James P. Griffith (Contributor Photo)

James P. Griffith will join Santa Barbara-based business and litigation firm Howell Moore & Gough LLP as partner on Jan. 1.

Currently of counsel to the firm, he will practice in the areas of estate planning, probate and trust administration, trust and estate litigation, and general civil litigation.

A graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the UC Davis King Hall School of Law, Griffith served as president of the Santa Barbara County Bar Association in 2016.

Proficient in spoken and written Japanese, Griffith is a delegate to the California Conference of Bar Associations, and is also a member of the board of directors of Transition House.