Meet Our Team
Channel Islands Law Group, a P.C.
Russ Charvonia
ChFC, CLU, CFP®, Esq.
Russ Charvonia is the founder of Channel Islands Law Group, a professional corporation, in Ventura, California. Russ has combined a 40-plus year career as a financial planner with his estate planning law practice to provide a unique perspective to address clients’ needs and concerns.
Russ is also a managing member and co-founder of Channel Islands Group, a financial planning firm in Ventura, California. He attended various colleges for undergraduate studies and graduated from the Ventura College of Law with a Juris Doctorate in 2004. Russ is a Certified Financial Planner®, Chartered Financial Consultant, Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Life Underwriter and Retirement Plans Associate. He is a registered representative holding Series 7 and 63 licenses from FINRA. Russ also helps people resolve disputes before they evolve into litigation through the Channel Islands Mediation Services firm.
Russ is involved with many philanthropic endeavors and currently serves on the boards of directors of the Conflict Resolution Institute of Ventura County, the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, and the Worldwide Civility Council. He also served as Grand Master for the Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of California in 2014-15.
Russ was born in 1962. Russ lives in Ventura with his wife Linda. He has a daughter, Alissa; a son and daughter-in-law, Keith and Kendall; and grandsons, Tanner and Hudson.
Max Shoemaker
Attorney
Max Shoemaker is an experienced attorney focusing on estate planning, trust administration, business planning and contract law. Since joining Channel Islands Law Group in 2023, Max has worked closely with individuals and families to create thoughtful estate plans designed to protect assets, preserve legacies, and provide long-term peace of mind. He also advises business owners on contract matters and business formation, drawing on a practical and detail-oriented legal approach.
Prior to private practice, Max developed a strong in-house legal background working with large entertainment companies, where he served as the legal point of contact for multiple unscripted television productions. He managed complex contracts and legal matters from development through post-production and delivery, experience that continues to inform his clear, strategic counsel to clients.
Max earned his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles in 2016. While at Loyola, he served as a Senior Editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review and was recognized as Best Senior Editor in his third year. He also externed for a Federal District Court judge in the Central District of California.
As a father of two, Max understands the importance of planning for the future at every stage of life and brings that perspective to his estate planning practice. He is committed to providing personalized, responsive legal services tailored to each client’s goals.
Originally from San Diego County, Max opened the Huntington Beach office in 2021 and relocated to Ventura in 2025. He currently works primarily out of Channel Islands Law Group’s Ventura office, with additional availability in Huntington Beach.
In his spare time, you will find him experimenting recipes in his kitchen or backyard or exploring outdoor activities with his wife and kids.
Rhiannon Wademan
Paralegal
Rhiannon is a Paralegal with Channel Islands Law Group. She assists with all aspects of the firm’s estate planning law practice, including the drafting of Wills and Trusts, Property Transfers, as well as Probate proceedings.
In 2013, she was accepted to the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia, and graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 2017. She then completed her Paralegal Certificate from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2021. It was there that she fostered her interest in estate planning and the value of helping people to plan ahead for their futures. She is dedicated to supporting clients in their time of need.
Outside of work she enjoys figure skating, which she has been practicing competitively for over 20 years. She serves on the Board as Secretary for Ventura County Ice Sports, a non-profit dedicated to bringing ice sports back to Western Ventura County
In her spare time, she enjoys travelling the world, spending time with family and friends, and relaxing with a good mystery novel.
Sherry Shoemaker
Legal Assistant
Sherry comes from a healthcare management background, utilizing the same detail-oriented, confidential training in her position as a legal assistant. She is skilled in managing deadlines, maintaining confidential records and a proactive approach to supporting efficient legal operations for Channel Islands Law Group.
Sherry spent most of her career in San Diego. She moved to Ventura to be near family, her son, his wife and their two children. Sherry enjoys walking/hiking, discovering new restaurants, traveling, and reading murder mysteries.
