About Us
Find out more about our experience and credentials.
More than just ordinary attorneys
Scott and Father Lu have extensive experience practicing law and they have both worked in Christian nonprofit organizations.
What makes us different is our years of personal ministry experience. Scott Richert has practiced law for more than three decades. During that time, he completed seminary and served as a bi-vocational teaching pastor at an independent evangelical church. Lu Nguyen has more than 20 years in law practice, is a licensed tax attorney and an ordained Anglican priest.
Scott X. Richert, MA, JD
Attorney
What sets Scott apart from other nonprofit attorneys is his first-hand experience as a teaching pastor. His work in the trenches uniquely qualifies him to anticipate and protect you or your religious nonprofit from the problems and conflicts posed by our rapidly changing legal environment. He and our team will work diligently to protect you or your organization.
Scott spent several years in insurance defense, followed by a general litigation practice. His client list includes pastors, churches, nonprofits, Christian schools, businesses, corporations, real estate companies, a multinational tractor manufacturer and an automobile manufacturer. He now focuses his practice on protecting religious nonprofit organizations, general business transactions, real estate and estate planning.
Scott Richert is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UC Berkeley. He earned a Juris Doctorate at UC Hastings Law School and a master’s degree in biblical and theological studies at Western Seminary.
Scott and his wife live in the foothills of California near Lake Tahoe. He is an ordained pastor and served several years in that capacity while maintaining a law practice. He currently volunteers in his local church, has taught at a Christian high school, and has served on several nonprofit boards. Scott’s favorite Bible passage is Philippians 3:7-11. His favorite hobbies are hiking, cycling and skiing.
Lu T. Nguyen, PhD, JD
Special Counsel
Lu T. Nguyen has been in law practice for 25 years and in pastoral ministry for over three decades. In the two decades of law practice, he has represented nonprofits, churches and denominations all the way up to the California Supreme Court. A member of the United States Tax Court, he is licensed to practice federal tax law in all US jurisdictions. He is currently a senior attorney in the areas of tax, trust and nonprofit law as well as special counsel for Christian Nonprofit Law Center.
Nguyen is a magna cum laude graduate in religion at Taylor University College, the University of Alberta in Canada, having previously studied industrial and systems engineering, religious studies, business and military science at UC Berkeley and San Jose State University. A high-honors alumnus of several seminaries and graduate schools including Princeton Theological Seminary, he has earned the additional graduate degrees of Master of Divinity (Golden Gate Seminary), Master of Theological Studies (Taylor Seminary), Doctor of Philosophy (University of Alberta) and the Doctor of Ministry (abd) (Princeton). While serving as an Anglican priest, he completed the Doctor of Jurisprudence at Lincoln Law School of San Jose and the Master of Laws in Taxation at Golden Gate University School of Law.
Father Lu’s favorite scriptural passage is Romans 8:35-39. His favorite devotional book is My Utmost for His Highest. His favorite early theologians are Tertullian and St. Augustine of Hippo, not only because of their impact but also because of their imperfections. Lastly, his favorite speaker is Chuck Swindoll, who is so gifted that he hates and loves him at the same time!
Contact: (916) 791-2572 or esqphd@gmail.com
Carolyn Richert
Office Manager and Legal Assistant
Carolyn Richert graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science. She obtained her Master of Fine Arts from Mills College in Oakland, California. She has been a law office manager for over two decades, and she also serves part-time as a College and Career Counselor at a local Christian High School.
Carolyn loves skiing, tennis, book club and traveling.