Commercial Contract, General Business

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

  • Plaintiff alleges that Defendant breached their contract when it terminated its services and refused to pay for both work performed and an agreed to early termination fee.
  • Plaintiff seeking enforcement of Affidavit of Support to obtain contracted-for financial support from ex-spouse, brought suit under 8 U.S.C. §§ 1182(a)(4)(C) and 1183(a).
  • Actions to recover contracted-for payment for services/products rendered. Settled.
  • Law firm filed suit against clients for unpaid legal fees of almost $100,000. Settled.
  • One investigation company poached the contract, processes, and employees of another, resulting in many of the second company’s employees violating their non-compete clauses, so the second company filed suit against the first and the breaching employees in question for interference with perspective economic advantage, breach of contract, and misappropriation of trade secrets (among others), brought under common law, Cal. Civ. Code § 3426, and various other California laws.
  • After company acquired and renamed, former company head ensured his allegedly-promised retirement and other permanent benefits would continue, but the company later terminated the benefits, so the former company head sued the company for breach of contract and elder financial abuse (among others) under Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15610.30. Settled.
  • Artist previously sold partial interest in her recordings to recording companies, which later claimed complete ownership, so the artist’s estate brought suit for breach of contract. Settled.
  • Suit by landlord against tenant movie theatre and owner after the theatre and owner abandoned the property and stopped paying rent, in violation of the lease agreement. Settled.
  • Real estate renovator sued bank, lending institutions, and renovation partner, alleging Civil Rico violations and accusing defendants of fraudulently misrepresenting and inducing his purchase of one property and the mortgaging of his other properties, for which defendants received fees, costs, and profits; action brought under 15 U.S.C. §§ 1639, et seq. (Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act) and 1681 (Fair Credit Reporting Act), 15 U.S.C. § 1605 and Regulation Z § 226.4 (Federal Truth-in-Lending Act), 12 U.S.C. §§ 2601, et seq. (Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act), and Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200, et seq.
  • Plaintiff sued for repayment of $345,000 loaned to but unlawfully kept by defendants. Settled.
  • Trustee of an elderly woman’s trust filed suit against a bank, alleging fraud, deceit, and breach of fiduciary duty because the bank allegedly improperly advised the woman on investing and unduly influenced her to make unwise investments (given her age), action brought under Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code §§ 15600, et seq. (California Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act) and Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17200, et seq. (California Unfair Competition Law). Settled.
  • Lawsuit by televised sports-event licensing distributor against bar owners, claiming the bar showed patrons a boxing event they did not have the commercial rights to show. Settled.
  • Winemaker sued distribution company and its owner for repeatedly refusing to pay winemaker the money collected on its behalf, which the company and its owner spent instead.
  • Trustee of a bankruptcy estate brought suit against the recipients of fraudulent transfers/revocable preferences made in violation of Cal. Civ. Code § 3439.04 and 11 U.S.C. §§ 544, 547, and 548.

Hon. Maria-Elena James
United States Magistrate Judge (Ret.)

Available for Mediations