About us

Partners David Stowell, Adam Treiger, Richard Zeilenga and James Vaughn have achieved trial and appellate court victories, in State and Federal Courts, in all types of business and commercial litigation, including real estate disputes, business tort and contract disputes, easement litigation, partnership conflicts, securities fraud matters, insurance coverage disputes, construction defect claims and probate and trust controversies. Moreover, the Firm’s partners have substantial experience in handling matters in alternative dispute resolution settings, including arbitration and mediation. Experience, expertise, cost-effectiveness, creativity and responsiveness to evolving client needs are the hallmarks of the Firm’s business litigation practice.

David Stowell, Richard Zeilenga, James Vaughn and Adam Treiger are not only experienced trial lawyers, they also are well versed in protecting their clients’ rights when a judgment is appealed by either side. The Firm’s lawyers have a winning track record in dozens of appeals, where their keen understanding of the law, and their superior writing and oral argument skills, have provided important victories for their clients. The types of appeals successfully handled by the Firm are very diverse, including all manner of business litigation claims, securities fraud cases, California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) cases, land use disputes, election law claims, and many more.

Adam Treiger, James Vaughn, and David Stowell make up the Firm’s robust Transactional and Real Estate practice areas. The Firm’s attorneys provide clients with a uniquely integrated approach in transactional planning and proactive litigation risk management, that adds substantial value to our representation in these practice areas:

• Real Estate: The Firm’s lawyers have substantial experience in real estate transactions arising out of their representation of a diverse range of large institutions and high net worth individuals that have acquired or disposed of interests in shopping centers, industrial parks, apartment projects, office buildings, hotels, and residential and country club developments. The Firm handles all aspects of real estate transactions, including acquisitions and sales, tax-free exchanges, leasing (both landlords and tenants), financing, and ownership structuring.
• Business Transactions: The Firm’s transactional practice assists our clients with a wide variety of business matters, including business formations, acquisitions, sales, reorganizations, financing, restructuring, and daily operational matters, including vendor and customer agreements, supply chain agreements, licensing agreements, partnership and shareholder agreements and buy-sell agreements. The Firm’s lawyers have substantial experience with all aspects of business organizations, including the formation, maintenance and reorganization of closely held corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships, as well as the negotiation and documentation of sophisticated joint ventures involving both real estate and operating companies.

Richard Zeilenga, a graduate of Northwestern University Law School, and James Vaughn, a graduate of U.C. Berkeley–Boalt Hall, are the partners heading up the Firm’s land use and environmental law practice. Both Mr. Zeilenga and Mr. Vaughn have substantial experience in successfully representing private developers and public agencies in controversial land use and environmental disputes throughout Southern and Northern California, in both the Superior and Appellate Courts. The Firm’s experience in land use and environmental matters is unique, in that it represents both proponents and opponents of large development projects. The Firm assists its clients with all types of land use and environmental matters, including: CEQA compliance and litigation, endangered species issues, entitlement applications, entitlement due diligence in connection with real property acquisitions, planning and zoning law issues, Subdivision Map Act compliance, development agreement negotiation and drafting, all manner of development fee protest and refund actions, challenges to referendum and initiative ballot measures, wastewater facility entitlement issues, storm water management issues, and California Coastal Commission matters. Our unique experience in both defending and challenging controversial development projects substantially enhances the insights we offer private and public entity clients. See CEQA and Land Use Expertise.

Adam Treiger, a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, heads up the Firm’s employment law practice. The Firm’s expertise is focused on litigation prevention and day-to-day employment law counseling, as well as on representing employer clients in federal and state court or arbitration settings in wage and hour, discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination lawsuits.

The Firm advises clients and prepares documentation regarding implementation and alteration of wills, trusts, gifts and all other documentation necessary to effectuate the goals of tax reduction and deferral, privacy, economy and asset disposition. The Firm also handles all aspects of its clients’ probate and trust administration needs.

James Vaughn, Adam Treiger, and David Stowell head up the Firm’s religious organizations practice. The Firm’s attorneys are uniquely qualified to handle the special legal issues and challenges confronting religious organizations and affiliated institutions. The Firm’s attorneys have significant expertise in handling constitutional and privilege issues, employment practices, real estate and land use matters and insurance coverage disputes.

David Stowell and Adam Treiger have substantial experience and expertise in assisting private schools with all of their legal needs. The Firm’s lawyers are well versed in employment law compliance; parent, vendor and student contracts; state and federal laws applicable to private schools; student disciplinary matters; anti-bullying policies; compliance with the Child Abuse Reporting Act; student/parent handbooks; employee manuals; governance issues; bias and discrimination matters; searches; and employment policies and procedures. The Firm successfully defends its clients’ interests in litigation of all kinds, including those involving various tort actions filed against the school, its officers, directors and employees. The Firm’s attorneys are knowledgeable, caring and effective team members on the side of their private school clients.

Adam Treiger has extensive experience successfully challenging infringing Internet Domain Names, under the Domain Name Dispute Resolution program of the World Intellectual Property Organization (“WIPO”), and in defending such actions. Mr. Treiger has used the WIPO dispute resolution procedure to obtain the transfer of numerous infringing Internet Domain Names to their rightful owners.