About Chad O.
Chad O. Dorr followed a course that began in the classroom and moved into the cockpit before turning to law. He earned a B.S. in English from the United States Naval Academy in 1988 and an M.A. in English Language & Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park the same year. Years later he returned to academics and completed a J.D. at UC Berkeley School of Law in 2012.
His early career was in the Navy. He served as a helicopter pilot and retired with the rank of Commander. That experience shaped his approach to complex, high-stakes situations and taught him to weigh decisions under pressure. It also sent him back to school and into the legal profession.
After law school he joined Jones Day as an associate in 2012. He worked there on litigation and transactional matters. Six years later he became a partner at Perry, Johnson, Anderson, Miller & Moskowitz LLP. The move placed him in a firm environment where client counseling and probate matters are part of the day-to-day work.
Dorr holds admissions in California and the District of Columbia. He maintains membership in professional and civic organizations in Sonoma County and the surrounding region. Since 2017 he has been a member of the Sonoma County Bar Association. He also serves on the boards of the Sonoma County Parks Foundation and the Redwood Empire Estate Planning Council, roles that connect him to local civic and estate-planning communities.
His background in English, combined with years in the military and a law degree from Berkeley, gives him a distinctive profile among lawyers of his generation. He brings an analyst’s attention to language and a pilot’s discipline to case management. Clients and colleagues see a lawyer who reads complex documents carefully and who plans next steps with a clear sequence.
Colleagues describe him as pragmatic and methodical. He moved from a large national firm to a regional firm where he could take on a broader range of responsibilities. That shift also placed him closer to community organizations he has supported for years.
He practices law at Perry, Johnson, Anderson, Miller & Moskowitz LLP and is admitted in California and the District of Columbia. He handles estate planning and related matters in his current practice.
