Case Summaries

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Discovery References

Family Court discovery reference concerning the 5th Amendment applicability to the contents of a safe and its passcode.
Discovery reference in a slip and fall personal injury case involving breadth of medical records requests involving life long diseases and conditions.
Family Court discovery reference concerning privileged materials contained in Electronically Stored Information.
Discovery reference in a commercial breach of contract matter between a Nationwide Real Estate Company Owner of a large urban retail shopping center, and a tenant a nationwide gym/fitness chain.
Discovery reference in a family law matter concerning production of wills and trusts relevant to the determination of spousal support
Discovery reference concerning commercial dispute between a Nationwide Window Retailer and builder over the quality of the windows installed.
Discovery reference in a products liability suit against American Honda Motor Co.
Discovery reference in a probate dispute concerning the validity of a trust revocation
Discovery reference in a matter between two property owners/neighbors concerning the ownership of land, right of way, where one party has placed objects on the graveled shoulder of the road preventing access, and the other claims is the public right-of-way
Discovery reference in a case of alleging an anticipatory breach of a Tenancy in Common Agreement where trustee of a family trust tried to secretly buy an asset of the trust through a strawman
Discovery reference in a matter alleging the trustee of a family trust wrongfully terminated CEO/ heir in retaliation for complaints that trustee was improperly commingling Trust and Company funds.
Discovery reference in dispute over breach of fiduciary duty by trustee involving allegations of tax fraud and Civil RICO.
Discovery reference in Personal Injury case where plaintiff suffered catastrophic injury when a crane hit him while he was while working at an oil refinery.

Employment

Mediated defamation dispute venue in the appellate court between employee and union over unauthorized use of employee’s photograph on union fliers.
Mediated wrongful termination, wage and hour, PAGA claim, against tech company alleging illegal arbitration and settlement agreements involving 3,000 employees.
Mediated an employment dispute between an employee and her employer, a national Airline Ground support company involving allegations of age discrimination, ADA violations, wrongful termination, physical, retaliatory verbal, and emotional abuse by supervisors and co-workers, resulting in permanent damage.
Mediated a wrongful discharge case involving employer’s coverup and failure to notify Plaintiff of her Worker’s Compensation rights, and subsequent failure to accommodate her physical disability that resulted from an attack by co-employee.
Mediated a dispute involving the ownership of photographs taken of her work-product by nail salon employee and damages incurred by employers subsequent interference with employees future prospective employment.
Negotiated a Title IX and Employment cross-border dispute, with a female student complaining of sexual harassment and abuse, transnational stalking by another student, and two educational institutions and the executives’ failure to protect the female student.
Handled fraud action against owners of a Limited Liability Company involved with the sales of securities.
Handled a mortgage fraud case involving real estate brokers and their agent.
Handled case involving unfair trade practices, fishing rights and sale of crab by commercial fishing boats and associations.
Handled case involving fishing rights for 28 commercial squid fishing boats.
Handled case involving fishing rights/strikes for commercial salmon fishing boats.
Handled action involving 7 plaintiffs alleging race and national origin discrimination in violation of 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1981, 1983, 1985 & 1986 against Municipal Transportation Agency.
Handled 9th Circuit Appeal involving suits against a Municipal Agency, and various individual defendants for race and national origin discrimination in violation of 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981, 1983, 1985 & 1986 alleging that Defendants discriminated by giving preferential hiring treatment to Asian and Filipino workers.
Handled multi-plaintiff action against a state agency and its executive staff involving violations of Labor Code §1102.5, age discrimination, retaliation for whistleblowing, and retaliation for protected activity under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).
Mediated a dispute involving the misclassification of independent contractors under the California Department of Labor Standards Enforcement resulting in wage and hour claims in the Beauty Product industry.
Mediated dispute over misclassification of beauticians.
Handled matters involving whistleblowers entitlement to SSDI And Disability Retirement under Federal Employees Retirement System.
Handled action brought by 4 plaintiffs against Municipal Agency alleging that Defendants gave preferential treatment to certain applicants based on their ethnicity who did not meet the minimum qualifications for the job and that Defendants modified the requirements for to purportedly make it easier to hire certain applicants, and failed to provide sufficient information about the open positions based on ethnicity.
Mediated a dispute between employees and employer alleging sexual harassment, gender discrimination, discrimination based on sexual preference, hostile work environment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, retaliation, and failure to protect employees from harassment.
Handled matter where employees sued employer, a state agency, for retaliation for whistle blowing in violation of Labor Code Section 1102.5.
Handled matter where plaintiff sued State Agency for retaliation for protected activity under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) Cal. Gov. Code Section 12900 following her successful lawsuit against the agency for gender discrimination.
Handled a wrongful discharge and breach of contract matter by former C-Suite executives and a multi-national cosmetic company.
Handled wage and hour claims against celebrity/beauty company.
Handled race discrimination and harassment claims against Non-Profit Organization focused on civil rights.
Handled sexual harassment and various claims involving Title 9 and the alleged mistreatment of children by employees against an educational non-profit organization.
Handled matter involving non-binary and transgender employees claims of sexual harassment and discrimination against nationwide non-profit.
Handled matter involving Federal Officials threatening employee to stop her from filing a sexual harassment complaint.
Handled matter involving the harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination of a federal official/whistleblower
Handled DSLE matter involving Wage & Hour and Status Misclassification claims of paralegals.
Handled litigation of appeal of DSLE ruling concerning Wage and Hour claims.
Handled matter where federal employers had employee erroneously charged with Trade Secrets Act violations in order to force termination.
Handled 9th Circuit appeal of viability of Trade Secrets Act against a federal employee.
Handled wrongful termination of spouse of whistleblower by federal prison.

