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Our mission

Vanessa M. Terzian is a nationally recognized estate planning attorney, educator, and trusted advisor who has dedicated her career to helping families protect their assets, preserve their relationships, and create lasting legacies.

An adjunct professor of Wills and Trusts at Southwestern Law School, a Top Attorney recognized by Pasadena Magazine, and a Rising Star™ selected by Super Lawyers®, Vanessa began her career as a trust officer for Wells Fargo, N.A. There, she worked closely with families, beneficiaries, portfolio managers, and attorneys, gaining a firsthand understanding of the challenges that arise when thoughtful planning is missing or when families do not have the right guidance and support during life’s most important transitions.

That experience shaped Vanessa’s career and passion for helping families navigate estate planning, trust administration, probate, and legacy preservation. She has spent years advising clients on how to protect not only their wealth, but also the relationships and values behind it.

Throughout her career, Vanessa recognized a growing need for trusted, experienced fiduciaries who could step in with professionalism, compassion, and sound judgment when families needed them most. Too often, she witnessed the burden placed on loved ones during already difficult times and understood that creating a strong estate plan was only the first step. The people entrusted to carry out that plan are just as important.

Vanessa brings a unique perspective to Athena through her legal background, business experience, and deep understanding of family dynamics. Her ability to connect with clients while navigating complex financial, legal, and personal matters allows her to provide thoughtful, strategic guidance during some of life’s most significant moments.

A skilled public speaker, Vanessa has conducted countless seminars on estate planning topics, including asset protection, special needs planning, advanced tax planning, Medi-Cal planning, and planning for future generations. She is also a faculty member at the Institute for Preparing Heirs®.

Vanessa is deeply involved in the La Cañada Flintridge community, where she resides with her husband, Edward, and their two sons, Alec and Jack. She serves as a board director of the La Cañada Education Foundation and actively supports charitable organizations throughout the community.

As a wife, mother, attorney, and fiduciary, Vanessa understands that true legacy planning extends beyond financial assets. It is about protecting families, honoring wishes, and ensuring that what someone spent a lifetime building is cared for with the same thoughtfulness and dedication with which it was created.

For Olivia Gonzalez, real estate has always represented more than property. It represents family history, years of hard work, and the foundation of a lasting legacy.

Raised in the real estate industry, Olivia developed an early understanding of the responsibility that comes with managing someone else’s most valuable assets. Her career has been built around protecting families, preserving investments, and helping clients navigate the many decisions that come with property ownership.

As President and Broker of Empire West Property Management, Inc., Olivia oversees a full-service real estate management firm serving private clients, families, fiduciaries, and estates throughout Southern California. With extensive experience managing residential, multifamily, and commercial assets, Olivia understands the complexities that arise when real estate intersects with family transitions, estate matters, and long-term planning.

Her work extends far beyond traditional property management. Over the course of her career, Olivia has guided clients through acquisitions, leasing, asset oversight, property transitions, deferred maintenance challenges, and the difficult decisions that often accompany inherited real estate.

Through years of working alongside families, trustees, beneficiaries, and professional advisors, Olivia recognized that preserving wealth requires more than simply managing assets. It requires attention to detail, strong communication, practical decision-making, and a deep respect for the people and stories behind each property.

Olivia brings a unique perspective by combining real estate expertise, operational experience, and a personal understanding of what it means to carry forward something built by previous generations. Having grown up in a family business, she understands firsthand the dedication required to create, maintain, and protect a legacy.

A licensed California Real Estate Broker and Licensed Professional Fiduciary, Olivia is committed to providing thoughtful guidance during some of life’s most important transitions. Her approach is grounded in trust, transparency, and the belief that every decision should honor both the assets being managed and the families they represent.

Olivia earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Art History from California State University, Northridge. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys collecting art, spending time at The Huntington, playing mahjong, and being with her two dogs, Charlie and Coco.