamber of Industry & Commerce

_DSC1726.jpg

Rachael bailey

Rachael Bailey is a California licensed attorney with a strong background in family law.  As a San Diego native, she 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.

In her spare time, Rachael enjoys reading and spending time with family, friends and her three dogs.  Having been a Barista for 10 years, she also enjoys crafting and indulging in new coffee beverages.

Law License:

Rachael Bailey, SB# 315604

State Bar of California – Active

Degrees:

Juris Doctor, California Western School of Law

B.A., San Diego State University

Professional Affiliations:

American Bar Association

California Bar Association

Chair of the Law Students Committee of the ABA Section of Family Law

Los Angeles Bar Association

San Diego County Bar Association