Reviews

I’ve worked with Dina Kaplan for 3 years as we’ve been advocating for appropriate FAPE services for my son. Dina is a great professional. She listens and provides practical advice on how to navigate due process and provides good advice to obtain the best outcome for your family. She makes the whole process less scary. Thank you to the firm and Dina.

We hired Vanaman German to represent us against LAUSD. We worked mostly with Valerie Vanaman and Sophia Bliziotis, who were very knowledgeable and professional in our dealings; they guided us through the complex process and gave us solid advice the whole way through. We were very happy with the work they did.

Experience, knowledge and professionalism are just some of the exceptional qualities of Valerie Vanaman. She listens to the client and works diligently to solve the matters that are most important to the families. In short, she get’s it. Valerie has been straight and direct and has continuously provided our family with exceptional advise and counsel. Our child and our family have benefited in countless ways from Valerie’s experience. She, of course, advises us on working with the school district but there is so much more that you get when working with Valerie. She has a Rolodex of the leading thought leaders in the field. These industry professionals that are her constituents are readily available to collaborate and help families help their children reach there fullest potential. Don’t be penny wise pound foolish. You get what you pay for in life. Valerie’s experience is invaluable to clients. If one was fortunate to have been coached by the legendary John Wooden or had the good fortune of attending the Berkshire Annual Meeting in Omaha then you know the value of greatness. Valerie is that kind of thought leader when is comes to advocating for children with Special Needs. She is one of the great ones.

If you're considering working with this law group, the answer is a resounding YES. We've worked with them for about five years now, on some pretty complex issues for our son, and they're the only ones we'd trust to get everything done right. They're realistic and straight shooters, and they make sure that parents have a full understanding of the many moving parts. They've also been doing this longer than anyone else, so there's that. Highly recommend!

For several years, we have retained David German (now of Vanaman German) as our lawyer in dealing with LAUSD's failures to provide our child with an appropriate teaching environment in elementary school. He has proven consistently knowledgeable about the steps we should take to achieve the best results that can be achieved in the IEP process. He has also been a very effective advocate in mediation to address failings of the IEP process. As an unexpected bonus, he has been very insightful about resources available elsewhere, including alternative schools and other learning programs for our child. I recommend him without reservation.

We have had the privilege and benefit of working with Jodi Bynder since 2013 when we reached out for support with our son’s IEP. She is knowledgeable, trustworthy, experienced and an amazing resource and partner for each of our IEP situations. Jodi has been indispensable, and we wouldn’t have accomplished as much as we did, if it were not for Jodi. No parent wants to pursue legal discussions to manage their child’s education with their local school district. When you’re not moving forward in a productive manner, it becomes imperative to have legal representation that focuses on your child and what is best for their education and their well-being. We are so fortunate to have worked with Jodi and we couldn’t be more grateful for her expertise, guidance and support.

After eight years of being told by the district that my daughter didn't qualify for an IEP (she was diagnosed with severe ADHD at age 7), Dina Kaplan became our attorney. She is kind, thorough and compassionate and throughout the more than two-year legal process, was my rock. We won the lawsuit with her expert advice and preparation and I highly recommend her for any special education legal issues. She has stellar skills and will always give you 100%.

I am incredibly grateful for the team at Vanaman German LLP, and highly recommend their services in helping provide the best possible outcome for your child’s special education. Jodi Bynder represented my son for more than 12 years, until he recently aged out of the system. Prior to meeting her, I had consulted with several attorneys, but none matched her professionalism, dedication, compassion and depth of knowledge in this field. She keenly advised us in responding to our IEPs. She also represented us at Mediation multiple times over the years and, each and every time, we reached a very satisfying agreement. Jodi clearly and expertly communicated the complex needs of my son, as well as the LAUSD’s failure to meet them. She did so with unwavering directness and grace, something appreciated by both myself and those sitting across the table. Jodi’s professional connections also served our family well. She recommended a number of gifted specialists who helped us develop a phenomenal hybrid homeschooling program which left the IEP team in awe of our son’s progress. And because the LAUSD could not provide an appropriate placement for our son, she persuaded them to reimburse us for it! Our son has far exceeded the LAUSD’s expectations, and his future is bright largely because of Jodi and her commitment to families living with disability. We are forever grateful!

I have worked with Vanaman German LLP on several different occasions for different purposes. Cindy Vega has and continues to be a clear minded advocate for our family during IEPs. She knows all of the legal stuff that us parents don't. Dina Kaplan has fought on behalf of my son and family for services/schooling and funding we never would have been able to get without her. She is kind, attentive, super smart and has won for us each time. Annabel Blanchard helped me achieve conservatorship of my son, doing all of the legal paperwork and appearing with us at court. I cannot say enough good things about this team of people. I am so thankful for everything they have done. Life would look a lot different right now if I had not meet these spectacular humans. Thank you!! - A Mom of a 19yr old with ASD.

I have used Valerie Vanaman’s office (now known as Vanaman German LLP) for my sons needs since 4th grade. He is now in 12th grade. For the last 4 years, I have had the pleasure of Dina Kaplan representing my sons interests and keeping him in the right placement for school. She always has had the upmost respect for my opinion and concerns . Phone calls and emails have always been returned. I value her knowledge and the fact that she is supported by a wealth of experience in her office. Thank you for all you do Dina. Your help in empowering parents also does not go unnoticed!

We did a search of all of the IEP attorneys in the greater LA area, and, after whittling down the list, we "interviewed" two of them. After that, it was an easy decision to work with David German. He is an amazing attorney and has been guiding our family through the highly specialized domain of the IEP, with its myriad complex rules and requirements. With him beside us, throughout the process, we know we will be well represented. He is extremely knowledgeable about the subject matter, thorough in his reviews of paperwork, calm when we are feeling upset about challenges with the process, patient with us when we are feeling frustrated with the school district, and an excellent advocate. Trust him. You won't be disappointed.

After feeling like a regurgitated tossed salad from all the B.S. my school district and Mardan School were spoon-feeding me I had to find a lawyer with integrity to support our needs. He had some hard shoes to fill considering we had Marcy Tiffany from Tiffany Law Group who successfully landed us several rounds of funding via due process hearings and much needed compensatory education. Since retaining Henry I felt supported . We are in kumbaya stage with our district at the moment due to covid but I am so grateful to have him on our side to fight for my daughter who needs to be seen and heard!