Attorney
Carl R. Refuerzo,
Partner
Prior to joining Whitney Thompson & Jeffcoach in 2019, Carl practiced business law for nearly 38 years with the law firm Baker Manock & Jensen PC, where he served as managing partner for six years. Carl specializes in the areas of corporate and business law, agribusiness, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, and water law.
Carl has significant experience and expertise in the representation of local, regional, national, and international businesses, including entity planning and formation, corporate governance, business mergers and acquisitions, commercial and agricultural real estate, and financing matters. He has handled a large number of complex “bet the farm” transactions and financings. Carl advises clients with business planning, reorganizations, succession planning, and business and real estate acquisitions, sales, and mergers. He is a recognized expert in all matters affecting California agribusinesses, including regulatory matters. Carl takes pride in taking the time to learn the client’s business and develop an approach and solution that is both effective and practical.
Carl’s personal interests include golf, reading, cooking, wine, spending time with his family, including his four grandkids, and riding his road bike. He can often be found cycling around Fresno and the Monterey Coast.
Credentials
- UC Berkeley Law School, JD, 1982
- UCLA, Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, Political Science, 1979
- Admitted to the State Bar of California, 1982, all California State Courts and the U.S. District Court (Eastern District)
Community Involvement
Carl has been a long-standing member of the Valley Children’s Hospital Foundation Board. He has also served on the University of California, Merced, Foundation Board and was an Executive Committee Member of the Institute for Family Business (CSUF).
Experience
Carl’s business and real estate law experience is varied and extensive. He acts as outside general counsel for several large companies. He has recently represented clients in complex asset, stock, and real property purchases and sales, financing and factoring arrangements, numerous regulatory matters involving various California State agencies, business valuations, negotiating the settlement of complex business disputes, and corporate governance compliance.
Honors & Awards
Carl is AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated and Judiciary Rated with Martindale Hubbell. He has been consistently recognized by his peers as a Northern California Super Lawyer for well over 10 years for his primary practice in business law.
Professional Associations
- Member of the American Bar Association
- Member of the California Bar Association
- Member of the Fresno County Bar Association
- Member of the Monterey County Bar Association
