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Civil Litigation

While most of us try to live our lives without getting involved in litigation, sometimes it is simply unavoidable.

Maybe you were injured in a traffic accident and the other driver’s insurance company won’t pay a reasonable settlement for your injuries. Perhaps someone owes you money and refuses to pay. Worse yet, maybe someone sues you – with or without good reason.

The civil justice system is designed so that you can represent yourself in court. However, in all but the simplest cases (such as small claims), self-representation is usually a poor option. Civil litigation can be a mine field for non-lawyer litigants. Trial attorneys have gone to law school to learn the Rules of Evidence; they spend their professional lives learning and improving techniques to effectively present and argue the evidence of a case to a judge or a jury. If an experienced insurance defense attorney represents the party who has caused you harm, then you deserve to be represented by an experienced trial attorney of your own.

We can assist you in most forms of civil litigation by providing aggressive and skilled representation through all stages of the process – from the pre-filing investigation of your claim and the filing of a complaint, through hearings on motions, creating or responding to “discovery” requests, trying your case before a jury, judge or arbitrator, to enforcing the judgment. We represent both plaintiffs and defendants in litigation matters.

We have over thirty years of experience in Superior Courts and arbitration forums throughout California, including personal injury, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty or other “torts”, real estate and construction, will contests, and probate or trust litigation. We are also experienced in debt collection actions on behalf of creditors.

It is often prudent to consider alternative means of resolving disputes, such as mediation or arbitration, in order to avoid long and arduous litigation. We not only advise and represent clients in such forums – we can also serve as mediator and arbitrator.

If, despite your best efforts to avoid it, you have a legal dispute, let an experienced trial attorney represent you. We will provide the aggressive and effective representation which consistently gets results for our clients.

Focus Areas of Civil Litigation

Personal injury

Wrongful death and survival actions

Auto and commercial trucking accidents

Bicycle and motorcycle accidents

Unsafe products (products liability)

Unsafe conditions on property

Slip / Trip and fall

Hazardous activities

Insurance disputes

Breach of fiduciary duties

Securities litigation (negligence, churning, unsuitable investments)

Commercial disputes

Real estate and construction litigation (fraud, non-disclosure of defects, construction disputes)

Probate and trust litigation

Elder abuse

Contract disputes

Debt collection

Injunctions, preliminary injunctions, and temporary restraining orders

Mediations, Arbitrations, or other forms of alternative dispute resolution