About

R. Anthony Bauman

Our Firm’s Philosophy

Trust and Plain Dealing. We will honestly assess your case after listening to your concerns. If we can help you, we will explain the necessary procedures and tell you how much it will cost. If we cannot help you, we will tell you that as well. If we accept your case, Mr. Bauman will personally handle your case from beginning to end.

Common Sense

“Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 to 1882)

We solve problems. We provide common sense solutions that make economic sense for you, your family, and your business.

Experience

Probate and trust litigation, trials, and ADR

Probate and Trust Litigation and Trials

R. Anthony Bauman has been helping individuals, families, and businesses in San Diego and Southern California since 1982. We have the litigation and trial experience to see your case through trial and appeal if necessary. Mr. Bauman has tried some 13 cases to jury verdict, tried civil bench trials to decision, and tried probate, trust, and limited conservatorship bench trials to decision.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Did you know that nearly 95% of probate and trust cases settle before trial? It costs $80,000 to $150,000 to litigate and take a probate case through a five day probate bench trial. And then there are post-trial motions and appeals. The cost is just obscene. Probate and trust trials tear families apart. They are stressful and no way to spend precious days of your life. After years of court battles, Mr. Bauman became a student of negotiation and mediation. We believe it makes sense to sit down with opposing counsel early on and see if a commonsense resolution can be reached before thousands of dollars are spent litigating a case that has a 95% chance of settling before trial.

Education

Academic background

LL.M. in Taxation, University of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, California, 1999.
J.D., Western State University, San Diego, California, 1981.
Law Review 1979, People v. Wheeler.
F. Lee Bailey Moot Court Competition, 1981. Awarded Outstanding Oral Advocate by F. Lee Bailey.
B.A., University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, 1978. College of Fine and Applied Arts, Emphasis in Communication, Theory of Argument, Debate Team.

Mediation & Negotiation

Training and court appointments

Harvard University’s Negotiation Project, Program of Instruction for Lawyers, June 1996. Weeklong Negotiation Workshop. Privileged to study negotiation under Professor Roger Fisher, author of Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In.
Credentialed Mediator, National Conflict Resolution Center Mediator Training, Summer 2013, San Diego, California.
Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, Mediating the Litigated Case, July 2026. Weeklong Mediation Training.
Appointed by the Probate Division of the San Diego Superior Court to serve as a settlement officer for probate and trust Mandatory Settlement Conferences.

Certified Specialist

Taxation Law

In addition to probate and trust counseling, our clients receive the added benefit of tax advice and planning. R. Anthony Bauman is certified as a Tax Law Specialist by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization. He earned an LL.M. (Master of Law) in Taxation from the University of San Diego School of Law, Graduate Tax Program, and served as an Adjunct Professor of Tax Law in the Graduate Tax Program from 2002 to 2013.

Peer Recognition

Martindale-Hubbell AV Rated Law Firm

R. Anthony Bauman, APLC is a Martindale-Hubbell AV rated law firm. The AV rating is given to attorneys who have demonstrated preeminent legal skills and the highest legal ethics.

Lectures

Speaking engagements

State Bar of California Taxation Section, Annual Meeting, November 2004, San Jose, California. “Going Solo: Making All the Right Moves and Avoiding the Pitfalls.”
State Bar of California Taxation Section Education Institute, San Francisco, California, January 2005. “Going Solo: Making All the Right Moves and Avoiding the Pitfalls.”
Thomas Jefferson School of Law, MCLE, Taxation of Damage Awards and Settlements, August 2005.
Senior Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), a division of the United States Small Business Administration. Topics included Choice of Entity, Payroll Taxes, Trademark, Operating Issues, Lease Negotiation, and Taxation of Small Businesses. 1997 to 2002 (approximately).

Publications

Published legal articles

Your Honor, I Think I Better Talk to One of the Free Lawyers: California County Bar Associations Pro Se Tax Court Programs. California Tax Lawyer, Volume 14, Number 1, Spring 2005.
First Year on the Bench: A Visit with Recently Appointed United States Tax Court Judges Joseph Robert Goeke and Diane L. Kroupa. California Tax Lawyer, Volume 13, Number 3, Summer 2004.
First Year on the Bench, Part II: A Visit with Recently Appointed Tax Court Judges Harry Allen Haines, Mark van Dyke Holmes, and Robert Allen Wherry. California Tax Lawyer, Volume 13, Number 4, Fall 2004.
Understanding How the FTB’s Legal Division Works: A Visit with FTB Chief Counsel John W. Davies. California Tax Lawyer, Volume 12, Number 2, Spring 2003.
Understanding How the IRS’s Chief Counsel Office Works: A Visit with IRS Chief Counsel B. John Williams. California Tax Lawyer, Summer 2003.
Understanding How the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division Works: A Visit with Assistant Attorney General Eileen J. O’Conner. California Tax Lawyer, Volume 12, Number 4, Fall 2003.
Are You Responsible for Someone Else’s Taxes? San Diego Daily Transcript Law Journal, Vol. 1, No. 1, January 1998.
The Choice of Business Entity, An Important Decision for Your Business. San Diego Daily Transcript Law Journal, Vol. 1, No. 2, May 1998.
Tax Tips for Travel. San Diego Daily Transcript Law Journal, Vol. 1, No. 3, October 1998.

Community Impact

Volunteer court appointed Mandatory Settlement Officer for the San Diego Superior Court, Probate Division.
San Diego Humane Society, Community Engagement Division. Canine Ambassador (Therapy Dog), “Cody” the Golden Retriever, December 2, 2019 to present.
Del Mar Little League Juniors Coordinator and Coach, 2009 to 2010.
Del Mar Little League Volunteer Umpire, 2007 to 2009.
San Diego County Legal Aid Tax Clinic, 2005 to 2006.
Dads’ Club President, Carmel Del Mar Elementary School, 2003 to 2004.
Meals on Wheels, February 1999 to 2004.
Solana Beach Sunrise Rotary, 1997 to 1998.
KPBS Public Radio, San Diego, 1987 to 1992. Broadcast news and reading materials for the visually impaired from KPBS studios at San Diego State University.

Military

United States Navy

1969 to 1971. Honorable Discharge. E-3 Radioman.