Personal Injury

Mediated personal injury/malpractice action against an obstetrician for catastrophic suffered by infant during delivery when infant’s shoulder became stuck behind mother’s pelvis “shoulder dystocia”.
Mediated construction defect/personal injury action where construction performed in a unit of an apartment complex caused a mother and her 18-month-old child to fall through the floor to the apartment below causing catastrophic injuries to mother and child.
Mediated personal injury/Dental Malpractice action involving injuries sustained during endodontic therapy resulting in an extraction.
Mediated a personal injury/ motor vehicle dispute involving a Mercedes and a scooter resulting in an ankle medial malleolus fracture.
Mediated a personal injury/ motor vehicle dispute after a rear-ender between tourists driving a rented Porsche to wine-country and a San Francisco taxicab involving severe traumatic brain injuries and surgical orthopedic injuries.
Mediated a personal injury/ motor vehicle dispute involving a taxicab running a stop sign and broadsiding a pediatrician resulting in concussion, headaches, dizziness, photosensitivity, phonophobia, cervical/thoracic sprain right leg weakness, radiculopathy, anxiety and emotional distress.
Mediated a personal injury/ motor vehicle dispute between a work truck and car resulting in back and hip injuries.
Mediated a personal injury/ motor vehicle/ battery/ road rage/ negligent entrustment dispute that resulted in catastrophic injuries. Plaintiff alleged that while he was waiting to pull into a parking space, Defendant, a stranger, walked up to Plaintiff’s window and punched him in the face numerous times. Defendant then returned to his vehicle and rammed Plaintiff’s vehicle, when Plaintiff tried to flee to safety, Defendant gave chase to intimidate him.
Mediated a personal injury/ insurance bad faith dispute arising out of high-speed broadside collision causing resulting in substantial property damage and catastrophic injuries.
Mediated dental malpractice dispute involving severe nerve damage during root canal procedure.
Handled wrongful death/civil rights/medical malpractice suit against Lake County officials, and California Forensic Medical Group for the failure to provide adequate medical care to pretrial detainee suffering from severe drug withdrawal symptoms resulting in her preventable suicide by strangulation while in their care and under video observation.
Handled personal injury/medical malpractice/civil rights case against private healthcare providers, Sacramento County and California officials for the denial of medical care to a pretrial detainee suffering with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) resulting in catastrophic paralysis and partial blindness.
Handled medical malpractice/personal injury suit against Sacramento County officials where county medical personnel failed to provide medical care for man suffering with NMO in retaliation for earlier law suit causing further catastrophic damage.
Handled wrongful death/medical malpractice/civil rights case by the family of a gay man who was held as a pre-trial detainee in the Sacramento County Jail. Officials and medical personnel were sued for their failure to provide medical care over the course of days while the man vomited blood and cried out in excruciating pain ultimately resulting in his preventable death due to a treatable duodenal ulcer.
Handled wrongful death/medical malpractice/civil rights case brought by the family of a young man suffering with mental illness against Santa Clara County officials and medical providers for the failure to provide legally mandated care after his release from an involuntary psychiatric commitment to general population without proper observation, supervision and medical/mental health care resulting in his preventable death by suicide by suffocation by a plastic bag.
Handled a wrongful death/civil rights/medical malpractice/government tort case involving the death of an inmate in the custody of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, resulting from the unconstitutional removal of all prison personnel from a unit housing mentally ill prisoners. Upon their return, prison personnel failed to provide constitutionally mandated lifesaving medical assistance over a protracted period of time resulting in plaintiff’s preventable death.
Handled 9th Circuit Appeal involving the qualified immunity of state officials failure to medical care and legally mandated observation for mentally ill inmates.
Handled a wrongful death/medical malpractice/civil rights case against San Joaquin County officials and a private mental healthcare provider for the failure to provide mental health care to an 18-year-old long-term patient known to be suffering from delusions, schizophrenia and suicidality, resulting in an unprecedented jury award, punitive damages against the medical provider, and attorney fees.
Handled a personal injury case involving the amputation of a fingertip due to a door malfunction.
Handled multiple personal injury/ motor vehicle actions involving soft tissue injuries.
Handled matter involving injuries sustained by a celebrity perpetrated by a stalking, mentally ill, fan.
Handled a wrongful death/civil rights/excessive force action against San Joaquin County where parents, wife and minor children sued officers who chased an unarmed man down, and caused his death by positional asphyxia.
Handled a personal injury/civil rights/government tort matter for two men who were the victims of wide-ranging police and prosecutorial misconduct by the Sacramento County.
Handled a personal injury/motor vehicle action against trucking company for torn rotator cuff and other soft tissue injuries sustained after rear-ender.
