“I serve as primary legal counsel,” explains Jim. “My clients depend on me to oversee all aspects of their legal life. I have the personal experience and resources to provide exactly what they need. I save them time and money and provide them peace of mind knowing their legal and personal lives are safe and protected. Most people seek the legal assistance after problems arise. My clients understand the benefits of retaining a personal lawyer to proactively take care of their legal matters professionally, discreetly, and efficiently before serious problems occur.”
Jim began his professional career as press secretary to U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater.
Upon the Senator’s retirement, Jim was named Director of International Trade by the Governor of Arizona. Thereafter, he was appointed Policy Advisor to the Interstate Commerce Commission by President Ronald Reagan. Jim graduated from the University of Arizona and attended the renowned Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He earned his Juris Doctorate with distinction from the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law. He is a member of the California State Bar and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. Jim is a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association.
Jim served two terms as mayor of the City of Palm Desert, having been elected to the city council in 1997 and re-elected in 2002 and 2006. Prior to that, he served as chairman and member of the city’s planning commission. In 2020, Jim was named one of America’s Most Honored Lawyers by the American Registry, an honor bestowed upon the highest tier of legal professionals in the United States.
Ferguson Law Firm has a practice emphasis in the following areas: Business Law – Corporate Formation, Government Law, Sales and Leases, Contract Drafting and Enforcement, Landlord and Tenant Issues, Commercial Disputes, Regulatory Compliance, Intellectual Property, Fraud and Business Torts; Real Estate Transactions, Development and Land Use Planning; CEQA and NEPA; Trust and Estate Administration, Conservatorships and Probate Matters; Renewable Energy – Wind, Solar, Geothermal and Gassification; Municipal Law, Legislative Advocacy and Litigation.
Ferguson Law Firm has represented numerous clients before federal, state and local authorities on a wide variety of legislative, administrative and regulatory matters.
Press Secretary, Senator Barry Goldwater, 1984-1987; Director of International Trade, Arizona Department of Commerce, 1987-1988; Policy Advisor, Interstate Commerce Commission, 1988-1989; Nielsen, Merksamer, Parinello, Mueller & Naylor, 1991-1993; Slovak & Baron, 1994-1996; Founding Partner, Ferguson & Bernheimer, 1996 to 2007. Principal, Ferguson Law Firm, 2007 to Present.
Member, Beverly Hills Bar Association; Member, Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church; Mayor and Councilman, City of Palm Desert, 1997 to 2010; City of Palm Desert, 1997 to 2010; Chairman and Commissioner, Cove Communities Public Services Commission (representing the cities of Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and Indian Wells), 1997 to 2010; Chairman and Member, Board of Directors, Coachella Valley Economic Partnership, 1997 to 2010; Chairman and Member, Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, 2006 to 2010; Chairman and Member, Palm Desert Planning Commission, 1995 to 1997; Member, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Advisory Committee, 2008 to 2010; Member, Riverside County Transportation Commission, 2009 to 2010; Member, Palm Springs International Airport Commission, 1997 to 1999; Member, Lincoln Club of the Coachella Valley, 1995 to 2010 (Board of Directors, 1995 to 1997); Member, State Bar of California. Member/Elder, Palm Desert Community Presbyterian Church, 1994 to 2018.
Georgetown University, Institute on Comparitive Political and Economic Systems (1983); University of Arizona (B.A.S., 1989); McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific (J.D., with distinction, 1993). Order of the Coif; Order of the Barristers; Traynor Honor Society; Phi Delta Phi. Recipient: Faculty Award, Most Significant Contribution to Overall Legal Scholarship; Member, Moot Court Honors Board Executive Committee, 1993; Two time National Semi-Finalist, American Bar Association Moot Court Competition, 1992 and 1993.
Admitted to the State Bar of California, December 12, 1993.
Admitted to the United States Supreme Court, January 22, 2001.
3003 Benedict Canyon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 994-3660 Beverly Hills
(424) 346-2237 Malibu
jim@govlaw.com