Building Families, Inc. has partnered with Mahan & Mahan, Attorneys at Law to provide our in-state clients with legal expertise. Mahan & Mahan is a full service law firm with offices in several locations in Southern California.
James P. Mahan
I graduated from Stanford Law School and passed the California Bar in 2018 and the Oregon and Nevada Bars in 2019. I am currently licensed in a number of states (AZ, D.C., CA, ID, MD, MT, NV, OR, WA, & WY). Before going to law school, I spent 8 years on Active Duty in the US Navy as a Submarine Officer. I thoroughly enjoyed serving my country and now I look forward to continuing a life of service in this new chapter of my career. Throughout my time in law school and since graduating, I have been privileged to work for my family’s firm; first as a legal assistant and business development strategist and then as an associate attorney after passing the Bar Exam.
I moved my family to Boise (Idaho) during the 2020 summer and have continued to expand my operating area by working tirelessly to become licensed to practice throughout most of the Western United States. Surrogacy and Donation arrangements are my passion and I am thrilled to continue working with Paula and Kevin and managing their ART legal practice. As a father of four young children, I know the joys, challenges, and rewards of raising a family. I can’t think of a better way to dedicate my life’s work than helping fulfill the dream of parenthood for every potential parent that desires to have a family of their own. I am excited to expand our firm’s geographic footprint by cultivating opportunities to work with surrogates, donors, and IPs in their quest to build the future families of tomorrow.
Kevin Mahan
I graduated from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, in 1978 and passed the Bar that year. Prior to law school, I had completed my BA and MBA at USC and spent 5 years in the USAF as a Rescue Helicopter pilot in southeast Asia. I had always been predisposed toward helping people solve their problems and a career in law was for me the natural progression of life after Viet Nam.
With the help of my wife, Paula, we set up our own law practice specializing in Family Law, Bankruptcy/Foreclosure, Workers’ Compensation and Drunk Driving. At the same time we managed to conceive and raise 4 beautiful boys.
When we added surrogacy to our Family Law practice we knew we had ventured into an exciting new field. At the time, we had just seen the shocking outcome of the Mary Beth Whitehead case. Like Solomon, the judge tried to be fair to all sides. Working on a case of first impression with no controlling law, he made a decision that pleased no one. It was unacceptable precedent and in the ensuing years, we all worked very hard to make sure that that outcome was not repeated.
We have been remarkably successful. Today we have law in California that is protective of the rights of both Intended Parents and Surrogates, and addresses the flaws of the Whitehead case. It holds all parties accountable to the promises and intentions expressed in the contract, and has provided a secure and satisfying resolution for many thousands of people struggling with the frustration of infertility.
Paula Mahan
I graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, in 1978, and passed the California Bar that same year. My first job was as a criminal prosecutor with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Eventually, I went into private practice with my husband, Kevin M. Mahan, and my first case was an independent adoption. That experience became the initial step in what has become a long and storied journey….a journey that has taken decades.
I was part of a small group of legal practitioners who helped merge bold new ideas in Family Law with innovative medical technologies in the treatment of infertility. The early formative years were exciting times, marked by great forward strides, along with a few minor setbacks. Today those efforts have become the cornerstone of a huge medical-legal industry in California that attracts people from all over the world who are in need of surrogate parenting services and/or some of their corollaries: egg donation, sperm donation and embryo donation.
With the help of California’s welcoming and inclusive laws, artificial reproductive services are available to all those seeking to become parents…including heterosexual couples, same-sex couples, and unmarried singles. We have come a long way toward the goal of eradicating the heartbreak of infertility.
We look forward to helping you achieve your parenting goals!
You can find out more about Mahan & Mahan at their website: www.mahanattorneys.com