Handled a personal injury/civil rights/government tort matter against the City of Benicia officials on behalf of a young man who was arrested without probable cause, causing physical and reputational injury.
Handled a wrongful death/medical malpractice/government tort/civil rights case on behalf of the four daughters of a man with serious mental illness who was denied access to clinically necessary and court-ordered psychiatric hospitalization while in the County of Sutter’s jail. After being placed in solitary confinement and denied treatment at the jail for four weeks, he committed suicide in his cell.
Handled wrongful death/medical malpractice/government tort/civil rights case on behalf of the mother and children of a young man who developed a life threatening infection over the course of several days at the County of Sutter’s jail. Custody and medical staff ignored and failed to respond to his worsening condition and pleas for help, leading to his preventable and painful death.
Handled a personal injury/excessive force/civil rights/government tort action against Sacramento County for staff members engaging in violent involuntary cell extractions of several prisoners wherein custodial personnel, without proper warning, threw flash-bang grenades into the cells, causing severe mental and physical injury. Thereafter, staff beat and illegally restrained men in prostraint chairs without proper and necessary medical attention, care and treatment. All the actions were racially discriminatory and in retaliation for complaints regarding unconstitutional conditions of confinement.
Handled a personal injury/civil rights/excessive force/government tort case against the City of Folsom and the Folsom Police Department for the unlawful and unwarranted use of force, and wrongful arrest after an officers wrongful and illegal deployment of her Taser gun and failure to provide vital medical care causing permanent catastrophic injury.
Handled wrongful death/medical malpractice/government tort/civil rights case against the officials of Lake County and California Forensic Medical Group on behalf of the parents and minor children of a man suffering with acute suicidality. Upon a call for emergency psychiatric services after a suicide attempt, the man was taken to jail where he was denied appropriate medical and mental health treatment resulting in his foreseeable and preventable suicide by hanging.
Handled wrongful death /civil rights/ excessive force/government tort action against the County of San Francisco on behalf of the mother of a man known to be mentally disabled who jailers handcuffed, shackled, tortured and beaten to death. Where the San Francisco Medical Examiner ruled death to be caused by a homicide perpetrated by jail officials.
Handled wrongful death/civil rights/ excessive force/ municipal liability/ case against San Joaquin County and City of Stockton for the wrongful death of an unarmed man chased by policy, and beaten to death by law enforcement officers while restrained on the ground.
Handled federal civil rights action for damages and injunctive relief brought on behalf of multiple female prisoners who were sexually assaulted while incarcerated in federal prison when prison guards removed them from the women’s facility in order to traffic them and sell sexual favors to male prisoners. Resulting in damages and system-wide reform of nationwide policies, procedures, and training governing issues of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and the rights of female prisoners and victims of crimes. The court also awarded significant attorneys’ fees.
Handled multiple personal injury/civil rights actions brought under Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents by women sexually abused by officers at various Bureau of Prisons institutions throughout the U.S.
Handled personal injury action for negligence resulting in cutting off a woman’s finger in a door.
Handled personal injury/excessive force/ civil rights/municipal liability/ government tort brought by protestor against members of the San Francisco Police Department for injuries incurred during her arrest.
Handled civil rights/personal injury/Bivens action representing a prison warden named in a suit against the Bureau of Prisons alleging injuries incurred from constitutional violations that resulted during searches of inmates returning from working at the UNICOR factory.
Handled a personal injury/civil rights/medical malpractice/Bivens action representing a Bureau of Prison warden in a case where prisoner was injured in a car accident while being transported. Plaintiff allegations included denial of medical treatment and inappropriate security demands to be provided treatment.
Handled 9th Circuit appeal personal injury/civil rights/medical malpractice/Bivens action representing a federal Bureau of Prison warden alleged to have denied medical treatment
Handled wrongful death of woman and 16-year old daughter who were killed when a drunk driver crossed over into oncoming traffic.
Handled a personal injury/civil rights/government tort action on behalf of a man suffering with Post-Concussive Syndrome against San Francisco County officials for their failure to provide medical care and appropriate housing placement which caused him to fall 5 feet and sustain a subtrochanteric fracture. Officials refused treatment or assistance causing excruciating pain and ultimately requiring a screw inserted into his hip and femur.
Handled a personal injury/civil rights/government tort claim against San Francisco County officials for their improper use of segregation cells for persons with mental illness, physical abuse, retaliation, removal of clothing for purposes of humiliation without security reason, exposure to extreme temperatures, denying him food, water and medical care, use of restraints known to cause asphyxiation, hog-tie or figure-four restraints, use of choke holds.

