Law Office of Anne Dowden Saxton
We are a client centered practice whose internal structure is predicated upon truly understanding our client’s unique challenges, concerns and circumstances; so we may become part of our client’s team to effectively resolve the issues at hand together.
We will communicate with our clients to discuss case assessment and litigation strategies as well as make recommendations to provide insight into every step of the process. We formulate litigation strategies based upon the law and the facts of each case, along with the vision of our client’s goals and objectives.
We are more than your legal advisor team for our clients, we are your partner. Our office is dedicated to getting you to the other side of your legal journey. Serving our clients is our greatest honor.
As I have always maintained, while I am an attorney by profession, like you I am a compassionate human being first. As such, our primary responsibility is to each other. It is my personal goal that with my invaluable staffs’ effort, we are able to shine a light of direction and comfort that provides peace of mind for you and your loved one’s future.
Mission Statement
The Law Firm of Anne Dowden Saxton has been serving the residents of Los Angeles and the surrounding counties ethically and with integrity for more than 35 years specializing in Family Law.
We are committed to providing every client with aggressive personalized legal representation that focuses on empowering our clients, protecting their rights and achieving favorable outcomes in the court of law. We are extremely honored to have served over 3000 clients, and grateful for the opportunity to be of service to you and your family.
Access to information and high-quality legal representation is everything!
Q & A,s
Call our team today to make an appointment at a convenient time for you.
During this interview, an attorney will provide legal guidance, answer questions and help create a roadmap for moving forward. Most clients report coming out of their legal strategy session with a sense of relief and clarity. This typically is a 30 minute to an hour-long consultation. Attorney fees will be quoted during the consultation based on the facts of you case.
We’ll prepare your legal documents and confer with you up to filing with the courts.
Biographies
Anne Marie Saxton, Esq.
A New Orleans native, Anne’s core values and work ethic were instilled in her by her grandmother who raised Anne. Often as a young girl Anne would help her grandmother while she worked in the Rectory for the Catholic Priests as a maid for the facilities of the priest hood.
Anne’s childhood hero was her older brother Michael Starks who became the first African American to graduate from Tulane University School of Law. As a girl Anne’s grandmother always told Anne that she could be anything that she wanted to be. As Anne matured into a young lady, she realized that her passion for righting wrongs and desire to ease the pain of those who are suffering emotionally is a direct result of her family’s love and support and could be best served by becoming an attorney like her older brother.
As a high school student Anne’s consistent academic excellence was rewarded with a full ride scholarship to USC where Anne also accepted and completed an internship for the California Attorney General’s Office in Sacramento.
After graduating from USC Anne enrolled at Whittier College School of Law where she earned an American Jurisprudence Award for excellence in Legal Research and Writing.
Anne received her first opportunity as an associate attorney with Jacoby and Meyers Law Firm where she realized that family law was her true calling. In 1990, Anne established her own private practice The Law Office of Anne Dowden Saxton with a primary focus on Family law.
The Law Office of Anne Dowden Saxton offers access to a diverse network of attorneys and experienced staff with a comprehensive approach to your representation. To date with nearly 3,000 clients served Anne’s law office services includes but are not limited to:
- Restraining Orders
- Divorce
- Child Custody
- Child Support
- Fathers’ Rights
- Paternity
- Estate Planning
- Appeals
- Personal Injury
- Probate Law
- Living Trusts
- Wills
Esteemed Associations and Awards
- Admitted California State Bar Association June,1988
- Lifetime Member and Board Member of John M Langston Bar Association 2018 to present
- Member of the California Lawyers Association Family Law Section 1990 to present
- Certificate of Appreciation Outstanding Volunteer Family Law 1993
- Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law (Certificate of Tribute ) 1993
- Appointed and Served as Judge (Pro Tempore) 1991-1992
With more than 35 years’ experience practicing law with emphases on Family Law, Anne understands that each case is uniquely different, including yours, protecting your quality of life for you and your family is everything!
Anne comes from a very diverse background and has made it a point to study the world’s different cultures. She has curated her own personal extensive collection of art from different cultures and she shares her love of the arts with all those in her hemisphere. Additionally, as a natural empath, she cares deeply for humanity and the pervasive struggles of others. This transfers into her profession as a person who desires to ease the burdens and pressures of her many and varied clients.
In Anne’s free time there is nothing she enjoys more than cooking delicious Southern and Creole dishes for her family and spending quality time with her children and her grandson Donovan. In addition, she continues to observe her longtime exercise program and volunteering for Free Legal Clinics.
Travis Poteat, Esq.
Travis Poteat is an East Coast native and a graduate of both USC and the University of Colorado Law School. Travis prides himself on providing accountability, credibility and excellence in legal representation for each one of his client’s.
As one of the leading Los Angeles appellate lawyers, who collaborates with clients to address all aspects of the appellate process objectively and strategically for more than 15 plus years, Travis has helped trial counsel, and litigants keep their wins and reverse their losses. His clients’ appellate matters span a wide range of subjects including but not limited to: employment, wrongful criminal convictions, arbitration, personal injury, administrative law and probate.
Travis has extensive experience with both Trial and Appellate cases. Clients retain Travis in state courts throughout California. He has briefed and argued countless California Appeals and has won in the California Supreme Court.
There is a methodical reason why Travis’ success rate is well beyond the national average for California appellate cases and that’s no accident. He understands the importance of presenting and defending thoroughly and rigorously appeals and writs, whether that’s presenting grounds for appeal in the notice of appeal, designating the appellate records, or drafting the appellate brief. The right attorney can and will make a difference in the quality of life for you and your family forever.
