Career Highlights-Litigation
1975-1976, Collins v. Pittsburgh National Bank.
1981-1988, Lester v. Arcwel.
1988-1992, Knight v. Jewett
1991-Current, Representation of local, privately owned naval master ship repair facility.
1992-1993, Resolution of serious problems between a local technical company in North County, and ultimate assistance in selling the same company to a NYSE company.
1993-1998, Noon v. USA Track & Field.
The firm, along with assistance of joint venturing firm Terry Singleton & Associates, prosecuted the action set forth above, which causes of action were primarily framed in the form of intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, as well as defamation. In sum, USA Track & Field was found liable for defamation and the associated damages, part of which damages resulted in the plaintiff having been denied a level playing field for entry into the final 1992 Olympic tryouts (defendant UCLA settled out on favorable terms).
A jury verdict was obtained in the amount of $982,000 and, when added to costs, exceeded $1,000,000. Subsequent to the denial of defendant’s motion for new trial made before the Honorable Richard Haden, the Judge, for some inexplicable reason reversed himself (in our opinion “reversible error”) and granted what was essentially a second hearing and granting a new trial. All this was premised on what plaintiffs believe was bogus evidence, or at least inconclusive evidence presented after the trial was completed, of some notes which, had they been true, indicated perjury on the part of some of the witnesses in the trial.
Once the Judge reversed himself, the onus was then thrust upon the plaintiff to carry the burden to the Court of Appeals, which Court in or about 1998 entered a decision upholding the lower Court, never reaching the actual issues (whether or not Judge Haden had committed error), but rather stated that there should have been a judgment notwithstanding the verdict entered by the Court. The trial Court and all counsel are fully aware that there was more than substantial evidence to uphold the verdict; this was a true travesty of justice. An appeal was taken to the California Supreme Court but, given the fact that it is a discretionary appeals court and accordingly exercised its discretion not to hear the appeal, the long journey traveled by this young man and his law firm ended at that juncture.
Notwithstanding the clear miscarriage of justice, the jury verdict obtained in this matter by this law firm in association with the law firm of Terry Singleton & Associates was the first jury verdict in history to have been entered against a U.S. Olympic Committee governing body relative to alleged violations of the drug testing protocol of those organizations.
1998-2000, Silver Fox Merchandising v. Kelso, et al.
2000-2013
The ongoing litigation included representation of large processing companies of agricultural goods in connection with cross border relations for monies owed on crops; recovery of converted real property for international clients on a local basis; negotiating buy-outs of sophisticated night club alliances; ongoing business advice for those same venues and ultimately sales contracts for the venues.
On the large damage side of case law the firm was associated with Singleton & Associates on an extremely large injury accident case involving a lady who had an excess of $1 million in medical damages; there were other lawsuits where we defended computer companies and partners in defense contractors for various and assorted claims of alleged violations of fiduciary duties; the firm was involved in defending and prosecuting many partnership and co-shareholder’s disputes among various businesses; the firm represented certain contractors and dealt with contractors state licensing board. Further, there were business brokerage commission disputes where the firm was involved and successful at trial, and in addition to negotiating many leases there were many lease disputes that the firm became involved with, either through litigation or preliminary negotiations resolved prior to litigation.
The firm also became involved with defending some very serious environmental spill/clean up indemnification; lastly the firm has developed a sub-specialty in the area of trouble shooting problems vis-a-vis trustees of trusts as defendants or plaintiffs in various large estates where there can be multiple claimed breaches of fiduciary duties with resulting large economic damages. Suffice to say that the litigation experience of the firm continues to build over the approximate 34 years of which the company has been in business (the owner of the company has been in the law practice for 39 years).