Medical Malpractice

Mediated personal injury/malpractice action against an obstetrician for catastrophic suffered by infant during delivery when infant’s shoulder became stuck behind mother’s pelvis “shoulder dystocia”.
Mediated Dental Malpractice dispute involving injuries sustained including extraction after endodontic therapy.
Mediated dental malpractice dispute involving severe nerve damage during root canal procedure.
Mediated medical malpractice of a chiropractor where treatment resulted in catastrophic injury.
Handled medical malpractice case brought by the son of a woman arrested when she was found lost and wandering the streets in Lake County. Instead of taking her to a hospital as warranted by their observations, she was transported to the jail where Lake County officials and the California Forensic Medical Group failed to provide any medical care for her observed severe drug withdrawal symptoms resulting in her preventable suicide by self-strangulation when she tore up her blankets and tied them to the pipes under the sink.
Handled medical malpractice action against private healthcare providers, Sacramento County and California officials for the denial of medical care to a pretrial detainee suffering with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) resulting in catastrophic paralysis and partial blindness.
Handled a second medical malpractice case involving Sacramento County’s retaliation against a man who had previously sued defendants for their medical malpractice resulting in a subsequent attack of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) which they failed to properly treat resulting in further catastrophic paralysis and blindness.
Handled medical malpractice case brought by the family of a gay man who was held as a pre-trial detainee in the Sacramento County Jail. Officials and medical personnel were sued for their failure to provide medical care over the course of days while the man vomited blood and cried out in excruciating pain ultimately resulting in his preventable death due to a treatable duodenal ulcer.
Handled medical malpractice case brought by the family of a young man suffering with mental illness against Santa Clara County officials and medical providers for the failure to provide legally mandated care after his release from an involuntary psychiatric commitment to general population without proper observation, supervision and medical/mental health care resulting in his preventable death by suicide by suffocation by a plastic bag.
Handled a medical malpractice action brought by the mother of a man held in the custody of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, when medical and custodial staff stationed in the housing unit housing severely mentally ill inmates were removed allowing Plaintiff to hang himself unobserved. Upon their return, prison personnel failed to provide constitutionally mandated lifesaving medical assistance including CPR over a protracted period of time resulting in plaintiff’s preventable death.
Handled 9th Circuit Appeal involving the qualified immunity of state officials failure to medical care and legally mandated observation for mentally ill inmates.
Handled medical malpractice case against San Joaquin County officials and a private mental healthcare provider for the failure to provide mental health care to an 18-year-old long-term patient known to be suffering from delusions, schizophrenia and suicidality, resulting in an unprecedented jury award, punitive damages against the medical provider, and attorney fees.
Handled medical malpractice case on behalf of the four daughters of a man with serious mental illness who was denied access to clinically necessary and court-ordered psychiatric hospitalization while in the County of Sutter’s jail. After being placed in solitary confinement and denied treatment at the jail for four weeks, he committed suicide in his cell.
Handled medical malpractice case on behalf of the mother and children of a young man who developed a life-threatening infection over the course of several days at the County of Sutter’s jail. Custody and medical staff ignored and failed to respond to his worsening condition and pleas for help, leading to his preventable and painful death.
Handled medical malpractice action on behalf of a mother of an 18-year-old who suffered with early onset schizophrenia against San Joaquin County officials and private mental healthcare provider for their systemic failure to provide mental health care to an 18-year-old long-term patient known to be suffering from delusions, schizophrenia and suicidality resulting in an unprecedented jury award, punitive damages against the medical provider, and attorney fees.
Handled medical malpractice/Bivens action representing a Bureau of Prison warden in a case where prisoner was injured in a car accident while being transported then denied appropriate medical care.
Handled 9th Circuit appeal medical malpractice/Bivens action concerning denial of appropriate medical treatment
Handled medical malpractice case against the officials of Lake County and California Forensic Medical Group on behalf of the parents and minor children of a man suffering with acute suicidality. Upon a call for emergency psychiatric services after a suicide attempt, the man was taken to jail where he was denied appropriate medical and mental health treatment resulting in his foreseeable and preventable suicide.
Handled a medical malpractice action involving the medical care provided during repairs to a fingertip amputation.
Handled Medical Malpractice action involving medical care provided to man suffering with nerve damage in his hand resulting from Taser.
Handled a medical malpractice action involving a flawed urine test resulting in injury.