Travis is active in the Los Angeles County Bar Association and is a former Committee Chair of the Taxation Section. His practice focuses on Family Law, Appellate Law, Employment Law, Personal Injury and Probate.
If you are seeking a renowned California appeals and writs attorney, contact us now.
The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.
Won an appeal before the Supreme Court of California, namely
Riverside County Sheriff’s Dept. v. Stiglitz, 60 Cal. 4th 424 (2014).
The following is a link to the opinion –
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=14015471941323441922&hl=en&as_sdt=6&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr
The following is a link to the appellate brief that I wrote –
https://scocal.stanford.edu/sites/scocal.stanford.edu/files/opinionbriefs/DRINKWATER%20K.%20FILED%20
ANSWERING%20BRIEF%20OF%20REAL%20PARTY%20IN%20INTEREST%20&%20APPELLANT%20.pdf.
– Won an appeal before the Fourth Appellate District of California,
namely City of Carlsbad v. Scholtz, 1 Cal. App. 5th 294 (2016). The
following is a link to the opinion –
https://www.leagle.com/decision/incaco20160708031.
– Won an appeal before the Second Appellate District of California,
namely Gonzalez v. City of Los Angeles (2016). The following is a link
to the opinion – https://casetext.com/case/gonzalez-v-city-of-l-a.
– Won an appeal before the Second Appellate District of California,
namely Bobby Holley v. So. Cal. Gas Co. (2018). The following is a
link to the opinion –
https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/5b34918624bff6242f22ffee.
– Won a family law appeal before the Second Appellate District of
California, namely K.A. v. R.J. (2020). The following is a link to the
opinion –https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/5e4e11504653d015bc698b85.
– Won an appeal (in part) before the Fourth Appellate District of
California, Timmins v. Zheng (2021). The following is a link to the
opinion – https://casetext.com/case/timmins-v-zheng.
– Won appeal before the Appellate Division of Kern County Superior
Court, People of the State of California v. Marvin Vanegas (2022)
Appellate Division Case AP003275A.
– Won an appeal before the Fourth Appellate District of California,
Kutler v. Ten Pharm. (2022). The following is a link to the opinion –
https://casetext.com/case/kutler-v-ten-pharm.
– Won an appeal (in part) before the Second Appellate District of
California, Fischer v. Ponce (2023). The following is a link to the
opinion – https://casetext.com/case/fischer-v-ponce.
Michael A. Starks, Esq. (1943-2011)
Mr. Starks, a native New Orleanian was the first African American graduate of Tulane Law School. After law school he continued to break barriers as the first African American lawyer to work in New Orleans’ City Attorney’s office, during the administration of Mayor Moon Landrieu. Mr. Starks went on to serve as the attorney for the Housing Authority. He continued to be a proud Tulanian, mentoring countless future attorneys, judges and business leaders both during their time in law school and into their professional life. This website has been dedicated to the loving memory of my brother Michael A. Starks, Esq.
Daisie Washington
Senior Certified Paralegal
Daisie joined the Family Law Practice of Anne Dowden Saxton as a paralegal in 2010. She is a value-driven paralegal with experience successfully supporting and managing the caseloads of multiple attorneys. Her skills include adeptly navigating the management of client deadlines, communication between parties, witness scheduling and document submissions in federal and state courts.
Daisie is well-versed with trial preparation and has managed and created trial exhibits, trial notebooks, binders and more. She is also adept and assisting with legal research utilizing Westlaw and other tools as needed.
Daisie analytical skills and appreciation for details has led her into a career in the legal field as a litigation paralegal for several trial lawyers. It is her attention to details and the ability to analyze facts, coupled with her unique ability to multitask different aspects of the law practice that has earned Daisy the success that she has enjoyed as a paralegal.
In consideration of Daisie 40 years of practical experience working with a verity of attorneys with different specialties, vast knowledge of the law and a proven track record of excellence, The Law office of Anne Dowden Saxton has entrusted her with the responsible for the office day-to-day operation and processing of cases.
With her professional training, passion, and dedication she aims to provide exceptional legal work and knowledge to her team, our clients, and our firm.
Christine Lord
Paralegal
Christine completed her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at the University of Southern California (USC) in 2020. After graduating she began working towards her paralegal certification and joined the Law Office of Anne Dowden Saxton focusing primarily in family law and probate litigation matters. Working in the office provides Christine a great deal of family law experience, satisfaction, and pleasure in helping families. Like attorney Anne Saxton, Christine hopes to one day become a family law attorney. Christine takes great pride in her work and feels that she has found a perfect fit here with Anne Saxton Law.
Nina James
Certified Paralegal
Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY
We are very pleased to have retained the services of Nina James since 2005 as our in-house Personal Injury Specialist. Nina is very passionate about assisting our clients who have suffered injury or loss to ensure they receive the best settlement results possible. She is involved in cases from start to finish, and assists with record retrieval and digesting, drafting, responding to discovery requests, and preparing for depositions. As a Senior Paralegal at GP Law in Encino CA for 10 years, Nina has assisted attorneys in numerous mediations, arbitrations and trials.
Her extensive knowledge and expertise assisting clients as they navigate the legal, medical, and financial challenges that accompany life changing devastating injuries is priceless. Nina primarily focuses on P.I. cases that include but not limited to:
- Auto
- Motorcycle
- Accidents
- Slip and Falls
- Dog Bites
- Wrongful Death
There is nothing more satisfying for Nina then helping individuals and family retaining their integrity and pride during difficult times through the personal Injury legal process. Nina understands that it is not just about money, It’s about you and your family’s quality of life.
Nina is available to answer general client inquires.