Professional Profiles

Brandt R. Stickel, JD LLM TAX

Attorney at Law

Brandt graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1974 and received his Masters in Public Health from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1978. Thereafter he worked in health planning for the Health Systems Agency in Northern Alaska, and then for the State Health Planning and Development Agency in Juneau, Alaska before returning to law school in 1983. In 1986 he graduated from Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon. He returned to California and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1987. Brandt practiced in civil litigation for the next sixteen years. In 1999, he returned to law school to complete a graduate degree in taxation (LLM) at Golden Gate University College of Law in San Francisco. After completing the LLM in 2002, he moved to Fort Bragg, California to join Sean J. Hogan, JD/CPA in his tax law practice. The firm of Hogan & Stickel, Inc. was formed in January of 2006. Since then, Brandt’s practice has emphasized estate planning, probate, trust administration, conservatorships and business organization matters. Sean Hogan retired from his practice in 2013 and Brandt has been the principal of the firm since that time.

Non-Profit organizations are important to the vitality of the Mendocino Coast and Brandt has served on numerous Boards including the Chamber of Commerce, The Redwood Coast Senior Center, The Mendocino Art Center, the Mendocino Presbyterian Church and currently, Genesee Home Ministry. He has actively participated in the Rotary Club of Mendocino since 2006.

Brandt and his wife consider themselves fortunate to live on the Mendocino Coast. They enjoy the rural lifestyle and sense of community. The hallmark of Brandt’s practice is working with and educating clients to assist them with their (legal) goals and objectives.

Sergio Fuentes

Sergio grew up in Potter Valley and Ukiah. He attended Santa Clara University intending to become a medical doctor. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a minor in Biology and an emphasis on Human Genetics.

He then returned to Ukiah and began working in the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office, as a Victim/Witness Advocate. While there, he pursued a law degree, passing the California State Bar Exam in 2009. He began his legal career as a Deputy District Attorney for the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office. In 2012, he opened his own law office in Ukiah, focusing on Immigration and Criminal Defense cases.

Sergio will focus on Estate Planning and Probate Matters and assist Spanish-speaking clients in accomplishing their goals.

Larry Flores, CPA

Certified Public Accountant

Larry, a California Certified Public Accountant, brings over 15 years of diversified tax compliance and tax counseling experience to the firm of Hogan & Stickel, Inc. Prior to moving to the Coast, Larry has served an international clientele while working for major tax and accounting firms in western Canada (KPMG, PwC) and San Francisco (KPMG, Rowbotham & Company). Larry holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from Saint Louis University (Philippines) and holds a professional accounting designation in Canada.

Larry’s practice areas include assisting individuals and businesses with their IRS and state income tax preparation and tax planning. Business clients include corporations, LLCs, partnerships, trusts, and estates.

He also provides services involving cross-border international tax planning and complex tax preparation. Typical cross-border clients include:

• U.S. citizens living or working abroad
• Nonresidents of the U.S. who are investing in real estate properties or have occasional business activities in the U.S.
• U.S. citizens who have offshore foreign accounts, investments, or business activities
• U.S. businesses that are expanding into offshore markets

Amanda Pekin

Attorney at Law

Amanda graduated from the University of Arizona in 1999 and promptly left the desert for the coast. She graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2003. After graduation, she was fortunate to serve a 1-year judicial clerkship with The Honorable George M. Masuoka, of the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court of Hawaiʻi.

Following her return to California in 2004, Amanda practiced law in the areas of civil, family and criminal law. In January, 2008, Amanda and her husband, Patrick, moved to the Mendocino Coast. In February, 2009, they opened their criminal defense law firm. They built a successful practice and worked together until 2020, when the COVID shutdowns required Amanda to leave the law to care for their three children.

In 2022, Amanda re-entered the legal field and began working at Hogan & Stickel. Her practice area now focuses on Estate Planning, Conservatorships and Trust & Probate Law. Learning new areas of law is very satisfying for Amanda. She enjoys assisting her clients with their estate plans and helping to identify and solve problems before they arise.