Civil Rights, Police Misconduct, Governmental Liability

Handled civil rights/ excessive force/ municipal liability/ wrongful death – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action against the County of San Francisco for the wrongful death of pretrial detainee known to be suffering with mental illness, which the medical examiner deemed a homicide because the man was beaten to death by Sheriff’s deputies while being handcuffed and shackled.
Handled civil rights/ excessive force/ municipal liability/ wrongful death – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action against San Joaquin County and City of Stockton for the wrongful death of a man beaten by law enforcement officers while restrained.
Handled civil rights/excessive force/ municipal liability/ government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the City and County of San Francisco for cutting off a woman’s finger.
Handled civil rights/excessive force/ municipal liability/ government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 brought by protestor against members of the San Francisco Police Department.
Handled civil rights/ wrongful death/ government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 suit against Lake County officials, and California Forensic Medical Group for the failure to provide adequate medical care to pretrial detainee suffering from severe drug withdrawal symptoms resulting in her preventable suicide by strangulation while in their care and under video observation.
Handled civil rights/ government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 case against private healthcare providers, Sacramento County and California officials for the denial of medical care to a pretrial detainee suffering with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) resulting in catastrophic paralysis and partial blindness.
Handled civil rights/ government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 suit against Sacramento County officials where county medical personnel failed to provide medical care for man suffering with NMO in retaliation for earlier law suit causing further catastrophic damage.
Handled civil rights/wrongful death/ government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 case by the family of a gay man who was held as a pre-trial detainee in the Sacramento County Jail. Officials and medical personnel were sued for their failure to provide medical care over the course of days while the man vomited blood and cried out in excruciating pain ultimately resulting in his preventable death due to a treatable duodenal ulcer.
Handled civil rights/wrongful death/government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 case brought by the family of a young man suffering with mental illness against Santa Clara County officials and medical providers for the failure to provide legally mandated care after his release from an involuntary psychiatric commitment to general population without proper observation, supervision and medical/mental health care resulting in his preventable death by suicide by suffocation by a plastic bag.
Handled a civil rights/wrongful death – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 case involving the death of an inmate in the custody of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, resulting from the unconstitutional removal of all prison personnel from a unit housing mentally ill prisoners. Upon their return, prison personnel failed to provide constitutionally mandated lifesaving medical assistance over a protracted period of time resulting in plaintiff’s preventable death.
Handled 9th Circuit Appeal involving the qualified immunity of state officials for removal of all institutional staff for a period of hours, and resulting failure to provide medical care and legally mandated observation for mentally ill inmates.
Handled a civil rights/wrongful death/ government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 case against San Joaquin County officials and a private mental healthcare provider for the failure to provide mental health care to an 18-year-old long-term patient known to be suffering from delusions, schizophrenia and suicidality, resulting in an unprecedented jury award, punitive damages against the medical provider, and attorney fees.
Handled a civil rights/ government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 matter for two men who were the victims of wide-ranging police and prosecutorial misconduct by the Sacramento County.
Handled a civil rights/government tort 42 U.S.C. § 1983 matter against the City of Benicia officials on behalf of a young man who was arrested without probable cause, causing physical and reputational injury.
Handled a civil rights/wrongful death/government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 case on behalf of the four daughters of a man with serious mental illness who was denied access to clinically necessary and court-ordered psychiatric hospitalization while in the County of Sutter’s jail. After being placed in solitary confinement and denied treatment at the jail for four weeks, he committed suicide in his cell.
Handled civil rights/wrongful death/government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 case on behalf of the mother and children of a young man who developed a life-threatening infection over the course of several days at the County of Sutter’s jail. Custody and medical staff ignored and failed to respond to his worsening condition and pleas for help, leading to his preventable and painful death.
Handled civil rights/excessive force/ government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action against Sacramento County for staff members engaging in violent involuntary cell extractions of several prisoners wherein custodial personnel, without proper warning, throwing flash-bang grenades into the cells, causing severe mental and physical injury. Thereafter, staff beat and illegally restrained men in prostraint chairs without proper and necessary medical attention, care and treatment. All the actions were racially discriminatory and in retaliation for complaints regarding unconstitutional conditions of confinement.
Handled a civil rights/excessive force/ government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 case against the City of Folsom and the Folsom Police Department for the unlawful and unwarranted use of force, and wrongful arrest after an officers wrongful and illegal deployment of her Taser gun and failure to provide vital medical care causing permanent catastrophic injury.
Handled civil rights/wrongful death/ government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 case against the officials of Lake County and California Forensic Medical Group on behalf of the parents and minor children of a man suffering with acute suicidality. Upon a call for emergency psychiatric services after a suicide attempt, the man was taken to jail where he was denied appropriate medical and mental health treatment resulting in his foreseeable and preventable suicide by hanging.
Handled civil rights/wrongful death/ government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 case against San Joaquin County and City of Stockton for the wrongful death of an unarmed man chased by policy, and beaten to death by law enforcement officers while restrained on the ground.
Handled federal civil rights Bivens action for damages and injunctive relief brought on behalf of multiple female prisoners who were sexually assaulted while incarcerated in federal prison when prison guards removed them from the women’s facility in order to traffic them and sell sexual favors to male prisoners. Resulting in damages and system-wide reform of nationwide policies, procedures, and training governing issues of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and the rights of female prisoners and victims of crimes. The court also awarded significant attorneys’ fees.
Handled multiple personal injury/civil rights actions brought under Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents by women sexually abused by officers at various Bureau of Prisons institutions throughout the U.S.
Handled personal injury action for negligence resulting in cutting off a woman’s finger in a door.
Handled civil rights/personal injury/Bivens action representing a prison warden named in a suit against the Bureau of Prisons alleging injuries incurred from constitutional violations that resulted during searches of inmates returning from working at the UNICOR factory.
Handled a personal injury/civil rights/medical malpractice/Bivens action representing a Bureau of Prison warden in a case where prisoner was injured in a car accident while being transported. Plaintiff allegations included denial of medical treatment and inappropriate security demands to be provided treatment.
Handled 9th Circuit appeal Bivens/civil rights action representing a federal Bureau of Prison warden alleged to have denied medical treatment
Handled a civil rights/government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action on behalf of a man suffering with Post-Concussive Syndrome against San Francisco County officials for their failure to provide medical care and appropriate housing placement which caused him to fall 5 feet and sustain a sub trochanteric fracture. Officials refused treatment or assistance causing excruciating pain and ultimately requiring a screw inserted into his hip and femur.
Handled a civil rights/government tort – 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action against San Francisco County officials for their improper use of segregation cells for persons with mental illness, physical abuse, retaliation, removal of clothing for purposes of humiliation without security reason, exposure to extreme temperatures, denying him food, water and medical care, use of restraints known to cause asphyxiation, hog-tie or figure-four restraints, use of choke holds.
Appointed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to represent a federal prison warden in multiple actions brought under Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents alleging excessive force and misconduct by officers in his control.
Mediated dozens of Police Misconduct matters involving high-conflict situations, violence, substance abuse and mental illness as a mediator for the Department of Police Accountability.
Facilitated conversations on behalf of San Mateo County officials between community members and various governmental entities regarding racial inequality and implicit bias.
Facilitated conversations on behalf of San Mateo County officials between community members and various governmental entities and real estate developers regarding development, zoning, housing, and land use.
Settled scores of matters involving high emotions, substance abuse, mental illness, and violence or monetary loss as an adjudicator at San Francisco Neighborhood Courts.

