top of page

JOHN C. PEIFFER II | PARTNER

JCP cropped.jpg
VCARD.png
printer.jpg

John C. Peiffer II, J.D., A.M.
PARTNER
John.Peiffer@brownandstreza.com
 
 
 

RELATED PRACTICES

Screen Shot 2021-04-20 at 1.26.33 PM.png

BIO

John Peiffer is a partner with the Orange County, California law firm of Brown & Streza LLP. John counsels a wide range of nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations, including both public charities and private foundations, with a particular emphasis on religious organizations. He advises dioceses, religious orders, private religious schools, and other religious institutions on mission-focused corporate restructuring, governance, and compliance. John has negotiated and documented numerous pledges, endowments, and other major gifts to charitable, educational, and religious organizations.

John also regularly counsels business owners and their families on succession and charitable planning through irrevocable trusts, charitable trusts, family limited partnerships and LLCs, private foundations, supporting organizations, and other structures designed to accomplish clients’ estate planning and philanthropic goals. He advises for-profit and nonprofit clients on business transactions, entity structures, and corporate formation and governance.

John received his Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School after receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies and English from Santa Clara University and a Master of Arts in Religious Studies from the University of Chicago Divinity School.

John also co-founded and serves as President and General Counsel of the Napa Legal Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on providing corporate, tax, philanthropic, and other non-litigation legal and financial education for faith-based nonprofits.

Click here for John's complete biography.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND | PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION | PUBLICATIONS

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
 

Brown & Streza LLP, Irvine, California: Partner, 2021-Present

The Busch Firm, Irvine, California

Chief Executive Officer, 2016-2020

Attorney and Shareholder, 2015-2020

Attorney, 2010-2014

Baker McKenzie, San Francisco, California

Senior Associate Attorney, 2014-2015

Associate Attorney, 2008-2010

Dowling Aaron & Keeler, Fresno, California: Associate Attorney, 2006-2008

O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Los Angeles, California: Litigation Paralegal, 2001-2003

Juris Doctor, cum laude, Notre Dame Law School, Notre Dame, IN, 2006

Master of Arts, Religious Studies, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2000

Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, Classical Studies and English, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California, 1998

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
 

2015 “Southern California SuperLawyers - Rising Star”

Published by Los Angeles magazine and The Journal for Law & Politics. Only 2.5% of Southern California lawyers in Los Angeles and Orange Counties receive this honor.

PUBLICATIONS
 

Napa Legal Institute, August 2020, White Paper

“Toward a Spirituality of Compliance”

Napa Legal Institute, revised July 24, 2020

Co-author, “Sample Employee Handbook for Catholic Schools”

Napa Legal Institute, White Paper

“Why a Religious Corporation?”

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
 

Napa Institute Principled Entrepreneurship Conference, New York, New York, October 13, 2021

Panelist, Faith, Family, & Charitable Giving

Napa Institute, Napa, California, July 23, 2021

Moderator, Panel Discussion, Cancel Culture: How to Protect Your Nonprofit Against Big Tech

Stand Together, Live Interactive Webinar, March 30, 2021

Co-Presenter, Strategic and Personalized Approaches to Family Philanthropy

Napa Legal Institute, Live Interactive Webinar, October 12, 2020

Co-presenter, Practice What You Preach: Securing and Communicating Religious Identity in Cancel Culture

OSV Institute, Live Interactive Webinar, September 30, 2020

Co-presenter, Human Resource and Employment Considerations for Religious Organizations

Napa Legal Institute, Live Interactive Webinar, August 13, 2020

Co-presenter, Hardening the Target: Protecting Your Lay Apostolate in the Next America

Napa Legal Institute Webinar, recorded September 16, 2019

Co-presenter, Steps for Success for Catholic Lay Apostolates, Part I

Napa Legal Institute Webinar, recorded October 3, 2019

Co-presenter, Steps for Successor for Lay Apostolates, Part II: Becoming and Staying Exempt

EWTN Catholic Radio Conference, Birmingham, Alabama, November 8, 2018

Bylaws Tune-ups: Principles and Proposals

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
 

Napa Legal Institute: President and General Counsel

California Lawyers Association, Trusts & Estates Section: Member

California Lawyers Association, Business Law Section: Member

bottom of page