Received a Demand Letter From Me?

I am Sergei Tokmakov, a California attorney. If a demand letter signed by me reached you by certified mail or email, this page explains what the letter is, what it is not, how to respond, and how to confirm it is genuine.

California Bar #279869 These matters run in writing Authenticity confirmed by email
Verify the letter is genuine How to respond

I am a California attorney, Bar #279869. If you received a demand letter on my letterhead, a client retained me to present a claim against you or your business, and the letter states that client's position, the record supporting it, and a requested resolution with a response deadline.

Before accepting any demand matter, I review the parties, the jurisdiction, the core evidence, the applicable agreement or law, and whether the asserted position has a preliminary good-faith factual and legal basis. I do not operate a bulk demand-letter service, and I decline matters that do not pass that screening. If my letter reached you, the matter went through that review first.

The letter is worth reading carefully and completely. It identifies the client, the facts as documented to me, the legal grounds, the amount or action requested, and the deadline for a written response.

Receiving the letter does not mean a lawsuit has been filed against you. A demand letter is pre-litigation correspondence, not a court filing, a summons, or an order. No filing is automatic, and nothing gets filed simply because time passes.

Where my client's engagement included one, a draft complaint or arbitration demand may accompany the letter. Any such draft is expressly marked DRAFT - NOT FILED, and it is exactly that: a prepared draft showing what a filed version would look like. Its presence does not mean a case has been opened in any court or arbitral forum.

ℹ️If you want to check whether a case actually exists, court dockets are public. A demand letter itself creates no docket entry anywhere.

Respond in writing, by the deadline stated in the letter, to the contact information the letter provides. A useful response addresses three things:

  • The facts. Say what you agree with, what you dispute, and why.
  • The documents. If you have records that support your account, identify them or attach them.
  • The requested resolution. State your position on what the letter asks for, or propose an alternative.

If a matter reference appears in the letter, include it in your response so it reaches the right file. If the stated deadline is genuinely unworkable, say so in writing before it passes and propose a specific date; I review timing requests with my client.

⚠️These matters run in writing. A written response creates a clear record of what you said and when; silence until after the deadline usually narrows the options on both sides.

If you have retained an attorney for this matter, have your counsel respond in writing on your behalf. Once I am informed that you are represented, I communicate only through your counsel, which is how the professional conduct rules require these matters to run.

Ask your attorney to identify themselves and their representation in writing, with the matter reference, so the file is routed correctly from the first exchange.

Attorney names and letterheads are sometimes misused. If you want to confirm that a letter attributed to me is genuine, email owner@terms.law with the matter reference from the letter, or attach a copy of the letter itself, and I will confirm whether it came from my office.

You can also verify my license independently on my California Bar profile: apps.calbar.ca.gov, Licensee #279869.

✓If a letter uses my name but was not sent by my office, I want to know about it. Send it to the same address.

My letters state my client's position and the record supporting it. They are drafted to be factual and specific, not to insult or intimidate, and they describe legal exposure only where the reviewed record supports describing it.

You may disagree with the facts, the law, or both. That is what the written-response process is for. A response that sets out your account and your documents gets read on its merits, and many disputes resolve at that stage once both sides' records are actually on the table.

Disclaimer. This page is general information for recipients of correspondence from my office. It is not legal advice, and nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship between you and me. In any matter where my letter reached you, I represent the sender of the letter, not you, and I cannot advise you about your position. If you want advice about how to evaluate or respond to a demand letter, consider consulting your own attorney.

General resources on demand letters

I received a demand letter, what now? A general guide to understanding and responding to demand letters, from any sender. Responding to a demand letter, step by step How recipients typically assess the claims and put a written response together. Demand letter template library Over a thousand free guides and templates explaining how demand letters work by category.