Business, Breach of Contract, Intellectual Property

Mediated fee dispute/legal malpractice/misrepresentation action involving attorney’s failure to recover property.
Mediated a dispute between author and publisher regarding author’s rights under the publishing contract to obtain unsold books and marketing information.
Mediated a dispute between nail salon owners over the ownership of the intellectual property interests in nail designs involving Interference with Business Opportunity.
Mediated a high conflict 7-figure dispute over professional fees and services involving multi-phased trial, appeals and retrial.
Mediated a breach of contract dispute between an artist and art dealer involving damage to work of art during an exhibition.
Mediated a dissolution between band and promoter involving ownership of intellectual property (music & lyrics), band name shared with name of the lead singer, future proceeds, revenues from bookings, and wage & hour claims by employees of the band.
Handled dissolution of an international beauty company involving claims of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, interference with business, negligence, breach of contract, defamation, labor code violations, wrongful termination, and defamation between partners and principles.
Handled dissolution of an entertainment venue involving breach of contract, Corporations Code Section 17351(B)(2), resulting in various restraining orders, allegations of stalking, harassment, verbal taunts, physical intimidation, assault, threats of physical violence, and defamation.
Mediated breach of contract in the sale of a commercial fishing vessel, and the transfer of fishing licenses.
Handled civil RICO and Sherman Act/ antitrust case alleging price-fixing in the commercial crab fishing industry.
Mediated multi-party breach of contract action concerning 7-figure dispute over fees for professional services, professional malpractice, and breach of contract.
Mediated partnership dissolution of a musical band involving trademark, brand, band name, division of intellectual property, and future proceeds.
Represented a private securing firm defending law suits for personal injuries/civil rights and negotiated contracts and agreements between the private security firm, San Francisco Housing Authority, and the San Francisco Police Department, resolving a heated lengthy dispute over territorial jurisdiction.
Handled actions against employee of Savings & Loan involved in multi-year Federal Home Loan Bank Board investigation, prosecution, and resulting civil actions.
Handled a probate action involving the dissolution of trucking company and ownership of the intellectual property involved in the creation of mechanical devices used on garbage trucks.
Represented, owned, and/or operated various establishments in the hospitality industry including liquor establishments, restaurants, playhouses, and music venues which involved: negotiating partnership, and operating agreements; leases; asset purchase agreements (including liquor license acquisition); distribution, production and supply agreements; catering agreements; licensing agreements; professional service agreements; construction agreements; entity formation and maintenance; negotiating artist’s contracts; and handling employment issues.
Provided general counsel services to entertainment venues such as the Santa Barbara International Jazz Festival which involved: negotiating artist contracts; handling the production of and negotiating working relationships with city officials and neighboring businesses; negotiating artists’ contracts; ticketing and partner agreements; and brand protection.
Handled and mediated scores of matters in the cannabis industry over 30 years, beginning with medical marijuana maverick Brownie Mary, through to “cannabis business divorces” which today include bitter conflicts among partners, companies, joint ventures, lenders, and others.
General Counsel for Ocean Meadows Golf Course and Devereaux Creek Properties, handled matters involving liability, workers’ compensation, alcohol liability, anti-discrimination legislation, ADA, sexual harassment, libel and slander; mediated disputes between the golf course property owners and neighbors; and negotiated business contracts including leases, advertisements, inventory, events, special independent contractor agreements, employment contracts, and the ultimate sale and conversion of the property to a residential development and reclaimed wetlands.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Mediated an employment dispute between an employee and her employer, a national Airline Ground support company involving age discrimination, ADA violations, wrongful termination, physical, retaliatory verbal, and emotional abuse by supervisors and co-workers, resulting in permanent damage.
Mediated a wrongful termination employment dispute involving employers’ failure to notify Plaintiff of her Worker’s Compensation rights, the subsequent failure to accommodate her physical disability that resulted from an physical attack by a customer, and employer’s involvement in a conspiracy to cover it up, and create cause for termination which involved another company thereby preventing employee from seeking other employment.
Mediated an ADA/ personal injury dispute between a disabled guest and a premium international hotel group over a non-ADA accessible entrance with inadequate signage, creating a dangerous condition which resulted in Plaintiff’s fall. Also at issue were substantial attorney’s fees and multipliers, and punitive damages.
Mediated dispute involving ADA violations alleged against grocery store for inappropriate screening /exclusion of comfort animal.
Mediated dispute involving ADA violations alleged against landlord for inappropriate requirements of resident suffering with mental health disabilities.
Mediated numerous disputes involving alleged ADA violations due to inaccessibility to retail spaces.
Mediated an ADA dispute involving a mobility impaired plaintiff and website providing hotel reservations. Suit alleged website denied access to online information and reservation services regarding the accessibility of the hotels and hotel rooms for mobility impaired consumers.
Handled an ADA matter involving failure on the part of San Joaquin County to accommodate detainees with mental disabilities.
Handled an ADA matter involving Sacramento County’s failure to accommodate detainees requiring wheelchairs and crutches.
Handled an ADA matter involving San Francisco County’s failure to accommodate the needs of those suffering with mental disabilities.

