The journey was long, hard, and lonely. While her friends were having baby showers and celebrating their children’s birthdays, Stephanie was sticking herself with needles and subjecting herself to countless ultrasounds, medical procedures, surgeries and doctor’s appointments in hopes that she might one day become a parent. It took eight years for that hope to turn into reality, with Stephanie undergoing more than 10 artificial insemination procedures in the first two years. The next six years saw Stephanie enduring 13 IVF procedures. Every so often, she would get pregnant and be hopeful that this time it would work. But, it never did. Stephanie had three miscarriages before she finally realized her dream when her children were born via surrogate. She had her children. The wait had been worth it. As the founder and principal of The Surrogacy Law Center, PLC, Stephanie has represented thousands of clients from all over the world, including intended parents, surrogates and egg, sperm and embryo donors. Stephanie’s expertise in family formation and reproductive law has made her a sought-after expert who has appeared on various television and radio programs as well as in print media including The Today Show, ABC News, HuffPost Live, The Daily Beast, The Bakersfield Californian, Washington Examiner, the Creating a Family radio program, NPR, Fox News, The Los Angeles Times, The Union Tribune and the L.A. Daily Journal (and again on March 23rd, 2015). In 2017 Stephanie established The Estate Planning & Legacy Law Center, PLC, a full-service estate planning law firm, further highlighting her commitment to serving families and ensuring their peace of mind. Stephanie is a Fellow of the Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, serving on its Ethics Code Review Committee, and is a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, serving on the Executive Board of its Legal Professional Group. She is also a member of the American Bar Association and the San Diego Bar Association and serves on the boards of Fertile Action and Parents Via Egg Donation.

Jennifer joined The Surrogacy Law Center as an associate attorney in 2015 after her law school study of both domestic and cross-border reproductive law piqued her interest in the field. Jennifer has practiced exclusively in the area of assisted reproductive technologies law over the past decade, shaping her ability to provide unmatched legal counsel to her clients, including intended parents, donors, and gestational carriers. She aims to advocate for her clients with compassion while maintaining the highest ethical standards and also utilizes her expertise to ensure her clients are legally protected and well-informed at every step of their assisted reproduction journeys. Jennifer received her BA from the University of Chicago in 2007 and later received her JD from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2015, graduating cum laude. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, cheering on her daughters at their various sporting events, and exploring new coffee shops and restaurants. Jennifer is licensed to practice law in California, Colorado and Michigan.

Tatiana Walton is a California licensed attorney. Originally from Brazil, she has been fortunate enough to experience working in different areas of the law both in her native country and in the United States. Tatiana has been working in the surrogacy and egg donation industry since 2012 and is very passionate about this area of the law. Her multi-cultural background provides her a unique perspective into the needs of clients from all over the world. Her legal experience also includes work in securities law and estate planning in Brazil and in the United States. Tatiana graduated from Mackenzie University School of Law, in Sao Paulo. Tatiana has two daughters and in her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, reading and cooking.

Melanie joined The Surrogacy Law Center in 2013 and has over 12 years of experience as a Certified Paralegal and Human Resources Manager. As the Director of Operations and as Senior Paralegal to Stephanie Caballero, Melanie is involved in all aspects of reproductive law handled by the law center. Melanie takes great pride in her position and works hard to ensure the firm is consistently providing its clients with the highest level of customer service. Melanie is especially honored to work in this area of law in assisting families achieve their dreams of having children. Melanie is married with two children. She enjoys traveling, going to the beach and exercising.

Alex has been a proud member of The Surrogacy Law Center team since 2014. Alex’s duties as European Case Manager and Senior Paralegal include management of all contracts for European clientele and contract case management for surrogates and egg donors. Alex was born in Spain and moved to the United States at age six. Alex has always had a passion for all things international so he followed that passion by joining his high school’s Model United Nations team, spending his summers abroad, and honing his Spanish at a European Language Academy. Alex received a BA in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations from the University of California, Santa Barbara. After college, Alex continued his education by obtaining his Paralegal Certification from the University of San Diego. In his free time, Alex enjoys jet skiing, moonlit dinners, and spending quality time with his family.

Melody Y. Mak (Paralegal) is passionate about helping the intended parents to grow their families through the help of our firm. She focuses on various contracts and the parental establishment process, thriving to ensure that all parties have a seamless and positive experience with building their families. The best part of her job is knowing the surrogate babies are born and sharing the joy with the intended parents. Melody graduated from The University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor of Social Work and completed her Paralegal Certificate at UCSD. She is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin. Outside of the office, she enjoys exploring the globe.

Mallory joined The Surrogacy Law Center in 2019 as the Accounting Administrator. Mallory assists the finance team with maintaining the attorney-client trust accounts and the daily financial operations for the business. Mallory received her Paralegal Certificate from the University of California San Diego in November of 2017 and has worked in the legal field for over three years. In her free time, Mallory enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going to the beach, and enjoying everything San Diego has to offer. Fun fact, Mallory was born and raised in North County San Diego!