Brian Pellis is a practicing attorney and experienced litigator in civil rights and employment matters. He recently established a new firm focused primarily on estate planning, and he is enjoying the collaborative environment of what one of his colleagues refers to as “happy law” as opposed to the adversarial nature of litigation.

Brian is married to Nesengh and they reside in the beautiful foothill community of Yucaipa, California.  He was born at March Air Force Base and raised in nearby Redlands. He holds several degrees including a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Claremont McKenna College, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California, and a Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School.  Brian will also receive a Master of Laws degree in Wealth Management from Texas A&M University School of Law in 2025.

In 1997, Brian began volunteering for the San Bernardino Police Department as a Reserve Police Officer and served in that role for over a decade while attending college and law school and during his early years as a practicing attorney. Brian was later appointed as the Acting Assistant Inspector General for the Los Angeles Police Commission. In 2008, Brian made law enforcement his full-time career, rising to the level of Police Captain over the next 16 years before returning to the fulltime practice of law.

Brian was first introduced to Rotary in 1994 when he was selected to participate in a Rotary Youth Exchange program while attending Yucaipa High School.  He is now a member of the Rotary Club of San Bernardino, established in 1919.  He has served in a variety of club and district positions, most recently as Assistant Governor and member of the District 5330 Human Trafficking Awareness Team.

Five Fun Facts

1. Brian credits much of his leadership philosophy to lessons learned from Captain Jean-Luc Picard: remain calm in chaos, listen before speaking, respect every voice, never compromise on integrity, ensure empathy and compassion, and never underestimate the power of diplomacy (or a good cup of Earl Grey).
2. Brian and Nesengh share a passion for travel, immersing themselves in diverse cultures, enjoying interesting cuisines, and embracing new experiences. Their most recent adventure was a homecoming trip to Nesengh’s native Perú.
3. Brian loves animals and has two red Siberian Huskies named Kayuqtuq and Kunik, which are Iñupiaq words meaning red fox and kiss.
4. Although Brian enjoys being an attorney and values his experience serving the community as a law enforcement officer, his dream job would be to explore the world as a food critic and travel writer.
5. Brian enjoys a variety of sports and the highlight of his athletic career involved a rare, unassisted baseball triple play to win the game. Respecting the Four Way Test and in the interest of full transparency, this impressive athletic feat was achieved when Brian was six years old playing tee ball, and it was all downhill from there.