Real Estate, Landlord/Tenant, Unlawful Detainer

Mediated construction defect/personal injury action construction performed in a unit of an apartment complex caused a mother and her 18-month old child to fall through the floor to the apartment below causing catastrophic injuries.
Mediated Landlord/Tenant dispute involving warranty of habitability claims due to extensive mold growth throughout a ten-unit residential building and bad faith insurance claims.
Mediated a dispute between a brother and sister over the ownership of a San Francisco single family home. Plaintiff claimed she mistakenly added brother to the deed through coercion and incapacity, and breach of contract.
Mediated an ejectment/ Ellis Act eviction involving an elderly long-term tenant. After a fire in the building, Landlord refused to make repairs to make the premises habitable giving rise to tenant’s displacement and allegations of intentional/ reckless disregard of Plaintiff’s rights under the rent ordinance.
Mediated a dispute involving a disputed property line between two San Francisco residential properties, the location of a fence between the properties, and the location of a shed that straddled the properties. The highly charged dispute went on for years involving various restraining orders, which gave rise to multiple arrests and allegations of false arrests causing physical and emotional damage.
Mediated an ejectment/ Ellis Act eviction involving long-term elderly tenant alleging negligence and violations of habitability/ quiet enjoyment, no permanent source of heat, water leaks, deteriorated windows and doors, no weatherproofing, smoke detectors, damaged floors, walls and ceilings, excessive rent charges.
Mediated a residential landlord tenant dispute involving personal injuries and emotional distress due to the unremediated toxic microbial growth, noise, and broken windows in the unit, alleging claims of breaches of the implied warranty of habitability and the covenant of quiet enjoyment; negligence; nuisance; wrongful eviction; tenant harassment; retaliation; intentional infliction of emotional distress; and violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act.
Mediated multi-party landlord/tenant and construction defect case alleging injury to tenant due to unsafe, dangerous, and uninhabitable conditions causing long term exposure to dust and toxins, resulting in severe respiratory illness. Plaintiff alleged negligence, breach of the implied warranty of habitability, breach of the implied warranty of quiet enjoyment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of contract, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, private nuisance, and violation of S.F. Admin. Code, Ch. 37 against Landlord. In turn, Landlord alleged contractor was responsible for Plaintiff’s damages due to the performance of construction alleging contractual indemnity, full or partial equitable indemnification, and declaratory relief.
Mediated an unlawful detainer action praying for back rent with a cross-complaint for negligence, breach of the warranty of habitability, nuisance and violation of San Francisco Administrative Code section 37.10B and emotional distress.
Mediated a dispute where Tenant alleged that the Landlord engaged in sexual battery; battery; sexual discrimination and sexual harassment in housing; retaliation; negligence; nuisance; breach of implied warranty of quiet enjoyment; assault; hostile housing environment; negligent infliction of emotional distress; intentional infliction of emotional distress; violations of Business and Professions Code §17200; and invasion of privacy.
Mediated a landlord/tenant dispute involving breach of contract, fraud, habitability, retaliation, and abuse of civil process resulting from a rent dispute after the Department of Building Inspection issued a Notice of Violation citing conditions that create substantial risk to human life and property due to faulty electrical systems and lack of proper ceiling height, lighting and ventilation, equitable relief, emotional distress and punitive damages were also at issue.
Mediated landlord/tenant dispute involving allegations that the Owner Move In Notice causing Plaintiff to surrender the premises was fraudulent.
Mediated a combined landlord/tenant/ personal injury/ejectment dispute involving a decades-long tenancy with a long history of disputes, including violation of settlement agreements to remediate habitability issues, jury trials, allegations of breach of warranty of habitability, quiet enjoyment, nuisance, noise, retaliation, failed attempts to evict and ultimately the collapse of a ceiling leading to Tenant suffering personal injuries.
Mediated numerous disputes involving HOA and TIC litigation including nuisance complaints, maintenance, unequal financing arrangements, co-owner buyout agreements, and enforcement/ violation of covenants, conditions, and restrictions.
Mediated a dispute involving high conflict litigation between a man suffering with severe mental health challenges and property owner over land use.
Sit as Judge Pro Tem in San Francisco County Superior Court handling unlawful detainer actions.
Sit as court mediator for Alameda County’s unlawful detainer action.

Family Law

Mediated dispute between the parties to a 33-year non-marital relationship involving the partition of real property, division of community property, quasi-community property, breach of contract as to earnings, breach of contract pertaining to mortgage and tax contributions towards real property, fraud, and bankruptcy.
Mediated a high-conflict neighborhood dispute with three litigants all of whom were protected and/or restrained persons under multiple temporary restraining orders due to respective violent acts.
Mediated multiple child custody and visitation matters and modifications of spousal support and visitation orders in ongoing high-conflict dissolutions and/or involving child neglect.
Mediated family disputes in families with government pension plans and defined contribution plans.
Mediated elder abuse matter between siblings and elder suffering with dementia involving fraud, coercion and financial abuse.
Handled a high profile cross-border custody and visitation dispute of newborn.
Mediated a family matter over several years involving parents outside the U.S., a severely mentally ill adult child residing in the U.S. refusing treatment, and two people who had sought and obtained restraining orders due to violence and stalking.
Handled the dissolution of marriage between bar owner and spouse.
Handled the dissolution between muralist and long-time spouse.
Family Court discovery reference concerning the 5th Amendment applicability to the contents of a safe and its passcode.
Family Court discovery reference concerning privileged materials contained in Electronically Stored Information.
Discovery reference in a family law matter concerning production of wills and trusts relevant to the determination of spousal support
Discovery reference in a probate dispute concerning the validity of a trust revocation
Discovery reference in a case of alleging an anticipatory breach of a Tenancy in Common Agreement where trustee of a family trust tried to secretly buy an asset of the trust through a strawman
Discovery reference in a matter alleging the trustee of a family trust wrongfully terminated CEO/ heir in retaliation for complaints that trustee was improperly commingling Trust and Company funds.
Discovery reference in dispute over breach of fiduciary duty by trustee involving allegations of tax fraud and Civil RICO by trustee of a family trust.

Probate

Conservatorship – Proposed Conservatee 69-year-old former Certified Financial Analyst suffering from progressive dementia objected to the appointment of probate co-conservators on the basis that she had funded a revocable living trust obviating the need for a conservatorship of the estate. She further objected to the court adjudging her lacking capacity to give informed consent for medical treatment; placing her in a secured perimeter residential care facility for the elderly; and forcing her to take medication for the care and treatment of a major neurocognitive disorder. This matter came on the heels of the amendment to Probate Code section 1471 via AB1194. Proposed Conservatee had recently been determined incompetent to stand trial (PC 1368) in a criminal matter raising the question of the role of counsel and the need for a Guardian Ad Litem to settle a case under the new restrictions on counsel under the new law.
Conservatorship – Proposed Conservator had been caring for the Proposed Conservatee, a medical doctor suffering from aggressive Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia. During the pendency of the conservatorship proceedings, a dispute arose between adult children of the Proposed Conservatee when they interceded in the medical care decisions and objected to the Conservatorship maintaining they had the Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directive executed during the progression of disease raising issues of capacity.
Petition to Remove of Trustee & Executor/Attorney’s Fees – Co-trustees sued the lawyer representing them in the defense of the petition for their removal which had alleged they had breached their fiduciary duties; fraud and self-dealing maintaining the lawyer engaged in fraud and breach in billing and accounting.
Conservatorship & Financial Abuse of a Dependent Adult – Dispute between a 39-year-old disabled man, a car dealership, and a bank over the refusal to cancel a lease for a car (under Civil Code §40) entered into by the dependent adult conserved because he lacked capacity due to his diagnosis of psychosis, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar. Court-ordered conservator approval was required for financial decisions exceeding $250, later broadened to a general conservatorship. Involved questions of strict liability provided under Welfare & Institution Code sections 15657.5 and 15657.6 when the victim is deemed to be of unsound mind (Wel & Inst. Code § 15657.6), and the “financial abuse definition” under (Wel & Inst. Code § 15657.5.)
Conservatorship & Financial Elder Abuse – A Commercial Financial Advisor, alleged a parent suffering with dementia is being victimized by a live-in adult child siphoning money from accounts and using undue influence to encourage poor investments.
Trust – Allegations that adult children unduly influenced Settlor to execute a Trust document making them sole beneficiaries 6 days before her death.
Trust – Settlor amended Trust in 2013, disinheriting two of her grandchildren, who previously had been the primary beneficiaries of the Trust. They contested the validity of the amendment and argue that the successor Trustee has mismanaged the Trust due to a conflict of interest including residing with the Respondent, the sole beneficiary.
Trust – Husband, and wife executed an Irrevocable Living Family Trust only revocable during their joint lifetimes. One year after the wife’s death, the husband executed a Revocation of Trust.
Removal of Trustees – Petition to Remove Trustees who had taken trust assets and committed financial elder abuse against the petitioner’s deceased mother. The son of the Settlor is the Successor Trustee to the original trust. Settlor had executed an amendment listing a different successor Trustee. Dispute over the validity of the amendment.
Trust – Alleged breach of fiduciary duties by Trustee, including stealing large sums of cash out of a safe, paying exorbitant sums for work, failing to follow the prudent investor rule, delegating duties of paying bills and managing finances to an unqualified caregiver, and failing to produce an accounting as ordered.
Removal of Co-Trustees and Executors – Beneficiaries sought the Co-Trustees & Executors removal and damages based on gross negligence and intentional refusal to distribute millions of dollars in cash assets for 3 years (during the COVID shutdown) causing substantial monetary damages; and breaches of fiduciary duties, mismanagement of estate personal property, commingling of Trust and non-Trust property, refusals to communicate, poor record keeping and delays breached the terms of the Will, greatly increasing expenses to the estate causing waste of estate assets.